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The closure, impacting both directions, began today and is set to last until late July.

The owner of a St. Louis nonprofit appeared in federal court Tuesday and admitted defrauding the Missouri government of millions of dollars that were intended to be used to feed low-income Missouri children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALTON - As artificial intelligence becomes more popular, a local clinical psychologist reflects on how AI can be useful in therapeutic settings — and how it comes up short. Dr. Ari Lakritz, PsyD, works with OSF St. Anthony’s Psychological Services Department. Lakritz noted that a lot of people utilize AI to help them accomplish tasks, and this technology can be useful as a motivator to finish therapy homework or process emotions in between sessions. But he noted that overreliance on AI might also have downsides. “This was kind of inevitable when they made AI. It’s going to help you with your term papers, it’s going to help you with your homework, and maybe it’ll be your therapist one day,” he said. “It’s all very new and you can’t really make huge generalizations because you don’t really have this longitudinal data that’s three, five, ten years out, but you do have some observations about how people use

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Last year’s highly successful Mental Health in Construction Seminar Series sponsored by Aetna Insurance are returning this summer for the St. Louis Region. The program curriculums and speakers are developed by Missouri Works Initiative Worker Wellness program. Construction Forum is assisting with industry promotion and program delivery on these three hot-topic seminars. The following locations […]

SPRINGFIELD - Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is warning Illinoisans to keep on the lookout for text message scams claiming to be from the “Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles” that threaten to suspend vehicle registration and driving privileges. The text messages are phishing attempts designed to trick residents into giving up personal or financial information. Recipients should not respond or open any links found in unsolicited texts and emails. “Phishing scams are unfortunately an increasingly prevalent threat in our modern society, seeking to cheat Illinoisans out of their personal information and hard-earned money,” Giannoulias said. “Please remain vigilant to avoid these scams and report them to protect yourself and others from falling victim to fraud schemes.” The office only sends text messages to remind residents about scheduled DMV appointments. It does not send text messages regarding driver’s license or vehicle registration

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ST. LOUIS - A former tax preparer was sentenced to five years of probation for preparing over 40 fraudulent tax returns for 13 clients, costing the IRS over $300,000. Attorneys say Shasherse Reed, 53, collected over $10,000 in fake expenses. “Reed made up businesses out of thin air and claimed tens of thousands of dollars [...]

EDWARDSVILLE - From a young age, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Michael Denn, PhD, has loved aviation and rocketry. Denn, instructor in the SIUE School of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Mechatronics Engineering, has taken his passion for and years of expertise in the aerospace industry and propelled them into an impressive pedagogy that has caused many of his students’ learning to soar. A recent accolade for Denn’s persistent and consistent excellent teaching is the 2025 Faculty Award – St. Louis Section from the St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Denn was recognized at the AIAA annual awards banquet on Thursday, May 22 at Orlando’s Events Centers in Maryland Heights, Mo. “The Faculty Award recognizes faculty members who has provided outstanding support to an AIAA student branch and individual student members at his/her university or provided outstanding education to

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Does your pin oak look like it’s breaking out in little bumps? Those odd, round growths are called twig galls, and they’re more than just a cosmetic nuisance. In spring, tiny gall wasps—no bigger than a grain of rice—lay their eggs just under the bark of new shoots. As each larva grows, your oak responds by building a hard, knobby shell around it. That shell is the gall. When the wasp finally matures, it chews its way out, leaving a telltale hole—and the cycle begins again on fresh twigs. Twig galls form because your tree is trying to protect itself. The chemical signals from the wasp egg trick the plant into redirecting nutrients and hormones to build the gall. Inside, the larva finds both food and shelter. While a few galls here and there won’t kill your tree, a heavy infestation can sap vital resources from young shoots. Over time, your oak’s new branches will be stunted, uneven, or even die back before they mature. The damage goes beyon

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. changed the federal government’s recommendation for the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, saying healthy children and healthy pregnant people no longer need to get it. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic who had to broker several deals with Republican senators to secure confirmation, didn’t explain […]

Mercy Chefs is delivering hot, chef-prepared meals to those in need. 

MARYVILLE - The Home Builders and Remodelers Metro East Association has had a busy year so far, and they’re still working to support consumers and businesses throughout the region. Shannon Stelling stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello to talk about some of the HBRMEA projects and initiatives. She encouraged people to utilize the HBRMEA as a resource to find reputable builders and remodelers, and she emphasized that the organization aims to help consumers get what they need to be successful home owners. “You always have the Home Builders & Remodelers Association that are all local companies that can be trusted here in the area that can help you,” she said. “If you’re not sure and you want a good reference, call the HBR.” In addition to acting as a resource, the HBRMEA advocates for homeowners. Stelling explained that the local chapter is currently working with municipalities like Granite City and Belleville to pioneer

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From Construction Business Owner:  While many companies make substantial investments in targeting and hiring undergraduate students, fewer consider graduate students due to a fundamental misconception about applicants who hold advanced degrees. By understanding this misconception, construction industry recruiters can open an additional pipeline for talent in the industry. The fundamental misconception is that all graduate […]

From Construction Dive: by Bruce Orr, founder and chief data scientist at ProNovos “Cash is king” might be the most overused phrase in construction finance — and one of the most misleading. The reason why is because in the rough-and-tumble world of construction finance, where you’re always just one job away from success or failure, […]

The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a judge in Kansas City to lift an injunction that had blocked restrictions on abortion, a decision that upends access to the procedure six months after voters enshrined reproductive rights into the state Constitution. The two-page order imposes a “de facto abortion ban” in the state, according to […]

From RiverBender:  During the quarterly “What’s Up Downtown” meeting, entrepreneurs shared more about their businesses in downtown Alton. On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the community gathered at the RiverBender.com Building to hear from local business owners and community leaders. Hosted by Alton Main Street, these quarterly meetings allow people to share information about their businesses […]