ALTON - The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is boasting “record-breaking” tourism growth and statistics for the region, including increases in both the number of visitors and the amount of money visitors are spending during their time here. Cory Jobe, President & CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, responded to a recent announcement from Governor J.B. Pritzker that there has been strong tourism growth state-wide - Jobe said the same is especially true for the Riverbend region. “In our Great Rivers & Routes region of Southwest Illinois, we have seen amazing tourism growth over the last 18 months,” Jobe said, adding that 2022 was a “stellar year” for the six-county region. “We saw a 6.5% increase in hotel revenues coupled with a 26% increase in visitors to Southwest Illinois.” The theme of the organization’s marketing campaign for the area has been ‘The Great Outdoors Inside the Midwest.’ Jobe
Missouri's law has no income limit or maximum tax break amount, meaning even ultra-wealthy seniors could benefit. Many other states have similar laws, but with limits.
EAST ST. LOUIS - This is one of those stories that people often don't want to hear about — a story about a highly regarded athlete and how his fate was turned upside down with a summer crime spree. Such is the case of Jamariante N. Burgess, now 21, of East St. Louis. Burgess and his co-defendant, Armon R. Simpson, 19, of St. Louis, have admitted to participating in a string of violent carjackings in the Metro East. Burgess received a 192-month sentence, meaning he will serve 16 years in prison. Simpson will serve 208 months in his sentence. Both men pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, one count of carjacking and one count of use of a dangerous weapon to commit a crime of violence. At the time of the crimes, Simpson was 17. He was certified by the Court to be treated as an adult in the case. Burgess was 19 years old at the time of the crime spree in the summer of 2021. Burgess was a member of East St. Louis' football team that went 14-0 and won a stat
In hindsight, a lot of people overestimate how many schools were closed during the pandemic. In reality, about half were fully open for the 2020-21 school year and upwards of 90% for the 2021-22 school year. And yet, the evidence so far suggests that kids fell behind considerably anyway and haven't made up any ground ...continue reading "COVID really did a number on America’s kids"
The teenage boyfriend charged in the shooting death of a 15-year-old Lake Saint Louis girl testified on Monday that the girl rode with him to sell marijuana, and one of the two prospective buyers instead pulled a gun and shot…
On view at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum until July 24, The Air That Inhabits features artworks by the current MFA in Visual Arts candidates of the Sam Fox
COLLINSVILLE - The Collinsville Police Department is hosting its eighth annual 5K to support Special Olympics Illinois, but there’s a sweet, sprinkled twist. The 5K Run/Walk begins at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 29. Registration and packet pick-up begins at 6 a.m. that day. There will be three donut stops along the race route. The donuts are encouraged but not mandatory, so contestants can decide whether to forgo the stops and keep running, or eat a donut and shave one minute off their overall time. “We were trying to find something that was a little different than your normal 5K, so we’re kind of making fun of the stereotype of police and donuts,” Trent Ross, a Collinsville police officer and the race organizer, said. Ross works closely with Special Olympics Illinois . He wanted this fundraiser to help the organization and connect the community with the police department. Special Olympics is an important part of Ross’s life, and his experience
Come late August, you could actually get in trouble for using your phone while driving. Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed a bill into law last week that bans most phone use from behind the wheel, making Missouri one of the last states to outright ban texting while driving.
EAST ST. LOUIS – A U.S. District judge sentenced a Belleville man to spend 15 years in federal prison after he pled guilty to four counts of production, distribution, and transportation of child sexual abuse material. U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe had this statement about the case: "Zachary R. Dennert, 21, will serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The defendant targeted young boys on social media, gained their trust by pretending to be a young girl and exploited his victims for sexual images. “His sentence reflects the severity of his manipulative behavior, and I applaud the investigative agencies for their work in bringing this offender to justice.” According to court documents, Dennert created social media profiles on several platforms purporting to be a teenage female in 2020. Using the profiles, he contacted numerous male minors and requested explicit images. Dennert received images from victims ranging in age from 11 to 15 years
You've been hearing about Threads, the new Twitter alternative from Meta, the parent company of old-school social media mavens Facebook and Instagram. Launched last week, many people flocked to Threads mostly to leave the dumpster fire that is Twitter.
Who’s that kid that can travel through time? It’s you! Follow the adventures of three friends as they travel back in time to learn from real-life inspirational heroes when