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January wasn’t always the first month of the year—and in some places, it still isn’t. That simple fact explains why calendars can feel both obvious and oddly arbitrary at the same time. We treat January 1 as a clean reset: new goals, new budgets, new planners. But the choice of January is not a law of nature. It’s the result of politics, religion, and practical needs colliding over thousands of years. Understanding how calendars evolved also explains why we still carry

BUZZ MAGAZINE – Not many things can bring back childhood memories as quickly as the taste of your favorite childhood candy. A bite of an old-fashioned caramel or a brightly wrapped taffy can bring back memories of lazy summers, visits to grandma’s house or trips to the local corner store with a pocketful of change. It’s a reminder of simpler moments when life felt slower, lighter, and full of wonder. What were your favorite candies as a child? Mine were Sugar Babies, Pixie

HAMEL — The Bread Of Life Food Pantry in Hamel is launching a capital campaign to raise funds for relocating and constructing a new pantry building, organizers announced this week. The project, approved by the Alhambra Hamel Ministerial Alliance, aims to build a facility just down the road from the pantry’s current location on Cimmaron Drive. The new building will include HVAC, electrical work, interior walls, and shelving designed to better serve local families experiencing food insecurity

EDWARDSVILLE – Over the holiday season, the Edwardsville Police Department teamed up with the Illinois Department of Transportation and law enforcement agencies statewide for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” and “Drive High. Get a DUI.” campaigns. As part of this campaign, officers conducted 25 traffic stops. These stops were in addition to those made during regular patrols. The extra stops led to two arrests for impaired driving, one for driving with a suspended

January 7th has long been a day marked by significant events that have shaped our world in various ways. Looking back through history, January 7th has been a day of remarkable events. In 1782, during the American Revolutionary War, French forces captured the British-held island of Saint Eustatius in the Caribbean. This was a strategic victory that disrupted British supply lines and demonstrated the critical role of France as an ally to the American colonies. The event highlighted the global

The day starts with fog and a chilly 44 degrees this morning. As the morning progresses into the afternoon, the fog will clear away to reveal mostly sunny skies. Expect a high near 61 degrees with a light southern breeze around 7 mph, gusting up to 17 mph, keeping the air feeling cool. Evening brings mostly cloudy skies with increasing clouds and a slight chance of rain, but no precipitation is expected. Overnight, the skies stay mostly cloudy, with lows dropping to about 44 degrees and a gentle

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 7, 2026 - Schnuck Markets, Inc. and The Salvation Army today announced that Schnucks customers and the company donated a total of $181,677 to The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign through the most recent Round Up at the Register. Schnucks customers had the option to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, with 100% of donations from the 15-day campaign benefiting The Salvation Army. Customers donated $166,677, and Schnucks added an additional $15,000. “Thank

JERSEYVILLE – Jerseyville Police Officer Nick Woelfel was recently commended by his department for his role in rescuing two people from a house fire on Dec. 22, 2025 in the 500 block of Pine Street in Jerseyville. Police Chief Danny Green presented a Department Commendation award to Officer Woelfel at the Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026 Jerseyville City Council meeting. “Officers and firefighters for the City of Jerseyville were dispatched to a structure fire , where dispatch advised residents

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) pressed White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on her access to sensitive materials in the Epstein Files, as well as her role in the Department of Justice’s bungled, partial release of the files in violation of the December 19 deadline in the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act . In a letter to Wiles, Durbin and Whitehous

ALTON – Thanks to a deliberate investment by OSF HealthCare to bring the latest health care technologies to the Riverbend region, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center has installed two new advanced diagnostic imaging systems, a state-of-the-art CT scanner and MRI system designed to deliver faster, clearer and more accurate imaging for patients and empowering providers with life-saving diagnostic precision. The installation represents the latest significant investment toward

EDWARDSVILLE - After 42 years of law enforcement service, Director Robert Rizzi has retired from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, officials have announced. Director Rizzi concluded his career after serving as Director of Special Operations at the Madison County Sheriff’s Office for the past 11 years. Rizzi has been a definite Difference Maker in his region in his different law enforcement capacities. Prior to joining the sheriff’s office, he worked as an

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is reminding employers and employees about a new amendment, Public Act 104-0171 , to the Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) which clarify that employees may use an employer-provided device to document or record evidence of violence affecting themselves and or their family. The amendment ensures that workers who use a business-owned device—such as a computer, tablet, or cellphone—to record or

BUZZ MAGAZINE – I opened Docs Just Off 66 because I believed the city of Girard needed someone to save the oldest operating business, keep the little bit of history in place. We also wanted to give families a place where they can gather after ballgames, where kids could order a milkshake and feel like it was a special occasion, and where travelers along Historic Route 66 could experience something real, not manufactured, not corporate, but authentic. Docs began as a dream rooted in nostalgia

WOOD RIVER – At the Jan. 5, 2026 Wood River City Council meeting, Trisha Shrewsberry of CJ Schlosser & Company LLC presented a few highlights of the audit report for the city’s past fiscal year ending April 30, 2025. The city received an “unmodified opinion,” sometimes known as a “clean” audit, with a few notable items given major projects completed in recent years. “You guys received an unmodified opinion again this year – it just meant no

BUZZ MAGAZINE – I want to talk to you today about something very important. Something HUGE. Yet strangely enough, almost no one is talking about it. For decades the CDC has told the American public - with absolute certainty - that vaccines do not cause autism. This was presented as settled science. End of discussion. Case closed. Well apparently not so fast, because now that statement had to be retracted under a federal law called Data Quality Act. That law requires government agencies

ALTON - An Alton native is releasing his memoir. On Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, you can purchase your copy of “Mountains Within: A Life of Achievement, a Quest for Meaning, and the Mountain that Changed Everything” by Dr. Jack Groppel. Raised in Alton, Groppel is a world-renowned tennis coach, businessman and speaker. But his story is one of humility, faith and learning to foster relationships. “I’ve had this fairly outlandish career, and I’ve had people for

ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District has a busy January ahead. Executive Director Mary Cordes noted that the library is eager to jump back into the swing of things and host several exciting events and programs over the next few weeks. All of their events are free to attend and promise plenty of fun for patrons of all ages. “It is a busy season. The holidays are over and everybody’s back,” Cordes said. “That just means we’re offering really good things.”

GRANITE CITY - Sydney Houston emerged as a key player for Granite City High School’s girls golf team during the fall 2025 season, demonstrating consistent performance and skill on the course. The senior golfer, recognized as the Stillwater Senior Living Female Athlete of the Month, is praised by coach Ginger Harrison for her strong drives and strategic play. Harrison described Houston as a "consistent player" who averaged drives of about 200 to 215 yards. “She was a smart player

GRANITE CITY – Granite City Elks Lodge #1063 recognized Granite City High School seniors Toby Clements and Lily Meyenburg as Students of the Month for December The Elks Student of the Month Program is designed to recognize outstanding young men and women for achievements in school and community life-fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school, club and community service, industry and farming. Nominees are judged on multiple achievements including leadership skills, good moral character,

BELLEVILLE – Belleville officials are moving forward with $2.5 million worth of street maintenance over the next fiscal year, while tabling a joint funding agreement with IDOT to construct a roundabout amid maintenance concerns. Belleville City Council members unanimously approved a Resolution for Maintenance Under the Illinois Highway Code with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 in the amount of $2,546,098.50 with no further discussion. Under th