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Upper Alton Association Invites Community to Monthly Cleanup

2 months 2 weeks ago
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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Developer Gets Approval to Build 213 Apartments in St. Charles Near Highway 364

2 months 2 weeks ago

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.

Dede Hance

PERSPECTIVE: Winds of Change in City of St. Louis

2 months 2 weeks ago

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 […]

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Tom Finan

Webster Elementary School Earns 'Exemplary' Designation: Collinsville Schools Earn Commendable Ratings

2 months 2 weeks ago
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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County gathers baby supplies for families hit by SNAP cuts

2 months 2 weeks ago
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.
Kevin S. Held

As Social Media Restrictions Spread, Is The Internet Entering Its Victorian Era?

2 months 2 weeks ago
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 […]
Alex Beattie

SLDC Otis Williams: Central Corridor Momentum Stalled When Tax Subsidies Stopped

2 months 2 weeks ago

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.

Tom Finan

Alton's Riverbender Building Showcases Renovated Historic Spaces

2 months 2 weeks ago
ALTON — The Riverbender building, a historic downtown landmark, celebrated its 100th anniversary on Oct. 24, 2025, with a morning gathering of tenants, community members, and building representatives on its renovated first floor. Originally opened in 1925 as the First National Bank, the building still houses the original bank vaults in its basement. Over the past five years, Skyline Commercial Real Estate, owned by John Muller and his Riverbender building partner Mark Jaffe, has overseen extensive renovations to restore and enhance the property’s value. Muller noted that the firm acquired much of the real estate in St. Louis about five years ago and has focused on revitalizing the Riverbender building as part of that portfolio. “Alton has a lot to offer, and we really like the building located in downtown, renovated and brought it back to life,” Muller said. “Skyline is a full real estate company — new tenants, improvements, and taking something

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Schnucks Markets launches food drive at all stores

2 months 2 weeks ago
Schnucks Markets is hosting a food drive at all 113 of its stores to support local food banks and pantries. The effort comes as an ongoing federal shutdown threatens to pause the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Kimberly Young

EHS Science National Honor Society to Host Science pHun Night

2 months 2 weeks ago
EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville High School Science National Honor Society will host a Parents Night Out Science pHun Night on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at EHS. The event will run from 6-8:30 p.m. and is open to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Cost is $20 per child with a $15 charge for each sibling. Students will enjoy biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics activities, as well as snacks. This is a fundraiser for the EHS Science National Honor Society. To register your child(ren) or if you have questions, please contact Sara Chapman at sachapman@ecusd7.org .

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Duckworth Announces Support for Republican-Led Bill to Keep SNAP Funded Through Government Shutdown, Demands Republican Leadership Call It For a Vote

2 months 2 weeks ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement announcing her support of U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) bill to keep SNAP funded until the government shutdown ends, which Republican leadership is refusing to bring up for a vote: “Donald Trump has the ability, right now, to keep funding SNAP. He is choosing not to use the nearly $6 billion he has available to him to keep the program funded. There is even a Republican-led bill that would keep SNAP funded, which I’ve asked to be added as a cosponsor of and that my Democratic colleagues support. I’m extremely disappointed that, as American families across the country are about to lose access to this critical lifeline in just a matter of hours, Trump and Republican leaders refuse to let us vote on it. “By not calling a vote on Senator Hawley’s bill to keep SNAP funded, Republican leadership is simply rubber-stamping Trump’s cruel decision

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Three St. Louisans compete in 'Squid Game: The Challenge' S2

2 months 2 weeks ago
Three people from the St. Louis area will appear on Netflix's "Squid Game: The Challenge" Season 2, which premieres on Nov. 4. They will join 453 other contestants competing for a $4.56 million prize in a series of high-stakes children's games like red light green light, tug of war, or rock paper scissors.
Alex Barton

Budzinski Urges Speaker Johnson to Protect Small Businesses, Stop ACA Tax Credits from Expiring

2 months 2 weeks ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Budzinski (IL-13) led 108 House Democrats in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson calling out the upcoming harm small businesses will face should the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits expire. The lawmakers noted that small business owners, their employees, and self-employed Americans are disproportionately represented in the ACA marketplace. Although they make up only 16 percent of the workforce under the age of 65, they account for nearly half of marketplace enrollees. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, 82 percent of small business owners and self-employed individuals rely on the enhanced premium tax credits to afford their ACA Marketplace coverage. “If the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits are not immediately extended, families and small businesses will begin to feel the impact as soon as November 1st, when Open Enrollment begins and Marketplace plans reflect steep premium

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