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When a river changes course but a border doesn't.

Provel cheese, or St. Louis Style cheese, brings about strong opinions, regardless of where you live.

ALTON - Alton Fire Department responded to a fire in an old warehouse at Piasa and Highway 67 in Alton around 11:05 p.m. Friday. East Alton Fire Department also responded to battle the fire. Paper products and more were stored inside the warehouse and that was the area where the fire originated, fire officials said. Alton Fire Department Battalion Chief Derrick Richardson said while the cause is undetermined of what started the fire, it could have been homeless trying to keep warm or a dropped cigarette. "We are still investigating," he said of the origin of the fire. Richardson said the steel structure of the warehouse remains intact because of the quick efforts of the firefighters. The fire started with paper products on the second floor, he said. When Alton Fire received the 911 dispatch, it was reported that there could be two possible homeless people inside the building. However, there were two found outside on arrival, and a primary and secondary search was done to make

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THE CONVERSATION - It’s springtime in California, and bees are emerging to feast on flowering fields – acres upon acres of cultivated almonds, oranges, and other fruits and nuts that bloom all at once for just a few weeks. Farmers raise these lucrative crops in monoculture fields, each planted with neat, straight rows of a single type of crop. The agricultural heart of California is the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. I recently drove north through the valley on Interstate 5, a 450-mile (724-kilometer) stretch of monoculture farms and agricultural land that runs from Bakersfield to Redding. Flowers were blooming as far as the eye could see. There is so much bloom here that commercial beekeepers truck in over 2 million colonies of bees in spring to ensure that every last flower is pollinated. As a bee biologist , I study why bees are dying . Although monoculture blooms provide food for bees, scientists know almost nothing

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EDWARDSVILLE – As social distancing restrictions continue to lift and the weather finally starts to warm up, we’ll be spending more time outdoors and in public with our furry friends. But every time you visit the dog park with your pooch, bring them to the local farmer’s market, or even play catch in the backyard, you could be putting your pet’s health at risk if they’re not fully protected against heartworm disease. The Midwestern mosquitoes that bug us every summer can be extremely dangerous—and even deadly—to our dogs and cats by transmitting heartworms into their bloodstream. In fact, one in 200 dogs are infected with heartworm each year, but many owners don’t realize it until it’s too late. However, with one monthly treatment or twice-yearly injections, your pet can play outside all summer and stay safe all year long. Why Metro East pets are at a greater risk for heartworm While pets can become infected anywhere in the country,

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URBANA – Spring ephemeral flowers are nature’s gems after winter. These short-lived beauties are wildflowers that grow in woodlands in the early spring before the leaves on deciduous trees are open. They are called spring ephemerals because they have a relatively short blooming time. University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Gemini Bhalsod says these seasonal plants grow, flower, and set seed relatively quickly. “They are usually dormant by mid-summer when the leaves die back again,” Bhalsod says. “In your garden one moment and gone another.” Spring ephemerals complete most of their life cycle in the early spring before the trees and understory shrubs leaf out and take over most of the available light. These plants start growing roots in the fall and winter, to fully emerge above ground in the spring. This time of year is a tough time to be a growing plant – soil temperatures are low, the weather is unpredictable, and there ar

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The night of April 14, 1865, proved fateful for Abraham Lincoln, who was mortally wounded by an assassin’s bullet and died the next day. Lesser known is that everyone in the presidential box at Ford’s Theater that night suffered horrific outcomes. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, escaped, only to be mortally wounded by a Union soldier twelve days later. Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd, never recovered from that Good Friday evening, struggling with mental instabilities, public scorn, and isolation for the rest of her life. Even more disturbing is the fate of the young couple who were the Lincolns’ guests that night, Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris. They later married – but Henry lost his mental faculties, murdered Clara in 1883, and spent the rest of his life in an asylum. Laurie Verge of Clinton, MD., who has extensively studied the Lincoln assassination in her role as director of the Surratt House Museum where another Booth conspirator is interpreted, believes

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It’s time for Americans to spring clean their health routines. A large-scale study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows inactivity can be worse for you than smoking, diabetes or having heart disease. Matt Janus is an OSF HealthCare exercise physiologist in Pontiac, Illinois. He says making recommended activity a priority can impact a person’s overall wellbeing in a myriad of ways. “The 150 minutes of movement a week that the American Heart Association recommends – that goes leaps and bounds toward reducing things like your risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, pretty much anything and everything,” says Janus. Despite that, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says only 23% of Americans get enough exercise. To help reverse that trend, the American Heart Association has designated April as Move More Month. The month-long awareness campaign is designed to encourage people to take part

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ST. LOUIS – The newly created Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Innovation Center (JJK FAN) will host a kick-off ceremony, tour, and ribbon cutting on Monday, April 11 at 2:30 PM at the JJK Center, 101 Jackie Joyner Kersee Circle, East Saint Louis, Il 62204. The mission of the JJK FAN Center is to provide quality youth and community programs in STEAM+Ag, food production, nutrition, and physical activity in East St. Louis and beyond. The JJK FAN Center is a unique public-private partnership between the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Illinois Extension. The JJK Foundation recently acquired a 12,000 ft² office facility through a generous donation from Landsdowne Up. This facility will be used to house JJK Foundation and JJK Winning in Life staff, the University of Illinois Extension Illinois Nutrition Education Program, and Danforth Center’s

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CARLINVILLE - Students at Blackburn College will be hosting a community car wash on April 30 from 10 am to 12 pm in the Demuzio Campus Center parking lot. The event is being organized by students enrolled in a Leadership Skills Workshop class taught by Dr. Shelly Peffer, professor of Leadership, Law, and Public Service. Students in the class alongside faculty, staff, other students, and community members have volunteered to wash cars. The goal of this event is for students to give back to the community, whether from washing cars or from people donating directly to the overall amount raised through this event. Miriam Wali-Uddin, a junior student in the leadership class coordinating the event, explained, “It is important to our leadership team that we try to strengthen the bond between the community and Blackburn. All of the proceeds from this car wash will go back to the community such as gift baskets for the nurse's station at Carlinville hospital, and more. We are hopeful that

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ST. LOUIS - Summer is only a few months away! As warmer weather rolls in, it may be time to decide to dust off those January resolutions to lose weight, get active, or shape up for the summer months. Figuring out how to start can be a challenge. “Here’s a quick tip,” states St. Louis District Dairy Council registered dietitian Maggie Cimarolli, “start with protein-rich dairy foods.” Why is protein important? Protein is a vital part of a balanced eating plan important for staying strong and healthy. When it comes to fitness, protein is the star of the show, and for good reason. Protein digests slowly, so it promotes a feeling of fullness when part of meals and snacks. Research suggests that a high-protein breakfast can help reduce evening snacking, as the satiety effect may last all day. Luckily, dairy provides a widely accessible source of protein. “Including milk, yogurt, or cheese with every meal may help reduce overall calorie intake by warding

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ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Zoo is looking to fill some part-time positions, so it's hosting a job fair Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The zoo is looking for applicants who have immediate availability. This will be in The Living World at the Zoo's North Entrance. The zoo is also looking for [...]

Hop on down the bunny trail and fill your basket with fun! Eckert’s Annual Egg Hunt, animals for petting, tractor ride around the farm, plant

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The StG Gravel Classic explores the backroads and levees along the Mississippi River in and around Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Challenge yourself and your friends with

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COLUMBIA – A smattering of giggles greeted the name of former Gov. Eric Greitens Friday evening when emcee Branden Rathert called for the U.S. Senate candidates invited to speak at Boone County Republican Lincoln Days to come forward. Up to that point, there had been no trace of Greitens or his campaign at the most […]

The post No signs of support for Greitens in Missouri county where abuse charges will be heard appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Studies in Kern County, performed by oil industry consultants, cannot answer fundamental safety questions about irrigating crops with “produced water,” the board’s own panel of experts conceded.

All the thrills, spills and dirt flying excitement returns to The Dome at America’s Center on Saturday, April 9 as the Monster Energy AMA Supercross

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LGBTQIA+ communities have been contributing to St. Louis’s history for centuries. Now the Gateway to Pride virtual exhibit will begin to uncover the rarely-shared or

The post Gateway to Pride Exhibit appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

"(It's) really all about making memories and finishing off the new year strong," Amanda Korte said. "(I) really look forward to having fun with my friends."