GRANITE CITY – A remarkable 150 band students from Coolidge Junior High School and Grigsby Intermediate School recently showcased their musical talents at the Illinois Grade School Music Association (IGSMA) State Solo/Ensemble Contest held March 1 at Coolidge. This prestigious event has been hosted at Coolidge for the past 15 years and continues to be a highlight for young musicians in the region. Of the 150 students who participated, an impressive 132 received an Excellent or Superior rating, demonstrating their dedication, hard work, and musical growth. These talented students spent three months diligently preparing their solos, culminating in outstanding performances at the contest. The IGSMA State Solo/Ensemble Contest provides students with a platform to refine their musical skills and gain valuable performance experience. The continued success of Granite City’s band students is a testament to the strength of the district’s music program and the unwavering
EAST ALTON – Each year, volunteers across Illinois contribute to monitoring water quality through Illinois RiverWatch. Training will be held in April and May, providing community members with the skills to collect data and assess the health of local streams. RiverWatch, a community science program, is coordinated by the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) at Lewis and Clark Community College. Each spring, RiverWatch offers workshops where volunteers learn to collect and identify stream macroinvertebrates (water bugs) and describe the physical condition of the stream habitat. “Macroinvertebrates is just a fancy word for water bugs,” Riverwatch Volunteer Coordinator Hannah Griffis said. “Many people do not pay attention to these small animals living in our streams, but they are affected by pollution and habitat changes. By collecting a sample of them, we can use them as bioindicators to assess the quality of the stream they live in.”
As the National Weather Service works to finalize a total count of tornadoes that tore through the St. Louis region Friday evening, there's one that notably stands out for its impacts in St. Louis County.
ALTON – Newly filed court documents shine new light on a recent case of aggravated robbery at the Puff Zone Smoke Shop in Alton. Nicholas E. Apel, 24, of Alton, was charged on March 17, 2025 with a Class 1 felony count of aggravated robbery. On March 13, he allegedly stole property from Puff Zone by indicating he was armed with a firearm and threatening the use of force. A petition was filed to deny Apel’s pretrial release which adds more context surrounding the incident. According to the petition, officers responded to Puff Zone after an employee reported the robbery. “Officers contacted store employee who provided that defendant entered store and demanded products,” the petition states. “Defendant brandished what she believed to be a firearm. Defendant took various products and fled the store.” After reviewing the store’s surveillance footage, officers found Apel in the area and placed him under arrest. “Defendant was interviewed
WOOD RIVER – Four local wrestlers were honored on Monday night, March 17, 2025, for their outstanding athletic performances in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state championship. Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup presented the wrestlers with Certificates of Recognition at this week’s City Council meeting. First was Drake Champlin , a senior at East Alton-Wood River High School and a wrestler for the Oilers. Mayor Stalcup said Champlin has earned several accolades competing in the 215-pound weight class, including first place at the Civic Memorial and Mascoutah tournaments, the Rochester invitational, the IHSA sectionals, the IHSA state tournament, and many other matchups. Champlin boasts an impressive win-loss record of 43-1. Next was Freshman Chloe Skiles of the Roxana High School Shells. Among her many athletic achievements listed by Mayor Stalcup were her first-place ranking at the Wonder Women girls wrestling tournament , earning her the 105-pound division
The Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary celebration continues with an upcoming exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, highlighting the iconic music moments from the show.SNL:…
GODFREY - In the race for mayor of Godfrey - we have a clear choice of candidates - and the best choice is Mayor Mike McCormick. Mayor McCormick is the only candidate in this race who opposed the pay raise for mayor. In fact, one of his opponents signed Mayor McCormick’s petition, then voted for the pay raise and once it passed the Village Board, and took out his own petition to run for Mayor. Mayor McCormick is a full-time mayor. Walk into the Village Hall and you are likely to see the Mayor sitting right out in front ready to help. Mayor McCormick has a record of accomplishments in Godfrey that is as impressive as it is long. Some of the highlights are the great park system, the improvement of the roads, the addition of great local businesses, and his creative approach to the pandemic which kept local businesses open while benefitting families. And to his credit - all this has been done while keeping Godfrey’s municipal tax rate the lowest in the country with no municipal
On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, the two finalists to be St. Louis mayor face off in a heated joint appearance. STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann posed questions to St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Alderwoman Cara Spencer on the future of the city — and some of its shorter term concerns.
Support us on Patreon » We recently announced the launch of Otherwise Objectionable, a brand new documentary podcast hosted by Mike in partnership with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, covering the history — and the vital importance — of Section 230. This week, we’re featuring the entire debut episode right here on the Techdirt Podcast. Check it […]
Most St. Louis County homes would sell for more today than they would have two years ago, continuing a trend of rising property values, according to data released by the St. Louis County assessor.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday refused to provide further details about deportation flights that were in flight when a federal judge issued an order blocking the invocation of the wartime law used to authorize the removals. In new court filings, the Department of Justice said two deportation flights to El Salvador […]
Two young hitters, Victor Scott II and Luken Baker, are turning heads with their bats this spring. Both are making a compelling case to break camp with the St. Louis Cardinals' big-league club, even with stiff competition up top.
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