CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced record-breakinggrowth across Illinois’ tourism industry in 2025. The state welcomed 115 million domestic and international visitors in 2025 – an increase from 2024. "Illinois continues to attract visitors from across the country and around the world, delivering economic benefits that reach communities in every corner of our state,” said Governor JB Pritzker
EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced the Martin Luther King Bridge will be reduced to one lane eastbound and completely closed westbound beginning Wednesday, Sept. 9, weather permitting, for bridge maintenance. The eastbound lane closure and westbound full closure will be limited to off-peak hours. All lanes will be open during peak hours from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. westbound and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. eastbound. The closures will be in place Sept. 9-11, weather
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Columbia College recently announced its dean's list for the Summer 2026 Semester (May-August 2026). To be named to the dean's list, a student must have completed 12 undergraduate credit hours in a 16-week period and achieved a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0-point scale. Students from the area who received this honor include: Alton Cierra Johnson Edwardsville Kimberly Eichelberger Founded in 1851 in Columbia, Missouri, Columbia College has been helping students advance their
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today filed a lawsuit against ABC Plumbing , Heating, Cooling & Electric, Inc. (ABC) for its deceptive business practices that mislead consumers, most often senior citizens, to sign a contract for home repair work at inflated prices by unlicensed technicians while they also unknowingly waive their statutory rights to cancel the contract. “ABC Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric’s deceptive business practices are not only illegal but
EDWARDSVILLE – SIUE, the College of Arts and Sciences and the University Museum proudly announces the University Museum has been awarded a federal grant for $200,427 from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to work on Stage IV of the Museum Collections Inventory Project! Executive Curator for SIUE's University Museum, Erin Vigneau-Dimick, served as the sole grant writer for the University Museum. The federal Institute for Museum and Library Services offers multiple annual grant
A shorter day can change your brain before you even notice your mood. You may still go to work, answer texts, and move through your routine as usual. Yet somewhere between waking up in dim light and heading home after sunset, your energy can flatten out. Motivation slips. Small problems feel heavier. For some people, this shift is mild and temporary. For others, it becomes a serious mental health issue. That is one reason fall affects mood in such a noticeable way. Why mood shifts can happen
This Day in Music History: September 8 September 8, 1897, marks the birth of Jimmie Rodgers, a foundational figure whose recordings helped establish country music as a national commercial force. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, Rodgers drew on his railroad experience and made a personal style from blues, folk ballads, jazz, gospel and stage-show yodeling. His relaxed phrasing, guitar playing and famous blue yodels gave early recorded country music a new kind of singing star: one who sounded rooted
On September 8, one of the most consequential events in world history took place in 1504, when Michelangelo’s statue of David was unveiled in Florence. At first glance, a work of art may seem less important than a battle or treaty, but David became far more than a sculpture. It stood for the confidence of Renaissance Florence, showed what human skill and imagination could achieve, and helped define a turning point in European cultural history. Its influence has lasted for centuries, shaping
SPRINGFIELD – As Labor Day approaches, Comptroller Susana Mendoza is reminding workers, business agents and labor groups about how the Illinois Office of Comptroller (IOC) can help workers on publicly funded projects who aren’t being paid according to state law. “Thanks to an executive order I signed in 2019 , my office has the authority to stop payments to contractors found violating prevailing wage laws,” said Mendoza. “This is a powerful tool to deter wage theft
ST. LOUIS — Major disasters are happening more often now, about once every two weeks. Add on the smaller emergencies that happen every day - like a fire in someone’s home - and it’s more important than ever for everyone to get their households prepared. At the same time, as prices continue to climb on just about everything, getting prepared for a disaster can feel out of reach, too much of a financial burden. But the American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis has a few simple, low-cos
SPRINGFIELD – Hundreds of rare posters and prints related to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War are now available online to the public, thanks to the Picturing Lincoln project from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. People around the world can explore high-resolution images such as a Southern newspaper declaring the end of the United States, promotional posters about Army units, posters announcing rewards for freedom-seeking enslaved people and a “death certificate”
ALTON – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that U.S. 67 at the Clark Bridge will be reduced to one lane in each direction on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, weather permitting, for bridge maintenance. The lane closures will be limited to off-peak hours. All lanes will be open during peak hours from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. southbound and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. northbound. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged
SPRINGFIELD - Ahead of Labor Day, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, labor leaders, and state legislators on Thursday highlighted a new law that will allow him to make investments to build more affordable housing. Senate Bill 3086 , which passed with bipartisan support in late May, allows Treasurer Frerichs to invest in the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust. The fund focuses on building and preserving affordable and workforce housing, creating union construction jobs, and fostering
EDWARDSVILLE — Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the College of Arts and Sciences and Black Studies will host a free public screening of the documentary film “A Black History Tour of St. Louis” on Monday, Oct. 26, in Dunham Hall Theater, 1 Hairpin Drive, to celebrate local art, history and diverse voices. The event will begin with a Black Studies welcome reception at 4:45 p.m. and is open to the SIUE student body, faculty, staff and Metro East communities. “A
GODFREY — A pedestrian died early Saturday after being struck by a train in Godfrey, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said. The sheriff’s office was called to the scene at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, after a person was struck by a train, Madison County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Marcos Pulido said. Pulido said a preliminary investigation found that the train had just crossed the Tolle Lane railroad crossing when, about one-third of a mile beyond it,
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS — The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, at the request of Cahokia Heights Police Chief Thomas Trice after officers responding to a report of shots fired found two juveniles shot in the 800 block of Saint William Drive in Cahokia Heights, St. Clair County. Officers with the Cahokia Heights Police Department responded at approximately 1:35 a.m. Sept. 5, 2026. A 17-year-old victim was pronounced deceased at the scene, and a 16-year-old
WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) pressed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence during a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on the VA’s plans to give Oracle an additional $17 billion for the Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program. Budzinski, who has been overseeing the VA’s EHRM program as Ranking Member of the Technology Modernization Subcommittee, questioned the growing cost of the Department’s
ALTON - On two recent episodes of “According to Jama and Nikki,” the hosts welcomed Isaac Sandidge to talk about mental health. “According to Jama and Nikki” is a weekly podcast on RiverBender.com where Jama Fabry and Nikki Fiedler have candid conversations about life and community. They were joined by Sandidge, a Mental Health First Aid trainer and founder of Mental Health First Aid Illinois , to discuss the value of mental health conversations and interventions.
EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville Police Chief Michael Fillback will retire Oct. 2, 2026, after 30 years with the department, and he expressed his sincere gratitude to the city staff, elected officials, and everyone who believed in him and supported him throughout his career. “This decision has not come easily, as I have spent most of my life serving the Edwardsville community," Fillback said. "My wife and I raised our children here, and we are proud to continue calling Edwardsville our
GODFREY - OSF OnCall and Vitality Women’s Clinic have teamed up to provide free support to community members in need. OSF OnCall regularly brings resources to Vitality in Godfrey. As a faith-based, pro-life pregnancy center, Vitality supports new parents and individuals experiencing unplanned pregnancies with free pregnancy and STI tests, free ultrasounds, parenting classes and more. Executive Director Jackie Dutie noted the importance of teaming up with groups like OSF OnCall to expand
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