MARYVILLE - Officer Keith Hopke of the Maryville Police Department carried the Flame of Hope through Maryville on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, as part of the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run, an effort to raise awareness for Special Olympics Illinois. Hopke received the flame from officers with the Collinsville Police Department as the torch traveled across multiple law enforcement agencies in Illinois, according to the Maryville Police Department. The torch run is part of a broader awareness effort
ALTON – Two Alton residents were charged on the same day with fleeing from local law enforcement agencies in two unrelated incidents. Jerry Richmond Jr., 36, of Alton, was charged on June 1, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. Richmond allegedly attempted to flee from a Madison Police officer who had signaled for him to stop the vehicle he was driving on May 30, 2026. Charging documents state his attempted flight from the officer
ALTON - As summer heats up, the Alton Community Unit School District #11 is focused on completing several projects before students and teachers return to the classrooms this fall. Eddie McCrady noted that the maintenance crew is mostly focused on basic “regular preventative maintenance,” but they are also overseeing the installation of safety vestibules in North and Gilson Brown Elementary Schools, among other projects. The goal, he emphasized, is to provide a positive school
COLLINSVILLE/MORRISONVILLE - Three Collinsville residents, including a 16-year-old and a pair of 19-year-olds, were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Morrisonville, Illinois, according to elected officials, prompting concern from U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, who said her office is seeking more information. Officials identified those detained as Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16, Hector Cruz Sanchez, 19, and Jonathan Godoy, 19. The three teens lived in Collinsville
SPRINGFIELD – June 15 is Elder Abuse Awareness Day. With reports of elder abuse on the rise in Illinois since 2022 , Department on Aging (IDoA) Director Mary Killough, is reminding community members to learn the warning signs and speak up about suspected abuse of older adults. “We must stand together to protect the dignity, safety, and respect every older adult deserves,” said IDoA Director Mary Killough. “Abuse, neglect and exploitation are not just private matters,
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the City of Chicago’s Department of Water Management will receive $22,119,933 in grant funding to help get lead out of the city’s drinking water by supporting approximately 650 lead service line replacements in the Austin neighborhood. This comes after the Senators announced over $316 million for clean water funding in Illinois last month, including
EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that lane closures will be in place on northbound Interstate 55 between St. Clair Avenue and Exchange Avenue in East St. Louis from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily beginning Wednesday, June 10, through Friday, June 12, 2026, weather permitting, 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
EDWARDSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) is announcing that fire departments and fire protection districts throughout the 56th Senate District have been awarded more than $323,000 through the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal's (OSFM) 2026 Small Equipment Grant Program. "Our firefighters and first responders work tirelessly to protect our communities, often operating with limited budgets and resources," said Senator Harriss. "These grants help ensure departments
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, continued his calls for serious reforms to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Section 702 allows the government to collect the private communications of foreigners overseas without a warrant. The problem is that millions, and potentially billions, of innocent Americans’ communications with friends, family
WASHINGTON – Following the 100-day mark of the Iran War, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor today criticizing President Trump’s unclear strategy and recent comments on “Meet the Press ” in which he reiterated yet again that he is “very close” to a deal. “If that sounds like a familiar refrain, it is. President Trump has been saying some variation of that sentence almost every week since the war began over
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS - The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) announced the recipients of the 2026 Small Equipment Grant, which included seven awardees from St. Clair County. State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) said first responders in St. Clair County will benefit greatly from receiving these funds to improve community safety. “Our first responders go to great lengths to keep our communities safe and I’m happy to see local fire departments, fire protection
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias announced a landmark investment to expand access to information and educational resources statewide by awarding a first-of-its-kind contract for a comprehensive digital library resource program. Through their local library, or through the Illinois State Library’s website, every Illinois resident now has free access to a vast collection of trusted online resources, including e-books, journals, magazines,
HIGH HONOR ROLL 12th Grade High Honor Roll ADAMS, JOHN D. III ALEJO, GERSON J. ALMEIDA, JULIA D. ARNOLD, KATY D. BEHL, ABIGAIL L. BELL, JUSTIN H. BICK, KYLER E. BISHOP, MATTHEW A. BLASA, ADRIAN J. BLASA, CLARK B. BODENBACH, MADALYN L. BREDEN, CALI L. BROOKS, ALIYAH M. CARTER, KAYLEIGH E. CHEEK, EVAN M. CHIN, ABIGAIL L. COX, BRAYDEN M. DAVIS, ARIANA M. DEIST, AVA L. DEIST, CLINT M. DOWNEY, KALE B. EDWARDS, ETHAN R. FITZGERALD, JESCIE M. FORD, KIMBERLEE J. FRALEY,
Ask an adult to describe childhood in one image, and chances are they will not mention a classroom. They will talk about a bike leaning in the grass, a popsicle dripping onto bare feet, the smell of sunscreen, or the long walk home after staying out too late. Memory does not keep every ordinary day. It saves the ones that feel bigger, freer, and more alive. That is one reason summer often takes up so much space in childhood stories. Summer shapes childhood memories because it changes the rhythm
On June 10, one of the most important events in world history took place in 1940, when Italy entered the Second World War on the side of Nazi Germany. Benito Mussolini’s decision widened a war that had already begun in Europe and brought fighting more directly into the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Balkans. At the time, it mattered because it changed military strategy for many countries and increased the number of civilians drawn into the conflict. It still matters today because
JERSEYVILLE – A 20 acre solar farm is set to be built along State Highway 16 near Jerseyville. Jerseyville City Council members unanimously approved a series of resolutions authorizing the annexation and rezoning of the property, as well as a special use permit to operate a commercial solar energy facility at the site. The property, which sits just outside the eastern Jerseyville city boundary in unincorporated Jersey County, will be annexed into the city. The solar farm is expected
CAHOKIA MOUNDS/COLLINSVILLE - Collinsville Police are asking for the public’s help after a newborn infant was found abandoned Sunday night in a car seat in the Cahokia Mounds parking lot in Collinsville. At 8:35 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, 2026, the Collinsville Police Department responded to the parking lot after a 911 caller reported finding the infant there, police said. Officers arrived and found the child sleeping and appearing to be in good health. The infant was taken to a local hospital
MADISON COUNTY - One person died Tuesday morning in a crash involving a motorcycle and a semitruck on Illinois Route 4 in Madison County, according to Illinois State Police. The crash happened about 9:10 a.m. just south of the Interstate 70 interchange outside Marine, state police said. Troopers said the motorcycle and semitruck crashed, killing one person. Illinois State Police did not release additional details about the person who died. Both lanes of traffic were temporarily closed following
ALTON — Alton Police are investigating an armed robbery involving an armored vehicle that was reported at about 11:14 a.m. Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in the parking lot of Red Lobster at 170 Homer Adams Parkway, authorities said. The suspects fled with an undisclosed amount of currency, according to the Alton Police Department. No additional information about the suspects is being released because the investigation remains active. The department said it received a 911 call reporting the robbery
ALTON — The Rockin' With Robert Concert scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Robert Wadlow Statue on College Avenue in Alton has been canceled because of hot weather conditions. The No. 4 Combo had been set to perform at the concert, Debbie Frakes, an organizer of the weekly summer series, said. She said organizers will work on getting that concert rescheduled. Frakes said the next concert at the statue is set for next week from 6 to 8 p.m. and will feature the Tragg Band. “The
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