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CAHOKIA HEIGHTS — The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, after two people were shot at BB’s Sports Bar & Grill, 7301 Lake Drive in East Saint Louis, Illinois, and Cahokia Heights police requested assistance with the investigation. The Cahokia Heights Police Department responded to the bar at about 12:29 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, 2026, for a report of a shooting. Police determined two people had been shot. Both victims were taken to St. Louis area

Sometimes you do not realize an era has ended until a small habit suddenly feels out of place. The video store is gone. The office coffee chat has moved to a group app. A team legend retires, and the jersey still hangs in closets even though the games feel different now. “End of an era” sounds dramatic, but people use it for moments exactly like these: points in life when something familiar stops, and the change means more than a simple ending. What “end of an era” really

This Day in Music History: August 31 — Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ Set a New Pop Benchmark August 31, 1987, marked the release of Michael Jackson’s Bad , the high-stakes follow-up to Thriller that confirmed Jackson could redefine pop stardom rather than merely repeat it. Issued by Epic Records, Bad united Jackson again with producer Quincy Jones and brought tightly constructed pop, R&B, rock and dance music into an unusually ambitious album campaign. It produced

On August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died after a car crash in Paris, in one of the most widely followed news events of the late 20th century. The shock was immediate and global. Diana had become one of the most recognized public figures in the world, known not only for her place in the British royal family but also for her work on issues such as AIDS awareness, homelessness, and the campaign against land mines. Her death mattered at the time because it prompted an outpouring of public

WORDEN – A man from Worden has been denied pretrial release in Madison County after allegedly shooting at an occupied vehicle and injuring a jail deputy. Nicholas W. Bruhn, 42, of Worden, was charged with one count each of aggravated discharge of a firearm (a Class 1 felony), aggravated battery (a Class 2 felony), threatening a public official (a Class 3 felony) and aggravated assault (a Class A misdemeanor) The charges against Bruhn were filed Aug. 25, 2026 in Madison County court and

ST. LOUIS — A 26-year-old man was fatally shot just before 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27 in the Wells Goodfellow neighborhood after two vehicles were involved in a crash and an argument over payment followed, police said. District 5 officers and ATF agents were conducting enforcement related to the ATF Surge initiative when they heard a nearby crash. Almost immediately afterward, they heard gunfire and responded to Goodfellow and Natural Bridge. When officers and agents arrived in the 3500 block

A major turning point came in 1835, when Melbourne, in present-day Australia, was founded. The settlement grew quickly because of trade, migration, and later the gold rushes of the 1850s. What began as a colonial outpost became one of the Southern Hemisphere’s major cities. Its history reflects larger patterns of empire, migration, urban growth, and economic development, while also being part of the longer and deeper history of Aboriginal peoples in the region. The modern era brought

BUZZ MAGAZINE – For generations, Labor Day has marked the unofficial end of summer, bringing families together for parades, picnics and community celebrations. Yet beyond the long weekend lies a rich history of workers who fought to secure many of the rights Americans now take for granted. Few individuals symbolize that struggle more than Mother Jones, the legendary labor organizer whose fearless advocacy forever changed the lives of working families across the nation. Born in Ireland and

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois EPA Director James Jennings is pleased to announce the Illinois Clean Ports Program’s next round of in-person meetings for stakeholders and near-port communities continuing the planning process to decarbonize ports with cleaner vehicle technologies and supporting energy infrastructure. For meeting details and to register, visit the Illinois Clean Ports Program website at illinoiscleanports.org . The scheduled meetings will take place: Tuesday September

BELLEVILLE The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) recently recognized Willie Drisdel, transit ambassador for SCCTD and resident of East St. Louis, for his exceptional professionalism, initiative and commitment to public safety. Drisdel received a formal Letter of Commendation from Ronald Forrest, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Metro Transit, on behalf of Metro Transit and the Bi-State Development team, and was honored during an employee luncheon hosted by SCCTD

CARLINVILLE – Blackburn College is entering the 2026–2027 academic year with a third consecutive year of enrollment growth. This fall, new student enrollment increased 13% over last year, while the College’s overall enrollment has grown 39% since fall 2024. Growth is particularly strong among incoming first-year students, whose enrollment increased 19% year over year. The three-year trend reflects increasing interest in Blackburn’s distinctive combination of personalized

SPRINGFIELD – Six individuals and organizations have been recognized as 2026 outstanding volunteers of the year for their contributions to conservation on behalf of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). “IDNR is grateful to have dedicated volunteers and support groups that bolster Illinois state parks, historic sites, and museums,” IDNR Interim Director Renee Snow said. “I’m pleased to recognize the amazing work these dedicated volunteers do for the

This Day in Music History: August 30 Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited , released on Aug. 30, 1965, stands as the most consequential music milestone associated with this date. The album made a forceful case that rock could carry surreal, literary songwriting without losing urgency or volume. Built around the breakthrough single “Like a Rolling Stone,” it joined electric blues, folk language and a sharp, full-band sound on songs that expanded the possibilities of the album format

CARROLLTON — The stories, memories and voices of Greene County will take center stage tonight with the online premiere of Porch Stories: Stories from Greene County, Illinois at 7 p.m. on YouTube. The film is part of the Porch Stories Project, a community storytelling and oral history effort created to record the people, places and experiences that have shaped Greene County. Viewers can watch the premiere live on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/live/0FwSKXPFhEg?si=B7-vFXSpXV_qe8AU

ST. LOUIS — Mayor Cara Spencer and Director of Public Utilities Niraj Patel, P.E., in partnership with Julian Nicks, Chief Recovery Officer, announced new plans to help tornado survivors pay their water bills. The Tornado Recovery Water Affordability Program will deliver direct relief on water bills to residents impacted by the May 16 tornado. To ease the burden on tornado survivors, they have been prequalified if they have already applied for assistance. Those households can enroll in unde

Several events on this date helped shape political and social life in different parts of the world. In 1526, the Ottomans won the Battle of Mohács against the Kingdom of Hungary. The defeat was devastating for Hungary and opened the way for major Ottoman expansion into Central Europe. It also changed the political map of the region for generations, contributing to the division of Hungarian lands among Ottoman and Habsburg rulers. The battle is remembered not simply as a military loss,

August 29 in Music History: The Beatles End Their Touring Era On Aug. 29, 1966, the Beatles played their final concert before a paying audience at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, closing the touring chapter of the most consequential popular-music group of its era. The show was the last date of the band’s 1966 U.S. tour and came after years in which Beatlemania had turned concert halls, stadiums and airports into scenes of overwhelming noise and security pressure. The Beatles would

BUZZ MAGAZINE – As I prepare for the upcoming Labor Day tribute to Ernest (Fred) Long at Woodlawn Cemetery, in Edwardsville, I find myself contemplating the number etched into eternity through his headstone. Nineteen years old. More than 125 years ago, Fred Long was a coal miner who lost his life alongside seven other United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) laborers, during the Battle of Virden (Illinois) on October 12, 1898. The armed conflict ensued as tensions erupted between the coal miner

EDWARDSVILLE – An Alton resident faces a Class X felony after allegedly threatening to set fire to the Madison County Courthouse in Edwardsville. 39-year-old Christopher O. Clark of Alton was charged on Aug. 27, 2026 with a Class X felony count of making a terrorist threat. The day prior on Aug. 26, 2026, Clark allegedly made a statement to Madison County Sheriff’s deputies that he “intended to burn down the courthouse in the presence of multiple residents and employees engaging

WOOD RIVER — Bringing national-level 911 training closer to home is opening new opportunities for emergency communications professionals across Madison County. The National Emergency Number Association, or NENA, held a Conflict Management course on Wednesday in Collinsville, bringing together representatives from all seven Madison County public safety answering points, or PSAPs, along with 911 professionals from Southern Illinois and other downstate counties. Emergency Telephone System