When Queen Elizabeth II formally opened the Sydney Opera House on Oct. 20, 1973, Australia gained more than a striking addition to its harbor skyline. It gained a performing arts center that placed music at the heart of a national landmark. The ceremony remains a defining event on a date that also brought a Halloween standard, a devastating loss for Southern rock and important new chapters for Madonna and Amy Winehouse. Looking back on Oct. 20, 2026, those milestones reveal several ways music
On October 20, 1827, British, French, and Russian warships destroyed much of an Ottoman-Egyptian fleet at the Battle of Navarino, off southwestern Greece. The battle changed the course of the Greek War of Independence by weakening the forces trying to suppress it. Although Greek independence still required further fighting and diplomacy, Navarino helped make an independent Greek state possible. Its lasting importance lies both in Greece’s emergence as a modern nation and in the way it showe
GODFREY — An empty agenda prompted the cancellation of the Godfrey Village Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, Mayor Mike McCormick and Village Clerk Jacki Clayton said today. The next regular board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, at Godfrey Village Hall. That meeting was moved from its usual first-Tuesday slot because Election Day falls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
O’FALLON, IL – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) announced she has secured $40,000 in state funding for the City of O’Fallon to support the purchase of public safety and emergency medical equipment. “Our first responders are there for us when we need them most, and it's important they have the equipment and resources to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said Senator Harriss. “I'm glad we were able to bring these dollars back to O’Fallon
EDWARDSVILLE — After two second-place finishes in consecutive weeks, the Edwardsville High School Marching Tigers will perform for the community at 8 p.m. Oct. 22 at EHS Stadium before heading to their final major competition of the season. The year-end community performance will give residents one more chance to see the band perform at home and support it ahead of the Bands of America St. Louis Super Regional Marching Championship. A bake sale fundraiser will be held in conjunction with
GODFREY – The Lewis and Clark Community College Music Department is hosting a free Halloween Bash for the community this Thursday, Oct. 22 – complete with live music and a guided ghost hunt. The event begins at 7 p.m., with different activities taking place in the Ringhausen Music Building, Gilman Hall and the Benjamin Godfrey Memorial Chapel. All three are located together on the south end of the Godfrey Campus, with parking nearby. In addition to a live performance by Silver Material
WOOD RIVER - East Alton-Wood River senior Kami Batton is being recognized for volleyball, crediting the teamwork and encouragement she has brought to her teammates since becoming a team captain as a sophomore. Batton, who plays under coach Bethany Hoyland, has participated in the sport for about three years. She said the relationships built through volleyball are what she enjoys most. Kami is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete Of The Month. “The teamwork and uplifting spirit
ALTON — Four people have been charged in the theft of a historic copper statue from an Alton church garden that police say was taken to Missouri and scrapped shortly after it disappeared Sept. 13, 2026. The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office announced felony charges Oct. 19, 2026, in the theft of the hammered copper statue of St. Francis of Assisi from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, also known as the Episcopal Parish of Alton. Police determined the artwork was scrapped
GODFREY - The Greater Godfrey Democrats have grown in the past year, and they are endorsing several candidates as the midterms approach. Mark Lorch and a few friends formed the Greater Godfrey Democrats after the 2024 election, when they were “a little shocked” to realize there were very few Democratic challengers on the local ballot. Since then, the group has worked to garner support and engage with local voters. “We know that people are wanting change,” Lorch
GRANITE CITY - Granite City School District 9 has received more than 4,500 cold-weather items, including hats and gloves, to help keep students across the district warm this winter and in years to come. The donation consisted of six pallets of gear from Aquarius, Ltd., H3 Sportgear and San Diego Hat Co., according to a district announcement. The district did not specify when the items were received. The donation has a hometown connection: Granite City native Brandy Harrison is director
MADISON COUNTY - As Election Day approaches, Madison County Clerk and Recorder candidate Rachelle Bauerle is sharing her mission with voters. The County Clerk and Recorder handles “all of your most important documentation,” Bauerle explained, from birth, death and marriage certificates to deeds and plat maps. The office also oversees elections in Madison County. Bauerle noted that her goals, if elected, are to increase the office’s visibility and act as a public servant.
GODFREY — A person was stabbed during a disturbance Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in the 400 block of Bachman Lane, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to a report of a stabbing at about 4:42 p.m. Saturday, Chief Deputy Marcos Pulido said. The victim was reported in stable condition. Law enforcement has contacted everyone involved, and they all know each other, Pulido said. The case remains under investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS — One person remained unaccounted for after an overnight fire destroyed the Fuji Super Spa Oriental Massage parlor near Cahokia Heights, where firefighters faced heavy flames, a collapsed roof, and a lack of nearby fire hydrants. The fire was reported around 3:15 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, near Old St. Louis Road in the Metro East area. Eight people were inside the building when the fire broke out, and seven were accounted for. Investigators were investigating the cause
ELSAH - A unique one-woman play will premiere for Elsah audiences this weekend. “Red Hot Patriot,” a show about Molly Ivins, will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at Farley’s Music Hall in Elsah. Played by Elsah resident Rhonda Brown, Ivins was a “famously brassy newspaper columnist” and author who wrote about politics and died in 2007. The one-woman play promises to spark powerful conversations about democracy ahead
GILLESPIE / MOUNT OLIVE — United Mine Workers of America International Secretary-Treasurer Michael Phillippi emphasized the importance of preserving labor history and carrying its lessons forward during an October 10–11 visit that included the Illinois Coal Museum at Gillespie, the Springfield Mother Jones Foundation dinner and the Miners Day observance in Mount Olive. Phillippi toured the museum on Saturday, October 10, accompanied by Scott Thomas, president of UMWA Local 1613,
“Trick or treat” sounds like a playful greeting, but it contains a bargain: give us something, and we will leave your house alone. That bargain helps explain how an activity linked to begging, disguise, and neighborhood mischief became a familiar children’s tradition. The route from prayers for the dead to bags of candy was not direct. It took centuries of changing customs—and a major reshaping in North America—to create the doorstep ritual we recognize. Before
Why People Enjoy Seasonal Rituals A chipped serving dish can matter more than the food inside it. Bring out the same dish for a familiar celebration, and it may summon a grandparent’s kitchen, a crowded table, or the feeling of being a child again. The object has not changed. What people have attached to it has. Seasonal rituals work in much the same way. Whether we light candles, prepare a special meal, visit a particular place, or hang decorations, we turn repeated actions into markers
This Day in Music History: Oct. 19 and the Records That Opened New Doors On Oct. 19, 1964, Simon & Garfunkel released “Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.,” an understated debut that introduced the original acoustic recording of “The Sound of Silence.” Its importance became clearer later: The song would help carry the duo from the folk tradition into the center of American popular music. Looking back on Oct. 19, 2026, that beginning leads a date marked by recordings that connected
This Day in History: October 19, 2026 On October 19, 1781, British forces surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending the major fighting in the American Revolutionary War. American troops led by George Washington and French forces under the Comte de Rochambeau had surrounded the British army, while a French fleet blocked escape by sea. The defeat weakened British support for continuing the war and helped open the way to recognition of American independence in 1783. Yorktown remains importan
Opinion: As sheriff of Madison County, I know how we need integrity in our court system. Because of that, I am endorsing Patrick King for our circuit judge in Madison County. “Judge Patrick King has the integrity, experience and commitment to serve our community. I am urging you to vote for Patrick King for judge in Madison County. Jeff Connor Madison County Sheriff.
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