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Alton, O'Fallon Men Released On Latest Domestic Battery Charges

3 weeks 5 days ago
ALTON – Alton Police have charged two men with their latest domestic battery offenses after prior convictions. Quintin L. Saulsberry, 25, of O’Fallon, Ill., was charged on April 16, 2026 with a Class 3 felony count of his fourth or subsequent offense of domestic battery. Saulsberry allegedly knowingly caused bodily harm to a household or family member without legal justification on March 29, 2026. Charging documents note Saulsberry had previously been convicted of domestic battery

Ray Hartmann Dies In Tragic St. Louis Car Crash

3 weeks 5 days ago
ST. LOUIS - Journalist and former congressional candidate Ray Hartmann, a longtime fixture on the Nine PBS political commentary show “Donnybrook” and founder of the Riverfront Times, was killed Thursday, April 23, 2026, in a car crash on Interstate 64 in St. Louis County, Mo. He was 73 years old. Officials said Hartmann was killed when a wheel came off a semi and struck his car on I-64 just west of Interstate 270. The crash happened in the eastbound lanes at the I-270 exit and involved

Duckworth, Cantwell, Markey Demand Investigation into Whether FAA Chief Deliberately Violated Ethics Agreement to Boost Stock Payout Beyond $25M

3 weeks 5 days ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) Subcommittee on Aviation and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of CST and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) today requested that the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation (DOT) investigate whether Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator and former Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford deliberately violated his ethics agreement to boost his stoc

Attorney General Raoul Moves To Permanently Block President Trump's Executive Order Exerting Control Over State Elections

3 weeks 5 days ago
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 23 states, filed a motion for summary judgment in their ongoing challenge to President Trump’s executive order that unlawfully restricts voter eligibility and who can receive mail ballots while trampling on states’ constitutional authority to administer elections. “President Trump does not have the constitutional authority to make or alter laws governing federal elections,” Raoul said. “The

Duckworth Slams Republicans for Greenlighting Plan to Give Up to $140 Billion in Additional Unrestricted Funding To ICE and CBP

3 weeks 5 days ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after Senate Republicans last night voted to advance legislation that would give U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) up to $140 billion in additional unrestricted funding over the next several years: “It’s shameful that my Republican colleagues would greenlight another unrestricted, taxpayer-funded blank check for Trump’s out-of-control

Godfrey Official Reports Levis Lane Speeds Reach 73 MPH

3 weeks 5 days ago
GODFREY – Drivers on Levis Lane in Godfrey recently reached speeds as high as 73 mph, according to the initial results of a speed study which is set to continue. At their April 21, 2026 meeting , Village Board members were presented with the results from a recent three-day speed study using a Speed Tracker Plus device to track speeds and traffic counts on Levis Lane over the course of three days. When Mayor Mike McCormick asked for the highest speed recorded over the three-day period,

Bethalto School District Recognizes Employees with Golden Eagle Awards

3 weeks 5 days ago
BETHALTO - The Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 honored employees during their eighth annual Golden Eagle Award Ceremony. On Thursday, April 23, 2026, employees and their families gathered at the Central Office for the award ceremony, where many teachers and staff members were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the district. Jen Weber, the district’s Special Education Coordinator, conceptualized the Golden Eagle Awards and expressed her excitement to honor thi

Two Injured: East Alton Authorities Investigate Serious Early Morning Rollover Crash

3 weeks 5 days ago
EAST ALTON - East Alton Police and firefighters responded early Friday, April 24, 2026, to a rollover crash on Illinois Route 3 south of the red light intersection in front of Weiland, sending two drivers to Alton hospitals as investigators worked to determine what caused the wreck. The crash happened about 3 a.m. on Friday, according to the provided information. Officials said one driver was reported to be in serious condition after the accident. East Alton Police Chief Scott Golike said

Local Architect Inspires Alton Students During Architecture Week

3 weeks 5 days ago
ALTON - A local architect visited Alton schools to talk to kids during Architecture Week. Joel Hall is a professor at Lewis and Clark Community College and serves as a project manager for the Alton Community Unit School District #11 with FGM Architects. Last week, he stopped by Alton High School and West Elementary School to talk about the work architects do and the different educational pathways students can take to study architecture. “It’s one of my favorite things to do, t

What It Really Means to Be "Full of Life"

3 weeks 5 days ago
A person can be exhausted, broke, and still be described as “full of life.” That sounds backwards—shouldn’t a “full” life require comfort, energy, and everything going right? Yet the phrase keeps showing up in obituaries, birthday toasts, and everyday compliments, often aimed at people who faced real limits and still seemed to glow. “Full of life” is one of those expressions that feels simple until you try to explain it. Is it about being loud?

April 24 in History: Armenian Genocide Remembrance, Hubble's Launch and YouTube's Debut

3 weeks 5 days ago
The most far-reaching event linked to April 24 is the start of the Armenian Genocide in 1915, when Ottoman authorities arrested hundreds of Armenian community leaders and intellectuals in Constantinople (today’s Istanbul). Those arrests were an opening move in a wider campaign of deportations, mass killings, and forced marches that led to the deaths of an estimated 1 to 1.5 million Armenians. At the time, it shattered a centuries-old community across Anatolia and the wider region, and i

Midwest Members Credit Union Sponsors April 2026 "Eagles Of The Month"

3 weeks 6 days ago
WOOD RIVER – Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Eagles of the Month” program at Civic Memorial High School. Senior students are selected each month by members of the Civic Memorial faculty to represent each department. All students are awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. Two Seniors (1 female student and 1 male student) that were selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $500.00 “Eagles of the Year” scholarship eac

Granite City Man Charged With Fleeing Scene Of Alleged Domestic Battery In Stolen Vehicle

3 weeks 6 days ago
GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man facing multiple felonies in his latest domestic battery case reportedly fled the scene in a stolen vehicle before threatening a responding officer. Joshua R. Householder, 37, of Granite City, was charged on April 16, 2026 with one count each of unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle (a Class 2 felony), threatening a public official (a Class 3 felony), aggravated assault of a peace officer (a Class 4 felony), and his second or subsequent offense

Alleged Burglary At Alton Steel Yields Felony Against Cottage Hills Man

3 weeks 6 days ago
ALTON – A reported burglary at the site of Alton Steel resulted in a felony charge in one of two cases presented last week by Alton police. Warren E. Copeland, 41, of Cottage Hills, was charged on April 14, 2026 with one count of burglary, a Class 2 felony. Copeland allegedly knowingly and without legal authority entered a building on the premises of Alton Steel, located at 5 Cut Street in Alton, with the intent to commit a theft on Feb. 8, 2026. The Alton Police Department presented

Former Velda City Police Chief/City Administrator Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Stealing $307,100 in City Funds

3 weeks 6 days ago
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Thursday sentenced the former police chief and city administrator of Velda City, Missouri to 27 months in prison for stealing $307,100 in city funds. Judge Stevens also ordered Daniel Paulino, 52, to repay $248,929 to the city, as some of the money was recovered. Paulino was appointed to the city administrator position in 2021. He was police chief until the department was dissolved in 2024, earning a salary of approximately $95,000

U.S. Marshals And Alton Police Detain Fugitive On Fernwood Avenue

3 weeks 6 days ago
ALTON - The Alton Police Department assisted the U.S. Marshals Service this morning in the 2900 block of Fernwood Avenue in Alton during a fugitive apprehension that ended with an 18-year-old Wood River man taken into custody on an active warrant, police said. The individual was identified as Peyton A. Maddox. Alton Police said he was taken into custody on an active warrant, No. 26CF963, according to the information provided. Alton Police confirmed the assistance took place this morning in the

Understanding Food Noise and Its Impact on Eating Habits

3 weeks 6 days ago
You haven’t eaten for several hours and you’re starving, consumed with ravenous thoughts about what you’re going to eat next. Or you just finished a hearty meal, and you’re already making your way to the refrigerator or cupboard to see what you can munch on. In either case, you could be experiencing food noise. “Food noise is an intrusive, compulsive, constant thoughts about food that's getting in your way,” says Nicole O’Neill, a dietitian with OSF HealthCare

Edwardsville Police Investigate Sports Memorabilia Store Burglary

3 weeks 6 days ago
EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Police Department is investigating a burglary at a sports memorabilia shop after officers responding to an early-morning alarm discovered the front door open, and the owner later confirmed merchandise was missing. Around 2:45 a.m. Thursday, April 23, 2026, Edwardsville Police officers received a door alarm notification for GoodSports Sports Cards & Memorabilia at 2110 Troy Road, Suite F, according to Edwardsville Police Chief Michael Fillback. Police arrived,

Edwardsville Approves Lease Agreement For New Arts Center Location

3 weeks 6 days ago
EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Arts Center is set to move into a historic building in downtown Edwardsville with the city’s approval of a 30-year lease. A lease agreement between the city and the Edwardsville Arts Center was unanimously approved by the City Council on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 for the property at 246 N. Main St. Edwardsville Arts Center Executive Director Beth Browne thanked City Council members for their support shortly after the vote. “Being located o

St. Louis Nonprofit Executive Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for $2.3 Million Dollar Student Meal Fraud

3 weeks 6 days ago
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced the woman who fraudulently obtained $2.3 million in funds intended to feed hungry Missouri children to 41 months in prison. Judge Sippel also ordered Cymone McClellan, 33, of St. Louis, to forfeit the vehicles and real estate that she spent meal money to buy and pay back the rest of the money that she obtained. McClellan operated a nonprofit, Sister of Lavender Rose (S.O.L.R.), that submitted false and fraudulent