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A non-verbal 4-year-old boy tragically drowned in Ballwin Tuesday night, according to the Ballwin Police Department, after previously being reported missing in the city.

O'FALLON – HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital received unanimous approval March 18, 2025, from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board (HFSRB) to build an outpatient surgical treatment center and medical office building on the current campus in O’Fallon, Illinois. St. Elizabeth’s applied for Illinois’ required Certificate of Need to move forward with this important project last fall. “We are excited to be able to bring much-needed, local health care resources to our community,” said Chris Klay, President and CEO of HSHS St. Elizabeth’s. “This investment illustrates HSHS’ and St. Elizabeth’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality health care for our patients and the region.” The three-story, 70,000-square-foot building will include an outpatient surgery center with four operating rooms, two procedure rooms, along with post-acute care unit rooms and prep and recovery stations. The medical office

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Long before Mike McCready linked up with Ozzy Osbourne on 2022's Patient Number 9 album, the Pearl Jam guitarist tried to bring the Prince of Darkness a guitar riff idea. Speaking with the State of…

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GRANITE CITY – A Granite City woman remains in custody after admittedly setting a house on fire and telling the owner to “file an insurance claim.” Kayla R. Hood, 29, of Granite City, was charged with a Class 2 felony count of arson on March 12, 2025. On Dec. 23, 2024, Hood allegedly set fire to a residential property on Lee Avenue in Granite City. A petition to deny Hood’s pretrial release states she admitted to setting the fire before contacting the homeowner. “Defendant was identified as the subject leaving a residential property that was found by police engulfed in flames,” the petition states. “The fire investigator determined that the fire was of human origin. Defendant was located and admitted to being in the house prior to the fire, leaving a cigarette near some old rags and then contacting the homeowner to tell him to file an insurance claim.” The petition to keep Hood detained was granted, with a detention order clarifying

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GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man faces a new domestic battery charge after multiple prior convictions for the same offense. Dennis W. Narvaez, 43, of Granite City, was charged with his fourth offense of domestic battery, a Class 3 felony, on March 10, 2025. Narvaez is accused of striking a household or family member in the face on March 8, 2025. A petition to deny his pretrial release states the incident occurred in an alleyway and was overheard by a nearby witness. The victim told officers Narvaez struck her in the mouth, and she sustained a small laceration to the face. Narvaez had previously been convicted of domestic battery in 2008, 2012, and 2020, each in Madison County. At the time of this latest incident, he was on mandatory supervised release from the Illinois Department of Corrections. Madison County court records indicate Narvaez was released from the Madison County Jail to be held at the Illinois Department of Corrections. All individuals charged are presumed

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ST. LOUIS - It's a miraculous birthday celebration Antwoinne Vinson will never forget. Vinson, a natural gas supervisor for Ameren Illinois, and his family had just placed their drink orders at a steakhouse in St. Louis on Friday, March 14, when he noticed a woman and her husband were in distress. "I heard the hustle and bustle and when I glanced over to their table I saw the husband giving his wife the Heimlich maneuver. My family and I watched for a second and we all said, 'she is choking,'" Vinson says. "I asked my nephew, who was sitting next to me in the booth, to move out of the booth and then I sprinted into action. "I went over to the table. The husband was still performing the Heimlich again, but her airwave was still blocked. I asked if I could help. She looked at me and the husband tried the Heimlich one more time and then she pointed to me. I asked if she could breathe, and she never responded. When she didn't respond I knew she still was choking." Vinson says, he

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Wednesday, March 19, 2025, that a jury has returned a guilty verdict in an aggravated assault case prosecuted by two assistant state’s attorneys who have been licensed for less than a year and a half. The trial, which began Monday in Circuit Court, was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Jerren Fulcher and Assistant State’s Attorney Zac Cato. After just two hours of deliberation, the jury found the defendant guilty of aggravated assault for pointing a firearm toward a juvenile, without justification. While felony cases often make headlines, Haine emphasized that his office is committed to developing trial experience at all levels of prosecution. “We are dedicated to providing our attorneys — whether they are new to the practice or seasoned professionals — with real opportunities to handle cases in court. Even recent graduates, like Fulcher and Cato, are ready to

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Prosecutors formally charged two people, including former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, in connection with an April 2024 protest at Washington University that ended with 100 arrests.

EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced today that a Madison man has received a 30-year prison sentence after being convicted of first-degree murder. Chauncy D. Lucas Jr., 24, received the sentence after pleading guilty Tuesday, March 18, 2025, to one count of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Tyrone Williams, 20. The shooting happened May 10, 2023, in the area of Rock Springs Drive in Alton. Alton Police responded to a report of a shooting and located the victim, who later died at a St. Louis hospital. “Our prayers remain with the family and loved ones of Tyrone Williams,” Haine said. “Our hope is that this conviction and sentence can begin to offer them closure.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Luke Yager, who is assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit at the State’s Attorney’s Office, and Assistant State’s Attorney Gina McNabnay. Haine commended Alton

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The new fire safety training trailer for the St. Louis Fire Department is almost like something you’d find on a movie set or at Disneyworld.

On Wednesday, business owners honored the hard work and dedication of police officers in St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District. The officers were recognized with awards for the 30th year of the event.

GLEN CARBON - Izzie Vernasky, a 5-foot-8 senior at Father McGivney Catholic High School, has earned recognition as a special mention member on the Illinois Coaches Basketball Association IHSA Class 1A team and as a first-team selection for the All Gateway Conference team. She is a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Female Athlete of the Month for McGivney. Throughout the basketball season, Vernasky emerged as a leading scorer for the Griffins, showcasing her abilities as a strong rebounder and defensive player. Her contributions on the court were noted by her coach, Jeff Oller, who praised her performance, and said, "Vernasky was a fantastic player and did a great job all season for the Griffins." Oller expressed pride in her achievements, highlighting her all-conference and all-state selections. In addition to her basketball accolades, Vernasky is also recognized as a standout athlete in other sports. She has made significant contributions to the volleyball and softball teams at McGivney

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Joni Mitchell has Amanda Seyfried to thank for her latest streaming bump.Billboard reports that ever since Seyfried showed off her dulcimer playing skills by performing Joni's “California” on The Tonight…

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WASHINGTON — Among the flurry of executive orders President Donald Trump signed on the first day he returned to the White House are five that lay out the use of military forces within the U.S. borders and extend other executive powers to speed up the president’s immigration crackdown.  The administration has engendered huge controversy in […]

GRAFTON - On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, three motorcyclists were cited for excessive speeding along State Highway 100 near Grafton, by Jersey County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Kevin Ayres. The individuals were clocked at speeds of 142 miles per hour and 130 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone, leading to their arrests for Reckless Driving. The motorcyclists were subsequently transported to the Jersey County Jail, and their motorcycles were towed. The Jersey County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement emphasizing the dangers of high-speed driving. “If you lose control of any vehicle while traveling at such speeds, you will not survive. Moreover, anyone you hit, that person will not survive,” the statement read. The JCSO reiterated the importance of adhering to traffic laws, urging drivers to exercise caution and consider the safety of themselves and others on the road. “We respectfully ask that everyone obey our traffic laws and use common sense, and respect

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Nathan Spiess was also one of the officers shot by a homicide suspect after a chase in January of 2022.

BETHALTO - Tom Beiermann is proud of the Bethalto school district. Beiermann, one of nine candidates running for a seat on the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education, shared more about who he is and what he stands for. He has served on the school board for approximately 35 years, and he has more to give to continue building the Bethalto community. “The school district maybe is the most important thing to this community,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of industry and we don’t have a great deal of retail, but I think we do have a very good school system, and I think people appreciate that. Of course, nothing’s more important than their kids, and we try to take care of them as best we can.” Beiermann met his wife at Civic Memorial High School when they were students. He was a business owner in Cottage Hills for several years, with an auto repair business and a salvage yard, as he raised his three children in the Bethalt

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St. Louis police are releasing the name of a police officer critically injured in the line of duty earlier this week.