JERSEYVILLE - “Rock the Block” is returning to Jerseyville. The City of Jerseyville will host “Rock the Block” free concerts this summer at City Center Plaza, located between Germania and Dairy Queen. On Friday, May 29, 2026, the Nashville artist Jake Maurer and his band will take the stage from 7–10 p.m. for a rocking country night to kick off the season. Community members are encouraged to come out and join in the fun. The Knights of Columbus will serve food
CHARLESTON — Father McGivney Catholic’s boys 4x800-meter relay team advanced to the IHSA Class 1A State Track and Field finals after placing 11th in the preliminaries Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Charleston, with the team saying its main objective was to qualify for Saturday’s final. The Thursday McGivney relay team of Gus Range, Connor Schmidt, Eric Rybak, and Will Rakers posted a time of 8:17.98 to earn a spot in the finals. Range opened the race with a 2:03.77 split in the
GRAFTON - The Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair promises a fun day for fishing enthusiasts and newbies of all ages. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026, Pere Marquette State Park will host the 37th annual free fishing fair. Organizer Scott Isringhausen with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources promises a fun day with plenty to do. “We’re going to have a good crowd, lots of people, and a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s really special.”
ALTON – Two residents and a local organization are the latest recipients of refunded garbage collection fees from the City of Alton. Alton’s latest set of bills and expenditures, listed in the May 26, 2026 Comptroller’s Report, show three refunds that were paid out of the city’s General Fund regarding garbage collection fees. The largest of the three refunds totals $5,668.84 and was paid out to the Alton Volunteer Emergency Corps, a volunteer nonprofit search and rescue
JERSEYVILLE – Felony and misdemeanor charges have been filed in Jersey County against residents of Kane, Brussels, Granite City, and Missouri in separate revoked/suspended license cases. Heath E. Blaine, 53, of Kane, was charged on May 18, 2026 with one count each of felon in possession of a weapon (a Super Class 3 felony) and driving on a revoked license (a Class A misdemeanor). Two days prior on May 16, Blaine was allegedly in possession of 47 rounds of .22 long rifle firearm ammunition,
EAST ALTON - A fire in the 400 block of Whitelaw in East Alton on Wednesday night, May 27, 2026, displaced duplex residents after flames were reported behind a refrigerator in one kitchen and spread quickly, East Alton Fire Chief Jeremy Dively said. The first report came in at 9:42 p.m. on Wednesday, and the response was wrapped up around midnight, Dively said. Agencies responding to a box alarm included Wood River, Roxana, Rosewood Heights, and Alton. Dively said a caller reported seeing flames
GRANITE CITY — Granite City High School senior exchange student Jacopo Salato was reunited with his mother, Sabrina, before a recent IHSA boys volleyball regional match against Alton, as she traveled more than 5,000 miles from Italy to see him for the first time in nine months. The reunion took place at Granite City High School ahead of the match and marked an emotional moment for Salato and his mother after months apart. Jacopo is a Stillwater Senior Living Male Athlete Of The Month fo
EDWARDSVILLE/GLEN CARBON - The Glen-Ed Pantry’s Brown Bag Buddies program will start up next week. Throughout the summer, families can pick up five breakfasts and five lunches every Monday morning for their child. Families must live in the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7. “Summers get tough,” said Jane Ahasay, the pantry’s executive director. “Kids get two free meals a day at school, so they’re getting breakfast and lunch at school.
SPRINGFIELD - Nearly 600 community leaders, environmental advocates, faith leaders, business representatives, consumer groups, students and state legislators are expected to rally Saturday at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, urging lawmakers to pass the POWER Act as the General Assembly appears poised to adjourn without taking action on data center regulation. The rally will take place at the Lincoln Statue, Illinois State Capitol, 401 S. 2nd St., Springfield, Illinois, 62756. The
ST. CLAIR COUNTY - Authorities in St. Clair County are asking for the public’s help locating Douglas “Scott” Litsey, a 64-year-old white man who was reported missing May 24, 2026, from his home in the Signal Hill neighborhood of Belleville, according to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. The sheriff’s department said an investigation determined Litsey was last seen on May 21, 2026, on surveillance footage in the area near his residence. The
BELLEVILLE - The Belleville Police Department said it has received several reports of scam phone calls from people falsely claiming to be Capt. Keilbach, warning residents not to return the calls and instead contact the department directly at 618-234-1212. In the alert, the department said the calls are scams and are not associated with the Belleville Police Department. Many of the calls have come from phone numbers ending in 9734, though the department warned that scammers can
EDWARDSVILLE/GLEN CARBON - The Glen-Ed Pantry is asking the community to help them help others. Earlier this month, the pantry held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on a new building. Executive Director Jane Ahasay said it’s “an exciting time” for the pantry and its volunteers as they prepare for the new facility, but she noted that they still need financial support to help them finish the project. “I’d like to be out of
EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department issued numerous citations and made one impaired driving arrest as part of the recently concluded Memorial Day enforcement campaign. This effort took place from May 15-26, 2026 in addition to the department’s normal duties. This annual campaign is aimed at increasing seat belt use and keeping roads safe during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. It resulted in one impaired driving arrest, six speeding citations, four seat
ALTON - Michael H. Holliday Jr., regarded as one of the best bowlers to ever come out of the region, is being remembered by friends and family for his smile and kindness. He died Saturday, May 16, 2026, at his residence. He was 57 years old. Michael "Doc" Holliday Sr., a Madison County Board member, is Michael Holliday Jr.'s father. Michael Holliday, Sr., was elected to the Madison County Board District 8 in 1998. Holliday was the son of Michael “Doc” Holliday Sr. and Priscilla Hollida
SPRINGFIELD — Today, Governor JB Pritzker issued the following statement following the passage of SB714 and HB4273 to protect homeowners and drivers from unfair insurance hikes: "Today, the Illinois General Assembly passed SB714 and HB4273, an important step in our efforts to make insurance markets in Illinois more transparent and equitable for consumers. Too many families have dealt with unexplained, unfair insurance price hikes on their homes and cars, so this legislation helps protect
Recovering Emotionally After a Tough Conversation Difficult conversations are rarely comfortable but are often necessary. Whether it’s setting a boundary, addressing a misunderstanding, or confronting a bigger issue, avoiding the conversation can sometimes make things worse. While these moments can create anxiety and even physical stress, approaching them with clarity and intention can strengthen relationships rather than damage them. Here’s what to know about why difficult
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers today passed sweeping auto insurance reforms that would give state regulators the power to challenge excessive rate hikes for the first time, ending Illinois’ status as one of only two states without such authority. Senate Bill 714, championed by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, cleared the General Assembly after Illinois drivers were hit with an 18 percent rate increase in 2024 – among the steepest in the nation – while insurers
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - A second suspect has been charged in the April 2026 fatal shooting of a Steak ’n Shake employee in north St. Louis County, prosecutors said Wednesday, May 27, 2026. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on May 27, 2026, charged Torriono Baker, 22, of the 2300 block of Kingsford Drive in St. Louis, with first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, first-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon in the April 8 shooting at the Steak
A family recipe can preserve more history than a museum display. One handwritten card for bread, soup, or sweets can carry a grandmother’s habits, a region’s ingredients, and a family’s way of gathering around a table. That is the quiet power of tradition. Traditions do more than repeat old customs. They keep memory active. They help people honor the past not only by remembering it, but by living it in small, familiar acts. Why traditions matter A tradition is a practice,
stLouIST