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

9 months 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

9 months 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 

9 months 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

9 months 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. […]

The post Steve Smith’s Bullish on Downtown: $195M Mansion House Redevelopment Moves Forward appeared first on Construction Forum.

Tom Finan

Illinois DCFS Reminds Caregivers To Practice The ABCs Of Safe Sleep During Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month And All Year Long

9 months ago
CHICAGO – October is Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is reminding parents and caregivers of three steps parents and caregivers can take to create a safe sleep environment for infants in their care. It’s as simple as ABC – infants should always be placed to sleep ALONE, on their BACKS and in a safe CRIB. Unsafe sleep practices are a leading cause of death for infants across the United States, with 126 Illinois infants losing their lives before their first birthday in 2024. These tragic, and often preventable, deaths frequently stemmed from accidental suffocation due to infants being placed to sleep somewhere other than a crib or bassinet; sharing an adult bed; or sleeping with soft bedding or other items in the crib. “Protecting the safety and well-being of children is at the heart of our mission, and one important way we can achieve this by reminding parents and caregivers of their ABCs:

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Brentwood Wins 1st Round in ‘Blight’ Fight Over Manchester Road Redevelopment

9 months ago

From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Lawyers for four small businesses said they would appeal a St. Louis County judge’s ruling that the city of Brentwood broke no laws when it declared their Manchester Road properties blighted to help clear the way for a developer’s $400 million plan to remake the area. If the judge’s decision is […]

The post Brentwood Wins 1st Round in ‘Blight’ Fight Over Manchester Road Redevelopment appeared first on Construction Forum.

Dede Hance

Gov. Pritzker Breaks Ground on Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP)

9 months ago
CHICAGO, IL – Today, Governor JB Pritzker will be joined by leading quantum business, research, academic, and government institutions to celebrate the groundbreaking of PsiQuantum’s facility at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) at Quantum Shore on Chicago’s South Side. This marks the official buildout of state-of-the-art facilities that will soon bring the Park to full scale, driving billions in economic impact, creating thousands of jobs, and cementing Illinois as the nation’s leader in the global race for quantum innovation. Anchor tenant PsiQuantum will house the first utility-scale, error-corrected quantum computer at the Park. The Park will also be home to a growing roster of global companies including IBM, Diraq, and Infleqtion. “Today we break ground on a landmark project that will establish Illinois as the nation’s leading hub for quantum innovation while attracting billions in economic investment and creating thousands o

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West Frankfort Teachers Union President Blasts CUSD Dist. #168 for Filing 'False Charges' Against Union

9 months ago
WEST FRANKFORT – American Federation of Teachers, Local 817, President Tim Aldridge issued the following statement today after CUSD Dist. #168 filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) against the union on September 29. “The charges filed on Monday by CUSD #168 against the teachers in AFT Local 817 are simply false. Frankly, they are a sad attempt to distract parents and our community from the board’s unwillingness to fulfill their responsibility to reach a fair agreement after five months of bargaining. "Let’s be clear: Superintendent Donkin and school board members have demanded unfair, harmful cuts that will hurt students and our schools and drive teachers to other districts. Rather than focusing on reaching an agreement that serves students, teachers, and our community, they are retaliating against teachers for exercising our legal rights and responsibilities. "As we stated in the Unfair Labor Practice charge our union filed last week, Donkin and the school

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Glen Carbon Approves Site Plan For New Retina Institute Location

9 months ago

From RiverBender: Glen Carbon trustees recently approved site plans for a new Retina Institute location opening in the village’s Sunset Park Plaza development. A resolution approving site plans for the Retina Institute were approved unanimously at the Sept. 23, 2025 Village Board meeting. Their current location is at 5 Country Club Executive Park in Glen […]

The post Glen Carbon Approves Site Plan For New Retina Institute Location appeared first on Construction Forum.

Dede Hance

East Alton First United Methodist Church to Host Annual Trunk-or-Treat and Haunted House Event

9 months ago
EAST ALTON - The East Alton First United Methodist Church invites community members to their annual trunk-or-treat and haunted house. On Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, kids and families can enjoy the trunk-or-treat from 6–7 p.m. in the church parking lot. The haunted house — an inflatable maze with jumpscares — will be open from 5–8 p.m. that evening. “We’re trying to beat the rush,” said Angela Sarandis with the church. “We love doing things for the community. With us being right across the street from the school, we have to do fun things, and this is one of our fun things.” Located at 1001 3rd Street in East Alton, the church hosts many community events year-round. But Sarandis is especially looking forward to the trunk-or-treat. She said the church has hosted the Halloween event for 15 years now, starting before trunk-or-treats were popular and welcoming over 700 people every year. This year’s trunk-or-treat will featur

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Student found with gun at Belleville East High School

9 months ago
A student at Belleville East High School was found with a firearm on campus Tuesday morning. According to police, a Belleville Police Department School Resource Officer was notified by a student that another was in possession of a gun at school.  The student was quickly located, and the firearm was taken during a search.
Alex Barton