EDWARDSVILLE – Fresh off the 2025 Spring Legislative Session, State Senator Erica Harriss (56th–Glen Carbon) proudly presented Senate Resolution 112, honoring members of the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) and the State Universities Annuitants Association (SUAA) at an appreciation event today. “Our teachers play a vital role in shaping the lives of students—not just in the classroom, but throughout our communities,” said Senator Harriss. “This resolution recognizes the commitment of SURS retirees who dedicated their careers to educating future generations, building strong institutions, and enriching the fabric of our state. Their legacy continues to influence Illinois today.” Senate Resolution 112 designates June 13, 2025 as SURS Retirees Appreciation Day in Illinois, celebrating the contributions of more than 63,000 individuals who devoted their careers to the state’s higher education system. “Thank you, Senator Harriss
Elton John’s April Record Store Day contribution was a vinyl edition of the live album Elton John - Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper, and now the album is…
SPRINGFIELD - Following reports that Texas police illegally accessed Illinois automatic license plate reader (ALPR) data to track down a woman for an abortion care-related matter, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced new measures aimed at preventing further abuse. In May, law enforcement authorities in Texas performed a nationwide search of more than 83,000 ALPR cameras to locate a woman they said had a self-administered abortion. Included in the search were cameras located in states where abortion is legal – including Illinois, specifically Mount Prospect in suburban Cook County. In 2023, Giannoulias spearheaded first-in-the-nation legislation making it illegal for law enforcement in other states to use ALPR cameras to track or penalize individuals seeking abortion care or criminalize a person’s immigration status. “License plate readers can serve as an important tool for law enforcement, but these cameras must be regulated so they aren’t abused
SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs today returned a lost Purple Heart medal to the grandson of a World War II veteran who earned it while fighting to liberate Germany. The medal earned by Private First-Class Edward Gorski Jr. was returned to his grandson, Shawn Gorski, who also served in the Army. It is the 14th lost medal Frerichs has returned as part of Operation Purple Heart , an unprecedented mission to return lost medals with the rightful owners. The iconic military honor is given to individuals wounded or killed during military combat. “Mr. Gorski Jr. epitomized the selfless dedication of the Greatest Generation,” Frerichs said during a reunification ceremony at the American Legion Post 75 in Geneva, where Shawn Gorski is a member. “It is our duty to honor him no matter how many years have passed.” Military records show Chicago’s Gorski Jr. enlisted in April 1944 after turning 18 that January. He was part of the Army’s 65th
ALTON - To “inspire young and old with the necessity of safety both for the driver and for the pedestrian,” the Alton Automobile Club declared June 14–20, 1925, “Safety Week.” While the official slogan, created by Wood River grade school student Eva Mueller and plastered on stickers and signs throughout the area, was “Caution Never Brings Regret,” the unofficial slogan printed in the Alton Evening Telegraph on June 13, 1925, was “Satan Drives with the Dare-Devil.” To kick off Safety Week, approximately 1,000 cars participated in the Safety Week parade on June 14. An automobile ferrying Eva Mueller and her parents led the procession. City officials from Alton, East Alton, Wood River and Hartford rode in the parade, and Alderman S.L. Moore, chairman of the Alton traffic committee, served as the grand marshal. “Nearly every automobile owner in Alton took part in the parade.” The procession started on College Avenue i
Palantir has never had a great reputation. Even before it teamed up with Trump to create a massive, abusable database of American residents’ information, it was working with forward-looking cop shops, that wanted similar massive, abusable databases of their own, even if those were limited to surveilling people in their own jurisdictions. The company is […]
It's been nearly a month since a deadly tornado went through St. Louis, leaving widespread destruction from Clayton to north St. Louis. While some progress has been made, there is a long journey ahead--including for Forest Park.
The Black Crowes and Jimmy Page have shared a short film about the making of their collaborative live album, Live At The Greek.As part of the continued celebration of the…
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Handing Gov. Mike Kehoe a high-profile victory, the Missouri House on Tuesday approved a $1.5 billion stadium incentive plan for Kansas City and more than $100 million to help St. Louis recover from the May 16 tornado. Acting less than a week after the Senate narrowly approved the package as part […]
From St. Louis Business Journal: A vacant big-box store in St. Louis County is going to be turned into a massive $5 million indoor playground. Lava Island, a chain of tropical-themed indoor play centers with three locations open and about 10 more sites in the works, plans to open its first St. Louis-area location in […]
From St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune: When Cement Masons Local 527 opened its new training center in Hazelwood last year, it opened a big door to training the next generation of apprentices and providing continuing education to journeymen. A really big door. Big enough to drive a cement truck through. Local 527 held an open […]
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