Area News

Scott Air Force Base — A former airman stationed at Scott Air Force Base has pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually exploiting minors and distributing child sexual abuse material. Michael E. McCay, 32, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography, according…

Mascoutah – The future of the Leu Civic Center has emerged as one of the most significant facility and policy questions facing Mascoutah in years, touching on public safety planning, building conditions, disability access, financial responsibility and the long-term role of the nonprofit organization that has operated at the site for decades. A broad examination…

By Zachary Daum [email protected] A trash truck fire in Mascoutah was safely handled Monday, Jan. 5, at approximately 2:30 p.m., with no injuries reported and no complications during the response. According to Ryan Haas, Assistant Fire Chief for the Mascoutah Fire Department, the incident began when a garbage truck driver stopped to service a dumpster…

MASCOUTAH – Mascoutah Community Unit School District 19 has been named a 2026 National District of Distinction finalist by the District Administration Leadership Association, earning national recognition for its work in community and family engagement. While the district was not selected as the overall District of Distinction winner, district officials said being named a finalist…

By Zachary Daum [email protected] Craig Norrenberns, owner of Betty Ann Market in Mascoutah and Red Bud/Millstadt IGA, has expanded his independent grocery operation with the recent purchase of Tru-Buy in Highland, a store long operated by the Gutzler family. The acquisition, finalized shortly before Thanksgiving, brings the Highland grocery at 610 Broadway into Norrenberns’ family…

By Zachary Daum [email protected] For more than twenty five years, morning radio in Clinton County has carried the familiar voice of Scott Patric. He first came to WCXO 96.7 FM in 1999, when the station launched. At the time he expected it would be temporary. “I planned a two year, three year plan tops,” he…

By Zachary Daum [email protected] Customers of Betty Ann Market, both new and old, now have a new reason to stop in. The store has launched a full sushi selection made fresh on site through a partnership with Sushilay, a retail sushi company operated by founder and CEO William Sang. Sang, who has spent fifteen years…

By Zachary Daum [email protected] Mascoutah lost one of its most devoted caretakers of local history and community spirit this fall. Yet for those who knew Roger L. Grodeon, his life is far larger than the quiet note of his passing. It lives on in stories, kindness, music, preservation work and the friendships he sustained for…

By Zachary Daum [email protected] The future of the Leu Civic Center drew heavy focus last week at the Nov. 17 Mascoutah City Council meeting, where a wide-ranging discussion raised new questions about the center’s long-term place in the community. What began as a routine miscellaneous agenda item quickly escalated into a broad debate over the…

MASCOUTAH — After more than three months on strike, approximately 3,200 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 (IAM 837) voted Thursday to ratify a new contract with Boeing, ending the strike that began August 4, 2025. The union members will begin returning to work Sunday, November 16. The walkout…