Lawsuit alleges St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department coerced false confession
A lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court accusing members of the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department of using coercive tactics to get a false confession from a then 17-year-old with an IQ of 60. Trevon M. Yates, 18, of East St. Louis was taken into custody on Aug. 28, 2013 for questioning about an […]
Read More →Zero tolerance approach for drunk drivers over Labor Day holiday weekend
The Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and hundreds of municipal and county police departments across the state announced today a zero tolerance approach for drunk and drug-impaired driving as part of the Labor Day holiday weekend “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. The Collinsville Police department began enforcing DUI, seatbelt, and […]
Read More →$1 million lotto ticket sold in Granite City soon after Collinsville woman claims $750,000
A Florissant, Mo. man recently claimed his $1 million Powerball prize less than a month after a Collinsville woman cashed in on a $750,000 winner. Ron Bryant bought his winning ticket, which matched the first five numbers of the Aug. 2 Powerball winning numbers, at Super One Stop, 3301 West Chain of Rocks Road in […]
Read More →Gunshots in Collinsville don’t end well for convicted felon, fugitive
Reports of shots fired early Tuesday morning in the Northgate Housing Complex near Burlington Drive and Vandalia Street in Collinsville led to the arrests of two men. Collinsville Police officers investigating in the 60th block of Burlington Street in Collinsville found Charlie D. “Unc” Johnson, 36, of Venice. Johnson was arrested in relation to an […]
Read More →Collinsville carjacking fugitive captured
The Collinsville Police Department arrested a Venice, Ill. man in the early morning hours Tuesday morning in connection with an Aug. 2 car hijacking. While responding to another matter in the 60th block of Burlington in Collinsville, at 4:50 a.m. Tuesday morning, Charlie D. Johnson, 36, was taken into custody. At the time of the […]
Read More →Fairness for Fairmount continues fight to bring gaming to Fairmount Race Track
On a recent evening about 15 people gathered in the Collinsville Township Senior Center to discuss how they can help save Fairmount Race Track. Spearheaded by the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce, those gathered for the Fairness for Fairmount meeting included officials from the City of Collinsville and Collinsville Township, horse owners and concerned citizens. For […]
Read More →State to host medical cannabis town hall meeting in Collinsville Thursday
Eight months after the Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act went into effect and eight months before the first dispensaries are expected to open, the State of Illinois is hosting three town hall meetings to answer questions about the program. Collinsville will host the first town hall, at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 14 […]
Read More →Collinsville considered as possible site for medical cannabis dispensary
A group interested in opening a cannabis dispensary in Collinsville approached the City last month to initiate discussions, officials have confirmed. The discussions are in the very early stages, City Manager Scott Williams said. “We have had preliminary discussions with a vendor who contacted us,” Williams said. “We responded to questions about zoning and licensing.” […]
Read More →Collinsville hijacking suspect nabbed, police searching for accomplice
Police are searching for a man considered armed and dangerous, who allegedly helped rob a Collinsville woman and hijack her car. Collinsville Police were called to the 700 block of Illinois at 6:15 a.m. on Aug. 2 for a report of an armed robbery. The victim said an African-American male approached her and displayed a […]
Read More →Prenzler responds to allegations about his day care business
Marleen Suarez, candidate for Madison County Treasurer, released a statement Monday criticizing the history of failed inspections at a St. Louis day care owned by current treasurer, Kurt Prenzler. “While Mr. Prenzler is running around other counties warning of ‘patterns’ in his slander of innocent public servants, he failed to correct alarming problems in his […]
Read More →Local Christian school opens doors to high schoolers
The 2014-2015 school year will be Legacy Christian Academy’s 21st, and its first year as a high school. The school on 2nd Street in Caseyville will have only a freshman class this school year, with another grade level added each of the next three years, Principal Anita Gajewski said. The school that started with four […]
Read More →Madison County Treasurer’s employees at center of complaint get big raises
Madison County Treasurer Kurt Prenzler put his words to action when he recently gave large raises to two office employees accused of taking part in politically motivated work on taxpayer time. Prenzler told The Metro Independent on June 3 that work done by an employee in his office to assist with the investigation of St. […]
Read More →Fredbird, fate and local businesses play big role in childhood cancer fundraiser
Other than eating and getting in trouble, few 7-year-old boys remain dedicated to a cause for the next nine years. When Collinsville’s Bryce Kelly sets up his Alex’s Lemonade Stand Friday and Saturday, it will be the ninth straight year the 16-year-old has hosted the childhood cancer fundraiser. What started out as just a lemonade […]
Read More →Talk of Oscar Mayer buying the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle may be premature
When a media report surface Tuesday of Oscar Mayer’s potential interest in purchasing the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle, Collinsville hearts were set aflutter. Thoughts of dousing their Oscar Mayer hotdogs with horseradish sauce and Brooks Tangy Catsup, all with a Collinsville connection, began dancing in the heads of those living in the lengthy shadow of […]
Read More →Collinsville assistant police chief to take position at LU-Belleville
Recently returned from the FBI National Academy and happy with his job as assistant police chief for the Collinsville Police Department, Tom Coppotelli was not looking for another career. Lindenwood University – Belleville, though, had other plans for him. The 11-year-old university has grown from an extension of the St. Charles, Mo. location to a […]
Read More →Two women face charges following bar fight
A Glen Carbon woman faces felony charges after allegedly fighting with a female bartender and pushing the elderly bar owner to the ground. The Madison County Sheriff’s Department arrived at the 3100 block of Fairmont Avenue in State Park at approximately 2:11 a.m. Monday, to find an apparently intoxicated Jodi R. Limper, police said. The […]
Read More →Winner yet to claim $750,000 lottery prize sold at Collinsville Circle K
In “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” strange things were afoot at the Circle K. In Collinsville, big lottery winnings are afoot at the Circle K. The $750,000 grand-prize winning ticket in Saturday’s Lucky Day Lotto drawing was sold at the gas station and convenience store at 2233 Vandalia. The winner, Illinois Lottery officials say, has […]
Read More →Madison County Board supports high-speed rail route bypassing East St. Louis
The Madison County Board unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday in support of one of two routes being considered as the final leg of the Chicago to St. Louis high-speed rail connection. The route would cross the Mississippi River at the Merchant’s Bridge in Madison and continue east of the river into St. Louis. The city […]
Read More →$50,000 donation gives Big Brothers Big Sisters much needed financial boost
A recent $50,000 donation from Ameren Illinois to Big Brothers Big Sister gave the agency a much needed infusion of money. In a climate of dwindling federal funding for non-profit organizations, and virtually non-existent funds from the State of Illinois, donations from corporations and individuals are very important, said Barbara Cempura, President and CEO of […]
Read More →Energy assistance program available for low-income Madison County residents
Financial assistance with electric service is now available for low-income households in Madison County. Applications for the Madison County Summer Energy Assistance Program are now being accepted at seven locations, listed below, Madison County Chairman Alan Dunstan announced today. To be eligible, low-income households must meet one of several criteria. A member of the household […]
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