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SPRINGFIELD - In an event sponsored by area Sen. Erica Harriss, during the Spring YAC, students were assigned different legislative roles such as citizen proponent/opponent, lobbyist proponent/opponent, Democrat/Republican lawmakers, and press/media to debate their proposed legislation in a mock committee hearing. “I am really interested in policymaking and the legal system, and eventually I want to be a lawyer. I really like politics and want to make a change in the world,” said Hannah Kypra of O’Fallon Township High School. “I am definitely going to take away communication skills, public speaking skills, and debate skills. It is fascinating to see how everything looks and works. It’s really great for learning how government works and how laws are made and passed.” Students also had the opportunity to hear from Illinois Supreme Court Judge David Overstreet. This year, Senator Harriss held a Capture the Capitol photo contest, which allowed

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) welcomed more than 50 high school students and educators to Springfield this month as part of her Spring Youth Advisory Council (YAC). Edwardsville, Marquette Catholic, Alton, Metro East Lutheran, East Alton-Wood River, Roxana and other area schools participated. “Each year, students from high schools throughout the district are nominated by their schools to visit Springfield and get an up-close look at how state government operates,” said Senator Harriss. “This is one of my favorite events because it helps empower the next generation by giving them firsthand experience with the legislative process.” Senator Harriss’ YAC is a two-part series. High school students came together in the 56th District in the fall at Lewis and Clark Community College to draft bill ideas to debate during the spring council. “I was interested in learning more about our Capitol, our state, and the

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The library expects to cut two databases from the its research and reference collection, switch to a smaller newspaper database and spend less on printed books, music and video games.

JERSEY - Jersey Community High School’s freshman and sophomore boys track team competed against 16 teams at the Highland Invite on April 15, 2025, delivering strong performances highlighted by standout athlete Jack Deist. Deist secured second place in the 400-meter race with a time of 53.08 seconds and finished fifth in the long jump, recording a season-best leap of 17 feet, 8.25 inches. He also contributed as a member of the 4x400 relay team. Earlier in the season at the Freeburg Meet, Deist posted a personal record of 52.64 seconds in the 400. Deist is a Sparklight Male Athlete of the Month for Jersey Community High School. Recognized for his versatility and impact on the team, his performances have marked a promising sophomore season for the Jersey Panthers as they continue their track and field campaign.

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Naming of  Theatre Awards and New Stage, Hall of Fame Induction    The Muny will honor St. Louis theatre legend Ken Page by renaming the St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards, dedicating a new stage in his name and inducting him into the Muny Hall of Fame. A fund has also been established in […]

The post Muny Tribute to Ken Page includes appeared first on flovalleynews.com.

Commercial real estate firm L3 Corp. has named Rick Spector its new president, the company announced Thursday.

At least Florida’s SB 868/HB 743, “Social Media Use By Minors” bill isn’t beating around the bush when it states that it would require “social media platforms to provide a mechanism to decrypt end-to-end encryption when law enforcement obtains a subpoena.” Usually these sorts of sweeping mandates are hidden behind smoke and mirrors, but this time […]

In addition to his own musical endeavors, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Robbie Robertson spent years working with his close friend Martin Scorsese on many of the filmmaker's biggest movies.…

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SPONSORED -- "Mrs. Gomez is my son's first-grade teacher, and she has gone above and beyond this year, not only for him but for each and every one of her students. Even while facing the challenge of her own son's illness, which required her to be away from the classroom for over a month this [...]

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter urging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. to require better cooperation with local law enforcement from the next operator of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. “Law enforcement relies on tips from the public to effectively combat human trafficking,” Raoul said. “Ensuring that information gets to law enforcement in a timely manner without compromising victims’ safety can save lives, which is why I am joining with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to call on HHS to require the next operator of the National Human Trafficking Hotline to do a better job of partnering with local law enforcement and promptly forwarding human trafficking tips.” Since 2007, the nonprofit organization Polaris Project (Polaris) has operated the National Human Trafficking Hotline with millions of dollars

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SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Christopher Belt secured $550,000 to help Southwestern Illinois College build pathways to good-paying jobs in the construction and building trades in the Metro East. “We often talk about the importance of getting more people into the trades — but talk alone doesn’t build careers,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This funding will provide resources to train the next generation of skilled works right here in our community.” The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded $19 million in grant funding through the Illinois Works Pre-apprenticeship Program to 38 organizations across the state. The purpose of the funding is to create more pathways for kids to access pre-apprenticeship programs and registered apprenticeships, which provide greater opportunities to secure lifelong careers in the construction trades. In Belt’s district, Southwestern Illinois College will see a total of $550,000 to support

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Board voted to repeal an earlier decision denying Armoracia Solar a special use permit to develop a commercial solar energy facility in Collinsville. During the Board’s regular meeting on April 16, 2025, Chairman Chris Slusser explained that the Board voted on Feb. 19, 2025, to deny the special use permit, effectively stopping the development of the facility at the southeast corner of Interstate 55 and Pleasant Ridge Road in Collinsville. But since then, Slusser said Armoracia Solar has “made a lot of concessions.” Slusser, Board member Mick Madison and the State’s Attorney’s Office met with the company to talk through these conditions. Armoracia Solar will plant pine trees to shield the view of the solar farm from the nearby neighborhood. They will also develop a green space area to the west. Most of the project is also moving farther north. “They made a lot of concessions,” Slusser said. “They

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Pressure from Hawley actually managed to light a fire under a government project — no small feat at any time, but especially notable now as federal budget-cutters douse projects elsewhere.

The Marshall Tucker Band is set to kick off their All Our Friends Tour in May, but it will be without founding member and lead singer Doug Gray.The band, best known for…

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