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STAUNTON – Community members are rallying in support of a Staunton business owner allegedly detained by ICE after dropping off his children at school as state officials seek further information. “My office has received deeply troubling reports that a beloved member of the Staunton community, local business owner, father, and resident of over 20 years, was detained by ICE after dropping his children off at school,” Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski announced on Thursday . Budzinski added that she and Senator Dick Durbin are “working urgently to obtain information about his status and to ensure he is released and reunited with his family immediately.” “This administration’s reckless misuse of ICE has sown fear and chaos in our communities,” Budzinski stated. “Our immigrant community doesn't deserve this and we must demand better.” The man reportedly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is Ismael Sandoval,

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Never one to shy away from making a political statement, Neil Young has posted a video on his Neil Young Archives website shining a light on our current political climate.The video,…

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Zoo officials showed off the newest residents at a media event Thursday. The animals arrived a few weeks ago, joining dozens of others already at the park.

The Illinois Department of Transportation will close Illinois 163 between Bond Avenue and Lakewood Place in St. Clair County for rehabilitation of a Norfolk Southern railroad crossing. The closure will begin Monday, weather permitting, and conclude by Friday.

From St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune: Some 300 Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 journeymen and apprentices gathered at the union’s Earth City, Fulton and Hannibal locations Oct. 11 to volunteer their time and skills for the union’s annual Heat’s On event to make sure retirees’ heaters and homes were ready for winter. Local 562 has […]

The post Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 Volunteers Make Sure Heat’s On for Retirees appeared first on Construction Forum.

ALTON — Ja'Kayla Steen, a senior middle hitter for the Alton High girls volleyball team, has been recognized as the Auto Butler Female Athlete of the Month following a strong 2025 season in which the Redbirds recorded nine wins. Steen averaged 1.6 kills per set, totaled 125 kills, and contributed 25 blocks throughout the season. Beyond volleyball, she has also competed in Alton’s girls basketball and track and field programs, demonstrating her versatility as an athlete. As the Redbirds worked to rebuild their girls' volleyball program, Steen emerged as a key player, helping to guide the team in a positive direction. Reflecting on the season, she said, “I hope for the future, the girls continue to have a better season each year. I hope we improved as players and people during the season. I hope in the future that the girls continue to learn to work together more, which I think we improved a lot this year.” Steen emphasized teamwork as the most important aspect

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A rare collection of photographs capturing everyday life in Madison County, Illinois from the 1890s to 1930s is now publicly accessible, thanks to a digitization project led by history students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Employment Connection and Bywater Development Group hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for University Crossing, a transformative, transit-oriented mixed-use development located at the North Hanley Transit Center on October 24, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. With an investment of more than $20 million, the University Crossing development will introduce 60 new mixed-income residential units designed to meet the […]

The post Partners Break Ground on $20M Mixed-Use Development at N. Hanley MetroLink Station appeared first on Construction Forum.

The Mayor’s Office is working closely with the Board of Aldermen to introduce these bills and see them passed and signed as quickly as possible.

ALTON - The Upper Alton Association invites community members to join them for a litter cleanup this weekend. At 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, Upper Alton neighbors and community members can meet at Boost Mobile on Washington Avenue to begin the cleanup. Debbie Frakes, president of the Upper Alton Association, shared that the organization plans to host monthly cleanups, weather-permitting, on the first Saturday of every month going forward. “We will focus on different areas each time to try and get the Upper Alton area cleaned up a little bit,” Frakes said. “We always appreciate anyone that comes out to volunteer to help us.” She encouraged participants to bring gloves and trash grabbers if they have them. Frakes has “plenty of trash bags” and looks forward to filling them all. As an organization, the Upper Alton Association oversees beautification and engagement initiatives in the Upper Alton neighborhoods. They maintain hanging flower

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From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: More than 200 apartments will soon be built in St. Charles after the city’s zoning commission gave the project its approval on Monday, clearing the way for construction to begin. Aligned Equity Group, of Frontenac, and St. Louis County-based Clearpath Development have built more than a dozen senior living facilities and […]

The post Developer Gets Approval to Build 213 Apartments in St. Charles Near Highway 364 appeared first on Construction Forum.

by Tom Finan, Executive Director, Construction Forum The May 16 tornado that tore through St. Louis left devastation in its wake — but it also unleashed something new: collaboration. Six months later, the storm’s aftermath has forged an unlikely unity among City leaders determined to move quickly and work together. Mayor Cara Spencer, Board of […]

The post PERSPECTIVE: Winds of Change in City of St. Louis appeared first on Construction Forum.

COLLINSVILLE - Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 has received its 2025 Illinois State Report Card, highlighting academic performance and areas needing improvement across its schools. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the report cards, which evaluate schools on multiple criteria, including academic proficiency, growth, attendance, and student success indicators. Webster Elementary School earned an "Exemplary" designation, placing it among the top 10% of schools statewide for student growth. Several other district schools — including Caseyville Elementary, Collinsville High School, Dorris Intermediate, Kreitner Elementary, Maryville Elementary, Renfro Elementary, Summit Elementary, and Twin Echo Elementary — received "Commendable" ratings for their overall performance. Collinsville Middle School was designated as requiring "Targeted Support" due to underperformance by two student subgroups: Native American students and children with disabilities.

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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps more than 47,000 St. Louis County families every month. With the SNAP deadline looming, county officials have launched a drive to collect some goods to help families with babies who will lose those important benefits.

A developer proposing a $120 million apartment project on Kingshighway faced additional demands from aldermen after qualifying for tax breaks. That's driving developers away, some city officials say.

A wave of proposed social media bans for young people has swept the globe recently, fuelled by mounting concern about the apparent harm the likes of TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat can cause to vulnerable minds. Australia was the first to announce restrictions on people under 16 having a social media account. New Zealand may soon follow, and Denmark’s […]

From St. Louis Business Journal: City of St. Louis development momentum “basically stopped” when central corridor projects were de-emphasized for tax subsidies, the city’s development chief said, while emphasizing that the new administration is looking to repair relationships with developers to jumpstart construction. St. Louis Development Corp. interim chief Otis Williams’ comments, on the Arch […]

The post SLDC Otis Williams: Central Corridor Momentum Stalled When Tax Subsidies Stopped appeared first on Construction Forum.