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EDWARDSVILLE — A visitation at Metro Community Church in Edwardsville on Sunday evening, July 20, 2025, showed the love and adoration of their previous pastor, with hundreds in attendance for hours. Many shared a common story or theme about Paul Westbrook: that he truly related to the congregation, which was built from 35 members to the massive church it is today. Westbrook, founding pastor of Metro Community Church and associate executive director of the Illinois State Baptist Association, died Sunday, July 13, 2025, at his home. He was 64. Westbrook served the Edwardsville and Vandalia communities for more than 30 years, shepherding Metro Community Church from its inception as a small group meeting in a basement to a multi-campus congregation reaching thousands. He and his wife, Melody, founded the church in Edwardsville and began with 35 members and grew to approximately 200 before moving into a school for weekend worship. The church later purchased farmland to build its curren

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BELLEVILLE – One element in the fight against crime is being able to promptly and accurately access and record the related data. The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Center for Crime Science and Violence Prevention’s (CCSVP) recent creation of an extraction tool will help police departments across the country do just that. “The extraction tool is a piece of software code that allows a police department to create a database of their crime incidents standardized to the FBI’s National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), without needing more complex access to their Records Management System (RMS),” said Dennis Mares, PhD, professor of Criminal Justice Studies and director of CSSVP in Belleville. “Especially smaller police departments lack the capacity to access this data easily,” continued Mares, who devised the tool. “The extraction code handles files that are submitted to the NIBRS reporting system on site at the

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GRANITE CITY - Over 5,000 women from across the country joined the MUDGIRL Run in Granite City this past weekend. On Saturday, July 19, 2025, Tri-City Speedway hosted the MUDGIRL Run, which encouraged women to run through a two-and-a-half-mile muddy obstacle course to raise money for breast cancer research. Tammy Gundaker with Tri-City Speedway said the event was “crazy and fun” for everyone who came. “People flew in for this because there's only so many of these events a year, which was absolutely incredible. It was unbelievable to us,” Gundaker said. “With everything going on in the world today, it’s nice to see something that kind of brightens people up, that you can do together.” The MUDGIRL Run organization holds these events across the country, but Granite City is the only location for the race in this region. Gundaker said they welcomed people from as far away as Arkansas, Michigan and California. Unlike most runs, this event

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ALTON - NeVaeh Bryant secured seventh place in the triple jump at the state meet on May 24, 2025, with a personal best leap of 11.64 meters (38 feet, 2 inches). The event took place as part of the state track and field championships. Throughout the 2024 and 2025 track and field seasons, the Redbirds' Bryant continued to show strong improvements in her various events. Bryant may have been the most versatile girls track and field athlete for Alton this past spring. Bryant also captured first place in the triple jump at the sectional with a jump of 37 feet, 5.75 inches. In addition to her success in the triple jump, she finished second in the 300-meter hurdles at the sectional with a time of 44.18 seconds and recorded a time of 45.59 seconds at state. Bryant is an Auto Butler Female Athlete of the Month for Alton. Beyond local competitions, Bryant competed in the AAU Jackie Joyner-Kersee National Showcase after the high school season where she recorded an 11.40-meter jump in the triple

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O'FALLON - O'Fallon Police Department will conduct a speed enforcement detail Wednesday, July 23, 2025, targeting drivers exceeding safe speeds across the city and throughout Illinois. The initiative aims to address speeding, which authorities say is a leading factor in motor vehicle crashes. Speeding includes not only exceeding posted limits but also driving too fast for weather, road, or traffic conditions. The O'Fallon Police Department emphasized that speeding contributes to higher crash rates, more severe injuries, and increased fatalities. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) shows that in Illinois, between 2021 and 2023, there were 3,500 fatal crashes. Of those, 33.31% (1,166) were speed-related, resulting in 1,339 deaths. Nationally, speed-related crashes accounted for 27.91% (32,693) of 116,861 fatal crashes during the same period, causing 36,430 fatalities. The police department encouraged

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GODFREY - Margaret Freer announced on Monday, July 21, 2025, that the Christmas In July event held last Friday, July 18, 2025, at Freer Auto Body in Godfrey raised a record $76,000 for Community Christmas, surpassing last year’s goal of $75,000. Freer expressed surprise and gratitude over the outcome, noting the challenges faced during the fundraising effort. “I really did not think we would make the goal," she said. "It was a slow at first and a rough year and it seemed I had to do a lot more begging and pleading. “I really get misty-eyed when I think of how many people this will help. The community is amazing and the event Friday was fun.” Despite being short-staffed and unable to visit with many attendees on Friday, Freer said the event drew a large, happy crowd. “Everyone was happy and everyone said best sloppy joes and cheesecake ever,” she added. Freer also acknowledged support from local businesses, highlighting that Bakers and Hale contributed

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced lane closures on eastbound and westbound Interstate 64 from 15th Street to Illinois 157 in St. Clair County. Beginning Monday, July 21, nightly lane closures will reduce traffic to one lane to allow for road maintenance. Closures will occur Monday through Friday, weather permitting, and will remain in effect until mid-summer 2025. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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EAST ST. LOUIS — A federal judge sentenced Daniel Robert, 48, of Houston, Texas, to life in prison Wednesday after a jury found him guilty of leading a cocaine trafficking operation that transported more than 325 kilograms of the drug to Southern Illinois. Robert, also known as Dewayne Robert, was convicted following an eight-day trial on charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to obstruct justice, witness tampering, and attempted witness tampering. The drug operation, active from January 2014 to August 2018, was responsible for trafficking an estimated 327 kilograms of cocaine, according to court documents. “Large-scale drug traffickers who profit from poisoning our communities with dangerous narcotics and then try to obstruct justice through threats or intimidation will be held fully accountable under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “This life sentence reflects the seriousness

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ALTON - Alton authorities are investigating the defacement of the "Welcome to Alton" sign on the city’s northern entrance, where graffiti containing a derogatory message targeting a resident was painted sometime between Friday night and early Saturday morning, July 19, 2025. Cory Davenport is with the Sunken Press in Alton. His name was painted with the derogatory message sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said officers are actively following up on leads to identify the person or persons responsible. Davenport also expressed appreciation for community members who covered the sign until it could be removed. Davenport acknowledged the incident in a statement, thanking Paula Jamison and others who helped cover and replace the sign. He speculated that the act may have required a truck to reach the sign. “I have angered enough people through well-researched and honest opinions and community-organized efforts that things like

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - The Southwestern Illinois chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI SWI) will host their annual Walk for Mental Health Awareness. On Sept. 20, 2025, at Moody Park in Fairview Heights, community members can come together for a walk that will raise money for NAMI SWI and their programs. Kaleigh Peery with NAMI SWI explained that the goal is to bring people together and start the conversation about mental health. “I think that's really what NAMI is about. It’s just coming together and supporting one another,” Peery said. “The thing about mental illness is that it doesn't discriminate. We all either have experienced it or have had a loved one close to us experience it or have something traumatic that impacts your daily life. To have a day where you can come together and just know that everybody there has experienced something and can relate to what you felt or you’re feeling — coming together is healing.”

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 15 attorneys general opposing the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) unlawful and baseless attempt to strip temporary protected status (TPS) from Honduran, Nepali and Nicaraguan immigrants. The TPS program is a critical humanitarian lifeline established by Congress in 1990 that protects immigrants from being returned to countries that have been deemed unsafe, allowing them to work and build a life in the United States. In an amicus brief filed in National TPS Alliance v. Noem, Raoul and the coalition highlight the devastating economic and humanitarian consequences of ending these TPS protections and urge the court to postpone the proposed actions. “People with temporary protected status have fled trauma and extreme hardship and are now working and contributing to their communities across the country,” Raoul said. “I am proud to join my fellow attorneys general in asking the court to preserve

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NORMAL - Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Adient, a global leader in automotive seating, today announced the company will establish a facility in Normal to assemble seat components for Rivian products. Adient plans to make a capital investment of more than $8 million with support from the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) program, which will enable the company to establish its operations and create 75 new full-time jobs. “With more EV suppliers calling Illinois home due to our unmatched workforce, infrastructure and competitive incentives, we are growing our reputation as a global leader in the electric vehicle sector,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Adient’s new facility in Normal is a critical investment in our state’s growing EV ecosystem and supply chain. With yet another global company choosing to locate in Illinois, we’re creating more jobs, opportunities and

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JERSEY COUNTY - A man who fled from police during an investigation at Pere Marquette State Park on Sunday, July 20, 2025, has been captured and is now in custody at the Jersey County Jail, authorities said. The incident began around 8 a.m. Sunday, July 20, 2025, when a Jersey County sheriff’s deputy encountered a man on a bicycle near a black Ford F-150 pickup truck parked off Scenic Drive inside the state park. The deputy learned the truck and an attached camper had been reported stolen from Missouri. When approached, the man fled on foot into the nearby woods. Law enforcement officials launched a search of the area and later posted the suspect’s photo and description on the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, urging the public to remain vigilant. The suspect, described as a man in his late 20s, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing about 250 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, was considered dangerous. Several hours after the initial encounter,

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CHICAGO - This week, Governor Pritzker joined Governors across America to take collective action as he continues standing up for Illinoisans as the Trump Administration imposes disastrous tariffs, drives up costs, and attacks education and health care. Whether it’s education, electricity, or groceries, Governor Pritzker is focused on improving affordability and access for all Illinoisans. Fighting Trump’s Tariff Taxes On Monday, Governor Pritzker signed an executive order directing state agencies to address the effects of Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Illinois families and businesses. Governor Pritzker joined six other governors across America taking action to push back against these tariffs that tax working families. The Trump Administration’s trade policy will not only increase the costs of everyday goods such as groceries and gas, but also deepen existing economic uncertainty for businesses, disrupt supply chains, and threaten the jobs of Illinois workers.

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ALTON - Most of the community knows him as Kooliverse, but the man behind the name has a simple goal: to continue creating art by any means necessary. Michael Snider moved to Alton 23 years ago and quickly developed a reputation as a unique artist in the region. He has over 80 pieces in The Conservatory in Alton, recently finished a self-portrait made out of 32,000 postage stamps, and plans to create a giant Miles Davis tribute out of 1,000 donated trumpets. He’s always looking ahead to the next piece of art he can create. “I’m highly driven. I want to put out world-class art. I try to do the best work I possibly can. Is there any polite way to say you want to be rich and famous?” Snider laughed. “There’s not. But you know what? I want to make unbelievably wondrous pieces of art, and I want to be able to have enough money to make another piece of wondrous art.” Growing up, Snider was always interested in art. When he moved to Alton,

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VENICE, Ill. – A local woman faces multiple criminal charges after carrying a loaded firearm in a car with no registration, driving on a suspended license, and more. Queen A. J. Walker, 27, of St. Louis, was charged on July 9, 2025 with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a loaded weapon, Class A misdemeanor counts of driving on a suspended license and offenses relating to possession of titles and registration, as well as a petty offense of unlawfully operating a vehicle without valid registration. Walker allegedly carried a SCCY 9mm pistol in a vehicle which was uncased, loaded, and immediately accessible. She had no valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card at the time of the offense. Walker also reportedly drove a white Ford Fusion on Illinois Route 3 and Broadway in Venice while her driver’s license was suspended. She is additionally accused of attaching a Missouri license plate to the car which was not authorized for use on the vehicle,

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EAST ST. LOUIS — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, along with law enforcement agencies and community partners, will host a National Night Out event aimed at strengthening relationships between residents and police. The free event is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 8206 State St. in East St. Louis. It will feature activities for attendees of all ages, including competitive games, police demonstrations, and a live DJ. Community partners will also distribute school supplies to students and provide food for families. The event is open to all East St. Louis residents. Organizations involved in hosting the event include Ameren Illinois, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Catholic Urban Programs, the City of East St. Louis, Community Development Sustainable Solutions, Community Life Line, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the East St. Louis Police Department, the FBI Springfield Field

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ST. LOUIS — A 31-year-old detainee died Saturday night, July 19, 2025, following an altercation at the City Justice Center, prompting an investigation by St. Louis police and statements from city officials emphasizing accountability and jail reform. Samuel Hayes Jr. was involved in a fight with another detainee in a shared cell around 8:20 p.m., according to St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Mitch McCoy. After the confrontation, Hayes reportedly did not comply with jail staff directives and was placed in a restraint chair. He was found unresponsive at approximately 10 p.m. and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Justice Center notified police of the in-custody death at 11:35 p.m. Saturday. The Force Investigation Unit of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer, who was informed of Hayes’ death Sunday, expressed condolences

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MADISON, Wis. - A total of 9,424 students received degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on May 9-10, including students from your area. Here are the degree recipients from your area: Edwardsville, IL Jordyn Ginestra, College of Letters and Science, Bachelor of Arts, English and Zoology Glen Carbon, IL Madison Lein, College of Letters and Science, Bachelor of Science, Biology There were two live Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies, one for undergraduates at Camp Randall and one for all graduate degree candidates at the Kohl Center. Keynote speaker and celebrated sports columnist Jason Gay encouraged the graduates to embrace joy in their lives. "Spend your time with people who give you happiness. Stay as open to new experiences as you are today," Gay said. "Find satisfaction in small routines - the place where you live, community service, time outside in the natural world." Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin reminded graduates that an essential part of their UW-Madison

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EAST ALTON - Airline Care Clinic is offering affordable back-to-school and sports physicals. Nurse practitioner Elizabeth “Betsy” Dykeman understands that summer is a busy time, and the back-to-school season can get expensive as families purchase school supplies and clothing for their kids. That’s why she is offering $40 physicals to fulfill the back-to-school and sports requirements so kids can return to the classroom healthy and ready to learn. “It makes me really happy to do it,” Dykeman said. From July until September, Dykeman will offer special $40 back-to-school and sports physicals. You can bring the necessary paperwork to Airline Care Clinic, or the clinic can provide the paperwork you need to fulfill the back-to-school and sports requirements. Airline Care Clinic currently accepts Medicaid, Medicare and cash. Dykeman noted that most urgent cares or other clinics charge between $65–100 for these physicals. Her goal is to provide

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