SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals in Illinois are pleased to announce the top names chosen for babies born at HSHS St. Elizabeth’s in O’Fallon and HSHS St. Joseph’s in Breese. Over 1,200 babies were delivered at these two southern Illinois hospitals in 2025. HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, O’Fallon Top Boy Name Henry Top Girl Name Charlotte, Leilani, Naomi and Willow (tied) HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospita
ALTON - Alton High School is proud to announce the Honor Roll recipients for the Fall semester. These students have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement through their dedication, perseverance, and commitment to excellence in the classroom. Earning a place on the Honor Roll is a significant accomplishment and reflects not only strong academic performance but also the discipline, responsibility, and determination required to maintain high standards throughout the semester. We are incredibly
A full belly can be more dangerous than an empty one—if you can’t keep the food from spoiling, attracting animals, or making you sick. That hard lesson pushed ancient people to become careful planners, clever builders, and sharp observers of the natural world. Some of the survival skills we admire today—fire-making, food storage, layered clothing, and shelter design—were shaped by the toughest test: getting through long periods when mistakes were expensive. The real pressure
Stare into a fireplace for five minutes and you’ll notice something odd: your brain acts like it has a “mute” button. The to-do list gets quieter. Your shoulders drop. Even people who say they “can’t relax” often find themselves watching the flames like it’s the most important show in the world. That pull isn’t just nostalgia or decoration. Firelight taps into deep parts of human attention, emotion, and social life. It also fits neatly into modern
Snow phrases stick because they do two jobs at once. They describe something physical (cold, bright, heavy, blinding) and they make a point about people (calm, chaos, luck, danger, effort). Once a phrase proves useful, it spreads. It gets quoted in newspapers, reused in movies, and passed along at kitchen tables. Over time, the original context fades, but the expression stays. Why snow makes such good language Snow is dramatic. It changes how streets look, how sound carries, how people move,
On January 12, 2010, a powerful earthquake struck Haiti, collapsing buildings across Port-au-Prince and nearby towns and killing large numbers of people. It mattered immediately because it overwhelmed a country with limited infrastructure and emergency capacity, turning a natural disaster into a long humanitarian crisis. It still matters today because it reshaped Haiti’s politics, public health, and economy, and it changed how the world talks about disaster response—highlighting th
ALTON — SCI Engineering has made significant progress this week in draining a sinkhole that formed beneath the soccer field at Gordon Moore Park, officials said. The collapse, which began on June 26, 2024, occurred above a mine operated by New Frontier Materials beneath the field. Doug Booten provided drone photographs documenting the work at the sinkhole. The city of Alton hired SCI Engineering as an independent consultant to investigate the sinkhole. Thomas Casey of SCI is overseeing
SWANSEA — The Illinois State Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred early Sunday morning, Jan. 11, 2026, in Swansea. At approximately 7:15 a.m. on January 11, 2026, St. Clair County deputies responded to a report of a domestic incident where a subject was possibly stabbed. While en route, deputies received information about a person walking in the roadway with a firearm near the residence. Deputies encountered the individual in the 2800 block of Collinsville
SAINT LOUIS - A new treatment for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder is bringing hope to local patients. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a relatively new treatment offered by Precision TMS. Located in Creve Coeur, Mo., Precision TMS provides TMS and intranasal ketamine treatments to manage depression. Founder Tom Malone and client Jake Lloyd shared the benefits of TMS and how it can help local community members. “It’s like ‘The Wizard of Oz,’
On January 10, 1920, the Treaty of Versailles officially took effect, bringing World War I’s peace settlement into force and setting new rules for how Europe would be organized after the war. At the time, it mattered because it confirmed Germany’s defeat, reshaped borders, created new states, and established the League of Nations in the hope that future wars could be prevented through diplomacy. It still matters today because many of the treaty’s choices—about territory,
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Todd Young (R-IN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI.), Ted Budd (R-NC), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) to introduce the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act . The bipartisan legislation would accelerate quantum technology development and real-world applications that are vital to U.S. national
ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis region further solidified its standing as a premier national and global freight hub in 2025, propelled by continuing infrastructure investments, robust industrial expansion and collaborative workforce initiatives. The St. Louis Regional Freightway’s annual compilation summarizes the year’s most significant milestones, which have advanced the region’s multimodal connectivity, expanded its industrial real estate pipeline, and supported growth of the
HAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State University recognized approximately 981 graduates during its fall 2025 commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12-13, at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. Graduates who requested privacy are included in the count but omitted from this listing. Students are listed by their hometown, degree, and major. HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, DEGREE, MAJOR/CONCENTRATION Godfrey, IL Brittany Ritter, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
“The first injury due to the vogue of the Charleston” was reported in the Alton Evening Telegraph on January 4, 1926. The previous Saturday evening (January 2), Miss Mildred Volz of Wood River suffered a dislocation of the kneecap while dancing at the Valley Park dancing pavilion. The injury locked the knee joint and prevented all knee movement. Volz was driven to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Alton by automobile, and then, after being checked there, was taken home. “It
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Will Chamberlain, a senior counsel at the right-wing Article III Project, in today’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights hearing. Durbin questioned Mr. Chamberlain about condemning political violence. In September, Mr. Chamberlain posted on X: “I’m fine with a living Constitution at the moment,
ST. LOUIS - Ameren is reminding residential customers across Missouri and Illinois that a wide range of resources remain available to support qualifying households with their energy bills in 2026. In addition to programs funded by the company, Ameren partners with United Way of Greater St. Louis, the Energy Assistance Foundation and hundreds of Community Action Agencies to ensure customers can apply for funds, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). "As we start
EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will reopen its Centralized Enrollment Services, a convenient one-stop option for students to finalize enrollment and get connected before classes begin. Dedicated SIUE staff will be stationed in Morris University Center (MUC) to offer support to ensure the continued academic success of the record number of enrolled students for academic year 2025-26. From Thursday, Jan. 8 through Wednesday, Jan. 14, including weekend hours on both
CASEYVILLE - Caseyville Police Department welcomed Officer Michael Price to its ranks on Jan. 5, 2026, marking the start of his training at the Police Academy. Price brings nine years of service experience from the U.S. Navy, where he was assigned to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). The department expressed enthusiasm about Price joining the team, highlighting the valuable experience and dedication he offers. "We’re excited to have him on board and look forward to
BUZZ MAGAZINE – The Rose Bowl is the oldest bowl game of all, and many college football fans think it is the greatest. A Macoupin County man was a star of that game in 1957. Don Dobrino, who became a high school coaching legend at both Gillespie and Mount Olive, played a pivotal role in helping Iowa run past Oregon State 35-19 in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day 1957. It was the final game for Dobrino in a standout career with the Hawkeyes. Before that, Dobrino was one of the top
A recent Consumer Reports investigation has found that many protein powders and shakes contain troubling amounts of lead. A study of 23 protein products suggested that many powders could have risk due to lead contamination. The experts reviewed dairy, beef and plant-based protein supplements, including powders and ready-to-drink shakes. Testing showed that plant-based and chocolate flavors had the highest lead levels. Dairy-based options typically had lower lead levels but were not completely
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