ALTON - The McPike Mansion is a beloved landmark in Alton, and its owners are asking for the Riverbend’s help to keep it operational. The mansion, which is known as one of Alton’s most haunted spots, has been in need of a new roof for several years. Owner Sharyn Luedke is hoping to raise $40,000 to replace the roof. It’s a big goal, but she has faith that the community will come together to save such a historic site. “I really believe that love is going to save thi
ALTON - Community members can join the Irish fun this weekend during Alton’s St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl. From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026, you can enjoy food and drink specials at over a dozen local bars and restaurants in downtown Alton. There will be a free shuttle with several stops available. Cory Jobe, director of Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, invites the community to join the fun. “We want people to come to downtown Alton to celebrate
WOOD RIVER – A residential burglary in Alton reportedly involving stolen body armor has resulted in a felony charge against a Wood River resident. Clayton W. Sitzes, 33, of Wood River, was charged on March 4, 2026 with a Class 1 felony count of residential burglary. Sitzes allegedly knowingly entered a home on Glenwood Avenue in Alton without authority and with the intent to commit a theft on Dec. 31, 2025. A petition to keep Sitzes detained pending trial was filed The Madison County
A funny thing happens when something improves: people often tense up instead of relaxing. The new job offer is better, but you hesitate. The healthier routine works, but you miss your old habits. Even good change can feel like stepping onto a moving escalator—your brain knows it’s safe, but your body still braces. Change is not just a practical event. It’s an emotional one. It asks you to let go of what you know, even if what you know isn’t great. That’s why peopl
BETHALTO - The Bethalto Police Department is reminding residents that Illinois state law governs the use of electric bicycles and electric scooters in the village, after the department received calls about the rules as warmer weather approaches. The Village of Bethalto “has no ordinance regulating the use of electric bicycles or electric scooters; therefore, the law would revert to the Illinois State Statute,” according to information shared by Bethalto Village. Bethalto Police
ST. CLAIR COUNTY - Substantial damage was reported on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, after a storm moved through southeastern St. Clair County, and the National Weather Service in St. Louis planned to send a damage assessment team later in the day to determine whether a tornado touched down. The St. Clair Emergency Management Agency reported damage from the early Wednesday morning storm on March 11, 2026, in rural Marissa, Lenzburg, and St. Libory. National Weather Service in St. Louis Lead Meteorologist
GRAFTON — Wind damage heavily impacted Drifters Bar and Grill and a nearby guest house early in the morning on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Grafton, with the National Weather Service in St. Louis considering whether a tornado may have been involved, officials said. Mayor Mike Morrow said Drifters Bar and Grill at 1505 W. Main St. was “pretty much destroyed" by the winds, with the roof taken off and water damage throughout the interior. He said debris also damaged nearby properties,
MORO, Ill. — National Weather Service in St. Louis officials are sending a survey team to Moro on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, after storm damage in the area left a home on Field Drive with its roof completely removed, snapped large trees at their bases, and flattened a grain silo about a half mile southwest of the home. The tornado was confirmed to be an EF1 tornado, with 86 mph to 110 mph winds. Brad Charboneau, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in St. Louis, said the
On March 11, 2011, a massive undersea earthquake off Japan’s northeast coast triggered a tsunami that devastated coastal communities and set off the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The quake measured magnitude 9.0, one of the strongest ever recorded, and the tsunami that followed overwhelmed sea walls and emergency systems. In the days and weeks that followed, the loss of life, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, and the long cleanup shaped Japan’s modern history.
GLEN CARBON – The Village of Glen Carbon is one step closer to building its own water treatment plant. Village Board members unanimously approved a resolution on March 10, 2026 authorizing the Notice of Intent to award the bid for the water treatment plant to Korte Lutijohan Contractors, Inc., pending approval from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). “This is the next step in us proceeding to build our own water plant,” Village Administrator Jamie Bowden said
ALTON - The Alton Police Department responded on Tuesday afternoon, March 10, 2026, after receiving an emergency call from a student on a school bus traveling within the city, police said. Police officers located the bus near State Street and Fourth Street in Alton and spoke with the student who placed the call, according to a statement from Alton Police Chief Jarrett M. Ford. After an investigation, officers determined there was no actual emergency as initially reported by the student, Chief
EAST ALTON/WOOD RIVER - Community members have the opportunity to support a local Student Council. The East Alton-Wood River High School Student Council will host their first annual Spring Craft Fair on March 28 and 29, 2026. Riverbend residents are encouraged to stop by EAWR High School to shop at over 80 booths. Donations and proceeds from the fair will help fund the school’s Student Council projects. “That’ll just help out with our projects throughout the year,”
ALTON - Alton High School art students have two major opportunities to exhibit their work. The 2026 Annual High School Art Exhibition, hosted by the Art & Design Department at SIUE, will feature seven Alton students’ pieces, with a closing reception and awards ceremony planned for 5–7 p.m. on March 26, 2026. A few student artworks are also displayed at Jacoby Art Center in Alton starting March 14 through April 18, 2026. Bridget Heck, chair of the art department at Alton High
EDWARDSVILLE – Women’s health access and policy were the focus at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Monday, March 2, as the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) partnered with State Rep. Katie Stuart to host a community information session highlighting resources and legislative initiatives supporting women across the state. Held in the Morris University Center, the event connected residents with information about state programs and services supporting women’s
SPRINGFIELD, IL — Last night, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski joined Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez to clearly say to voters: mail in your ballot today. The virtual press conference featured Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Illinois Democratic County Chair Association (IDCCA) President Mark Guethle in Chicago, and Adams County Democrats
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) received the Valerie Biden Owens Woman of Power & Purpose Award from the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware. The award recognizes one woman each year whose transformational leadership makes a difference across the country. Photos from the event are available on the Senator’s website . “I’m honored to be recognized by the Biden Institute as a woman whose leadership and service has helped inspire
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today encouraged voters to know their rights as early voting is underway for the March 17 general primary election. It has been the longstanding practice of the Attorney General’s office to monitor elections in Illinois to ensure that voters’ rights are protected and polling places are accessible. Raoul is urging Illinois voters to make a plan to vote in person or using a drop box to ensure their votes are counted. “On Friday,
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) introduced a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. The resolution recognizes his significant leadership during the Civil Rights Movement and his decades of advocacy in pursuit of justice, equality, and human
LEBANON, Ill. – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Lebanon, Illinois man was sentenced for possessing child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. Tyson Schmitt, 41, was sentenced today by St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Watson after pleading guilty
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs today announced that an estimated 250,000 Illinoisans with a disability are now eligible to open ABLE accounts that allow them to save and invest money to improve quality of life without risking federal benefits. The A chieving a B etter L ife E xperience (ABLE) Act Congress passed in 2014 required that people had to have acquired their disability before their 26th birthday. A change in the law effective this year raised the age limit
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