OAK PARK – Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined students, educators, and state leaders at Oak Park and River Forest High School to advocate for a cell phone ban in Illinois classrooms, a critical measure that would support Illinois teachers and help students across the state reach their full potential. Governor Pritzker championed the initiative during his annual State of the State budget address. “Strong schools are the foundation to our success as a state. This year, I am proposing
ST. LOUIS — On Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, 2026, Washington University issued an alert warning of an armed person on its Danforth Campus at 9:18 a.m. and stated, “WashU Alert: Armed person on Danforth Campus. Run, Hide, or Fight. If hide, lock or barricade yourself in a room until further notice. If off campus, stay away.” About 15 minutes later, the university updated the message, saying, “Police are checking buildings in the vicinity of Brookings Hall after receiving
ALTON - Alton Parks & Recreation registration is open for the Spring 2026 Youth Soccer League, running from April through May on the Northside of Gordon Moore Park. Children born between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2020 are eligible to participate in this fun, active, and community-focused program. Registration is open through Wednesday, April 1, with a $55 fee for residents and $60 for non-residents. A $10 late fee will apply beginning April 1, and late registrants may be placed on
Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, 2026, started with chilly air bringing a cold-feeling temperature around 29 degrees early on. As the day progresses into the afternoon, expect the high to reach a comfortable 52 degrees with breezy winds from the south at 15 mph, gusting up to 27 mph, mixing periods of clouds and sun. By evening, the breeze settles a bit but clouds will thicken, leading to mostly cloudy skies overnight with lows dropping back to around 32 degrees. Winds will ease to about 7 mph from th
EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 Board of Education recognized the Historic Lincoln School Alumni Foundation for their contributions to the district. During the Board’s regular meeting on Feb. 23, 2026, Acting Superintendent Dr. Allen Duncan explained that the Historic Lincoln School Alumni Foundation has served over 75 families so far this school year. He noted that the foundation was “developed on a simple yet powerful mission to ensure that
EDWARDSVILLE - A former Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 teacher urged the Board of Education to “do better” following her resignation from the district. During the public comment section of the Board’s regular meeting on Feb. 23, 2026, Jade Hinnen spoke about her resignation from the school district earlier this year. “Why would an educator with this much success be suddenly unemployed and speaking at a Board meeting? The answer is the lack o
EDWARDSVILLE - Several Edwardsville High School coaches have received recognition for their work with students. During the regular meeting of the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 Board of Education on Feb. 23, 2026, coaches Mike Sabatino, Kirk Schlueter, Dave Lipe and Mark Heiderscheid were honored with awards on the national and state levels. Athletic Director Amy Boscolo introduced each coach, noting their dedication to the athletes. Sabatino is the high school’s pitchin
The urge to get cozy isn’t just a preference—it’s a quiet survival instinct wearing a soft sweater. When temperatures drop and daylight shrinks, many people notice the same shift: they crave warm drinks, heavier meals, familiar shows, thicker blankets, and time with people they trust. It can feel like “just a mood,” but there are real reasons behind it. Comfort-seeking during cold months is a mix of biology, psychology, and culture. And once you see the pattern,
The hardest part of meeting someone new usually isn’t what you say—it’s the first ten seconds before anyone says anything at all. That tense pause is exactly what the phrase “breaking the ice” is built for. It describes the moment when a conversation shifts from stiff and uncertain to easier and more human. We use it at job interviews, first dates, team meetings, and awkward family gatherings. But the expression didn’t start as a cute way to talk about small
On February 24, 1582, Pope Gregory XIII announced a new calendar system that would soon reshape how much of the world measured time. The change, now known as the Gregorian calendar reform, aimed to fix a slow drift in the older Julian calendar that was throwing off the timing of seasons and religious observances, especially the date of Easter. At the time, this mattered because agriculture, navigation, and public life depended on reliable seasonal timing, and churches needed a consistent way
TROY - Triad Community Unit School District #2 recently broke ground on a construction project at Triad High School to add a performing arts center, additional classrooms, and renovated career and technical education spaces. The project includes construction of the Triad Center for the Performing Arts, which Triad Community Unit School District Superintendent Jason Henderson said will “elevate our music, theater, and performance programs to the level our students deserve and will serve
EAST ALTON — Firefighters battled a large overnight blaze that broke out around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Wilshire Village strip mall in the 600 block of Berkshire Boulevard. The East Alton Fire Department responded to the scene and was assisted by multiple surrounding departments as crews worked to contain heavy flames that tore through a Chinese restaurant and several vacant storefronts. Fire officials said a Dollar General located in the strip mall sustained smoke and water damage
ALTON – Efforts are underway to update the Alton Comprehensive Plan as community members seek to shape the city’s future over the next 20 years. Adam Jones, a consultant with Stantec, gave a presentation on the ongoing Alton Comprehensive Plan update at the Feb. 23, 2025 Alton Committee of the Whole meeting. Jones said he’s been meeting with members of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC), a group of local residents, business owners, school district personnel,
TROY, IL. – The Tri-Township Public Library and its Board of Trustees are proud to announce a landmark update to its membership policy. Following a unanimous vote during the board meeting on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the library has officially approved the expanded Cards for Kids Act. This initiative ensures that every child between the ages of 5 and 18 within the community now has access to the library’s full suite of resources at no cost. By removing financial and residency
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Jeremy Schumacher of Carbondale, Illinois, will be her personal guest to President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union Address. Schumacher’s story is all too common across our state and country: this year his family’s health insurance costs jumped 288%—an $11,000 increase for deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs—after Trump and Republicans refused to extend Affordable
O’FALLON, Ill. — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is proud to announce the 100th Aquablation therapy procedure, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of minimally invasive urologic care in the region. Introduced locally in 2023, Aquablation therapy is an advanced, robotic treatment for men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate. As the number one reason men visit their urologist, BPH affects approximately one
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he will host Tereza Lee as his guest for President Trump’s State of the Union Address. Tereza was Durbin’s inspiration to write the Dream Act in 2001 when he learned of her story after outreach by Ann Monaco, Tereza’s teacher at the Merit School of Music in Chicago. Tereza was a musical prodigy who had played as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She had been accepted into several
ST. LOUIS - Dr. Bruce Vest's group returned to the streets of St. Louis once again during the Mardi Gras Parade, aiming for a third consecutive first-place float prize at the city’s event. This time, the family-backed float effort was dedicated to the memory of his late son-in-law. Vest’s entry, Float No. 53, competed in the Bud Light Grand Parade on Feb. 14, 2026, in St. Louis. His float finished first in the Wheel Division, followed by Vices & Virtus in second and St. Louis Santos
EDWARDSVILLE - As 2026 ensues, Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser promises the county has “a lot of good things going on.” “I’m just very, very excited about the region. I’ve never been more excited. Not just because I’m in office, but just in general, what I’m seeing, the excitement about Madison County,” he said. Slusser shared that, after he was elected in 2024, one of his first goals was to “straighten out the chaos”
EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is collaborating with the 40 Days of Nonviolence initiative in East St. Louis for the second consecutive year. The committee aiming to curb and eliminate violence in the city and support local youth, kicked off its campaign with a press conference on the holiday celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Jan. 19). “This year’s theme connects deeply to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a nation committed to nonviolence,
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