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Attorney General Raoul Obtains Guilty Plea, Over $58,000 In Restitution From Former Jersey County Treasurer

4 months 3 weeks ago
JERSEYVILLE – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that a former Jersey County Treasurer pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge after she knowingly obtained more than $50,000 in 2024 by deception for personal gain from Jersey County bank accounts while in her role as treasurer. Raoul’s office prosecuted Katie Abbey, 37, of Jerseyville, Illinois, who pleaded guilty to Class 1 felony theft by deception. Sangamon County Circuit Court Chief Judge Daniel Wright sentenced her to pay $58,453.76 in restitution and serve 45 days of home confinement and 30 months of felony probation. “Public servants are entrusted with resources that allow them to fulfill their responsibilities on behalf of the taxpayers they serve, which is why they must be held to a higher standard,” Raoul said. “It is an egregious violation of the public’s trust when any elected official takes advantage of this responsibility for their own personal gain. My office is committed

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New Art Gallery Opens in Downtown Alton, Owner Shares Story

4 months 3 weeks ago
ALTON - A “hippie artist” at heart, Charles Mooneyham has returned to his roots. After 20 years working in the behavioral health field, Mooneyham began painting again to manage the stress of his job at the suicide hotline. His work soon found a home in multiple galleries across the region, and he decided to open his own space in his adopted hometown of Alton. “I decided I was going to leave my job and just become a full-time hippie artist weirdo, and I couldn’t think of a better place than Alton,” he joked. Mooneyham has opened his new gallery space, called Mooneyham Art, at 305 State Street in Alton, and he is excited to be in the downtown district. He explained that the gallery features local artists alongside international names, with the goal of boosting these local artists and their work. “I’m creating an environment for intermediate emerging artists to be able to show with regional, national and international artists,”

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East St. Louis Site Chosen for $820M Fuel Plant

4 months 3 weeks ago
From St. Louis Business Journal:  A new $820 million aviation fuel facility is in the works in the Metro East. Avina Clean Hydrogen’s planned production facility will be located on an undisclosed 90-acre site in East St. Louis. The decision to build the facility, and to locate it in East St. Louis, came through a […]
Rachel Finan

VIDEO: Shuttered “Last Hotel” Envisioned as Tornado Shelter

4 months 3 weeks ago
From KSDK:  The owner of a shuttered hotel in downtown St. Louis said he wants to reopen the historic property as temporary housing for families displaced by the May 16 tornado, but several hurdles remain. Michael Qualizza, who owns The Last Hotel on Washington Avenue, believes the vacant building could quickly be transformed into a […]
Rachel Finan

HDA Completes Kona Grill in Tigard, Oregon

4 months 3 weeks ago
HDA is proud to announce the completion of Kona Grill , a 7,137-square-foot restaurant renovation in the heart of Tigard, Oregon, delivered in partnership with The ONE Group. The project transformed a dated Mediterranean-style structure into a vibrant, contemporary dining destination that seamlessly blends with the surrounding commercial area. The complete renovation included both interior […]
Dede Hance

Worker Wellness Blog: Recent Visit to Scotland and England

4 months 3 weeks ago
by Dr. John Gaal Editor’s Note: Each week, Dr. John Gaal, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative, a non-profit workforce formed by the Missouri AFL-CIO, collects and comments on news and trends in workforce wellness and life balance. Construction Forum carries the Worker Wellness & Well-Being Blog as a regular feature. The […]
Dede Hance

Weapon Charges Filed Against Alton, Godfrey, Cottage Hills Residents

4 months 3 weeks ago
ALTON – Multiple Riverbend residents with prior felony convictions have been charged with illegally possessing firearms in separate criminal cases. Jermaine D. Stiff, 44, of Alton, was charged on June 2, 2025 with a Class X felony count of possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, as well as a Class 2 felony count of felon in possession of a weapon. Stiff allegedly possessed a firearm on May 28, 2025 after previously being convicted of several felony offenses, including aggravated discharge of a firearm in 1999, home invasion in 2004, felon in possession of a firearm in 2006, and residential burglary in 2006. A petition to deny Stiff’s pretrial release from custody was filed by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office. The petition states he was seen on surveillance video shooting the firearm he illegally possessed. “Officers were dispatched to a report of multiple shots fired,” the petition states. “Detectives began reviewing

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Trump’s steep proposed cuts to medical research funding draw bipartisan flak

4 months 3 weeks ago
WASHINGTON — National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya testified Tuesday that he will work with Congress to potentially reverse a steep cut to the agency’s funding the White House proposed earlier this year in its budget request. Bhattacharya told highly critical Republicans and Democrats on the Senate panel that writes the NIH’s annual spending […]
Jennifer Shutt

Worden Man Faces Second Domestic Battery Charge After Interfering With Reporting, More

4 months 3 weeks ago
TROY – Troy Police have arrested a Worden man for his second domestic battery offense, interfering with the reporting of domestic battery, and more. Roy A. LaFountain, 27, of Worden, was charged on June 5, 2025 with his second or subsequent offense of domestic battery (a Class 4 felony), unlawful restraint (a Class 4 felony), interfering with the reporting of domestic battery (a Class A misdemeanor) and criminal damage to property (a Class A misdemeanor). On June 2, 2025, LaFountain allegedly struck a household or family member about the body with his hands. He is additionally accused of unlawfully restraining the victim at a residence in Troy, seizing the victim’s cell phone to prevent them from reporting the act of domestic violence, and causing under $500 in damage to their cell phone and television. LaFountain had previously been convicted of aggravated domestic battery in a 2019 Macoupin County case. He was also under an active Order of Protection at the time of

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