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GLEN CARBON – Glen Carbon is moving ahead with its plans for a new development district to support future entertainment, retail, and tourism projects while meeting additional requirements from the State of Illinois. Village trustees unanimously approved a Master Development Agreement with Destination Illinois, LLC in connection with a STAR bond district at their April 28, 2026 meeting. This comes over two months after trustees approved the establishment of a STAR Bond District in Glen

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman to the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine on the Administration’s horrific lack of strategy and continued recklessness in Donald Trump’s unjustified war of choice in Iran that has resulted in higher costs, left 14 servicemembers dead and hundreds more wounded. During the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, Duckworth

EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville raised a record-breaking $3,221,709 during its fifth annual One Day, One SIUE celebration on Thursday, April 23, bringing together alumni, students and community supporters for an evening of philanthropy, pride and impact. Held outside the University’s new Health Sciences Complex, this year’s theme, “Soaring to New Heights,” reflected both the spirit of the event and the growing momentum behind philanthropic support

SPRINGFIELD, IL – State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) issued the following statement after the State Senate failed to call HJRCA 28, a Constitutional Amendment that would make it easier to gerrymander State House and Senate districts in Illinois: “HJRCA 28 was a misguided attempt to change the rules of redistricting and give the politicians more power to pick their voters. I’m glad that that effort has been stopped for now. “Illinoisans deserve a redistricting

CHICAGO – Today, the Illinois Accountability Commission, housed in the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), issued its final report in alignment with requirements outlined in Executive Order 2025-06 and submitted the report and a referral letter to the Cook County State’s Attorney, Kane County State’s Attorney, Chicago Police Department, Elgin Police Department Evanston Police Department, and Franklin Police Department. This action follows the conclusion of its publi

JOPPA – An Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 7 homicide investigation resulted in the arrest of 76-year-old George E. Bradfield of Owensboro, Kentucky after an extensive investigation that spanned over four decades. On March 30, 1984, the body of 26-year-old Lisa Ann Carnes was discovered in a field in rural Massac County. She died as the result of a single gunshot wound. On April 22, 2026, the Massac County State’s Attorney’s Office

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County prosecutors on Thursday, April 30, 2026, charged a Valley Park man with multiple felonies after police say he struck an 85-year-old bicyclist with a truck a day earlier in west St. Louis County, sending the victim to the hospital with a broken hip. Casey McBride, 36, of the 600 block of Leonard Avenue in Valley Park, was charged April 30 with first-degree assault or attempt involving serious physical injury or a special victim, armed criminal action,

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a man who embezzled $434,000 from a medical business in the St. Louis area to a year and a day in prison and ordered him to repay the money. Talon Lewis’ embezzlement lasted from Oct. 21, 2019, through at least Feb. 19, 2025. At the time, he was an accounts payable specialist at a medical business. One of his jobs was to upload a list of patients who were owed refunds so the company could generate and mail refun

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that killed an adult man who was riding a bicycle Thursday morning, April 30, 2026, in the 2200 block of Hudson Drive, authorities said. Officers from the St. Louis County Police Department’s North County Precinct responded at about 8:29 a.m. April 30, 2026, to a call about a pedestrian struck in the 2200 block of Hudson Drive, police said. When officers arrived, they found an adult male lying in the roa

EDWARDSVILLE — The NAACP Edwardsville Branch proudly announces its 61st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet and Awards Gala, themed “Stronger Together: One Community, One Future.” The event will take place on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 3:00 PM in the Meridian Ballroom at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. This year’s keynote speaker is Patrick E. Smith, Chairman and President of Ameren Illinois, a respected leader known for his commitment to community advancement and

GODFREY – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that intermittent lane closures at the intersection of U.S. 67 and Godfrey Road will begin Monday, May 4, weather permitting. Traffic will be reduced to one lane while work is being completed. The closures are necessary for road repairs and are expected to continue through the end of May. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling

JERSEYVILLE — Jersey Community High School’s girls track and field team recognized its senior athletes during a home dual meet against Carlinville on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, then closed the night with a “Senior Showdown Relay” featuring the seniors split into two teams for a final race. Jersey dominated Carlinville 104-41 in the meet. The Panthers honored seniors Morgan Allen, Belle Peuterbaugh, Lillyan Soffray, Savana Walker, and Taylor Woodring. Allen

JERSEYVILLE — On a night set aside to recognize the end of a season and a high school chapter, Jersey Community High School’s senior boys track athletes closed their final home meet against Carlinville. Jersey’s seniors competed in their final meet at Jersey on Tuesday night, April 28, 2026, in Jerseyville. The Jersey seniors recognized were Kyler Bick, Matthew Bishop, Dylan Burch, Nolan Craigmiles, Cameron Judkins, Brandon Kennedy, Griffin Smith, Connor Talley, and Kris

ALTON - John Meehan, alderman for Alton’s 5th ward, noted that he feels “generally pretty good” about the city’s direction and all the people he has met. Meehan finished the final two years of former Alderman Charles Brake’s term before being elected to his own term in the position. He recently stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello to talk through the city’s growth and current interests. He emphasized his focus on supporting Alton

JERSEYVILLE – A new agreement allowing Jerseyville officials to send emergency alerts to cell phones and more was approved this week. Jerseyville City Council members approved an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Jerseyville and Jersey County regarding shared resources for the Director of Public Safety and Jersey County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) coordinator on April 28, 2026. Jerseyville Fire Chief Keith Norman currently serves in both roles as the city’s

BUNKER HILL - Kayleigh Trimm, a senior at Bunker Hill High School and a member of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award after completing a two-year project aimed at helping students recognize and respond to warning signs of declining mental health. Trimm received the organization’s highest award on April 19, 2026, for “Nurture Your Mind: You Don't Have to Navigate Life Alone,” a project completed in October 2025 in Bunker Hill. The effort focused

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, voted to pass H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 , out of the U.S. House of Representatives. After years of short-term extensions, this legislation locks in key priorities and provides the long-term stability that farmers, producers, and rural communities across Illinois’ 15th District depend on. “Today, I proudly voted to advance a Farm Bill that

WOOD RIVER – Alton Police have charged a Wood River man with escaping custody after allegedly striking and fleeing from a Macoupin County Sheriff’s Deputy. Brandon A. Martin, 26, of Wood River, was charged with one count each of escape (a Class 2 felony), aggravated battery (a Class 2 felony), and resisting or obstructing a peace officer (a Class 4 felony) on April 24, 2026. Martin allegedly intentionally escaped from the lawful custody of the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Departmen

ALTON - Alton Community Unit School District #11 fifth grade students came together for a field day. On Thursday, April 30, 2026, fifth graders from three elementary schools were bused to West Stadium at West Elementary School for the first field day in years. The goal, explained Alton Middle School Athletic Director Scott Harper, was to provide students with a fun activity while introducing them to one another before they enter middle school in the fall. “We’re trying to create

PIASA - Maci Timpe signed a letter of intent to play softball at Lewis and Clark Community College, marking the next step in her athletic career after her time at Southwestern High School. Timpe has played softball since sixth grade and has made an impact since her freshman year, according to her coach, Amanda Edwards. She is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete Of The Month for the Piasa Birds. “Timpe has played softball since sixth grade and has been a tremendous