senator Buddy Ebsen, Belleville, television actor Jay Farrar, Belleville, musician William Holden, O'Fallon, film actor Louis Jolliet, explorer of the Mississippi River Jackie Joyner-Kersee, East St. Louis, Olympic athlete Ken Kwapis, Belleville, film and television director and producer Père Jacques Marquette, French discoverer T. J. Mathews, Columbia, former MLB pitcher Laurie Metcalf, Edwardsville, film and television actress (Rosanne, Uncle Buck, JFK) Yadier Molina, Caseyville, Cardinals Baseball catcher (resides there only during baseball season, and is originally from Puerto Rico) Jake Odorizzi, Highland, MLB Pitcher Van Allen Plexico, Smithton, author and professor Peter Sarsgaard, Belleville/Scott AFB, actor (Magnificent Seven, Jarhead, Green Lantern) John Shimkus, Collinsville, Congressman from Illinois's 15th congressional district (1997–2021) Michael Stipe, Collinsville, lead singer of the band REM Jeff Tweedy, Belleville, lead singer of the band Wilco Uncle Tupelo, Belleville, alternative country band Craig Virgin, distance runner Robert Pershing Wadlow, Alton, world's tallest man Scott Wolf, Belleville, actor Media in the Metro East St. Louis area TV stations Note: This list is for the entire Metro East area; however, the low-powered stations may not reach the entire five-county Metro East area. WSIU, despite not being based from the St. Louis DMA, is available in Clinton, Washington, and most of St. Clair. Champaign-Urbana/Decatur/Springfield area TV stations Note: This list is for Jersey County; however, the majority of these stations are not available for most Jersey County residents. These stations are more likely to be available in Greene and Macoupin counties, which border Jersey County. Paducah/Cape Girardeau/Harrisburg area TV stations Note: This list is for St. Clair, and Clinton counties; however, the majority of the stations, with the exception of WSIU and WPXS and possibly KFVS, are not available for a majority of the St. Clair, and/or Clinton County residents. These stations are more likely to be available in Washington County and the Centralia area. Daily newspapers Note: daily newspaper coverage depends on county. Alton Telegraph (Madison, Jersey counties) Belleville News-Democrat (region-wide) Centralia Sentinel (Clinton and Washington counties) Southern Illinoisan (mainly in Washington County, rarely found elsewhere in the Metro East) St. Louis Post-Dispatch (region-wide) Edwardsville Intelligencer (Madison County) Radio stations Note: stations listed are licensed and have offices in Metro East counties only. Stations that can be heard in the Metro East but not listed have offices outside the Metro East counties. See also: Radio stations in Illinois The Metro East in film Note, the following is a partial