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Chief John Hayden announced he will retire June 18. Lt. Col. Michael Sack was named interim chief.

“Oil prices continue to go up,” said Patrick De Haan. “Gasoline consumption is up. Inventory is down."

The FCC has announced that it would be backing a plan to put WiFi on school busses in an attempt to bridge that pesky rascal ambiguously called the “digital divide.” According to the plan, the proposal would use the dwindling money available in the FCC’s E-Rate program to deploy hotspots on busses, allowing them to […]

EDWARDSVILLE – Individuals scheduled to appear in Madison County Circuit Court can now sign up to receive text messages or email reminders about their upcoming appearances. Circuit Clerk Tom McRae announced the launching of the service on Wednesday. He said an individual would receive four text messages/emails starting one week before a scheduled court time for anyone enrolled in the new service. The Illinois Supreme Court authorized the use of text messages as an inexpensive reminder to patrons of the court system. “It is important for everyone to understand that text messages do not replace any type of legal or formal notification of a court date,” McRae said. “They simply serve as convenient reminders for those who choose to enroll in the optional program.” The reminders will be sent on days seven, five, three and one before the scheduled time. Those who would like to enroll in the program can go to the Circuit Clerk’s website and click on

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GRANITE CITY – Today, Joe Hackler, candidate for State Representative in the 112 th district, announced his endorsement from the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police. As Democrats cast votes to make our communities less safe, supporting law enforcement and first responders is more critical than ever before. With this key endorsement, police voiced their support for Hackler as the candidate to represent them in Springfield. “I am honored to have the support of our policemen and women and will fight every day to support them as they keep our communities safe,” said Hackler. “As crime skyrockets, I will continue to stand with law enforcement and take down the Democrats’ radical pro-criminal, anti-police agenda.” About the Fraternal Order of Police The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915, is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. With a proud tradition of officers representing officers, the FO

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) today issued the first pre-construction permits to social equity licensees established under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, which clears the way for the businesses to begin construction. The Department issued permits to Galaxy Labs, Mint Cannabis, and Star Buds Illinois. • Galaxy Labs, located in Richton Park, is 100% Latino and Black-owned • Mint Cannabis, located in Forest Park, is 51% Latino-owned • Star Buds Illinois, located in Rockford, is 66% Black-owned The cohort of craft grow licenses of which this group is a part, issued in August of 2021, is 88% Social Equity by ownership and 80% identify as nonwhite. “When Illinois legalized cannabis, it was essential that we do what no other state has done – make sure the most impacted communities benefited,” said Governor Pritzker. “I’m pleased to see that these diverse businesses are clear to start construction, and

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Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebration, which will mark her 70th year on the British throne, just got a lot more star-studded. The lineup for the Platinum Party at the…

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An 8-month-old was struck by a car and injured Wednesday afternoon in downtown St. Louis.

With a reporter surveillance scandal of its own embroiling Biden’s Department of Justice, it’s now more important than ever for his administration to throw its weight behind passing a strong journalist shield law, such as Senator Ron Wyden’s PRESS Act.

In the last week, the public learned that the DOJ secretly issued a subpoena seeking phone record information of Guardian journalist Stephanie Kirchgaessner in the course of a leak investigation by the Office of Inspector General, according to a report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by reporter Jason Leopold. Subsequent reporting has revealed that the subpoena was issued in February of 2021, in the early days of the Biden administration.

Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner described the secret subpoena as “an egregious example of infringement on press freedom and public interest journalism by the US Department of Justice.” We agree — and it’s not an isolated incident.

This revelation follows a series of scandals surrounding the surveillance of journalists in the waning months of the Trump administration, which weren’t disclosed until May 2021 — nearly a year later. In the following weeks and months, the Biden administration and Attorney General Merrick Garland introduced new, stronger guidelines purporting to further restrict the Department’s surveillance powers with regard to journalists. At the same time, the White House and Garland called for legislation to codify these new guidelines — a proposal Freedom of the Press Foundation endorsed.

But as we reported this February, the Department of Justice has taken no action to support any such legislation since, leading Senator Wyden’s office to issue harsh criticism of the administration’s silence.

The difference between DOJ media guidelines and an actual law like the one proposed by Wyden’s PRESS Act is significant, in terms of both clarity and effectiveness. As it stands, the DOJ’s Inspector General could argue that the new media guidelines do not apply to them. Other federal agencies, like DHS, which also recently faced a spying-on-journalists scandal, could claim the policy doesn’t apply to them either. As we explained when the guidelines were adopted, action from Congress is vital for the policy to have any teeth.

The Biden administration has repeatedly sought to distinguish itself from its predecessors in terms of its respect for press freedom; making gains that can be undone at the stroke of a pen is insufficient. Unfortunately, as with the Biden DOJ’s decision to continue pursuing charges against Julian Assange, this new fact pattern reveals a disappointing continuity that challenges the press-friendly image this White House has aimed to cultivate.

The best time for the Biden White House to take meaningful action to support the PRESS Act would have been upon its introduction. Failing that, the next best time is now.

Lt. Col. Michael Sack, who has been with the St. Louis department for 27 years, takes over next month for police Chief John Hayden, who will retire June 18.

Lt. Michael Reifschneider says he lost a promised promotion because he refused an order to lower the score in another officer’s job evaluation.

Robert Smith, a 52-year-old Black man, shot his roommate Todd Toston Sr. three years ago. Toston was high on drugs at the time and came at Smith with a knife.

Another Pearl Jam member has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the band to cancel upcoming shows in Sacramento, California, and Las Vegas. The grunge rockers announced Wednesday that bassist Jeff…

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Mark Pirozzi, owner of Pirozzi Painting LLC, received probation for failing to report more than $200,000 in business income from 2015 to 2017.

A St. Louis County veteran admitted embezzling Veterans Administration disability compensation from 2000 to 2020 for a service-connected eye injury.