EDWARDSVILLE — The Madison County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is completing its transition to a new emergency notification platform and will officially discontinue use of the CodeRED system on Friday. Residents previously signed up for CodeRED were transferred into the new Everbridge alert platform. However, EMA officials encourage residents to create an account through Everbridge if they would like to review or update their information over time, including addresses and notification
BETHALTO – Beer and wine sales are now allowed at a Bethalto restaurant following the Village Board’s recent addition and approval of a liquor license. At their May 11, 2026 meeting, trustees unanimously approved an ordinance increasing the number of Class B liquor licenses allowed in the village to seven. Under the Bethalto Village Code , Class B or “Beer Parlor” licenses allow for sales of beer and light wines with a maximum alcohol content of 12% for consumption
HARDIN - The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office said a reported “swatting” call prompted a lockdown at Calhoun High School on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, after an unknown individual contacted the school around 12:11 p.m. and claimed he was en route armed with an AR-15 and explosive devices. The Calhoun Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the school in response to the report. School officials “immediately implemented lockdown procedures to ensure the safety of students
SWANSEA – State Senator Christopher Belt announced Belleville will receive a total of $250,000 through Illinois’ Safe Routes to School program to improve pedestrian safety and expand opportunities for children and families to safely walk and bike in their community. “Keeping children safe on their way to school should always be a top priority,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “I am happy to help secure this funding so students and families can have greater peace of
EDWARDSVILLE - Jax Andreas is a senior pitcher who has emerged as an important addition to the pitching staff for Edwardsville’s baseball team and has contributed mightily to the Tigers' success this season. As of May 9, Andreas was 2-0 in two starts and nine overall appearances for the Tigers, sporting a 3.43 ERA and allowing eight runs, all earned, on 15 hits in 16.3 innings pitched, walking eight and striking out 12. In a game played on May 9, 2026, against Highland at Tom Pile Field,
Budzinski Celebrates House Passage of Permanent Year-Round E15 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) released the following statement following the passage of H.R. 1346, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, of which Budzinski is a Democratic lead. The bill would eliminate an outdated regulation restricting year-round sales of E15 and would ultimately expand consumer fuel choices, strengthen domestic energy production, and provide greater
ALTON - The Alton Police Department has added three new officers to its ranks, swearing them in as they begin work in the City of Alton. Officers Oster, Ringling, and Hoefert “officially took the oath of office,” administered by Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Officer Oster “will soon attend the police academy to begin certification training,” Ford said. Ringling and Hoefert, who “are already certified officers,” will begin field
ALTON – State Senator Erica Harriss and State Senator Jil Tracy helped connect Metro East residents with thousands of dollars in missing money during an ICASH event held Monday in Alton, including one individual who discovered $94,000 in unclaimed property. “Helping residents recover money that rightfully belongs to them is one of the most rewarding services we can provide,” said Senator Harriss. “These events are about connecting people with resources and helping them
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of President Donald Trump’s summit with China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) , John Curtis (R-UT) and nine of their Senate colleagues in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirming congressional support for the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and underscoring their belief that there should be no unilateral changes to this policy , nor any new U.S.
HARTFORD - A crowd recently gathered at the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower for their grand reopening ceremony. On Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Village of Hartford and Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau came together for a ribbon-cutting to mark the end of construction at the tower. Cory Jobe, president and CEO of Great Rivers and Routes, welcomed visitors and explained that the tower has undergone a major renovation. “What a great day it is to be here in Hartford as we celebrate
ILLINOIS – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for headcheese that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes ( Lm ). A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase. Headcheese is a ready-to-eat (RTE), pork deli meat product typically made from meat and seasonings that are cooked together and formed into a loaf or jelly-style product. The fully cooked pork headcheese
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police and regional bomb and arson detectives are investigating a house fire and the death of an adult man after officers found him inside a burning home late Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in north St. Louis County. Officers from the St. Louis County Police North County Precinct responded at 10:08 p.m. May 13, 2026, to a call for a house fire in the 11300 block of Old Halls Ferry Road, police said. First responders entered the residence and located an adult
VENICE, Ill. – A St. Louis man who allegedly fled from a Madison County Sheriff’s deputy and “briefly became airborne” in a stolen vehicle among other offenses faces multiple felony charges. Santana J. Leachman, 20, of St. Louis, was charged on May 7, 2026, with a Class 2 felony count of offenses related to motor vehicles, two Class 4 felony counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, and one Class 4 felony count of aggravated unlawful possession
ALTON - Ardent Mills moved some items across the roadway near the Clark Bridge on Thursday morning, May 14, 2026. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said the company had requested that the police block lanes to restrict the movement of materials. "Ardent Mills asked us to block lanes while they moved items to keep them and the motorists safe," Chief Ford said. Traffic was slowed and backed up for a period of time on Thursday morning, but Ford said as of about 10 a.m., traffic flow was back to normal
EDWARDSVILLE - Barrel & Brü Tap House at 6151 Trace Parkway Drive, Suite D, Edwardsville, announced it will close, telling customers in a statement that it made the decision “after a lot of thought and consideration.” The tap house said it will hold a final gathering on Sunday, May 17, inviting “our regulars, friends, staff, and everyone who made this place what it was” to “come out one last time to celebrate the end of this chapter with us.”
EDWARDSVILLE - Traffic on Illinois Route 143 west of Edwardsville was diverted on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, after a large vehicle struck a railroad bridge, prompting a temporary road closure that reopened in the early evening, according to the Edwardsville Fire Department. The department issued a traffic alert for Wednesday, May 13, 2026, saying traffic was being diverted off Route 143 near the railroad bridge west of Edwardsville “due to an incident … involving a large vehicl
EDWARDSVILLE - Mild weather enabled crews to pour new sidewalk concrete in the North Main Street work zone of Edwardsville, prompting periodic lane restrictions in the city on Monday and Tuesday, May 11 and 12, 2026. Concrete was poured on Monday, May 11, and Tuesday, May 12, 2026, on sections of sidewalk between Hillsboro Avenue and roughly 140 N. Main St. in Edwardsville, according to an update on the North Main Street water main replacement and streetscape project. A concrete conveyor was use
ALTON/GODFREY - The Irish Soccer Club will host tryouts next week. This soccer club invites kids in kindergarten through high school to develop their skills and play advanced soccer. Robert Stephan, the club’s founder, expressed his excitement to start another season with his teams. “I think the best part is seeing kids enjoy it and develop and improve over time,” he said. “Since 2015, that’s why we’re doing it. I think we have a structure that allows
A warm evening can make a boring sidewalk feel like a vacation spot. The same street that felt rushed at 3 p.m. suddenly invites slow walks, porch chats, and “one more” stop for ice cream. It’s not just comfort. Warm evenings flip several switches in the human body and brain that nudge us toward ease, connection, and curiosity. The “sweet spot” your body is built to enjoy Humans don’t like every kind of heat. A humid, sticky night can feel miserable. But
On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel in Tel Aviv, following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine. The announcement came after decades of growing Jewish immigration, rising conflict between Jewish and Arab communities, and international debate over how the land should be governed after World War II. It mattered immediately because it reshaped political authority in the eastern Mediterranean overnight and triggered a regional war within hours
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