JERSEYVILLE – Douglas “Brian” Figge was sworn in on Tuesday to fill a vacancy on the Jersey County Board left by former Chairman Gary Krueger, who died late last month . After observing a moment of silence, County Board members unanimously approved a resolution of sympathy to the Krueger family following his death on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. “Gary faithfully served the citizens of Jersey County as a dedicated public official, serving as former Mississippi Township Trustee
EDWARDSVILLE - Liberty Middle School administrators and the Edwardsville Police Department are investigating a social media post and related rumors, Principal Melissa Edwards told families on May 12, 2026. In the message to Liberty families, Edwards said the school was aware of the post and circulating rumors and that officials were working “together to thoroughly investigate this matter.” She did not specify what was contained in the post or where it appeared. “At this time,
GLEN CARBON - Rainy conditions set the backdrop for a strong day from Father McGivney Catholic High School’s boys track and field teams as the Griffins finished second at the recent Gateway Conference Boys Meet, highlighted by a conference championship in the 4x800 relay, a win in the 800 meters, and pole vault. Father McGivney finished second in the meet with 121 points behind Metro East Lutheran with 121 points. “Our track & field teams powered through tough conditions and delivered
EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School recently took home first place in the IHSA Journalism State Final. Amanda Thrun, who teaches English and oversees the student publications at EHS, took several students to the state competition in Bloomington last month. Students competed with the top high school journalists in Illinois. “It’s certainly a way to represent our school in a different way,” Thrun said. “We have an awesome performing arts program. We have awesome
MACOUPIN COUNTY - Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said a Virden man was sentenced Tuesday to 16 years in prison in Macoupin County Circuit Court after pleading guilty to disseminating child sexual abuse material and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, in a case Raoul described as part of ongoing efforts with federal and local law enforcement to apprehend offenders who download and trade such material online. Jacob R. Rogers, 38, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Class X felon
ALTON - The Alton Police Department is stepping up seat belt enforcement across Alton as part of Illinois’ 2026 “Click It or Ticket” campaign running Friday, May 15 through Tuesday, May 26, 2026, a period that coincides with increased Memorial Day travel. “Buckle up every trip, every time,” Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said. “Seat belts save lives, and we are committed to keeping our roads safe.” Chief Ford said officers will conduct high-visibility
ALTON - Martha Pfister, alderwoman for Alton’s Ward 2, says it’s “an exciting time” in the City of Alton. As summer approaches, Pfister is spending more time in her ward and paying attention to the sidewalk infrastructure and the homes. She stressed the importance of listening to constituents and having conversations about the city’s comprehensive plan, and she shared that sidewalk infrastructure and the code enforcement process are two of her top interests righ
SPRINGFIELD – As the weather warms up and more people head outside, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is reminding everyone to leave young birds and other animals alone when they encounter them in the wild. Well-intentioned people may believe they’re helping nature by taking possession of young rabbits, fawn deer, baby birds and other animals that appear to be orphaned or abandoned. However, in nearly all cases, human intervention does more to hurt animals than
CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) today announced the launch of a new online submission option designed to simplify and modernize the way Illinois consumers file complaints against financial institutions amid a federal step back in enforcement. For the first time, the portal will accept complaints for both the Division of Banking (DOB) and the Division of Financial Institutions (DFI), creating a unified and more accessible process for
SMITHTON - State Representatives Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) recently held a Tire Recycling Event and Food Drive in Smithton. He says it was the most successful Tire Recycling and Food Drive event his office has hosted and thanked everyone in the community for their contributions. “I want to say thank you to everyone who attended the event and helped clean up the community,” said Schmidt. “We loaded three tractor trailers full of used tires and collected a significant amount
CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced $2.5 million in funding is available for the second round of the Economic Empowerment Centers (EEC) Grant Program. Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process. “As Governor, I’m committed to building a thriving business community that values inclusivity and uplifts entrepreneurs from all backgrounds,”
GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing program has been granted continued accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), following a site visit in September 2025. The visit takes 2.5 days and is a peer-reviewed process where nursing educators from across the country volunteer to visit and evaluate other nursing programs. ACEN accreditation indicates to the general public and educational community that a nursing
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), joined by Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03), Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), and Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), gathered outside the U.S. Capitol to urge their colleagues to support legislation allowing the year-round sale of fuel blended with 15% ethanol, commonly known as E15. A vote is scheduled for Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives on H.R. 1346, the? Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer
ALTON - At its Annual May meeting, the Alton Community Service League announced Carol Morris as the 2026 winner of the Silver Bowl Award. The Silver Bowl is awarded to the member who has recorded the highest number of volunteer hours for the year 2025-2026. During the summer months, League members deadhead roses at the Nan Elliott Memorial Rose Garden at Gordon Moore Park. Members also assist in watering the Alto Memorial Hospital Healing Garden. Officers installed for the 2026-2027 League
COLLINSVILLE - Lt. Wilbert "Bud" Jeremias marked the end of a long law enforcement career on Friday, May 8, 2026. He retired after more than 20 years with the Collinsville Police Department in Illinois, the department said. Jeremias began his full-time policing career on May 13, 1998, and joined the Collinsville Police Department on Oct. 3, 2005, after serving at the East St. Louis Police Department. Over his time at Collinsville, Jeremias served as a patrolman, K9 handler, detective,
EDWARDSVILLE – An out-of-state resident accused of concealing $206,000 in criminally derived funds faces money laundering and other charges in Madison County. Jose A. Nava, 46, of Fort Worth, Texas, was charged on May 4, 2026, two counts of money laundering (both Class 2 felonies) and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance (a Class 3 felony). On May 1, 2026, Nava allegedly knowingly transported $206,000 in U.S. currency described in charging documents as “criminally
ALTON - This spring, students in the Alton High School Interact Club came together to raise money for the 5A's Animal Shelter and used the proceeds to purchase supplies for the shelter and create adoption starter kits for local families. The AHS Interact Club held a fundraiser competition between advisories, with the winning advisory earning a donut party. Students raised more than $450 largely through the collection of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. “We encouraged students
JERSEYVILLE — Jersey junior softball sensation Anna Kribs delivered a record-setting performance at home, going 4 for 4 with three doubles and a home run as the Panthers rolled past Highland 11-1 on Monday, May 11, 2026. With the home run, Kribs broke Jersey’s single-season school record with her 10th homer. She also set the program’s single-season RBI mark with 41. She is a Sparklight Female Athlete Of The Month for Jersey. Kribs is hitting .531 this season with 10 doubles.
EAST ALTON/WOOD RIVER - Mark Maendele has spent 30 years teaching at East Alton-Wood River High School, and as he prepares to retire, he’s following his own advice to “smell the roses.” Every year, Maendele takes his students outside and gives his famous Smell the Roses speech. He tells the kids that high school will go faster than they think, and they should get involved and enjoy every part they can. As he reflects on his career, he thinks this is the most important lesson
GRANITE CITY - Granite City High junior pitcher Michael Terry put together a dominant stretch on the mound this past week, going 2-0 with 16 strikeouts over 11 innings as the Warriors picked up wins Monday over Cahokia and later in the week against Carbondale. Terry opened the week in Granite City’s 15-0, four-inning victory over Cahokia on Monday, allowing one hit and striking out four. He followed with a complete-game performance in the Warriors’ 2-1 win over Carbondale, giving
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