EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser said on Friday, July 31, 2026, that a Facebook comment from his personal account suggesting Dr. Anthony Fauci needed a “public hanging” was “obvious rhetorical hyperbole,” after the remark drew controversy and prompted calls for his resignation from the Madison County Democratic Party and created some criticism. The comment was posted Wednesday, July 29, 2026, on an original Facebook post by Hartford resident
ST. LOUIS - A 19-year-old St. Louis man was found dead on Thursday morning, July 30, 2026, in the O’Fallon neighborhood, and homicide detectives are investigating, authorities said. St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers were called just before 8:30 a.m. July 30, 2026, to the 4400 block of Red Bud for a report of police help. When they arrived, they found the 19-year-old on the ground in the rear of the 4400 block of Red Bud, according to the information provided. The victim, identified
EDWARDSVILLE - Construction on Edwardsville’s North Main Street water main replacement and streetscape project will shift to the west side of the road started early Thursday, July 30, 2026, the City of Edwardsville said, moving the two alternating traffic lanes to the east side as crews continue work. The City of Edwardsville said construction barrels and barricades will mark the new work zone and shifted traffic lanes. Drivers were asked to use caution. The change affects North
EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville will host a summertime “Saturday with Santa” on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, with Santa Claus scheduled to make appearances downtown beginning about 11 a.m. at the Land of Goshen Community Market and later along North Main Street near the Wildey Theatre. The event will also feature “Jingle Stops” at participating shops, restaurants and organizations throughout the day, along with a temporary exhibit at the future home of the Edwardsville Arts Center
ALTON - Heavy rain made for a difficult Friday morning, July 31, 2026, commute in the region as the first of two storm systems moved through the St. Louis area, according to the National Weather Service in St. Louis, which said additional storms later in the day could become strong to severe. The weather service said Friday morning storms were moving through the region, with heavy rainfall reported, which made commuting difficult, and some vehicles hydroplaned while “moving too fast.”
ALTON – An Alton 18-year-old faces felony weapon charges after allegedly possessing a handgun modified to fire automatically. Donovin J. Moore, 18, of Alton was charged on July 20, 2026 with one count each of unlawful use of weapons – possession of a machine gun (a Class X felony) and aggravated unlawful possession of weapons (a Class 4 felony). Moore was allegedly knowingly in possession of a Glock 19 handgun which was “modified with a switch to make the weapon automatically
EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine announced that a Granite City man convicted of felony sex offenses against a girl has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Eli L. Winters, 26, received the sentence after pleading guilty Tuesday to Child Sexual Abuse Material (a Class X felony) and Criminal Sexual Abuse (a Class 4 felony). Winters pleaded guilty to filming himself engaged in a sex act with a minor girl in December 2024. “This predator’s conduct is unconscionable
GLEN CARBON – Glen Carbon may soon be the new home of a corporate headquarters in Meridian Plaza, though few details have been made public. A site plan for a three-story office building on Lot 6 of Meridian Plaza and a related amendment to the Meridian Plaza Planned Development Procedure (PDP) were both approved at the June 28, 2026 Glen Carbon Village Board meeting. Community Development Director Erika Heil said the new office building will be built on the corner of Illinois Route 157
GODFREY/ALTON - IBEW Local 649 offers resources for those in the electrical construction and maintenance fields, and Business Manager Ryan Mouser encourages more people to consider joining their ranks. Located in Godfrey, IBEW Local 649 has an apprenticeship program for budding electricians as well as support for those who have built careers in the field. Mouser noted that the organization is a great starting point for those who want to learn more. As a board member with the RiverBend Growth
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led 15 of their Democratic colleagues in the Senate in introducing the Women Add Resourcefulness and Resilience to Improve Operational Readiness (WARRIOR) Act, which would reinforce the principle that the U.S. military has always relied upon: standards must be based on the demands of the job, not gender. This legislation is critical for maintaining rigorous, gender-neutral
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 11 colleagues sitting on the Congressional Armed Services Committees in opening a new investigation into reports that the Department of Defense (DoD) failed to provide adequate medical care to servicemembers injured in a March drone strike on a U.S. military post at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. In a new letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers asked him to provide
GRANITE CITY – A local man charged with stealing over $18,000 from a disabled victim is out on pretrial release from custody. Troy S. Kimbel, 24, of Granite City, was charged in Madison County court on July 23, 2026 with one count each of financial exploitation of an elderly person or person with a disability, theft of property by deception (both Class 2 felonies) and wire fraud (a Class 3 felony). From May 24 to Dec. 16, 2025, Kimbel allegedly knowingly obtained $18,258.38 by means of
COLLINSVILLE - Community members have a fun opportunity to help kids in the foster care system experience a great Christmas. On Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, Dream Home Charities will host their annual Glo Bingo night at Collinsville Fireman’s Hall. This bingo promises a fun time with raffles, a silent auction, cash prizes and more. All proceeds go to Dream Home Charities and their initiative to provide gifts and necessities for foster families during the holiday season. “People alway
On July 31, one of the most consequential events in modern world history took place in 1914, when the Russian Empire ordered a full military mobilization at the edge of Europe’s growing crisis. The move came after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and a chain of ultimatums and alliances that had already pushed the continent toward war. Mobilization did not itself start the fighting, but it sharply raised the stakes. Germany treated it as a direct threat, and within days the
GODFREY - Ameren Illinois said Thursday, July 30, 2026, that no second planned power outage is scheduled in Godfrey, after reports that some customers believed another outage was coming. Brian Bretsch, an Ameren Illinois spokesperson, said the only planned outage occurred Wednesday night, July 29, 2026, and that all affected customers were restored early Thursday morning, July 30, 2026. The outage was scheduled from 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, 2026, until about 5 a.m. Thursday, July 30, 2026,
GODFREY - Vitality Women’s Clinic is hoping to raise money for its operations, and they encourage the community to help them in this mission. Vitality is a Godfrey-based pregnancy center that offers free STI and pregnancy testing as well as free ultrasounds. The staff will talk through options with people experiencing unplanned pregnancies. They also offer parenting classes and a resource shop. As a pro-life, faith-based clinic, Vitality does not perform or refer for abortions. Executive
ALTON - Alton Mayor David Goins on Thursday, July 30, 2026, announced that the Madison County Circuit Court has issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) providing immediate relief in response to actions taken by the Alton City Council that are alleged to have violated Illinois law and the city’s governing procedures. Alton City Council members voted on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, to accept the reappointments of the vast majority of city officials appointed by the mayor, except for two.
BELLEVILLE - A 22-year-old woman has been charged with aggravated robbery after authorities said a seller trying to complete a Facebook puppy sale in unincorporated Belleville was allegedly threatened at gunpoint and had the dog taken. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department said its emergency communications center received a call at 9:41 p.m. July 23, 2026, reporting an armed robbery in the 7700 block of Myrtlewood Drive. According to the sheriff’s department, the victim said
GODFREY - A serious fire at a home in the 300 block of Gladys Avenue in Godfrey was reported at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, July 30, 2026, prompting a response from the Godfrey Fire Protection District, with assistance from the Alton Fire Department, Fosterburg Fire, and an Alton Memorial Hospital ambulance. “It was reported as a working structure fire with a possible trapped victim,” Assistant Godfrey Fire Chief Chris Dennison said. Dennison said crews arrived within five minutes and foun
GODFREY – A local resident accused of throwing an unknown liquid on another person and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident faces felony and misdemeanor charges. 39-year-old Nicholas R. Yates of Bethalto faces a Class 3 felony count of aggravated battery and a Class A misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident stemming from an incident on July 23, 2026. Yates allegedly “forcefully threw an unknown liquid substance” on another individual while at Tony’s
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