CMG Remembers September 11th, 2001

Rock and Run For Mental Health

Illinois Route 66 Mother Road Festival

Win Tuesday Lunch Takeover with Papa John's

Friends and Neighbors Apply Now!

Upcoming Events

Sunday, September 13th- Rock and Run For Mental Health
Saturday, October 10th-11th- Carve For the Carillon

Music

20 hours ago in Entertainment, Music

Ella Langley leads Country Music Association Awards nods, with mentor Miranda Lambert close behind

Ella Langley, riding the wave of her crossover megahit "Choosin' Texas," leads the nominations for the 2026 Country Music Association Awards with nine nods, followed by her mentor Miranda Lambert with six.

7 days ago in Entertainment, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Music

‘STOMP’ coming to UIS PAC to kick off 2027

"STOMP uses everything but conventional percussion instruments."

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

Dolly Parton estate announces 2-day festival ‘Dollyfest’ to celebrate her legacy

Dolly Parton is not done yet. The estate behind the icon, who died of cancer last week at age 80, has announced Dollyfest, a two-day festival to be held in Nashville and London across two consecutive weekends in 2027.

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, IL State News, Illinois State Fair Guide, Local, Music

Dolly Parton’s central Illinois connections

From Petersburg to the Illinois State Fair to the former Assembly Hall in Champaign, "I don't think there will ever be another Dolly Parton."

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music, National

Dolly Parton, music star, actor and beloved figure who spanned generations, dies at 80

PITTSBURGH, PA - June 28, 2016 Dolly Parton performs in Pittsburgh Tuesday, June 28 at Consol Energy Center. Parton is currently, supporting the release of 'Pure & Simple with Dolly's Biggest Hits.'

Parton died peacefully Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, her publicist said in a statement.

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

Australia’s music industry bans AI-generated tracks from official charts

Australia's recorded music industry will bar tracks wholly generated by artificial intelligence from official charts as burgeoning generative technologies threaten artists' livelihoods, a representative said on Tuesday.

3 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

After losing a friend and writing ‘Say So,’ Dan + Shay are back with the autobiographical ‘Young’

The lead single from Grammy Award-winning duo Dan + Shay's forthcoming album "Young" is a hard pivot from the wedding songs that make up so much of the country pair's discography.

3 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

Frank Beard, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer of boogie-rock trio ZZ Top, dies at 77

Frank Beard, the drummer for the Texas boogie-rock trio ZZ Top who kept the tempo for the band's biggest hits like "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs" and "Gimme All Your Lovin,'" has died. He was 77.

Lifestyle

20 hours ago in Lifestyle, Trending

Girl Scouts’ first cookies for dogs will go on sale in January

Man's best friend is getting some love from the Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts of the USA said Tuesday its first cookies for dogs will go on sale in January.

2 days ago in Lifestyle, Trending

New Apple CEO unveils latest iPhone lineup, including a foldable model called Duo

Apple on Wednesday unveiled its latest generation of iPhones, including a widely anticipated foldable version called Duo.

2 days ago in Lifestyle, Local, Pet of the Week

Meet Charlette — Friends of Sangamon County Animal Control Dog of the Week

Charlette "is as sweet as can be."

2 days ago in Lifestyle

Families’ interest in their kids’ education is falling around the globe as scores drop, test shows

Families' interest in their kids' education is falling in many high-income countries as school systems struggle with plunging test scores, according to newly released results from a standardized test taken by 15-year-olds around the world.

2 days ago in IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, National, Sports

Best Chicago Bears fantasy performances of the last decade

Stacker compiled a list of the best Chicago Bears fantasy performances from 2016 to 2025

3 days ago in IL State News, Lifestyle

For scuba diving enthusiasts, Mermet Springs is ‘the best place in the Midwest’

Divers from Great American Divers in St. Charles, Missouri, practice at Mermet Springs on July 17, 2026, in Belknap, Illinois. (Peyton Cook for the Saluki Local Reporting Lab)

Thirty years ago, an Illinois Secretary of State Police DiveTeam investigator set out to turn an abandoned rock quarry into a first-class dive destination. Today, it draws hundreds to southern Illinois each year to explore what’s submerged in its crystal-clear waters.

6 days ago in Lifestyle, Local

A Cardboard Boat Regatta Sunday benefits the local Special Olympics Illinois region

Get your crafty minds ready and let's build a boat!

7 days ago in Lifestyle

Nod if you’ve heard this: Bobblehead dolls are an American favorite

Any head can bobble - entertainers, athletes, politicians, animals, fictional characters, even your own if you get one personalized. Kitschy, kind of funny, kind of clever, ubiquitous as giveaways at places like baseball games, who doesn't love a bobblehead? America most definitely does.

Features

2 weeks ago in Features

At 91, Dale ‘Grey Beard’ Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail

Dale Sanders, whose trail name is Grey Beard, first set the Appalachian Trail record in 2017 at age 82. Four years later, his 83-year-old friend M.J. Eberhart, aka Nimblewill Nomad, took the title. But within months, Sanders announced his plan for a comeback.

Entertainment News

20 hours ago in Entertainment, Music

Ella Langley leads Country Music Association Awards nods, with mentor Miranda Lambert close behind

2 days ago in Entertainment

It’s ‘Pitt’ vs ‘Pluribus’ in drama and ‘Hacks’ vs ‘Widow’s Bay’ in comedy at the upcoming Emmys

It's "The Pitt" versus "Pluribus" and "Hacks" against "Widow's Bay" at the 78th Emmy Awards on Monday night. The stars of all four shows — Noah Wyle in "The Pitt," Rhea Seehorn in "Pluribus," Jean Smart in "Hacks" and Matthew Rhys in "Widow's Bay" — look to be runaway favorites for the top acting awards.

3 days ago in Entertainment

An Elon Musk documentary and a Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem thriller premiere at Venice

A slew of high-profile films are debuting Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival, including Alex Gibney's Elon Musk documentary, a psychological thriller with Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and a drama from Casey Affleck.

7 days ago in Entertainment, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Music

‘STOMP’ coming to UIS PAC to kick off 2027

"STOMP uses everything but conventional percussion instruments."

7 days ago in Entertainment

Fall movie season has arrived. Here are 5 early Oscar predictions

It might be only just September, but the jockeying for next March's Academy Awards is well underway. Movies first started revving up their Oscar campaigns at the Cannes Film Festival in May. But now that the fall festivals, in Venice, Telluride and soon Toronto, are in full swing, so is the prognosticating about what's in the mix for awards.