Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker again criticized Trump for not doing more to call for peace after Charlie Kirk’s murder, saying his death highlights growing anxiety in America over political violence.
Forest Park in St. Louis has been awarded the 2025 Landmark Award by the American Society of Landscape Architects.
The award celebrates the restoration efforts led by HOK, Forest Park Forever, and the City of St. Louis, that began in 2000.
This is part two of a two-part series about the recent settlement between the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Utah Consumer Protection Division (CPD), and Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub. The order (which has now been approved by a federal court) settled allegations that Aylo let child sex abuse material (CSAM) and non-consensual intimate […]
EAST ST. LOUIS — A Belleville man has entered a guilty plea to setting a fire in a Lebanon gas station bathroom. Carlos A. Rodriguez, 33, admitted to one count of arson of real property used in interstate commerce in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis. The fire occurred on the evening of Sept. 10, 2018, at the CC Food Mart in Lebanon, IL. Rodriguez ignited a plastic air freshener mounted in the men’s restroom, then left the store. Approximately seven minutes later, customers and employees discovered smoke and an active fire. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Fire Research Laboratory conducted experiments using a replica of the restroom to confirm the fire’s origin and timing, ruling out other patrons who used the bathroom that evening. The blaze and firefighting efforts caused about $6,000 in damage. Rodriguez’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026. Under federal law, arson of real property used in interstate commerce carrie
Gov. Mike Kehoe called a special session to redraw Missouri’s congressional map without a compelling reason, attorneys for the Missouri NAACP said Monday. Therefore, they contend, the map passed by lawmakers should be declared void. In the first of what promises to be extensive legal wrangling over the new maps, Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher […]
EDWARDSVILLE — Eric M. Blumenstock, 38, has been charged with two felonies stemming from incidents at the Madison County Courthouse on Sept. 10, 2025. Blumenstock faces a Class X felony count of Making Terrorist Threats. Authorities allege he intended to create fear by stating he planned to “shoot up” the courthouse located at 200 N. Main St. in Edwardsville, which they say caused a reasonable expectation of an imminent terrorist act. In addition, Blumenstock is charged with a Class 3 felony count of Threatening a Public Official. Prosecutors say he knowingly conveyed a threat to Lt. Senci, a peace officer, verbally stating an intent to take the officer’s life. Under Illinois law, the charges cite statutes 720 ILCS 5/29D-20(a) for making terrorist threats and 720 ILCS 5/12-9(a)(1)(o) for threatening a public official. Blumenstock is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
HARDIN – Illinois American Water continues to make strategic improvements in the Village of Hardin’s water and wastewater systems that enhance customer service, water quality and system reliability. Illinois American Water has invested an estimated $2 million in the Village of Hardin water and wastewater systems since the company acquired the systems in June 2022. Hardin is a village and county seat of Calhoun County. It is located about 43 miles southwest of St. Louis, near Jerseyville. Water and wastewater services are provided to approximately 500 customers in the Village of Hardin. W ater System There have been noticeable improvements in the historic aesthetic discoloration issues in portions of the Hardin community’s water system. “We have received positive feedback from our customers in Hardin, particularly on water quality,” said Brendan St. Peters, Senior Supervisor of Operations, Illinois American Water. A major improvement
An increasing number of immigrants without legal status — even some who have lived here for decades — are finding it easier to seek opportunities in other countries than to stay in the U.S. amid threats of detention and deportation. “This has never happened in our country before. We have had periods of voluntary departure, […]
EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County is now taking applications for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) starting next month. Madison County Community Development announced funding is available to assist income-eligible households with their natural gas, propane and/or electric bills and furnace assistance for inoperable heating systems. The program will begin by taking applications Oct. 1 for: Adults 60-year-old and older, Individuals with disabilities, Families with children under the age of six and Households that are disconnected from their utilities, have a disconnection notice or have less than 25% in their propane tank. All other income eligible households can start applying Nov. 1. Applications will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis through Aug. 15, 2026, or until funding is exhausted. Households that receive a one-time benefit may return during the program year for a Reconnection Assistance or Furnace Assistance benefit(s), if needed. T
Vice President JD Vance says the national unity he's “desperate” for after the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk cannot be had with people who condone political violence. The Republican vice president commented Monday as he wrapped up an…
Missouri Democrats see turning to the public as the best way to stop a new GOP-friendly congressional map from taking effect despite their minority status in the state legislature.
CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined students, alumni, and administrators from the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) at Harold Washington College to discuss the impact of heightened federal immigration enforcement efforts on community college students, particularly those with vulnerable legal status. With federal deployments growing in Chicago, the Governor spoke directly to the fears and needs of undocumented students, faculty, and staff navigating new challenges and uncertainty. “City Colleges is a tremendous example of an institution providing effective systems of support for immigrant students—especially as they are being targeted by the federal government in this turbulent time,” said Governor JB Pritzker . “Right now, our communities are facing genuine fear as Trump intensifies his federal deployments, and the State of Illinois remains committed to lifting up organizations and institutions that are helping people know their rights and providing
Gov’t Mule has announced details for their annual year-end shows.The Warren Haynes-led group is set to play three shows in New York at the end of the year, starting Dec. 28 at Proctors…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – America’s Blood Centers (ABC), the national organization of community-based, independent blood centers that supply 60 percent of the nation’s blood, is marking Sickle Cell Awareness Month this September with a nationwide call for more diverse blood donors to meet the critical needs of patients living with sickle cell disease and other conditions requiring precisely matched blood. Donated blood from communities of color is essential for patients whose transfusion needs go beyond basic blood type matching. For individuals with sickle cell disease—an inherited blood disorder affecting about 100,000 people in the United States —regular blood transfusions are often the difference between crisis and survival. Yet, fewer than 12 percent of all U.S. blood donations today come from communities of color, even though one in every 365 African American births is affected by sickle cell disease. “Community blood centers are dedicated t
Republican Councilman Mark Harder, of Ballwin, will introduce a resolution "honoring the life and legacy" of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was killed last week in a shooting.
METRO EAST ST. LOUIS – Governor JB Pritzker has signed Illinois House Bill 1910, a measure amending the Illinois Local Library Act to help combat the state’s opioid epidemic. Beginning January 1, 2026, all public libraries will be required to keep an opioid antagonist — such as naloxone (NARCAN®) — available at all times. The law also requires that libraries take reasonable steps to have at least one trained person present during operating hours who can recognize an opioid overdose and administer the medication. Under the Illinois Good Samaritan Act , library personnel who administer naloxone in good faith are protected from liability, helping ensure they can respond without hesitation during an emergency. To help libraries meet these requirements, Chestnut Health Systems™ offers free naloxone (NARCAN®) resources and training where attendees will: Learn about the opioid epidemic Learn when and why to administer naloxone Learn how to administer
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