SPRINGFIELD - Reacting to the murder of a Loyola student by an illegal immigrant on Chicago’s lakefront, State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) exposed the many public safety failures of Governor JB Pritzker’s sanctuary state policies. Last week, in a devastating act of violence, a Loyola University student was tragically shot and killed by an illegal immigrant who had an outstanding arrest warrant. It is yet another deadly consequence of Governor Pritzker’s
SPRINGFIELD – In response to the tragic killing of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman in Chicago last week, State Senators Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) , Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro), and Steve McClure (R-Springfield) held a press conference calling for justice for Sheridan and renewed action to repeal Illinois’ TRUST Act and related sanctuary policies they say have endangered public safety. “Like so many people across Illinois and around the country, we are mourning the loss
ST. LOUIS – A familiar avian presence has returned to Franklin County as a pair of Peregrine falcons has officially claimed the nest box, where at least one egg has already been laid – now streaming live on Ameren Missouri’s Falcon Cam. After last year’s successful fledging, the stage is now set for another season of hatchlings and first flights as the species continues to populate across Missouri. Much like the widely followed raptor cams in other parts of the country,
ALTON - A brief power outage at Alton Square Mall on Wednesday morning, March 25, 2026, occurred as Ameren Illinois crews switched customers to other power sources in the area, according to a company spokesperson. Brian Bretsch, spokesperson for Ameren Illinois, said the outage happened at about 9:15 a.m. March 25, 2026, at Alton Square Mall in Alton. Bretsch said, “There was a hiccup when we were switching customers to other power sources in the area that caused the brief outage.”
EDWARDSVILLE – A Colorado Springs resident has been charged with stealing over $50,000 from an elderly Edwardsville resident by means of deception. Nathan L. Stubblefield, 47, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was charged on March 19, 2026 with a Class 1 felony count of identity theft, a Class 2 felony count of aggravated identity theft, a Class 1 felony count of financial exploitation of an elderly person, and two Class 2 felony counts of theft. On May 29, 2024, Stubblefield allegedly knowingly
MADISON/JERSEY - A chase involving a stolen trailer tractor truck crossed multiple county and state lines before ending in a crash and an arrest in Missouri, authorities said. The pursuit began in Madison County and moved into Jersey County before returning to Madison County and crossing the Clark Bridge in Alton into Missouri, where the driver crashed in Orchard Farms, Mo., according to information provided by the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office and Madison County officials. The suspect
EAST ALTON — Emergency crews responded to a rollover traffic crash Wednesday morning, March 25, 2026, in the 500 block of Route 111 at Cardinal Drive. The Rosewood Heights Fire Department, along with the Wood River Fire Department, arrived on scene to find a vehicle that had flipped multiple times. The car ultimately came to rest on its roof on Illinoia Route 111. According to Rosewood Heights Fire Chief Nathan Friedrich, two victims were transported from the scene with what appeared t
WASHINGTON – In a statement at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this morning, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, applauded a New Mexico jury finding that Meta misled users about the safety of its platforms and enabled the sexual exploitation of young users. Key quotes: “There isn’t a parent or grandparent alive who isn't fearful of what the hell these kids are looking at all day long and what is happening
ALTON - Sonny Asani is returning to manage Santino’s in Alton, taking over the restaurant at 180 E. Center Drive as it undergoes remodeling ahead of a planned reopening around May 1, 2026. Asani discussed the change during a March 24, 2026, interview on “Our Daily Show,” saying he is “officially taking over management of Santino’s” and that the restaurant has been “doing a lot of remodeling and equipment modifications” for about two weeks. Santino’s
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is relaunching the Infield Conservation for Operationalizing Vital Ecosystem Resilience (I-COVER) Program to promote the early establishment of cover crops using new techniques and/or technology. IDOA secured a $7 million USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant to launch the program, which offers cost-share/financial incentives to producers and landowners who are
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) and Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE-03) introduced the Preventing Real-time Exploitation and Deceptive Insider Congressional Trading Act (PREDICT Act), a bipartisan effort to prohibit senior government officials from participating in insider prediction market trading. The PREDICT Act would prohibit Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children; the President and Vice President; and political appointees, including
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC), Foreign Relations (SFRC) and Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC) Committees—last night once again came to the Senate floor to implore her Republican colleagues to consider the oaths they took and vote in support of U.S. Senator Chris Murphy’s (D-CT) War Powers Resolution that would withdraw American military forces from Trump’s illegal, unnecessary
CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker and Mars Snacking announced that the company is creating 600 new jobs to expand its global headquarters in Chicago. This includes adding Mars Snacking’s North America Region, Accelerator Division, and Global Functions to its global headquarters operation in Chicago. This investment signals the company’s long-term commitment to Chicago, creating new jobs and adding to Illinois’ reputation as a global leader in the snacking industry.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today received the Champion of Justice Award from the national Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in recognition of his decades of work increasing access to justice for Americans. LSC is the largest funder of civil legal assistance in the country, supporting 130 local legal aid organizations that provide free assistance to low-income Americans. Nationally, LSC grantees served 1.8
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, as part of a coalition of 17 states, urged Congress to take immediate action to halt federal agencies’ use of commercially purchased data and artificial intelligence (AI) tools that enable mass surveillance of Americans without judicial, legislative or public oversight. Raoul and the coalition’s letter calls on Congress to close the data-broker loophole, require warrants for federal access to Americans’ digital data,
SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker today joined hundreds of farmers, agricultural advocates, and lawmakers for the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s (IDOA) 56th annual Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day. The annual event brought together scores of industry representatives and highlighted the state’s $26.4 billion agricultural sector that employs hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans while bolstering communities across the state. “Illinois Agriculture Legislative Da
EDWARDSVILLE - In addition to their regular duties, the Edwardsville Police Department conducted a St. Patrick’s Day traffic safety campaign from March 13 through March 23. This initiative resulted in 32 traffic stops and 31 citations, 18 for speeding and 13 for other violations. The campaign also led to three arrests, including one for impaired driving. “Our enforcement of traffic laws is driven by a single goal, saving lives," said Lt. Matt Senci. "Driving under the influence creates
CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul is urging Parent PLUS federal student loan borrowers who have not previously consolidated their Parent PLUS loans to consider doing so by April 1. Recent federal law changes mean that parent borrowers with unconsolidated Parent PLUS loans, or who take out new loans after July 1, will have limited repayment plan options and be ineligible for income-driven repayment plans. Having unconsolidated Parent PLUS loans will also prevent most borrowers fro
ALTON - Community members can receive free groceries, a hot meal and more this Friday in Alton. From 2–4 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 2026, Soulcial Kitchen will host their monthly Block Party for Good in the Soulcial Square next to The Salvation Army. People can stop by to pick up free groceries from the St. Louis Area Foodbank and a meal from Big Meechie’s Food Truck while supplies last, no questions asked or identification required. The OSF OnCall van will also be onsite to provide
A single branch of blossoms can change how a person walks down the street. People slow down. They look up from their phones. They take photos of a tree they’ve passed a hundred times. That small shift—attention pulled toward new color and new life—is one of the quiet forces that has fed art and poetry for centuries. Spring has inspired artists and poets not just because it looks pretty, but because it acts like a reset button for the senses. It brings clear signs of change:
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