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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Child Marriage Prevention Act , which would take steps to reduce child marriage across the United States. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by U.S. Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI-04) According to leading advocacy groups on this issue, data shows that between 2000 and 2021,

ALTON — The public is advised that all public boat launch ramps in the Alton riverfront area will be closed during the F1 Powerboat Championship race weekend to ensure the safety of participants, spectators, and boaters. The closures will be in effect Thursday, July 16, through Sunday, July 19, from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. each day. The temporary closure is necessary to accommodate race operations, safety zones, event logistics, and increased river traffic associated with the F1

ALTON - Alton Police continue to investigate a fatal shooting early Thursday, July 16, 2026, in the 600 block of Leonard Street after officers found one gunshot victim dead inside a residence and the suspect also dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Alton Police reported. Dakotah Ingram, who said he lives three houses away and has lived in the Leonard Street neighborhood since October 2019, said he was able to remain in his home because of the distance from the incident, while homes closer

ALTON - Alton Police are investigating a shooting early Thursday, July 16, 2026, in the 600 block of Leonard Street, where officers found one gunshot victim dead inside a residence and the suspect also dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said officers were dispatched at about 12:38 a.m. July 16, 2026, after a report of shots fired inside a residence. The Alton Police Department established a perimeter, and the Metro East SWAT team responded to assist. Chi

GODFREY - Marli Nixon has been appointed human resource director for the Village of Godfrey, replacing retiring director Mark Cappel. In her new role, Nixon will oversee the village’s human resource activities, including recruitment, retention, compensation, benefits, employee records, human relations, training, compliance, and policy implementation and enforcement. Nixon comes to the position with experience in the health care sector, including workforce planning and forecasting, advising

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a bipartisan, multistate settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for 23andMe, resolving allegations stemming from a 2023 data breach that compromised the genetic data of 6.9 million customers worldwide. The settlement includes $150 million in allowed claims for states. However, due to the finite amount of funds in the bankruptcy estate and numerous other claims, the court limited recovery to $18 million, which will be paid out of

EAST ST. LOUIS - The investigation into the gruesome murder this past weekend of five people in East St. Louis continues. Authorities in East St. Louis identified five family members killed in what investigators described as a targeted mass shooting as prosecutors filed murder and other felony charges against a 16-year-old male and are moving forward with a juvenile case against a 15-year-old female co-defendant. The St. Clair County Coroner’s Office identified the dead as Quentin L. Thompson,

ALTON - The Alton Police Department said Wednesday, July 15, 2026, that retired K9 Jax has died, marking the loss of what the department described as “a true member of our family.” Jax died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones, according to a department statement on Wednesday. The department said the retired police dog had recently celebrated his 13th birthday. Jax served the Alton Police Department for 10 years alongside his handler, Sgt. Mike Morelli, and the

ALTON - Multiple law enforcement agencies converged on a dead end of Leonard Street in Alton late Wednesday, July 15, 2026, into early Thursday, July 16, 2026, responding overnight to a barricaded-suspect incident centered at a house. A command post was established at Mark Twain Elementary School, with Alton Police leading a multi-agency response that included the Metro East SWAT team, Illinois State Police, Alton Fire Department, and officers from Caseyville, Jerseyville and Sauget. Ameren

JERSEYVILLE - The Miss and Little Miss Jersey County Fair Queen Pageant once again featured several impressive contestants. On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, community members gathered at the Jersey County Fairgrounds for the pageant, which included 18 Little Miss contestants and five Miss Jersey County contestants. Hannah Guthrie walked away as the new Little Miss Jersey County, and Megan Stewart took the crown in the Miss competition. “I’m over the moon,” Stewart said following

EDWARDSVILLE - Incoming sophomore Jake Brinker delivered a freshman standout season for the Edwardsville High School boys tennis team this past spring, winning the individual sectional championship and turning in a strong performance at the state tournament. Brinker's head boys tennis coach says the future is incredibly bright for this young tennis phenom. Brinker is a Spencer Homes Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. Head boys tennis coach Dave Lipe said Brinker played No. 1 singles

If a sidewalk can fry an egg, the air is already far past “a little warm.” That familiar phrase sounds funny, but it points to a real idea: when heat becomes intense enough to affect ordinary objects in strange ways, people reach for vivid comparisons to describe it. “Hot enough to fry an egg” is one of the most common heat sayings in English. People use it to describe extreme heat, especially when pavement, car hoods, or metal surfaces feel scorching to the touch. The

On July 16, the event with the widest global impact is the first successful test of an atomic bomb in 1945. Early that morning in the New Mexico desert, the United States carried out the Trinity test, the first detonation of a nuclear weapon. At the time, it was the result of a massive wartime science and engineering effort aimed at ending World War II before Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan could gain the same power. It mattered immediately because it introduced a new kind of weapon unlike anything

EDWARDSVILLE - Several appointments, zoning measures and an advisory question on voter identification were approved at a Madison County Board meeting in Edwardsville, where board members also honored three high school state champions. The board recognized Triad’s Sophia Schardan for winning the 100-meter dash at the IHSA State Finals, Edwardsville’s Sophie Shapiro for winning the 300-meter hurdles at the state finals, and CM’s Max Weber for winning the 3,200. The board also

ALTON - Pride, Inc. Beautification is proud to recognize and thank OSF HealthCare for its generous financial support in revitalizing the landscaping surrounding the historic State House Circle fountain at the corner of College and Central Avenues. Several shrubs surrounding the fountain had become overgrown and needed replacement. Thanks to funding provided by OSF HealthCare and the generous donation of labor by Sisk Lawn & Landscaping, the landscape has been beautifully renewed, ensuring

CHESTER – The Illinois Department of Transportation over the weekend joined state and local leaders, along with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and the Missouri Department of Transportation, to celebrate the completion of the new Don Welge Memorial Bridge, another achievement made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker's historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. The ribbon cutting marked the culmination of years of collaboration between Illinois and Missouri t

EDWARDSVILLE – A section of Esic Drive between Center Grove Road and Governors’ Parkway will be closed to all traffic beginning Monday, July 20, 2026, while concrete pavement patching is underway. This closure is expected to remain in effect through Friday, July 31, 2026. All primary entrances and exits will remain open and accessible to the apartment buildings on this portion of Esic Drive during the improvement project. The Esic Drive entrance to the Metro East Lutheran High School

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with a coalition of 48 attorneys general, today announced a $29.6 million settlement with Glenmark, resolving allegations the generic drug manufacturer engaged in a widespread and long-running conspiracy to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition and unreasonably restrain trade with regard to numerous generic prescription drugs. Today’s settlement comes after Raoul and the coalition filed three separate

WOOD RIVER - Jordyn Spiller, a 6-foot-3 senior for the East Alton-Wood River High School Oilers, is viewed as one of the team's top prospects heading into the 2026-2027 school year. He scored a season-best 31 points on Feb. 10, 2026, to help his team defeat Mt. Olive 62-48 at EA-WR High, offering another sign of the high expectations surrounding him heading into the next boys' basketball season. Spiller, who plays for coach Billy Sullivan, is viewed as a key piece for the Oilers after showing

ALTON - Alton High boys tennis player Carter Hanebutt, who will be a junior for the 2026-2027 school year, earned praise from coach Jesse Macias after playing No. 1 singles as a sophomore and continuing a run of All-Southwestern Conference honors in each of his first two high school seasons. Hanebutt was an all-conference player as both a freshman and sophomore for Alton High. Macias said Hanebutt’s offseason work helped him rise into the top spot in the lineup. Hanebutt is an Earley