The Gateway

An updated database is keeping track of contaminants in tap water. The group behind the online tool says it shows that following federal water quality standards might not keep people safe.

Illinois is on the verge of once again allowing midwives without nursing degrees. The state stopped licensing them in 1965 and outlawed midwifery in 1992. A measure to restore the practice is awaiting Governor JB Pritzker's signature.

The Rolla School District has a big construction project underway, and students enrolled in vocational classes are taking on some work as part of their training. They are alongside recent graduates employed by local construction firms.

The stakes for reshaping the St. Louis County Council’s seven districts are low. There’s no chance of drawing a map where anybody but Democrats would hold a majority. But the commission responsible for the process has been full of drama.

President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan includes proposals to expand subsidized child care, free school meals, and a plan to establish universal preschool. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona says the childcare provisions could help many parents return to the workforce.

Missouri had one of the highest rates of anxiety medication prescriptions in the country before the pandemic. The research from a leading pharmacy benefits management company comes as the state deals with a shortage of mental health care providers.

Schools in the Ritenour district are closed today, so stressed teachers, other staff, and students can focus on their mental health. The pandemic and the return to in-person learning have caused more stress than usual.

A Washington University professor says Missouri has an opportunity to evaluate its cybersecurity practices after a flaw on a state-run website exposed the personal information of thousands of workers.

The new director of the St. Louis Art Museum wants to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion at the 142-year-old institution. Min Jung Kim is the first woman, the first immigrant, and the first person of color to lead the institution permanently.

The St. Louis Department of Health’s new leader plans to tackle continuing vaccine hesitancy and pandemic complacency. Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis is also dealing with a department suffering from high burnout rates, increasing staff turnover, and lack of funds.

The Missouri legislative redistricting commission is holding hearings to help determine future state House and Senate maps. Similar panels in the past have deadlocked along party lines, sending the issue to the courts.

Illinois has taken steps to overhaul energy programs to combat climate change. Now, there is a call to reach a goal of eventually putting 1 million electric vehicles on the state’s roads.

Thousands of high school bands from nine states are packing the Dome at America’s Center over the next couple of days for the Bands of America Super Regional Championship. It marks a return to competition for students after being sidelined during the pandemic.

Despite last year's protests and petitions calling for the removal of statues and street names in St. Louis that honor people with ties to slavery, genocide, and other atrocities, little has changed.

Several districts in the Midwest are setting up school farms. They help students develop a work ethic while learning about caring for animals and growing food.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has joined a coalition of U.S. mayors to commit to reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans. Many Black Americans say it's past time for a reparations program to address the legacy of slavery, legalized segregation, and to address the wealth gap between Black white people.

Families and friendships have been strained by those who don't get the COVID-19 vaccine. For people who want their loved ones to be safe from the virus, trying to persuade others to change their minds can be frustrating but not impossible.

More Black families are choosing to homeschool their children. The U.S. Census Bureau says the rate of Black families shifting from traditional learning to homeschooling is increasing at a greater pace than other racial groups.

The Grammy Award-winning band plays a fusion of Gospel, blues and music from the Gullah culture of enslaved Africans who lived in South Carolina. A member of the band what it means to interpret the music for a contemporary audience.

Americans import the vast majority of chestnuts they eat each year, despite it being one of the few countries where the nut can be grown. That's changing as interest in starting orchards of the nut trees is gaining traction in the Midwest.