HIGHLAND — The Highland Police Department and the Madison County Coroner’s Office are conducting an active death investigation at Silver Lake, officials confirmed Thursday, June 4, 2025. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing, with forensic analysis still pending. No further details have been released to protect the integrity of the inquiry. At this time, there is no evidence indicating any danger to the public. The police department acknowledged public concern and emphasized its commitment to providing accurate information as it becomes available. “The safety and well-being of our community remain our highest priority,” the department said. Officials also addressed numerous social media posts related to the incident and encouraged anyone with relevant information to contact Detective Kingery at the Highland Police Department at 618-654-2131, ext. 3.
People living in the Cades Cove neighborhood of Florissant expressed concerns over the potential relocation for six homeowners affected by radioactive contamination.
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under ProPublica’s CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. When Thomas Fugate graduated from college last year with a degree in politics, he celebrated in a social media post about the exciting opportunities that lay beyond campus life in Texas. “Onward and upward!” he wrote, with an emoji of a rocket shooting into space. His […]
GODFREY – Plans to build a solar farm on Delmar Avenue in Godfrey have been halted after unanimously being voted down by the Village Board of Trustees. Trustees on Tuesday night voted 6-0 against an ordinance granting a special use permit to Arena Road House Solar, LLC to build a solar farm at 3406 W. Delmar Ave. Speaking in favor of the solar farm was Jay Gupta, a developer with Arena Renewables. “This project will be a quiet neighbor for the community for the next 30, 40 years, without traffic, noise, smell, pollution,” Gupta said. “You will not be able to see the solar project, it is … out of view and nearly completely surrounded by existing vegetation.” Gupta described the project as an investment in the community capable of generating $800,000 in property tax revenue, telling trustees: “We want to be long-term partners with you.” Gupta also said local residents and businesses could “take advantage” of the solar
WOOD RIVER - Lily Tretter, a senior softball player for the East Alton-Wood River Oilers girls softball squad, has been named a Midwest Members Credit Union female student-athlete of the month in recognition of her outstanding performance this season. Under the guidance of head coach Mike Beachum, Tretter has played a key role in leading the Oilers to an 8-1 start. Tretter’s impressive statistics included a .425 batting average, a .462 on-base percentage, and a .534 slugging percentage, resulting in a .996 OPS. She has also contributed six doubles, one triple, and 14 runs batted in. Her achievements earned her All-Conference honors for the Mississippi Division of the Cahokia Conference. Tretter’s performance reflects her significant impact on the team’s early success and overall season in 2025.
WOOD RIVER - Jamal Burgess Jr. of East Alton-Wood River High School broke a 49-year-old school record in the 400-meter run at the IHSA Sectional meet in Bethalto on May 21, 2025. Burgess recorded a time of 49.64 seconds, surpassing the previous mark set by Terry Studnicki in 1976. He is a Midwest Members Credit Union Male Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. Burgess’s performance placed him third overall in what was described as the toughest sectional in the state, earning him a spot at the state finals. At the state meet, he ran a time of 51.48 seconds in the Class 2A preliminaries. In addition to his individual success, Burgess was a key member of the Oilers’ relay teams, competing in the 4x100, 4x200, and 4x400 relays. Following his record-breaking run, Burgess met with Studnicki, who expressed a desire to “pass the torch” after holding the record for nearly five decades. Burgess has since graduated from East Alton-Wood River High School.
The pair is wanted in connection with a shooting that injured a woman who was walking her dog and a boy who was heading to the barbershop with his family.
We all know some men who’d rather fight off sharks than deal with issues that affect their health. They don’t like talking about it, they put symptoms on the back burner, and they don’t see a health care provider unless it’s at the urging of a persistent wife who might schedule the appointment. June is National Men’s Health Month. It’s a time to encourage men to take their health seriously, make necessary lifestyle changes and get established with a primary care provider, if they don’t have one. According to Ben Guth, an advanced practice nurse with OSF HealthCare, the reasons for putting off medical care vary. For some men, they’re too busy working to find the time to book, for example, an eye exam or dentist appointment. Some are willing to wait out a nagging pain or a lingering headache. And for others it’s simply a case of “‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’” “Men will often tell me,
Tarlton Corp., St. Louis’ largest women-owned general contracting, construction management and design-build firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of Michelle Spires to senior marketing manager. Nina Elsperman also was promoted to proposal coordinator and Catherine McDonald has joined Tarlton as marketing coordinator. Spires, who previously served as marketing manager, will lead departmental planning and […]
From news reports to social media blurbs to medical studies, they’ve been in the public eye a lot lately. And experts say that likely won’t change. We’re talking about microplastics or nanoplastics, incredibly small pieces of plastic that can get into our body. So, how concerned should we be? Philip Ovadia, MD , a cardiothoracic surgeon at OSF HealthCare, says this issue will continue to be studied for years. But there are things you can do now to optimize your health and reduce your risk of problems. “We’re increasing our understanding of the toxins in our env ironment. Our environment has become more toxic, and that’s a challenge to our health,” Dr. Ovadia says. “The best thing for people to do is to control what you can control. What are you eating? What are you using on your body? What is your lifestyle like? How active are you?” “We’re increasing our understanding of the toxins in our environment. Our environment
Wage growth in construction continued to decelerate in April on a national basis, but the differences across regional markets remain stark. Nationally, average hourly earnings (AHE) in construction increased 3.6% year-over-year and crossed the $39.3 mark when averaged across all payroll employees (non-seasonally adjusted, NSA).1 Meanwhile, average earnings in construction in Alaska and Massachusetts exceeded $50 per […]
Poettker Construction is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of its NextGen program. The NextGen program connects Poettker to students and teachers at the local school districts they serve to unlock interactive opportunities for students to build their futures while advancing their community. Pictured left: Mark Doan, Poettker Construction’s Education Advocate presents Clayton Logsdon from […]
Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday said that communication between states and the federal government under the second Trump administration “is nonexistent,” opening the door to catastrophe in the case of a natural disaster or other emergency. Walz, during an interview with Reformer editor Patrick Coolican at a States Newsroom conference in Minneapolis, said that the […]