Area News

This February, the United States tradition of recognizing Black history during the second month of the year turns 100 years old. In 1926, historian and educator Carter G. Woodson, Ph.D., founded Negro History Week to celebrate African American achievements on a national scale. Decades later, educators proposed expanding the week to Black History Month, which…

  Southern Illinois University Carbondale has the top online MBA program in Illinois, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 online program rankings released Tuesday, Jan. 27. The program earned the No. 1 spot in Illinois, among 14 programs, and is ranked 127th in the United States. “Being recognized by U.S. News among the nation’s Best…

  In cancer care, early detection helps save lives, with delays in diagnosis and treatment which can potentially lead to significant negative impacts on patient outcomes. With the objective to accelerate cancer detection and care for the Riverbend region, the OSF Moeller Cancer Center is launching a new Rapid Diagnostic Clinic (RDC), a specialized service…

  Fairmount Park continues improvements, renovations in 2026 Fairmount Park Casino & Racing saw a plethora of upgrades in 2025 under new ownership, Accel Entertainment, and they aren’t slowing down anytime soon in 2026. In the new year, Fairmount Park General Manager Vince Gabbert plans to keep expanding offerings in all aspects, including the on-track…

State Senator Christopher Belt helped secure a $990,000 state grant through the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program for R3 Development in East St. Louis and Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville. “We want to make sure that people in our community have real access to the construction trades and the good-paying jobs that come with them,” said…

Alton Mayor David Goins to keynote Lewis and Clark Community College will host “I Have a Dream,” From Vision to Success, A Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., Wednesday, Feb. 4, in The Commons on its Godfrey campus starting at 12:30 p.m. The free, public event will honor the life, legacy, and vision of Dr.…

  Helmkamp Construction Co., alongside EPCM partner Graycor Construction Company, recently celebrated a major construction milestone at Wieland’s East Alton expansion with a topping-out ceremony marking the placement of the final structural beam on the new main building facing Route 3. The ceremony highlights the progress of the 387,000 sq. ft. building visible along the…

Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute will host two virtual events over the next week that examine today’s tumultuous global landscape. Emma Ashford, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center — a Washington, D.C. think tank — will join John Shaw, institute director, at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, to discuss the nation’s foreign…

Madison County Clerk & Recorder’s Offices are introducing “TextMyGov” while further noting it as a convenient and smart text messaging service. This service will enable residents to effortlessly receive important notifications and easily find specific information by texting the offices directly. “We will officially launch the new text messaging system to the public on February…