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The constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana in Missouri won voter approval in November but created a schism among social-justice activists over the question of racial and economic equity.  Some believe the new law will empower minority marijuana business owners, while others worry it will cement an already distrusted, inequitable business licensing system in place. Much […]

The post Missouri regulators say they’re close to naming marijuana chief equity officer appeared first on Missouri Independent.

QUINCY — Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined local, state, and community leaders to celebrate the final structural beam being placed at the Quincy Veterans’ Home. The “Topping Out” ceremony marks a significant milestone in the nearly $300 million renovation and rehabilitation project that will provide a 260,000 square foot residential long-term care facility and 80,000 square foot independent living facility to Illinois veterans. “With these renovations, our veterans and their families will be able to enjoy state-of-the-art facilities that support them in living their fullest life – exercising their right to excellent care in quality surroundings,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We owe our veteran heroes nothing less – and it’s exactly what I sought to do when I dedicated nearly $300 million in state funding to this renovation in our Rebuild Illinois infrastructure plan.” The scope of work for the Quincy Veterans’

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ST. LOUIS – Oak View Group (OVG) today announced the creation of its national Theater Alliance , and Stifel Theatre has joined the inaugural roster of 39 marque theaters and performing arts venues in 18 markets across North America that will benefit from collective buying power, routing of non-traditional content, sponsorship opportunities, industry best practices and resources, and shared proceeds from an annual fundraising gala. OVG, the global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries, will announce the inaugural members of the Theater Alliance at the Association for Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) conference Opening Plenary Session on Friday, January 13. In addition to Stifel Theatre, other members include: ACL Live at Moody Theater (Austin, TX) AT&T Performing Arts Center (Dallas TX) Beacon Theatre, Theater at MSG, and Radio City Music Hall (New York, NY) Boch Center (Boston, MA) The Chicago Theatre

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Celebrate the life and work of Dr. Jane Goodall, who braved the unknown to provide a remarkable window into humankind’s closest living relatives – chimpanzees.   On Oct. 7, the

The post Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Overnight, thieves went after the smaller school buses in the bus yard of the Belleville School District 201. They took 17 buses' catalytic converters.

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Communications is excited to announce the implementation of a new, non-emergency call handling system. Citizens who call our non-emergency phone line will be greeted by an intelligent voice assistant (IVA). Nothing will change for 911 callers. Anyone calling 911 in the areas serviced by the St. Louis County Police Department will continue to have their calls answered by a call taker in the Bureau of Communications. This technological advancement has been implemented to improve our services to the community. It allows our department to streamline the facilitation between the caller and the services needed within St. Louis County. The voice assistant learns the caller’s needs and assigns a confidence score as it processes an increasing number of calls. As the repetition increases, so does the confidence score; this determines the voice assistant’s ability to understand what the caller is saying and where the

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JERSEYVILLE - Jersey County Sheriff Nicholas Manns has joined a growing number of local sheriffs who say their departments will not enforce the recently-passed Illinois ban on certain firearms and magazines, also known as HB 5471. Manns recently released a statement outlining his department’s approach to the new law. “As your Sheriff and as a law enforcement officer, I am sworn to protect Jersey County by enforcing the law AND protecting your Constitutional rights,” Manns said in the letter. “Generally, those two obligations are one and the same. Unfortunately, in this instance, they are not." Manns said he believes many provisions of HB 5471 are unconstitutional and likely won’t hold up in the Supreme Court. He sees the current situation as an opportunity to enforce what he believes is right, while not enforcing what he believes is wrong. “When I look at our history, I often wonder how things would be different if past law enforcement officers

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Police and school officials worked to investigate a threat from a Hillsboro High School student.

PIASA - Piasa Southwestern High School announced the High/Honor Roll students from 1st semester. HIGH HONOR ROLL Senior Class of 2023 High Honor Roll List for Semester 1 Brandon Adams, Jillian Beilsmith, Hank Bouillon, Madison Bryant, Cassie Christian, Olivia Cody, Daniel Cokel, Rylee Crane, Kennedy Dempsey, Audrey Gordon, Vance Hake, Eathan Hartley, Tyson Kahl, Justin Paul, Ryan Raymond, Gracie Schneider, Gage Smith, Jaron Whipps Junior Class of 2024 High Honor Roll List for Semester 1 Wyatt Akers, Matthew Arendell, Garrett Beuttel, Chiara Biciocchi, Kelsey Bray, Caden Bunting, Carson Burns, Logan Crane, Rocky Darr, Mia Greenwell, Abigail Hellrung, Gavin Humm, Alyssa Kasten, Colin LeMarr, Parker LeMarr, Abigail McDonald, Aubrey Reno, Hope Seniker, Jillian Smith, Alexandra Wigger Sophomore Class of 2025 High Honor Roll List for Semester 1 Ike Austin, Lainie Behrends, Reagan Beilsmith, Ian Brantley, Landon Brueggeman, Makenzie Cottingham, Chelsea Cruse, Gracie

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The Missouri Highway Patrol said one person died in the two-vehicle crash about 6:30 a.m. Friday.

This featured exhibition in the Great Hall of the St. Louis Public Library – Central Library explores how iconic characters both reflect and influence American culture from the 1960s to

The post America’s Monsters, Superheroes and Villains: Our Culture at Play appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

For better than half a lifetime, I’ve studied media and its effects on the public psyche. Teaching broadcast history and directing a student radio station, the larger picture seemed pretty clear. But one question always frustrated and perplexed me: How did AM talk radio, in particular, come to program such venomous, outrageous programming? Why do […]

The post How venomous voices from right-wing radio radicalized America appeared first on Missouri Independent.

SPRINGFIELD, MO. - Earning a spot on Drury University's Dean's List is a significant accomplishment. The recognition means a student earned a grade point average of 3.6 or greater (on a 4-point scale) while carrying a full-time course load of 12 or more semester hours at Drury, a top Midwestern university, according to US News & World Report. In the fall semester, the following student(s) made the day school Dean's list: East Alton, IL Hannah Ritter, Metro East Lutheran HS Edwardsville, IL Connor Bain, Triad High School Robyn Herndon, Edwardsville Senior HS Godfrey, IL Wes Laaker, Alton High School Quinten Schulte, Jersey Community High School Wood River, IL Sophia Mora, Roxana Senior High School

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SPRINGFIELD – Two ground-breaking projects underway at Illinois Beach State Park will help protect precious shoreline from erosion caused by Lake Michigan waves and inform future decisions about how to blunt the effects of erosion and climate change, Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Capital Development Board announced today. Illinois Beach State Park in Lake County, home to unique prairie and wetland habitat and a beloved local and regional recreational draw, features the last remaining natural shoreline in the state. However, the shore is constantly battered by Lake Michigan waves, making it a priority for preservation and mitigation efforts. Some parts of the park’s coastline have receded by as much as 100 feet in one year. Aerial photos and maps show how the shoreline, roads and dune ecosystems have been drastically altered; visitors can see evidence of some of the damage in person. “Illinois’ lakefronts

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CHICAGO - A life-changing amount of cash is up for grabs for Illinois Lottery players this weekend. The Mega Millions jackpot for tonight’s drawing has soared to a sweltering $1.35 billion, and the Powerball jackpot is now worth an estimated $404 million for Saturday night’s drawing - a combined top prize pool of over $1.75 billion. If a player wins Friday night’s massive grand prize, it would be the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot in U.S. history. Just six months ago, a $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot was won with a single ticket purchased at the Speedway gas station in Des Plaines, Illinois. This was the fifth-largest lottery prize in U.S. history and the largest prize ever won in Illinois. With over 7,000 Illinois Lottery retailers across the State, lottery players can conveniently pick up a ticket at their local store - or they can log in to the Illinois Lottery website or app and purchase a ticket online. Mega Millions is played every Tuesday and

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In Cling II: A Carescape, Amy Reidel uses abstract and figurative imagery to illuminate facial expressions, details and patterns, inspired by the poignant emotions shared between family members, the often-disregarded

The post Cling II: A Carescape appeared first on Explore St. Louis.