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The company said the 300,000-square-foot facility includes three studios catering to live event tour practices, television and film production, and corporate events.

SPRINGFIELD - Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 4781, the Kinship in Demand (“KIND”) Act, into law, allowing the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to develop more flexible standards to certify grandparents and other relatives who are able to safely care for youth in DCFS’s care. The bill also creates a path for more youth in care to find permanent homes through guardianship. Studies show that when youth-in-care are able to remain with relatives in stable and familiar homes they often experience better outcomes, a stronger sense of identity and connection, and greater well-being. “Staying in a familiar place and seeing a comforting face every day can make all the difference in the life of a child-in-care,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The KIND Act enhances family finding efforts to ensure we are doing everything we can to identify relatives who can care for and maintain ongoing, supportive connections with our youth

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general in reaffirming their commitment to protecting access to gender-affirming care in the face of the Trump administration’s recent executive order. In Illinois, the Human Rights Act requires health care providers to provide health care to all residents and prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex, which specifically includes gender identity. The coalition released the following statement: “As state attorneys general, we stand firmly in support of health care policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people. Health care decisions should be made by patients, families and doctors, not by a politician trying to use his power to restrict your freedoms. Gender-affirming care is essential, lifesaving medical treatment that supports individuals in living as their authentic selves. “The Trump administration’s recent executive order is wrong on the science

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CHICAGO – Today, the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) announced Amy Meek will serve as the agency’s next Deputy Director. Meek is an experienced civil rights attorney and brings an exceptional record of leadership in government and the nonprofit sector. The announcement comes alongside Alex Bautista’s transition from IDHR after nearly 8 years of service to work on special projects with the Governor’s Office of New Americans. “Alex Bautista has been an essential advisor for the last 6 years. He was thoughtful, deliberate, and collaborative,” said IDHR Director Jim Bennett. “I am confident that Amy Meek will rise to the occasion in her new role as she leads our efforts to secure freedom from unlawful discrimination for all individuals in Illinois.” Alex Bautista is a lifelong champion of human rights and has centered his leadership on obtaining equity for all groups protected by the Illinois Human Rights Act. At IDHR, he oversaw

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ALTON - An accomplished senior leaves an impactful legacy in many areas as he winds down his career at Alton High School. This month's Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Remarkable Redbird Gabe Futhey has not only left his mark at Alton High, but he has also left lasting impressions on members of the Alton High staff as well. Gabe has been playing the trumpet since he was in fifth grade and is heavily involved in multiple music organizations at Alton High. As a sophomore, he auditioned for and became part of the wind ensemble. He has been a part of the Illinois Music Education Conference (IMEC). Gabe also went to the University of Illinois in Champaign for a performance with a large number of schools throughout the state that performed at this event. Gabe is a member of the Marching 100 and is also a member of the Jazz Band, who meet once week to practice for performances 3 times per year. Gabe also has a course load of five AP classes (Calculus, Physics, Music Theory, Macroeconomics and Statistics)

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The Missouri protesters chanted “we will not bend down” and “we will not be silenced.”

Drake's Place said the community's outpouring of support since the fire made the decision to return an easy one.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and their colleagues in releasing the following statement on the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) rescission of policy that allowed servicemembers to get reimbursed for travel and transportation for non-covered reproductive care. Last week, the Senators obtained a memo that updates the Joint Travel Regulations to rescind this policy. “This decision strips away service members’ ability to access the reproductive care they need, which is nothing short of abhorrent. It runs contrary to a core goal of the Department of Defense—to ensure the health and wellbeing of all our service members so that our force remains ready at all times to protect Americans and keep this nation safe. “U.S. service members have no control

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EDWARDSVILLE – The City is organizing its first-ever Choco-Lotta-Fun Crawl as a community celebration of all things chocolate in Edwardsville. The crawl is planned for Saturday, March 1, 2025, and businesses in Edwardsville are invited to join in the fun at their own place of operation. This cocoa collaboration aims to entice visitors to spend an entire day checking out the chocolate concoctions and items that Edwardsville’s retail and restaurant business community members offer. In the weeks leading up to the Choco-Lotta-Fun Crawl, the City will use social media to promote the event and its own activities, and also list eligible business participants that register for it via the City’s website. “Chocolate is pretty universally loved, and we know our Edwardsville businesses will come up with some creative ways to cater to all of the chocolate fans out there,” Mayor Art Risavy said. “It’s always great to see people shopping, dining and enjoying

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed the Trump Administration for their decision to issue an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo last week to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement” of trillions of dollars of Federal financial assistance, which caused mass confusion about the funding and operations of hundreds of government-funded programs ranging from Medicaid, to Head Start, to Violence Against Women Act grants. “Last week, I came to the floor to talk about the pain that President Trump’s proposed freeze on federal funding and loans would cause Americans. I want to share a few more since I spoke on the floor last week. Sharpsburg is near my hometown in Springfield, Illinois, and it has a water system in Christian County. It is in phase three of construction of their rural water project. 18 miles of pipeline providing water to 50 new rural customers.

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When it comes to ambulances and the services they provide, Lisa Reid , APRN, knows a thing or two because she’s seen a thing or two. The family medicine provider at OSF HealthCare was an ambulance first responder for more than 15 years before moving to the nursing side of things. As such, she’s heard a lot of “Should I do this or that?” when calling an ambulance. Now, it’s time to clear up the misconceptions. Who’s coming to get me? Should I be concerned about their qualifications? Reid says different first responders can do different things, but you can be assured you’ll get the care you need. “Paramedics have more training in life-saving skills. They can do things like intubation and give intravenous medications," Reid explains. "Emergency medical technicians provide more basic care. They help stabilize the person and get them ready for transport. They also usually drive.” Where should I wait? Reid says if you’re

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While Black Sabbath previously held a farewell show in 2017, Sharon Osbourne wants everyone to know the band's just-announced reunion show in Birmingham, England, will indeed be the last show of Ozzy…

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A juvenile and two adults have been charged with the shooting death of a Belleville teenager, who was fatally wounded Monday outside his home.

Kroger Co. has brought St. Louis-based pharmacy benefits services provider Express Scripts back into the fold after a couple of years apart.

EDWARDSVILLE - Patricia Lowe, a longtime Edwardsville resident and healthcare administrator, has announced her candidacy for the Edwardsville District 7 School Board. With over two decades of community involvement and extensive leadership experience, Lowe brings a wealth of expertise in administration, education, and community advocacy to her campaign. "As a mother of four District 7 graduates and a 24-year resident of this community, I have a deep understanding of our school system's strengths and the challenges we face," says Lowe. "My experience in healthcare administration, coupled with my background in education and community service, uniquely positions me to contribute to the continued success of our schools." Lowe's professional background includes eight years as Administrator of a healthcare facility in Troy, Illinois, where she has demonstrated strong leadership in operations management, staff development, and fiscal oversight. She holds an associate degree in healthcare

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The Missouri Senate has launched a new online portal for residents to submit reports of "government duplication, waste, or inefficiencies," aligning with the DOGE initiative established during Donald Trump's current administration.

The parent of the area bank posted a big loss in the fourth quarter, but said it has taken "significant steps" to reduce credit risk.

Missouri lawmakers are hoping to reduce cell-phone usage in schools with bipartisan legislation that would require school districts make a policy restricting mobile devices during instructional time. State Reps. Kathy Steinhoff, a Columbia Democrat, and Jamie Gragg, a Republican from Ozark, presented similar bills in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee Wednesday afternoon. The […]

William E. Jones, former chief of the Louisiana, Missouri, Police Department, was indicted in January 2023 on charges that include drug trafficking, drug possession and second-degree murder.

This is a nice, fat seagull hanging out at the Seal Beach pier at sunrise, with the Long Beach skyline in the background.