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BUNKER HILL - Kayleigh Trimm, a senior at Bunker Hill High School and a member of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award after completing a two-year project aimed at helping students recognize and respond to warning signs of declining mental health. Trimm received the organization’s highest award on April 19, 2026, for “Nurture Your Mind: You Don't Have to Navigate Life Alone,” a project completed in October 2025 in Bunker Hill. The effort focused

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, voted to pass H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 , out of the U.S. House of Representatives. After years of short-term extensions, this legislation locks in key priorities and provides the long-term stability that farmers, producers, and rural communities across Illinois’ 15th District depend on. “Today, I proudly voted to advance a Farm Bill that

WOOD RIVER – Alton Police have charged a Wood River man with escaping custody after allegedly striking and fleeing from a Macoupin County Sheriff’s Deputy. Brandon A. Martin, 26, of Wood River, was charged with one count each of escape (a Class 2 felony), aggravated battery (a Class 2 felony), and resisting or obstructing a peace officer (a Class 4 felony) on April 24, 2026. Martin allegedly intentionally escaped from the lawful custody of the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Departmen

ALTON - Alton Community Unit School District #11 fifth grade students came together for a field day. On Thursday, April 30, 2026, fifth graders from three elementary schools were bused to West Stadium at West Elementary School for the first field day in years. The goal, explained Alton Middle School Athletic Director Scott Harper, was to provide students with a fun activity while introducing them to one another before they enter middle school in the fall. “We’re trying to create

PIASA - Maci Timpe signed a letter of intent to play softball at Lewis and Clark Community College, marking the next step in her athletic career after her time at Southwestern High School. Timpe has played softball since sixth grade and has made an impact since her freshman year, according to her coach, Amanda Edwards. She is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete Of The Month for the Piasa Birds. “Timpe has played softball since sixth grade and has been a tremendous

ST. LOUIS - The National Park Service will turn off the Gateway Arch’s exterior lights at night from Friday, May 1, through Sunday, May 31, 2026, at Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis as part of an effort to protect birds during spring migration. The agency said it will not illuminate the monument throughout May to help ensure migrating birds’ safe passage during heavy migration periods. According to the National Park Service, 40% of the nation’s migratory waterfowl use

CHICAGO – With several strong storms causing damage across Illinois recently, Attorney General Kwame Raoul today warned Illinois residents to be on alert for scammers looking to exploit homeowners and business owners who may need repairs from storm-related damage. Raoul cautioned residents that scammers often move quickly into communities to take advantage of people with damage to their homes or businesses. Raoul noted these “storm chasers” use the opportunity to pressure

COLLINSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) has teamed up with the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office to host an ICASH event Monday at the Mississippi Valley Library District. Constituents are encouraged to stop by to check if they are owed unclaimed property and receive assistance filing a claim. ICASH Event Details Who: Senator Erica Harriss; Illinois State Treasurer’s Office When: Monday, May 4, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Whe

ALTON - Eric Sykes, the executive director of Alton Little Theater, recently took to social media to address “a narrative circulating online that Alton Little Theater is somehow an unsafe space.” Over the past year, a former performer has been vocal about sexual misconduct they said they experienced with a former leader in the theater. Additionally, Sykes’s Twitter account has attracted attention because of comments that some say were offensive to the LGBTQ+ community.

SPRINGFIELD - State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) is raising concerns over a proposal from Governor JB Pritzker to keep the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) share rate flat at 6.23% for FY27. Schmidt warns that the move could shift the burden onto local taxpayers and force communities to make difficult financial decisions. Schmidt argues that local governments should not be penalized for years of fiscal mismanagement at the state level, cautioning that stagnant LGDF funding

You pack a jacket, then regret it. You skip the jacket, then regret that too. April has a talent for making normal planning feel like a gamble. That “unpredictable” feeling isn’t just in your head. It comes from a mix of fast-changing air patterns, big temperature contrasts, and the way people talk about April as if it has a personality. Add in school schedules, holidays, and the pressure to switch routines, and the month can seem like it can’t make up its mind. Here’s

On April 30, 1975, the Vietnam War came to an end when North Vietnamese forces entered Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, and the South Vietnamese government collapsed. The moment mattered immediately because it ended a long, costly conflict that had drawn in global powers, reshaped politics across Southeast Asia, and displaced millions of people. It still matters today because it influenced how countries think about military intervention, alliance commitments, refugees, and postwar rebuilding.

WOOD RIVER – A convicted felon from St. Louis remains in custody after an alleged armed assault incident at a Wood River residence. Christopher E. Browning, 36, of St. Louis, was charged with three counts of felon in possession of a weapon (each Class 3 felonies) and two counts of aggravated assault (both Class A misdemeanors) on April 23, 2026. The day prior on April 22, 2026, Browning allegedly knowingly pointed an Adams Arms Model AA-15 short barreled rifle at two other individuals.

BENTON — A St. Clair County tax return preparer who owned and operated several tax preparation businesses pleaded guilty in federal court in Benton to charges that she intentionally made false statements on tax return forms and committed wire fraud, according to court documents and federal officials. Dormeshia A. Haire, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of false statements on a tax return, one count of wire fraud, and three counts of aiding and abetting in submitting false and fraudulent returns

TROY - The Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce is inviting professionals from across the region to attend a Business Builder Series workshop focused on presenting, networking and leadership skills on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the Tri-Township Public Library in Troy, Illinois. The “Business Builder Series: Presenting, Networking & Leading with Impact Workshop” is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The chamber said the interactive, hands-on format is designed to

ROXANA - Roxana High School senior Dalton Carriker is concluding his athletic career in style this spring for the Shells baseball team as a key player. He earned All-Conference honors in baseball and football and was the 2025 Baseball Offensive Player of the Year, according to information provided by Stephanie Carriker. Carriker, a Roxana athlete and straight-A student, has also earned Academic All-State recognition in football. In baseball, he has “already broken multiple Roxana records”

EDWARDSVILLE - The American Legion Riders Post 199 rode more than 400 miles as part of its annual Haven Ride, including a stop at a traveling wall of remembrance at the Mt. Vernon Airport, and presented a $1,000 check to The Haven, a day camp for veterans on Crab Orchard Lake in Southern Illinois. The ride involved members of American Legion Riders Post 199, whose annual event included visiting the traveling wall of remembrance and making a donation to The Haven. The Haven serves veterans, primarily

ST. LOUIS – Eight people, including six who entered the country illegally, were arrested Wednesday on charges including trafficking in firearms and cocaine. The eight are: Ivan Said Henriquez-Corea, 34, of St. Louis. Jose Edwardo Maldonado-Vargas, 21, a.k.a. Oscar Rodriguez-Lopez, of St. Louis County. Manuel DeJesus Hernandez-Maldonado, 47, of St. Louis. Heber Marcelino Figueroa-Bardales, 27, of St. Louis. Edgar Cruz-Ramirez, 36, of St. Louis County. Thomas Allen Hull, 37,

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a former bartender who admitted possessing child sexual abuse material and installing hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of a former residence to 13 years in prison. Judge Divine also ordered Anthony Thomas, 49, of St. Charles County, to pay $104,500 to victims who appeared in the child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he downloaded. Thomas possessed thousands of media files containing CSAM and thousands

JERSEYVILLE – Jerseyville officials are asking the public to keep grass clippings away from public sidewalks and streets as lawn mowing ramps up amid the spring season. Mayor Kevin Stork issued a reminder regarding mowing season at the April 28, 2026 City Council meeting. “It’s mowing season and we know that with all this heavy rain we’re getting, if we can eliminate the grass clippings in the road that end up in our storm ditches, it’s greatly appreciated,”