CHICAGO — Open enrollment has ended, but uninsured Illinoisans can still enroll in a health insurance plan through the state’s new Tax Time Easy Enrollment program. The program provides a pathway to coverage for residents as part of the annual tax filing process. With the deadline to file taxes approaching on April 15, Get Covered Illinois is encouraging filers to take advantage of this new program. When completing their IL-1040, residents seeking coverage should check the Health
MADISON COUNTY – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting to discuss a study for the proposed improvements on Illinois 203 from Maverick Drive to Eagle Park Road in Madison County. The meeting will be held: Thursday, April 23, 2026 4-7 p.m. The Mill Events 1311 20th St., Granite City IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, has initiated the preliminary engineering and environmental study of Illinois 203. This section o
SPRINGFIELD — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Lincoln Land Community College, and the Illinois Trucking Association announced a $76,500 U.S. Department of Transportation grant to support Lincoln Land Community College’s commercial motor vehicle operator training program. The program specifically provides commercial driver’s license (CDL) training for veterans, and the USDOT funding secured by Budzinski will support education for at least 17 new students. “When
SPRINGFIELD — With the April 15 deadline quickly approaching, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is encouraging taxpayers to file their 2025 state individual income tax returns as soon as possible and avoid waiting until the last minute, especially if filing by mail. “Filing electronically is still the fastest and most reliable way to get your return processed,” explained IDOR Director David Harris. “If you are expecting a refund, choosing direct deposit will hel
SPRINGFIELD - The construction season is about to heat up, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza wants workers on publicly funded projects to know her office is available to help if they aren’t being paid a fair wage. The prevailing wage is set by county, designating the least amount of money and benefits a contractor is required to pay workers. Besides ensuring fair pay, these laws are also necessary to help create a level playing field and fair bidding process for all contractors on
SPRINGFIELD – Residents may not always know what chemicals are used in their community or how to interpret the safety codes posted on certain buildings. That’s why agencies including the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA OHS), Illinois Department of Labor, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Fire Service Institute (ISFI), and local fire and emergency management partners monitor and manage this critical information. These
SPRINGFIELD, IL – The tenure and tenure-track faculty who are members of the UIS United Faculty (UISUF) returned to the picket line today for Day 2 of their strike, demonstrating unwavering resolve in their fight for a fair contract. Members were again joined by students and other supporters, who offered powerful words of encouragement. U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (IL 13) energized the strikers, telling them: “I am so proud to stand with you. I am a union member
ALTON – A man accused of firing an antique weapon inside an Alton home during an argument has been released from custody pending felony charges. Steven A. Morgan, 65, of Alton, was charged with one count each of felon in possession of a weapon (a Class 3 felony), reckless discharge of a firearm (a Class 4 felony), and aggravated assault (a Class A misdemeanor) on March 27, 2026. Morgan allegedly possessed a Springfield Arms .45-70 caliber rifle on March 25, 2026. These rifles were produce
BRIGHTON - Alex Spangler, a senior at Southwestern High School, has been named an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Male Athlete of the Month. Alex plays baseball at Southwestern High School, wearing No. 12. He plays right field and sometimes pitches. He also played golf this past year and has done track and field in the past, and is a gifted overall athlete. “Alex loves the game of baseball and always has,” Jennifer Spangler, his mother, said, dating his interest back to Littl
ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District has a busy month ahead with a focus on helping the community and providing a space for people to come together. “We’re trying to do old-school programs and get people together and build a sense of community,” said Executive Director Mary Cordes. “That’s what the library strives to be: a community.” At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the Alton Square Mall library branch will host a presentation titled “St.
WOOD RIVER - Taven Wardein, a senior at East Alton-Wood River, is being recognized for cross country after a year in the sport that he said was defined by consistent work in practice and progress in his personal-record time. Wardein said he began running cross country at the start of his junior year and credited the team environment as a major reason he stayed with it. “What I like most about this sport is the social aspect of being with friends,” he said. “Running alongside
BELLEVILLE — Mark C. Milton, a Belleville native and founder of Milton Law Group, has acquired a historic downtown Belleville building and plans to renovate it into a Southern Illinois satellite office for his tax law practice, with an upstairs residential unit to be leased as “The Jefferson Loft.” Through his real estate holdings company, Miltchester Properties LLC, Milton purchased the 3,485-square-foot, 2.5-story property at 122 W. Main St. in the heart of downtown Belleville.
Some of the best things in life start out annoying. That’s the core idea behind the saying “April showers bring May flowers.” On the surface, it sounds like a simple comment about rain and blooms. But people keep repeating it because it works as a small piece of advice: discomfort can be part of the process, not a sign that something has gone wrong. The phrase offers a way to tolerate the “messy middle” of life—when progress feels slow, inconvenient, or unpredictable.
On April 7, 1994, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda began in full force after the plane carrying President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down the night before. In the hours that followed, organized killings spread rapidly, targeting Tutsi civilians and also Hutu people who opposed the violence. The event mattered immediately because it showed how quickly hate propaganda, political power struggles, and armed organization could turn into mass murder. It still matters today because
GODFREY - Area firefighters from multiple departments responded around 10 p.m. Monday, April 6, 2026, to reports of two houses on fire in the 300 block of Meadowlark Drive in Godfrey, according to Godfrey Fire Protection District Chief Eric Cranmer. Once again, all the firefighters worked in unison to quickly extinguish the fires and prevent any blaze from spreading to additional homes. Cranmer said the initial dispatch came in as an automatic box alarm involving Alton and Fosterburg, with additiona
GODFREY - Godfrey Fire Protection District Chief Eric Cranmer said a serious fire in the 300 block of Meadowlark Drive in Godfrey was destructive to one home and caused significant damage to an adjacent home after crews were dispatched to reports of explosions and flames visible from the street. The fire was reported at 10:03 p.m. on Monday, April 6, 2026, prompting an automatic box alarm for a structure fire with explosions and a report that two people might still be inside, Chief Cranmer said.
ALTON – A proposal to slash Alton’s share of funding to the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is on hold after city leaders heard concerns from several local residents and business owners. Alderwoman Patricia Ford proposed a resolution to introduce an ordinance which would make significant changes to the way certain city tax revenues are allocated to local organizations. The most drastic changes affect the amounts Alton pays to Great Rivers & Routes, which Ford has previously
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police have identified the woman killed in a wrong-way, head-on crash on Lewis & Clark Boulevard as 23-year-old Katie Holman of Alton, authorities said Monday, April 6, 2026. Holman, of the 2900 block of Hillcrest Avenue in Alton, died at the scene after the crash late Friday, April 3, 2026, in the northbound lanes of Lewis & Clark Boulevard near Highway 67, according to the St. Louis County Police Department. Police said officers from the North
BRIGHTON — The Betsey Ann Association in Brighton has received 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, a change leaders say will allow supporters to make tax-deductible donations to help fund improvements at Betsey Ann Park and support the Brighton Museum. The designation, announced March 17, 2026, marks a shift for the volunteer-driven organization, which for decades has promoted and financed civic and patriotic improvements in the Village of Brighton and the surrounding communities of Piasa and Brighton
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - Fairview Heights Police Officer Molly Muennich, who was injured during a May 2025 incident and later underwent emergency surgery, has been named the 2026 Women in Criminal Justice Female Officer of the Year by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. The Fairview Heights Police Department praised Muennich in a statement, calling her “One of the toughest and best!” and adding, “We are so proud of this officer.” The ILETSB Executive
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