Aggregator

ALTON - Hayner Public Library District has a full slate of activities and programs coming up. “We have something for kids, teens, adults. Almost every day, something is going on,” said Mary Cordes, the library’s executive director. The library will be hosting internet safety classes for adults who want more information about how to stay safe online. These classes will talk about the dangers of clicking on unverified links, recognizing phishing scams, and protecting sensitive information. “We could have one every day of the week and they would be full. There’s a real need out there for it,” Cordes explained. “It’s a genuine fear, and honestly, it’s a legitimate fear because so many things can happen to you, especially financially, that you don’t understand. And it’s not even older people. I’ve done it myself…It can happen to anyone.” While the current class scheduled for Feb. 29 is full,

Continue Reading

Legislation boosting teacher recruitment and retention in Missouri is once again a priority of the Missouri House, with a hearing Wednesday morning on a pair of Republican-backed bills. Rep. Ed Lewis, a Republican from Moberly, is sponsoring legislation based on the findings of the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s blue ribbon commission. It […]

The post Missouri lawmakers want to raise teacher pay but anticipate Senate resistance appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Former Sen. William "Sam" McCann was hospitalized in suburban St. Louis, his wife said.

The St. Louis professional sports scene will come pretty close to its own definition of a sports equinox on one occasion this year.

“What would it look like to support trusted community spaces and almost create a microcosm of the world that we want to live in?”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and more than half of their Democratic Senate colleagues in filing an amendment to the bipartisan National Security Supplemental and Border Security compromise that would maintain the congressional notification requirement for all U.S. assistance to foreign militaries. Specifically, the amendment would strike a provision in the proposed national security supplemental funding bill that would allow the Secretary of State to waive Congressional notification requirements for U.S. funding for Israel under the Foreign Military Financing Program. If passed, the amendment would preserve the congressional notification process for Israel, just as congressional notifications are required for all other nations. “Our nation requires that any country receiving American weapons—whether through foreign aid or foreign military sales—follow conditions already in U.S

Continue Reading

ALTON - Members of the Alton Educational Foundation (AEF) gathered at Alton Middle School on Feb. 7, 2024, to learn about the projects they fund, including a sewing club, a LEGO STEM lab and more. AEF invites community members to donate to the Alton Community Unit School District #11 (ACUSD11) through the Guardians of Education program. The organization then provides grants for ACUSD11 teachers to fund classroom resources and extracurricular projects. On Feb. 7, teachers were present to share information about their projects and how they used the grant money to bring new resources to their students. “I can’t think of another word other than awesome,” said Cathy Droste, AEF chairperson. “We have so many donors who have donated to our organization in order for us to put out grants for teachers, and this is a chance for donors to see where their monies are going and to be hands-on, not just see or read about it, but actually meet the people that applied

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) report on the Bureau of Prison’s (BOP) use of solitary confinement, also known as restrictive housing, in federal facilities, which Durbin requested: “Solitary confinement must be a last resort, limited to the briefest term and under the least restrictive conditions possible. We know the overuse of solitary confinement causes lasting, irreparable harm to incarcerated people, threatens public safety, strains prison budgets, and violates fundamental human rights. “Understanding this, I’m extremely disappointed by the findings in today’s GAO report, which highlights BOP’s failure to reduce its overreliance on restrictive housing. “As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have repeatedly called on BOP to reevaluate and limit th

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—met with the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard (ILNG) Major General Richard Neely to discuss the ways we can build on our progress to support the Illinois National Guard as our nation continues to face multiple threats and global security challenges overseas. Photos of the Senator’s meeting can be found using the link here . “The Illinois National Guard plays a vitally important role in strengthening our Total Force and our national security,” said Duckworth. “I appreciated today’s chance to meet with MG Richard Neely and I look forward to continuing our work together so that we can help ensure our troops have everything they need to continue executing their missions.” Last month, Duckworth spoke at the Illinois National Guard mobilization ceremony, helping honor and recognize the nearly 300 Illinois

Continue Reading

The 58,000-square-foot space includes corporate offices, private event space for watch parties, a recording booth, an e-gaming lounge and more.

CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today sent a warning letter to a company that allegedly sent New Hampshire residents scam election robocalls during the New Hampshire primary election. The calls allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate the president and discourage voters from participating in the primary. Early voting in Illinois’ 2024 general primary election begins Feb. 8. “As we approach Illinois’ general primary election next month, I encourage voters to be wary of artificial intelligence calls relating to elections. While the voice on the other end of the call may seem familiar and convincing, I urge voters to remain cautious. Be sure to independently confirm any information you receive unsolicited regarding voting,” Raoul said. “The right to participate in our nation’s democracy is one of the most fundamental rights we have as Americans. I will continue to work with fellow attorneys general to ensure that right is protected

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with the leaders and members of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) and the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities (FIICU), which represents 58 Illinois private, nonprofit colleges across the state. During the meetings, Durbin and Duckworth advocated for doubling the maximum Pell Grant and supporting other federal student aid programs to help improve the accessibility of higher education. The Senators also discussed job training programs provided at Illinois colleges and universities and how they can serve as a pipeline for professions facing a workforce shortage, including the health care industry. “One of the greatest gifts we can give the next generation is an education. But for many Illinoisans, financial constraints are a barrier to reaching a college degree or a professional certification,” said Durbin.

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Matthew Cartwright (D-PA-08) and Zach Nunn (R-IA-03) today introduced bicameral and bipartisan legislation to collect demographic data on public school teachers and principals to improve the accuracy of educator workforce data. The Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act would establish a permanent, national mechanism to collect teacher and principal data at the school district-level to assist in recruitment and retention of educators. The legislation stems from research showing that all students benefit from a high-quality, diverse educator workforce, and that students of color with at least one same-race teacher often have improved academic performance, attendance, graduation rates, and aspiration to attend college. Current solutions to address both educator workforce shortages and diversity gaps use incomplete data that is not easily accessible. Without a national dataset, legislators

Continue Reading

It may have had to do with his recent announcement on stopping goods made with forced labor, which potentially swayed a Republican China hawk to vote no.

A single thread out of place can distort the illusion of perfect embroidery or reduce the perception of the quality of a smooth hand of fabric. Its free movement against […]

The post Loose Threads, an exhibition by Douglas Dale appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

The Missouri Botanical Garden’s ever-popular orchid show returns on Jan. 27. The Garden’s vast orchid collection includes more than 6,000 individual plants representing almost 700 unique species, and approximately one […]

The post Orchid Show appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Want to check out the symphony for free? Just head to your local library.

A 40-year-old man was found unresponsive in his bunk and later pronounced dead by paramedics, the sheriff's department said.