Illinois State Police arrested Alorton Mayor Jo Ann Reed following a grand jury Indictment for felony official misconduct/performance of a forbidden act, a Dec. 16 posting on the Edgar County Watchdogs' (ECW) website said.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and local government organizations throughout the Metro East region recently completed a used tire removal project that cleared approximately 23,000 tires from the area, an IEPA release said.

Alton will provide a one-time leaf vacuuming service for residents on weekdays throughout the month of December, barring any inclement weather.

East St. Louis’ Join Hands Advocacy Project was one of four finalists honored by Gov. Bruce Rauner at the recent Governor’s Hometown Awards ceremony at the Old State Capitol in Springfield.

Monica Bristow, president of the RiverBend Growth Association, will vie against Republican Mike Babcock for the House District 111 seat being vacated by Rep. Daniel Beiser (D-Alton), who is retiring at the end of his current term.

Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Serve Illinois Commission recently honored the Monroe County House of Neighborly Service in Waterloo at the Governor’s Hometown Awards ceremony in Springfield.

A project to better link America’s Central Port in Granite City with national freight transportation will receive the majority of its funding from a federal grant recently announced by Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL), according to a press release.

A recently opened Regional Multimodal Transportation Center in Alton will offer easier travel connections and promote future economic development in the area, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC) will now offer training on tank trailers thanks to the donation of a trailer by Werts Welding and Tank Service of Wood River, according to a press release.

A power outage forced the temporary closure of the Madison County Criminal Justice Center in Edwardsville on Friday, Sept. 15, according to a press release.

Edwardsville is preparing a proposal to entice Amazon to build its second headquarters in the city, according to the Belleville News-Democrat (BND).

Wolf Branch Middle School students are being moved indefinitely to the Wolf Branch School District’s elementary school in Swansea following mine subsidence damage, according to the Belleville News-Democrat (BND).

Three Collinsville residents facing charges of ordinance violations have filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the city is using the violations to punish them for speaking out at public meetings, according to the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW).

Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti and Joe Beyer, acting director of the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), toured Venice's Becker Iron & Metal recently and cheered its workers in recognition of Labor Day, according to a press release.

Mike Babcock wants to prevent another state income tax increase like that imposed this summer, and he knows one way to help accomplish that goal: Replace Rep. Dan Beiser (D-Alton) in the 111th House District.

Fourteen Madison County college students recently received scholarships totaling $10,500 through the 2017 Community Service Block Grant Scholarship administered by Madison County Community Development, according to a press release.

All state employees will undergo cyber security training on an annual basis under a measure Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law recently, according to a press release from chief co-sponsor Rep. Bob Pritchard (R-Hinckley).

More than 350 seniors came out for a recent senior fair in DeKalb hosted by Rep. Bob Pritchard (R- Hinckley) and Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford), according to a rpress elease from Pritchard.

Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) has earned the 2017 Public Service Award from the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives for his efforts in the rural electrification program, according to a press release.

Rep. Bob Pritchard (R-Sycamore) says it's time to go back to the chalkboard on state public school funding.