Earlier today I posted a chart showing that in-person classes were canceled at higher rates for poor kids compared to richer kids during the early days of the COVID pandemic. The same was true for Black vs. white students and for students with high-school educated parents. My assumption, naturally, was that this all happened for ...continue reading "Black parents preferred school closures during the pandemic. White parents didn’t."
Authorities have charged a 25-year-old Florissant man with murder in connection with the June shooting death of a another man in the city's Kingsway East neighborhood.
A 19-year-old who police are describing as a "person of interest" in the killing of Dogtown gas station employee early this morning escaped from custody. Police say that Jataveion Scott was last seen in the Peabody-Darst Webbe neighborhood just east of Lafayette Square, running through the Peabody Housing Complex with his hands cuffed behind his back. He was not wearing any shoes.
ALTON/GODFREY - The North Alton-Godfrey Business Council has exciting plans for business owners and community members. The Council is a nonprofit volunteer organization made up of business owners, education and healthcare entities, individual members and more throughout the Riverbend region. They meet every month to discuss community development initiatives, and there are several in the works. “It’s community, and that’s what we try to promote,” Zeke Jabusch, the council’s president, said. “We try to feature good speakers, and we try to feature all the members in terms of allowing them to present to our membership who they are and what they do and how they got involved and what they’re doing in terms of perpetuating their own business. That’s what it’s all about.” The organization started in 1945 as a collaboration between North Alton business owners. Jabusch, who became involved in the 1990s, helped expand the
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) is targeting vehicle theft, hijacking, and related violence crimes using a $10 million Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council grant from the Illinois Secretary of State. “The Illinois State Police is focusing on solving and stopping vehicular theft and hijacking crimes using an increased patrol presence, air operations support, automated license plate readers, investigations, and forensic services,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. From April through June 2023, ISP missions resulted in the following: Vehicles recovered – stolen and/or hijacked 204 Stolen vehicle arrests 32 Hijacked vehicle arrests 3 Firearms seized as a result of stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery 12 Missions targeting stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery and related violent
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, along with 18 other Republican attorneys general, opposes a rule proposed by the Biden administration that would help protect abortion patients from prosecution. In April, the Biden administration proposed a change to medical privacy laws in the wake of the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision last June. The rule would bar health care providers and insurance companies from sharing records relating to reproductive health care in states where the care is legal.
On July 8, 113 costumed singers belted out the melody to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” in a choreographed, frenetic performance that ultimately won gold at the International Barbershop Harmony Society Convention — the fifth championship for the St. Charles-based Ambassadors of Harmony barbershop chorus. The chorus’ co-directors, Jim Henry and Jonny Moroni, recount how they planned and pulled together for the competition, and the enduring popularity of barbershop chorus.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. -- One of the region's largest 4th of July celebrations was postponed in June due to severe weather. A representative from St. Louis County now says that it will now take place on Friday, July 21. “Our Parks and Recreation employees did an excellent job keeping attendees safe when the JB [...]
A legal showdown between a pair of Republican statewide elected officials found its way to the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday, as the judges heard arguments over whether a behind-the-scenes push to increase the cost of an abortion-rights initiative petition was illegal. Attorney General Andrew Bailey is defending his unprecedented decision to reject a fiscal […]
Last week, we promised an upcoming episode featuring a conversation with Cory Doctorow — and that conversation has been recorded and is arriving next week! But we decided to take a brief intermission this week, since things in the social media landscape are changing so quickly. Mike recently appeared on The Neoliberal Podcast with Jeremiah […]
A landmark criminal justice reform that eliminates cash bail in Illinois is constitutional, the state’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, paving the way for the change to take effect Sept. 18.
The 5-2 decision – handed down on partisan lines – means that an individual’s wealth will no longer play a role in whether they are incarcerated while awaiting trial. Judges can still order someone to be detained as they await trial, but the new system will be based on an offender’s level of risk of reoffending…
Maxine Clark has become one of St. Louis’ most recognizable — and successful — entrepreneurs. Clark is founder and former CEO of St. Louis-based Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. (NYSE: BBW), the toy retailer and entertainment company known for its stuffed bears. Clark's legacy as a St. Louis entrepreneur extends past her founding of Build-A-Bear.
WOOD RIVER - Several public commenters at the July 17 Wood River City Council meeting used their five minutes to respond to recent Letters to the Editor on Riverbender.com that were written by Councilmen Bill Dettmers and Jeremy Plank . Members of the public also echoed previously voiced sentiments of dissatisfaction with the council and again called for the resignations of Bill Dettmers, David Ayres, and Jeremy Plank. “I want to start out about the statement Jeremy Plank made on the Riverbender. You said, ‘There is a handful of disgruntled people who are being led and organized by four failed candidates for city council,’” Pastor Dave Landry said. “I’d like to clarify - it’s not a ‘handful,’ it’s at least 1,000 and it’s rapidly growing.” Landry added that Councilman Dettmers told him before Dettmers was elected that he would not support a cannabis dispensary in Wood River, and said “wanting
BENTON – A U.S. District judge sentenced the final defendant of five total co-conspirators for his involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine operation in southern Illinois. Robert Smith, 42, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison. Smith pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to launder money. The case involved more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine distributed in the Southern District of Illinois. Co-conspirator William Moore, 39, of East St. Louis, pled guilty to five counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of attempted possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of conspiracy to launder money. He received a 30-year federal prison sentence on April 20, 2022, and he will serve five years of supervised release. Michael Huffman, 37, of Salem, Illinois, pled guilty to one count of distributing methamphetamine,
ALTON - Alton’s newest Alderman, John Meehan, discussed his recent appointment to the City Council, his love for the city and its history, and more on a recent episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . Meehan was appointed as 5th Ward Alderman to serve the remainder of former Alderman Charles Brake’s term after Brake resigned last week. Meehan said that Brake, who he’s known for decades, personally requested his appointment to Mayor David Goins. “I’ve known Charlie for 30 years, and Charlie was having more and more health troubles,” Meehan said. “He was asking if I would be interested in possibly being an alderman if he had to step down, so that’s the way it kind of came along. He and I talked, and he wrote a letter to the mayor and asked that in the event that he was forced to retire because of health reasons, if the mayor would appoint me, and the mayor said yes. “Since I’ve known Charles for such a long time
Neil Young is going to help the famed West Hollywood venue The Roxy celebrate its 50th anniversary. Pollstar reports that Young is scheduled to headline a special performance at the venue on…
St. Patrick Center, a nonprofit providing housing and other services to people who are homeless, has named one of its current executives to its top leadership post.
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