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Some governors of Democratic states are pledging to protect women's reproductive rights. and some Republican governors are saying they will call for special sessions if Roe is overturned.

The start of planting season and Mother’s Day go hand-in-hand, making gardening supplies and plants the perfect gifts for a mom with a green thumb.

The Zoo will be open a little bit longer on Saturdays and Sundays from May 13 to August 14.

The New Yorker magazine is famous for its fact checking effort. Indeed, the New Yorker itself has written multiple pieces about how ridiculously far its fact checking team will go. And when people want to present the quintessential example of how “fact checking” should work, they often point to The New Yorker. Of course, I […]

24-year-old Yepez has played games at first base, third base, left field and designated hitter for the Memphis Redbirds this season. He will wear No. 36.

by Brittany Freeman, Rocky Mountain PBS

This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published.

Colorado lawmakers passed a bill Monday aimed at protecting residents in disputes with their homeowners associations.

House Bill 22-1137 limits HOAs from seeking foreclosure against homeowners who accumulate fines for violating community rules known as covenants. The bill also stops HOAs from assessing those penalties on a daily basis and limits them to $500. The legislation now heads to Gov. Jared Polis, whose office said he plans to sign it into law.

“As it currently stands, Coloradans have little recourse and almost no protections when facing down the endless resources held by associations and the lawyers they may hire,” bill cosponsor Sen. James Coleman, D-Denver, told his colleagues at a committee hearing Friday.

The bill went through numerous changes after its first House committee hearing. Supporters said lawmakers removed a provision that would have limited the amount of legal fees that HOAs can charge residents in court cases, but added provisions that specifically prohibited foreclosure on liens that only contain fines or the costs of collecting them.

Coleman said the changes were driven by hours of meetings with representatives of HOAs and their advocates. “We really took our time,” he said, “so that we ultimately make it so that our communities continue to be safe and beautiful, but at the same time folks aren’t losing their homes because they had weeds in their grass.”

Coleman represents Green Valley Ranch, a community that has become the subject of months of publicity after one of the HOAs there filed dozens of foreclosure cases against residents in the past year. Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora, was the bill’s initial sponsor.

An analysis of court case data by Rocky Mountain PBS and ProPublica found that Colorado HOAs have filed at least 2,400 foreclosure cases against residents since 2018. HOAs in the state have the legal right to seek foreclosure against homeowners who are at the equivalent of six months behind on their routine dues, but that total can also include fees, fines and collection costs, such as legal fees.

Many homeowners who faced foreclosure have told Rocky Mountain PBS and ProPublica that they ultimately ended up paying thousands of dollars more than their original debts to save their homes because the HOA billed them legal fees after they fell behind. Residents of one HOA community in Aurora, the Timbers Homeowners Association I, told the news organizations that they were surprised to learn their HOA has filed 41 foreclosure cases since 2018.

The newly passed legislation contains several measures that supporters said would give homeowners due process before delinquencies end up in court. It requires several notifications to residents about delinquencies and fines, requires those notices to be provided in the native language designated by homeowners and allows them the opportunity to seek longer payment plans of 18 months to repay debts to the HOA.

Representatives from the HOA industry told lawmakers they opposed the legislation. They said it would make it harder to enforce their rules, especially when homeowners are defiant, and would push more costs onto others who are compliant.

“This bill is going to harm the people who keep their promises and cause expenses for those people. It’s been through so many different amendments and variations, and it’s still so messy,” testified Lindsay Smith, an HOA attorney who heads Colorado’s legislative action committee for the Community Associations Institute.

The bill’s supporters said a provision that opens up small claims court as a venue for disputes could also make a big difference for homeowners who cannot afford to hire an attorney to fight their HOA.

“The disputes that are creating all of the heat within HOAs finally have a place to go,” said Andrew Mowery, an HOA homeowner advocate whose group helped craft the original legislation.

Missouri lawmakers will try one more time before they adjourn for the year to reach agreement on a new Congressional redistricting map. If they fail, the job will likely fall to the courts. But with three pending lawsuits – one in federal court and two in state court – it is uncertain where a map […]

The post Missouri lawmakers to make one more attempt at congressional redistricting map appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Jared Spurgeon was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable fine under the CBA, for cross-checking Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich.

If a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade holds true, nearly all abortions in Missouri would become illegal. But anti-abortion advocates worry the ban would be swiftly met with …

When the spring weather starts to heat up, fresh fruit is arguably one of the signifiers of the impending summer solstice, hoisting farmer’s markets into the limelight. Eckert’s Farm (multiple locations including 2719 Eckert Orchard Lane, Millstadt, Illinois; 618-233-0513, eckerts.com) hosts a temporary farmer’s market each year in celebration of their fresh produce, and this year, they’ll be extending their season a little bit longer. The farm has operated a pop-up market for more than 20 years, and this year it will be in Rock Hill at 9530 Manchester Road beginning May 12 and running until August 28.

EDWARDSVILLE - Mikayla Spano is a performance mechanic who works at Turbo Connection Racing in Edwardsville and was invited to last year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas for her work in the automotive industry. Spano said she hopes her success in a male-dominated career can inspire other women to do anything they set their minds to. Spano said her interest in mechanics began long before she could drive - or even reach the pedals. “I started literally from the time I could walk. My Dad and Grandpa are mechanics and they’re my best friends, so growing up, I was in the garage with them. I wanted to know what they were doing and how they were doing it,” Spano said. “So I basically learned from them and then took what I learned from them and progressed to what I know now.” While Spano took some automotive classes in high school and even received a few scholarships, rather than going to college, Spano said she went “straight into the performance world.”

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Kaleidoscope art is a serious venture. Artists and collectors Mike and Donna Thibodeau of St. Charles discuss the kaleidoscope exhibit on display at the Foundry Art Centre and the international expo that comes to Westport Plaza later this month.

Even if those pocket aces get busted on the river, online poker is a glamorous game of skill, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of fun – and the best poker sites online deal it out in spades. With low traffic poker sites and shady licensing being commonplace though, not all of them are reliable and worth your money. That’s why we’re ranking the best online poker rooms based on specific player-first criteria.

STLPR’s Greg Munteanu discusses the station’s Give STL Day campaign, which aims to raise money for window decals to stop bird strikes on its building in Grand Center. Ken Buchholz, director of the Audubon Center at Riverlands, shares his perspective on the importance of protecting migratory birds.

SPRINGFIELD – The start of the Illinois State Fair is only 100 days away and to celebrate, the Illinois State Fair announced today that Willie Nelson & Family will headline the Illinois Lottery Grandstand on Tuesday, August 16. Tickets for the show go on sale this Saturday, May 7. Willie Nelson has earned every possible award as a musician over a career that has spanned seven decades. The ten-time Grammy Award winner has also garnered reputable credentials as an actor, author, and activist. In 1985, Nelson co-founded Farm Aid to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and help raise money to keep family farms on the land. “Willie Nelson is a true champion for farmers,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. “I can think of no one better to help us celebrate our state’s number one industry during the fair. On top of his love for agriculture, he will be performing hits that fairgoers from every generation can sing along to.” Opening

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The debate over transgender athletes has blocked all action on other pressing issues facing Missouri, including the state budget.

ALTON – OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center and OSF Medical Group are pleased to announce that we are welcoming new patients to all three primary care offices in the Riverbend area. OSF HealthCare understands the importance of establishing a relationship with a primary care provider (PCP), and to better serve our patients and community, we have expanded our hours for greater flexibility to accommodate busy schedules. Primary care providers at OSF Medical Group help guide patients through the health care journey – whether getting preventive care such as wellness checks or referrals to specialists. Working together with OSF primary care clinicians, patients will have access to health education, disease prevention, and healthy living options. When needed, patients will find knowledgeable, highly skilled care teams to diagnose and treat both acute and chronic illnesses. The OSF Medical Group - Primary Care office in Alton is located at #2 Saint Anthony’s

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If a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade holds true, nearly all abortions in Missouri would become illegal. But anti-abortion advocates worry the ban would be swiftly met with lawsuits. They hope the leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe will jumpstart efforts to place a proposal on the statewide ballot declaring […]

The post GOP eyes amending Missouri constitution to ensure no right to abortion exists post-Roe appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Courthouse News Service, as its name would imply, relies heavily on court documents to create content. Over the past few years, however, random court clerks around the nation have suddenly decided the old way of doing things was no longer acceptable. For years, reporters have been given access to filings the day that they’re filed. […]