LATEST NEWS

Alton police were called to a crash early this morning as an SUV heading east on Broadway crossed the middle lane, left the road and slammed into the side of the Woodstock Lounge. The building, located at 638 E. Broadway, had damage to the corner as bricks from the structure...

McPike Mansion was built in 1869 by Henry Guest McPike and is located on Alby Street. The mansion sits on 15 acres and is built on the highest point in Alton, initially called Mount Lookout.

This week in Madison County, Illinois, several incidents occurred that raised concerns for public safety. A man was arrested after attempting to break into a house and providing false identification to law enforcement. Another individual was found guilty of robbing a military veteran of surgery funds after breaking into his home. A girl suffered serious eye injuries when she was shot with Orbeez pellets as part of a TikTok challenge. An Alton man was charged with arson, burglary, and assaulting a police officer for setting fire to multiple buildings. Lastly, a man pleaded guilty to a murder that occurred in Alton over a decade ago.

More than 130 students from the Granite City School District spent their Friday at Alton Square mall, getting free pairs of shoes and socks. The charity “All God’s Children Shall Have Shoes” handles this yearly event for school children in-need throughout the region. Volunteers helped the students...

This article presents a tour of three Mexican restaurants nestled in the heart of Carlinville. Have you had the chance to sample their cuisine yet? We'd love to hear your experiences! Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

It’s the day for this year’s Bethalto Spirit Victorian Christmas Walk. From 4-7pm, you can take a trip back in time, with many participants dressing up in period costume to bring the spirit of Christmas to the village. Bethalto Spirit member Kathy Wilson heads the committee that has...

EDWARDSVILLE — A jury in federal court returned a verdict Thursday in favor of Madison County in a civil lawsuit stemming from the 2018 arrest of an armed and suicidal motorist. According to a news release from the Madison’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, the traffic stop happened on Sept....

If you live in Macoupin County, Illinois and like to stay in the loop regarding all of the local high school basketball action, we've got you covered. Below, we offer all the info you need for how to watch the games today. Follow high school basketball this season on the...

Meanwhile, not one city from Illinois was in the 99th percentile of great "small" cities. Residents have been moving out of the Land of Lincoln at an incredible clip the past few years so I am sure these findings won't surprise anyone looking for more reasons to pack up and go.

Bulldogs got a big leg up in the conference standings with the win.

The 3rd annual Night of Christmas in East Alton last weekend was another success, according to one of the event organizers. Robin Carlton, the village’s Special Events Coordinator, tells The Big Z there was a lot going on last Saturday. Your browser does not support the audio element. She...

The RiverBend Growth Association has selected Jeff Lauritzen’s COUNTRY Financial office as its December 2023 Small Business of the Month award recipient. Located at 2720 Gerson Avenue in Godfrey, the insurance and financial services firm has been in business locally under the sage leadership of Financial Representative Jeff Lauritzen now for 12 years. The local office has two employees.

ALTON - Valcour Development announced late Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, that it is pleased to announce three new tenants to the Alton Circle Center Development at 1721 Homer M. Adams Parkway in Alton - Marshalls, Ulta Beauty and Five Below. Valcour said the three businesses have signed leases and will soon join the existing Big Lots, Goodwill, AT&T Store, and the brand-new Starbucks at Alton Circle Center.

Photo from Unsplash and unrelated to the city. For most people, it is a constant necessity of life to manage gas prices. The national average price for a gallon of regular-grade gas on Saturday is $3.167, a week ago the price is $3.247 , according to AAA.

At least a dozen people are without a home after a fire at an apartment building in Jerseyville, Illinois.

A Tuesday morning fire in Jerseyville has left 15 residents displaced. The fire started around 11:30am at the Jerseyville Manor Apartments. No serious injuries were reported, although a couple of residents were treated for smoke inhalation. The fire broke out in the kitchen area of a second-story apartment. The Jerseyville...

Kaylee Yates Weber and family are the new operators at The Bethalto Floor Store. The Big Z 's Alice Hulvey was there for the ribbon-cutting and spoke to Kaylee. You can listen to the conversation here:

The Southwestern Middle School basketball program features one of the top four seventh grade teams in the state. The Piasa Birds have pushed a magical 2023 season to its final day and will be competing for third place. Southwestern is 25-2 overall. Sectionals. The Piasa Birds battled their rivals, the...

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) has granted nearly $9.2 million to 44 organizations, including 21 community colleges, throughout Illinois to help address education and unemployment gaps. Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey was part of the grants, and will receive $88,000 for the objective of wrap-around support services.

The Village of Godfrey has received quite a few calls lately regarding door-to-door solicitors. We take a serious approach to solicitation, requiring individuals to apply for a solicitation permit, pay $50 for the permit and an additional $10 cash deposit for a photo I.D. badge provided by the Village, and also go through a vetting process with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. Solicitation is allowed in Godfrey between the hours of 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.