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12th St. Lou Fringe Fest Kicks Off With a Bang

2 years 2 months ago
All across America, summer is the season for festivals, and late summer sees its peak. In St. Louis, late summer includes one of my favorites: the St. Louis Fringe Festival, a multi-disciplenary arts festival continuing through Sunday, August 20, in the Grand Center Arts District.
Tina Farmer

Local Linemen Explain What They Do at Ameren Illinois

2 years 2 months ago
MARYVILLE - Following a stormy summer, local linemen explain their jobs at Ameren and how they work to restore power after bad weather. Linemen install and repair electric lines throughout the year, but their job has additional risks after heavy rain or snow. When storms knock out power across the region, a crew will work a 17/7 schedule — 17 hours on, seven hours off — until it’s restored, often taking them away from their families for days at a time. The job itself is intense, but many linemen agree that they wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. “It’s very hard and demanding and rewarding at the same time,” John Dowell, a crew leader with Ameren, said. “To see that expression on people’s faces when we get the power back on, that’s the best part of it.” But getting the power back on is often a lot of hard work. Linemen usually have to climb utility poles so they can repair the primary wires or transformers at th

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Wood River Elvis Impersonator Continues Late Singer's Legacy 46 Years After His Death  

2 years 2 months ago
WOOD RIVER - Steve Davis, a long time Elvis Presley impersonator from Wood River, recently reflected on his journey to becoming internationally recognized as Elvis on stages around the world. Today - August 16, 2023 - marks the 46th anniversary of Elvis’s death, and the 49th year of Davis performing as him. “I make my living for the last 49 years as Elvis on stage in a variety of large and small venues,” Davis said. “I do about 500 shows a year.” Like Elvis himself, Davis spent some time in the U.S. Army - but unlike Elvis, Davis served before performing on stage. Elvis entered the U.S. Army in 1958 , two years after his hit singles “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Love Me Tender,” and his cover of Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog,” peaked at #1 on the Billboard Pop charts. For Davis, an abrupt end to his military service is what sent him on the path to become The King. “I was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army, and

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