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A massive fire destroyed a shed filled with donated Christmas toys Tuesday morning in Salem, Missouri.

The Beatles’ final song “Now and Then” is nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year and Ringo Starr is hoping they win.“I’d love to win a Grammy," Ringo…

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City officials authorized $6.4 million in incentives for the beleaguered project.

Ameren Missouri will distribute $61 million in settlement funds to address environmental and health impacts from its now-closed Rush Island coal plant, with $25 million going towards a HEPA Purifier Program and $36 million to an electric bus program.

GLEN CARBON - Caritas Family Solutions is asking for help to make sure the last few children on their list have a merry Christmas. As an organization, Caritas supports kids in the foster care system, adults with developmental disabilities and seniors. They serve 6,300 individuals every year, including 1,400 children in the foster care system. At their Glen Carbon location, there are 15 kids who still need gifts this holiday season. “Christmastime brings it all together,” said Hope Carbonaro, chief program officer with Caritas. “We always consider the fact that children that have experienced trauma in their young lives, abuse and neglect, that while we care for them all year long in various ways, that waking up Christmas morning and feeling a sense of normalcy and feeling a sense of joy and that people love and care about that experience for them is just something that’s hard to explain in words. It’s very meaningful.” Community members ca

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A judge approved an agreement Tuesday forcing Ameren to pay a $61 million penalty after years of illegal air pollution from its recently retired coal plant.

A 12-year-old boy was robbed at gunpoint by two unidentified juvenile suspects on bicycles near the intersection of Cass and Jefferson in St. Louis.

Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe has named Jessica Bax as director of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

St. Louis Personnel Director Sonya Jenkins-Gray has sued the city, alleging the charges are politically motivated.

MetroLink riders will need to pass through new security gates at the Cortex Station starting this Friday, as part of the Secure Platform Plan to secure all 38 MetroLink stations by January 2026.

Prosecutors have now charged a second suspect with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Colin Brown, a teenager fatally shot on I-55 last month in St. Louis while riding back from a hockey game with his father.

Tomorrow is the last day of our Kickstarter campaign for One Billion Users. We’re still beneath the funding threshold, so unless there’s a big closing rush, this campaign won’t reach our goal. Still, if we can get that big closing rush, we’d love your support for the campaign. At the very least, supporting it now […]

ST. LOUIS, MO. – On Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, U.S. Figure Skating and the St. Louis Sports Commission announced that the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be hosted at Enterprise Center in Downtown St. Louis City. Mayor Jones issued the following statement: “St. Louis is America’s first Olympic city, and our legacy as a sports town cannot be denied,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “We can’t wait to welcome America’s Olympic hopefuls and figure skating fans from across the country to our beautiful city. See you in 2026!”

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The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has awarded a $5.1 million grant to a local university to help advance literacy education across the St. Louis region and beyond.

by Sharon Lerner

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

Citing a recent ProPublica investigation, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., urged the Environmental Protection Agency in a letter this week to issue a final report on the health risks of formaldehyde that is “science-based” and “as strong as possible,” adding that “the agency has an obligation to protect the public from the chemical.”

Formaldehyde, used for everything from preserving dead bodies to binding wood products and producing plastic, is extremely widespread and causes far more cancer than any toxic air pollutant. ProPublica’s analysis of EPA air pollution data showed that, in every census block in the U.S., the risk of getting cancer from a lifetime of exposure to formaldehyde in outdoor air is higher than the goal the agency has set for public exposure to air pollutants.

The EPA issued a draft of the formaldehyde risk evaluation in March and, after receiving feedback from the public and a committee of experts, is expected to release the final version by the end of the year. The forthcoming evaluation will be used to inform future restrictions the agency puts on the chemical. But the ProPublica investigation found that the draft version of the report used unusual techniques to underestimate the risk posed by formaldehyde.

In one case, the agency determined whether concentrations of formaldehyde in outdoor air posed an “unreasonable risk” — a level that requires the agency to address it — not by measuring them against a health-based standard, but rather by comparing them to the highest level of the chemical measured outdoors in a five-year period. The measurement the agency chose as a reference point was a fluke, ProPublica found, and had not met the quality control standards of the local air monitoring body.

The EPA did not immediately respond to questions from ProPublica about Sen. Blumenthal’s letter and when the agency plans to release its final report.

The EPA is evaluating the health risks of formaldehyde under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the main federal law that governs chemicals. That process typically relies on toxicity estimates calculated by a separate division of the agency. In the case of formaldehyde, the EPA released the final toxicity values in August of this year, decades after it began the process of calculating them. Throughout that time, companies that make and use the chemical — and could lose money if it is restricted — criticised the agency’s numbers and worked to delay their release.

Some industry-affiliated members of the expert committee that reviewed the draft evaluation of formaldehyde this year have continued to find fault with the EPA’s toxicity estimates and have suggested that the agency weaken them in its final report.

In his letter, Blumenthal advised EPA Administrator Michael Regan against taking this route. “Throughout your tenure, EPA has been steadfast in upholding its vital mission of protecting human health and the environment,” he wrote. “I urge you to continue this commitment and issue a final risk evaluation for formaldehyde that is rooted in the best available science.”

Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe announced Wednesday that he is appointing Jessica Bax as the next director of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

EDWARDSVILLE - The fourth phase of a project to build a shared use path along part of Highway 157 in Edwardsville is officially underway following City Council approval on Tuesday. The city has been awarded $390,400 in federal CMAQ grant funds to build a shared use path along 0.37 miles of Highway 157 from West Schwarz Street to Enclave Boulevard. Edwardsville City Council members unanimously approved a joint funding agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for the project’s construction. Under the terms of the agreement, this phase of the project is set to be completed within five years. Aldermen also approved $97,600 in matching funds which, in addition to the federal grant, brings the project total to $488,000. Warren said the $97,600 is the city’s portion of the project funds, but noted they would be covered by a grant from the Metro East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD). Under a separate agreement to allocate these matching funds,

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COLLINSVILLE — Ashay Hopkins, a student at Collinsville High School, has been named the Student of the Month for December 2024, recognized for her positive influence and dedication to her peers. Hopkins, who is known for greeting her classmates each morning with a warm hello and a smile, has made a significant impact on the school community. “It always helps me get into the same positive frame of mind,” said the individual who nominated her, highlighting her ability to uplift those around her. In addition to her cheerful demeanor, Hopkins is noted for her commitment to academic excellence. “She not only works to get the 'A' but always wants to know how to become a better public speaker,” the nominator remarked. Her dedication extends beyond her own studies, as she dedicates hours each day to tutoring fellow students in subjects such as math, English, and public speaking. Hopkins' support for her classmates is further illustrated by her attentiveness

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