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2026 Women of Distinction: Beverly Woody Supports Kids and Clients Every Day

7 hours 37 minutes ago
ALTON - Beverly Woody operates from a place of love. Woody, one of the YWCA’s eleven 2026 Women of Distinction, will be honored at the Y’s annual gala for her commitment to the community. She works as a licensed social worker, volunteers with her church, serves as a foster parent, and hosts a give-back event for local families every winter. “I do my best,” Woody said. “I’m not an out front person. I’ll stay in the back, and I'll do any and everything

Spring Training

7 hours 52 minutes ago

This year, the St. Louis Aquarium is going bigger, brighter, and longer. For the first time, with two teams, freshwater grit meets saltwater flow. Two waters. One splashy showdown. Cheer […]

The post Spring Training appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Myranda Levins

Orchid Show

7 hours 52 minutes ago

On display at the ever-popular orchid show, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s vast orchid collection includes more than 6,000 individual plants representing almost 700 unique species, and approximately one in 10 […]

The post Orchid Show appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Rachel Huffman

Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski Visits Riverbend Head Start, Advocates for More Funding

8 hours 9 minutes ago
ALTON - Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski got her share of hugs during a visit to Riverbend Head Start, where she talked about the importance of funding Head Start programs. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, Budzinski read a book and completed a craft with a classroom of 3- to 5-year-olds at Riverbend Head Start in Alton. She shared that the event was a major highlight of her day, and it reminded her why she is pushing for continued funding for Head Start programs. “You can just see the impact.

How Flowers Became Symbols of Emotion

8 hours 12 minutes ago
A bouquet can say “I’m sorry” without using a single word—and most people will understand it instantly. That’s a strange kind of power for something that can’t speak, can’t move, and will wilt in a few days. Yet flowers have become one of the clearest emotional languages humans share. Why flowers work when words feel risky Emotions are messy. Saying them out loud can feel awkward or too intense. Flowers offer a safer middle ground. They let someone

Missouri House sends property tax overhaul bill back to committee

8 hours 16 minutes ago
A major property tax reform bill in the Missouri House was sent back to a special committee Tuesday over concerns that the bill needed more changes. Sponsored by state Rep. Tim Taylor, a Republican from Bunceton, the wide-ranging bill would change how property taxes are calculated and when property tax measures are voted on. “There […]
Kathryn Leverenz

This Day in History on February 18: Pluto Discovered

8 hours 22 minutes ago
On February 18, 1930, a young astronomer in the United States announced that a new world had been found at the edge of the solar system. Clyde Tombaugh’s discovery of Pluto quickly captured public attention because it seemed to complete a long search for a “Planet X” thought to be tugging on the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. At the time, it expanded the known map of the solar system and showed how much remained unseen beyond the familiar planets. It still matters today because

Some states are helping to make Obamacare plans more affordable

8 hours 23 minutes ago
Ten Democratic-leaning states are using their own money to help people buy Obamacare health plans, at least partially replacing the federal tax credits that expired at the end of last year. The state assistance, some of it offered through programs that existed before the federal subsidies expired, is helping hundreds of thousands of people lower […]
Shalina Chatlani

Man reported missing in Wildwood found safe

9 hours 4 minutes ago
Update: According to the St. Louis County Police Department, the man was found safe. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - An Endangered Person Advisory was issued Tuesday night for a missing man in Wildwood. According to the St. Louis County Police Department, the man was reported missing following an incident around 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon on [...]
Nick Gladney

Ars Technica Retracts Story Featuring Fake Quotes Made Up By AI, About A Different AI That Launched A Weird Smear Campaign Against An Engineer Who Rejected Its Code (Seriously)

9 hours 25 minutes ago
Last week, Denver-area engineer Scott Shambaugh wrote about how an AI agent (likely prompted by its operator) started a weird little online campaign against him after he rejected its code inclusion in the popular Python charting library matplotlib. The owner likely didn’t appreciate Shambaugh openly questioning whether AI-generated code belongs in open source projects at […]
Karl Bode

Health officials in Illinois report state’s first measles case of 2026

9 hours 38 minutes ago
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Health officials in Illinois have identified the state’s first measles case of 2026. On Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the first confirmed measles case of 2025 in Illinois, which was reported in an adult patient who lives in the Metro East region of Illinois, located in the southern [...]
Gabriel Castillo

Today's Weather: Breezy Morning, Mostly Sunny Day

9 hours 46 minutes ago
This morning starts clear and cool at 44 degrees with a breezy wind from the WSW at about 12 mph, gusting near 29 mph. By mid-morning, sunshine will brighten the sky as temperatures climb steadily. Expect mostly sunny skies into the afternoon, when the high reaches a pleasant 70 degrees. Winds will stay breezy but comfortable under that mostly sunny sky. It’s a nice day to get outside and enjoy the warmth after a chilly start. Evening will see partly cloudy skies as temperatures begin to