BRIGHTON - Rail enthusiasts gathered at Bachman Road in Brighton, Illinois, as Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 passed through during a coast-to-coast tour tied to the America 250 celebration. Among those watching was Anthony Ventimiglia, who said he and his father have been following trains for years and that this was their third time seeing No. 4014. “My name is Anthony Ventimiglia. I started getting into trains at age five and have been into it ever since,” Ventimiglia
CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced today that Zero Point Cryogenics ( ZPC ), a leading North American manufacturer of ultra-low-temperature cryogenic systems to support quantum technologies, will establish its first U.S. location at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park ( IQMP ) on Chicago’s South Side. “Illinois is building the world’s leading quantum ecosystem by bringing
WOOD RIVER - Ellie Beachum emerged as one of the top girls softball pitchers in the St. Louis region this past season, recording 225 strikeouts while also batting .390, according to East Alton-Wood River Athletic Director Mark Beatty. Beachum, who plays at EAWR, is on track to become one of Illinois’ top girls softball pitchers in spring 2027, Beatty said. He said she stood out this past season for her focus on the field and her production in key outings, including multiple games with 10
GLEN CARBON - Oberweis has opened a new scoop and dairy shop in Glen Carbon. Located in the Orchard Town Center, the new Oberweis Scoop Shop offers their signature super premium ice cream, “exceptional” chocolate milk and milk products, and “amazing” milkshakes, said CEO Renato DePaolis. The store celebrated its grand opening on July 21, 2026, and leaders look forward to investing in the community and sharing their products. “It’s about family, really,
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has recovered more than $67,000 in unpaid wages for eight employees after an investigation found prevailing wage violations by Absolute Home Improvements & Cleaning Service on a public works project in Lake County. The investigation found the employer failed to pay required fringe benefit rates to employees and did not comply with certified payroll reporting requirements under the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act . As a result of th
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today recognized Disability Pride Month and the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) by highlighting his office’s continued work to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities against unlawful attacks by the federal government. “People with disabilities deserve to be active participants in their communities. As the Trump administration attempts to roll back the rights of people with disabilities, my office
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today participated in an Appropriations Committee hearing to review President Trump’s June 24, 2026, Supplemental funding request of $87.6 billion—including $67 billion for Department of Defense (DoD) funding. In addition to an unprecedented defense spending request while cutting non-defense spending, DoD has $75 billion in unobligated funding from Republicans’
PIASA - Josie Hagen closed her senior softball season at Southwestern High School with a .467 batting average, 31 RBIs and a college commitment to Southwestern Illinois College, helping lead the Piasa Birds to 18 wins and a deep regional run in late May 2026. Hagen, a multi-sport athlete and infielder for Southwestern, was a key contributor in the cleanup spot during her final high school season. She also hit one home run. Josie is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete Of
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, as part of a coalition of 19 attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), challenging its rule that would weaken regulations designed to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in commercial equipment. HFCs are chemicals used for refrigeration and cooling that are potent drivers of climate change, trapping up to 10,000 times more heat in the atmosphere than the equivalent amount of
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS - Approximately 30 high school students spent the morning of July 11, 2026, at St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia Heights exploring aircraft, meeting aviation professionals and taking discovery flights as part of the final day of the Southwestern Illinois College Aviation Summer Sampler Camp, a three-day program aimed at introducing students to careers across the aerospace and aviation industry. The airport visit concluded the camp, which was coordinated by ROE40, Southwestern
ALTON - During their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education approved the graduation date for 2027. This year’s senior class will graduate at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 15, 2027, at Alton High School. Community members are invited to celebrate these students as they complete their senior year. The Board also approved the purchase of real property for vocational training. They agreed to spend $55,000 on two lots in Woodlands
EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said members of the agency, both active and retired, joined other police agencies from Madison County in the 2026 Cycle Across Illinois ride, a July 9-12, 2026, event held from Edwardsville to Chicago to honor fallen law enforcement officers and support their families. The sheriff’s office said the annual ride “once again took to the road for our fallen HEROES” this year. The office said the event has been held
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, sentenced a woman who defrauded Missouri Medicaid with false home health care claims to 15 months in prison. Camille S. Childress, 41, was also ordered to repay $174,496 to Missouri Medicaid. Childress submitted fraudulent documents to enroll her home health care company, Inspiring Angels LLC, with Missouri Medicaid. The paperwork falsely claimed that someone else owned the company. Childress was trying to conceal
BETHALTO – A local man accused of threatening to “shoot up” Bethalto schools and the Bethalto Police Department faces major felony charges in Madison County. Mark J. Schrader, 35, of East Alton, was charged on July 21, 2026 with three Class X felony counts of making a terrorist threat and two Class 3 felony counts of threatening a public official. On July 10, 2026, Schrader allegedly told employees of St. Anthony’s Hospital in Alton that he “intended to shoot up
ST. LOUIS - A man was seriously injured Monday night, July 20, 2026, in a crash in the Penrose neighborhood, where investigators said a Dodge Charger lost control during a turn, struck a curb, and overturned. The crash happened around 8:15 p.m. July 20, 2026, according to a preliminary investigation. Authorities said the Dodge was traveling southbound on North Bircher Boulevard when it lost control while making a left turn onto Penrose. The vehicle then struck a curb and overturned, coming to
ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Division is asking the public for help in a 1980 homicide in south St. Louis, saying investigators hope someone who remembers the case will come forward with information that could help bring justice and closure to the victim’s family. Police said 21-year-old Jerome Williams suffered blunt force trauma during an assault around 2 a.m. on Aug. 30, 1980, outside his residence in the 2700 block of Rutger. He died from
EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that northbound Interstate 55 between the I-55/I-64 split and Exchange Avenue will be reduced to one lane on weekdays beginning Monday, July 27, to perform road maintenance, weather permitting. The lane closures will be in place from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday for approximately five weeks. Motorists should expect long delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - A 3-year-old boy from Fairview Heights, Ill., is drawing attention in a Toddler of the Year competition benefiting Marine Toys for Tots, where he is currently in first place in his group, as his fascination with tractors, lawn equipment and skilled trades resonates with supporters online. Grant, featured in a three-minute documentary shared on YouTube , has been captivated since before he could walk by tractors, lawn mowers, construction equipment and the people who operate
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director James Jennings is announcing the next EV Rebate Program application cycle will open Saturday, August 1, 2026, and run through Thursday, December 31, 2026. Forms and instructions on submitting a rebate application are available on the Illinois EPA’s EV Rebate Program webpage beginning today. Applications postmarked or received prior to August 1, 2026 will not be accepted. “Illinois continues to see an increase
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 17 attorneys general, today filed comments opposing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rollback on drinking water regulations for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of widely used toxic chemicals that do not naturally break down in the environment, more commonly known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” The rollback means public drinking water systems will not be required by
stLouIST