With the start of the 2026-27 school year here, the Rockridge School District’s brand-new centralized elementary school is one year away from opening its doors at the start of next school year. The new building [FULL STORY]

The Aledo Central Park Band Shell’s summer music performances continue this weekend with 10 of Soul. 10 of Soul, a 10-piece band out of the Quad Cities that plays primarily R&B and funk, will perform [FULL STORY]

The Mercer County unemployment rate at 4.2% percent. The number is for June and compares to a 4.1% figure that was recorded the same time a year ago, according to data from the Illinois Department [FULL STORY]

A Milan man facing a first-degree murder charge in a 2024 drug-related death investigation in rural Sherrard will return to court in October. 43-year-old William DeWitt appeared in Mercer County Circuit Court on Monday, where [FULL STORY]

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed legislation into law sponsored by local State Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) dealing with SUDEP or Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. SUDEP is the unexpected death of an otherwise healthy person [FULL STORY]

Two Mercer County School District IT workers facing charges of illegally accessing students’ medical records will return to court next month. In their first court appearance since Mercer County School District Superintendent Tim Farquer was [FULL STORY]

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker recently signed legislation sponsored bylocal State Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb), which modernizes and strengthens the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act to improve resident safety, elevate professional standards, and enhance regulatory clarity across [FULL STORY]

The Mercer County Health Department is hosting a Healthy Living Fair at Aledo Central Park this week. The event is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday. The Mercer County Health Department’s Melissa Hajostek [FULL STORY]