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BUZZ MAGAZINE – Six episodes of the award-winning PBS travel series Samantha Brown’s Places to Love featuring America’s iconic Route 66 have been officially designated an Official Route 66 Centennial Project, recognizing the series’ role in celebrating the historic highway as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026. Hosted by two-time Emmy Award-winning travel expert Samantha Brown, the episodes take viewers on a journey along the full length of Route 66, highlighting

SOUTH ROXANA – A church in South Roxana is set to gain a solar energy system after recent permit approval. Village Board members voted 5-1 on June 2, 2026 to approve a special use permit for an accessory solar energy system for Connect Church, located at 1417 Herbert St. When the item came up for a vote, Board Member Tammy Adams asked why the solar energy system couldn’t be installed on the building itself. Mayor TJ Callahan said the building cannot support the weight of the sola

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police are investigating a double shooting early Saturday, June 6, 2026, in the 9700 block of Lanier Drive in Moline Acres that left one adult man dead and another injured, authorities said. Officers from the Moline Acres Police Department responded at about 12:37 a.m. Saturday, June 6, 2026, to a ShotSpotter activation in the 9700 block of Lanier Drive, according to a statement from St. Louis County Police. When officers arrived, they found two adult men

ALTON - Veterans, elected officials, and community members gathered Saturday morning, June 6, 2026, in Grafton to dedicate the National Memorial of Military Ascent, a monument honoring veterans and the broader wartime service and sacrifice of Americans, in a ceremony held on the anniversary of D-Day. “Thank you all for coming out today to honor our veterans and dedicate this memorial,” Mayor Mike Morrow said. Alton Mayor Goins said the timing of the dedication added to its significance.

GRAFTON - The National Memorial of Military Ascent was officially dedicated Saturday morning, June 6, 2026, in Grafton on the 82nd anniversary of D-Day with an emotional, hour-long ceremony. The ceremony began at 9:30 a.m. June 6, 2026, after the Mike Burke Orchestra played military songs at 9 a.m. The dedication included colors by the Leech Lake Ojibwe Honor Guard, American Legion Post 648, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 805, followed by an invocation by NMMA Chaplain Warren Gohl and a communit

Sitting in the choppy waters of the English Channel the day before D-Day, twenty-year-old Private James R. Lambeth wondered what would happen on the beaches of Normandy. “We had no idea what we were getting into,” recalled Lambeth. “I’d never seen combat before, and had no idea what it would be like.” June 6 marks the anniversary of the massive D-Day invasion and Lambeth, a member of the 37th Amphibious Combat Engineers, was one of 156,000 men on Omaha Beach at

On June 6, the most widely remembered global event is the D-Day landings of 1944, when Allied forces crossed the English Channel and began the liberation of Nazi-occupied Western Europe. In the early hours of that day, troops from the United States, Britain, Canada, and other Allied nations landed on the beaches of Normandy in France, supported by aircraft and naval bombardment. It was one of the largest military operations ever attempted. At the time, it mattered because it opened a major Western

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Co-Chair of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, questioned Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) Vice Chair Robert Taub during a House Oversight Committee hearing focused on the financial future of the U.S. Postal Service and the Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) Plan. Budzinski raised concerns about the PRC’s findings regarding the impact of the RTO implementation on rural communities and pressed Taub on

SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ comprehensive micromobility safety legislation passed the Illinois General Assembly and now awaits Governor JB Pritzker’s signature, bringing Illinois one step away from establishing the state’s first comprehensive framework to regulate dangerous high-speed e-bikes, e-motos and other powerful electric transportation devices operating on roads, bike lanes, bike paths and sidewalks. Senate Bill 3484 is the cornerstone

BUZZ MAGAZINE – Touch Media is proud to announce the launch of the Centennial Route 66 Passport, a special edition created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road and an Official Route 66 Centennial Project. Building on the success of the popular blue Route 66 Passport, the golden Centennial edition is a luxury collector’s item with a limited print run, designed to celebrate the history, culture, and communities along Route 66. The Centennial Passport will feature

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has awarded $495,000 in federal grants to 73 volunteer fire departments across the state to help with purchasing new equipment or paying for fire training. The Volunteer Fire Capacity (VFC) grant program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The program provides matching funds to aid fire departments in the purchase of new equipment and helps fund training. Funding is passed through IDNR to local

DeKALB, Ill. (June 3, 2026) – Northern Illinois University announces its spring 2026 Dean's List students. To earn this distinction, students must meet a minimum semester grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology or a minimum of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale in the colleges of Business, Education, Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts. Students from your area who achieved this honor include:

BUZZ MAGAZINE – One of the small towns along the route in Illinois is planning one of the largest celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of Route 66. The Route 66 Jubilee will be held in Carlinville and will feature old-fashioned cars, games, costumes, and storytelling, and is scheduled for June 26 on the lawn of the Macoupin County courthouse. Planning for the event, one of the more significant small-town Route 66 events during the anniversary, has been going on for two years. Even

EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Library Board gained two new members this week amid a series of recently approved appointments and resignations. Edwardsville City Council members approved various appointments to city boards and committees at their June 2, 2026 meeting , including Nathan Palmer to the Library Board with a term ending in April of 2029. “We’re very grateful to have Nathan on the Library Board and we’re excited to have him,” Mayor Art Risavy said.

GODFREY – Godfrey officials are set to reconsider the proposed installation of a fiber optic network within the village as trustees say newly revealed information answers previously unaddressed questions. Board members previously rejected a proposal from Socket Fiber to install a fiber optic network throughout the village on May 19, 2026. Trustee Rick Lauschke said he and Trustee Gerard Fischer met with Socket Fiber representatives before the board’s June 2, 2026 meeting and

ALTON - Alton’s 29 th annual All-Wheels Drive-In Car Show will be held on Sunday, June 7 th from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The event typically attracts over 250 classic cars, hot rods and motorcycles, which the public is welcome to browse on 3 rd , 4 th , State and Belle Streets. There is no charge for admission. Alton Main Street organizes this tradition with support from the Dynamic Duo Car Club. Come out for the automobiles and stay for the music, vendor displays, and lunch downtown!

ALTON - Marquette Catholic High School said Ella Walters and Heidi Kahl recently performed at the Ken Page High School Music Awards at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. Marquette Catholic was also represented by Performing Arts Director Madison Foreman, who was among five nominees for "Best Director." Walters and Kahl performed at the awards event, which recognizes outstanding achievement in high school musical theatre in the St. Louis region. The Ken Page Awards are presented in partnership

EDWARDSVILLE – Two recent Madison County battery cases include an alleged domestic incident and a northern Illinois man accused of attacking an Edwardsville Police officer. Brayden M. Galbraith, 20, of Edwardsville, was charged with one count each of aggravated battery (a Class 3 felony) and domestic battery (a Class A misdemeanor) on June 1, 2026. Galbraith is accused of knowingly causing bodily harm to a family or household member without legal justification on May 31, 2026. The Madison

BETHALTO - The Bethalto Police Department said it investigated 17 vehicle burglaries and one stolen vehicle case in the community during May 2026, and urged residents to take precautions after a stolen vehicle containing a firearm was recovered this morning. In a public safety announcement, the police department said the cases underscore the need for residents in Bethalto to secure their vehicles and valuables. In one incident, police said, a vehicle was stolen with a firearm inside.

EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville School District 7 Board of Education recognized four administrative retirees during its May 2026 meeting, honoring more than a century of combined service to students, staff, and families. Those recognized were Dr. Cornelia Smith, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, with 28 years of service; Dr. Steve Stuart, executive director for the EGHM Foundation, with 26 years; Bill Miener, director of special projects, with 25 years; and Lori Compton,