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Private investment in youth sports draws state, federal scrutiny

3 months 1 week ago
Courtney Hamby and her husband spend close to $6,000 per year for their daughter Ellie’s cheer and tumbling classes, competition fees and uniforms. That doesn’t include their travel expenses for multiple out-of-town competitions, including hotel rooms, gas, meals, and sometimes even flights. “This should be something that everyone gets to play, and it shouldn’t be […]
Anna Claire Vollers

St. Clair Prosecutor Declines Charges in Trooper Shooting

3 months 1 week ago
ST. CLAIR COUNTY - St. Clair County State’s Attorney James Gomric said this week he will not file criminal charges against an Illinois state trooper in the Jan. 4, 2026, fatal shooting of Rachel E. Tarrence in East St. Louis, after reviews by his office and the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation. In a letter released after Gomric said he met with Tarrence’s family and their attorney, the state’s attorney said the decision followed a review of video, audio,

Woman Reported Missing After Last Sighting in Mitchell

3 months 1 week ago
MITCHELL - The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating Beatrice Robertson, a 45-year-old white woman who was last seen around 5 p.m. Monday, July 20, in the Mitchell area. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said Robertson has brown hair and is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. Authorities said she was believed to be wearing a purple short-sleeved shirt and jean shorts, along with a small purple souvenir-style backpack. She

Woman Critically Injured After Gunfire Hits Her Home

3 months 1 week ago
ST. LOUIS - A 44-year-old woman was critically injured early Tuesday, July 21, 2026, after gunfire from outside her Greater Ville residence struck the home, prompting a St. Louis Metropolitan Police District 5 investigation, authorities said. Officers were called just before 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, 2026, to a local hospital after the woman was dropped off with a gunshot wound to her back, according to the information released. She was listed in critical but stable condition. A preliminary

Illinois State Police Combats Vehicle Hijacking And Theft

3 months 1 week ago
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) continues to target vehicle theft, hijacking, and related violent crimes using grant funding from the Illinois Secretary of State Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council. ISP was awarded a $10 million grant for the first fiscal year, another $677,000 in June 2024, and $637,500 in July 2025. From April through June 2026, ISP missions resulted in the following: Vehicles recovered –

Trump proposal will turn federal grants into a system of political favors, Democrats warn

3 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON — Democrats in Congress are pushing back against a proposed Trump administration rule introduced by the Office of Management and Budget that would substantially change the way federal grants are reviewed and distributed. Over the past few weeks, several groups of lawmakers have written public comment letters to Office of Management and Budget Director […]
Amelia Twyman

36-Year-Old Man Dies After Shooting

3 months 1 week ago
ST. LOUIS - A 36-year-old St. Louis man, Gregory Seddens, died after a shooting on Thursday, July 16, 2026, on the 4100 block of North Grand, St. Louis Metropolitan Police said. St. Louis District 4 officers responded to the shooting at about 1:45 p.m. on July 16 and found Seddens suffering from a gunshot wound. Police said he was barely conscious and barely breathing when officers arrived. EMS took him to an area hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Police identified

Durbin Condemns Renewed ICE Raids After Fatal Shootings in Texas and Maine

3 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, denounced the recent surge in the Trump Administration’s cruel campaign against immigrants following the fatal shootings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas, and Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Durbin also called out the Trump Administration’s false