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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

EDWARDSVILLE - Matt Baumgartner has been named assistant principal at Liberty Middle School. The Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education approved his appointment during its meeting on Monday, July 27. Baumgartner comes to District 7 from Highland Middle School where he spent the last seven years as an assistant principal. During his tenure, he provided leadership in student discipline, school safety, staff evaluation, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and initiatives

EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 will host Open Interviews on Thursday, Aug. 6 , from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the District 7 Central Office, 6148 Center Grove Road in Edwardsville. The district is currently hiring for a variety of positions, including food service, custodial, maintenance, teaching assistants, and monitors. Individuals interested in joining the District 7 team are invited to attend and interview on-site. Applicants are encouraged to bring a resume

ALTON - There’s a new face at the RiverBender.com office. Grace Schwarte is excited to build up the community that built her. Grace is the new Customer Success Manager who handles marketing and sales at RiverBender.com . She can’t wait to get to know the area from a new perspective, and she loves working with her fellow Riverbend residents to create a positive community for all. “I consider myself a lifelong Alton resident,” Grace said. “I love connecting

ROXANA - Roxana head baseball coach Jerry Wheaton said Max Autery, a four-year starter for the Shells, will be difficult to replace because of his leadership at catcher and his ability to manage the game, after a season in which Autery earned All-Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division honors and prepared to continue his baseball career at Quincy University. Autery had a .398 batting average this past season with 39 hits and 40 RBI, 12 doubles, five triples and four home runs. He hit .325 as

ROXANA - Roxana Community Unit School District #1 families were greeted by picketing educators as they entered registration. On Thursday, July 30, 2026, families registered their students at Roxana High School as teachers stood outside and conducted an informational picket. Roxana Education Association Union President Kim Jones explained that the union has been negotiating with the Board of Education since January to approve a new contract for the 2026–2027 school year, and they have

CHICAGO — Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed a package of legislation that protects some of the most vulnerable Illinoisians. This includes expanding safeguards for older adults, people with disabilities, children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and individuals with serious mental illness. Together, these measures promote independence, safeguard against exploitation, improve access to critical services, strengthen oversight, and help ensure Illinoisans receive the support and protection

ALTON – The Alton Police Department has made significant progress in the investigation into the fatal shooting that occurred on Friday, July 24, 2026, in the 200 block of West Delmar Avenue. On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, a juvenile was taken into custody in connection with the ongoing investigation. Because the individual is a juvenile, no additional information will be released. As a result of the same investigation, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office has charged

ALTON – Alton officials last week delayed a move to share the city’s financial and social media account passwords with the city clerk and treasurer. A resolution allowing the Alton city clerk and treasurer to be provided with all business account passwords was laid over at the July 20, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting . Treasurer Betsy Allen said she is currently the only person able to access certain financial accounts for the city. While Allen said that access should be

High school athletes across the country are already feeling the heat as teams begin practices for several sports, including football, cross country and soccer. While student athletes and coaches are anxious to get the season under way, experts say it’s important to stay safe, especially when it comes to practicing during the grueling August temperatures. “The summer heat is very dangerous for so many different reasons, and it is important to know and identify those risk factors associate

EDWARDSVILLE — Moira Krueger, an incoming junior at Metro East Lutheran High School, was named a BJ’s Printables Female Athlete of the Month after making significant strides in girls cross country last fall and contributing in track and field for the Knights. Krueger emerged during her sophomore year as one of the program’s most improved runners, according to Metro East Lutheran Head Cross Country Coach Kevin Reiseck. He said she entered the season running three miles in 26

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois coroners and medical examiners will soon have access to critical mental health counseling services thanks to legislation sponsored by State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) that was signed into law Friday. Senate Bill 2770 expands Illinois' first responder mental health coverage to include coroners, deputy coroners, medical examiners, and deputy medical examiners. The new law allows these professionals to receive mental health counseling without deductibles,

CHICAGO – Thanks to Governor JB Pritzker’s historic investments, this past school year saw 190,000 students enrolled in Illinois public universities, the highest number in 10 years. By investing in public schools, removing barriers, and increasing financial aid opportunities, Gov. Pritzker is making higher education accessible to a record number of students. Gov. Pritzker has expanded access to higher education by: Helping more than 162,000 students afford college by