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Stacia Ahner, 66, of New Baden, faces charges of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide in the death of David Jordan, 59, a New Baden police officer.

A home explosion earlier this week in southern Illinois that left one person dead is under investigation by officials.

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Science Center is giving its visitors a chance to be a be doctor without 10 years of school. Well, you won’t receive a degree, but you can remotely drive a real robotic system and use the same tools physicians use in the hospital. It’s a unique way to understand [...]

ST. LOUIS - A 34-year-old man was shot and killed late Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in the Walnut Park West neighborhood, where homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances of the shooting. Officers received a call for a shooting just before 11:40 p.m. Aug. 4 in the 5600 block of Hiller Place. When they arrived, they found the man on a porch suffering from gunshot wounds. EMS responded and pronounced the man dead at the scene. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is

A three-year-old from Fairview Heights with a passion for tractors and tools is turning heads as he competes nationally for the title of “Toddler of the Year."

GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney Catholic sophomore right fielder Paddington Martin drew praise from Griffins head baseball coach Chris Erwin after hitting over .300 in spring 2026, with Erwin citing Martin’s production, defense and role in the team’s culture. “Paddy played really well for us this past season,” Coach Erwin said. Paddy hit .315 and had 28 hits, 20 RBIs and five doubles for the varsity team. He wore No. 2 for the Griffins this past spring. Paddy is a Byron

A campaign seeking to make it harder for lawmakers to alter voter-approved initiatives sued Secretary of State Denny Hoskins on Thursday, asking a judge to overturn his decision blocking the proposed constitutional amendment from the November ballot. The lawsuit, filed in Cole County Circuit Court by three Missourians who signed the Respect Missouri Voters petition, […]

ELSAH/GRAFTON - Community members have the opportunity to participate in a meaningful tradition that will honor the lives lost on 9/11. At 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, QEM Fire Protection District firefighters and other area first responders will climb the QEM burn tower at 14905 Elsah Road in Grafton to simulate the 110 flights of stairs climbed by first responders in the Twin Towers. Community members are welcome to join the climb. “It’s super important for us to see

Two men now face felony charges after a fatal shooting last month in St. Louis’ College Hill neighborhood. Prosecutors formally filed charges against a second suspect on Wednesday.

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 18 attorneys general today in sending letters to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), urging the agencies to deny Opportunity Financials’ (OppFi) application to acquire and merge with BNC National Bank, which would grant OppFi a national bank charter and enable the company to circumvent longstanding state lending laws. In their letters, Raoul and the coalition

Flock Safety’s automatic license plate readers were first sold as upmarket add-ons for gated communities and HOA curtain-twitchers who wanted to keep tabs on what everyone was doing, whether they lived there or not. Flock soon realized that selling to rich people wasn’t as profitable as selling to governments. Law enforcement agencies have always been […]

CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker sent a letter to the chief executives of the nation’s largest oil companies, demanding answers about why Illinois families are paying exorbitant prices at the pump while the companies report record profits as a result of President Trump’s ongoing, unlawful war with Iran. In the letter, Governor Pritzker questions why oil companies are failing to help ease the burden on Illinois drivers while their businesses hoard additional revenue from

GODFREY - Gary Hart and Steve Fiedler have made a difference in their Blu Fountain Manor Drive neighbors’ lives over the years by shoveling snow when inclement weather occurs in the region. On Sunday, July 26, 2026, both men were recognized at a surprise party for them at the manor in Godfrey. The informal appreciation event was organized by Roosevelt Wilson, of Blu Fountain Drive, to recognize Hart, 69, and Fiedler, 82, for helping neighbors during winter weather. About 10 to 12 neighbors

CHICAGO — Today, Attorney General Kwame Raoul was joined by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City of Chicago in filing a lawsuit against A-F Acquisition LLC, which operates under the name Pullman Innovations, alleging that the company allowed excessive odors, caused illegal air pollution, constructed a boiler without a permit that could cause or contribute to air pollution, and violated certain conditions of the operating permit at its Chicago facility. Pullman Innovations’ Chicago

2026 Sustaining Housing Dreams Funsdraiser Award Winners

At Tower Grove CDC, our mission is simple: we promote and improve quality of life by attracting public and private investment and providing real estate and other community services. Every year, that mission comes to life through the people and organizations who partner with us, advocate alongside us, and do the hands-on work of building stronger neighborhoods.

This year, we're honored to recognize three individuals whose leadership reflects that mission in three very different, equally vital ways. Join us in celebrating them on October 8, 2026 at our annual Sustaining Housing Dreams Fundraiser.

Community Service Award: Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier

Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier has represented the 7th Ward on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen since 2023, building a legislative record centered on housing stability and tenant protection. But it's her vision in authoring Board Bill 41 that we're honoring today — the legislation that established the City of St. Louis's first formal framework for defining, certifying, and prioritizing Community Development Corporations for city partnership and investment.

Without Alderwoman Sonnier's leadership on BB41, the certification process CDCs will rely on soon — and our ability to attract right-sized investment into our neighborhoods — simply wouldn't exist. Her work reflects months of collaboration and advocacy across the community development sector, and it has fundamentally strengthened the partnership between city government and neighborhood-based organizations like ours.

Thank you, Alderwoman Sonnier, for building the infrastructure that makes our work — and the work of CDCs across the city — possible with a bright future!

Community Partner Award: Adam Marles- EverTrue

We're proud to honor Adam Marles and EverTrue with this year's Community Partner Award. Adam and his team were essential partners in bringing EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill to fruition — lending their staff's expertise, stepping up with a generous donation to help close the project's funding gap, and trusting Tower Grove CDC as a partner every step of the way.

Adam's leadership is a prime example of what St. Louis needs: unabashed, aggressive investment in our community. Since joining EverTrue in 2021, he has grown the organization to nearly 4,000 employees serving more than 16,500 older adults annually, making it the 10th-largest nonprofit senior living provider in the nation. In the St. Louis region specifically, he has championed investments in affordable housing and community-based support that help older adults age with independence and dignity.

Thank you, Adam, for believing in what we're building — and for backing that belief with real resources.

Community Impact Award: Julie Sommer

Julie Sommer has spent nearly two decades investing in St. Louis, starting with rehabilitating distressed properties in the Tower Grove Heights and Cherokee-Lemp historic districts. We are recognizing her this year for her leadership in professional leasing and housing stabilization—as well as her dedicated use of our ARCH by HomeScreen program.

Julie has been a long-time user of HomeScreen, supporting the program back when all of the applications were collected and processed manually. She was one of the first users of the HomeScreen web-based software that launched in February 2019 and has since approved over 100 applications through the HomeScreen software.

Julie was also an early adopter of ARCH by HomeScreen, opting-in to the program just after it launched in January 2021. ARCH by HomeScreen helps people without stellar rental or credit histories find and keep housing, giving them a real chance at stability. Julie has embraced that mission fully: after the May 2025 tornado, she joined local leaders in Operation Any Means Necessary and Action St Louis on the ground providing yard debris removal and supplying food, water, and wellness checks to displaced and homebound neighbors. She shared her available properties on ARCH by HomeScreen during this time, and approved an application from a single mother with two children displaced by the tornado expediting their move in to one of her rental properties.

Julie credits much of her passion for this work to the people who first opened her eyes to housing insecurity in St. Louis — the volunteers of St. Louis Winter Outreach, Kathleen Dunne of RedBike Outreach Kitchen & Closet, and Cathy “Mama Cat” Daniels of PotBangerz STL, whose tireless yet joyful service inspired her to get involved.

Julie's company remains the only business member of the regional Continuum of Care, frequently offering to buy bus or train tickets for people needing transportation back to their families or other support systems, helping people come up with Security Deposits, and strategizing ways to advocate for those trying to survive living on the streets of St Louis.

Thank you, Julie, for proving that good business and good neighboring aren't mutually exclusive — they're the same thing.

Join Us to Celebrate

We'd love for you to help us honor Adam, Julie, and Alderwoman Sonnier in person at Sustaining Housing Dreams, Tower Grove CDC's annual fundraiser.

• Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026

• Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM CDT (awards ceremony begins at 6:30 PM)

• Location: Das Bevo at Bevo Mill, 4749 Gravois Ave, St. Louis, MO 63116

• Registration deadline: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 11:59 PM CDT

We're grateful to US Bank for serving as our Presenting Sponsor this year, helping make an evening like this possible.

Register for the event and buy sponsorships — we hope to see you there!