EDWARDSVILLE - Members of the Edwardsville Police Department participated on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. The officers carried the torch, traveling from the Montclaire Shopping Center on Troy Road to Busey Bank on West Vandalia Street in Edwardsville, before stopping at Busey Bank, according to the department. The department said the runners were led by a police patrol vehicle. The Edwardsville Police Department described
AVE MARIA, FLA./GODFREY - Ava Bartosiak of Godfrey was named to the Dean's List at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida, for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. Daniel Davy, Ph.D, Dean of Faculty, said on behalf of your professors, we are all deeply proud of your accomplishments and grateful for your thoughtful inquiry and your contributions in class discussions, and we continue to make our courses a joy to teach. This honor recognizes you as one of AMU’s strongest and determined students.
ALTON - In the early hours of the morning the day after our scheduled adjournment, the Illinois General Assembly approved the largest budget in state history, and despite the Chicago spin machine's attempts to sell this budget as a win, Illinois taxpayers lost again. At nearly $56 billion, this budget does little in the way of making life more affordable for families in the Metro East. There is no relief on energy bills, and the touted “gas tax relief” won’t even pay for you
JERSEYVILLE – An Illinois woman faces charges in Jersey County after allegedly driving under the influence and without insurance. Christy D. Garrison, 46, of Pittsfield, Ill., was charged on June 5, 2026 with aggravated driving under the influence with no valid insurance, a Class 4 felony. Garrison was also charged in a separate but related case filed on June 4, 2026 with operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed, both petty offenses. The charges in both cases
BETHALTO - The Bethalto Fire Department will once again host its annual homecoming carnival, and they encourage people to mark their calendars now for a fun weekend. On Sept. 4–7, 2026, Labor Day weekend, community members can enjoy carnival rides and games, live music, food, vendors, and more fun at Bethalto City Park. Derek Mormino, president of the volunteers for the Bethalto Fire Department, shared that this year marks the 107th anniversary of the homecoming tradition, and he hopes
ALTON – Alton officials may support a youth gardening program and more this summer with up to $5,000 pending City Council approval. Committee of the Whole members unanimously approved a resolution authorizing up to $5,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the Summer Youth Program offered by the Alton Housing Authority. This includes the Elm Street Youth Garden Program, which Alderwoman Martha Pfister shared more about. “This is an existing garden at Alton Manor, and
ALTON - Community members can learn more about estate planning and taxes at an upcoming free dinner seminar. At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Stephens Planning and Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C., will host the seminar at The Wedge in Alton. Curtis Stephens and Mark Goldenberg emphasized that the goal is to help attendees prepare and avoid family conflicts as they finalize their estates. “People don’t understand how probate, wills and trusts are deeply connected to
BELLEVILLE/SWANSEA - Belleville and Swansea police departments took part in the Annual 2026 Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, with Belleville officers completing their leg of the run and passing the torch to the Swansea Police Department. The event moved through Belleville and Swansea as officers and supporters carried what Swansea police called the “Flame of Hope” in support of Special Olympics athletes across Illinois. Belleville Police
ST. LOUIS - Steve Holley, the longtime executive director of St. Louis Guns ’N Hoses, has died at age 70, according to an announcement from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Tracy and a statement from the organization’s president. Holley was remembered as a leading advocate for first responders and charitable causes in the St. Louis region. In a message to members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department on Monday, Tracy called him “one of the most
GRAFTON — The National Memorial of Military Ascent was officially dedicated Saturday morning in Grafton during a June 6, 2026, ceremony marking the 82nd anniversary of D-Day and opening the site to the public for the first time. The ceremony concluded with an official ribbon-cutting, after which guests were invited to visit the monument and view the memorial’s tribute to veterans and the American spirit of service and sacrifice. Veterans, military families, elected officials, community
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today applauded a final ruling from the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts vacating the Trump administration’s unlawful policy of imposing a $100,000 tax payment on new H-1B visa petitions to allow highly skilled foreign workers to temporarily fill positions in specialty professions and occupations in Illinois and nationwide. H-1B visas allow U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign national workers in roles that require specialized skills
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 33 Senate Democrats, in refuting the Trump Administration’s claim in a May 1 letter to Congress that the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, in Iran have “terminated.” Additionally, the Senators are requesting President Donald Trump
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, objected to the Trump Administration’s flawed attempt at an appropriate consultation with Congress on May 21st and increase in the refugee admissions goal solely for white Afrikaners from South Africa. In a letter to President Trump entered into
Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education Dr. Carolyn Butts-Wilmsmeyer will serve as a Member of the Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education.* Butts-Wilmsmeyer currently serves as Director of the Center for Predictive Analytics and Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Butts-Wilmsmeyer’s academic focus has been on the use of digital agriculture tools to support farmers and scientists as they advance agricultural productivity
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in calling on the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Formula 1 to prohibit sponsorships involving tobacco and nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, and terminate all existing sponsorship agreements involving those products. In their letter to FIA and Formula 1 leadership , Raoul and the attorneys general expressed concern that tobacco companies are once
ST. LOUIS - The Saint Louis Zoo announced on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, that Merah, a 57-year-old Sumatran orangutan and one of the oldest of her species in North America, died on Wednesday morning, June 3, 2026. The zoo said Merah was the second-oldest Sumatran orangutan in North America at the time of her death and had been receiving specialized care for multiple advanced health conditions related to her age. “We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Merah, our beloved, 57-year-old
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) today announced near universal compliance among active-duty law enforcement officers in the state’s first verification group in the training verification process as mandated by the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act. The high achievement rate for the “A-G” last name group, which encompasses more than 12,000 active officers, marks a significant milestone in the
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is offering remote retailers a valuable opportunity to resolve past Illinois sales tax liabilities through the 2026 Illinois Remote Retailer Tax Amnesty Program, which forgives all interest and penalties to encourage compliance. The program will run August 1, 2026, through October 31, 2026 , and be available to remote retailers and businesses that sell to customers in Illinois but do not maintain a physical presence in the
A room can feel more motivating at 7 p.m. than it did at 3 p.m. for one simple reason: light changes the way effort feels. That is part of why longer days often seem more productive. People do not just measure a day by the number of hours on a clock. They also respond to cues from light, routine, energy, and expectation. When there is more daylight, many people feel more alert, more willing to start tasks, and less rushed while doing them. The day seems to offer more space, even though everyone
On June 9, one of the most far-reaching events in modern history took place in 1815, when the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna was signed. The agreement came after years of war brought on by the French Revolution and Napoleon’s rise across Europe. Leaders from the major powers gathered to redraw borders, restore governments, and try to prevent another continent-wide conflict. It mattered immediately because Europe had been exhausted by war and political upheaval. It still matters because
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