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ALTON, Ill. (AP) - A long-running southwestern Illinois car show was canceled after only a dozen classic cars showed up to go on display.

Organizers of Sunday's All-Wheels Drive-In Car Show in Alton tell The Telegraph that they couldn't afford to run the 16-year-old event with so few entrants.

Typically, about 150 classic cars, hot rods and other vehicles are displayed.

The annual car show raises money for Alton Main Street and Time Machines Unlimited Car Club.

Organizers tell the newspaper they plan to reschedule for late July and are hoping for a better turnout.

   Life is slowly returning to normal in the river town of Grafton, Illinois.

   The Great River Road has reopened. Raging Rivers Water Park in Grafton will reopen Tuesday morning at 10:30, one week after the flooded Mississippi River forced it to close.  

   The Mississippi continues to recede, but hasn't returned to its banks just yet.  Travel on Highway 67 between the Clark Bridge and Highway 94 in West Alton is still just one lane in each direction. 

While tornado cleanup continues in some parts of the St. Louis metro area, sandbagging is underway in other parts.   The Great River Road is closed between Alton and Graffton because it's under water.  

Water surrounds the Con Agra plant off Highway 100 in Alton and the Alton Belle Casino has closed for the first time because of flooding along the Mississippi.  The river is expected to crest in Alton on Tuesday at 36 feet -- that's within a foot of the historic flood of 1973.

Alton isn't the only community affected by high rivers.  The National Weather Service says the river should crest today 11 feet above flood stage at Grafton.  

MoDOT has closed Highway 94 between West Alton and Highway 67 in northern St. Charles County.  The highway is also closed between Augusta, Mo. and Defiance, Mo. in St. Charles County.

Centaur Road is closed behind Spirit of St. Louis Airport at Chesterfield Valley due to the rising Missouri River.

Highway 67 is closed in Herculaneum due to flooding.

 

While tornado cleanup continues in some parts of the St. Louis metro area, sandbagging is underway in other parts.   The Great River Road is closed between Alton and Graffton because it's under water.  

Water surrounds the Con Agra plant off Highway 100 in Alton and the Alton Belle Casino has closed for the first time because of flooding along the Mississippi.  The river is expected to crest in Alton on Tuesday at 36 feet -- that's within a foot of the historic flood of 1973.

Alton isn't the only community affected by high rivers.  The National Weather Service says the river should crest today 11 feet above flood stage at Grafton.  

MoDOT has closed Highway 94 between West Alton and Highway 67 in northern St. Charles County.  The highway is also closed between Augusta, Mo. and Defiance, Mo. in St. Charles County.

Centaur Road is closed behind Spirit of St. Louis Airport at Chesterfield Valley due to the rising Missouri River.

Highway 67 is closed in Herculaneum due to flooding.

 

The Mississippi River is closed near St. Louis again.  This time, the problem is several barges that broke loose and collided with some docked barges.  

The Coast Guard says it happened around midnight near the confluence with the Missouri River.

 Early reports indicate that the accident may have caused a significant oil spill in the river.

   The City of Alton will soon have a new mayor after an improbable election result was certified Tuesday.  

   Businessman Brant Walker had been removed from the ballot two months before the election because of a technicality.  He ran as a write-in candidate against incumbent Mayor Tom Hoechst, and won.  

   Election results certified yesterday by Madison County Clerk Debra Ming-Mendoza show that Walker beat Hoechst by just over two-percent, or 74 votes.  

   Hoechst released a statement saying that he planned to challenge the results, but won't wait for the process to be complete before he begins working with Walker to ensure a smooth transition should the results hold.

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A parolee originally charged with attempted murder in the Alton, Illinois stabbings of two brothers has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated battery.

The (Alton) Telegraph reports that Lavonte Brownlee entered the plea after prosecutors agreed to drop the more serious counts.

Authorities say Brownlee stabbed 40-year-old John Parker and 31-year-old Jay Parker last September outside the B&R Tavern after a dispute inside the East Alton business.

Police say John Parker was stabbed as many as 10 times, and his younger brother sustained two wounds. Both survived.

Brownlee was on parole after prison terms for armed robbery, home invasion and battery.

   

Former Alton Mayor Don Sandidge has died.

Sandidge served three terms as mayor of the metro-east city, from 1997 to 2009. He spent 27 years on the Alton police force before that, including three years as chief.

Sandidge died early Sunday morning following a battle with cancer. He was 75.

Funeral arrangements are pending.