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 […]
From Area Development: The landscape of site selection is evolving. Historically, site selection was driven largely by relationships and subjective assessments. However, the advent of data-driven methodologies is transforming how companies identify and evaluate potential locations. This shift towards objective, data-driven site selection is crucial for manufacturing executives seeking to make informed decisions that maximize […]
EAST ST. LOUIS - Tryphena Cason, principal of Dr. Katie Harper Wright Elementary School in East St. Louis, passed away recently, leaving a significant legacy in the community she served. Cason devoted more than a decade to School District 189, working as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, where her leadership was marked by compassion, vision, and a commitment to excellence. During the 2023–2024 school year, Cason guided Dr. Katie Harper Wright Elementary to achieve the highest one-year increase in the Illinois State Board of Education summative designation score across the district, improving by nearly 28 points. This achievement reflected her relentless focus on student success. Superintendent Arthur R. Culver praised Cason’s contributions, saying, “As a proud and passionate member of the East St. Louis School District 189 community, Mrs. Cason led with heart, leaving a profound and lasting legacy in the lives of the students, families, and colleagues
The Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson has died at age 82. Despite their legendary career, The Beach Boys only topped the album charts twice: in 1964 with their live album…
Fairview Heights Police Officer Molly Muennich was released from the hospital on Wednesday after being shot in the face during an incident in May, and was escorted back to the police department by residents and first responders.
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