As summer goes along and the boating season remains in full swing, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) urges all boat operators and passengers to prioritize safety and responsible drinking while enjoying their time on the water. Boating Under the Influence, or BUI, is prohibited in the state of Illinois . Convictions can range from misdemeanors to felonies and may result in fines, suspended privileges of watercraft, and imprisonment. It is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias awarded a combined $28.9 million in grants to support library services and literacy programs throughout Illinois. The grants include awards to regional library systems to enhance online catalogs at local libraries, support day-to-day operations and expand interlibrary loan programs. Funding also supports radio information services that provide local news and information to individuals who cannot read standard
SPRINGFIELD – Land of Lincoln Honor Flight will be taking Mission #78 on September 1, 2026 from Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. Mission #78 will serve 92 veterans - 5 Korean and 87 Vietnam era Era Veterans - from 52 Illinois home towns of Altamont, Alton, Auburn, Aviston, Bartelso, Beardstown, Bloomington, Boody, Breese, Brighton, Bunker Hill, Cantrall, Carlinville, Carlyle, Charleston, Clinton, Coffeen, Decatur, Dow, East Alton, Effingham, Farmer City, Flora, Godfrey, Gridley,
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias today joined SEIU leaders and rideshare drivers to celebrate House Bill 5090 becoming law. This landmark legislation gives more than 100,000 rideshare drivers across Illinois the right to organize and collectively bargain for better pay, stronger protections and a voice in company decisions that affect their livelihoods. Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 5090, the Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act, into law
The clock ticks past midnight. Your eyes are open, your body still – but your mind is anything but quiet. From bills to health scares to family stress, worry shows up, unpacks, and overstays its welcome. When it comes to worry, there’s no shortage of things that keep us up at night – some of it probably has us tossing and turning at times. According to experts like Ashley Pratt, a psychotherapist with OSF HealthCare, most of what we fret about never comes to fruition. But tha
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Illinois and 46 state financial agencies in 46 states have reached a $15.5 million settlement with one of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers for improperly imposing “force-placed” insurance costs on borrowers who already had active homeowners insurance policies. Under the terms of the settlement, Fort Washington, Penn., based NewRez LLC (NMLS ID 3013), will pay a total of $15.5 million. The company worked with state regulators to self-identify
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced his office obtained an agreed immediate and preliminary injunction order in his lawsuit against Ryze Properties – Homewood LLC (Ryze) and Outlook Design & Construction Inc. (Outlook) over alleged air pollution caused by the disturbance of materials containing asbestos during renovation work at a multi-unit residential building in Chicago Heights, Illinois. The agreed injunction order requires Ryze and Outlook to hire a licensed
JERSEYVILLE – Jersey County is now officially part of a statewide mutual aid system allowing neighboring communities to help each other during emergencies. Jersey County Board members unanimously approved a resolution allowing the county to participate as a member in the Illinois Emergency Management Mutual Aid System on Aug. 11, 2026. Chairman Mark Wagner said this agreement allows Jersey County agencies to coordinate through the State of Illinois to help neighboring counties during emergencies.
ALTON - A collaborative Miles Davis tribute will make its world premiere at the Alton Jazz and Wine Festival . Michael Snider, also known as Kooliverse, has spent the past year working on a sculpture made out of 1,000 trumpets. Titled “A Thousand Echoes of Kool,” the sculpture will serve as a tribute to Miles Davis and his hometown in Alton. The artwork will be displayed at the Jazz and Wine Festival for the first time since Snider announced its creation. “It’s
WHITE HALL — Great Rivers CASA/GAL invites the community to its CASA Family Fun Day on Saturday, September 12, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Whiteside Park in White Hall during Greene County Days. The free event will feature games, a bounce house, food, prizes, and family-friendly entertainment while raising awareness about the work of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and their role in advocating for children in foster care. "We are excited to bring the community together
O’FALLON, IL. — O'Fallon Police Sgt. Nick Schmidt was recognized this week by the O’Fallon Police Department with its Extra Mile Award for his work bringing the Blue Envelope Program to the community. Sgt. Schmidt learned about the program, recognized its potential value in O’Fallon, and took the initiative to advance the idea and make it happen, according to the department. The Blue Envelope Program was developed locally in partnership with The Autism Hero
EDWARDSVILLE — Did you know that every two seconds someone needs blood in the United States? Or that blood and platelets cannot be manufactured, they can only come from volunteer donors? To help meet the current demand for blood donations, State Senator Jason Plummer is partnering with Moose Lodge 1561 to host a blood drive on Thursday, August 27 at the Moose Lodge in Edwardsville. Donors are encouraged to come out to participate. Who: State Senator Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) and
ALTON - As the new school year gets ready to begin, Alton Middle School students will have a brand new class to enjoy thanks to the generosity of Liberty Bank. The class, Medical Detectives, will launch this school year and allow students to play the role of real-life biomedical scientists and investigators to solve simulated health mysteries and diseases. Liberty Bank is sponsoring the class this year with a $5,000 donation that will be used to purchase the science equipment and resources
ALTON - Savannah Kanallakan, a fourth-year teacher in the Alton school district, spoke during new-hire orientation at Alton High School to offer encouragement to incoming teachers, saying she was honored to address educators beginning their work in the district. Kanallakan, who teaches fourth grade at West Elementary, said she was excited to speak because she had been in the same position not long ago. “I was honored to speak in front of the new teachers for new-hire orientation,”
BELLEVILLE - Four probationary police officers whave been sworn in by the Belleville Police Department as they prepare to serve the City of Belleville and begin training at the SWIC Police Academy later this month, the department said. The officers are Dazhee Horton, Daria Pryhunova, Jorge Urias and Kyle Bowlin. The department congratulated the new officers and thanked them for choosing to serve Belleville.
ALTON – A hearing in the case of Mayor David Goins vs. the City of Alton is now set for later this month. A court order filed in Madison County on Aug. 12, 2026 shows the hearing has been rescheduled for Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Dennis Ruth. At issue are two contested ordinances approved by the Alton City Council and challenged by Goins. One resulted in two city officials being ousted from their positions , while the other requires more transparent billing practices
CHICAGO — An Illinois Lottery player is waking up a billionaire after winning the $1.04 billion Powerball® jackpot in last night’s drawing — this is the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois. The winning ticket was purchased at Hy-Vee Gas, located at 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy, Illinois. The jackpot winner matched all six winning numbers — 4, 26, 66, 67, 69, and Powerball 9 — to secure the top prize in the August 12, 2026, Powerball drawing. In
ALTON - The Alton Amphitheater is gearing up for its annual Food Truck Festival. From 4–8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, the community can stop by the amphitheater to feast on food from 20 area food trucks. Admission is free, and everyone is invited to enjoy an afternoon of food and fun. This year’s theme is centered around the 100th anniversary of Route 66, with a few extras meant to honor the Mother Road. While the Food Truck Festival is an annual favorite, Amphitheater
EAST ALTON — Firefighters responded to the 200 block of East Main Street Thursday morning after a detached garage caught fire. The call came in shortly before 7 a.m. Smoke from the fire could be seen from several blocks away. When firefighters arrived, homeowners alerted them that several motorcycles and gasoline were inside the garage. Firefighters entered the garage and located the fire behind a man door. Crews quickly deployed a hose line and were able to bring the fire under control.
A sunset lasts only minutes, yet people will stop traffic, miss a train, or stand in silence just to watch one. That reaction is oddly powerful for something so ordinary. The sun sets every day. It asks nothing from us. It does not solve problems or change deadlines. And still, people chase it from rooftops, beaches, parking lots, airplane windows, and city streets. We take photos, write poems, plan dates around it, and call it magical even when we have seen thousands of them before. So why
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