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SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker today announced the 2026 recipients of the Order of Lincoln, the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service. Established in 1964, the Order of Lincoln recognizes individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the betterment of humanity in or on behalf of the State of Illinois. “Having dedicated themselves to uplifting their fellow Illinoisans and Americans, the 2026 Lincoln Laureates set an example of leading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) member Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), today demanded an independent investigation into the Trump Administration’s decision to divert personnel, equipment and financial resources away from serving our nation’s Veterans and toward developing a database to track non-U.S. citizen employees as part of Donald Trump’s inhumane mass deportation

EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) now has its first Endowed Professorship, due to a major contribution from Professor Emerita Therese Poirier, PharmD, MPH, FASHP, FCCP, BCPS. The Therese Poirier Endowed Professorship in Pharmacy is the largest single gift in the School of Pharmacy’s history. “I look at some of the bigger schools and their affiliations where they have lots of money,” said Poirier. “And I was looking

EDWARDSVILLE – The City of Edwardsville is once again offering a Special Events Grant Program to support organizations looking to host free events for the enjoyment and benefit of the community. The program was established to help offset costs and boost the economic impact of community events that take place in Edwardsville. This round of Special Events Grants can be used to cover marketing costs and municipal fees incurred in hosting events held between May 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027.

SPRINGFIELD — The office of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has released its annual list of rejected vanity and personalized license plate requests for 2025, showing that while Illinois drivers remain creative, some ideas still cross the line. According to the Illinois Secretary of State , the office received 55,690 requests for vanity and personalized plates this year. More than 550 submissions were denied after being deemed inflammatory, profane, offensive, or

ALTON - Alton High School has a budding young journalist for the future in Leigha Cole. Cole has also been heavily involved in community service roles in her high school life. A highlight of Cole’s high school experience has been serving as Editor-In-Chief of The Redbird Word, the student-led newspaper. She aspired to this role since her sophomore year and has competed in notable journalism contests, including those organized by the Southern Illinois Student Press Association and the

GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man faces a Class X felony after invading a local residence and using a BB gun to batter one of the home’s occupants. Keith D. Walker, 60, of Granite City, was charged on Dec. 22, 2025, with a Class X felony count of home invasion. On Dec. 20, 2025, Walker allegedly knowingly and unlawfully entered an occupied residence on State Street in Granite City and struck one of the home’s occupants in the head with a BB gun modeled after a Glock 17

ALTON — Sharon Dugas, a senior at Marquette Catholic High School, was recognized recently for her leadership in academic excellence at the school. Dugas, the daughter of Patrick and Laura Dugas, has achieved a 4.53 GPA and completed 34 college dual credit hours. She has consistently appeared on the High Honor Roll and has taken multiple Advanced Placement and Honors classes, earning the distinction of AP Scholar. Dugas was one of the Students of the Month for December 2025 during a

CHICAGO — Powerball® is fueling holiday excitement across Illinois as the jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.6 billion for tonight’s drawing. If won, this enormous prize would become the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot and the fifth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. The jackpot rolled over following Saturday night’s drawing when no ticket matched all six winning numbers—4, 5, 28, 52, 69, and Powerball 20. While there was no jackpot winner, several Illinois

EDWARDSVILLE - On Friday, December 19, 2025, the Madison County Circuit Court hosted its eighth annual Adoption Day, finalizing adoptions for 36 children from foster care and uniting them with loving, permanent families. Many children in foster care endure waits of three or more years for adoption, and one in five will age out of the system without ever finding a forever home. Events like Adoption Day highlight the joy of permanency while underscoring the ongoing need for adoptive families. “The

NORFOLK, Va. - Lt. Cmdr. Dennis McFadden, a native of O'Fallon, Illinois, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Airborne Command and Control Squadron 126 (VAW-126), supporting the E-2D carrier airborne early warning aircraft, known as the Hawkeye. McFadden graduated from O'Fallon Township High School in 2010 and the Illinois Institute of Technology with a degree in chemical engineering in 2014. The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in O'Fallon. “From

ST. LOUIS – The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) is proud to announce the recipients of its inaugural Illinois Region Legal Leaders Awards. The award recipients will be honored on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at The Regency in O'Fallon, Ill. “This is an exceptional group, not only as attorneys and judges, but as people,” said Untress “Trez” Quinn, president of BAMSL. “Each of the honorees has demonstrated unwavering integrity and a deep commitment

WOOD RIVER - A local assisted living community held a surprise retirement party for Ms. Connie, a pianist who has performed at the facility for almost 20 years. Connie started as a server at High Point Residence in Wood River in 2008. She began to play piano for the residents after she finished her shifts, especially during the holidays or for residents’ birthdays. Last week, staff members asked Connie to come in to play a few holiday songs and surprised her with a retirement party.

ALTON — Soulcial Kitchen, the nationally recognized social enterprise known for its innovative Currency of Caring® and Dignity on Demand initiatives, is proud to announce a special December Alton Blessing Blitz , anchored by its monthly Block Party for Good and culminating in a New Year’s Eve Community Meal honoring one of the region’s most impactful organizations. Block Party for Good — December 26 | 2:00–4:00 PM Soulcial Square | Market

EDWARDSVILLE - Donors to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s annual Giving Tuesday campaign, themed “Cougar Nation Gives Back,” contributed $427,989.10 in philanthropic support through scholarships, program enhancements, faculty support, and state of the art facilities, an 19.2% percent increase from last year. The campaign drew 990 gifts from 828 unique donors, with an average gift of $432.31, highlighting the generosity and broad engagement of the SIUE community.

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a nationwide enforcement effort conducted from Dec. 3 to Dec. 17, 2025, aimed at identifying, tracking, and arresting child sex predators. One charged in Operation Relentless Justice was a Granite City man. Robert Jackowski, 31, of Granite City, Illinois, a former Marissa police officer, was charged with one count of transportation of child pornography in St. Clair County. Others charged

JERSEYVILLE – Jerseyville Police and Fire personnel responded quickly to a residential fire in the 500 block of West Pine Street on Monday morning, Dec. 22, 2025. While the blaze had since been contained, Jerseyville firefighters were still working around 9:45 a.m. on Monday to clear fire-damaged debris from the inside of the still-smoking structure, using ladders to clear debris from the upper floor of the two-story home as officers secured the perimeter of the scene. Jerseyville

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO. — St. Louis County police are investigating a homicide that occurred Saturday night, Dec. 20, 2025, in the 6600 block of South Lindbergh Boulevard, resulting in the death of a 47-year-old man. Officers from the St. Louis County Police Affton Southwest Precinct responded at 9:33 p.m. Dec. 20, 2025, to a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found the victim, identified as Jason Manes of Imperial, Mo., deceased at the scene. Preliminary findings indicate that

BELLEVILLE - This Christmas, a local 14-year-old hopes to celebrate with her forever family — and, soon, her “forever dog.” Belleville’s Kassie, 14, is raising money to adopt a service dog to help manage her seizures. Kassie began experiencing seizures at age 11. On Thanksgiving, she experienced three seizures in one day. As the seizures have worsened, her family and doctor agree that a service dog could go a long way in aiding Kassie’s safety and independence.

GRANITE CITY - Pizza World in Granite City presented a check for $17,955.17 to Police Officer Tyler Timmons last week as part of a fundraiser supporting the officer. The funds were raised through the restaurant’s Dine to Donate program, which drew significant community participation. Officer Timmons was shot on Dec. 5, 2025, near the Pizza World location in Granite City. The incident led to the charging of 26-year-old DJ W. Marshall on Dec. 18, 2025. Marshall faces multiple felony