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On April 5, 1722, Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen sighted a remote, triangular island in the southeastern Pacific—Rapa Nui, known to Europeans as Easter Island. The encounter mattered because it pulled one of the world’s most isolated inhabited places into the growing web of global sea travel and imperial competition. For Europeans, it expanded maps and ambitions across the Pacific. For the Rapa Nui people, it marked the start of a long, uneven relationship with outsiders that would

SPRINGFIELD – For the third year, the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) will recognize “30 Days of Public Health” throughout the month of April. The initiative is designed to raise awareness of the role public health plays in keeping all Illinois communities healthy and safe. The April observance expands National Public Health Week into a month-long effort and coincides with National Minority Health Month, highlighting the importance of advancing health equity and showcasing

GODFREY - Vitality Women’s Clinic will host their annual fundraising dinner next weekend, but their work continues all year long. On Friday, April 10, 2026, community members can attend the banquet at Lewis and Clark Community College to raise money for Vitality. Executive Director Jackie Duty and Patient Services Coordinator Stephanie Stupperich shared that Vitality aims to help individuals experiencing unplanned pregnancies make the choice that is right for them. “Fear of

SPRINGFIELD, IL. - The next two weeks will see a flurry of action on hundreds of bills that have advanced to the House floor, with many debates and votes being taken. Below I highlight a couple of bills I passed out of committee that should receive a House vote before the Third Reading Deadline. There’s an old saying around the Capitol that a bad bill is never truly dead. Once again, the gun grabbers in the Democrat majority attempted to push through several anti-Second Amendment bills

ALTON - Emily Taft, field secretary for the Illinois League of Women Voters, visited Alton on March 31, 1926, and met with a number of local women. The annual meeting of the National League of Women Voters was scheduled for April 14 – 21, 1926, in St. Louis. Many Alton women belonged to the state organization and planned to attend the national convention, so Taft’s visit to Alton was to coordinate those plans and encourage attendance at the convention. “The purpose of the

SPRINGFIELD – The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence ( NCADD ) sponsors Alcohol Awareness Month every April to “increase public awareness, provide education, and advocate for effective prevention, treatment, and recovery services to support individuals and communities affected by substance use issues.” This month recognizes individuals struggling with alcoholism and the negative effects of alcohol. It also aims to raise awareness and eliminate harmful stigmas

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police are investigating a wrong-way, head-on crash late Friday, April 3, 2026, on Lewis & Clark Boulevard near Highway 67 that killed a 23-year-old woman and injured four others. Detectives are asking witnesses to come forward. The crash happened at 10:44 p.m. Friday, April 3, in the northbound lanes of Lewis & Clark Boulevard near Highway 67 in St. Louis County, Missouri, according to St. Louis Police. Officers from the St. Louis County Police Department’s

Letter To The Editor: I am Sergeant Ferguson with the Alton Police Department. We have participated in this event for the past 35 years and are trying to inform local businesses and citizens who might be interested in attending a baseball game. This is the first year we are reaching out to local businesses to see if they would like to donate tickets that could be given to Alton School District children and their families to enjoy with us. I have attached the community partner request (for businesse

ALTON - Dennis “Denny” Stanford of OSF HealthCare was recognized with the Lifetime Legacy Award on Friday, April 3, 2026, in Alton, where the Alton Police Department and Alton Fire Department honored him for more than 50 years of service to the community and the regional emergency services system. Stanford is a definite Difference Maker in his community. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford and Fire Chief Jesse Jemison presented the award to Stanford, citing his work as an Emergency Medica

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Metropolitan Police said officers have taken 45-year-old Demetrius Ingram into custody after he was wanted in connection with the shooting at a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer around 10 p.m. Monday, March 30, 2026, in the 3200 block of South Kingshighway. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said Ingram was located in a garage on Lawn Avenue near Fyler Avenue on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and that a firearm was recovered. St. Louis Metropolitan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) introduced new bipartisan legislation to ensure all of the U.S. Department of State’s foreign Embassies, Consulates and Chief of Mission Residences meet federal accessibility guidelines. The bipartisan Inspector General Accessibility Reporting Act would create a regular opportunity for oversight and improve visibility into structural barriers that limit accessibility by adding to regularly scheduled inspections

CHICAGO – April is Safe Digging Month in Illinois. With temperatures starting to rise, the annual proclamation from Governor JB Pritzker is a reminder to all professional excavators and homeowners to call 811 to locate and mark utility lines for free before starting any digging project. “Before a shovel hits the dirt, call 811 to have utility lines marked. Hitting utility lines can cause service outages and even lead to injury or death. Stay safe and remember there’s no project

CHICAGO – In just the first quarter of 2026, a growing list of global companies are choosing Illinois to invest, expand, and create jobs—driving early-year momentum that has is already outpacing total job creation commitments in recent years. Companies participating in the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program have committed to creating nearly 4,000 jobs and nearly $2.5 billion in committed investments so far this year, exceeding the total number of jobs committed

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced nearly $950,000 will be returned to Illinois investors as part of a $19 million multi-state settlement involving five major brokerage firms accused of charging unfair fees on small stock trades. The firms – Edward Jones, LPL Financial, RBC, Stifel and TD Ameritrade – were found by regulators in multiple states to have charged unreasonably high commissions on small-dollar trades during a five-year period,

ALTON - Marquette Catholic High School students will bring the “Peanuts” gang to the stage in Alton later this month, presenting “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” April 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. and April 19, 2026, at 2 p.m. in Alton, Illinois. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for youth. The production involves 26 students as actors and crew, according to Madison Foreman, Marquette Catholic High School’s theater and music director. “At its core, the show

SPRINGFIELD, IL. - State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) says his bill, House Bill 4243 , will improve working conditions for pharmacies across Illinois and provide customers with better service. Schmidt says there is a shortage of pharmacists, particularly in rural areas, which creates high stress in staff and a higher error rate on fulfilling customer requests. “The purpose of my bill is to ensure all pharmacies in Illinois have adequate staffing to ensure safe practice tha

ST. LOUIS — The American Red Cross asks people to help patients in need by making an appointment to give blood or platelets now. Donors of all blood types remain critical to keeping momentum up and the blood supply stable as spring begins. We’re joining forces with positive lifestyle brand Life is Good to invite donors to show the power of doing good by giving blood. Those who come to give blood or platelets March 30-April 12, 2026, will get an exclusive Red Cross x Life is Good

ALTON - The City of Alton is considering legislation to significantly restructure how municipal Hotel Room Tax and Food & Beverage Sales Tax revenues are allocated, shifting a larger share of funding toward riverfront improvements, beautification projects, recreational and educational development, and broader economic development initiatives. The proposal reduces the portion of both taxes currently directed to the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau (GRRTB). It reallocates those funds to support

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County released a Critical Incident Briefing video Thursday about an officer-involved shooting that occurred Feb. 20 in Overland, Missouri, where police say a 71-year-old man was later found dead inside a residence after officers responded to an assault call. The Critical Incident Briefing video for the officer-involved shooting that occurred on February 20, 2026, in Overland, Missouri, can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/zYBHbqJ4h3A According to

On April 3, 1948, the United States launched the European Recovery Program, better known as the Marshall Plan, a large-scale effort to help rebuild war-torn Europe after World War II. The program mattered immediately because it aimed to stabilize economies that were struggling with shortages, damaged infrastructure, and political uncertainty. It also mattered because leaders feared that desperation and instability could fuel conflict and extremism. Today, the Marshall Plan is still discussed