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Man Faces Attempted Murder Charges After Shooting Three Fairview Heights Police Officers

1 month 2 weeks ago
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — A 22-year-old man has been charged in connection with a shooting that injured three Fairview Heights police officers on May 17, 2025. Elijah Thompson of Belleville faces four counts of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated battery, and one count of resisting arrest, the Saint Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Monday, May 19, 2025. The charges stem from an incident that occurred at 9:44 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2025, when Fairview Heights officers responded to a call about a suspicious person near a residence. Upon arrival, officers encountered Thompson, who opened fire, striking three officers. Thompson was taken into custody without injury, and the firearm was recovered. Fairview Heights Officer Molly Muennich was shot in the face and underwent emergency surgery. She remains in critical but stable condition. Officer Herminio Raimundi was shot in the arm and has been released from the hospital. Officer Andrew Ward was shot

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Jersey's Morgan Allen Secures State Meet Spot With Sectional High Jump Win

1 month 2 weeks ago
JERSEYVILLE - Junior Morgan Allen of Jersey Community Unit School captured the IHSA Sectional Championship in high jump at the Williamsville Sectional Meet last week, securing her place at the upcoming IHSA State Meet. Allen won the sectional high jump by clearing 5 feet, 0.5 inches. Allen is a Sparklight Female Athlete of Month for Jersey. The event took place recently at Williamsville, where Allen’s performance stood out among competitors. Peyton Zeidler of Rochester finished second with the same clearance of 5 feet, 0.5 inches, while Laetitia Kanda of Beardstown took third with the same height. Jaylin Roach of Roxana placed fourth by clearing 4 feet, 10.5 inches. Allen’s high jump season best is 5 feet, 2.25 inches. In addition to her high jump achievements, she has recorded a time of 1:07.84 in the 400 meters, a long jump best of 15 feet, 11.25 inches, and a 200-meter dash time of 28.34 seconds. Allen's victory at the sectional meet marks a significant milestone

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Alton Man Charged With Second Domestic Battery Offense, Property Damage

1 month 2 weeks ago
ALTON – An Alton man’s second case of domestic battery has resulted in two felonies after allegedly attacking the victim and damaging her vehicle. Jesse L. Johnson, 46, of Alton, was charged on May 14, 2025 with criminal damage to property and his second or subsequent offense of domestic battery (both Class 4 felonies). Between May 12-13, 2025, Johnson allegedly struck a household or family member “several times in the face with a closed fist, grabbed her arm, sprayed Febreze in her face, and slapped her with an open hand,” according to court documents. He was additionally accused of causing between $500 to $10,000 worth of damage to the “radio system, dashboard, and gear shift” of the victim’s vehicle. Johnson had previously been convicted of domestic battery in a 2017 criminal case also filed in Madison County. His latest case was presented by the Alton Police Department. While remanded to jail for his initial court appearance, Johnson

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"Keys for Kids" Dueling Pianos Event to Raise Money for Local Families During the Holidays

1 month 2 weeks ago
ALTON - Riverbend Rescue will host their Keys for Kids event to raise money for local families in need. From 7–11 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, 2025, up to 100 community members can enjoy a gourmet meal, drink tickets, raffles, networking opportunities and dueling pianos on the Simmons Hanly Conroy Building rooftop in Alton. Tickets cost $50 and all proceeds go back to Riverbend Rescue’s mission to provide gifts for kids during the holidays. “What I love about Alton is we do serve our community,” said Riverbend Rescue founder Adam Marburger. “We want to make sure we help kids at Christmas.” This year marks the second Keys for Kids event, now with a “Christmas in July” theme. Last year, they raised $20,000 at the event, and all of this money went to local families. Marburger explained that he works with the schools and Al Womack at the Alton Boys and Girls Club to identify families who could use assistance during the holidays.

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Rachel Brown Is Among Nation's Leaders In Saves For MELHS Girls Soccer Team

1 month 2 weeks ago
GLEN CARBON - Senior goalkeeper Rachel Brown was a stalwart and linchpin for the girls soccer team at Metro-East Lutheran High School during the 2025 season and Brown stood tall in goal, making 265 saves this season, which was the 11th most in the nation, according to MaxPreps, a national high school sports website. The Knights lost their IHSA Class 1A regional semifinal match 9-0 to highly touted host Father McGivney Catholic on May 16, 2025, at McGivney High School to conclude their season. However, Brown made two great saves to prevent the Griffins from scoring. It was typical of her performance in goal all season. Brown is a BJ's Printables Female Athlete of the Month for MELHS. Brown logged the most time in goal for the Knights, at 1,101 minutes, and had a goals-against average of 8.21. and a save percentage of .701. But the Knights showed resiliency all season, never backed down, and kept striving and playing hard, no matter what. In her post-match interview, Brown felt

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Madison County: Road Closure on IL 143/157  

1 month 2 weeks ago
EDWARDSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced a temporary road closure will be encountered on IL 143/157 in Edwardsville that began today, May 19, 2025. IL 143/157 (Vandalia St.) will be closed to through traffic between IL 159 (Main St.) and Buchanan St. for sanitary sewer repairs on IL 143/157. A detour will be marked utilizing IL 159 (Main St.), Schwarz St., and Buchanan St. to assist travelers around the closure. (See attached map.) All lanes will reopen as soon as possible. Pfund Construction will be making the needed repairs. Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s

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State of Illinois Marks Highest Workforce Levels Since 2008

1 month 2 weeks ago
SPRINGFIELD – Today, Illinois Central Management Services (CMS) announced that the State of Illinois has achieved historic outcomes in building up its workforce, increasing the total employee count from 50,544 in 2019 to 55,340 in 2025 – the highest number of state employees since 2008, which was 55,237 employees. These gains are driven by hiring at agencies that have historically faced challenges filling positions and that directly provide support to vulnerable Illinoisans. This includes a 44% increase in staffing at the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) and a 15% increase in direct care worker roles at the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Formerly a manual, paper-driven process plagued by outdated grading systems, the State’s hiring has undergone a transformative modernization since 2019, resulting in a more efficient and streamlined process today. "These milestones are a testament to the dedication and commitment of CMS, which has embraced

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Duckworth, Durbin Help Introduce Resolution Recognizing May as AANHPI Heritage Month

1 month 2 weeks ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) helped U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Grace Meng (D-NY-06) introduce a bicameral and bipartisan resolution to mark May 2025 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. The resolution recognizes the significant contributions that Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities have made to this country. “No matter what anyone says, AANHPI stories are the American story—from our struggles to our triumphs, our diversity has always made our nation stronger,” said Duckworth. “Every Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is an opportunity to honor the trailblazers who came before us, uplift diverse stories and celebrate our community as we continue to forge that path toward a better tomorrow where the American Dream remains within reach for

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Dr. Kumar: Identifying Suspicious Moles Is Very Important

1 month 2 weeks ago
Summer means outdoor activities and a reminder to watch for suspicious moles, a possible sign of skin cancer. But doctors say skin lesions come in many forms, and you should know when to get an expert opinion. What is and isn’t a skin lesion? Raman Kumar, MD , a colorectal and general surgeon at OSF HealthCare, has your checklist: YES: moles, blisters, bumps, acne, boils, peeling skin from a sunburn, rashes, poison ivy or similar skin reactions, warts, skin tags and bug bites YES, BUT: Dr. Kumar says freckles and birthmarks are lesions, but they are not harmful. In other words: “A skin lesion is any type of abnormal growth. It can happen anywhere on the body. If it doesn’t look like normal skin, it’s considered a growth,” Dr. Kumar says. Causes for each of these lesions vary. We know acne is due to bacteria, and warts are from a virus, for example. Medications, lifestyle choices (like eating certain food that doesn’t agree with you) and medical

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After GAO Started Investigating DOGE, DOGE Decided To ‘Investigate’ GAO

1 month 2 weeks ago
In a brazen attempt to avoid oversight, Elon Musk’s DOGE team is now trying to “audit” the very agency tasked with auditing them. On Friday, NOTUS reported that DOGE officials showed up at the Government Accountability Office — Congress’s independent watchdog — to attempt their signature hostile takeover routine. There’s just one small problem: DOGE […]
Mike Masnick

Governor Comments On Trump Administration Termination Of Digital Equity Program

1 month 2 weeks ago
CHICAGO - In mid-May, the Trump Administration, through U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), terminated the Digital Equity Capacity Program. In Illinois, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) was in the process of implementing a Digital Equity Capacity Grant under this Program. This grant would have provided more than $23.7 million to Illinois organizations across the state to equip households and residents with the skills, resources, and tools needed to use high-speed internet and fully participate in Illinois’ economy. “The internet is a key to our economy. In Illinois, we need to make sure our many rural areas have the tools they need to access the internet and the doorways it opens for jobs, education, and telemedicine,” said Governor JB Pritzker . “Instead of enabling more people to participate in our economy, Donald Trump is turning his back on rural

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