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ST. CLAIR COUNTY – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting to discuss a study for the proposed improvements on Illinois 177 in Mascoutah. The meeting will be held: Wednesday, March 18 4-7 p.m. Mascoutah High School 1313 W. Main St., Mascoutah The project involves replacing the existing pavement on Illinois 177 in Mascoutah that was originally constructed in 1921 and last rehabilitated in 2002. The project will also evaluate intersection improvements

ALTON - Local students will soon have the chance to take robotics classes at Alton Middle School. The Alton Community Unit School District #11 received a $10,000 grant from Project Lead the Way made possible by Phillips 66, which will enable the middle school to offer a robotics program. Principal Dr. Brian Saenz and teacher Dr. Brad Bolt noted that this program will allow students to engage with cutting-edge technology in a variety of fields, from engineering to medicine. “It’s

JERSEY/GREENE/CALHOUN/MACOUPIN – Several contested and uncontested races are set for the March 17, 2026 primary elections across Jersey, Greene, Calhoun, and Macoupin Counties. Jersey Count y Contested Races In the race for Jersey County Treasurer, two Republicans are competing for their party’s nomination. Incumbent Treasurer Rebecca Strang faces challenger Jonathan Goetten; the winner will run unopposed in the November general elections, since no Democrat candidate

EDWARDSVILLE - Metro East Lutheran High School freshman Cally Shank emerged as a versatile option for the program during the 2025-2026 girls basketball season, showing progress in a guard-forward role, according to her coach. Shank, a freshman forward for Metro East Lutheran, has “really stepped up as of late” in the girls basketball campaign, head coach Rob Stock said as the season concluded. Shank is a BJ's Printables Female Athlete Of The Month. Coach Stock said Shank is “starting

BELLEVILLE – St. Clair County voters face a somewhat light ballot this election cycle, with only one contested county-level race set for the March 17, 2026 primaries. Contested Race For County Sheriff The only contested primary race facing St. Clair County voters this election is the race for County Sheriff. Incumbent Sheriff Richard “Rick” Watson faces challenger Edgar Ellis in the Democratic primary race for sheriff. With no Republican candidates having filed, the nomine

BELLEVILLE - The victim in the tragic shooting situation that evolved at 3:50 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2026, in the 5800 block of Belleville Crossing has been identified by the St. Clair County Coroner's Office as Montavion Conrad, 20, of Belleville. The shooting victim was pronounced dead at 4:17 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at Belleville Memorial Hospital. Upon arrival, Belleville Police officers said they located a 20-year-old male suffering from a gunshot wound.

EDWARDSVILLE – With the March 17, 2026 primary elections just around the corner, here’s one last look at the key county-wide races and ballot questions for Madison County voters. Contested Races In the Republican primary race for Madison County Clerk, Kurt Prenzler is challenging incumbent Linda Andreas. The party’s chosen nominee will go on to face Democrat Rachelle Bauerle in the general election on Nov. 3, 2026. Two incumbents on the County Board are facing challengers

NEW ATHENS - The National Weather Service in St. Louis said an EF-1 tornado struck New Athens in St. Clair County on Sunday evening, March 15, 2026. An EF-1 tornado has wind speeds between 86 mph and 110 mph. Matt Beitscher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis, said the tornado that caused some significant damage was "a weak EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 90 mph touched down just west of New Athens, Illinois at 5:47 pm on March 15, 2026 and caused damage to a few structure

ALTON - A free community health screening offering take-home colorectal cancer tests and other screenings for adults is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the Church of the Living God, 101 W. Elm St., in Alton. The event is being conducted in recognition of Colorectal Awareness Month. Services offered will include colorectal cancer take-home tests, health education materials, a prostate cancer blood test, and blood pressure screening. "Too many are dying at a young

ILLINOIS - The Illinois primary is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Here are the legislative races that are on the ballot. The Illinois Senate 56th District is currently represented by Republican Erica Harriss. Two Democrats are on the primary ballot to see who will challenge her during the general election on Nov. 3, 2026. Marsie Geldert-Murphey will face Kevin Hall . You can click here to read more about their platforms. The Illinois 15th Congressional District is currently

GODFREY – The RiverBend Growth Association has adjusted its awards programs in 2026, which includes moving to an every-other-month cycle of recognizing member businesses in the Riverbend for proven excellence. The Small Business Excellence shoutout for March goes to Pruitt Mechanical Services LLC in Bethalto. In business for 17 years now, owner Joe Pruitt says he started the business because he “wanted to build something that stood for more than just ‘getting the job done.’”

JERSEYVILLE – The Jerseyville Public Library has been notified that a library employee was detained by law enforcement on Thursday, March 12, 2026. According to authorities, the individual is currently being held on pending charges related to alleged internet child pornography material possession. Upon receiving this information, the library immediately took steps to ensure the employee no longer has access to library facilities, resources, or patrons. The employee’s primary role

EAST ALTON/WOOD RIVER - The Riverbend East Rotary Club has recognized East Alton-Wood River High School seniors Emma Glenn and LeBron Reed as its February Service Above Self award winners, honoring their leadership and service at the school, the club said. The recognition was recently announced by the Riverbend East Rotary Club in the Riverbend area. The awards highlight students who demonstrate “the values of responsibility, leadership, and service” and reflect “the spirit o

A plain sheet cake can make an ordinary Tuesday feel like a turning point. Add a few candles, write a name in frosting, and suddenly people show up, take photos, and speak as if something important just happened. The funny part is that the “something” is often just a number changing—another year, another month, another day. Humans celebrate milestones because they help us make sense of time, effort, and change. They turn blurry stretches of life into clear chapters. They also

COLLINSVILLE — Dayton Freight Lines, Inc., a provider of supply chain services, has opened a new Service Center in Collinsville, expanding its operations in the St. Louis-area market. The new, state-of-the-art facility is located on more than 100 acres and includes 100 doors, a heated dock, a snow scraper, a shop and advanced technology “designed to support operational excellence,” the company said. The Service Center is positioned at the Interstate 255 and Interstate 55 interchange,

A strange thing happens when jealousy shows up: we talk about it as if it has a color. Not red like anger or blue like sadness, but green—an oddly specific shade for a feeling that lives in the mind. “Green with envy” is one of the most common English idioms for jealousy. It paints envy as something visible, almost physical, as if it could tint your skin. But why green? And what does the phrase really mean in everyday life? What “green with envy” actually means

On March 16, 1926, American rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard launched the first successful liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts. It was a short flight—only a few seconds and a modest height—but it proved something that had never been demonstrated in practice: a rocket using liquid fuel could lift itself under controlled power. At the time, the idea of reaching high altitudes, or even space, still sounded like science fiction to many people. Goddard’s test mattered becaus

BELLEVILLE - Belleville Police officers are investigating a homicide after a 20-year-old man was shot and later died Sunday afternoon, March 15, 2026, and two suspects were taken into custody following a vehicle crash and a foot pursuit, police said. The shooting was reported at about 3:50 p.m. March 15, 2026, when officers from the Belleville Police Department were dispatched to the 5800 block of Belleville Crossing “in response to a subject shot,” according to the

ALTON – An Alton Police Lieutenant says the department is working daily to educate local residents who commonly misunderstand state cannabis laws. At this week’s City Council meeting, Alderman John Meehan said his “sensitive nose” has been detecting the smell of cannabis coming from cars in traffic. He asked Lieutenant Emily Hejna with the Alton Police Department whether such a strong smell coming from someone’s car would give officers enough authority to pull

On March 14, 1883, Karl Marx died in London, closing the life of a thinker whose ideas helped reshape modern politics, labor movements, and debates about how economies should work. During his lifetime, Marx was best known as a journalist and critic of industrial capitalism, writing about how factory work, wages, and ownership were changing everyday life in Europe. After his death, his books and arguments—especially about class conflict and the power of economic systems to shape society—spread