JERSEYVILLE – Jersey County is now officially part of a statewide mutual aid system allowing neighboring communities to help each other during emergencies. Jersey County Board members unanimously approved a resolution allowing the county to participate as a member in the Illinois Emergency Management Mutual Aid System on Aug. 11, 2026. Chairman Mark Wagner said this agreement allows Jersey County agencies to coordinate through the State of Illinois to help neighboring counties during emergencies.
ALTON - A collaborative Miles Davis tribute will make its world premiere at the Alton Jazz and Wine Festival . Michael Snider, also known as Kooliverse, has spent the past year working on a sculpture made out of 1,000 trumpets. Titled “A Thousand Echoes of Kool,” the sculpture will serve as a tribute to Miles Davis and his hometown in Alton. The artwork will be displayed at the Jazz and Wine Festival for the first time since Snider announced its creation. “It’s
WHITE HALL — Great Rivers CASA/GAL invites the community to its CASA Family Fun Day on Saturday, September 12, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Whiteside Park in White Hall during Greene County Days. The free event will feature games, a bounce house, food, prizes, and family-friendly entertainment while raising awareness about the work of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and their role in advocating for children in foster care. "We are excited to bring the community together
O’FALLON, IL. — O'Fallon Police Sgt. Nick Schmidt was recognized this week by the O’Fallon Police Department with its Extra Mile Award for his work bringing the Blue Envelope Program to the community. Sgt. Schmidt learned about the program, recognized its potential value in O’Fallon, and took the initiative to advance the idea and make it happen, according to the department. The Blue Envelope Program was developed locally in partnership with The Autism Hero
EDWARDSVILLE — Did you know that every two seconds someone needs blood in the United States? Or that blood and platelets cannot be manufactured, they can only come from volunteer donors? To help meet the current demand for blood donations, State Senator Jason Plummer is partnering with Moose Lodge 1561 to host a blood drive on Thursday, August 27 at the Moose Lodge in Edwardsville. Donors are encouraged to come out to participate. Who: State Senator Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) and
ALTON - As the new school year gets ready to begin, Alton Middle School students will have a brand new class to enjoy thanks to the generosity of Liberty Bank. The class, Medical Detectives, will launch this school year and allow students to play the role of real-life biomedical scientists and investigators to solve simulated health mysteries and diseases. Liberty Bank is sponsoring the class this year with a $5,000 donation that will be used to purchase the science equipment and resources
ALTON - Savannah Kanallakan, a fourth-year teacher in the Alton school district, spoke during new-hire orientation at Alton High School to offer encouragement to incoming teachers, saying she was honored to address educators beginning their work in the district. Kanallakan, who teaches fourth grade at West Elementary, said she was excited to speak because she had been in the same position not long ago. “I was honored to speak in front of the new teachers for new-hire orientation,”
BELLEVILLE - Four probationary police officers whave been sworn in by the Belleville Police Department as they prepare to serve the City of Belleville and begin training at the SWIC Police Academy later this month, the department said. The officers are Dazhee Horton, Daria Pryhunova, Jorge Urias and Kyle Bowlin. The department congratulated the new officers and thanked them for choosing to serve Belleville.
ALTON – A hearing in the case of Mayor David Goins vs. the City of Alton is now set for later this month. A court order filed in Madison County on Aug. 12, 2026 shows the hearing has been rescheduled for Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Dennis Ruth. At issue are two contested ordinances approved by the Alton City Council and challenged by Goins. One resulted in two city officials being ousted from their positions , while the other requires more transparent billing practices
CHICAGO — An Illinois Lottery player is waking up a billionaire after winning the $1.04 billion Powerball® jackpot in last night’s drawing — this is the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois. The winning ticket was purchased at Hy-Vee Gas, located at 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy, Illinois. The jackpot winner matched all six winning numbers — 4, 26, 66, 67, 69, and Powerball 9 — to secure the top prize in the August 12, 2026, Powerball drawing. In
ALTON - The Alton Amphitheater is gearing up for its annual Food Truck Festival. From 4–8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, the community can stop by the amphitheater to feast on food from 20 area food trucks. Admission is free, and everyone is invited to enjoy an afternoon of food and fun. This year’s theme is centered around the 100th anniversary of Route 66, with a few extras meant to honor the Mother Road. While the Food Truck Festival is an annual favorite, Amphitheater
EAST ALTON — Firefighters responded to the 200 block of East Main Street Thursday morning after a detached garage caught fire. The call came in shortly before 7 a.m. Smoke from the fire could be seen from several blocks away. When firefighters arrived, homeowners alerted them that several motorcycles and gasoline were inside the garage. Firefighters entered the garage and located the fire behind a man door. Crews quickly deployed a hose line and were able to bring the fire under control.
A sunset lasts only minutes, yet people will stop traffic, miss a train, or stand in silence just to watch one. That reaction is oddly powerful for something so ordinary. The sun sets every day. It asks nothing from us. It does not solve problems or change deadlines. And still, people chase it from rooftops, beaches, parking lots, airplane windows, and city streets. We take photos, write poems, plan dates around it, and call it magical even when we have seen thousands of them before. So why
On August 13, one of the most far-reaching events in global history took place in 1961, when East German authorities began building the Berlin Wall. Barbed wire and concrete quickly cut through streets, neighborhoods, and even families in Berlin, turning the city into the clearest symbol of the Cold War divide between East and West. At the time, the wall was meant to stop the large flow of people leaving East Germany for the West. Its impact was immediate and deeply personal, but it also mattered
A team at OSF HealthCare is developing an artificial intelligence-powered tool designed to improve how physicians measure and monitor the aorta, a breakthrough that could help doctors detect dangerous aneurysms earlier and make more informed decisions about when surgery is needed. The project, led by pediatric cardiologist Mathew Bramlet, MD, at OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois , combines expertise from OSF HealthCare, Jump Simulation and Education Center, the University of Illinoi
When faced with one of life’s most challenging moments, being admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), families need the most well-equipped medical team to take care of the littlest of babies. “It’s terrifying,” says Jawad Javed, MD, professor of Clinical Pediatrics with University of Illinois College of Medicine-Peoria (UICOMP) and the Division Head/Medical Director of Neonatology with OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. Nearly 800 babies
EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Municipal Band invites the community to a one-of-a-kind musical celebration on Thursday, August 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Cleaon Etzkorn Bandstand in City Park. Titled "Herd It on the Bandstand, the evening’s program pays tribute to one of the city's most recognized locals: the famous rooftop landmark, Herbie the Cow. Perched high above Main Street, Herbie has been keeping watch over the city for years. This week, the band turns the spotlight back on him with
GODFREY – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced the closure of Pierce Lane between Illinois 3 and Cook Street and westbound West Delmar at Illinois 3 beginning Monday, Aug. 17, weather permitting, for road reconstruction. Pierce Lane will be closed between Illinois 3 and Cook Street. The newly constructed Cook Street will provide access between Illinois 3 and Pierce Lane. Westbound West Delmar will be closed at Illinois 3, and motorists will not be able to access
ALTON – Alton City Council members this week unanimously rejected one of the first applications submitted under the city’s festival and event microgrant program . Alderwoman Martha Pfister said at the council’s Aug. 12, 2026 meeting that “unfortunately,” this year’s St. Mary’s Oktoberfest at St. Mary’s Catholic Church is not eligible for one of these grants, since the event’s primary function is to raise funds. “Fundraisers”
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois State Fair officials unveiled the 2026 Butter Cow in the Dairy Building today. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66, this year's butter sculpture invites fairgoers to "Take a Spin on Route 66," highlighting the historic Mother Road. While the iconic Butter Cow remains the centerpiece of the display, this year's companion sculpture features a woman and her dog heading out on a Route 66 adventure aboard a classic scooter
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