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State lawmakers ask Trump administration to end its review of state regs

2 months 2 weeks ago
State lawmakers from across the country are asking the Trump administration to stop its review of state laws it says are overly burdensome on businesses. Earlier this week, the National Conference of State Legislatures wrote to federal leaders, citing bipartisan concern about recent federal actions that, in its view, attempt to undermine the authority of […]
Kevin Hardy

8-Year-Old Tragically Dies After Backyard Swing Set Collapse

2 months 2 weeks ago
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — An 8-year-old boy died Sunday evening, Sept. 21, 2025, after a backyard swing set collapsed and trapped him beneath a crossbar in the 11300 block of Larimore Road, authorities said. St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating the accidental death of Cortez Williams Jr., who was found unresponsive at approximately 6 p.m. on September 21, 2025. Officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for a sick case at the residence. According to a preliminary investigation, Cortez was playing on the swing set when it collapsed. Family members were able to free him, and he initially appeared to have minor injuries. However, he later became unresponsive and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said additional information will be released as it becomes available.

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Federal rules force customer rebates for Missouri’s biggest health insurer 

2 months 2 weeks ago
Missouri’s biggest individual insurer must rebate almost $90 million to policyholders because it spent too little on care and too much on administration. Ambetter from Home State Health, a subsidiary of Clayton-based Centene Corporation, is mailing checks totaling $87.5 million to customers in Missouri because it violated the Medical Loss Ratio requirements of the Affordable […]
Rudi Keller

Erin Hamilton-Foley Convicted In Student Abuse Case

2 months 2 weeks ago
EDWARDSVILLE — Erin Hamilton-Foley, a former assistant principal at Edwardsville High School, was convicted Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and sentenced to four years in prison. The 53-year-old pleaded guilty in Madison County Circuit Court to a Class 1 felony charge related to a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student while she held a position of trust and authority. Hamilton-Foley was charged in May 2023 after the Edwardsville Police Department investigated the case. The student was under the age of 18 at the time of the relationship, making the conduct a criminal offense due to Hamilton-Foley’s supervisory role. Following her prison term, Hamilton-Foley will be required to register as a sex offender and serve a period of Mandatory Supervised Release, formerly known as parole. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Ali Foley (no relation), head of the Children’s Justice Division, and Rebecca Buettner, who

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Mizzou Seeks Developer Proposals for Columbia Campus

2 months 2 weeks ago

From Columbia Missourian: The University of Missouri plans to request proposals from private developers interested in building properties on the MU campus. This effort was announced at the last UM System Board of Curators meeting earlier in September. UM System President Mun Choi presented a map during the meeting highlighting zones across the campus where […]

The post Mizzou Seeks Developer Proposals for Columbia Campus appeared first on Construction Forum.

Tom Finan

Durbin, Cleaver Introduce The Spur Housing Act To Increase Housing Supply And Economic Development

2 months 2 weeks ago
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO-05), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, jointly announced the introduction of the Sparking Production of Urban and Rural (SPUR) Housing Act . The SPUR Housing Act establishes a fund to increase the capacity of emerging developers – those with limited development experience and limited resources – who are undertaking affordable housing and community development projects. The funds are made available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the form of competitive grants for nonprofit housing organizations and community development financial institutions (CDFIs) providing financing, capacity-building training, and technical assistance to eligible emerging developers. “Despite there being more than 112,000 real estate development companies in the United States, only one percent

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State of Illinois Expands Intern to Hire Program to Attract Civil Engineers

2 months 2 weeks ago
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) is expanding its successful Intern to Hire Program partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to include engineering roles. This initiative provides a clear pathway for aspiring civil engineers to launch and sustain long-term public service careers in the State of Illinois. This expanded program comes amid a nationwide shortage of engineering professionals and a historic period of unprecedented infrastructure investment in Illinois. The program offers structured, paid internships leading to full-time State employment, providing hands-on experience and professional development to meet critical workforce needs. “We are investing in the future of the State’s workforce, with a focus on engineers,” said Raven A. DeVaughn, Director of CMS. “This program is not only creating career opportunities for emerging professionals, but also helping us reform and modernize

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After 18 Years of Dedicated Leadership, RFM Founder and Executive Director Tammy Iskarous Announces Retirement

2 months 2 weeks ago
WOOD RIVER — After 18 years of dedicated leadership, Tammy Iskarous, Founder and Executive Director of Riverbend Family Ministries (RFM), has announced her retirement, marking a significant milestone in the organization’s history. At RFM’s annual banquet on September 18, Tammy made the official announcement of her transition. The event, which raised $82,999, served as both a fundraiser and a celebration of the annual impact of RFM’s work—highlighting the thousands of people served, the community of supporters who make it possible, and the many partnerships both within RFM’s building and throughout Madison County. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to walk alongside this community—staff, volunteers, donors, and partners—as we’ve built something bigger than ourselves: a place where families find strength, healing, and a new path forward,” Tammy shared during the announcement. “I am filled with gratitude and pride

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Budzinski Calls on USPS to Improve Service for Americans, Protect Postal Employees

2 months 2 weeks ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) held a press conference with Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01) and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) to call on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to improve service for Americans and protect postal employees. Budzinski highlighted the decline in USPS on-time mail delivery rates, the importance of preserving USPS’s Universal Service Obligation, and her commitment to safeguarding local postal jobs in Central and Southern Illinois. Budzinski, Bergman, and Pappas, along with Congressman Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), serve as co-chairs of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus. The new, bipartisan group focuses on improving on-time delivery rates, protecting postal employees, and stopping harmful facility consolidations and threats of privatization that reduce access in rural and underserved areas. “The Postal Service is a lifeline, especially for our rural communities. But in recent years, service reliability ha

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