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GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man faces a felony charge after allegedly repeatedly firing a weapon in a reckless manner. Anthony M. Johnson Jr., 27, of Granite City, was charged on Oct. 29, 2025, with a Class 4 felony count of reckless discharge of a firearm. Johnson allegedly knowingly discharged a firearm in a reckless manner on Sept. 26, 2025, endangering the bodily safety of a nearby individual by firing the weapon in close proximity to the victim. A petition to deny Johnson’s

TROY — The Troy Police Department is honoring veterans throughout November by wearing Veterans Day appreciation bracelets, the department announced. The Troy Police Department said the initiative is intended to show support and gratitude to all who have served in the military. Troy Police personnel may be seen wearing the bracelets during the month as a symbol of recognition for veterans’ service to the country. In addition, the department is offering a limited number of fre

BELLEVILLE — The Belleville Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in the 1900 block of Lebanon Avenue, resulting in a juvenile suspect being taken into custody the following day. Officers responded at approximately 4:20 p.m. Tuesday after receiving reports of gunfire in the area. Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots and saw an individual fleeing the scene. Upon arrival, police found evidence consistent with a shooting and made

ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District is hoping to build a new library building. Executive Director Mary Cordes and Board of Trustees President Kevin Botterbush stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello to answer a few questions about this process. Cordes and Botterbush explained that the library district’s current buildings have always had their issues. Currently, the library district consists of the Downtown Library and the library in the Alton Square Mall.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) is announcing Illinois has gone from an “F” on the Shared Hope International Just Like Me Report Cards to an “A” due to the recent passage of the Illinois Statewide Trauma-Informed Response to Human Trafficking Act . Illinois is one of only three states to receive an “A” grade. ? The Just Like Me Report Cards grade states based on a Top Ten list of laws focused on human trafficking survivors and addressin

ST. LOUIS - A male detainee in the custody of the Division of Corrections was pronounced dead at a local hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. The incident occurred in St. Louis, and the circumstances surrounding the death are under investigation by the Force Investigation Unit of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The Division of Corrections expressed that any loss of life in custody is a deeply serious matter and extended its sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.

ST. CLAIR COUNTY – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting to discuss a study for the proposed improvements to approximately two miles of the Relocated Illinois 3 corridor in East St. Louis and Sauget. The meeting will be held: Tuesday, Nov. 18 3-6 p.m. East St. Louis Community College Center 601 James R. Thompson Blvd., Building B, East St. Louis IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, has initiated the preliminary engineering and

Did you know that nearly 70% of adults in the U.S. say they’d prefer celebrating holidays with friends over family? Friendsgiving taps into this growing trend, offering a warm, intimate alternative to traditional gatherings. But what truly transforms a Friendsgiving from just another meal into a memorable experience? The answer lies in crafting a cozy atmosphere that fosters connection, comfort, and celebration. Designing the Atmosphere: Setting the Tone for Togetherness Creating a cozy

November 5th is a date etched deeply into the annals of history, marked by events that have shaped nations, inspired revolutions, and influenced the cultural tapestry of our world. Traveling back nearly three centuries, November 5th is famously remembered in the United Kingdom as Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night. The date commemorates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a conspiracy led by a group of English Catholics, including Guy Fawkes, to blow up the House of Lords and assassinate

Residents can expect a sunny, breezy, and pleasant day with a high near 68 degrees and a low around 33. Winds will come from the northwest at about 13 mph, with gusts up to 29 mph. No rain is expected, and it will feel just about as nice as the actual temperature. Morning will start cool and crisp with bright sunshine. By afternoon, the breeze will pick up, keeping the air fresh and comfortable. Evening will be clear and chilly with temperatures dropping quickly. Overnight, skies remain clear wit

GODFREY – Godfrey officials awarded several “Good Neighbors” at Tuesday’s Finance Committee meeting. Trustee Sarah Woodman proudly presented the latest Good Neighbor Award to the L ewis and C lark C ommunity C ollege (LCCC) Building Futures YouthBuild program. 11 students in the program helped design and build obstacles in the Max Heinz Memorial Dog Park in Glazebrook Park. Woodman said the program serves “out of school” youth ages 16 to 24, and

ALTON - Alton Main Street presents First Fridays, a late night art and shopping experience which spans 20 locations across the Downtown Alton district. This series is held on the First Friday of October, November and December, providing shoppers with an opportunity to check out new shops and galleries and visit familiar favorites to experience art and great specials at each business. Participants are offering a variety of discounts, refreshments, and giveaways. Every time you make a purchase

WOOD RIVER — Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells provided an update at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, on a crash that occurred earlier in the afternoon at the intersection of Illinois Route 111 and Memorial Lane in Wood River. Chief Wells said the crash involved two vehicles. He said unit two in the accident was traveling southbound on Route 111 and carried a mother and her two children. He said the mother sustained lacerations and was airlifted to a hospital in St. Louis as a precaution

WOOD RIVER — Two individuals were airlifted with serious injuries following a two-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 4, 2025, at Illinois Route 111 and Memorial Lane, Wood River Deputy Police Chief Tim Gegen said. The collision occurred around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday and involved one vehicle traveling on Route 111 that appeared to strike another vehicle, Gegen said. Two people were transported by ARCH helicopters with serious injuries, Gegen said, while two others were taken to area hospitals

ALTON — Nathan Woods, 41, was taken into custody on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, after he allegedly set fire to a woman’s house on Gilham Avenue in Alton on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The Alton Police Department arrested Woods and he has been charged with Aggravated Arson, a Class X felony, and Residential Arson, a Class 1 felony. The Aggravated Arson charge alleges Woods knowingly set the fire while someone was inside the home. According to charging documents, Woods ignited the front porch

WOOD RIVER - Mason Shewmake, a senior at East Alton-Wood River High School, has been recognized for his achievements in soccer, earning a spot on the Cahokia Conference All-Conference Team for 2025. Shewmake has played soccer since he was three years old and currently plays club soccer for Gateway Rush. Shewmake is also a Midwest Members Credit Union Male Athlete Of The Month. “I’ve been playing since I was 3, and what I like most about playing soccer is how it has shaped me to do

ST. LOUIS – Communities in the tri-state Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) St. Louis Division safely disposed of 25,726 pounds of unneeded and expired medications, October 25, at the 29th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Nationally, the DEA and its law enforcement partners removed 571,054 pounds of medication at 4,317 collection sites. Nearly 150 law enforcement partners across Kansas, Missouri and Southern Illinois joined the DEA in hosting 216 Take Back Day locations.

EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville School District #7 offers a unified sports program to promote inclusion by allowing students with and without disabilities to play together on the same team. Unified sports are currently offered at the middle school and high school levels, with some sports open to students as young as eight years old. This year’s unified sports lineup includes flag football, soccer, bowling, dance, bocce, bags, esports, basketball, and track and field. Looking ahea

BELLEVILLE - Althoff Catholic High School’s math team secured first place in its division for the fall season, capping off their successful run with strong individual and team performances at the final competition. The event, held recently as part of the fall math competition series, saw several Althoff students achieve top rankings. Freshman Marlena Youngmeyer placed first individually, followed closely by fellow freshman Marshall Hagene in second and Mason Barnhart in fourth. Sophomor

ALTON — Joseph Roberts, an Air Force Airman from Alton who served from 1967 to 1973 during the Vietnam War, is honored in a Veteran Salute. Roberts earned the National Defense Service Medal and the AFM 900-3 Vietnam Service Medal in recognition of his military service. The salute was submitted by Gwen Clark-Roberts, who included a message expressing gratitude: “Thank You for your service.” The Veteran Salute form allows community members to recognize and thank local veterans