On January 16, 1920, the United States began enforcing Prohibition, a nationwide ban on the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks. The change came from the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act, and supporters hoped it would reduce crime, improve public health, and strengthen families. Instead, the policy quickly reshaped daily life in unexpected ways. It encouraged illegal markets, boosted organized crime in many cities, and strained trust between citizens and law enforcement. Even after Prohibition
Friday morning starts mostly cloudy with temperatures around 19 degrees. By afternoon, expect a high near 44 degrees with breezy west winds gusting up to 29 mph and a chance for a light snow shower—up to a coating in total. Evening brings continued breezy conditions with a couple of snow showers and temperatures dropping into the lower 30s. Overnight lows reach 19 degrees, with lingering flurries and gusty winds continuing around 24 mph. Saturday remains cloudy and very cold, with high temperatures
ROXANA — Lyndon Thies etched his name into Roxana wrestling history tonight in a packed gym. The Roxana senior reached a major milestone on the mat, breaking the 163-career-win mark to become the program’s all-time wins leader with 164, a testament to years of hard work, consistency, and dedication to the sport. The record was held by Tommy Hill, who reached it in 2006, and Tol Calvin, who reached it in 2005. Thies secured the record-breaking victory convincingly, controlling
EDWARDSVILLE – A Missouri man faces a felony in Madison County after allegedly firing shots at another driver during a “road rage incident” in Edwardsville. Brendon T. Sydnor, 25, of Ballwin, Mo., was charged on Jan. 8, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of reckless discharge of a firearm. Sydnor allegedly knowingly discharged a firearm in a reckless manner on Dec. 5, 2025, endangering the bodily safety of another individual. He is specifically accused of firing two rounds fro
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO. — On Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Michael Cornell Jr., 39, of the 9500 block of West Avenue in St. Louis, with multiple offenses including four counts of statutory sodomy in the second degree, three counts of sodomy or attempted sodomy in the first degree, one count of first-degree harassment, and one count of possession of child pornography. Cornell is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond with no
GLEN CARBON – Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSofSI) is proud to announce that Sarah Grace Brenner of Shiloh, Illinois, has been awarded Girl Scouts’ Medal of Honor – a lifesaving award she received for demonstrating heroism while saving a life. October 27, 2025, started as a normal day in the Brenner household. The children went to school, and father Michael was working upstairs in his office, wearing noise canceling headphones as he always does. Mother Lindsay was completing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), author of the historic bipartisan Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Law, today sought to block $125 million in Republican cuts to lead service line replacement projects by redirecting a portion of Trump’s exorbitant $2 billion U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) slush fund that the agency has shown time and again it does not deserve and cannot be trusted with. “ICE isn’t making our communities
GRANITE CITY – QuestBridge has announced the results of the 2025 QuestBridge National College Match, recognizing senior Melody Hang of Granite City High School as one of this year’s Match Scholarship Recipients. Hang was selected from a competitive pool of high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds nationwide and earned a full four-year scholarship through QuestBridge’s partnership with 55 of the nation’s top colleges. Her selection reflects both he
CASEYVILLE — A Caseyville police officer attempted to stop a vehicle for reckless driving on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, but the driver fled at high speed into Collinsville before crashing and fleeing on foot, authorities said. The vehicle struck a curb in Collinsville and became disabled on the side of a hill. The driver, identified as Hunter A. L. Smith, 21, was apprehended a short distance from the crash site, according to a news release from the Caseyville Police Department. Smith was
JERSEY COUNTY - The Dr. Silas Hamilton Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution recently donated a braille American flag to the Jersey County Public Library for public display. The Braille American flag donation reflects the chapter’s ongoing commitment to education and accessibility in the community. The flag will be available for public viewing at the Jersey County Public Library. The donation, made by the local chapter of NSDAR, took place in Jerseyville,
ALTON - A local woman is calling attention to Alton through a one-woman protest outside of City Hall. Dorothy Moss began her daily protests outside of City Hall on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. She took a break on Wednesday but was back at it on Thursday, Jan. 15, with neon green signs and a message for the mayor and anyone who might want to join her. “I love Alton, and I know Alton can do better,” Moss said. “I’ve got to at least try. I don’t know if it’s goin
CHICAGO – To support its ongoing investigations, today the Illinois Accountability Commission (IAC) announced a new submission process where individuals who witnessed or experienced potential misconduct by federal agents during Operation Midway Blitz can submit video or narrative information to the Commission. This pilot process will expand the IAC’s outreach efforts by engaging people who cannot attend a hearing but would like to create a public record that can be used to demand
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today reintroduced legislation that would ensure prison disaster plans protect the health, safety and rights of incarcerated individuals during emergencies. The Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act would require the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to submit annual damage reports after disasters, require the National Institute of Correction (NIC) to hold field hearings on how to better incorporate considerations
CHICAGO — As Illinois enters the new year, the state is already achieving record-breaking wins for working families. Thanks to Governor JB Pritzker’s tireless efforts, Illinois is investing in job opportunities and career success for everyone. New rankings from Site Selection Magazine put Illinois #1 in the Midwest, and #3 in the nation for workforce development. This is a direct result of Gov. Pritzker and his administration’s relentless commitment to delivering good-payin
EDWARDSVILLE — Illinois’ two regional library systems are hosting a virtual event on Jan. 20, 2026, aimed at strengthening school libraries amid ongoing budget and staffing challenges. The Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS) and the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) will bring together school library educators, administrators, district leaders, and school board members to discuss how libraries can better support student achievement. The School Library Education Exchang
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The following student has been named to the Saint Mary's College Dean's List for the Fall 2025 semester: Jerseyville, Ill. - Addison Pranger To earn this academic honor at Saint Mary's, a student must achieve a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.6 on a 4.0 scale, have a minimum of 12 graded credit hours, no incompletes, and no grades lower than a C. About Saint Mary's College Saint Mary's College, located in Notre Dame, IN, is recognized as both a visionary
TROY, Ill. — Rose Street, between Wayland Avenue and Barnsback Street, will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, for emergency sewer main replacements, the City of Troy announced this week. The repair is expected to be completed within one day. The work will take place adjacent to addresses including 605, 607, and 609 South Main Street, as well as 606, 608, and 610 Shebourne Avenue. Residents who normally park on Rose Street are advised to use alternate parking on the day of the repair.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined his Senate Democratic colleagues in marking the sixteenth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision, which opened the floodgates for dark money in our politics. Durbin began by reflecting on the campaign finance landscape during his first Congressional run in 1982. “In 1982, I decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives for
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, President Donald J. Trump signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act in the Oval Office alongside U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., USDA National Nutrition Advisor Dr. Ben Carson, dairy farmers, moms, and bipartisan members of Congress to restore access to whole milk in schools and strengthen support for American dairy producers. This legislation advances the Trump Administration’s
CHICAGO — This week, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) received notice from the Trump Administration that funding for five critical behavioral health and suicide prevention programs, totaling over $5.94 million and affecting hundreds of people and providers, has been cut. “The Trump Administration cutting these life-saving behavioral health programs is nothing short o
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