A table full of food can turn strangers into a group in less than an hour. That change happens all the time. People who have little in common sit down, pass plates, ask for the salt, and start talking. A family argument softens over soup. New coworkers become less awkward at lunch. Neighbors who barely wave to each other end up sharing recipes over a fence. Food does more than fill people up. It creates a setting where connection feels easier and more natural. Food gives people a reason to
On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the massive invasion of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. It was the largest land invasion in history, involving millions of soldiers across a vast front. At the time, the attack shattered an uneasy agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union and opened a brutal new phase of the war in Europe. It mattered immediately because it turned the conflict into an even wider and deadlier struggle. It still matters today because
ALTON — The Alton Fire Department responded Sunday night to a motorcycle crash at the intersection of Homer Adams Parkway and Buckmaster Lane, where firefighters found a motorcycle with two riders and a vehicle involved in the collision. One patient from the motorcycle suffered injuries that required a medical helicopter, and Arch Medical Helicopter was requested to the scene, landing in the Lowe’s parking lot. It was unclear Sunday night whether anyone else was injured in the crash.
ALTON - Auto Butler, a full-service car wash in Alton, closed permanently this week after 20 years in business as owners Lisa Heims-Stout and Gary Stout retire and transfer the property and business to Club Car Wash, Lisa Heims-Stout said on Saturday, June 20, 2026. The closure marks the end of a longtime business in Alton, where the Stouts said they had served customers for two decades. Lisa Heims-Stout said the decision was tied to retirement and a desire to spend more time with family.
GRANITE CITY - From the moment he could say the word helicopter, Ryan Fretz knew that he wanted to follow in his father Jon’s footsteps and become an air medical pilot. That dream came true as he now pilots ARCH 1’s BK117 in Granite City, IL. “I always wanted to do what he did,” said Ryan. “I thought it was the coolest thing going to visit him at work. Watching him fly, going to see him at hospitals, taking him Gatorade in the middle of the night. He was my hero.”
Midwesterners out on their porch during a storm isn’t normally front-page news, but it was at least once in Alton. William and Sally Loudon had recently moved into 618 Union Street when they got stuck on their porch during a bout of awful weather. A June 19, 1926 page one article in the Alton Evening Telegraph described their June 16 ordeal. Wednesday night, during heavy rain, after the Loudons had gone to bed, they decided that a rug on the porch should be moved since it was definitely
GLEN CARBON - Glen Carbon Fire Protection District members, along with the Edwardsville Fire Department, responded quickly to a fire call on Mark Trail Drive in Glen Carbon. Because of the quick efforts of the firefighters, smoke and fire from the back of the home were extinguished in a rapid fashion, saving the home. The Glen Carbon Fire officials praised the firefighters for their efforts and the cooperation between Glen Carbon and other neighboring fire agencies.
COTTAGE HILLS — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office was conducting a death investigation as of about 11:08 a.m. Sunday, June 21, 2026, after an adult female was found deceased in a creek area near the 1100 block of Lee Street in Cottage Hills, authorities said. The woman has been tentatively identified, according to the sheriff’s office. Based on preliminary information, “there does not appear to be a threat to the public,” the sheriff’s office said. Madison
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - A man was killed and several other people, including three children, were injured Saturday afternoon, June 20, 2026, in a two-vehicle crash at Old Halls Ferry Road and Netherton Drive in St. Louis County, police said. The crash happened at about 4:21 p.m. Saturday, June 20, 2026, when St. Louis County Police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service at the intersection, according to the St. Louis County Police Department. Emergency responders
On June 21, 1791, King Louis XVI of France was captured at Varennes while trying to flee Paris during the French Revolution. More than a failed escape, the event changed how many people in France viewed their king. Until then, some still believed a constitutional monarchy might survive. His attempted flight suggested that he no longer accepted the revolution’s limits on royal power and may have hoped to return with foreign support. That moment weakened trust in the crown, pushed the revolution
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of nine attorneys general, today announced a $7 million settlement with LivCor LLC (LivCor), one of the property management companies named as a defendant in an ongoing antitrust litigation Raoul and the coalition filed against software company RealPage. The settlement resolves allegations that LivCor used RealPage’s revenue management system to align rental prices with competing landlords by
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — Fairview Heights Police Chief Steve Johnson this week officially welcomed three new officers to the department, including two recruits in their fifth week at the Police Academy and a former North Carolina officer bringing experience in investigating crimes against persons. The new Fairview Heights police officers are Tyler Beaston, Raymond Palacio and Peyton Weber. Beaston was born and raised in Fairview Heights and is in his fifth week at the Police Academy. Palacio
Shawnee, Ill. – Today, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) and Illinois Correctional Industries (ICI) announced a new service dog training program at Shawnee Correctional Center (Shawnee CC) in partnership with SIT Service Dogs (SIT). Launched this week, the new program will provide Launched this week, the new program will provide individuals in custody with the opportunity to help raise and train puppies that will eventually become service dogs for individuals with disabilities
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate remained at 5.1 percent in May, unchanged from April, and up +0.7 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised April unemployment rate was 5.1 percent. Total nonfarm payrolls saw a third consecutive over-the-month increase in May, up +6,000 (+0.1%) to 6,164,800. The April monthly change
The longest day of the year is not the hottest. That surprise sits at the heart of the summer solstice, a moment people often notice without fully understanding. The summer solstice marks the point when one half of Earth gets its greatest stretch of daylight. In the Northern Hemisphere, it usually falls around June 20 or 21. In the Southern Hemisphere, it happens around December 21 or 22. It is not just a date on a calendar. It is an astronomical event that has shaped farming, religion, festivals,
On June 20, 1837, Queen Victoria became queen of the United Kingdom, beginning a reign that would last more than 63 years and leave a lasting mark on world history. She came to the throne at age 18 after the death of her uncle, King William IV. At the time, Britain was already a major imperial and industrial power, but Victoria’s long reign helped define an era of political change, economic growth, and global expansion. Her name became attached to the “Victorian era,” a period
EDWARDSVILLE – The City of Edwardsville and the Edwardsville YMCA are teaming up this summer to promote safety and preparedness whether you’re on the go, in the pool or anywhere else. A series of upcoming fun and free events will offer guidance on compressions-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation along with water safety education. The Edwardsville Fire Department will lead two compressions-only CPR “pop-up” events this month at the Land of Goshen Community Market, offering
ALTON - Several organizations came together for a patriotic beautification project in downtown Alton. There are currently 100 American flags hanging along Broadway, State and Third Streets in downtown Alton to mark America’s 250th anniversary. These flags were installed ahead of the 250 on the Mississippi celebrations and will remain until Labor Day, with plans to display the flags every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day in the future. “If you drive up and down Broadway
EDWARDSVILLE – The proposed $44,000 purchase of a storage container for various items at Goshen Commons failed to pass at the last Edwardsville City Council meeting. Aldermen voted 4-1 on June 16, 2026 to approve a sole source resolution awarding a contract of up to $44,300 for TARDIS Structures LLC for the purchase and delivery of a storage container for Goshen Commons. A “sole source” resolution allows city officials to bypass the standard bidding process to expedite
ST. LOUIS — The American Red Cross has an urgent need for donors and is counting on people to act now and book a time to give blood or platelets. Donors of all blood types and those giving platelets are needed to keep a strong supply of lifesaving blood products on hospital shelves into the summer. As summer heat ramps up, so do people’s plans, which could lead to postponed appointments or less opportunities to give - an especially troubling scenario at a time where the Red Cross
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