ALTON – Two women from Alton and Alhambra face felony charges in unrelated Madison County cases of theft and forgery. Brooke N. Hill, 28, of Alton, was charged on July 2, 2026 with one count of theft, a Class 3 felony. On June 10, 2026, Hill allegedly stole various items of gold jewelry from an individual victim valued at between $500 to $10,000. The stolen items included a 10-karat yellow gold ring, a 14-karat yellow gold ring, two yellow gold rings with stones marked at 10 karats an
LENZBURG - The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department said a 42-year-old man was taken into custody Friday, July 3, 2026, after deputies responding to a domestic disturbance in the 9400 block of Schaller Road in Lenzburg found a home fully engulfed in flames and later alleged he had battered a juvenile and intentionally set multiple fires inside the residence. The sheriff’s department said the call came in at 4:11 p.m. in unincorporated St. Clair County. Authorities sai
O'FALLON, IL. - The O’Fallon Police Department said it has added red reflective strips to several stop signs in the city in an effort to reduce stop sign violations at locations that had drawn frequent complaints. The O'Fallon Police Department said the strips were added “a few months back” as “a new approach to reducing stop sign violations” at stop signs “that were high on complaints.” The department said it has “received fewer complaints”
SHIPMAN — The Shipman, Illinois, Independence Day celebration featuring the community’s primary local fireworks show was held Friday, July 3, 2026, at Shipman Lake, drawing a significant crowd for an annual event that organizers said was once again successful. Hosted by the Shipman Firefighters Association and the Shipman Fire Department, the celebration included food, drinks, and festivities, along with a dramatic fireworks display that lasted about 20 minutes. The annual event
SHILOH - Representatives of the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) recently joined local officials, stakeholders and nearly 100 cyclists to celebrate the grand opening of a new $6 million, 4.5-mile extension of the MetroBikeLink Trail. This milestone marks the completion of the first of three parts of the MetroLink Expansion Project to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, with associated roadway improvements opening in the coming weeks and the MetroLink extension anticipated to begin service
RIVERBEND - Bethalto native LeRoy Taynor didn’t intend to become a wildlife photographer, but he has discovered a new passion. Taynor explained that he was “always the one behind the camera” when his sons were growing up. When he retired in 2024, he bought a camera and started taking photos of the birds he saw in his backyard. But he wanted to be more active, which led to him walking along the river — and his photos have turned out to be even better than he could hav
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a measure allowing residents of assisted living and shared housing establishments to exercise the right to use electronic monitoring, meant to enhance transparency and resident safety. A similar law allowing cameras in residents’ rooms in nursing homes has existed in Illinois since 2016. “This new law allows assisted living residents to install a video and/or audio recording device in their room, allowing added peace of mind for
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will accept sealed bids this fall for about 40 agricultural lease contracts for the 2027-2031 crop years. The department uses agricultural leases to support wildlife populations and recreational opportunities at sites it owns or manages. The leases promote environmentally sound farming practices that improve soil health, reduce soil erosion, enhance water quality and minimize chemical impacts benefiting wildlife and
EDWARDSVILLE - The City of Edwardsville said Hillsboro Avenue was closed to through traffic early Tuesday, July 7, 2026, after a water main break in the 100 block of the street just outside City Hall. The closure affects Hillsboro Avenue between North Main Street and a point slightly west of Commercial Street, according to Edwardsville city officials. The city said its water crews were working to fix the break. Drivers can still access the parking lot behind the 100 block of North
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 22 states, urged the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to rescind its plan to continue President Trump’s illegal tariffs. In their comment letter , the attorneys general push back on the USTR’s proposed tariffs on the European Union and 59 other countries after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the USTR’s first attempt to impose tariffs in February, and the Court of International Trade
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and eight members of Congress in pressing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) defunding and deprioritizing of programs that prevent and respond to civilian harm in war. The letter follows a new report by the DoD Inspector General (DoD IG), which found that under Hegseth’s leadership, DoD has put servicemembers and civilians
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation today opened a call for locations for a special round of funding available through the Illinois National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. Approximately $30 million is available through the program’s fourth round of funding availability. Applications must be received by July 20. A significantly streamlined application process requires only the submission of site location information, including a map, simple schematic
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Secretary of State’s office has become the first Illinois state agency to ever receive the national Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) Award from the National Procurement Institute. This marks a milestone for the office’s ongoing efforts to deliver more efficient, transparent and accountable government for Illinois taxpayers. The Secretary of State’s office was also the only Illinois government agency recognized with the award
EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville police made five impaired driving arrests and issued 17 citations for other violations during a recent Fourth of July traffic safety campaign, part of a statewide Illinois effort aimed at removing drunk and drugged drivers from the roads and encouraging seat belt use. The Edwardsville Police Department participated in the holiday enforcement campaign alongside more than 200 other state and local law enforcement agencies across Illinois. The effort combined high-visibilit
A cup of coffee made the same way every morning can feel oddly powerful. It is still just coffee. Yet the grinding, pouring, waiting, and first sip can steady the mind before the day begins. That small scene helps explain why humans enjoy rituals. Rituals are repeated actions that carry meaning. Some are formal, like weddings, funerals, and religious services. Others are personal, like touching a lucky charm before a test or taking the same walk after work. We often think of rituals as old o
On July 7, one of the most significant events in world history took place in 1937, when fighting between Chinese and Japanese forces at the Marco Polo Bridge near Beijing helped trigger the full-scale Second Sino-Japanese War. The clash began as a local military incident, but it quickly grew into a much larger conflict between China and Japan. At the time, it mattered because it opened years of devastating war in East Asia, brought immense civilian suffering, and reshaped regional power. It stil
HIGHLAND, Ill. — With property taxes continuing to be one of the biggest concerns for local homeowners, Madison County Board District 1 candidate Jennifer Korte is inviting residents to attend a free educational seminar designed to help them better understand their property taxes and learn about exemptions they may qualify for. The seminar, "Understanding Your Property Assessments & Exemptions," will be held: Tuesday, July 28: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Highland Knights of Columbus Hal
ALTON – Funding for street resurfacing, parks equipment, and more is moving ahead in Alton. Committee of the Whole members on July 6, 2026 unanimously approved a previously postponed resolution allocating $644,428 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the Fiscal Year 2026 budget for certain city-wide projects. The resolution originally called for $300,000 for new sidewalks and restrooms at Hellrung Park, $144,428 for derelict structure demolition and tree removal,
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that injured two juveniles after officers responded to a large teen gathering Sunday night, July 5, 2026, that drew more than 25 emergency calls and later spilled into the area of Bellefontaine Road and Larimore Road, authorities said. The shooting happened about 10:15 p.m. Sunday, July 5, in the 11000 block of Bellefontaine Road, according to the St. Louis County Police Department. Police said officers
O'FALLON, IL. - State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) recognized Saddleback Chocolates as his Business of the Month for June. Rep. Schmidt presented owners Maureen and Mike Moore with a certificate from the Illinois House of Representatives recognizing their hard work, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to the community. “Maureen and Mike Moore work together to create delicious handmade chocolate assortments using their own Belgian-French-style recipes,” Schmidt said.
stLouIST