Fairview Heights approves development plan for Lotawata Creek building

The massive building that housed Lotawata Creek Southern Grill for nearly 30 years will be converted into a gas station with a convenience store, liquor store and fast-food chicken restaurant. Lotawata Creek closed last year at 311 Salem Place in Fairview Heights, near the intersection of Illinois 159 and Interstate 64. On Wednesday night, the City Council approved a site plan for the Sav-On Phillips 66 project and a special-use permit allowing a gas station in an area zoned B-4, or retail business. “This is going to be very good for the city,” said Dallas Alley, director of land use and economic development. “While we loved having Lotawata Creek, and restaurants are a great thing, that’s a very big building, and it would be very difficult to fill it with another restaurant.” The site plan shows a convenience store, Sav-On liquor store, video gambling room and Champs Chicken restaurant inside the building with Phillips 66 gas pumps and electric-vehicle charging stations outside. The restaurant will have a drive-thru window. Developers Alka and Nick Patel, of Caseyville, didn’t return calls for comment Thursday. In city paperwork, they listed 20 other businesses as examples of their ownership experience in the past 27

10 Facts About Cahokia Mounds in Illinois

Stick around until the end—one overlooked detail reveals how archaeologists know exactly what these ancient builders were thinking.

Metro East St. Louis: High Stakes in Metro East: General Election Races Decades of Dirty Sewage in Cahokia and Fatal I-255 Collision

As unofficial returns settle key leadership contests across St. Clair and Madison counties, regional focus shifts to longstanding municipal infrastructure upgrades in Cahokia Heights and urgent safety evaluations on Interstate 255 following a tragic collision. Overview: Voter turnout shaped high-stakes county board races and judicial referendums across the Metro East,...

Local Food Inspections November 2 - 6

The following food establishments were inspected by the Madison and St. Clair County Health Departments between November 2 and 6. November 2 Trackside Bar & Grill- Collinsville 10 (Pf) Handwashing sink shall be provided with paper towels, continuous towel system supplying user with clean towel, heated-air hand drying device or air-knife system Reference 6-301.12. MENS RESTROOM MISSING PAPER TOWELS. PIC ADDED PAPER TOWELS TO DISPENSER DURING INSPECTION. CORRECTED. 51 ( C) Plumbing needs repair. Repair according to Illinois and local plumbing code. Reference 5-205.15.KITCHEN HAND SINK HAS A LEAK. REPAIR OR REPLACE. November 3 SOS Soup Kitchen-First United Presbyterian Church- Collinsville 19 (P) Food was not reheated to 165F within 2 hours, before being placed in hot holding. Reference 3-403.11. ROAST BEEF WAS COOKED AND COOLED YESTERDAY. BEEF IS BEING SLICED AND PLACED IN CROCKPOTS WITHOUT REHEATING MEAT TO AT LEAST 165F FOR HOT HOLDING. CORRECTED BY PLACING MEATS IN OVEN UNTIL REACHING AT LEAST 165F. Jimmy Johns- Collinsville 16 (Pf) Food contact surfaces and utensils shall be clean to sight and touch. Wash, rinse, sanitize routinely. Reference 4-601.11. ONION SLICER STORED ON RACK FOUND STILL DIRTY. CORRECTED BY PLACING IT INTO 3C SINK TO BE PROPERLY CLEANED AND SANITIZED.

Wood River City Council asked to consider small liquor bottle ban

County Board member asks Wood River City Council to consider small liquor bottle ban

The Unassuming Bar In Illinois That People Will Happily Drive Hours To Reach

There’s a yellow brick building on a corner in Alton, Illinois that doesn’t care about your expectations, and that’s precisely why Fast Eddie’s Bon Air is worth every mile of the drive. The outside tells you everything you need to know before you even touch the...

Edwardsville Veterans Day Parade returns Nov. 11

The Madison County procession features grand marshal Kimberli Goodner, a flyover, bands and a free American Legion Post 199 afterparty.

World's Largest Catsup Bottle: Collinsville's claim to fame

Illinois Route 66: Where the Mother Road Begins

Staunton High students dismissed early Friday due to potential gas smell

Early dismissal "out of an abundance of caution," the school district posted on Facebook.

Hallmark Just Crowned the 2026 Merriest Christmas Town in America

Want to visit a place that looks plucked straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie? Head to Carlinville, Illinois. The sweet little 5,000-person (and some change) town was just crowned the winner of Hallmark Channel's inaugural Merriest Christmas Town contest. Earlier this year, the network put out the call: Which...

Blackburn Annexation Passes Maryville Village Board

The Maryville Village Board meeting opened at 6pm on November 4 with Trustee Rod Schmidt absent. The meeting began with public comments. Page Durham, a resident of Collinsville, was the first to speak, and she began by handing the board an informational flier. She came representing the Madison County Farm Bureau, a non profit representing 1,300 land owners and farmers within the county. Durham spoke on behalf of the annexation of the Regal property, which the Farm Bureau opposes for various reasons stated on her handout. The annexation itself is for the Blackburn Manor subdivision and the surrounding area. She acknowledged the annexation is working within state limits, but the bureau would like the board to adopt an agricultural zoning area for the property. Their intention is to keep farmland as farmland. Allowing the farmers to use that land as they always have. She then offered her services to the board and the staff in the creation of said agricultural zone. Dwayne Regal spoke next. His property is the one in question regarding the annexation. He isn't ready to hook up to city water yet, and he currently prefers his well water. Regal wanted to know if the annexation will

BJC, Aetna Reach 2027 Agreement For Illinois TRAIL Retirees

ST. LOUIS — Illinois state retirees enrolled in the TRAIL program through Aetna Medicare Advantage will retain in-network access to BJC HealthCare providers and hospitals in 2027 under a one-year agreement between the two organizations. This includes hospitals like Barnes-Jewish in St. Louis, where many in Illinois go for...

This Illinois City Park Becomes A Dazzling Christmas Wonderland With Millions Of Lights

Four million lights. That’s the number, and a group of retired volunteers called the Grandpa Gang puts them up by hand every single year. They start in September, long before most of us think about holiday decorations. By the day after Thanksgiving, a quiet city park in Illinois glows like a giant snow globe.

Byway Discovery Center Grand Opening

Democrats flipped a metro-east state legislature seat and could win another

Democrats flipped one metro-east state legislature seat and could get another. Marsie Geldert-Murphey defeated state Sen. Erica Harriss, R-Glen Carbon, for the 56th District in the north metro-east by 5 percentage points on Tuesday. She's one of at least four Democrats to flip Republican-held state Senate seats in Illinois. Like...

IDOT to resurface Route 162 in Troy from I-55/70 to Dewey Street next spring

Editor • While it was not contained in his bi-monthly city engineer’s report, Tom Cissell had news to share during the Nov. 2 Troy City Council meeting. “I did hear some really exciting news,” he said. “I went to the mayors’ meeting last week and the IDOT District 8 Engineer said IDOT will resurface Route 162 from the Interstate 55/70 interchange east to Dewey Street next spring.” Bid the orange pavement good-bye! Cissell estimates the current overlay was put down in 2005.

Madison County Historical Society presents ‘A Christmas Memory’ Nov. 19

• On Thursday, Nov. 19, the Madison County Historical Society (MCHS) and Alumni Players! (AP!), will offer up an evening of entertainment they hope will set the tone for the coming holiday season. The centerpiece of the evening will be a performance of “A Christmas Memory,” a short story by...

Veterans Caring for Veterans golf tournament honors local veterans

“He was very proud of his service to the Navy, very proud that he went to Vietnam and served there,” John Phillips’ brother-in-law said. “And he was a brother.”

Granite City Students Win Madison County Recycling Poster Honors

GRANITE CITY – Granite City Community Unit School District #9 is proud to announce that Granite City High School students Addison Courtney and Kylie Selph Stratton have been named winners in the Madison County Green Schools Program’s 2026 America Recycles Day Poster Contest. Courtney and Selph Stratton were...