ALTON – An Alton man accused of using a knife to illegally detain two people, including a domestic battery victim, is currently in custody pending his latest criminal charges. Sean M. Scroggins, 44, of Alton, was charged on March 25, 2026 with two Class 3 felony counts of aggravated unlawful restraint and one Class 4 felony count of domestic battery, his second or subsequent such offense. Scroggins allegedly knowingly detained two people without legal authority while using a carpenter's
On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was formally completed in Paris, giving the world one of the most recognizable structures ever built. At the time, it was a bold experiment in engineering and a centerpiece for the 1889 World’s Fair, meant to showcase industrial skill and modern design. Many people admired it, while others criticized it as an eyesore that did not fit the city’s older architecture. What made the tower important then was its proof that iron construction could reach
ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District has an exciting spring ahead. As April begins, Executive Director Mary Cordes noted that the spring newsletter hit mailboxes last week and features several upcoming events for families, teens, kids and adults to enjoy. She hopes the activities and programs — all of which are free — encourage people to utilize the library, enjoy the outdoors, and engage with the community. “A lot of the programs are geared towards getting people
COLLINSVILLE – A cannabis dispensary in Collinsville is at the center of a federal lawsuit alleging male staff members, including the facility manager, participated in continuous sexual harassment of female employees. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced its lawsuit against Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. on Monday, March 30, 2026. The EEOC claims in a press release that the company “violated federal law when it subjected female employees at the company’s
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County prosecutors have charged Connor Will, a 30-year-old Eureka, Mo., man, in connection with an officer-involved shooting during a reported home break-in and hostage situation early Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Shrewsbury, Missouri, authorities said. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges Sunday, March 29, against Will, of the 600 block of Butler Drive in Eureka, for first-degree burglary, two counts of armed criminal action,
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The St. Louis County Police canceled an alert on Monday afternoon, March 30, 2026, after detectives determined there was never a missing or abducted child reported from the 9800 block of New Hampshire Avenue in the Affton-Southwest Precinct, the department said. The St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons detectives “have been able to confirm that there was never an abducted child” from that location, according to
EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 has announced the appointments of Kalan Gott as special education coordinator and Caty Happe as curriculum coordinator. Both appointments were approved in March by the Board of Education. Gott replaces Lori Compton, who is retiring at the end of the school year following a 25-year career in District 7. Gott currently serves as an elementary instructional coach in the district’s curriculum department, where she works alongside
EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department announced it is partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and more than 200 local law enforcement agencies to step up April enforcement efforts in recognition of Distracted Driving Awareness Month. “Distracted driving endangers everyone, and we need the community’s support to keep our streets safe,” said Lt. Matt Senci. “While most people know texting while driving is illegal,
JERSEYVILLE – Residents of Jerseyville and Jersey County may soon have recycling service options pending approval of a new trash and recycling contract, along with increased yearly dump fees. Jerseyville City Council members are set to consider a three-year contract with Republic Services for trash hauling and single-stream recycling at city sites and the city dump, as well as new fees for city dump permits, at their next meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Jerseyville officials clarify
ST. LOUIS - Quick wrap-up on northern lights potential for the St. Louis area over the next few days: Not likely for our area. Current conditions: Kp ~3 (no geomagnetic storm). Best near-term window: early Mar 30 (UTC) with forecast peak around Kp ~4.67 — roughly 7–10 PM CT Sunday, Mar 29 and 10 PM–1 AM CT late Sunday into Monday. Still generally not strong enough this far south. Mar 31–Apr 1: forecast eases back to ~3.67 then ~2.33 (less promising). If someone
EAST ALTON - Community members can support United Way at an upcoming trapshoot and barbecue fundraiser. On Friday, April 17, 2026, United Way will host their 18th annual labor fundraiser at Winchester Shooting Facilities in East Alton. The shooting starts at 8 a.m. and goes until 11:30 a.m., and shooters must arrive by 10 a.m. to participate. It costs $85 for two rounds, which includes the barbecue immediately following the shoot at Machinists Bluff City Lodge 660 in East Alton. All proceeds
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) is announcing all 169 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) throughout Illinois, commonly called 911 call centers, have successfully transitioned to Next Generation 911 (NG911). NG911 upgrades the traditional 911 service from voice-centric networks to secure, IP-based infrastructure designed to support today’s communications. “This milestone reflects years of coordinated work by the ISP Division of Statewide 911, PSAPs, Emergency
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today urged Illinois consumers to be alert for scam text messages claiming they committed a traffic or tollway violation and must pay a fine. Raoul’s office is warning that the unsolicited text messages are intended to trick consumers into sharing personal and financial information. “Illinois residents should be assured that government agencies will not call, text or email unprompted to ask for payment or personal information,”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) released the following statement after House Republicans refused to take up bipartisan legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and pay workers at the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), U.S. Coast Guard, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “Today, House Republicans put their extreme agenda before the livelihoods of federal workers and the Americans who depend on them for essentia
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing a comment letter opposing a proposal by the General Services Administration (GSA) that would require recipients of federal funding to comply with the Trump administration’s guidance and executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion. In the letter , Raoul and the coalition argue the proposal imposes unjustified and duplicative burdens on federal funding applicants and recipients,
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced the pro-Veteran, bipartisan Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act to increase Veterans’ access to innovative health care and ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is prepared to better care for Veterans with emerging mental health therapies. “Veterans suffering from invisible wounds like PTSD and depression deserve
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) in a letter pressing the Trump Administration about its decision to ease sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil exports and its lack of planning regarding the economic fallout of President Donald Trump’s war of choice against Iran. Since the war began, the price of U.S. crude oil has risen by more than 40 percent, and
GRANITE CITY - Granite City Works is ready to resume steel production in Granite City, Illinois, restarting one of its two blast furnaces after the Metro East mill has been idle for more than two years, union officials said. The planned restart by April 1, 2026, is being viewed by union members as “a win and an opportunity to prove their worth to new owners." The restart marks another chapter for Granite City steelworkers and a community long dependent on the mill’s labor to fuel th
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led their Democratic colleagues in urging President Donald Trump and the Trump Administration to stop their cruel crusade against Medicaid programs in Democratic-led states, which is undermining the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) that millions of Americans rely on to live safe and independent lives. Their letter to Presiden
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with U.S. Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Jim Banks (R-IN)—all members of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—introduced bipartisan legislation to make it easier for rural Veterans to buy homes by modernizing the VA home appraisal program. The Senators’ bipartisan VA Appraisal Modernization Act would improve Veterans’ and servicemembers’ ability to successfully
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