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Illinois Office Of Tourism Selects Alton and East St. Louis As Key Cities In Black History Month

2 days 17 hours ago
ALTON/EAST ST. LOUIS — Alton and East St. Louis are among several cities highlighted by the Illinois Tourism Office for this Black History Month for their museums and historical sites that document Black history, offering educational and reflective experiences for visitors. These institutions provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to explore the history, movements, and milestones that have shaped life in Illinois and beyond. They also encourage personal connections

Edwardsville School Board Rewards Bids for Asbestos Abatement at Lincoln Middle School

2 days 17 hours ago
EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 unanimously approved asbestos abatement bid packages for Lincoln Middle School. During the Board’s regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, the Board discussed renovation and demolition at Lincoln Middle School to abate the asbestos. The final bids came in at a combined $307,300, which is over $200,000 under the district’s estimates. The first action item was to approve the asbestos abatement bid package #1 for

Granite City Rotary Honors January Students of the Month

2 days 17 hours ago
GRANITE CITY – The Rotary Club of Granite City recognized juniors Alexa Clark and Baylee Fischer as Students of the Month for January. Students were nominated by teachers, and were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular, and civic honors and awards, and organization membership and leadership. Each honoree will receive a framed certificate and a gift card and will be recognized at the Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast on March 24, 2026. ALEXA CLARK Secondar

Fire and Police Departments Honor Life Of Firefighter Johnathon Klee

2 days 17 hours ago
GRANITE CITY - Johnathon Daniel Klee, of Granite City, a firefighter who served the communities of Madison and Long Lake, died early Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. He was 29. Klee began his firefighting career in 2013 with the Madison Fire Department, where he served for a decade before joining the Long Lake Volunteer Fire Department in 2023. The Long Lake Fire Department announced that he served his community with dignity and respect. They asked the public to keep his family and friends in their thought

Northern Illinois Co-Workers Score $350,000 In Lucky Day Lotto Jackpot

2 days 17 hours ago
CHICAGO — A quick stop on the way to a doctor’s appointment proved lucky for April and Randy of Ashton, who won a $350,000 Lucky Day Lotto ® jackpot. The co-workers and friends have been playing the lottery together for a few years. “People always told us, ‘You’re never going to win,’” said Randy. “But we’d laugh and say, ‘One day we’ll hit it.’” That day arrived on January 7 , when a Quick Pick ticket purchased

LC to Host MLK 2026 Celebration: "From Vision to Success"

2 days 18 hours ago
GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College will host “I Have a Dream,” From Vision to Success, A Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., at 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4, in The Commons. The free, public event will honor the life, legacy, and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., featuring a keynote address from Alton Mayor David Goins, along with a student keynote from Nicc Edwards, an LC student and 6-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Goins, a proud

Carrollton High Plans Career Fair to Connect Students

2 days 18 hours ago
CARROLLTON — Carrollton High School is set to host its annual career fair on Feb. 18, 2026, in the school gymnasium, organizers announced in a recent invitation to local businesses and community members. The event, coordinated by Blaine Hartwick, agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, along with Jenna Heck from the business department and Cory Clendenen from industrial arts, aims to connect students with a variety of career opportunities available in Carrollton and nearby areas. The fair

Edwardsville School District #7 Shares Info on Improving Climate and Culture

2 days 18 hours ago
EDWARDSVILLE - During the regular meeting of the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 Board of Education, Acting Superintendent Dr. Allen Duncan shared information about the district’s scores on the 5Essentials Survey. The 5Essentials Survey is an anonymous assessment developed by the University of Chicago. Students in grades 4–12 and their parents and teachers take the survey every year to assess the district’s climate and culture. The results of the survey

Why Winter Traditions Often Involve Light

2 days 18 hours ago
A single candle can make a room feel safer, warmer, and more alive than a bright overhead bulb. That’s strange when you think about it. The candle gives less light, yet it often feels like it gives more comfort. That small contradiction sits at the heart of why so many winter traditions—across religions, countries, and families—keep coming back to light. Light shows up in these rituals for practical reasons, but also for emotional ones. It marks time, gathers people, and turns

This Day in History on February 3: The Day the Music Died

2 days 18 hours ago
On February 3, 1959, a small plane crashed in a snowy Iowa field, killing three rising American rock-and-roll stars—Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson—along with their pilot. The tragedy mattered immediately because it cut short careers that were shaping a fast-changing popular music scene. It still matters because it became a lasting reference point for how modern celebrity, touring, and mass media can turn a single accident into a shared

Today's Weather: Morning Flurries, Chilly Day

2 days 19 hours ago
This morning starts with a few snow flurries and cloudy skies. Temperatures early are chilly, around 17 degrees, with a wind from the north at 10 mph gusting to 20 mph, so it might feel a bit colder. By afternoon, clouds will linger with a high near 34. There is a chance of some freezing drizzle, so watch your step. As evening arrives, the temperature will drop toward the low 20s with mostly cloudy skies remaining. Overnight, expect mostly cloudy and cold conditions with lows near 17 degrees and

Wood River Police Awards Officers, Telecommunicators Of The Year For 2025

3 days 7 hours ago
WOOD RIVER – Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells recently honored multiple officers and telecommunications for their outstanding service throughout 2025. Wells joined Mayor Tom Stalcup in presenting the Officer of the Year Award for 2025 to Brendan Wright at the Feb. 2, 2026 Wood River City Council meeting . Wells said Wright fielded the most calls of any officer in the department last year, totaling 2,706 calls in 2025. “In 2025, Officer Wright handled the most complaints in

Madison County Clerk Candidate Kurt Prenzler Argues for Election Integrity and "Pro-Taxpayer" Promises

3 days 11 hours ago
MADISON COUNTY - Kurt Prenzler (R) has entered the race for the County Clerk’s position in Madison County. Prenzler previously served as the county treasurer and County Board Chairman. Now, he’s running against incumbent County Clerk Linda Andreas (R) in the Republican primary on March 17, 2026. Prenzler explained that he is focused on transparency, election accuracy, and lowering property taxes. “I do think that the biggest issues are election integrity and also

Duckworth Joins Schiff, Colleagues in Raising Alarm on EPA's New Rule Abandoning Federal Water Pollution Protections

3 days 12 hours ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and 14 of her colleagues in opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)’s new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) proposed rule which threatens to undo significant progress made to restore the quality of our nation’s waters. The new rule limits the definition of waters, including removing coverage for waters that are not wet fo

Duckworth Statement on Voting Against DHS Funding Extension

3 days 12 hours ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement on today’s vote in the Senate: “Trump’s lawless agents are out of control. The American people are crying out for accountability after watching Border Patrol and ICE terrorize our streets, snatch up and detain kids, rip families apart and even publicly execute two U.S. citizens in broad daylight—with zero consequences. Congress cannot let this reign of terror continue. “It

Durbin Votes For Five Bipartisan Government Funding Bills

3 days 12 hours ago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after voting for the five bipartisan government funding bills and a two-week stop gap funding measure for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while negotiations around reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue: “Senate Democrats were successful in separating

Duckworth Pushes to Allow Wrongfully Detained Citizens—and Families of Citizens Wrongfully Killed—by Trump's Agents to Sue Federal Government

3 days 12 hours ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act today that would empower the families of U.S. citizens who were wrongfully killed by Trump’s lawless agents, as well as each citizen who was wrongfully detained and then released by Trump’s reckless agents, to sue the federal government for at least $500,000. Duckworth’s Citizens Are As Important As Senators amendment is modeled

Duckworth, Walkinshaw Implore Trump Administration to Expand IVF Coverage for the Millions of Hardworking Americans Enrolled in FEHB Plans

3 days 12 hours ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative James Walkinshaw (D-VA-11) called on Donald Trump—who has repeatedly failed to deliver on his promise to provide free IVF for all Americans—to prove his self-proclaimed support for IVF by expanding coverage for the millions of hardworking Americans in our federal workforce. In their letter, the lawmakers called on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to require all Federal Employees Health Benefits

Shannon O'Brien Is Fatal Shooting Victim In Jan. 30, 2026, In Ferguson, Mo.

3 days 12 hours ago
FERGUSON, Mo. — Shannon O’Brien, 28, of St. Louis, was identified as the victim in a fatal shooting that occurred Friday afternoon, Jan. 30, 2026, in Ferguson, Missouri, authorities said. Just before 4 p.m. on Jan. 30, 2026, Ferguson Police Department officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 1700 block of Windward Court. Upon arrival, officers found O’Brien suffering from at least one apparent gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The Ferguson Police

Duckworth Meets DHS IG and Reiterates Her Demand for Independent Investigations into Trump Agent Killings

3 days 13 hours ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General (IG) Joseph Cuffari to discuss the urgent need to conduct an independent investigation into the egregious public execution of Alex Pretti and pattern of brutality from Trump’s lawless agents. The meeting comes after Duckworth repeatedly called on DHS and the Department of Justice IGs to establish a joint task force to investigate these abuses. Shamefully,