WOOD RIVER – Vehicle owners in Wood River may face fines for parking on certain surfaces. At their March 2, 2026 meeting , City Council members unanimously approved an ordinance adding a new section to the City Code “Prohibiting the Parking of Motor Vehicles on Non-Improved Surfaces.” According to the ordinance, Police Chief Brad Wells reports the city has been “having problems” with people parking motor vehicles on unpaved surfaces within city limits, which
HAMEL/EDWARDSVILLE - Students at Edwardsville elementary schools had a special visit from a new children’s book author, but for Hamel Elementary School Principal Matt Sidarous, the experience was a reunion with an old friend. On Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, author Zach von Zonk read his book “E-I-UFO: Old MacDonald Had a Farm” to Hamel students, encouraging them to sing along to a familiar song with an extraterrestrial twist. But his bigger message urged students to follow thei
PIASA - Southwestern boys basketball coach Jason Darr has spent the past 12 years coaching members of the Robinson family, and he said it will be very nice to have junior Cason Robinson returning for the 2026-2027 season. Darr, the head coach of the Piasa Birds, reflected on Robinson’s 2025-26 season and the team’s progress after a difficult start. “Cason had a good season; he had some big games and had to fight through the adversity of other teams guarding him so tightly.
ALTON - From talks with award-winning authors to artificial intelligence FAQs and more, Hayner Public Library District will offer a variety of programs in the next month. Executive Director Mary Cordes joked that the spring newsletter — which will hit mailboxes in the next few weeks — might be a bit long, but it’s “a nice problem to have” because it means the library has tons of free programs and events for community members to enjoy. “There’s
EDWARDSVILLE — A Madison County jury has awarded $241 million to the family of a courier who died after transporting dry ice in Missouri, finding Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. and related entities liable nearly a decade after the 2016 incident, according to information released on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, by the family’s attorneys. The verdict, returned Feb. 27, 2026, includes $49.5 million in compensatory damages and $191.5 million in punitive damages. The case stems from the death of
CHICAGO – The Task Force on Black Immigrants, housed within the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) and was convened in response to a Joint Resolution of the Illinois House of Representatives, has formally filed the Report of the Task Force on Black Immigrants with the General Assembly. At a time when the federal landscape around immigration remains uncertain and often divisive, Illinois leaders show this work is not rhetorical but about responsibility. The Task Force was convened
SPRINGFIELD – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization released the following statement after the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) rescinded a recently published Interim Final Rule (IFR) , which changed how veteran disability ratings would be evaluated. The IFR, which VA published on February 17th, 2026, would allow the department to reduce ratings based on the effects
ALTON/GODFREY - Local men can come together for a workout group that aims to promote fitness, fellowship and faith. F3 Nation is a nationwide workout program, but a local chapter has created a tight-knit community here in the Riverbend. The men will work out together, give each other nicknames, and enjoy the camaraderie, often meeting for coffee or spending time together outside of the morning program. Each workout ends with a Circle of Trust, where the leader shares an inspiring message fo
BLOOMINGTON — Roxana’s Chloe Skiles emerged as the area’s lone state champion wrestler over the weekend, winning the 110-pound title at Grossinger Motors Arena as the Shells placed fourth as a team in the state tournament. Skiles went 4-0 in the 110-pound bracket. She won her semifinal match over Valeria Pesantes of Elk Grove by fall at 3 minutes, 23 seconds, then captured the championship by fall in 41 seconds over Zoey Dodgers of Franklin Park-North Lake Leyden. Roxana
GRANITE CITY – The Rotary Club of Granite City recognized juniors Lily Booker and Shelby Morgan as Students of the Month for March. Students were nominated by teachers, and were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and civic honors and awards, and organization membership and leadership. Each honoree will receive a framed certificate and a gift card, and will be recognized at the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast on March 24, 2026. LILY
WOOD RIVER - Five Lewis & Clark Junior High School student athletes were recognized by the LCJH District 15 school board on Feb. 24, 2026, in Wood River, Illinois, for earning spots on the Boys Basketball All Academic Team, an honor created this year by Coach Overton and Kraig Daniels. The board recognized Malik Turner, an eighth-grader, and seventh-graders Lincoln Brame, Harrison Hawkins, Gabriel Daniels and Hudson Gonzales during the recent board meeting at Lewis & Clark Junior High School.
GLEN CARBON – A 1,500-acre piece of mostly vacant farmland in Glen Carbon is set to become the site of several future developments within the village. Trustees unanimously approved the establishment of a STAR Bond District in Glen Carbon at their Feb. 24, 2026, Village Board meeting. The district’s purpose is to finance the development of future entertainment, retail, and tourism projects through Sales Tax And Revenue (STAR) bonds, according to the village’s STAR Bond District
EDWARDSVILLE - Tucker Lindstedt is one of the five seniors on this year's Edwardsville High School boys basketball team, and has been very supportive of his teammates as well as being a talented forward in the 2025-2026 season. The Tigers move to the sectional semifinals for a contest against Alton at Mascoutah on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Lindstedt, as one of the club's seniors, is optimistic and confident that Edwardsville can continue on in postseason play with the Alton game ahead next.
ALTON - The Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club is expected to welcome hundreds of people to their 40th annual Chili Chowdown event. On Monday, March 2, 2026, community members could stop by Main Street United Methodist Church in Alton from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 4:30–7 p.m. for a chili meal. A $10 ticket gets you all-you-can-eat chili, a beverage and a dessert. Brad King, this year’s event chair, noted that the “legacy” of the Chili Chowdown and the Rotary Club is all about supportin
EDWARDSVILLE - Gabby Cook is a senior forward for the girls basketball team at Edwardsville High, and provided senior, veteran leadership for the Tigers during the 2025-2026 campaign. In a game against O'Fallon Feb. 6, 2026, at Lucco-Jackson Gym, Cook was one of three players who scored 11 points in Edwardsville's 53-42 loss to the Panthers. Cook averaged over 8 points and 7 rebounds a game for the Tigers and was consistently one of the team's leading scorers game in and game out. Cook is
O'FALLON, IL. - Cambree York, a 14-year-old cheerleader from O'Fallon, IL., has battled “a serious illness and infection,” and time in the ICU recently. Karrie Schulte has organized a fundraiser for York to help her family cover expenses tied to her medical care. The fundraiser is intended to support York’s family as they face “an incredibly challenging time, filled with uncertainty and worry,” the page says. It describes Cambree York’s “energy and
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today highlighted a decision from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that once again recognized that the federal government cannot demand states turn over personal and sensitive information on millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants and recipients without protections for the data. SNAP is a state-administered, federally funded program that provides billions of dollars in food assistance
BELLEVILLE - Caritas Family Solutions is expanding its mission to help children and families across the region thrive with the launch of its new Office of Community Connection (OCC) program. This initiative focuses on prevention and connects families with critical resources and support services before challenges become emergencies. The OCC program offers short-term, voluntary assistance to families experiencing hardship who do not require formal child welfare intervention. Through this
SHILOH – HSHS Medical Group is pleased to announce Kate Renner, MD, FACOG, MSCP, is now welcoming new patients at HSHS Medical Group Family Medicine - Shiloh, 1116 Hartman Lane, in Shiloh. She is a board-certified gynecologist with extensive experience in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Renner has been recognized for her patient-centered approach and ranking in the top 5% for patient satisfaction, as well as her leadership experience in prior roles. She has additional certification as
WOOD RIVER - A call to the Wood River Fire Department that initially appeared to be a potentially serious incident at a Wood River nursing home ended without a fire after a dry chemical fire extinguisher was accidentally discharged, prompting an evacuation and medical evaluations, according to the Wood River Fire Department. Wood River Fire Chief Wade Stahlhut said the call came in from BRIA of Wood River, 393 Edwardsville Road, on Monday morning, March 2, 2026. He said fire crews arrived to fin
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