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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a settlement with Vee Pak LLC, doing business as Voyant Beauty (Vee Pak) that resolves allegations the manufacturing company entered into no-poach agreements with several temporary staffing agencies. The settlement requires Vee Pak to pay $625,000 to compensate temporary workers impacted by the unlawful activity. Vee Pak is the last remaining defendant in a lawsuit Raoul’s office filed against it and six staffing agencies i

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a multistate coalition of 22 attorneys general, opposed an unlawful proposal by the U.S. Postal Service to allow individuals to send certain firearms by mail, endangering the public and harming state and local budgets. For almost 100 years, federal law has barred the Postal Service from mailing certain concealable firearms, and that statute has stood without any court finding it invalid. In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice

ALTON - Several young brainiacs competed in the Alton Community Unit School District #11 annual math contest. On Saturday, May 2, 2026, students in fourth through eighth grades packed Alton High School for the contest. Brett Hentze, a high school math teacher who has organized the event for the past 24 years, shared that the fun is in watching the students show off their skills and their excitement for math. “It’s amazing to see how much these kids get into it and how excited

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the U.S. Supreme Court entered an administrative stay to pause a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that would restrict access to mifepristone, a safe and effective abortion medication. The order was entered shortly after Raoul and a coalition of 22 attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in the case. Raoul and the coalition argued in their brief the 5t

MASCOUTAH – State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) has pledged to donate the legislative pay raise he voted against to local organizations across the 114th District to help families in need. For the month of April, he donated essential food items, including sugar, brown sugar, cooking oil, and egg noodles, to the Mascoutah Food Pantry & Concerned Christians. “Helping the community is a priority of mine, and I’m proud to support local food pantries that serve families

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) representatives from the Office of Environmental Education recently judged and selected four Illinois students to receive Environmental Excellence Awards at the annual Illinois Junior Academy of Sciences State Exposition. The competition is hosted by the Illinois Junior Academy of Science and was held at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale April 24-25, 2026. Almost 900 Illinois student projects were selected to advance

BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS, MO. — A man accused of fleeing a crash that killed three people, including a Ritenour High School prom queen , on Friday, May 1, 2026, was charged Monday, May 4, 2026, in St. Louis County. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Devin Daugherty with three counts of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and one count of driving with a suspended or revoked license. Daugherty remains jailed on a $250,000 cash-only bond, and

KANE – A man from Kane accused of driving on a revoked license while possessing an “open title” and other vehicle-related offenses faces criminal charges in Jersey County. Jacob C. Esparza, 30, of Kane, was charged on April 30, 2026 with one count each of unlawful misrepresentation of the identity of a vehicle (a Class 2 felony), unlawful possession of a certificate of title without complete assignment (a Class 4 felony), driving on a suspended license (a Class A misdemeanor)

EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School students will perform at The Fabulous Fox Theatre in recognition of their impressive spring musical production. EHS received several Ken Page Awards nominations, which recognize high school musical theater programs across the Greater St. Louis region, for their production of “9 to 5: The Musical.” Director Ashley Melton noted that the nominations are prestigious and she looks forward to the award ceremony on May 28, 2026, and her students’

GRANITE CITY – Senior Megan Sykes was named the 2025-26 Granite City High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announced by GCHS. Sykes will be recognized at Busch Stadium on May 5 as part of the 60th Annual St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete Team. Megan is also once again a Stillwater Senior Living Female Athlete Of The Month for the Warriors for her academic and athletic achievements over the school year as a four-sport athlete. She is concluding her Granite City career on

EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 has appointed Katie Bevis-O'Neal as director of human resources. Bevis-O'Neal's appointment was approved May 4 by the District 7 Board of Education. She will assume her new role July 1, 2026, after serving as principal at Albert Cassens Elementary since 2022. With Bevis-O'Neal's move to Central Office, Laura Rogers , who is in her second year as principal at Glen Carbon Elementary, will move to the principal role at Albert

ST. LOUIS - The Board of Estimate and Apportionment has approved sending the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to the Board of Aldermen for review and approval. The $1.41 billion budget reflects a modest 0.2% increase over the previous fiscal year, prioritizing strategic investments in all City employees, public safety infrastructure and neighborhood stabilization. “This is a responsible budget that ensures our City’s fiscal stability while investing in our hard-working staff, better

GODFREY – Vice President of Finance and Operations Mary Schulte, of Jerseyville, retired April 30 after nearly 30 years of service to Lewis and Clark Community College. Schulte had served as Vice President of Finance since 2012 but had been with the college since November 1997. Over the course of her LC career, she served in various positions within the finance area, including Associate Vice President of Finance (2005). “Mary is a top-notch CFO and legend at LC for her grit,

ALTON - The roar of engines and the rush of riverfront excitement return this summer as the IHRA Alton Midwest Nationals F1 Powerboat Championships powers back into Alton, Illinois for its third annual running, July 17–19, 2026, at Riverfront Park. Fans can once again experience the high-speed spectacle of the IHRA Formula 1 Powerboat Championship Series, presented by Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP, the City of Alton, Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, and Enjoy Illinois as elite drivers

WOOD RIVER - Wood River Main Street looks forward to celebrating the town’s growth with several upcoming events. Executive Director Kristen Burns jokes that the downtown district is “like dumpster city” right now as several construction projects are underway. But she emphasized her excitement to see “this energized revitalization,” and she is eager to mark Wood River’s expansion with the upcoming farmers’ market, Independence Day celebration, an

GODFREY - The 18th annual Christmas in July fundraiser is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on July 24, 2026, at Freer Auto Body at 4512 N. Alby St., Godfrey, with organizers seeking raffle ticket sellers to support local families in need through purchases that fund personal hygiene items, coats, and toys for Christmas. Margaret Freer, an owner of Freer Auto Body, said the Christmas in July event relies heavily on raffle ticket sales, noting that “the majority of the money is made from

EDWARDSVILLE - For Grace Lane, helping kids is at the center of education. Lane teaches fourth grade at Columbus Elementary School in the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she is reflecting on how much she enjoys working with the kids and supporting them through the school year. “My favorite part of my job is making connections and building relationships with students. As their teacher, you really become part of their life for a year,”

EDWARDSVILLE - Amy L. Bryant, 43, of Madison County, Illinois, has been charged with five counts of criminal sexual assault of a male minor, according to a charging document filed on Monday, May 4, 2026, by the Madison County State’s Attorney Office. Thomas A. Haine, the state’s attorney for Madison County, charged that the alleged offenses occurred “from on or about October 1, 2023, through on or about April 15, 2025,” in Madison County. The defendant is identified

BETHALTO - Deana McDonough always knew she wanted to work in special education. It took some time, but her life led her to where she was meant to be. McDonough is the District Behavior Interventionist who works closely with students at Wilbur Trimpe Middle School in the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she is remembering why she chose this job. “I became a teacher to help empower students,” she said. “I am passionate about teaching

ALTON - Meme Evans loves building relationships with her students. This is one of Evans’s strengths as a fourth grade teacher at West Elementary School in the Alton Community Unit School District #11. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she remembers why she started working in the education field and her passion for helping students succeed. “My favorite part of the job is building relationships with the students. They are all unique and have something to teach me,” she said.