stLouISTHartmann: Eric Schmitt's Lawsuit Over School Records Shows Hypocrisy
For one fleeting moment, Eric Schmitt has landed on the side of democracy.
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Fun Bars on a Monday?
Avocates Pushed Back Against Ameren Missouri's Rate Increase to Secure Expansions of Low-Income Programs, Other Priorities
St. Louis, MO – Two recent orders from the Missouri Public Service Commission helped mitigate the impact of Ameren Missouri’s recent rate increase for struggling families. Ameren Missouri, the state’s largest electric utility, filed for a $299 million rate increase that would have added $12 per month to the average electric bill. A coalition of consumer groups and energy efficiency advocates pushed back against the rate increase, lowering it to $220 million and securing a collective set of priorities that will help the most vulnerable families who have experienced severe utility debt and disconnections as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of a settlement, Ameren Missouri must expand its “Keeping Current” program, which helps lower-income families reduce their utility debt and maintain service, doubling its budget from $2 million to $4 million per year, with Ameren’s shareholders contributing half. Ameren must also add May and September and expand program eligibility to 300% of the Federal Poverty level to reflect greater demand for utility assistance. Additionally, despite large commercial/industrial customers’ stance that residential customers should pay a larger share, the PSC determined that the rate increase will be apportioned equally.
Jackie Hutchinson with the Consumers Council of Missouri was one of the advocates pushing for expansions to the Keeping Current program, along with other priorities. Hutchinson stated: “This increase in Keeping Current/Keeping Cool Funding helps us protect the health and safety of our most vulnerable residents, those over 65 living on limited fixed incomes and low-income families with children 5 and under. It also expands our ability to serve families with higher income who struggle to pay due to high energy burdens.”
The settlement also commits Ameren to: 1) launching a new “Critical Needs” pilot program to deliver focused assistance to individuals living with certain medical conditions; 2) launching a rehousing pilot program which will use existing bill assistance resources in order to rehouse individuals and families and return their utility service; 3) reducing late fees to 1% per month; 4) maintaining the monthly residential customer charge at $9, rather than a proposed increase; and 5) collecting and sharing aggregated customer usage data with stakeholders for use in a study on energy burdens across Ameren’s territory.
This settlement and the community support it now includes are the direct result of the collaboration of Missouri community advocates, which included: the Missouri Energy Efficiency for All coalition, Consumers Council of Missouri, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Homes for All St. Louis, and others. The group’s demands were voiced at local public hearings and in written public comments submitted by renters and advocates who insisted that their pandemic hardships be met with equitable solutions. For more information about how customers can seek assistance through the Keeping Current program and other opportunities, please refer to the Missouri Utility Assistance Guide posted here.
Vinyl ways: Santana’s ‘Blessings and Miracles’ album now available as two-LP set
Santana's latest studio album, the star-studded collaborative project Blessings and Miracles, was initially released on CD and digital formats in October of 2021, but the record now also has been…
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THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED AT THE BOTTOM
Elsah Museum Opens 2022 Photography Exhibit
ELSAH - The Village of Elsah Museum announces the opening of the Village of Elsah Museum for the 2022 season with its annual photography exhibit on Saturday, April 2 at 1 pm. The purpose of the exhibit is to celebrate and foster an appreciation of the beauty and unique qualities of the Village. The exhibit theme is “Elsah Postcard.” The judge was Erica Popp, an artist and photography teacher. She commented on the high quality of the submitted images. She felt that the winner gave a clear message encouraging winter visitors to come to Elsah and see the Eagles. The exhibit awards include the annual Village of Elsah purchase prize, four special recognitions and a youth prize. The Village of Elsah Purchase Prize is for “Welcome to Elsah” by photographer, Patricia Ott of Godfrey, Illinois, below. The purchase prize photograph will be part of the Village of Elsah Museum’s collection. As the winner of the Village of Elsah Purchase Prize, Ms. Ott will also receive
Lewis and Clark Events Calendar March 19-31, 2021
For current information regarding Lewis and Clark Community College’s operations during the pandemic, please visit lc.edu/coronavirus . Recurring event: Alton Area Tax Project: 5-7 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m.-noon, Saturdays, Templin Nursing Building, NU201, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. Appointments are required. Visit https://AltonAreaTaxProject.com/appointment or call (314) 292-9597. 3/18-19 – AMP Dance Competition: noon, Friday; 7 a.m., Saturday, Hatheway Cultural Center, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. info@ampdancecompetition.com . 3/23 – Brown Bag Event, Cool Brass, Bi-State Brass Quintet: 12:30 p.m., Ringhausen Music Building, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. (618) 468-4731. 3/24 – Early Bird Registration/Tour, Alton High School : 8:30 a.m., Trimpe 141, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. Sign-up at https://www.lc.edu/earlybird
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Biden's Supreme Court pick set to make history
) -- Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, is set to make history Monday when she kicks off a days-long hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Producers of Beatles, Tom Petty documentary projects among winners of 2022 Producer’s Guild Awards
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No charges filed against man arrested in carjacking attempt on two St. Louis cops
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Alton Main Street Announces An Upcoming Seminar On Access To Capital, The First Session In Its New Small Business Hot Topics Educational Series
ALTON - Alton Main Street is announcing an in-person training on Access to Capital, which will be held on Monday, March 21st from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Post Commons, located at 300 Alby Street in Alton, IL, in its lower level co-working space called GroundWorks. During this session, small business owners and budding entrepreneurs will learn sources and criteria for commercial bank and SBA loans, prepare to apply for grants and pitch to angel investors, and receive information on government resources for veteran-, woman-, and POC-owned businesses. Presenter Mary Louise Helbig's career encompasses executive leadership positions in business development for corporations and startups. Most recently she was the Executive Director of ITEN, one of the founding Entrepreneur Support Organizations in the St. Louis region. To register for this event, and find video recordings of all sessions at a later date, please visit: www.DowntownAlton.com/Events/SmallBusinessResources . “Alton Main Street
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Tourism Bureau Welcomes New Destination Sales Manager
ALTON - Laura Scarborough has joined the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau as the new Destination Sales Manager. Scarborough’s role with the Bureau will include highlighting southwest Illinois to potential domestic and international group travelers as well as attracting meetings/conferences to the six-county bureau region. “We are looking ahead to ways we can grow the region and we know group travel and meetings are areas we already have a strong presence,” Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the tourism bureau said. “Laura will help keep us front and center in group travel planning and we are excited to have her on the team.” Scarborough has been the owner of a catering company based in Columbia, MO, The Farmers Daughter. She has also worked as the community sponsorship and donation manager for Landmark Bank, and as the finance manager for the Heart of Missouri United Way, both in Columbia, MO. She most recently worked as the branch office administrator for
Suspicious package reported at St. Mary's HS not located
ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said a suspicious package was reported Monday morning at St. Mary's High School, but the Bomb and Arson unit did not locate one during their search. Students were seen standing outside St. Mary's High School in south St. Louis at about 9:15 a.m. The school is [...]
Meet the 2022 Innovation in Philanthropy Awards winners
Attorney General Raoul Files Lawsuit Against Marathon Pipe Line LLC Over Oil Spill
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a lawsuit against Marathon Pipe Line LLC (Marathon) alleging that the company created a substantial danger to the environment and public health and welfare when crude oil was released from a pipeline near Edwardsville, Illinois. Raoul’s lawsuit was filed in Madison County Circuit Court and includes allegations of creating a substantial danger to the environment and public health and welfare, water pollution, creating offensive conditions, open dumping and waste disposal at an improper facility. Raoul’s lawsuit alleges Marathon violated the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and endangered public health and the environment by causing or allowing a discharge of heavy crude oil to Cahokia Creek in an area that includes residential neighborhoods, commercial properties, agricultural properties, forested areas and a wetland. “Marathon’s significant oil spill has created a public health risk by exposing
Republicans twist Supreme Court nominee Jackson’s judicial record
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the court of public opinion — such as the Supreme Court nomination hearings coming this week — politicians ask questions of witnesses to score points for …