Area News
Memorial Day weekend launches Edwardsville’s season of symphony, municipal band concerts
Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to summer, will include some musical interludes, courtesy of the Edwardsville Symphony and Edwardsville Municipal Band, and serve as a kickoff to months of free symphony and band concerts in City Park in partnership with Edwardsville’s Parks & Recreation Department. The Edwardsville Symphony’s series of free monthly concerts…
Read MoreGranite City issues response plan for May 16 tornado storm recovery
On Friday, May 16, 2025, Granite City was hit by an EF-3 Tornado impacting a 2- to 3-mile area across the community causing significant neighborhood damage. “City personnel were able to mobilize quickly clearing roads, protecting the public from down powerlines and assessing the damage,” noted Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson. “We are continuing with…
Read MoreBudzinski bill to enhance VA military sexual trauma claims training clears House
On May 19, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski’s (IL-13) legislation, Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Claims Act (H.R. 2201), passed unanimously out of the full House of Representatives. Congresswoman Budzinski led this bipartisan effort with Representatives Young Kim (CA-40), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06). The bill now heads to the United States…
Read MoreResponding to Supreme Court, lawmakers look to expand lawsuit protections for press
Measure heads back to Senate for final legislative approval By BRIDGETTE FOX and UIS Public Affairs Reporting (PAR), Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers are seeking to extend lawsuit protections to regular news reports following a recent ruling by the state’s Supreme Court that allowed a defamation suit against the Chicago Sun-Times to…
Read MoreIllinois lawmakers pass bill to raise age of senior driving tests
If signed by governor, seniors won’t have to take an annual driving test until the age of 87 By JADE AUBREY and UIS Public Affairs Reporting (PAR), Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – A bill unanimously passed by the Senate on Thursday, May 22, and on its way to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk will increase…
Read MoreNTSB findings on 2023 bus crash near Highland notes driver fatigue, truck parking shortage
By MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE IBJ Managing Editor [email protected] On May 20, 2025, the National Transportation Safety Board released its final report on the July 2023 Greyhound bus crash on I-70 near Highland, Ill., which left three passengers dead and more than a dozen injured. The report’s executive summary indicated: “On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, about 1:48 a.m. central daylight time, a 2014…
Read MoreFirst Mid to host free June 5 webinar on tariffs and their economic impact
First Mid recently announced an upcoming free webinar titled Tariffs & Their Impact on the Economy, designed to help individuals and businesses better understand how trade policy shapes financial markets, supply chains, and overall economic growth. The free webinar will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. (CT) on Thursday, June 5, 2025, and is…
Read MorePMC Signs opens on Broadway as area’s brand ‘messenger’
By MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE IBJ Managing Editor [email protected] PMC Signs officially opened its new facility at 3401 E. Broadway in Alton, Ill., in April 2025. Opening the doors to its new facility in March, the company celebrated its official grand opening with a ribbon cutting and open house in April, hosted in part by the…
Read MoreVintage Voices auditions are June 7 at YWCA in Alton
The Vintage Voices committee has set an audition date for the upcoming tours in October. Auditions will be held Saturday, June 7, 2025, at YWCA Southwestern Illinois, 304 E. 3rd St., Alton, IL 62002. Actors wanting to audition should arrive anytime between 10 a.m. and 12 Noon. The cast features nine characters of various ages –…
Read MoreSummer trail closures announced on MCT Trails
Riders encouraged to check for closure updates Madison County Transit (MCT) is advising trail users of several major closures across the MCT Trails system this summer, which will impact many of the popular trail loops. Some of these closures are due to municipal utility and roadwork others are MCT initiated and are necessary to complete…
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