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HAMEL/MARINE/ST. JACOB – The Illinois Department of Transportation announces intermittent lane closures of IL 4 between Blue Spruce Ln and I-55 beginning on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, weather permitting. Two-way traffic will be maintained by the use of flaggers. This work is needed to perform pavement patching and it should be completed by the end of June. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. The contractor on this project is Kilian Corporation of Mascoutah, Illinois. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ALTON – The Illinois Department of Transportation announces that nightly intermittent lane restrictions will begin on IL 3 between Alby St. and IL 140 on Sunday, June 5, 2022, weather permitting. The restrictions for this stage of work will take place Sunday through Thursday between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am and one lane will remain open in each direction at all times. This work is needed to complete the new asphalt pavement and is expected to be completed by mid-July. This stage of construction is one of the last stages of the Homer Adams Parkway resurfacing project. The entire project is expected to be complete by the end of July. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. The contractor on this project is the C. E. Mahoney Co. of Swansea, Illinois. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view

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EAST ALTON –Mississippi River Network (MRN) Policy Director Maisah Khan will be the featured presenter at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s upcoming hybrid Neighbor Nights event, June 21. “The Mississippi River provides us with so many gifts: drinking water, healthy habitats, cultural connections and more,” Khan said. “As a community member, you may already take small actions each day to protect the river. Learn how federal policy actions are taking place to support the river at a national level.” Khan will discuss new policies and initiatives that are already underway to increase investments in clean water, healthy habitats and nature-based solutions to flooding. She will also share more information about the Mississippi River Network and the 1 Mississippi River Citizen program. June’s Neighbor Night event will be held over Zoom as well as in person. The Field Station, located at 1 Confluence Way in East Alton

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ST. LOUIS - City of St. Louis alderman Bill Stephens sent a formal letter to President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed Monday morning in response to the federal indictment against him. Reed was indicted on federal bribery and corruption charges linked to pay-to-play schemes. The 66-page indictment was filed on May 25 in [...]

FREEBURG – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that Illinois Rt 15 from East of Illinois Rt 159 to Rogers Drive in Freeburg will be intermittently restricted to one lane in each direction beginning Wednesday, June 8, 2022, weather permitting. This work will take place daily between the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Traffic in each direction will be maintained using flaggers and arrow boards. This work is necessary to complete pavement repairs. This work is expected to be completed by the end of Summer 2022. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. The contractor on this project is The Killian Corporation of Mascoutah, Illinois. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ST. LOUIS — To protect the health of those who work and visit Gateway Arch National Park, the park has implemented a mask requirement for employees, visitors, partners, and contractors as of 9:00 a.m. on Monday, June 6, 2022. The mask requirement will remain in effect until the high COVID-19 transmission and positivity rate in St. Louis City and County return to medium or low levels. Face coverings will now be required in all park buildings and facilities, including the Visitors Center, in the trams, and at the top of the Arch. The public can find information about the requirement on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/jeff and where tram reservations are made at www.gatewayarch.com . “The unfortunate reality is that COVID-19 continues to be present in our area,” says Jeremy Sweat, Superintendent, Gateway Arch National Park. “We want to stay open and continue to provide a high-quality experience for our visitors while keeping in mind the health and safety

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JERSEYVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation announces the closures of IL 109 between Lodi Rd and Hagen Rd beginning on Monday, June 13, 2022, weather permitting. This will be a complete closure of the road, therefore, no traffic will be able to get through the closure area. This closure is needed to construct a new box culvert and it should be completed in approximately two weeks. The signed detour for this closure is as follows: Southbound IL 109 NB to W. County Rd in Jerseyville W. County Rd EB to US 67 US 67 SB to Godfrey Rd in Godfrey Godfrey Rd SB to IL 3 NB in Godfrey Northbound IL 109 SB to IL 3 IL 3 SB to Godfrey Rd in Godfrey Godfrey Rd NB to US 67 US 67 NB to Jerseyville W. County Rd WB to IL 109 SB This closure is part of a larger project that will require another complete road closure of IL 109 in the near future. Another press release will be sent out to identify the time and location of the next closure. Drivers are urged to b

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ST. LOUIS - City Museum is celebrating all dads with grilling, craft making and free admission for the most important man in your life with a paid admission on Father's Day, June 19, 2022. Celebrate Father's Day with a cookout and fun with Dad this Father's Day. Enjoy sliding and climbing throughout the building plus hot and ready foods and satisfying drinks at the Patio Grill in the shade of the MonstroCity outdoor play area. The Cabin Inn also will be open with brews and soft drinks. City Museum artists will help kids create Medals of Honor and Father's Day cards on the second floor. For more information and advance tickets, visit www.citymuseum.org . City Museum is located at 750 N 16th St., St. Louis, MO 63103. On social media: @citymuseum. City Museum is open from 10 a.m.until 6 p.m.on Father's Day.

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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement in response to the Biden Administration’s announcement that it will publish the ethanol blending mandates for 2020, 2021 and 2022 at levels that more closely resemble American consumption levels and help farmers and biofuel producers prepare for the future: “At a time when Big Oil refiners are profiting off the backs of hardworking Americans, I am pleased that the Biden Administration is taking action to diversify fuel options at the pump and get our Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) back on the right track,” said Duckworth. “By making this announcement, Biden’s EPA exemplifies its commitment to help restore integrity, growth and stability to the RFS and the U.S. biofuel sector while ensuring these programs continue to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, drive down gas prices, strengthen our energy security and drive rural economic opportunity in Illinois

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SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $245,000, through the BEACH Act grant program, to Illinois. The grant funding will support the state in developing and implementing a beach monitoring and notification program that will protect the public by monitoring beaches for bacteria, identifying local pollution sources, and reporting these results to EPA. “The Great Lakes boast of family-friendly beaches in Northern Illinois. Today’s announcement affirms that this precious natural resource is well worth protecting,” Durbin said. “As summer begins, EPA’s funding will help ensure that these beaches remain a safe vacation spot for all residents and visitors.” “The Great Lakes are the source of drinking water for tens of millions of Americans, support millions of jobs and bring joy to countless tourists

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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive federal support from the American Rescue Plan and the FY22 AmeriCorps State and National Grants Competition. The investment will be distributed to ten Illinois-based organizations to help more than 450 AmeriCorps members serve local communities through youth outreach, public health advocacy, sports mentorship, trauma-informed violence prevention and more. “AmeriCorps national service programs bring together people from all walks of life to address pressing challenges in local communities and strengthen our nation,” Duckworth said. “Just as enlisting in the military to defend our country is ‘American Service,’ so is volunteering to help lift up communities. I will continue to advocate for greater investments in national service opportunities so that every Illinoisan who wants to serve has the opportunity to do so.&rdquo

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Take a load off and take in the views on a relaxing daytime cruise that shows St. Louis from the river that built it. Narrated

The post St. Louis Riverfront Cruise appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led a Congressional delegation to Taiwan and South Korea this week as part of her continuing efforts to help strengthen economic ties between our people, specifically highlighting how Illinois is uniquely positioned for greater investment and increased exports with international partners as a hub of agriculture, manufacturing and technology. Duckworth, a member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, met with multiple business, government and trade leaders including Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Su Tseng-chang and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu as well as South Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun. Photos from the visit are available here . “I was pleased to visit Taiwan and South Korea, two partners that are vitally important to Illinois’s economy,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $6,020,767 in federal funding awarded to Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport in Springfield from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the airport’s reconstruction of taxiway lighting and runway updates. “Today’s funding is a significant federal investment in the service and safety of those who fly in and out of Springfield’s airport, which is a critical element of Illinois economy,” said Durbin. “Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to ensure our state’s regional airports have the federal resources needed to succeed.” “Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport is an important economic engine for our state and Sangamon County, and making sure it has federal support to improve its infrastructure is critical,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin in announcing this infusion o

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CHICAGO — Governor Pritzker announced today that after decades of extensive sexual assault forensic backlogs, the number of pending sexual assault forensic assignments older than 180 days has reached zero. This is down from a backlog of 1,815 sexual assault forensic assignments that were pending longer than 180 days in March of 2019. Illinois State Police (ISP) utilized a variety of strategies to reduce turnaround time, including ramping up the use of forensic technologies and robotics, and hiring additional forensic scientists who work collaboratively instead of analyzing data independently. The benefits of these initiatives, along with other improvements, are continuing to unfold. “Under my predecessor, there was a massive backlog of DNA from sexual assault cases waiting to be processed, letting criminals off the hook and failing survivors,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “When I came into office, my administration made it our mission to support survivors in

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A man died in the crash and an investigation is underway, St. Louis County police said.

In 2017, in two different state government agencies, Missouri’s Sunshine Law was put to the test. Just weeks after Josh Hawley was sworn in as attorney general that year, his staff began using private email accounts — instead of government-issued addresses that are automatically subject to the Sunshine Law — to discuss public business with […]

The post Pair of lawsuits expose a potentially massive hole in Missouri’s Sunshine Law appeared first on Missouri Independent.