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ALTON - The City of Alton is moving forward with a plan to give 350 laptops to “low-income, unconnected” households in Alton with the help of Alton Forward , the nonprofit arm of AltonWorks . Alton Forward President Mark Carlie said at Monday's Commitee of the Whole meeting that these laptops are essential for maximizing the impact of AltonWorks’ $20 million fiber optic network project , which he estimates will bring high-speed internet to 95% of Alton residents. “Just because we have internet everywhere doesn’t mean we have it able to be used,” Carlie said. “We need two more things for each user - they need the internet, they need a device, and they need to safely know how to use it to its maximum advantage - and that’s where Alton Forward comes in.” Carlie said Alton Forward formed a “Digital Equity and Inclusion Task Force” to find ways to make the upgraded network accessible to more Alton residents.

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ALTON - St. Mary’s Catholic Church and School will host its annual Oktoberfest this weekend. This community staple includes fun for adults and kids of all ages. Starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, with a 5K run and one-mile fun run, families can also enjoy games, inflatables, live music, a silent auction, adult gaming, food and drinks until 11 p.m. on Friday. The fun continues from 1–11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 and 12–8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. “The community gets together and has a good time,” said Carolyn Simansky, one of the organizers of Oktoberfest. “It means a lot. This is our biggest fundraiser all year long. It helps our school. It helps our parish.” The weekend’s festivities kick off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, with the 5K and fun run . St. Mary’s is also sponsoring a “Beer Dash,” where participants have to keep a full cup of beer from spilling as they maneuver around a course

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7 Brew Coffee, a drive-thru coffee concept with 250 locations nationwide, will open a new location Monday in Florissant.

ALTON - The president of Alton Forward outlined the nonprofit’s plan to bring high-speed internet to an estimate of over “95% of the homes in Alton” at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting . Alton Forward is “the nonprofit arm of AltonWorks ,” according to its website . According to a 2023 legislative agenda for AltonWorks, the company received $20 million from the Illinois Capital Development Board to construct a fiber optic network throughout the City of Alton. The broadband program, termed “AltonWorks FiberNet,” will start in the downtown business district before expanding throughout the city, eventually bringing high-speed internet and free Wi-Fi to the entire area. “AltonWorks will construct a fiber optic network throughout Alton that will deliver symmetrical, ten gigabit-speed, enterprise-level service to Alton residents and businesses,” the agenda states. “All users will be connected

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WASHINGTON, MO. - The Collinsville High School Marching Kahoks showcased their musical talents at the Washington High School Gene Hunt Marching Band Invitational in Washington, Mo., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, where they achieved significant recognition. Competing against various bands, the Marching Kahoks placed second in Class 4A and received the award for Outstanding General Effect during the preliminary competition. The event, held at Washington High School, featured multiple performances, culminating in a finals round where the Marching Kahoks continued to impress the judges. After their finals performance, the band secured second place overall and received additional accolades for Outstanding Visual and Outstanding Percussion. The achievements highlight the dedication and hard work of the Marching Kahoks, contributing to the school's reputation in competitive marching band performances.

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A national drive-thru coffee chain will soon open its first location in St. Louis County.

The St. Louis Cardinals are eyeing upgrades to Busch Stadium. The solution to that may, at least in part, come from Jefferson City.

The biotech company received grants from the GHR Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation accelerator.

The project has added solar panels to the library's Buder and Julia Davis branches.

Personal items belonging to the late Fleetwood Mac star Christine McVie are set to go up for auction on Oct. 16 and Oct. 17. To celebrate the event, AXS TV will air a weekend…

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court justices Tuesday grappled with whether the Biden administration exceeded its authority when it set regulations for kits that can be assembled into untraceable firearms, and a majority of justices seemed somewhat skeptical the rule was an overreach. In Garland v. VanDerStok, the nine justices are tasked with determining whether a rule issued […]

Fortified with work authorizations and a new freedom, Haitian immigrants are moving out of their longtime strongholds in Florida and New York, often finding good jobs while remaining wary of how they will be received in new places in the Midwest and South. This movement helps explain why Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, have become […]

Detectives are seeking information about a suspect after an attempted robbery at a bank in the city's Carondelet neighborhood.

The Department of Health, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and CareSTL Health will be hosting a free vaccine clinic before Cabinet in Community.

A National conference with a mission of strengthening neighborhoods is being held in St.Louis this week. Hosted by the Center for Community Progress, the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference runs thru Friday at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch. Among the events is a Thursday workshop that will highlight recovery and redevelopment efforts on West Florissant Avenue…

The post St. Louis Conference on Vacant Properties appeared first on The Big 550 KTRS.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (AP) — President Joe Biden is making a rare jump into the 2024 battleground political fray since ending his reelection bid. He’ll campaign on Tuesday in Pennsylvania for a close ally and visit Wisconsin to spotlight a signature legislative achievement. But as Biden makes a quick swing through the key states, two Democratic…

The post Biden makes rare dip into battleground state fray with a visit to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin appeared first on The Big 550 KTRS.

SSM Health's St. Louis region on Monday opened a new outpatient center in southern St. Charles County that's been two years in the making.

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who serves on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, issued the following statement recognizing the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s terror attacks against Israel on October 7th, 2023: “One year ago, Hamas committed the single deadliest atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust, killing nearly 1,200 innocents and taking hundreds more hostage—nearly 100 of whom remain in captivity to this day. My thoughts are with them, and with their loved ones, today and every day. “My heart breaks for those who lost loved ones during the attacks, for the families of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians killed in the days since, for those who suffered the unique torture of having their hopes of ever seeing their captive loved ones again so heartlessly dashed—like the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin—and for the millions in Gaza who are still suffering

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This is a Komodo dragon at the LA Zoo, using its tongue to check things out: As with many other reptiles, the Komodo dragon primarily relies on its tongue to detect, taste, and smell stimuli, with the vomeronasal sense using the Jacobson's organ, rather than using the nostrils. With the help of a favorable wind ...continue reading "Lunchtime Photo"

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Acting Director James Jennings today announced a $27 million Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the replacement of existing public transit buses with new all-electric transit options. Grant awards will cover 75% of the eligible cost per electric transit bus and any necessary charging infrastructure, with a minimum award amount of $300,000. Madison and St. Clair counties will receive funding for the replacement of existing public transit vehicles. Eligible applicants include government and transit agencies that own and operate public transit buses in any of the three priority areas outlined in the Volkswagen Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP) and further described below. This funding opportunity will remain open until funding is depleted with grants awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. As outlined in Illinois’ BMP for the Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement, and as specified in the

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