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ALTON - A fully involved shed fire in the 1200 block of Rodemeyer Street in Alton caused serious damage to a shed structure around noon on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, but firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to a nearby house with a quick attack, Alton Fire Department Capt. Tom Davison said. When crews arrived, the shed was fully involved, and flames were impinging on the house, Davison said. Firefighters placed a hose line between the shed and the home, which he said kept the house from

Key takeaways: Whether you feed your newborn at the breast or with formula, there may be challenges to get them the nourishment they need. Experts have solutions. Spoon feeding, cup feeding, dropper feeding and a supplemental nursing system are options. Talk to a lactation consultant if you have questions. Xandra Anderson likens infant nutrition to learning baseball. “You start as a kid. You throw a ball, and it hits the ground immediately. Or you swing the bat an

WOOD RIVER - Two local organizations recently partnered to help people, and their teams encourage the community to come together to do more. In July, King Air Conditioning & Heating installed a new Mitsubishi mini split system at the facility of Operation Blessing People That Care in Wood River. Kylie Wesley with King and Karen Wilson with Operation Blessing agreed that the collaboration will go a long way to keep Operation Blessing going so they can help more families in need. “The

Key Takeaways: Cyclospora is a foodborne parasite that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness. Nine states have seen cases of the diarrheal illness caused by contaminated iceberg lettuce. Michigan has had more than 8,000 cases reported. A typical year is about 50 cases. Symptoms include diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating and increased gas. Issues can start anywhere from two days to two weeks. For more than a decade working in infection prevention,

GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man with “a lengthy history” of domestic violence has been charged and detained in his sixth domestic battery case since 1995. Michael E. Bridges, 62, of Granite City, faces one count each of aggravated domestic battery, domestic battery (both Class 2 felonies), and a Class 3 felony count of aggravated battery. The charges against Bridges were filed in Madison County court on July 27, 2026 and stem from an alleged incident two days prior on July

ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District has several events coming up in August, and you can enjoy them all for free. Executive Director Mary Cordes expressed her excitement for the upcoming programs. From a Beatles tribute to a bagpipes performance to a silent disco, Hayner has a variety of activities available. Cordes hopes to welcome many community members to come out and enjoy. “It should be a lot of fun,” she said of the upcoming programs. Throughout the month of August,

GODFREY — Madison County Sheriff’s deputies responded at 3:34 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, to a reported fight on the property of Sonny’s Wedge Bar in the 900 block of West Delmar, where authorities said one person appeared injured, several vehicles sped away, and one driver was later detained in Alton. Madison County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Marcos Pulido said deputies saw “a subject who appeared to have an injury that was sustained during the fight” when the

CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined community leaders and lawmakers to encourage Illinoisans to participate in the Back-to-School State Tax Holiday, which waives the state sales tax on back-to-school necessities fromAug. 7 through Aug. 16, 2026. This 10-day period is expected to provide an estimated $10 million in savings to online and in-store consumers on essential back-to-school items, including clothing, footwear, and school supplies. “In Illinois, parents are working

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today celebrated Governor JB Pritzker’s signing his legislation to support efforts to combat workplace rights violations. “The Workplace Rights Bureau in the Attorney General’s office has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of Illinois workers. This new law will enhance our ability to investigate and prosecute potential violations of the laws that protect working people around Illinois,” Raoul said. “I appreciate

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - A 31-year-old St. Louis man was seriously injured Sunday night, Aug. 2, 2026, in a two-vehicle crash on southbound Missouri 367 north of Chambers Road in St. Louis County after Moline Acres Police attempted a traffic stop, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The crash happened at 9:50 p.m. Aug. 2, 2026, and was investigated by Trooper D. Bittick. The report said Moline Acres police attempted to stop a 2013 Chevrolet Spark after observing it being driven

GODFREY – A Godfrey man accused of committing a hate crime and assault in a public place faces charges in Jersey County. Troy D. Hacker, 39, of Godfrey, was charged on July 29, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of hate crime and a Class A misdemeanor count of aggravated assault on public property. On July 26, 2026, Hacker allegedly knowingly committed an act of aggravated assault against another individual by reason of the victim’s actual race and color, charging documents state. Hack

DOW - The community can help Treehouse Wildlife Center raise $15,000 in two months. Treehouse Wildlife Center rehabilitates injured, sick and orphaned wildlife throughout the region. An anonymous donor has pledged $10,000 if the center can crowdfund an additional $5,000 by Sept. 30, 2026. With the community’s help, the center hopes to receive $15,000 total, which will go toward the care of the animals. “We are completely a grassroots organization, so we are not funded any other

VIRDEN - First Christian Church in Virden will host a Community Blood Drive with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026 at 101 N. Church St., inside Donor Bus. What: First Christian Church Virden Community Blood Drive When: Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. Where: ImpactLife Donor Bus, 101 N. Church St., Virden, Ill. Appointments: To donate, please contact Kelsie Bentley at (217)

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following statement in response to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois ruled against the Trump administration in its lawsuit seeking unredacted Illinois voter data containing voters’ sensitive personal information. “For the 19th time, a federal court has ruled that the Department of Justice does not have authority to demand a state’s unredacted voter registration list. The Trump administration’s

CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker today signed SB 3224, officially renaming the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI) to be the Illinois School for the Blind. The updated name reflects years of feedback and advocacy from students, faculty, alumni, families, and Blind Illinoisans who emphasized the importance of language that recognizes identity, independence, and achievement. The change honors the school’s historic legacy while aligning with the terminology embraced by many

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to challenge a federal rule that once again illegally undermines the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and would make health insurance more expensive and harder to obtain for millions of Americans. Raoul and the coalition’s lawsuit seeks to block provisions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS)

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is sharing the following upcoming events and noteworthy items for August 2026. State parks, historic sites, and museums have events throughout the month. Cap off August with a visit to Conservation World at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield Aug. 13-23 or a visit to Conservation Village at the Du Quoin State Fair in southern Illinois Aug. 28-Sept. 7. Aug. 8 Intro to Bouldering Pere Marquette State Park Grafton

EDWARDSVILLE — The Edwardsville Police Department issued 65 speeding citations, five citations for other infractions and made one felony traffic arrest during a speed enforcement campaign conducted throughout July 2026 in Edwardsville, authorities said. The campaign was part of a broader effort by the Edwardsville Police Department and other state and local law enforcement agencies across Illinois to reduce highway fatalities by reminding motorists to slow down to save lives. In addition

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) issued the following statement following the release of the Legislative Inspector General's report regarding former State Representative Harry Benton: "The release of this report is an important step toward ensuring Illinoisans have the transparency they deserve from their state government. When allegations of misconduct involve elected officials, the public has every right to expect those matters will be investigated thoroughly

NAPERVILLE – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released devastating insights into conditions at the South Texas Family Residential Center (Dilley) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility. The visits to Dilley provided new, incriminating insights into the cruelty of the illegal Trump mass deportation agenda, including inhumane conditions, deficient medical care, taunting children, inadequate education