EAST ALTON-WOOD RIVER - Representatives from East Alton-Wood River Community High School District 14’s Riverbend Growth Association Young Adults Committee were recognized recently at the Chamber Choice Awards, where three students also received scholarships. East Alton-Wood River students Eva Steiniger, Landon Bomkamp, Adyson Bunt, and Jace Burns were recognized at the event, East Alton-Wood River CHSD 14 said. John Barnerd was also thanked as the students’ mentor.
PAWNEE – The Illinois State Police (ISP) and Capital Development Board (CDB) today broke ground on a new canine training complex. ? The $8.9 million state investment consists of two new buildings, including upgraded kennels, training areas, and office space. ? “Here in Illinois, we’re proud to support our State Police as they take innovative steps to reduce crime and protect the People of Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. ? “Upgrading ISP canine training facilities
GODFREY – Godfrey officials plan to ask their more “seasoned” residents for opinions on various village topics later this fall. The village plans to host an “Older Adult Residents of Godfrey” Forum at the Alton-Wood River Sportsmen’s Club on Sept. 16, 2026. Finance Committee members unanimously approved a $2,000 budget for the event at their June 2, 2026 meeting . The total includes $1,000 for supplies and $1,000 to cover the cost of $25 meals for 40 people
ALTON - The Alton Police Department announces that formal charges have been filed in connection with the Monday, June 1, 2026, shooting that occurred in the 3400 block of Milton Drive. Following a review of the investigation by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, led by State’s Attorney Tom Haine, John A. Hammond, 46, of Alton, Illinois, has been charged with the following offenses: • Count I – First Degree Murder • Count II – First Degree
EDWARDSVILLE - The City of Edwardsville has a major celebration planned for America’s 250th anniversary. An entire week of activities will mark the anniversary this year, starting with an event titled “Celebrating the Spirit of 1776” on Sunday, June 28, 2026, in City Park. This will be followed by a “1776” movie showing at the Wildey Theatre on Tuesday, June 30, and a “Musical Ode to America” Edwardsville Municipal Band concert on Thursday, July 2
ST. LOUIS - A 6-year-old boy identified by police as Antone Little III died May 29, 2026, days after suffering a gunshot injury in what St. Louis County police said was an accidental shooting at a home on Midlothian Road in north St. Louis County. Police said the shooting happened at about 2:25 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Officers responding to the home found the child with a gunshot wound to the face. He was taken to an area hospital in critical condition and later died fro
VENICE - Illinois State Police special agents have arrested an 18-year-old Missouri man on two counts of first-degree murder after a fatal shooting in Venice, Illinois, authorities said on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Jason A. McCallum of Florissant, Mo., was charged in connection with the death of 38-year-old Travion Sherrod of Madison, IL., who was found with gunshot wounds inside a vehicle in the 1200 block of Selb Street of Venice. After what state police described as a thorough investigation,
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) grilled U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Donald Trump’s Congressional budget request that once again proposes deep cuts to the State Department that would gut our diplomatic capacity and ultimately make Americans less safe. At today’s U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) hearing, Duckworth warned against wasting taxpayer dollars on a war of choice while further promoting the
GRANITE CITY – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that intermittent lane closures will be in place on Illinois 203 between Branding Drive and the Interstate 270 ramps in Madison County beginning Monday, June 8, 2026, weather permitting. One lane will remain open in each direction. The closures are necessary for pavement patching. The project is expected to be completed by mid-August. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8
GRAFTON - The National Memorial of Military Ascent will be officially dedicated this weekend. On Saturday, June 6, 2026, community members are invited to the NMMA site at the Grafton Visitors Center to celebrate the completion of the project’s first phase. The dedication ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. on June 6. Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow, who has spearheaded the project, expressed his excitement to see it coming to fruition, adding that the statues have already been installed and loo
JERSEYVILLE — Jersey sophomore Colby Goetten capped his pole vault season with a personal best of 13 feet, 5.75 inches on May 1, 2026, at the Jokisch-Grandone Invite and later placed 22nd at the Illinois High School Association 2A Boys Track and Field Meet this past weekend, where he cleared 12-11.5. Colby Goetten is a Sparklight Male Athlete Of The Month for the Panthers. Goetten, who also competed on Jersey’s 4x200 and 4x400 relays during the season, finished fifth at the Triad
HIGH HONOR ROLL Senior Class of 2026 High Honor Roll List for Semester 2 Gage Alexander, Ava Ballard, Bram Beuttel, Annalise Bunt, Taylor Cairns, Alivia Cecchini, Lucy Childress, Madelyn Egelhoff, Madelyn Gordon, Mackenzie Haegele, Courtney Kahl, Wyatt Lahr, Katelyn Lair, Miranda Lenger, Eva Lomelino, Kinley Lucas, Remington Malone, Alexis Partney, Christian Ruyle, Olivia Schneider, Alyssa Schuchman, Dalton Scott, Brianna Smith, Isabella Snyder, Amelia Walden Junior Class of 2027 High
A few minutes of sunshine can change a person’s mood faster than a cup of coffee. One moment, someone is dragging through the day. Then they step outside, feel warmth on their face, and seem to wake up. That shift is so common that it barely feels worth noticing. But it raises an interesting question: why does sunshine have such a powerful effect on us? People love sunshine for several reasons at once. Part of it is physical. Sunlight helps our bodies work the way they should. Part of
On June 3, one of the most consequential events in global history took place in 1965, when American astronaut Ed White became the first person from the United States to walk in space during the Gemini 4 mission. His spacewalk lasted only about 20 minutes, but it marked a major step in the space race and showed that humans could work outside a spacecraft. At the time, that mattered because space exploration had become a test of scientific skill, national prestige, and technological speed. It stil
EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Municipal Band is launching its summer concert season this Thursday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the Cleaon Etzkorn Bandstand in City Park. This week’s theme is "The Ceremonial Band," and the lineup is packed with high-energy music and fantastic stories. The program features Julius Fucík’s Florentiner March—written purely to outshine nine rival military bands at his army garrison—and an energetic royal wedding march from Wagner’s
GODFREY – A liquor license application for a proposed business on Godfrey Road has been rejected amid a lack of available licenses. Village Board members unanimously voted not to approve a business plan and liquor license application from Sita Raman Inc. at their June 2, 2026 meeting. This comes two weeks after trustees voted to delay the same item . At the time, Trustee Rick Lauschke requested a professional land survey confirming the proposed business at 6007 Godfrey Road is at leas
EDWARDSVILLE, IL / CHICAGO, IL — May 2026 — Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Bryon Pierson Jr. recently won 1st Place in the Alumni Track at DePaul University’s 2026 Purpose Pitch Competition for EDUrain, a student housing infrastructure startup focused on improving college student retention through better housing access and support. The annual competition, hosted by DePaul University’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at TechNexus Venture Collaborative
VENICE - Jason McCallum was charged Monday in Madison County with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Travion Sherrodd, who was found May 26 in a vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head at the intersection of Market Street and Selb Street in Venice. Venice police responded to a reported shooting at the intersection on May 26, 2026. According to the charging document, officers found Sherrodd unresponsive in a vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Sherrodd
EDWARDSVILLE - Colton Cissell, a 22-year-old from Troy, was ordered held in the Madison County Jail pending trial after a detention hearing before Judge Hackett in Edwardsville on Tuesday in connection with an April house fire and explosions in Troy that left three people dead. Cissell is charged with one count of unlawful possession, storage or transfer of explosives material with intent to commit another offense, a Class 1 felony; two counts of involuntary manslaughter of a family member,
ALTON - Riverbend residents can help restore gravestones at Alton Cemetery. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2026, Atlas Preservation 48 State Tour will offer a workshop teaching people how to clean and restore graves. Sponsored by the Episcopal Parish of Alton and the Alton Cemetery, this workshop will teach basic skills that people can use to restore cemeteries across the region, with the goal of eventually creating a volunteer corps to maintain Alton Cemetery. “If people
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