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ALTON - A Duke Bakery window became part of a marriage proposal Wednesday morning, Sept. 9, 2026, when an unnamed area man arranged for “Marry Me” to be spelled out in delicious doughnuts at the bakery’s storefront at 819 Henry St. in Alton’s Middletown Historic District for a woman who walks the neighborhood each morning. Amy Hollis, one of the owners of Duke Bakery, said the proposal happened outside the bakery and that the woman said yes. “On Wednesday we had

EDWARDSVILLE — State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, released the following statement reflecting on the 25th anniversary since the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001: “We all remember where we were on September 11, 2001; we remember how time stood still, watching the unimaginable unfold before our eyes. The impact of that attack has reverberated in our country’s DNA ever since, from creating the Department of Homeland Security to bolstering TS

EDWARDSVILLE — Lincoln Middle School students gathered around the school’s flagpole Friday morning to remember and reflect on the events of September 11, 2001, during the school’s annual Patriot Day observance. The event was organized by Lincoln 8th grade social studies teachers John Ginestra and Tom Newell as an opportunity for students to learn about and honor the significance of September 11. The ceremony brought together students, staff, Lincoln band and choir members, schoo

ALTON/GODFREY - Students with Alton High School’s Marching 100 will be out in the community playing their instruments and asking for donations. On Saturday morning, Sept. 12, 2026, musicians will be outside Duke Bakery, Mister Donut and Joe K’s, and anyone who donates to the band program will receive a button. The goal, explained Band Director Matt Chesner, is to connect the Alton Community Unit School District #11 music program with the community and to raise money for the students.

CHICAGO — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, today joined volunteers at Chicago Union Station to help pack 520,000 meals that will be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository as part of a day of service commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Photos from the event are available on the Senator’s website . “Twenty-five

ALTON - The local chapter of the Sierra Club is looking for volunteers, and you can support their mission to help the environment. The Piasa Palisades chapter of the Sierra Club organizes environmental cleanups, events, and other educational opportunities throughout the year. As they approach the Mississippi Earthtones Festival and its corresponding clean up — their biggest event of the year — leader Christine Favilla is asking the community to join their efforts. “We

ALTON - Calvary Baptist Church’s Awana program gives children an opportunity to learn more about God, grow in their faith, and build friendships through fun and engaging activities. From 5–7:15 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, the Awana Club will kick off at Calvary Baptist Church. This is a completely free program for kids ages 2 to fifth grade. The Awana Club meets weekly from 5–7:15 p.m. on Sundays. As part of Calvary’s mission to connect people to Christ and His

COLLINSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) announced she has secured $100,000 in state funding to support the City of Collinsville’s ongoing work to add specialized PFAS treatment to its water treatment system. “Addressing PFAS is a significant undertaking, and I know this project will require substantial resources,” said Senator Harriss. “This funding is one piece of that larger effort, and my hope is that it helps ease the burden on local taxpayers

CHICAGO – Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (ID-FPR) issued medical cannabis dispensary licenses to 37 existing dispensaries which, beginning today, may serve both adult use customers and medical patients at the same location. Providing existing dispensaries with the ability to opt-in for a medical dispensary license greatly increases patient access across the state, while also eliminating unnecessary red tape for regulators and consumers

CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced over $26 million in available grant funding for the Illinois Grocery Initiative. This includes funding for the New Stores ($20.8 million) and Equipment Upgrades Grant Programs ($750,000). Illinois is also launching the new Grocery Rescue Program ($4.5 million), geared toward helping reopen grocery stores that have closed in the last year. Applications are open and grantees

GRANITE CITY - The Pledge of Allegiance took on added significance today at Maryville Elementary School, where students and staff gathered around the flagpole to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and observe Patriot Day. The gathering continued an annual tradition under Maryville Elementary Principal Liz Niepert’s leadership. Students and staff marked the occasion by reciting the pledge together, with many showing patriotic spirit by wearing American flag

ALTON – The ongoing case of Mayor David Goins vs. the City of Alton will be heard in Bond County after being delayed twice more. Madison County court records show Judge Christopher Bauer was unavailable for an originally scheduled Sept. 11, 2026 hearing in the case of Goins vs. Alton. On Sept. 4, the case was set for a Sept. 17, 2026 hearing in Courtroom #1 at the Bond County Courthouse in Greenville. Bauer is a judge in the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court of Bond County, Ill. As of the mornin

EDWARDSVILLE - One of Edwardsville’s longest-running traditions, Leclaire Parkfest, will return this October. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, the community is invited to Leclaire Park for a day of vendors, live music, food, trolley tours, vintage cars and tractors, and more fun. Cindy Reinhardt, one of the organizers with Friends of Leclaire, noted that the event is a fun chance to engage with the community while learning more about the area’s history. “Mostly,

A name on a stone can outlast a lifetime, but only if someone stops to read it. That simple act of remembering matters more than it may seem. Remembrance is not just about honoring the dead or marking major events. It shapes how people understand loss, gratitude, identity, and responsibility. It helps families hold onto stories. It helps communities make sense of sacrifice. It also reminds us that real lives sit behind public holidays, monuments, and familiar phrases. When people remember well,

This Day in Music History: Sept. 11 Sept. 11, 2001, became an indelible date in American history, and its shock immediately changed the context in which music was heard, released and performed. That morning, Jay-Z’s sixth studio album, The Blueprint , arrived as scheduled. It became one of hip-hop’s defining albums and, in 2018, the first recording from the 21st century chosen for the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Its place in the registry recognizes more

September 11 is most widely remembered for the attacks carried out in the United States in 2001, an event that changed international politics, security policy, and public life around the world. On that morning, hijacked commercial airliners were used in coordinated attacks against the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., while a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers resisted the hijackers. Nearly 3,000 people were killed. At the time, the

ALTON — Teamsters Local 525, representing the dedicated members of the City of Alton Public Works Department, announced on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, that its members are prepared to initiate a lawful strike in 15 days following months of prolonged stall tactics, bad-faith bargaining, and a lack of meaningful negotiation from city leadership. Despite repeated attempts by the union to negotiate fair, competitive wages and address critical workplace concerns, the City of Alton has consistently

EDWARDSVILLE – A man from Edwardsville accused of leaving the scene of an accident while driving with a revoked license for the eighth time faces new charges in Madison County. Clayton C. Shaffer, 50, of Edwardsville, was charged on Sept. 2, 2026 with one count each of driving while license is revoked (a Class 4 felony) and leaving the scene of an accident (a Class A misdemeanor). Shaffer allegedly drove a 2005 Lincoln Navigator on State Route 143 in Edwardsville on July 20, 2026, while

EDWARDSVILLE – Three Edwardsville High School seniors have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing them among a select group of academically talented students from across the country. Alan Chen, Jude Luesse, and David Maloney were named National Merit Semifinalists as part of the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. More than 16,000 students nationwide were named Semifinalists in this year’s program, representing less than one

SWANSEA - A traffic stop attempt over mismatched license plates led to a crash and arrest Sept. 7, 2026 near North Belt West and North 17th Street, according to the Swansea Police Department. Tazia J. Beison was arrested at approximately 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7, after a Swansea Police officer attempted to stop a 2003 Hyundai Sonata because the license plates displayed on the vehicle did not return to the Hyundai, police said. The driver, identified by police as Beison, did not stop