O'FALLON, IL. - Members of the O’Fallon Police Department and community participants took part Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in a long-running fundraising plunge for Special Olympics Illinois athletes, raising more than $33,000 in the process. The O'Fallon Police said the team’s total made it the top police fundraiser “in the region and the state.” The event continued “a long tradition of taking the plunge for Special Olympics Illinois athletes,”
BELLEVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that repairs on northbound and southbound Illinois 159 between Washington Street and the junction of Illinois 13/Illinois158 in St. Clair County will require intermittent lane closures beginning Monday, March 9, weather permitting. All lanes will remain open in both directions on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m. The project is expected to be completed this summer. Motorists should expect
ST. LOUIS, MO. — The American Red Cross urges donors to help the national blood supply recover from a severe blood shortage and empower their health by making an appointment to give blood or platelets in March. As a thank-you for helping save lives, successful donations will receive free A1C testing , commonly used to screen for prediabetes and diabetes, in March (one result per calendar year). New Red Cross data reveals 1 in 5 blood donors have elevated A1C levels — a sign that
People are more likely to start a new habit when their surroundings change—even if the change is small. A different route to school, a new schedule, a rearranged room. It’s not just motivation. It’s the brain noticing, “Something is different,” and treating that difference like an opening. That’s why spring so often feels like a fresh start. The feeling isn’t only poetic. It’s built from biology, memory, culture, and the way we organize our lives.
A strange thing happens to people when the light changes: they start making plans again. The same person who felt perfectly fine staying in and “keeping it low-key” suddenly wants long walks, fresh starts, and a calendar full of ideas. It can feel like a personal decision, but much of it is biology, memory, and culture working together. Humans look forward to spring because it signals relief and possibility. It offers a clear “before and after” moment that our bodies
You can hear it in a school hallway, a grocery store checkout line, or a group chat: someone looks out the window, shakes their head, and says, “March comes in like a lion.” It sounds ancient and obvious—like it must have been said forever. But the phrase has a surprisingly traceable past, and it didn’t start as a cute way to complain about a rough start to the month. A saying that feels older than it is “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”
On March 2, 1917, the United States Congress passed the Jones–Shafroth Act, granting U.S. citizenship to people born in Puerto Rico and reshaping the island’s political relationship with the United States. At the time, it mattered because it changed legal rights and civic life for millions of Puerto Ricans, including how the island was governed and how residents could participate in U.S. institutions. It still matters today because the act sits at the center of ongoing questions abou
PONTOON BEACH – On Saturday, February 28, 2026, at approximately 1:08 a.m., the Mitchell Fire Department provided mutual aid to the Long Lake Volunteer Fire Department for a working commercial structure fire in the 3700 block of Pontoon Road. Upon arrival, crews encountered a fully involved commercial structure fire with exposures to adjacent buildings. Firefighters worked quickly to contain the blaze and protect surrounding properties. Additional agencies assisting on scene
EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 200 block of West J Street Sunday morning. When firefighters arrived on scene, they encountered smoke and flames coming from the front porch, along with smoke showing from inside the duplex. A box alarm was requested, bringing assistance from Wood River Fire Department and the Glen Carbon Fire Protection District. Crews were able to quickly bring the fire under control while using minimal water,
On February 28, 1953, scientists James Watson and Francis Crick announced they had worked out the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule that carries genetic instructions in living things. At the time, the discovery mattered because it offered a clear physical explanation for how traits could be inherited and how biological information could be copied. It also gave researchers a shared framework for asking new questions about disease, evolution, and development. It still matters today because
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a settlement with Alternative Staffing, Inc. (ASI) that resolves allegations the temporary staffing agency entered into a no-poach agreement with other staffing agencies. Once approved by the court, the settlement requires ASI to pay $1 million to compensate affected temporary workers. “This settlement includes relief for workers who had their wages and job opportunities limited by this unlawful activity,” Raoul said. “M
EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County honored a retiring Sheriff’s captain Wednesday night after 27 years of service, including the past three as Director of Court Security. Chairman Chris Slusser presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Capt. William “Bill” Marconi, recognizing his Feb. 13 retirement. Marconi began his career with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in February 1999 and most recently served as Director of Court Security, a role he assumed in April 2023.
GLEN CARBON – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced the full closure of the intersection of Illinois 157 and Illinois 162 in Madison County has been rescheduled to begin, weather permitting, at 7 a.m. Monday, March 16, 2026. During the closure, traffic will not be permitted on Illinois 157 and Illinois 162 at the intersection. Both eastbound and westbound Illinois 162 will be closed, and neither will have access to Illinois 157. A signed detour will be in place
The nineteenth annual automobile show of the St. Louis Automobile Dealers’ Association took place February 22 to 27, 1926, in “the great building owned by the City of St. Louis known as the Union Market.” Union Market still stands, is still owned by the City of St. Louis, and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was constructed in 1924-1925, so the 1926 St. Louis Auto Show was the first at Union Market. (The 1925 St. Louis Auto Show was held at the
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Municipal Electric/Utilities Association (IMEA/IMUA) to discuss Illinois’ electric systems as new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, place new strains on the sector. In today’s meeting, Durbin and IMEA/IMUA members talked about the need for data center operators to be transparent about the expected power and water usage associated with running these centers. Additionall
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper this afternoon, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) excoriated Donald Trump for launching an illegal military campaign against Iran without Congressional approval and without a plan for what comes next, all while putting our servicemembers and national security at risk. Video of the interview can be found on the Senator’s YouTube . Key Quotes: “I’m glad that Khamenei is dead…but
GLEN CARBON – A Glen Carbon man accused of fleeing a traffic stop at high speeds faces a felony charge. Travin T. Harris, 44, of Glen Carbon, was charged on Feb. 26, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. Harris allegedly knowingly failed to obey and attempted to flee from a Glen Carbon police officer who had signaled for Harris to stop the vehicle he was driving on Jan. 30, 2026. Charging documents state he exceeded the legal speed
BELLEVILLE - Belleville Police are investigating the death of a juvenile male who was shot Friday night in the garage of a home in Belleville, Illinois, authorities said. Officers with the Belleville Police Department responded at about 7:53 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, to the 2700 block of Brookmeadow Drive for a report of a subject shot, according to a department statement. The juvenile victim was found suffering from a gunshot wound, police said. “Officers and EMS immediately
COTTAGE HILLS – The East Alton Fire Department responded Saturday afternoon to a structure fire on the 100 block of South Oak Street in Cottage Hills. When firefighters arrived, a deck and fence next to the house were on fire, and flames had reached the side of the house. Mutual aid was requested from the Wood River, Roxana, Rosewood Heights, and Alton fire departments. “The house appears savable,” East Alton Fire Chief Jeremy Dively said. “A bedroom ceiling collapsed,
EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County officials recognized an Alton pastor Wednesday night as a “Living Legend” for her lifetime of ministry, mentorship and leadership in the community. County Board Member Michael “Doc” Holliday of Alton and Chairman Chris Slusser presented Pastor Joyce Elliott with the Madison County Living Legend Award during the County Board’s February meeting. Elliott made history as the first female licensed ordained minister at Union Baptist
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