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EAST ALTON — Crews from Stutz Excavating were called to the scene of a major strip mall fire Tuesday afternoon to begin moving debris, allowing firefighters better access to stubborn hotspots at Wilshire Plaza. Firefighters were first dispatched around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday to a large blaze at the Wilshire Village strip mall in the 600 block of Berkshire Boulevard. The East Alton Fire Department led the response, with assistance from nearly nine surrounding departments as flames tore through

WEST ALTON, MO. - Transportation officials in Missouri have started a series of changes along U.S. Route 67 that would remove the corridor’s last traffic signal between Interstate 270 and Alton, Illinois, and replace several at-grade intersection movements with J-turns in an effort to reduce crashes. The Missouri Department of Transportation is presenting a preliminary plan to improve existing at-grade intersections along Route 67 at Cinder Road, Red School Road, Route 94/Richard Drive,

Simmons Hanly Conroy Partner Jared Hausmann Named 2026 ‘Influential Appellate Attorney’ by Missouri Lawyers Media ALTON – Simmons Hanly Conroy , a national leader in the legal representation of mesothelioma patients and their families, is pleased to announce that Jared Hausmann , a partner in the firm’s Alton office, has been recognized as a 2026 “Influential Appellate Attorney” by Missouri Lawyers Media. The Missouri Lawyers Awards recognize lawyers

MADISON COUNTY — The Salvation Army of Madison County is proud to announce a step toward providing key support to the unhoused community, in partnership with the Community Hope Center. The organizations will create a shared campus and unified space where our most marginalized neighbors facing housing instability can access comprehensive and complementary services all in one place. "We are thrilled to join with the Community Hope Center to confront homelessness with hope, compassion, and

ALTON - Associated Physicians Group says hormone replacement therapy might be the answer you’ve been looking for. Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is a way to adjust hormone levels in your body to mitigate symptoms like chronic fatigue, decrease in muscle mass, low libido, and menopausal symptoms. Mike Babinski, NP at Associated Physicians Group, said that HRT can be a great option for people who feel run down when symptoms aren’t explained by another condition. “It’s

ALTON — Family and community members will gather this week at First Presbyterian Church in Alton to remember James O. “Jim” Wigger, a longtime teacher and coach whose track and cross-country teams won state titles and whose influence extended for decades in the area. Wigger's sons - Brad, Steve, and John - wanted to make sure the public was aware of the visitation and memorial service slated for this weekend in Alton. Wigger, known to many as “Coach Wigger,” died

PONTOON BEACH – A Pontoon Beach resident accused of using electronic technology to create and distribute child pornography faces 12 felony counts. Robert D. Murphy, 37, of Pontoon Beach, was charged on Feb. 17, 2026 with 12 counts of child sexual abuse material, each Class X felonies. Murphy allegedly used a computer application to produce multiple pornographic images depicting a now-14-year-old child and disseminated the photographs online via the Telegram application on Jan. 13, 2026.

GODFREY - I got into a car accident and the other driver said, “You didn’t even signal!” I said, “I did. I screamed.” Regardless of the circumstances, the car now has to be fixed……………Who you gonna call? Well, Freer Auto Body in Godfrey comes highly respected and “wreck-o-mended” as an I-CAR gold class facility. I-CAR is a nonprofit organization that provides technical services and courses for collision repair professionals.

ALTON - Madison County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Godfrey man after authorities said he threatened to detonate an explosive during a robbery at a Schnucks grocery store in Godfrey, then fled and was captured following a foot pursuit in Alton. The robbery occurred at 7:05 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at Schnucks, 2712 Godfrey Road, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Madison County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Marcos Pulido said deputies said the suspect approached

ALTON - According to Hayner Public Library District Executive Director Mary Cordes, the spring season at Hayner might be their best yet. Cordes explained that most of the winter programs are coming to an end while the spring programs will start up in March. She is excited to share more opportunities with the community through events, databases, and initiatives. “It’s going well, going real well,” Cordes said. “We’re getting ready for our spring programs.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate National Labs Caucus, today met with Dr. Nobert Holtkamp, the newly appointed Director of Fermilab. During their meeting, Durbin reaffirmed his support for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 17 National Laboratories, including Illinois’ own Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory. Durbin and Dr. Holtkamp spoke about Fermilab’s flagship research project, the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep

ALTON - Alton High School students commemorated Black History Month with an impressive fine arts performance. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, students presented a Black Student Excellence Showcase to celebrate Black History Month through the arts. From singing to dancing to theater and more, students paid tribute to the artists and leaders who went before them while community members cheered them on. “Black history is all of our history,” said Program Director Dr. Willie Kilpatrick.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led a group of 216 House and Senate Democrats in filing a bicameral amicus brief standing up for the essential constitutional principle of birthright citizenship in Trump v. Barbara, currently before the Supreme Court with oral arguments scheduled for April 1, 2026. The Democratic lawmakers argue that President Donald Trump’s week-one

CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (Illinois EDC) announced that DMG MORI Federal Services, Inc. (DMG MORI) will invest more than $40.5 million to expand the company’s footprint in Illinois — establishing a new advanced manufacturing and R&D facility in the Chicagoland area and creating 74 new full-time jobs. The expansion further strengthens Illinois’

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias announced more than $680,000 in grants awarded to public libraries across Illinois and opened the application period for additional funding to support library safety and security, advancing a comprehensive effort to strengthen libraries and the services they provide to communities statewide. The $680,522 in Project Next Generation grants will help 36 public libraries expand technology access and educational

ALTON - The Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois and The Wedge Innovation Center is hosting a Seed Swap this winter to provide community members with a space to swap and share quality seeds, cuttings, and bulbs. Join fellow farmers and gardeners in celebration of the start of the spring gardening season at this community event, which is free and open to all. The 2026 Winter Seed Swap will be held at the Wedge Innovation Center in Alton on Saturday, March 7 from 9:00 a.m. to

GODFREY - In consideration of the onset of nicer weather, the Village of Godfrey’s yard waste drop-off location, located at 1433 Stamper Lane, will reopen to Godfrey residents next Tuesday, March 3rd. The site will be open and accepting yard waste on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to – noon. Located to the west of Glazebrook Park, residents can enter the fenced area where an employee will then verify residency and assist in unloading the bagged yard waste from the vehicle before

NATIONWIDE – Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc., a Portland, Ore. establishment, is recalling approximately 3,370,530 pounds of frozen not ready-to-eat (NRTE) chicken fried rice products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically glass, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The NRTE chicken fried rice items were produced between September 8, 2025, and November 17, 2025. The following products are

GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College is announcing the lists of full- and part-time honors students for the Fall 2025 semester. Students earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher out of a possible 4.0 are named to the President’s List. Those students earning a grade point average between 3.25 and 3.74 are recognized each semester on the Dean’s List. Further requirements are listed in the college’s online catalog at http://catalog.lc.edu . All

CARLYLE - A Carlyle man who admitted to operating a drug house across the street from a park has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, according to court records and statements from prosecutors and investigators. John E. Kock, 52, was sentenced by a district judge in Benton, Illinois, after pleading guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. The case involves a residence in the 1600 block of Livingston Street in Carlyle, where court documents say Kock allowed others