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STAUNTON — Staunton Community Unit School District No. 6 will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Staunton High School on Saturday, June 28, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the community’s educational future. The event will take place at 801 N. Deneen St., beginning with an open house from 10 a.m. to noon at the current Staunton High School building, a three-story structure built in 1924. This open house offers the public a final opportunity to tour the historic building before it is replaced. "Join us as we celebrate the future of education in our community," the school district said in a statement. "We're breaking ground on the new Staunton High School, and you're invited to be part of this exciting moment in history. Let's honor the past and celebrate the future - together." At noon, the groundbreaking ceremony will commence, featuring district leaders, alumni, and special guests. Poettker Construction Company has been selected to oversee the construction

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BETHALTO - With just a few days left in Fiscal Year 2025, the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 has amended their 2024–2025 budget. During the Board of Education’s regular meeting on June 26, 2025, Director of Business Operations Chris Schomber presented an Amended Budget Hearing to the Board. He explained that no money was moved or added to the budget, but cash was “just moved up and down on the lines” to balance the budget. “This doesn’t happen very often to do an amended budget, but this year, it was necessary,” Schomber said. “In the original budget, not everything was accounted for, and there were some questions.” In FY25, the district used Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) dollars to add psychologists, social workers, school counselors, nurses and interventionists. They also updated facilities at Parkside Primary School as part of a five-year facilities plan. Money from the Operating Budget went to technology updates

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Did you know that children who spend time outdoors are more likely to develop stronger problem-solving skills and greater creativity? Yet, in today’s digital age, many kids spend less than an hour a day outside. Planning a camping trip with children presents a valuable opportunity to counteract this trend, fostering resilience, curiosity, and family bonding in the process. However, organizing a successful outdoor adventure with young ones requires intentional planning to balance safety, fun, and education. Choosing the Right Campsite: Accessibility Meets Adventure Selecting an appropriate campsite is pivotal when camping with children. Unlike solo or adult-only trips, family camping demands sites that accommodate the needs and limitations of younger campers. Consider Accessibility and Facilities: Look for campgrounds that are family-friendly, featuring amenities such as clean restrooms, potable water, and designated picnic areas. Sites near easy hiking trails or natural attractions

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June 27 has long been a date marked by pivotal moments that have shaped our world in profound ways. In the realm of natural events, June 27, 2007, was notable for the severe heatwave that struck parts of Europe, particularly affecting countries like France and Spain. The intense temperatures led to widespread health advisories and highlighted the increasing discussions around climate change and its impact on everyday life. This event served as a wake-up call for many regarding the urgent need for environmental awareness and action. On June 27, 2010, the International Court of Justice delivered a landmark ruling on the maritime boundary dispute between Peru and Chile. The decision aimed to clarify territorial waters, fostering regional stability and cooperation in South America. It underscored the importance of international law in resolving conflicts and maintaining peaceful relations between neighboring countries. As we reflect on these diverse events, it becomes clear that June

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ALTON, Ill. — The Alton Police Department announced Thursday that charges have been filed against a Wood River man in connection with an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation they received. Dane A. Grant was taken into custody without incident on Tuesday, June 24, following the execution of a court-authorized search warrant at a residence in the 200 block of Central Avenue in Wood River. The warrant was obtained after the Alton Criminal Investigation Division received an ICAC tip involving a known account linked to the possession of child pornography. On Thursday, June 26, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, led by State’s Attorney Tom Haine, issued five counts of child pornography, all Class X felonies, against Grant. An arrest warrant was issued, and Grant remains held at the Madison County Jail pending a detention hearing. The Alton Police Department expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by the Wood River Police Department

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ALTON — Early Thursday morning, June 26, 2025, Alton police apprehended a suspect following a vehicle burglary and subsequent standoff at a local residence. At approximately 2:44 a.m. June 26, officers from the Alton Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle burglary in progress at the Hampton Inn, 1904 Homer Adams Parkway. Upon arrival, officers saw a male matching the suspect’s description fleeing on foot toward the Kohl’s parking lot. The suspect entered a white Toyota Camry and fled the scene at a high rate of speed. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to yield and evaded police. The car was later found abandoned and empty in the driveway of a residence at 2707 Judson Avenue. Police secured the home and obtained a search warrant. Because of the suspect’s known criminal history and propensity for violence, the Metro East SWAT team was called in to assist. After several hours, SWAT officers located the suspect hiding

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ALTON – A man from Alton remains in custody after breaking into, stealing from, then setting fire to an occupied apartment building on Belle Street. Zachary S. Montague, 32, of Alton, was charged on June 25, 2025 with a Class X felony count of aggravated arson and a Class 2 felony count of burglary. Montague is accused of burglarizing and intentionally setting fire to a multi-family residential apartment building in the 3200 block of Belle Street, which he knew or reasonably should have known was occupied on March 27, 2025. According to the state’s petition to deny Montague’s pretrial release, Montague was seen on surveillance footage entering the apartment building at approximately 5:30 p.m. and leaving at 5:41 p.m. with stolen property. Smoke was seen coming from the building six minutes later, and a K-9 unit alerted to accelerants at the fire scene. “The Illinois State Fire Marshal determined the fire was incendiary (intentionally set by human action),”

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO. — Tyler Grosvenor, 30, of St. Louis, died early Thursday morning, June 26, 2025, following a motorcycle crash at the intersection of South Broadway Avenue and Hoffmeister Avenue, according to the St. Louis County Police Department. Officers from the South County Precinct responded to the scene at 5:05 a.m. June 26 after receiving a call about the motor vehicle accident. Investigators determined that Grosvenor’s motorcycle was involved in a collision with another vehicle whose driver fled the scene. Grosvenor was transported to a nearby hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. The St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons and Accident Reconstruction detectives are actively investigating the crash. Authorities have not released additional details but have asked anyone with information to contact investigators at 636-529-8210. Those wishing to remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward may reach out to CrimeStopper

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ALTON - On a recent episode of “You’re Beautiful” with Brian Trust , Ryan Sautman spoke about making mistakes and finding God. Sautman shared that he often comes up short, but God’s grace helps him confront his mistakes and find his way back to the Lord. He knows it’s impossible to be perfect, but he believes we should all try to follow the Bible’s teachings and emulate Jesus as much as possible. “We are trying to become more Christlike,” Sautman said. “At the end of the day, we as Christians, that’s our ultimate goal. We will never be sinless. We will never be perfect like He was. But our goal is to get closer and closer and closer, if we can, every single day, get 1% closer.” As a business owner and the primary breadwinner for his wife and four children, Sautman said the “weight” of these responsibilities can be overwhelming at times. Like a lot of people, he worries about his financial future.

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ALTON - The Alton Fire Department, along with the Alton Police Department, responded to 3000 Washington Ave. in Alton to the back lot of Enterprise Leasing, for a traffic crash on Thursday afternoon, June 26, 2025. When first responders arrived on the scene, one vehicle had backed into another vehicle behind the business. The Alton Fire Department Ambulance transported one patient to an Alton hospital with minor injuries.

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ALTON - Alton has welcomed a new restaurant that specializes in “Chicago jerk with Caribbean soul.” Jasmin Donlow is excited to share Jerked Up, her new restaurant located at 2711 Corner Court in Alton. From shrimp tacos to oxtails, she promises everyone will find something to love at the new spot. “We’re bringing something new and different to Alton,” she said. “The community is so supportive. I love being able to make the customers from Alton happy and just to bring this to our community. It's a good feeling.” Donlow explained that she was trained by her friend, a restaurant owner in Chicago, who “showed the ropes” of Chicago jerk food. An Alton native, Donlow was eager to bring her skills back to her hometown. She noted that the Riverbend region doesn’t have a jerk restaurant, and even St. Louis is missing an authentic Chicago jerk place. She hopes Jerked Up fills a space in the community while providing great

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ST. CLAIR COUNTY — Unemployment rates across several cities in St. Clair County showed notable declines from May 2024 to May 2025, according to a recent report by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Belleville’s unemployment rate fell from 4.8 percent in May 2024 to 3.7 percent in May 2025. Collinsville experienced a decrease from 4.1 percent to 3.2 percent during the same period. Granite City recorded a drop from 4.8 percent to 3.6 percent. East St. Louis saw its unemployment rate decline from 7.6 percent in May 2024 to 6.0 percent in May 2025. O’Fallon’s rate decreased from 4.0 percent to 3.2 percent. Overall, St. Clair County’s unemployment rate dropped from 4.6 percent in May 2024 to 3.7 percent in May 2025. Bond County reported a decrease from 4.3 percent to 3.3 percent, while the St. Louis section’s rate fell from 4.2 percent to 3.4 percent. “We remain committed to ensuring vital investments in workforce development opportunities

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ALTON - Unemployment rates in both Alton and Edwardsville in May 2025 compared to May 2024 showed a drop in rates. Alton’s unemployment rate dropped from 5.1 percent in May 2024 to 3.8 percent in May 2025. Edwardsville saw a decrease from 3.7 percent to 3.1 percent over the same period. Other counties in the region also experienced declines: Greene County’s rate fell from 3.8 percent to 3.1 percent, Calhoun County from 4.3 percent to 3.7 percent, Madison County from 4.2 percent to 3.2 percent, Jersey County from 3.9 percent to 3.1 percent, and Macoupin County from 4.2 percent to 3.2 percent. The overall unemployment rate for the Illinois portion of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area was 3.4 percent in May 2025, down 0.8 percentage points from 4.2 percent in May 2024. “With every Metro area experiencing a year-over-year decrease in their unemployment rates, coupled with significant consecutive months of payroll gains in four of our areas across the state,

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NEW BADEN – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that Illinois 161 will be reduced to one lane at Interstate 64 in St. Clair County beginning, weather permitting, Monday, June 30, for bridge painting. Two-way traffic will be maintained using temporary signals. The work is expected to be completed by early fall. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ALTON - Congrats to the six new graduates of the SIU Family Medicine Residency Program at Alton Memorial Hospital! Half will stay with BJC, helping fulfill the program’s mission to boost local primary care. Their continued commitment strengthens both the hospital and the community it serves. The SIU Family Medicine Residency Program graduates included: Rebecca Griffon, MD Kamaal Hicks, MD John Iskander, MD Faith Maduka, MD Ashley Osborn, MD Danny Shehata, MD Rebecca Hoffman, MD, MSPH, program director, says this marks the second class to complete the residency. Dr. Hicks will practice at BJC Medical Group Primary Care at Alton on the Alton Memorial Hospital campus, while Drs. Osborn and Maduka will continue their careers at BJC Medical Group Primary Care at Edwardsville. Drs. Shehata and Iskander are returning to Toronto, and Dr. Griffon is considering her next steps.

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SPRINGFIELD - In the latest official independent statewide poll of Illinois voters, Governor JB Pritzker begins his campaign for a third term with an approval rating of 51.9%. The percentage of respondents who disapprove of the Governor’s performance is 40.3%. The approval percentage is down slightly (53.1%) from a similar poll down in February 2025. A similar percentage (51.8%) of respondents say the Governor has earned a third term in office. According to the poll, the Governor’s approval rating continues to lag slightly under the percentage of votes he won in his election campaigns in 2018 (54.5%) and 2022 (54.9%) against Republican candidates former Governor Bruce Rauner and former State Senator Darren Bailey, respectively. Thus far, the only two announced Republican opponents for Governor are DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and former Congressional candidate Joseph Severino. The results are part of the latest Illinois Poll, conducted June 23-25. It is a semi-monthly

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ALTON - In the late 1800s, kids who did not have the money for a baseball game ticket gathered around knotholes in the wooden fences surrounding professional baseball stadiums so they could watch for free. In 1917, the Cardinal Knot Hole Gang began, and boys (just boys) could sign up to “see the Cardinals play free and have good pavilion seats, too, without having to peek through a knothole as dad used to do.” Boys were enrolled through qualified agencies such as the Boy Scouts, the Y.M.C.A., and schools. George A. Rieder was an authorized agent in Alton for the Cardinal Knot Hole Gang during the 1925 season. The Alton chapter of the Cardinal Knot Hole Gang and Alton High Band were scheduled to see the Cardinals play the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, June 23, but rain prevented the trip. An Alton Evening Telegraph article published that day mentioned that the band members still met at the high school at 11 a.m. as they had been told to do and waited there until the

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GLEN CARBON - Justin Terhaar, a senior from Father McGivney Catholic High School, concluded a historic baseball season and is set to continue his athletic career at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Terhaar, who played third base and earned first-team all-state honors, finished the season with a remarkable .521 batting average and broke the school's all-time record with 62 hits. Terhaar is a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Male Athlete of the Month for Father McGivney Catholic. Coach Chris Erwin praised Terhaar’s performance and character, and said, “He had a season that will go down in the history books from a McGivney standpoint. Justin drove in 52 runs, many in key moments to extend leads, including in the state championship game. He consistently came up with big hits and made great plays at third base. He is a great young man, super respectful, one of the first guys for practice and one of the last to leave.” Terhaar also earned first-team all-state status

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It won’t be long before it’s the Fourth of July and we hear the whistling and thunderous booms of fireworks streaking through the sky. And while “consumer” fireworks such as bottle rockets, skyrockets and roman candles are illegal in Illinois, according to the state’s Pyrotechnic Use Act , others are considered non-consumer fireworks including sparklers, smoke bombs and party poppers. But that doesn’t make them completely safe. In 2023, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received approximately 9,700 reports of injuries and eight deaths because of fireworks. And it’s not just injuries that happen on July 4. According to CPSC, 66% of injuries happened before and after the holiday. Stathis Poulakidas, MD, the burn center medical director at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, says the number of injuries reported is probably low, given the number of people who don’t immediately seek treatment.

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When "men's health awareness month” is talked about, the mind almost always goes to medical screenings first. June is a time to encourage men to take care of their health and prioritize going in to be seen by a medical professional. "Men are notoriously difficult to get in for regular checkups, unless there's a problem. Men tend to ignore problems, a lot of time until it's too late or they develop a problem, when they could have avoided it," says Brian Curtis, MD, vice president, chief medical officer of OSF Medical Group. Dr. Curtis says men need to start regular primary care checkups for blood pressure, cholesterol and weight screenings in their early 20s. At 45, men need to start screening for colon cancer (colonoscopy), along with prostate cancer screening in their 50s. While these are all important things to do, Dr. Curtis says it’s also important for men to prioritize their mental well-being. In terms of mental health, there are two major issues guys run into.

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