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COLLINSVILLE – Illinois State Police (ISP) Troop 8 Commander, Captain Casey Faro, announces the ISP will conduct Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement (ACE) patrols in Madison and St. Clair counties during February. ACE patrols allow the ISP to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to violations associated with impaired driving and illegal transportation or consumption of alcohol or drugs. The ISP has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. Officers

EDWARDSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) is now accepting applications for paid spring legislative internships at her district office in Edwardsville. The program offers undergraduate students interested in government, public policy, or public affairs a hands-on opportunity to gain real-world experience serving the community. “Our interns play an incredibly important role in helping us connect with constituents and ensuring their voices are heard,” said

SPRINGFIELD – Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is so important that his presidential library will celebrate it twice this year, with free admission on two days. Guests get in free at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on his actual birthday, Feb. 12, and also on Saturday, Feb. 7, for a day of stories, games and music for children. The ALPLM will also have its signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation on display, giving people a rare chance to see Lincoln’s

GRAFTON - On a recent appearance on “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello , Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow expressed his excitement for the year ahead, including the fulfillment of multiple campaign promises. “2026 is going to be huge,” he said. Morrow is especially excited to complete Phase One of the National Memorial of Military Ascent. The community is also in its final stages of securing a ferry. On Jan. 20, 2026, the City of Grafton finalized its purchase

GRANITE CITY – A woman from Granite City accused of striking a 17-year-old and an adult with a loaded firearm faces multiple charges in Madison County. Connie R. Wells, 36, of Granite City, was charged on Jan. 20, 2026 with two counts of aggravated battery (both Class 3 felonies) and one count each of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon (a Class 4 felony) and aggravated assault (a Class A misdemeanor). Wells allegedly pointed a handgun while making threatening statements towards

GRAFTON - As Grafton gears up to complete Phase One of the National Memorial of Military Ascent later this year, Mayor Mike Morrow couldn’t be more excited. Morrow shared that Phase One of the project will be unveiled on June 6, 2026, the anniversary of D-Day. The National Memorial of Military Ascent (NMMA) will be a unique addition to Grafton that, Morrow hopes, will bring in tourists to appreciate military history and honor Grafton’s veteran population. “This is goin

JERSEY - Jersey wrestler Nick Hartley accomplished something few wrestlers ever reach this week at East Alton-Wood River High School when he captured his 100th victory on the mats on Wednesday night, Jan. 28, 2026. Hartley is a Sparklight Male Athlete of the Month for Jersey. Jersey Community High School’s wrestling team showcased a commanding performance on the road at East Alton-Wood River, defeating Litchfield 62-24 and East Alton-Wood River 72-12. The victories marked a dominant

ALTON - Hayner Public Library District recently honored a local teenager for her participation in a yearlong reading challenge. Kiera Edwards, age 16, read a book in a different genre every month throughout 2025 and wrote a report about each one. Kiera and her mother, Ashley, expressed their appreciation for Hayner’s TeenSpace programming, which is targeted toward local teenagers. The mother-daughter duo noted that the library has provided them with great opportunities to connect with

EAST ST. LOUIS — A 67-year-old man from Troy has been federally charged for allegedly threatening to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis. Jeffrey A. Mullinix faces one count of interstate communication with a threat to injure, according to a federal complaint. Authorities say Mullinix posted a threatening comment on a YouTube video on Jan. 21, 2026, claiming he was en route to Minneapolis with weapons, had prior military experience, and intended to incapacitate

The phrase “weathering the storm” sounds calm, almost sturdy—but it’s usually said at the exact moment life feels least steady. We reach for it when a job is on the line, when a family is under stress, when money is tight, or when a relationship hits a rough patch. It’s one of those expressions people use to reassure each other without pretending the problem is small. It admits danger and discomfort while insisting that survival is still possible. What “weathering

January 29 marked a major moment in medieval Europe. In 904, Sergius III became pope, beginning a papacy often associated with intense political maneuvering in Rome. The early 10th century was a period when local noble families and rival factions strongly influenced church leadership. While the details of that era are complex and sometimes filtered through later sources, the broader significance is clear: the papacy was not only a religious office but also a political institution tied to power

This morning starts off bitterly cold with temperatures near 2 degrees and a wind chill making it feel closer to -9. Skies are mostly cloudy with just a few flurries here and there. As the day progresses into the afternoon, expect temperatures to reach a high of 23 degrees with a light dusting of snow flurries returning. Northeast winds will be around 7 mph with gusts up to 14 mph, enhancing the cold feel. The evening continues with mostly cloudy skies and a chance for another light flurry. Temperatures

ALTON – The City of Alton is requesting $1.6 million in federal funding to cover the next two phases of ongoing street improvements on Milton Road. City Council members this week unanimously approved a resolution regarding street improvements along two sections of Milton Road, marking Phases 2 and 3 of the ongoing Milton Road improvement project. The project’s first phase consisted of several street improvements spanning a 0.32-mile section of Milton Road from Worden Avenue to

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) has introduced the American Family Housing Act, following President Donald Trump’s executive order , “Stopping Wall Street From Competing With Main Street Homebuyers.” The American Family Housing Ac t directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to restrict large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes, putting an end to Wall Street firms driving up prices and pushing American families

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Jil Tracy, along with State Representatives C.D. Davidsmeyer and Kyle Moore, are inviting community members to help spread Valentine’s Day cheer by participating in their annual Valentines for Seniors Card Drive , now underway through February 2, 2026. “Each year, our community comes together to create heartfelt cards that bring smiles to our seniors and remind them they are valued and loved on Valentine’s Day,” said Senator Tracy. “It’s

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) applauded House approval today of a transportation, health, and security funding package that provides a 3.8% pay raise for members of the military, invests in education and healthcare, and strengthens roads and infrastructure. The package includes $7 million Bost worked to secure for local infrastructure improvements in Clay, Crawford, Jackson, Jasper, and Washington counties. “This legislation will make a big difference

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke about the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at a VA hospital in Minneapolis, by federal agents this weekend. During his speech, Durbin reiterated his opposition to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill and argued that if the government shuts down

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) reacted to today’s Congressional Budget Office Report on cost estimates for troop deployments to U.S. cities. CBO estimated, that for the last six months of 2025, the domestic deployments cost nearly $496 million—including $21 million for the deployment in Illinois, where troops spent months confined to bases after federal courts found the deployment

MILLSTADT – Attorney General Kwame Raoul charged a Millstadt, Illinois local Boy Scout leader, for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. The Attorney General’s office charged Kaleb Rakers, 25, in St. Clair County Circuit Court

ALTON — Louise Moehn, of Alton, a pioneering gymnastics and dance educator and longtime nurse, died on Jan. 26, 2026, at age 85. Moehn was an owner and operator of Mid-Illinois Gymnastics and Dance Academy from its founding in 1968 until her retirement, helping to establish the institution as a cornerstone of the local community. Born Nov. 7, 1940, in Quincy, Moehn graduated from Alton High School and DePaul University School of Nursing. She worked as a registered nurse at Saint Anthony’s