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East St. Louis Man Charged With Fatal Apartment Stabbing

5 months 2 weeks ago
EAST ST. LOUIS — Illinois State Police arrested Jamal L. Wilson, 42, of East St. Louis on a first-degree murder charge following the fatal stabbing of a woman in her apartment last week. On Sept. 27, 2025, Illinois State Police Special Agents were called by the East St. Louis Police Department to investigate a homicide at an apartment in the 3200 block of State Street. The victim, 38-year-old Shanika S. Barbee of East St. Louis, was found stabbed inside her residence and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical services. Following an investigation by ISP and East St. Louis police officers, Wilson was identified as a suspect. The case was presented to the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office, which filed first-degree murder charges against Wilson on Sept. 29. He is currently being held pending further proceedings. No additional details have been released at this time. Under the law, defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in

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Worker Wellness Blog: The Importance of Relationships

5 months 2 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 […]

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Dede Hance

Local leaders call for solutions to Columbia crime following shooting death of college student

5 months 2 weeks ago
University of Missouri System President Mun Choi’s call for a campaign to address crime in Columbia earned support Monday but few details emerged on how it would play out. Support ranged from Gov. Mike Kehoe to several members of the Columbia City Council and Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, who has agreed to form a community task […]
Faith Jacoby, Grace Martin, Emilia Hansen

Missouri AG charges St. Peters insurance agent with fraud

5 months 2 weeks ago
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced Monday that her office has filed felony charges against a St. Peters insurance agent. This lawsuit comes after an investigation into deceptive practices of Pamela Walsh, of J. Walsh Insurance, a now-closed agency owned by her husband.  
Alex Barton

HSHS St. Elizabeth's Hospital Announces $116 Million Investment in Campus Expansion to Grow Services and Inpatient Capacity  

5 months 2 weeks ago
O’FALLON, Ill. — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital has announced $116 million in major growth projects for the O’Fallon campus. The projects will expand the emergency department, increase inpatient nursing capacity, as well as add a new outpatient surgery center, advanced imaging options and medical office space. At a press conference held at the hospital on Monday, Sep. 15, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital President and CEO Chris Klay and Chief Operating Officer Michael Janis announced the plans for the project and highlighted the longevity of this health care ministry. “It is incredible that in the year we celebrate 150 years of existence, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital remains vibrant and positioned for growth as demonstrated with these new expansions. By expanding our facilities and services, we are not only addressing the growing needs of today but also preparing to meet the demands of tomorrow. Along with enhancing the economic climate of the region,”

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Granite City Police Charge Two With Interstate Meth Trafficking, Fentanyl Possession

5 months 2 weeks ago
GRANITE CITY – A man and woman from Madison, Ill. have been charged with transporting meth and fentanyl across state lines from Missouri into Illinois as part of an “ongoing interstate distribution operation.” Mario S. Hunt, 44, and Vanessa S. Womack, 44, both of Madison, Ill., were charged on Sept. 16, 2025 with one count each of methamphetamine trafficking (both Class X felonies) and possession of a controlled substance (both Class 4 felonies). Womack and Hunt allegedly transported over 15 grams of methamphetamine into the State of Illinois for the purpose of delivery and unlawfully possessed a substance containing fentanyl on July 27, 2025. The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office filed petitions to deny pretrial release for both Womack and Hunt. According to the petition to keep Womack in custody, she reportedly admitted to making bulk purchases of illegal substances in Missouri before bringing them into Illinois, and making occasional fentanyl

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Caritas Family Solutions Receives Prestigious State-Wide Award for Innovative Work 

5 months 2 weeks ago
BELLEVILLE - Caritas Family Solutions is proud to announce that the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has selected Caritas to receive the 2025 Award for Treating Foster Parents with Dignity and Respect. Caritas was recognized for its work surrounding the nonprofit’s 2025 Foster Parent Law Implementation Plan. Presented annually by the DCFS Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council (SWFCAC), the award recognizes agencies that go above and beyond to provide support and respectful guidance for foster parents. Caritas’ plan was selected for its strong, innovative approach to supporting foster families. “I could not be prouder of our staff for recognizing and taking the effort to truly embrace foster parents as our partners in caring for children in foster care,” said Mary Savage, Director of Licensing at Caritas Family Solutions. “Our foster parents do the heavy-lifting in that they provide 24-hour supervision, care, an

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Steve Smith’s Bullish on Downtown: $195M Mansion House Redevelopment Moves Forward

5 months 2 weeks ago

by Tom Finan, Executive Director, Construction Forum When the $195M redevelopment of the 20-story Mansion House apartments at 300 North Fourth Street in downtown St. Louis begins in October Steve Smith, the CEO and founder of its developer, New+Found, will be able to look out his office window and watch the progress across Fourth Street. […]

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Tom Finan