Aggregator

GRANITE CITY – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) and State Representative Amy Elik (111th-Alton) to modernize and improve the operations of the America’s Central Port District has been signed into law. House Bill 2139 , introduced at the request of the Port District, delivers greater flexibility, accountability, and efficiency to one of Illinois’ most critical economic hubs. The bill updates decades-old provisions in the America’s Central Port District Act, aligning the law with modern financial and operational practices. “This legislation is a win for both taxpayers and the region’s economic future,” said Sen. Harriss. “It strengthens fiscal safeguards, improves efficiency, and allows the Port to better meet today’s infrastructure and commerce needs.” “This is about keeping our Port District competitive while ensuring transparency and responsibility,” said Rep. Elik. “These

Continue Reading

While this latest bit of low-key embarrassment may not be a black eye for the administration, it certainly isn’t putting any more lipstick on this pig. Whatever you may think about the recent summit meeting between these two international besties, you can be assured that some of the attendees thought even less of it than […]

SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker, on Friday, August 15, signed legislation that the state’s clean water advocates are hailing as a significant step forward in tackling the growing threat of toxic water pollution. Sponsored by Senator Julie Morrison and Representative Abdelnasser Rashid, HB2516 phases out the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), aka "forever chemicals," in the manufacturing of children's products, cosmetics, intimate apparel such as sleepwear or underwear, menstrual products, and dental floss by 2032. PFAS have emerged as a serious environmental and public health threat due to their persistence and widespread contamination. These manufactured chemicals, widely utilized in consumer and industrial products since World War II, are now linked to alarming levels of contamination in drinking water supplies and health risks ranging from cancers to liver toxicity to reduced fertility. Used in a range of everyday products like water-repellant apparel,

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON — American lawmakers are using a trip to South Korea and Japan to explore how the United States can tap those allies’ shipbuilding expertise and capacity to help boost its own capabilities , which are dwarfed by those of China. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., who are scheduled to land in Seoul on Sunday before traveling to Japan, plan to meet top shipbuilders from the world’s second- and third-largest shipbuilding countries. The senators want to examine the possibilities of forming joint ventures to construct and repair noncombatant vessels for the U.S. Navy in the Indo-Pacific and bring investments to American shipyards. “We already have fewer capacity now than we did during Operation Iraqi Freedom” in 2003, Duckworth told The Associated Press. “We have to rebuild the capacity. At the same time, what capacity we have is aging and breaking down and taking longer and more expensive to fix.” Their trip comes

Continue Reading

Neil Young famously blasted corporate sponsorship invading rock and roll in the 1988 song "This Note’s For You," and it appears that he’s still not happy about it.During his show…

Source

If you are one of the 617,000 people in Missouri or Kansas buying health insurance on  healthcare.gov, expect sticker shock when next year’s premiums are announced. With few exceptions, insurance companies selling health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace plan to increase rates in 2026. In the Kansas City area, all but one carrier […]

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation championed by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and AARP Illinois that makes roads safer and removes age barriers to align Illinois with the rest of the nation was signed into law recently by Governor JB Pritzker. The Road Safety & Fairness Act (HB 1226), introduced by State Senator Ram Villivalam (8th District – Chicago) and State Representative Jay Hoffman (113th District – Belleville), passed the Illinois House and Senate chambers unanimously during the General Assembly’s Spring session earlier this year. The legislation, which passed with 70 percent of lawmakers signing on as co-sponsors, takes effect on July 1, 2026. The legislation creates new procedures aimed at preventing unsafe motorists – regardless of age – from driving by enabling immediate relatives to report a decline in cognitive or medical issues to the state for review. Illinois is currently one of only five states that do not allow immediate family

Continue Reading

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the attorneys general of California, Delaware, New Jersey and Rhode Island co-led a multistate lawsuit today challenging illegal conditions the Trump administration is imposing on Congressionally-authorized Victims of Crime Act grants. Raoul and the coalition of 20 other attorneys general filed the lawsuit today targeting the Trump administration’s recent decision declaring that states will be unable to access funds used to support victims and survivors of crimes unless they agree to support the administration’s extreme immigration enforcement efforts. The lawsuit argues the administration is disregarding the letter of the law and intent of Congress with their decision. “Providing support to survivors of violent crime is some of the most important work my office does, and it is work I have prioritized since becoming Illinois Attorney General. The Trump administration’s imposition of illegal conditions on this

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE – Underrepresented youth – with an interest in college and those who are already there – have a tireless advocate and committed champion in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Darryl C. Cherry. This sentiment was celebrated and underscored as being resoundingly true when Cherry, coordinator of Student Retention and Academic Advisor for Student Opportunities for Academic Results (SOAR) and FirstGen Forward Coordinator, was recently named as 2025 Educator of the Year by the Eta Kappa Zeta (East St. Louis) Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. “We chose him because we saw the extent and longevity of his community involvement and how well he worked in the community,” said Marla Golliday, president of the Eta Kappa Zeta Chapter of ZPB. “We saw a lot of positive things in him. There are all the activities he’s involved in on the SIUE campus. He is very hands on with the100 Black Men and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Continue Reading

SPRINGFIELD – Whether it’s a severe weather event, power for telecommunications loss, or the threat of school violence, students need emergency preparedness information during this Back2School Safety Month. “August is a busy month with students returning to school and college and we encourage preparedness education so that the school year is as smooth and positive as possible,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) Acting Director Theodore (Ted) Berger. Storms and storm-related emergencies can affect a student’s transportation, so alternative plans should be mapped out ahead of time. If power or cell phone service goes out, students need other ways to communicate with family and schools. A student’s digital security can prevent problems like identity theft and scams. Additionally, students in grade and high school can use Safe2HelpIL as a tool to help keep them safe. Students can utilize Safe2HelpIL

Continue Reading

A federal judge has delivered an extraordinary rebuke to the FTC’s Andrew Ferguson, finding that his investigation into Media Matters was motivated by “retaliatory animus” rather than legitimate antitrust concerns. In a scathing ruling, Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan granted Media Matters’ motion for a preliminary injunction, calling out not just the investigation’s pretextual nature, but […]

Get Adobe Acrobat Classic 3-Year and Microsoft Office Pro 2021 licenses: your all-in-one bundle for editing PDFs, creating docs, and working smarter on Windows. With Adobe Acrobat Classic, you can easily create, edit, convert, and protect your documents on Windows and Mac without connecting to the cloud. Microsoft Office 2021 Professional is the perfect choice […]

BRIGHTON - Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation will once again host the Duck Pluckers, Deer Skinners and Fish Hookers Ball to raise funds to purchase an ambulance for Alton Memorial Hospital. On Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, community members are invited to NILO Farms in Brighton for the event. Complete with raffles, a quail flush, launch golf, skeet and trap shooting, a silent auction, a live auction, a steak dinner and more fun, the ball is a chance to come together to support local health services and first responders. The foundation hopes to raise $225,000 to purchase a new ambulance. “It’s making sure that at Alton Memorial, we have the right equipment in the right place at the right time for our staff so the paramedics and EMTs are able to do their job and take care of your family,” said Jason Bowman, EMS manager at Alton Memorial Hospital. Bowman and Shannon Fraley, who oversees the event through Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation, explained

Continue Reading

JERSEYVILLE – A Jerseyville resident with an extensive criminal history faces new charges after allegedly burglarizing Westlake Country Club and stealing a golf cart while armed with a stun gun in the presence of his 5-year-old son. Quentin A. McEvers, 37, of Jerseyville, was charged on Aug. 13, 2025 with unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle (a Class 2 felony), unlawful possession of weapon by a felon (a Super Class 3 felony), and burglary without causing damage (a Class 3 felony). On Aug. 6, 2025, McEvers allegedly entered a building of Westlake Country Club in Jerseyville without legal authority, intending to commit a theft. He was additionally accused of possessing a stolen red 2021 Yamaha golf cart while illegally in possession of a stun gun as a previously convicted felon. The Jersey County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to deny McEvers’s pretrial release, stating McEvers “had his 5-year-old son with him when he committed these new

Continue Reading

COLLINSVILLE – Ameren Illinois is using groundbreaking technology to more quickly and accurately determine when sub-transmission power lines should be upgraded, improving service reliability and saving customers money. A device known as "LineVue" is placed on the sub-transmission power lines to assess the steel core of wires – aluminum conductor steel reinforced or aluminum core steel supported – to identify any potential defects, such as frays in the line, and determine the optimal time to replace them. The unit is controlled remotely from the ground. Sub-transmission lines typically transmit 34.5 kilovolts to 69 kilovolts of electricity to regional distributions substations before the voltage is stepped down further to be delivered to customer homes and businesses. More than 45,000 miles of sub-transmission and distribution power lines span the Ameren Illinois service territory. Approximately 1.3 million utility poles, including 2,000 high-strength composite

Continue Reading