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Almost immediately after Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost's election as Pope, the question emerged: is the pontiff a fan of the Cubs or the White Sox?

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt passed a measure to stop gym and fitness centers from cancelling or changing benefits of a promised lifetime membership. “We all know the feeling of being swamped by memberships and subscriptions, the last thing we need is a price hike on what was a promised rate.” said Belt (D-Swansea). "This legislation makes sure gyms and fitness centers are honest with their members." Belt’s measure is designed to prevent fitness centers and gyms from changing prices or reducing benefits for any “lifetime membership” price they advertise. If a fitness center wants to change prices or benefits for one of these contracts, they would have to clearly disclosure their intention when the gym membership contract is being signed. “What we are trying to do here is uphold a standard for consumers,” said Belt. “Deceptive tactics looking to squeeze money from our residents will not be tolerated, no matter

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Travel + Leisure Magazine named Maplewood the best small town to retire in, and several other sources reported the news as well. Travel + Leisure — This Suburb Was Named the Best U.S. Small Town to Retire for Cost of Living, Crime, and Livability Kick 97.9 — Experts say the BEST place to Retire in […]

SPRINGFIELD – In a victory for working families struggling with the affordability crisis and deceptive corporate practices, the Illinois State Senate passed the Illinois Junk Fee Transparency Act ( SB1486 ) to curb the widespread use of deceptive and excessive junk fees. Economic Security Illinois Action put forward the legislation with lead sponsor Senator Omar Aquino and in partnership with Representative Bob Morgan and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “As Illinoisans struggle with rising costs, we applaud Senator Aquino and the Illinois Senate for taking action to protect working families from hidden fees that hike up their bills,” said Erion Malasi, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Economic Security Illinois Action. “This bill empowers the Illinois Attorney General to crack down on businesses hiding real costs, and ensures transparency in pricing for the majority of businesses already playing by the rules. The price you see should be the price you

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BELLEVILLE — The Diocese of Belleville expressed gratitude and support on Thursday, May 8, 2025, for the election of Pope Leo XIV as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. In a statement issued by Very Rev. Godfrey Mullen, OSB, Moderator of the Curia for the diocese, the Belleville Catholic community joined clergy, religious, and lay faithful in giving thanks to God for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in selecting the successor to Saint Peter. Pope Leo XIV, in his initial address, called on Catholics worldwide to embrace the gospel through humility, peace, justice, and unity. “He renewed the call to each of us, disciples of the Lord, to live His gospel of life: to receive the gift of humble and persevering peace, to open our arms to one another, to work fearlessly for justice, to rejoice in the resurrection, to gather in God’s people, to listen attentively to and dialogue charitably with one another together on the journey, in all things to build the Kingdom

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Gavin Kolley, 37, of Arnold, Mo., was charged Wednesday with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident following a fatal crash on May 6, 2025, authorities said. According to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Kolley was traveling eastbound on Meramec Bottom Road when he struck a vehicle driven by Victim #1. After the collision, Kolley fled the scene, continuing east on Meramec Bottom Road at a high rate of speed and erratic driving. He ran a red light at Meramec Bottom Road and Lemay Ferry Road before proceeding onto Baumgartner Road, where he crossed the center lane and collided head-on with another vehicle driven by Victim #2. Christine Decker, 57, of St. Louis, was identified as the victim who died as a result of the crash, according to the police. Emergency medical services found Kolley at the scene and noted signs of alcohol consumption, including slurred speech. Kolley admitted to relapsing an

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SPRINGFIELD – Wednesday, May 8, 2025 the League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL) returned to Springfield to lobby their state legislators. LWVIL is a nonpartisan organization that takes action on issues it has studied and reached consensus on. LWVIL augmented this year’s Lobby Day with a team of trained volunteers who make up LWVIL’s newly-minted Volunteer Lobby Corps. After a day of orientation led by experienced members of the team, the Lobby Corps was joined by additional League members for a day of in-person meetings with legislators from both sides of the aisle. “LWVIL advocates to protect voting rights and advance a more equitable democracy,” explained LWVIL President Becky Simon. “The League stands up for social justice issues because systemic inequities prohibit people from participating equally in our democracy.” This year, LWVIL focused on protection of Constitutional rights and equity in education and housing. Local Leagues

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The Who just announced dates for their farewell tour of North America, but it sounds like the band isn’t too sure folks in the U.K. will get a similar goodbye.During…

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The school, in its first year, has 100 students in ninth and 10th grades with plans to grow to an enrollment of 540 in 2027.

GRANITE CITY - The Rotary Club of Granite City recognized juniors Sophie Davison and Cate Smallie as Students of the Month for April. Students were nominated by teachers, and were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and civic honors and awards, and organization membership and leadership. Each honoree will receive a framed certificate and a gift card . SOPHIE DAVISON Member of girls basketball and girls golf team ... Secondary Honors program ... Academic Award ... Member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Photography, Renaissance, Spirit and Varsity Club ... Volunteer at church and Relleke Farms ... Daughter of Corby and Gina Davison. CATE SMALLIE Member of girls tennis and girls swimming team ... GCHS Yearbook Editor ... Secondary Honors program ... Member of Renaissance and Varsity Club ... Volunteer at Old Six Mile Museum and Paddlers ... GCHS Baseball PA Announcer ... Personal Choice Award ... Daughter of Scott and Debbie

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Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are not a privacy panacea, but they do empower Internet users in important ways. Proof of that can be found in the constant attempts by governments around the world to control who can use VPNs and for what purpose, most recently in Italy and Brazil. Hackread reports on another such move […]

ALTON – The Vintage Voices committee has set an audition date for the upcoming tours in October. Auditions will be held Saturday, June 7, 2025, at YWCA Southwestern Illinois, 304 E. 3rd St., Alton, Ill., 62002. Actors wanting to audition should arrive anytime between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. The cast features nine characters of various ages – three White females, two White males, two Black females, and two Black males. Commitment is five performances and an individualized rehearsal schedule. "Vintage Voices is all about bringing local history to life through storytelling. Every year, we hold open auditions to find people excited to help write and perform the stories of those we're featuring in this year's event. Auditions are simple – just a cold read from a script we’ll give you. Hope to see you in June!" said Diana Enloe, Co-Director of Vintage Voices. The annual event consists of walking tours held in the Alton Cemetery (5th and Vine Streets) with actors in perio

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Democrats didn’t want to be embarrassed into voting for something without seeing the bill text. When that gets ironed out, they are likely to say yes.

Even though the Missouri Property Tax Credit was created in 1975 it hasn’t been updated since 2008 and doesn’t increase with inflation.

EDWARDSVILLE – Bruce Holland, founder and CEO of Holland Construction Services (HCS), has been named the 2025 recipient of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering Distinguished Service Award. Holland will receive this prestigious award for decades of dedication to the Metro East region and the SIUE community. Holland’s leadership in construction, local innovation, student mentorship and advancement of the University will be formally recognized during the School’s Commencement Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, 2025. Since founding HCS in 1986, Holland has grown the company into one of the Midwest’s most respected construction firms, dedicated to creating not only structures but relationships and trust. Holland has been a key friend to SIUE’s School of Engineering and students. “It’s been a great place for us to get qualified people for our industry,” Holland said of SIUE. “We’ve had a lot

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ALTON - Come learn about the changing nature of the electric grid and the Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability Act legislation under review by the Illinois General Assembly. Electricity demand is projected to rise in Illinois and the U.S. the next few years at rates not seen for generations, primarily due to the explosive growth of data centers. At the same time, Illinois and the U.S. is undergoing a transition from centralized fossil-fuel generation towards distributed renewables. Dr. Nicholas Johnson is an assistant professor of sustainability and economics at Principia College, and chair of the Department of Sustainability. He holds a BS in physics and religion from Principia College, an MS in environmental policy from Michigan Tech, and a PhD in energy and mineral engineering from Penn State. His particular expertise is in electricity markets and the organizational behavior of the bodies that operate the electric grid in North America. Dr. Johnson recently had an AAAS Science an

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The Festival of Nations is an event held by the International Institute of St. Louis since 1934, according to its website.

Vegetarian restaurant and whiskey lounge Small Batch announced on Wednesday it plans to permanently close its doors after 11 years.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Caring Across relentless attempts to slash Medicaid funding. Duckworth spoke passionately about the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid—Americans including pregnant women, children with disabilities as well as people in nursing homes—and demanded that Republicans put their constituents’ lives ahead of Trump’s ego by working with Democrats to save the program. Key Quotes: “Republicans told us in Project 2025 that they would come for Medicaid, and this is the rare case when the GOP has actually kept its word—putting at risk the roughly 80 million Americans who rely on it. These are Americans in red states and blue, in big cities and small towns—Americans who don’t deserve the ways in which Republicans are making them suffer.” “It’s obvious that Trump has never stayed up late at night hunched over the kitchen table, with

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WASHINGTON, D.C . — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03) introduced the Agricultural Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity Act (Ag BIO Act), a bipartisan bill to support the biofuel economy in Illinois and across the country. The legislation updates the USDA’s Section 9003 program to expand access to grants, streamline loan guarantees, and provide $100 million in mandatory funding over five years. “My district is home to world-class research facilities like the University of Illinois’ Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab and SIUE’s National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center—both at the forefront of biomanufacturing innovation,” said Congresswoman Budzinski . “I’m honored to partner with my colleague Zach Nunn on bipartisan legislation that supports the groundbreaking agricultural research led by students and scientists at these institutions. Strengthening America’s bioeconomy

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