COLLINSVILLE – The Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 Board of Education has approved Tara Glynn as the district’s director of student services, effective July 1, 2026. Tara currently serves as special education supervisor and principal of Hollywood Heights School. The student services director role will be vacant at the end of the 2025-26 school year due to the retirement of current assistant superintendent and director of student services, Bradley Hyre. The student service
CHICAGO — The Powerball® jackpot for tonight’s drawing has climbed to $1.25 billion, offering Illinois Lottery players another exciting opportunity to dream big this holiday season. Wednesday’s drawing marks the second-largest Powerball jackpot of the year, trailing only the record-setting $1.787 billion prize won on September 6 in Missouri and Texas. It is just the second time in Powerball history that back-to-back jackpots have reached the billion-dollar mark. Holiday
VIRDEN — Jacob Monty, 28, of Virden, has been charged with two counts of child pornography, according to court documents. Monty faces Class X felony charges for allegedly collecting and disseminating videos depicting children under the age of 13 engaging in sexual conduct with other individuals. The offenses reportedly occurred on May 9, 2025. The arrest comes after investigators from the attorney general's office and Virden Police searched Monty’s residence in the 300 block of
ALTOn - Laila Davis, a senior at Marquette Catholic High School, is being recognized for her achievements in basketball and her leadership with the 2025-2026 girls' group. Davis is a Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Female Athlete of the Month for the Explorers. Over the course of her high school career, Davis has earned several accolades, including the Gallatin Awards 110%, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and the Coach’s Award. She has also been named Athlete of the Month previously
ALTON, IL — Glisson Law is proud to announce that its 5th Annual 12 Days of Glissmas Giveaway is underway, continuing a multi-day social media tradition that has become a holiday favorite throughout the Metro East. Now in its fifth year, the Glissmas Giveaway continues Glisson Law’s mission of spreading holiday cheer while supporting the outstanding local businesses that help make the Alton and nearby areas thrive. Each year, the Glissmas Giveaway offers the community multiple chances
ALTON — Police responded to a report of a woman allegedly shooting at a residence Tuesday night in Alton, but found no evidence of gunfire at the scene. At approximately 9:31 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, the Alton Police Department received a 911 call from a resident in the 3200 block of College Avenue reporting that a woman was firing shots at their home. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said officers arrived and spoke with the caller, who was also the victim. "A search of the are
ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 has a new Director of Student Services. The Board of Education has unanimously approved the appointment of Angela Kuchnicki to the role, effective May 1, 2026. During the Board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, Kuchnicki expressed her excitement to take on the position and serve students in a new capacity. “I’ve worked at Alton for the past 22 years, and this role represents a meaningful next step for me and
ROXANA — Roxana High School is well-known for its approach to theater, with many outstanding productions over the years. Roxana Thespian Troupe 556 will perform its fall play, A Monster Calls , at the 2026 Illinois High School Theatre Festival in January at Illinois State University. This marks the first time in the school’s history that it has been selected to present a full-length production at the statewide festival, an honor given to only a select number of schools across Illinois.
ALTON - A special education teacher has gone above and beyond to support students by creating a food bank at Alton High School. Tammy Wood, who teaches at AHS, recently collaborated with students, staff members, and the St. Louis Area Foodbank to create the Bird Loft. During the Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, Wood was recognized for her contributions to the district to ensure every student has access to food.
Did you know that Americans use approximately 4 million tons of wrapping paper each year, much of which ends up in landfills? Beyond the environmental impact, mass-produced wrapping paper often lacks a personal touch that makes a gift truly memorable. What if you could transform this ritual into an opportunity for creativity, sustainability, and meaningful expression? Making your own DIY holiday gift wrap offers a rewarding way to enhance gift-giving while reducing waste. Why Choose DIY Gift
December 17th has long been a day marked by remarkable events that have left lasting imprints across the globe. One of the most revolutionary events in modern history occurred on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, achieved the first powered, controlled, and sustained heavier-than-air human flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This monumental breakthrough in aviation opened the skies to humanity, setting in motion a global transformation in transportation, warfare,
Expect a cool day with a high near 52 and a low around 43. Winds will be light from the east-northeast at about 6 mph, gusting to 16 mph. This morning starts with mostly clear skies, transitioning through the day to intermittent clouds and sunshine. The afternoon will bring about 5.8 hours of sun and highs in the low 50s, making for a pleasant but brisk day. Tonight, clouds increase with breezy conditions and a 60% chance for a few light showers late, possibly accompanied by some thunder. Winds
SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 81,225 deer during the seven-day 2025 Illinois firearm deer season that concluded Dec. 7. Comparatively, hunters harvested 82,496 deer during the 2024 firearm season. The preliminary harvest for the second weekend of the firearm season Dec. 4-7 was 29,816 compared with 27,835 deer harvested during the same period in 2024. The preliminary harvest for the first weekend of this year’s firearm season Nov. 21-23 was 51,409
EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department may soon get its first-ever drone pending an application for up to $18,000 in grant funding. Edwardsville City Council members voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a resolution authorizing the Police Department to apply for a Pride in Service Grant from CSX. Freight transportation company CSX offers the Pride in Service Grant to help first responders buy certain equipment, including drones. The Edwardsville Police Department will
ALTON - OSF HealthCare and Shared Medical Services, Inc. (SMS) and are excited to announce the deployment of the mobile GE HealthCare Omni Legend Digital PET/CT system, bringing next-generation molecular imaging to communities across the OSF Ministry. Designed to significantly improve diagnostic accuracy, efficiency and patient access, the Omni Legend represents a major advancement in mobile PET/CT capabilities for both rural and urban populations. As is tradition for OSF HealthCare, the mobile
MADISON COUNTY - As Madison County Clerk Linda Andreas prepares for the primary election on March 17, 2026, she reflected on her work over the past several years. Andreas, a Republican, was elected to the Madison County Clerk position in 2022. In this role, she has purchased new tabulators for elections, started student initiatives to educate kids about local government, and encouraged more people to become election judges in Madison County, among other successes. “The thing that
EAST ST. LOUIS — A federal judge has extended the prison sentence of Raekwon M. Patton, 27, by 24 months after he pleaded guilty to possessing a makeshift weapon at the Federal Correctional Institution in Greenville, Illinois. On June 29, 2024, a correctional officer at FCI-Greenville conducted a pat search on Patton and found a sharp, pointed piece of metal about 7.5 inches long, attached to a wooden handle wrapped in black cord, concealed in his waistband. At the time, Patton was serving
PIASA — Southwestern High School freshman Chase Kallal concluded a notable cross country season by competing at the Class 1A state championships in Peoria. Kallal finished 140th at the state meet with a time of 16 minutes, 22 seconds. Before the state competition, he posted a personal record of 16:14.7 for three miles at the Trenton-Wesclin Sectional. He earned his spot at the sectional by finishing 10th at the Trenton-Wesclin Regional with a time of 16:37.3. Chase is an Altonized Community
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – A newly released study by three state agencies has detailed the ‘credible risk’ of electricity shortages across Illinois within the next five years. The 2025 Resource Adequacy Study by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Power Agency, and the Illinois Commerce Commission warns that “conditions create a credible risk of regional capacity shortfalls that will impact Illinois’ future ability to import power during critical
CHICAGO – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul won a court order blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to penalize states with millions of dollars in penalties related to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) operations. “The SNAP program is the country’s most important anti-hunger program, providing access to food for millions of families while supporting local grocers and merchants who are critical to our state’s economy,” Raoul said
stLouIST