GRANITE CITY – Felony charges were filed last week against two Granite City sex offenders in unrelated Madison County cases. Zavien A. Holt, 24, of the 3000 block of Sunbury Avenue in Granite City, was charged on Sept. 25, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of presence within a school zone by a child sex offender. Holt is accused of knowingly loitering within 500 feet of a school building or school property while students under the age of 18 were present on Sept. 24, 2026. Charging documents
GODFREY - A representative with Longevity Senior Living Community shared more about her community and the ways that people can care for older adults. Allison Combs, director of sales and marketing at Longevity, stopped by “According to Jama and Nikki” to talk about her role and her experience with the community. She encourages people to ditch the word “facility” when describing senior living communities, as most of these places are not “institutional”
GRAFTON – Grafton residents will soon have multiple chances to shape how the city regulates food trucks. The City of Grafton is hosting two upcoming public hearings regarding a proposed Food Truck Ordinance. The first hearing is set for tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, while the second is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. Both hearings will be held at 7 p.m. at Grafton City Hall, located at 118 E. Main St. in Grafton. The hearing are open to all who are interested in attending and/or
EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville High School Chamber Orchestra shared its beautiful music with the community Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at the start of the Edwardsville Art Fair, with senior Esteban Gomez Garcia conducting the ensemble. The talented orchestra featured violinists Jonah Tinge, Gwen Harkey, Annaleigh Hatfield and Emmaline Brace; violists Ian Kim and Ivy Vandevord; cellists Adam Cundiff, Lyla Hahn, Reagan Christian and Eleanor Reynolds; and bassist August Meiser. “We’re
GODFREY — Brenley Kelly and Amelia Jumper finished first and second to lead Jersey Community High School to the girls’ cross-country team title at the Alton Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at Alton High School. The Panthers scored 20 points to finish ahead of Chesteron Academy of St. Louis, which had 35. Several other teams had individual entries in the competition. The Jersey cross country girls are Sparklight Female Athletes of the Month for the Panthers. Kelly won
EDWARDSVILLE - Worden Elementary has been recognized as a Model Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work school by Solution Tree, honoring its commitment to collaboration, continuous improvement, and student success. This recognition places Worden Elementary among a select group of schools across the nation that have demonstrated exceptional dedication to ensuring high levels of learning for all students through the PLC at Work process. Worden is the second District 7 school to earn
GODFREY - Jersey Community High School swept the boys' team title at the Alton Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, with four top-10 finishes leading the boys to their championship. Jersey won the team title with 38 points, followed by Collinsville with 62 points, Alton with 82 points, Chesterton Academy in St. Louis with 91 points, Hazelwood West with 105 points and Cahokia with 109 points. Will Green paced the boys with a fourth-place finish in 17 minutes, 13 seconds. Dylan Green placed
ALTON - Community members can tour historic homes in Alton through the Alton Area Landmarks Association’s 54th annual Historic Home Tour. From 12–5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, you can drive yourself to 10 historic homes in Alton and enjoy self-guided tours. The Alton Area Landmarks Association hosts this annual event as a way to celebrate Alton’s history and architecture. Spokespeople Ann Davidson and Terry Sharp expressed their excitement for another weekend of historic
GRANITE CITY - Josh Lumpkins is the junior quarterback for the Alton football team, and he helped the Redbirds to their first win since Oct. 25, 2024, with a 49-6 win over Granite City at Memorial Stadium/Kevin Greene Field in Granite Sept. 25. In the game, Lumpkins threw for two touchdowns, and for the season, he's 26-of-60 passing for 351 yards and two touchdowns, and has also ran 27 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns as the Redbirds are now 1-5 with three weeks to go in the regular
JERSEYVILLE - The community is invited to join in the family-friendly fun at the annual Apple Festival, hosted by the Jersey County Historical Society. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, community members can stop by 601 N. State Street in Jerseyville for a day of over 40 craft vendors, live music, food, and kids’ activities. You can also tour all of the historical society’s buildings for $5. The goal, explained Beth McGlasson with the Jersey County Historical Society,
ALTON - Marquette Catholic crowned seniors Emma Hough and Sean Phillips homecoming queen and king Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, during a celebration that Principal Tim Harmon described as a successful night with a strong turnout. Hough and Phillips were chosen by the school to represent their senior class. Harmon said he was proud of the seniors selected to represent their classmates and especially pleased for the two students ultimately chosen. Phillips is a member of the football team, and Hough
GRANITE CITY - A Granite City telecommunicator will head to Springfield this fall as the first recipient of a Madison County Emergency Telephone System Board scholarship created to invest in the people behind the 911 call. 911 Director Arron Weber recognized Ruby Valenzuela of the Granite City Police Department and presented her with a certificate during the board’s monthly meeting Thursday. The scholarship covers registration and lodging for the annual 911/Illinois Public Safety Telecommunicators
GODFREY - You can enjoy a night of music bingo while supporting a local animal rescue. On Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, community members can join Hope Animal Rescues for their music bingo night at the Alton-Wood River Sportsman’s Club in Godfrey. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the games start at 7 p.m. It costs $25 per player, and all proceeds go toward helping Hope Animal Rescues save dogs on the day they are to be euthanized. “It’s going to be a blast,” said Jackie Spiker,
ALTON - Michael Henry Jr. is a senior at Alton High School who has distinguished himself through academic achievement, athletics, leadership, and service to his community. Michael is one of the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club Students of the Month for September 2026. Throughout his four years at AHS, Michael has maintained a 4.146 GPA while challenging himself with a rigorous course load that includes seven Honors courses, a dual-credit course, and an Advanced Placement course. Michael’s academic
ALTON - Taylor Saunders is one of the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club Students of the Month for September 2026. Saunders is a senior at Alton High School who plans to graduate early in December 2026. Throughout her four years at AHS, Taylor has challenged herself academically through numerous Honors and Advanced Placement courses and currently holds a 4.45 GPA. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and participates in Alton High School’s Cooperative Work Training (CWT) program, which
BETHALTO — Riverbend residents weighing Medicare coverage options can learn about enrollment, costs, and penalties at a free seminar Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, at the Bethalto Senior Citizens Center. The one-hour educational program will be offered at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 29. Featured speaker Reid Mortensen, an independent insurance broker with Genesis Wealth Management Group, LLC, brings 19 years of experience helping Riverbend-area residents understand Medicare and their coverage
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that teams of assistant attorneys general and investigators from his office will begin election monitoring today as early voting has begun in many areas of the state. It has been the longstanding practice of the Attorney General’s office to monitor elections in Illinois to ensure that voters’ rights are protected and polling places are accessible. Raoul urged voters to call his office if they encounter suspected improper
CHICAGO – As measles cases across the country increase, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding residents to protect themselves by confirming they are vaccinated against the disease. While the risk for getting measles remains very low for residents, vaccination is the most effective step people can take to protect themselves and their loved ones. In 2026 to date, there have been 23 confirmed measles cases in Illinois mainly driven by an outbreak in Douglas and Moultrie
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two bipartisan pieces of legislation led by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee—and U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) to support the health of our aviation workforce and strengthen aviation safety today passed the Senate with unanimous consent. Duckworth’s Aviation Medication Transparency Act , co-led by Senator Hoeven, would
BROOKLYN, Ill. — A Pontoon Beach man has been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of a 21-year-old St. Louis woman who was struck by gunfire from a passing vehicle while waiting to enter a Brooklyn club Sept. 20, 2026, according to Illinois State Police. Malik D. Day, 26, remains in custody at the St. Louis City Justice Center pending extradition to Illinois. The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the Class M felony charge Sept. 25, 2026, after state
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