SPRINGFIELD, IL, - Madison County has been issued a final property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to David Harris, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). The property assessment equalization factor, often called the "multiplier," is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because some of the state's 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties
BELLEVILLE - A familiar face and trusted leader will step into the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer at Caritas Family Solutions. Erin Hamilton, who has been working for the nonprofit for three years as the Executive Director of People and Culture, is looking forward to making an impact in the role. “When I think about Caritas, we’re changing the world one person at a time,” Hamilton said. “We’re improving lives and communities. It’s
EDWARDSVILLE - Acting Superintendent Dr. Allen Duncan gave an update on the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 transportation study. During the district’s regular meeting of the Board of Education, Duncan explained that the district is working on an analysis of their transportation system. The district hopes to ensure the buses are operating as efficiently as possible. “The goal of the analysis is to improve the efficiency of our transportation system,” he
A bowl of cereal looks simple, but it’s the end of a long chain of choices that changed human life more than almost any invention. Farming didn’t just put food on the table. It reshaped where people lived, how they worked, what they believed, and who held power. If you want to understand cities, money, laws, and even many of our daily routines, you can trace a line back to fields, animals, and stored grain. The big trade: freedom for reliability Before farming, most people lived
On March 10, 1876, a simple sentence spoken into a new machine signaled a major shift in how people could connect across distance. In a Boston boardinghouse, inventor Alexander Graham Bell used his experimental telephone to call his assistant, Thomas Watson, saying, “Mr. Watson—come here—I want to see you.” It mattered immediately because it proved that the human voice could be sent clearly over a wire, not just clicks or coded signals. Over time, that breakthrough helped
ALTON - Alton police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Tuesday on the property of the Alton Housing Authority in Alton, Illinois, after officers responded to a 911 call reporting gunshots in the 700 block of Oakwood Estates. The Alton Police Department said it received the call at about 4:19 a.m. March 10, 2026. While officers were responding, dispatchers received additional information that a male subject had been shot. Officers arrived and rendered aid to the victim
EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Community Development is accepting applications for a scholarship program designed to assist local students planning to attend college, trade school or other training programs during the upcoming academic year. Through funding provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program will award three scholarships valued at $5,000 each for the 2026-2027 school year. The awards will be distributed
ALTON - The second annual Alton Art Expo is accepting applications now. Scheduled for Sept. 26–27, 2026, at The Old Bakery Beer Company, the Alton Art Expo invites artists from across the region to display and sell their art. This year’s expo is dedicated to artist Tai Davis. Donations will be given to Centerstone in honor of Suicide Prevention Month. It’s a topic that’s close to the heart of organizer Charles Mooneyham. “The only reason why I’m alive
O'FALLON, IL. - The family of Debra K. Farmer, a longtime volunteer with the LaVerna Evans PTO, has donated to the LaVerna Evans Elementary School library in O’Fallon, Illinois, the school’s PTO said. The donation was made in her honor following her death on Dec. 5, 2025. The LaVerna Evans PTO said it was “incredibly grateful to the Farmer family for their generous donation to our school library in her honor.” The school is located at 802 Dartmouth Drive in O’Fallon
CHICAGO – The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and global education company Kaplan today announced that Illinois’ first-in-the-nation free test preparation program – the Prepare for Illinois’ Future Program – will continue through the end of the academic school year. Additionally, Governor JB Pritzker has proposed to fund the program through the FY27 budget for another year as part of his Affordability Agenda and commitment to strengthening
BRADLEY – Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that global biotherapeutics leader CSL will invest nearly $1.5 billion to construct a new manufacturing facility at the company’s Kankakee campus, creating 300 new full-time jobs while retaining more than 1,200 existing positions. CSL’s investment marks one of the largest life sciences investments in Illinois history, reinforcing the state's leadership while
ST. LOUIS – The City of St. Louis today announced the launch of a new online building permit portal designed to modernize the application process, reduce approval times and significantly limit the need for in-person visits to City Hall. “The development community and everyday citizens have been demanding a simple, easy and 21st century way to apply for building permits. To end 70 years of population decline and make it possible for all St. Louisans displaced by last year’s
ALTON/O’FALLON - O’Fallon Township High School students can receive on-site instrument repairs thanks to local Alton business Halpin Music. OTHS recently won a 2026 Advocacy in Action Award from Music for All, recognized in the Community Involvement category for their partnership with Halpin. Mark Landon, owner of Halpin, explained that the business works with OTHS to repair students’ instruments on-site using their mobile repair shop. He believes this model is a great choic
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Monday, March 9, 2026, sentenced a Romanian national to 21 months in prison and ordered him to repay the almost $200,000 he stole from a nationwide retailer via “sleight-of-hand” schemes. Bobi Covaciu, 39, tricked store cashiers in at least 22 states into believing that he had paid the full amount of cash for a purchase. Covaciu counted out cash matching the purchase price and then took the cash back from cashiers and
SPRINGFIELD – One of the few surviving dresses worn by Mary Lincoln is now on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, offering visitors their first chance to see the fragile garment in 15 years. Known as the “strawberry dress” for its decorative pattern of berries and leaves, the dress can be seen in the special exhibit “Lincoln: A Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation.” The exhibit gathers the ALPLM’s most treasured artifacts
EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced today that an East St. Louis man was found guilty of first-degree murder in what prosecutors described as a murder-for-hire killing of a Collinsville woman. Following a bench trial Monday in Madison County, Associate Judge Neil Schroeder found Gary D. Johnson, 46, guilty of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Portia Rowland, Haine said. Prosecutors said Rowland was shot the morning of Jan. 21, 2025, outside her
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01), and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, convened a roundtable with leaders from postal unions to discuss how the caucus can support them in protecting postal workers and improving mail delivery for constituents. “I was thrilled to bring together leaders from America’s postal unions for the first roundtable
EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced lane closures on eastbound Interstate 70 between Packers Avenue and the eastbound I-70/northbound I-55 merge beginning, weather permitting, Monday, March 9, for bridge maintenance. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices
ALTON – Alton officials are set to consider two special event requests and a new production company for the Alton Amphitheater. Multiple amphitheater-related items are on the Alton Committee of the Whole agenda for Monday, March 9, 2026 , including: A resolution authorizing the engagement of Contemporary Productions for the 2026 Alton Amphitheater season. A resolution approving a request from Alton Main Street to rent the Alton Amphitheater for the Mississippi Earthtones Festival.
SWANSEA - Swansea Police arrested an adult male within minutes on Friday, March 6, 2026, after officers responded to a reported bank robbery at Arsenal Credit Union, authorities said. Officers were called on March 6, 2026, to the credit union at 4384 North Illinois St. in Swansea. Arsenal Credit Union employees provided a detailed description of the suspect and his direction of travel, police said. Swansea officers arrived quickly, located the suspect, and took him into custody within five
stLouIST