The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today it is fully adopting updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) masking recommendations to protect against COVID-19 and the Delta variant.  CDC recommends that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, wear a mask in public indoor setting in areas with substantial and high transmission.  CDC is…

By Charlie Feldman [email protected] A sizeable crowd watched the  Triad School Board approve the district’s Return to Learn Health and Wellness Plan at its Monday, July 26 meeting.  And some left looking dissatisfied at the result. The meeting place was changed from the central office building to Silver Creek Elementary School to accommodate a larger…

By Stephanie Malench [email protected] The Madison County Board of Health, which is made up of all the members of the County board members but is a separate governing body, held a special meeting before its regular meeting on July 21 to pass a resolution encouraging personal choice relating to masks in schools. Mike Walters (R-Godfrey)…

By Charlie Feldman [email protected] Triad’s Return to Learn plan will promote strategies to reduce the risk and likelihood of COVID-19 spread in our schools. It’s being developed after consultation with many stakeholder groups.  When completed, it will be located on the District’s web site and the public will be given the opportunity to comment on…

By Stephanie Malench [email protected] The Collinsville School District released its 2021-22 Return to Learn Plan on the district website on July 23. The Plan is a requirement of the American Rescue Plan Act and was “developed in accordance with the ARP Act and the Illinois State Superintendent of Education declaration of July 9, 2021; is…

Major Jeff Connor, Madison County Deputy Sheriff and Commander of the Cross-River Crime Force, announced that the task force successfully deployed its first detail last week. On Friday, July 16, 29 police officers from 12 Madison County law enforcement agencies responded to this detail. Over the six hours of this deployment, task force officers and…

The U.S. Department of Justice today launched five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Leveraging existing resources, the regional strike forces will better ensure sustained and focused coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities,…

Residents who represent themselves in legal proceedings could soon receive assistance from the Madison County Circuit Clerk’s Office. “The court system can be very intimidating and time consuming, especially for those who choose to represent themselves rather than retaining a lawyer,” Circuit Clerk Tom McRae said. “Recently grant money became available to assist self-represented litigants…

By Stephanie Malench [email protected] The Collinsville Unit 10 School Board held its first public hearing at Caseyville Elementary School in requirement of applying ESSER III funds for the construction of a new Caseyville Elementary School. Caseyville Elementary School, built in 1935, is the second oldest elementary school in the district and has been expanded three…