ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District has something for everyone this month, from cooking to Valentine’s Day programs and more. Executive Director Mary Cordes explained that the library is committed to providing the community with free, fun activities and experiences, in addition to their resources. She hopes many people engage with the library’s offerings. The Hayner Cookbook Club will meet again at 6 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2026, at the Alton Square Mall library branch.
Photos courtesy of Rosewood Heights Fire Department. COTTAGE HILLS — The Cottage Hills Fire Protection District responded at 2:04 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, to a reported structure fire in the 600 block of Wood River Avenue in Cottage Hills, according to the district. The district said the fire “was extinguished quickly” with assistance from mutual aid departments. “With the help and quick responses from its mutual aid departments, the fire was extinguished quickly,”
ALTON - If you’re a history buff, you’re in luck. The Hayner Public Library District has a few history-centered events planned for the month ahead. The library will offer “The Vintage Voices Players: The Lovejoy Legacy” on Feb. 12, 2026, followed by “George Provenzano, PhD – The Deaths and Funerals of Abraham and Mary Lincolns’ Two Sons: Eddy and Willie” on Feb. 25, 2026, and “Discover Washington D.C.: A Monumental Journey”
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 - 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 – 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
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
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
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 — 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 - 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
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
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
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 – 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 - 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
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
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
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
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
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