WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after Senate Republicans caved and voted in support of a proposal to fund the Transportation Security Agent (TSA), FEMA and other branches of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, except for ICE and Border Patrol. “Let’s be clear: Republicans have voted against Democrats’ proposals to pay TSA agents and fund FEMA and the Coast Guard 14 times. They control the Senate, the House
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt passed a measure through the Senate that would allow volunteer fire departments to apply for and receive state grants through the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. “This would expand grant opportunities so volunteer fire departments and fire protection districts across Illinois can access the funding they need to repair, upgrade or build their facilities,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “In communities like St. Clair County,
AURORA, Ill. – Aurora University has named Antonia Phillips of Alton, IL, to the Dean's List for the fall 2025 semester. Phillips is majoring in Mathematics. The Dean's List recognizes full-time undergraduate students who have earned a 3.6 grade-point average or higher. Founded in 1893, Aurora University is a four-year, private, nonprofit, accredited higher education institution located on a 43-acre campus in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The university serves approximately
GRANITE CITY - The Granite City Police Department promoted three officers during a ceremony on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Granite City, elevating one sergeant to lieutenant and two officers to sergeant. The department said it held a promotions ceremony and announced the advancements for Sgt. Andrea Klumpp, Officer Brandon Shellenberg and Officer Scott Penny. Klumpp was promoted to lieutenant, according to the department. Shellenberg and Penny were each promoted to sergeant. “W
A backyard garden can carry ideas that are older than the house beside it. The neat row of carrots, the rose by the fence, even the way you water at dawn—these habits often come from traditions shaped by religion, status, survival, and simple trial and error. Gardening isn’t just “growing plants.” It’s a living scrapbook of human choices. Why gardening traditions formed in the first place Most gardening traditions began for three practical reasons: food, medicine,
The strangest part of cleaning isn’t the work—it’s the mood shift that can happen right after. One minute you’re annoyed at a closet that won’t close. An hour later, you’re standing in the doorway, looking at the same space, feeling oddly calm and capable. Nothing “big” changed. You just moved objects and wiped surfaces. So why does it feel so satisfying? Spring cleaning hits a sweet spot in the brain: visible progress, a sense of control, and
Hitting “reset” feels good even when nothing outside you has changed. Delete a messy email thread. Rearrange the room. Start a new notebook. The relief can be almost physical—like you’ve loosened a tight knot. That reaction is a clue: humans don’t just like renewal. We’re wired to seek it, mark it, and celebrate it. Renewal is emotional first, logical second Renewal is often framed as a practical move: fix what’s broken, improve what’s weak, mov
On March 30, 1856, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Crimean War and reshaping the balance of power in Europe. The war had drawn in the Russian Empire on one side and an alliance led by the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France, and Sardinia-Piedmont on the other, with fighting concentrated around the Black Sea. At the time, the treaty mattered because it stopped a costly conflict and set new rules meant to limit future clashes in a strategically important region. It still matters today because
ALTON — The Alton Fire Department responded to a large brush fire Sunday evening, March 29, 2026, at Alton Materials, located at 15 Hull Lane. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered multiple large brush fires burning across the area. Several power poles were also on fire, The Alton Fire Department said a power line fell, which caused a loud boom that could be heard throughout the area. Due to the size of the fire, a lack of nearby hydrants, and multiple active fires, East Alton, Godfrey,
EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Rotary Club has chosen to honor Edwardsville High School student Alexandra Chong with the Student of the Month Award for March. Alexandra was nominated by Edwardsville High School Math teacher Mollie Rice. Alexandra is the daughter of Rich and Kimberly Chong and she is 17 years old. Alexandra is an Officer in National English Honors Society and is the Captain of the Varsity Girls Wrestling team. She is also a member of Science National Honors Society, National
ALTON — The Boys & Girls Club of Alton Dance Team delivered an outstanding performance at the StarPower Dance Competition, held March 19–22 in Collinsville, Illinois, earning multiple top honors, special awards, and a prestigious national invitation. Under the direction of Ms. Jamirah Meeks, Club staff member and dance instructor, all routines were choreographed in-house—showcasing the talent, discipline, and creativity of Club youth. The team’s group performance, “Show
GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College Graphic Designer Tanja Jackson has received a 2025 Paragon Award from the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) at the council’s 2026 national conference in March in Washington, D.C. The Silver Paragon Award for Computer-Generated Illustration celebrates Jackson’s original art & design for the River Bend Arena Skybox window, bringing the Trailblazer spirit alive in the recently renovated student space on
On March 29, 1974, the Mariner 10 spacecraft flew past Mercury for the first time, giving humanity its first close-up look at the planet closest to the Sun. Until then, Mercury was mostly a bright point in the sky, hard to study because it stays near the Sun from Earth’s viewpoint. Mariner 10 changed that in a single day by sending back images and measurements that revealed a cratered, Moon-like surface, a surprisingly strong magnetic field, and clues about the planet’s dense interior.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police detectives are investigating an officer-involved shooting early Sunday in the 7500 block of Murdoch Avenue in Shrewsbury, Mo., after a tactical officer shot a suspect during a domestic disturbance call, authorities said. The shooting happened just after 5:32 a.m. Sunday, March 29, 2026, after Shrewsbury Police responded about 2:08 a.m. to a reported domestic disturbance and found a suspect who had forced his way into a home, was armed with a firearm,
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) announced the 10 development teams selected to participate in the 2026 Supportive Housing Institute (the Institute). The Institute provides accelerated training and technical assistance to equip each group with the expertise needed to successfully develop and finance affordable housing with support services. Supportive housing pairs affordable homes with on-site or community-based
BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL – Governor Pritzker today convened local officials, community members, and construction and business representatives in McLean County to discuss building more housing to lower costs. During the roundtable, the Governor heard from local leaders and discussed how his Building Up Illinois Developments (BUILD) proposal can help make renting and owning homes more affordable in one of downstate Illinois’ fastest-growing regions and throughout the state. “For too
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in introducing the Extending WIC for New Moms Act , a bicameral bill to expand eligibility and support mothers and infants into the postpartum and breastfeeding periods through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs. This legislation extends WIC eligibility
The Alton Kennel Club held its inaugural dog show on March 23 and 24, 1926. There was not going to be a St. Louis Dog Show in 1926, so the Alton Kennel Club expected a large turnout, but even the Kennel Club members were surprised at the wide interest leading up to the Alton show. An Alton Evening Telegraph article on February 24, 1926, mentioned that applications had so far been received from fifteen states, including New York, Texas, Colorado, and South Dakota. Participants entered
ST. JACOB - Melissa Oelke, a 21-year-old St. Peters, Mo., woman who was reported missing after leaving her home Thursday morning, March 26, 2026. Law enforcement reported on Saturday, March 28, 2026, that she was found deceased in Madison County, Illinois. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said in an update posted March 28, 2026, that Oelke “has been located deceased.” The sheriff’s office said the case remains an active investigation, but investigators “do not
On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania suffered a partial meltdown after a combination of equipment failures and human error. No one was killed, and later studies found only small releases of radiation, but the incident immediately shook public confidence in nuclear energy. It mattered at the time because it exposed how quickly a complex system could spiral into crisis, even without a dramatic explosion. It still matters today because it changed how nuclear
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