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Frigidaire recalled 383,240 refrigerators Thursday due to a potential choking hazard in the ice bucket.

ALTON - Alton High School freshman Jillian Dwiggins has done something incredible - she has advanced to the IHSA State Girls Bowling Meet in her first year on varsity. Jillian put together games of 212, 160, 204, 202, 162, and 202 for a total of 1142 in the sectional this past weekend. She finished 10th overall, earning her a trip to Rockford next weekend for the state finals. Jillian is the daughter of AHS head girls bowling coach Jamie, and has been the Redbirds' top bowler all year. Her coach said: "She is our hardest worker, putting in additional time practicing and spending a lot of her own time working on various aspects of her game. While we would have loved to see the team advance to the state finals, this is the next best scenario. We are beyond proud of Jillian for making it to state. She is an excellent student as well." Jillian Dwiggins is an Auto Butler Female Athlete of the Month for the Redbirds. Jillian played volleyball in the fall for the Redbirds but cut her seaso

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The vacated Sunday-morning streets of Soulard reveal what gets left behind in the wake of Mardi Gras celebrations: beads, beer cans and BORGs, Gen Z’s latest way to day drink.  This year, college-aged party-people descended on Saturday’s parade equipped with gallon-sized plastic water jugs filled with liquids the colors of the rainbow.

Georgia prosecutors in the case against Stop Cop City protester Ayla King have successfully argued that use of a "burner phone" is evidence of criminal intent. Press freedom and civil liberties groups find these arguments highly concerning. "Cop City" by Chad Davis. is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

A coalition of 25 civil liberties, environmental rights and press freedom organizations is demanding that Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr stop attempting to criminalize lawful technologies that activists, journalists and others use to protect their privacy.

The group explained in a letter that prosecutors’ have ignored the First and Fourth Amendments by arguing that Stop Cop City protester Ayla King’s use of a “burner” phone is evidence of criminal intent, especially when there is no proof whatsoever that King used the phone unlawfully. King is one of the 61 co-defendants charged with violating Georgia’s expansive RICO Act for opposing the proposed Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, commonly known as “Cop City.”

The letter explains that people like King need to protect their privacy due to “the long history, in Georgia and throughout the United States, of law enforcement officers baselessly searching and seizing devices from individuals lawfully engaging in First Amendment activity. Accepting the prosecution’s theory, which can be summarized as ‘if you’re not doing anything wrong, what do you have to hide,’ requires extreme naivete regarding that history.”

Burner phones are just the latest tool used by activists, dissidents and journalists that the state of Georgia has tried to criminalize. They’ve even argued that writing down legal hotline numbers proves intent to commit a crime.

Cody Bloomfield, communications director of Defending Rights & Dissent, put it as follows: "First it was muddy shoes, now it’s so-called ‘burner phones.’ Is there anything the state of Georgia won’t say is proof of criminality? Our Constitution limits state power so political organizing, freedom of association, journalism, and privacy can flourish. The State of Georgia’s attempt to cast use of burner phones as evidence of criminal intent risks casting aspersions on anyone using legal privacy tools to organize, report, or communicate outside the shadow of the surveillance state.”

National Lawyers Guild, Director of Mass Defense, Xavier T. de Janon says, "In its political witch hunt against a powerful movement resisting policing, environmental destruction, and incarceration, the Georgia Attorney General is creating a dystopian reality. What crime is committed by having a prepaid, no-contract phone near a protest? According to the Georgia Attorney General, conspiracy to commit racketeering. The State of Georgia's position is dangerous, and it sets a chilling precedent, discouraging people from exercising their rights to protest and destroying privacy protections."

Seth Stern, director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), added that “journalists and activists alike use ‘burner’ phones and other anti-surveillance tools not because they intend to commit crimes but because police have an unfortunate habit of investigating and arresting them in retaliation for constitutionally protected activity. The fact that prosecutors are pursuing their ridiculous RICO case against King and their codefendants in the first place exemplifies exactly why people find it necessary to conceal their lawful communications from law enforcement.”

As the letter explains, that dangerous indictment seeks to criminalize an entire protest movement and alleged shared political ideology (anarchism) by citing alleged offenses by a few protesters and employing guilt by association theories to connect the dots. Civil liberties, human rights and press freedom organizations nationwide have raised alarms over the indictment.

The full letter is available here and embedded below.

For media inquiries, contact: media@freedom.press (Freedom of the Press Foundation), communications@nlg.org (National Lawyers Guild), or cody@rightsanddissent.org(Defending Rights & Dissent).

Stop-start. Push-pull. Yank-tug. That’s the way things have been going in the UK. One would expect better performance from lawmakers with a hard-on for porn. No. Not that way. (Although, maybe that way.) The UK government has spent several years trying to talk service providers, recalcitrant legislators, and the general public into trading away a […]

The city of St. Louis will receive $25.8 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for severe storm and flooding recovery efforts following the July 2022 flash foods.

You may have heard about the atmospheric river that recently passed over Southern California and flooded the whole place. It also dumped lots of snow on our mountains, and Saturday was a beautiful, clear day to capture them. This picture was taken a few minutes walk from my house.

With 2024 underway, the results of changes KDHX has implemented in the last year are starting to take shape. In support of its bold new vision to harness the power of music to create a better St. Louis, KDHX has embraced three commitments: to serve as a leader and convener to develop the St. Louis music industry, to use music to connect our region, and to amplify underrepresented voices in music. 

As part of that vision, KDHX grew and broadened its listening audience in 2023 as its initiatives began to resonate with new listeners and longtime fans alike. 2023 results of note include:

●    Online engagement was up 500 percent for ages 18-24 
●    Online listenership was up 43 percent 
●    Market share remained steady at 1.2 
●    KDHX saw 275 first-time donors come on board 
●    KDHX completed its switch to Community Centric Fundraising, which values equally all who engage in strengthening the community - volunteers, donors and staff 
●    KDHX added 26 new DJs
●    KDHX relaunched the Community Advisory Board and added several new members 
●    58 percent of KDHX’s DJs are from historically underrepresented backgrounds compared to 23 percent at the beginning of 2023 

"While it's no secret that we experienced a challenging year as we began implementing our new vision, we are so pleased to see these positive results," said Gary Pierson, President of KDHX Community Media Board of Directors. “We will work diligently to build on this success throughout 2024, including launching a new donor development program." 

Input from new listeners and donors has included comments such as:

●    “KDHX has better taste in music and more originality than any paid music subscription service.“ 
●    “I love that there are independent-minded DJs still playing a variety of music on the airwaves.“
●    “There's SO much good content.“ 

“We are seeing so much enthusiasm with our new direction, not just from previously underrepresented communities but from supporters across our listenership,” said KDHX Executive Director Kelly Wells. “We will continue to attract new listeners, donors and volunteers, and we will continue to work to instill confidence in our mission." 

As KDHX intentionally expands its “community” to include the entire St. Louis region, the station has created two new staff positions in 2023. Andrea Dunn was named Director of Volunteer Connections, and Ronnie Wisdom was named Director of Community Connections.

In addition, KDHX is pleased to announce that Tangazo will join the regular live broadcast lineup starting February 15. Tangazo is a group discussion-based program created as a podcast for KDHX in March 2018 by its host and producer, Hank Thompson.

“Tangazo is important to the African American community because it gives Black people an unbridled voice on issues that are important to our wellbeing,” said Thompson. “Tangazo will help build bridges of communication between the many groups that make up the St. Louis region.”

Join the new direction of KDHX by donating now at: Support.KDHX.org

Two GOP strategists say the entry of former state lawmaker Maria Chappelle-Nadal does little to change the outcome of the 1st Congressional District race.

BELLEVILLE - A woman from Belleville is facing one felony and a misdemeanor after allegedly making “racially charged” death threats against an employee of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Shannon B. Benavidez, 43, of Belleville, was charged with threatening a public official and harassment by telephone on Jan. 25, 2024. Benavidez allegedly made racially charged verbal threats towards a DCFS employee, according to Madison County court documents. A petition filed to deny Benavidez’s pretrial release specifically states that she “made multiple phone calls conveying racially charged verbal threats against a DCFS employee.” In one message, she reportedly called the DCFS employee a racial slur and a “bitch,” immediately followed by the words, “you’re dead.” The petition also states Benavidez was previously known by DCFS because she surrendered her parental rights to a minor child in March o

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A St. Louis-based startup that provides software to help consumer brands manage operations took home the top prize in Greater St. Louis Inc.’s Diverse Business Accelerator.

First Mid Bank & Trust announced Monday that it has filled two C-suite positions with veteran executives.

EDWARDSVILLE - Five individuals from around Madison County have been charged by various local law enforcement agencies with illegal meth possession and operating uninsured vehicles in recent months, according to county court filings. Jason D. Wanick, 51, of Wood River, was charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine on Jan. 12, 2024. Wanick reportedly had less than five grams of methamphetamine in his possession and was charged with a Class 3 felony. His case was presented by the Wood River Police Department and he’s since been released upon his signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order. Elmer J. Varble, 47, of Bunker Hill, was charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Court documents allege Varble drove a vehicle on Lewis and Clark Boulevard in East Alton while the vehicle was uninsured, and also had less than five grams of methamphetamine in his possession, on Dec. 27, 2023. Varble faces a Class

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ALTON - Sophomore Lydia Fite and her creative eye have been recognized as the Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Alton High School Remarkable Redbird of the Month. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Lydia became very interested in sunsets and started taking pictures of them. As her interest in photography continued to be more involved, she asked for a camera for Christmas and started taking pictures of many other things. She was recently selected to have her photograph of a train car on the Alton Riverfront with graffiti on it to be shown in the Webster Gallery High School Photography Exhibition and she was also selected to have the picture shown in the Southwestern Conference High School Art Exhibition at the Edwardsville Art Center for the month of January. Alton High Art Department Chair Bridget Heck selected the photo to be shown in both of these exhibitions. Lydia is also a current member of the Art Club at Alton High. She took Digital Photography and is now in Advanced Photography. She has

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O’FALLON — In recognition of February being National Canned Food Month, HSHS Home Care is holding their annual “Cram the Car” food drive this month for the Catholic Urban Program food pantry to help those struggling with food insecurity. Community members are invited to “cram” a Home Care car by donating non-perishable items. On Friday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a HSHS Home Care branded car will be parked on the HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital campus at the main entrance canopy (blue “Hospital” sign) accepting donations of items or monetary contributions. Valerie Engelbart, volunteer/bereavement services supervisor for HSHS Home Care, shared, “Our HSHS Mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high-quality Franciscan health care ministry. In this tradition, we are privileged that patients and families trust us with their care and the care of their loved ones,”

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EDWARDSVILLE - One case of residential burglary joins several criminal property damage charges and a stolen vehicle charge, each of which were filed in separate cases described in Madison County court filings. Anastasia S. Thurman, 25, of Collinsville, was charged with residential burglary and unlawful use of a credit or debit card on Jan. 29, 2024 in a case presented by the Glen Carbon Police Department. Court documents allege Thurman unlawfully entered a residence in the 6800 block of Bouse Road in Glen Carbon with the intent to commit a theft. She was additionally charged with unlawfully using the American Express card of one of the home’s occupants without their consent to obtain “various goods” with a total value in excess of $300, according to court documents. Thurman faces a Class 1 felony for residential burglary and a Class 3 felony for unlawful use of a credit or debit card. Court documents indicate she was released upon her signature of a Conditions

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ALTON – Saddle up to test your knowledge at the upcoming trivia night sponsored by the Rotary Club of the Riverbend Alton/Godfrey. The cowboy-themed event is set for Saturday, March 9 at the Alton-Wood River Sportsman’s Club in Godfrey; doors open at 6 p.m., with trivia starting at 7 p.m. Nick Darr, local radio personality, will serve as the evening’s emcee. Tables may be reserved in advance at a discounted rate of $175; individual seats and walk-ins are $30 each. Included in the ticket price: unlimited soda, as well as draft beer from two kegs, until the kegs are depleted. No outside alcohol is allowed, however a cash bar is available. Participants are invited to bring their own snacks and decorate their tables with a cowboy theme. Prizes will be awarded for the finest lookin’ table. Proceeds from the event benefits local child safety initiatives, such as safe sleep kits, car seats, outreach and more. Trivia night registration and sponsorship opportunities

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