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GLEN CARBON - Community members can join a major toy and food drive next weekend. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, you can drop off toys and nonperishable food items at Kellerman Investigations in Glen Carbon. Attendees can enjoy cookies, cocoa, photo opportunities and raffles while donating to Toys for Tots and St. Cecilia Food Pantry. “The community can come out and help us help others, and that's what it’s about,” said Kimberly Brown, who organizes

Did you know that the average American Thanksgiving dinner includes over 4,500 calories per person? Amidst this feast, the presentation of the table plays an equally significant role in creating a memorable experience. The Thanksgiving table is more than just a place to eat; it is a stage for gratitude, connection, and creativity. How can you transform your Thanksgiving table into a canvas that reflects personal style, sparks conversation, and elevates the entire meal? Exploring innovative and

November 25 has been a date marked by pivotal moments that have shaped the course of history across the globe. One of the most impactful events on November 25 occurred in 1975, when Angola officially gained its independence from Portugal after centuries of colonial rule. This monumental occasion was the culmination of a prolonged liberation struggle, involving various nationalist movements. Angola's independence not only marked the end of Portuguese colonialism in Africa but also signaled a

GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College’s Godfrey Campus will soon be glowing with holiday spirit thanks to generous support from the Godfrey Women’s Club. Work began this week to get the campus ready for the 2025 holiday season by hanging lights and garland along Godfrey Road and the Haskell Gate. According to LC Garden Designer and Horticulturist Katie Piper, work is expected to be complete early next week. The Godfrey Women's Club truly makes a difference in

Today expect a mostly cloudy day with a few light drizzle spots early this morning. The high will reach around 60 degrees, with a low near 35 overnight. Winds will come out of the west at about 9 mph, gusting up to 21 mph, so it may feel a bit cool at times especially early. This morning starts with some spotty drizzle and mist, but it will quickly turn to thick clouds by late morning and hold throughout most of the afternoon. The wind picks up slightly through the day but stays comfortable. In

ALTON – A resolution to delay the elimination of late night liquor licenses in Alton has been taken off the table. At Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting , Alderwoman Martha Pfister moved to rescind a resolution she introduced at the last City Council meeting to amend the effective date of the city’s elimination of late night liquor licenses . The new resolution would have allowed bars to continue selling alcohol during late night hours until April 1, 2026. Wit

HARDIN - The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office would like to announce an arrest in relation to multiple offenses which are alleged to have occurred in Hardin, Calhoun County, Illinois, over the course of several months in 2025. On November 11th, 2025, Cody F Leavell, aged 46, of Hardin, Illinois, was located in Jackson County, Mississippi, and arrested on felony warrants for the following offenses: Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, Unlawful Residency of a Child Sex Offender, Unlaw

WOOD RIVER - Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Oiler of the Month” program at East Alton-Wood River High School. A senior student is selected each month by members of EAWR faculty. Each student is awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. The Seniors selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $1,000.00 “Oiler of the Year” scholarship at the end of the school year. November's winner is Connor Strebler. Connor is a Senior at EAW

ALTON - Committee chair Jody Basola expressed gratitude for the community's strong support of Vintage Voices and the event's continued popularity. “This year’s attendance brought our 24-year total to more than 10,000,” Basola said. “The portrayal of individuals from Alton’s past by costumed actors in the Alton Cemetery has become a treasured October tradition.” In addition to the primary mission of preserving local history, Vintage Voices is making a positive

WOOD RIVER - Jasiah Brown, a junior at East Alton-Wood River High School (EAWR), is being recognized for his dedication to basketball and all his other sports. Brown has been playing the sport his entire life and says he enjoys the opportunity to improve every day. “I’m thankful for my parents as they always pushed me through all the sports I participated in, especially my father, as you can probably recognize him at any sporting event because of his excessive yelling,” Brown

WOOD RIVER - Averi Gilliam, a senior at East Alton-Wood River High School, has been in basketball for many years. Gilliam has played the sport since seventh grade and credits her leadership, kindness, encouragement, teamwork, and focus as key qualities leading to this honor. She is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete Of The Month for the Oilers. Gilliam’s basketball career has been shaped by the support of her mother and coach Lindsey Perz, who coached her in previous years.

JERSEYVILLE - More than 100 underclassmen from Jersey Community High School toured several key government and public service locations in Jerseyville recently. The students visited the Jersey County Courthouse, Jersey County Government Building, City Hall, the City of Jerseyville Police and Fire departments, and the recently renovated Jerseyville Public Library. During the tour, students learned about various careers, community resources, current initiatives, operating procedures,

A potentially life-saving pilot program is launching in Bloomington, Illinois, to detect a little-known but surprisingly common genetic condition that can dramatically raise cholesterol levels—and the risk of heart attacks and strokes—even in children. It’s called familial hypercholesterolemia , or FH. It’s estimated that 1 in 200 Americans has the genetic disorder where the body can’t effectively clear LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol from the blood.

Holiday meals bring candy, cookies and other sweets in bountiful amounts. Most of us will chow down with a promise to return to healthy eating tomorrow . But people with diabetes must closely monitor their intake of sugar and carbohydrates at every meal. What is diabetes? Aminat Ogun, MD , is a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare. She says diabetes is a disorder that affects how your body uses blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes is when an autoimmune reaction stops your body from making

Key Takeaways: Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that affects the back of the eye and can cause vision loss, blurry vision and other problems. More than 30 million people in the U.S. have diabetes and one-third don't even realize it. OSF HealthCare has cameras at several locations that are used to detect retinopathy during a patient visit. Patients with diabetes should undergo an eye exam at least once a year. Andrew Hade was diagnosed with diabetes two years

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St . Louis County Police Affton Southwest Precinct officers are investigating a motor vehicle crash that occurred on Sunday, November 23, 2025, on Tesson Ferry Road near Hagemann Road, resulting in the death of an adult female. At 10:42 p.m. Sunday, St. Louis County police officers from the Affton Southwest Precinct responded to a call for service for a single motor vehicle crash at Tesson Ferry Road at Hagemann Road. Upon arrival, officers located the crash involving

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is launching new coverage for home visiting services for pregnant and parenting Medicaid customers, effective Nov. 21. The newly-covered services and supports aim to meet the needs of pregnant and parenting individuals at a critical time in their healthcare journey, in order to create better health outcomes for both parents and their children. “My administration is committed to investing in children and families

WOOD RIVER - Rustic Roots Event Space has undergone a refresh, and you can celebrate with them. From 5–10 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, community members can stop by Rustic Roots in Wood River to check out the space and enjoy live music, food from their preferred vendors, a giveaway and more. They will also host a ribbon-cutting earlier that day at 11 a.m. Owner Tara Picket is excited to share the space with the community. “I can say that the space is definitely unique. There’s

ALTON – Grab your tinsel and your bows because FLOCK D is coming! Flock Food Truck Park and Bar, voted best cocktails and best new business by Reader's Choice, is transforming into a merry holiday wonderland for its highly anticipated seasonal pop-up experience, FLOCK*D. Opening its festively decorated doors on Saturday, November 29 at 5 p.m., FLOCK*D promises to deliver holiday magic with photo-worthy backdrops, a special holiday drink menu, shareable bites from Byrdies, and the

CARROLLTON – The Carrollton United Methodist Church will host the 42nd Annual Community Carol Sing on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in the Church sanctuary. The program will be led by Tim Reif and feature groups from Carrollton area churches and a lively sing-along of traditional Christmas Carols with all attendees participating. The program will begin at 7 p.m. This is a good chance for everyone to attend and join together to make the Christmas Spirit a community wide expression of love and fellowship.