CHICAGO – The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) is reminding local community members, residents, and leaders that there is still time to participate in the development of the 2027 Illinois Housing Blueprint (Blueprint) through two opportunities: (1) take the resident survey now until July 31, 2026, and/or (2) attend one of the six remaining Community Listening Sessions across the state. What Is the Blueprint? Launched in 2020, the Blueprint is a statewide initiative
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke about the Social Security Board of Trustees’ report showing that the Social Security Trust Fund will face insolvency in 2032 and called on Congress to finally act to protect and save the program. “Each year, the Social Security Board of Trustees releases a report that tells us about the status of Social Security’s finances. Their 2026 report, released yesterday, should
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today co-led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the addition of new terms to federal contracts that – in the name of purging “diversity, equity and inclusion” from federal contracting – impose unclear and confusing requirements on contractors that may depart from antidiscrimination policies that contractors have followed for decades, and threaten severe penalties on
POCAHONTAS – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Pocahontas, Illinois man was sentenced to nine years in prison for disseminating child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. Eric Hahn, 46, was sentenced today in Bond County Circuit Court after pleading guilt
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) led 27 members in a letter to the Office of Head Start, urging them to withdraw the proposed rule that would eliminate the wage and benefit standards finalized in 2024. These standards were designed to stabilize the Head Start workforce and improve program quality for children and families. The members wrote, “At its core, this proposal asks the American people to accept
Adventure is not the opposite of safety. For many people, it is the thing that makes life feel fully awake. That may sound odd in a world built around comfort and routine. We use maps instead of getting lost. We order food without leaving home. We can talk to people across the world while sitting on the couch. Yet even with all that ease, people still climb mountains, book one-way trips, start new careers, try foods they cannot pronounce, and say yes to plans that make their heart race a little.
On June 11, one of the most consequential events in modern global history is the 1963 address in which U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced that he would soon ask Congress to pass sweeping civil rights legislation. He spoke after years of protest, court battles, and violent resistance to racial desegregation in the United States, and on the same day federal action forced the University of Alabama to admit two Black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood. At the time, the speech mattered becaus
ALTON – Alton has officially expanded the area non-union city employees and applicants can reside in. City Council members voted 5-2 to approve a resolution passed earlier this week by the Committee of the Whole to amend a section of the Alton City Code regarding residency requirements for non-union city employees. At both meetings, Alderman Chris Bohn and Alderwoman Patty Ford cast the two votes against the item. Currently, non-union city employees are required to reside within th
EAST ST. LOUIS - The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation will host the official open house and grand opening of the JJK FAN Innovation Center on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in East St. Louis, Illinois, opening a new facility aimed at educating and supporting youth and families through agriculture, nutrition, and STEM-based learning. The event will begin with an opening ceremony and ribbon cutting from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by an open house from 10 a.m. to noon at the JJK FAN Innovation Center,
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Regional Freightway on Wednesday released its 2027 Priority Projects List, outlining 29 freight infrastructure projects across Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois with a combined value of more than $9.2 billion, as regional and state transportation leaders pointed to funding progress and ongoing construction on several major efforts. The list was unveiled during the annual Freight Summit, the signature event of FreightWeekSTL, held aboard the Gateway
GLEN CARBON - Natalie Beck was one of the key seniors on the Father McGivney Catholic girls soccer team that won the IHSA Class 1A state championship on June 6, 2026, over Pleasant Plains 3-0 at North Central College in Naperville, in far west suburban Chicago, and was also one of the St. Louis area's leading scorers this season in helping the Griffins to the championship. Beck has been an outstanding athlete for McGivney over the years, playing on championship basketball teams and being a stat
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - A 36-year-old Villa Ridge man was killed, and a 56-year-old High Ridge man was injured Tuesday afternoon, June 9, 2026, in a two-vehicle crash on southbound Missouri 109 south of Niehoff Drive in St. Louis County, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The crash happened at 2:03 p.m. on June 9, 2026, and was investigated by Sgt. M.G. Autenrieth and MCIU No. 2 Sgt. J.D. Cox of Troop C, the report said. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man whose partial human remains were found in South St. Louis County in 2021, authorities said Tuesday, June 9, 2026, after an artist’s rendering of the deceased was completed. The remains were discovered Nov. 27, 2021, near Green Park Road and Union Road, according to the St. Louis County Police Bureau of Crimes Against Persons. On Tuesday, police said the St. Louis County Medical Examiner’
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Parks and Recreation has announced it recently received a report of an invasive hammerhead worm at Cliff Cave Park in St. Louis County, warning visitors that the flatworm can harm the local ecosystem and pose risks to people and pets. The hammerhead worm, originally from Asia, preys on native earthworms, which are essential for healthy soil. Officials said the worms are usually seen after heavy rains and tend to hide under logs, rocks, and leaf litter. Hammerhead
JERSEYVILLE – Multiple events are coming up in Jerseyville later this summer, including the Jersey County Fair Parade, fireworks show, and a July 4 “Rock the Block” concert. A resolution for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to close State Highway 67 for the Jersey County Fair Parade was unanimously approved by City Council members at their June 9, 2026 meeting. Mayor Kevin Stork said the closure will be in effect on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 from 5 to 9 p.m.,
MARYVILLE - Officer Keith Hopke of the Maryville Police Department carried the Flame of Hope through Maryville on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, as part of the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run, an effort to raise awareness for Special Olympics Illinois. Hopke received the flame from officers with the Collinsville Police Department as the torch traveled across multiple law enforcement agencies in Illinois, according to the Maryville Police Department. The torch run is part of a broader awareness effort
ALTON – Two Alton residents were charged on the same day with fleeing from local law enforcement agencies in two unrelated incidents. Jerry Richmond Jr., 36, of Alton, was charged on June 1, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. Richmond allegedly attempted to flee from a Madison Police officer who had signaled for him to stop the vehicle he was driving on May 30, 2026. Charging documents state his attempted flight from the officer
ALTON - As summer heats up, the Alton Community Unit School District #11 is focused on completing several projects before students and teachers return to the classrooms this fall. Eddie McCrady noted that the maintenance crew is mostly focused on basic “regular preventative maintenance,” but they are also overseeing the installation of safety vestibules in North and Gilson Brown Elementary Schools, among other projects. The goal, he emphasized, is to provide a positive school
COLLINSVILLE/MORRISONVILLE - Three Collinsville residents, including a 16-year-old and a pair of 19-year-olds, were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Morrisonville, Illinois, according to elected officials, prompting concern from U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, who said her office is seeking more information. Officials identified those detained as Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16, Hector Cruz Sanchez, 19, and Jonathan Godoy, 19. The three teens lived in Collinsville
SPRINGFIELD – June 15 is Elder Abuse Awareness Day. With reports of elder abuse on the rise in Illinois since 2022 , Department on Aging (IDoA) Director Mary Killough, is reminding community members to learn the warning signs and speak up about suspected abuse of older adults. “We must stand together to protect the dignity, safety, and respect every older adult deserves,” said IDoA Director Mary Killough. “Abuse, neglect and exploitation are not just private matters,
stLouIST