Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com . How do ants crawl on walls? – Ethan, age 9, Dallas, Texas When I first started my job as a biologist at the University of South Florida, I drove my Jeep to a grassy field, dug up a mound of fire ants, and shoveled it into a 5-gallon bucket. Immediately, thousands of ants swarmed out of the soil and up the walls of the bucket headed for freedom. Luckily I had a lid. How do ants make climbing walls, ceilings, and other surfaces look so easy? I’ve been studying ants for 30 years , and their climbing abilities never cease to amaze me. Worker ants – who are all female – have an impressive toolbox of claws, spines, hairs , and sticky pads on their feet that enable them to scale almost any surface. Human hands vs. ant feet To understand ant feet, it helps to compare them with human hands.
O'FALLON, Mo. - The O'Fallon Fire Protection District saved a dog stuck in a pipe earlier this month. First responders were called to the 2100 block of Meadow Pointe Drive for an unknown EMS call on Saturday, September 3. When they arrived they found a dog stuck in a pipe in the ground. The St. [...]
ST. LOUIS – Nickelodeon and VStar Entertainment Group proudly present PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite.” This brand-new production is an interactive live stage show, where members of the audience get to be heroes unleashed, helping the pups solve puzzles as honorary members of the pack, while they navigate the globe to make it back to Adventure Bay in the nick of time. Featuring stunning visual effects, captivating storytelling, and a vibrant musical score that will have guests dancing in their seats and singing along, this staged extravaganza is jam-packed with action and fun for the whole family! PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” is based on the top-rated animated preschool series PAW Patrol, airing on Nickelodeon and produced by Spin Master Entertainment. Tickets for all four performances are on sale Friday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. and may be purchased at www.pawpatrollive.com . PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” follows Ryder and the PAW Patrol
Normally, there wouldn’t be much need to insert yourself into lawsuits involving seriously flawed claims about social media moderation. But these two lawsuits — both losses for plaintiffs claiming the Biden administration conspired to ban their social media accounts — are now in the hands of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has delivered […]
Photos may be purchased for personal use at: https://www.randymanning.com/Alton-Expo-Mud-Volleyball ALTON - The first Mud Volleyball Tournament at the Alton Expo brought excitement and a good time for participants and observers over the weekend near the riverfront. Dan Herkert, the Alton Amphitheater Board Commission Chair, said the Mud Volleyball was "great fun," and he praised the efforts of the Alton Sports Tap owner Dan King to bring the event to the Expo. Herkert said he and King hope to continue the success of the event next year. The Sports Tap has been working with the City of Alton as well as the amphitheater commission and just had these two courts dug within the last couple of months. They are located right by the marina. Herkert praised the Alton Fire Department for its efforts to hose down the mud volleyball court areas prior to the start of the event Saturday morning.
ST. LOUIS - A man was found dead at a residence Monday morning in the College Hill neighborhood of north St. Louis. Police said the incident occurred in the 4400 block of North 20th Street. When officials found the man, they saw that he had suffered an unknown injury. The Homicide Division has taken over [...]
ALTON - Stacey Threadgill and her husband, Ron, have a heartfelt story to tell about the not-for-profit organization Songs4Soldiers, which funded almost $18,000 for them to fix a serious septic issue with the help of Bart Schultz of Schultz Septic Services. Without Songs4Soldiers and Schultz Septic Services, they say they would not have a home. “They have a huge story, with huge hearts, and are still small and do not get the recognition they deserve,” Stacey said. “In March of 2022, less than 30 days after moving into our four-year-old home, we found that our entire septic system failed. I received the estimate from Bart Schultz Septic Services out of St. Clair County. He was gracious enough to listen to our story, waived his service call fees, and waived our soil scientist report and findings, as he stated he would pay for them himself, and he did! “I am a caregiver to my 100 percent disabled husband (retired military and 100-percent service-connected).
Megadeth's new album The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead! has debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. The 16th studio effort from the thrash-metallers lands at #3 on…
UPDATED LOCATION: MOLLY’S IN SOULARD PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on Monday, September 12, 2022 at 5:00 PM, the Soulard Community Improvement District (the “District”) will hold a public meeting to consider and act upon the matters on the following tentative agenda and such other matters as may be presented at the meeting and determined to […]
A federal judge denied multiple requests for a mistrial on Monday for a man accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot against his own nephew for insurance money.
Reporting for this story was supported by the Lipman Center's Initiative in Reporting on Race and Criminal Justice. Last week a former St. Louis City Justice Center detainee was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a brutal jailhouse beating that happened in the detention facility in March 2021.
On select Wednesdays this fall, the Missouri Botanical Garden (4344 Shaw Boulevard, 314-577-5100, missouribotanicalgarden.org) will offer Fall Flower Hours and stay open until 7:30 p.m. The sunset strolls will offer visitors a chance to see different fall blooms including autumn crocus, golden rods, blazing star, beautyberry, aster and black-eyed Susans. Plus, many varieties of roses rebloom.
Elton John will play his final U.S. concert at LA's Dodger Stadium on November 20, but if you can't make it, don't worry, Disney+ has got you covered. Deadline reports…
The Center Square – Called an election-year gimmick by some, tax rebate checks start going out to Illinois taxpayers Monday. Critics say permanent tax relief is needed in one of the highest taxes states in the country. The money is being given back as part of the Illinois Relief Plan, a $1.8 billion aid package Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law in the spring. To qualify, a person must have been an Illinois resident in 2021 with an adjusted gross income under $200,000 for individual tax filers and under $400,000 for those who filed as couples. Taxpayers who filed as a single person on their returns will be eligible to receive $50, and those who filed joint returns will receive $100. If you claimed dependents, you will receive an additional $100 per dependent with a maximum of $300. “Whether you had to pay or you got money back, it doesn’t matter,” Illinois Comptroller Susanna Mendoza said. “Everyone who filed will be getting a tax rebate.” Illinois
stLouIST