ALTON - Thirty years ago on Jan. 5, 1994, Clark Bridge opened to the public. Also known as the Super Bridge, this bridge made history as the first of its kind in the U.S. It is a steel-framed cable-stayed bridge, which means most of the weight is supported by the cables, and pylon provides additional support. The design of the double cables was more cost-effective and provided more support, but it was so unique that Clark Bridge was the subject of a NOVA documentary called “Super Bridge” in 1997. Clark Bridge is 108 feet wide and replaced the old Clark Bridge, which was only 20 feet wide. It is maintained by the Illinois Department of Transportation and moves U.S. Route 67 across the river between Illinois and Missouri. Alton Mayor David Goins said the 30th anniversary of the Clark Bridge on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, is a special date. "It is a very important day and it was when the bridge was first opened," he said. "When the bridge was erected it brought national
BETHALTO - Junior August Frankford is a valuable component of the Civic Memorial boys basketball squad and is often in double figures scoring and close to that range each game in rebounding. Frankford is a post player for the Eagles and a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Male Athlete Of The Month. Frankford's head boys coach Lee Green said August received a lot of experience last year on varsity and had a great summer for his club. "He put on about 45 pounds of muscle and is much bigger and stronger this year," Coach Green said. "He put a lot of time in the weight room." Frankford is also a pitcher, outfielder, and infielder, for the Eagles' baseball squad in the spring. He had a .302 batting average last baseball season. "August is playing well for us this season," Coach Green said. Again, congrats to August Frankford on his recognition as a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Male Athlete of the Month.
A recently-published study argues that mental health training should be included in construction apprenticeship training. The peer-reviewed study by a St. Louis-based pioneer in interventions impacting mental health, substance abuse, and suicide in the industry comes just as the federal government prepares to review and update apprenticeship standards. The study report, Making a Case for […]
Israel sent a drone into Beirut a couple of days ago to kill a senior Hamas commander. Hezbollah has said it will retaliate. Today the US sent a missile into Baghdad to kill a militia commander linked to Iran who had claimed responsibility for attacks on American troops. In the Red Sea, it seems only ...continue reading "Gaza war is looking riskier all the time"
WASHINGTON β The 2024 battle for control of Congress is underway in the states, accompanying the accelerating race for the presidency. Republicans are preparing to funnel money and staff into a select few Senate races in an effort to flip that chamber back to their control, while Democrats are looking toward the districts President Joe […]
In an article published Thursday, Jan. 4, St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Joe Holleman has updated on several topics relating to Maplewood politics. See: Holleman: Maplewood rings in new year with more political fighting He reports that former mayor, Barry Greenberg, will mount a write-in campaign, hoping toΒ defeat incumbent Mayor Nikylan Knapper in the April […]
ALTON - A new yoga studio has opened in Alton, and they have a lot more than poses coming down the pipeline. Radiance Yoga & Wellness, located at 211 E. Broadway in Alton, opened on Jan. 1, 2024. Owner Janet Keffer hopes to eventually incorporate more wellness practices, including massage and Reiki, into the new business. “We just opened and the plan is to offer more than yoga classes,” Keffer explained. “It was one of those, ‘If I don’t do it now, how much longer am I going to keep putting it off?’” Keffer is currently offering Vinyasa flow yoga classes every day of the week except for Friday and Sunday. She also has private yoga classes available and said she will likely introduce a membership program. While she doesn’t currently offer Reiki, she does practice it and looks forward to connecting to more practitioners in the community. “I believe that yoga should be more accessible to more people. And it seems to me that
Every breath they take, we'll be watching them ... at Busch Stadium. The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that Sting and Billy Joel will take the stage on Friday, September 27.Β Last fall, the two rock legends announced they would play Tampa and San Diego this February and April, respectively β the first time they'd ever co-headlined a full show.
30-year mortgage rates are generally higher than long-term Treasury yields because mortgages are riskier. Usually the spread is around 1.7%, but for the past year it's been close to 3%. However, the Wall Street Journal informs us that the spread is coming down, which indeed it is. But not by much: The Journal promises to ...continue reading "The mortgage spread is coming down . . . slightly"
Missouri U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, who represents Jefferson City and some parts of the St. Louis metro, will retire from office at the end of the 2024 session.
ALTON - For most people, retirement is a time to relax. For Marlene Lewis, it’s a chance to volunteer to make the Riverbend community a better place. Lewis believes her career in Community Relations and Development at Alton Memorial Hospital has prepared her to volunteer her time now with the Salvation Army, Alton Woman’s Home Association and Alton Main Street. She encourages others to get involved and help out the community where possible. “It’s great because I’m retired, so I do have time to do these things. And like I mentioned, a lot of the things that I’m working on are things that are similar to my career path, so they’re areas that I’m comfortable with and have a good understanding of,” Lewis said. “It’s just a wonderful way to meet people and to feel good about yourself and give your life a meaningful purpose that I think we all really want to have in our lives. So I hope that anyone that reads this that
Regulatory agencies can often be an essential part of day-to-day life, preventing people from engaging in activities they have no expertise in — something that could potentially endanger a lot of people. But they can also be overbearing brutes whose only concern is whether or not they’ve managed to extract as much money as possible […]