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On Tuesday, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged a former high school teacher with alleged sex crimes involving an underage student.

ALTON - A trimmer dropped a tree on main wires in the 4100 block of Humbert Road in Alton on Tuesday afternoon. A reported 450 are out of power in that vicinity as of around 4:15 p.m. Tuesday. The Alton Fire Department initially responded to the scene. Ameren-Illinois crews are en route to the situation, however, it may take multiple hours to rectify the problem.

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LLN Arizona photographer Jack Sorgi is detained at a June reproductive rights protest in Phoenix.

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Freedom of the Press Foundation’s U.S. Press Freedom Tracker reports 14 arrests of journalists in 2022, down from 59 in 2021 and 144 in 2020. As in past years, the vast majority of reporters arrested were covering protests, specifically those that followed the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

The decrease is less likely attributable to police suddenly respecting press freedoms than to there simply being fewer protests this year than in 2021, and especially 2020. Nearly 300 arrests or detainments of journalists have been recorded in the Tracker since its 2017 launch; 18 of those journalists are still facing charges.

As of Dec. 20, 2022

Freedom of the Press Foundation/Harris Lapiroff

Totals aside, it is concerning any time a reporter is arrested for doing their job, and especially when charges are not resolved promptly by the courts. The report highlights two especially alarming cases: One, the arrest of Derek Myers, editor-in-chief of the Scioto Valley Guardian in Ohio, for wiretapping after publishing audio someone else recorded, and two, the ongoing prosecutions of Asheville Blade reporters Matilda Bliss and Veronica Coit for allegedly trespassing while documenting a homeless encampment sweep.

The report provides further detail:

Myers told the Tracker he was covering the murder trial but was not in the courtroom when a key witness took the stand. Despite the judge in the case barring recordings of that witness, Myers later received audio of the testimony. After the Guardian published the audio, officers obtained a search warrant for Myers’ laptop, issued a warrant for his arrest and seized his cellphone.

Myers turned himself in to police custody and was released on a $20,000 bond. He now waits for his case to be heard by a grand jury in 2023, which will decide whether to indict him. But just being charged, he said, has felt damaging.

“My reputation has taken a hit and, as journalists, all we have are our reputations,” Myers said.

Two North Carolina journalists, arrested in December 2021, will also continue to face charges into 2023. Asheville Blade reporters Matilda Bliss and Veronica Coit were arrested and charged with trespassing while documenting a homeless encampment sweep on Christmas night in 2021. After nearly a year of rescheduled hearings, the two were ordered in November to appear for a bench hearing, where a judge would rule on their charges and sentence them.

….

Bliss told the Tracker that each time they were ordered to appear in court, the reporters had to prepare for the possibility they would be incarcerated.

“I was trying to make sure that I had all my ducks in a row in case it was the worst case scenario: There is a maximum penalty of 20 days in jail,” Bliss said. “We’ve both had to make lots of sacrifices throughout this year.”

Myers’ arrest violates well-established Supreme Court precedent that journalists are not responsible for alleged illegality by sources while Asheville police ignored limitations on closure of public lands to reporters except where there is a serious public safety risk.

The report also notes that some wrongly arrested reporters are holding authorities accountable by filing lawsuits, including Oregon-based reporter April Ehrlich, who was also arrested while covering an encampment sweep. After multiple delays, prosecutors dropped the 2020 charges this year. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker previously reported on the more than 50 journalists who have sued over their treatment while covering Black Lives Matter protests.

Absent any indication that local police departments learned a lesson from 2020 and 2021, lawsuits and public pressure continue to be the best ways to hold police accountable and make them think twice about arresting journalists in 2023.

The full report, including more detailed statistical analysis and context surrounding the arrests, is available here.

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is a nonpartisan news website and database providing reliable and contextualized information on the number of press freedom violations in the United States. For media requests, please contact media@freedom.press.

Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar that serves seasonal cocktails in a festive setting. With kitschy holiday décor, professionally developed drinks and the nostalgic energy of the best office

The post Miracle at Small Change appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

ALTON - As the temperatures drop, State Senator Kris Tharp is encouraging drivers to utilize the winter road conditions map on the Illinois Department of Transportation’s website . “Ahead of the upcoming winter weather, drivers need to be aware of road conditions before traveling,” said Senator Kris Tharp (D- Bethalto). “Using this resource from IDOT can allow individuals to take precautions before their drive, which can prevent crashes and road delays altogether.” GettingAroundIllinois.com is available on your computer and optimized for smartphones. The site includes the ability to identify and zoom in on a location, travel route or destination on a state map. The map is updated frequently through a cloud-based system to provide a general overview on IDOT-maintained highways “The weather in Illinois can change suddenly and this online tool is really helpful and updates often,” said Tharp. “I encourage all individuals to view this

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Thursday marks the 20th anniversary of the death of The Clash's Joe Strummer, and the occasion will be marked with a special tribute in New York.  Consequence reports that D Generation’s Jesse Malin, Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz and more will celebrate…

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Effective January 1, 2023, Jeff Limbaugh, Limbaugh Construction Co., Inc., Granite City, Illinois was elected as President of the Southern Illinois Builders Association. Other officers for 2023 are: First Vice President – Scott Plocher, Plocher Construction Company, Inc., Highland, Illinois; Second Vice President – Richard Boyer, Boyer Fire Protection, St. Louis, Missouri; and Secretary/Treasurer – […]

ST. LOUIS - So that holiday chefs, cooks and bakers in need of that last-minute ingredient can properly prepare for their festive gatherings and parties, Schnuck Markets, Inc. today announced the 2022 Christmas and New Year's holiday schedules for all stores. Christmas: Saturday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) - Close at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, December 25 (Christmas Day) - Closed Monday, December 26 - Open at normal time New Year’s: Saturday, December 31 (New Year's Eve) - Close at 8 p.m. Sunday, January 1 (New Year's Day) - Open at 9 a.m. Stores will be open their regular operating hours during all other days not listed.

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It seems the madness just never stops on Elon Musk’s Twitter, and it’s almost impossible to keep up. Recently, Mike joined the Daily Beast’s podcast, The New Abnormal, for a discussion with host Andy Levy about just what exactly is going on with Twitter under Musk’s erratic leadership. The conversation first appeared as part of […]

Wednesday, Dec. 21, is known as the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the "shortest day" of the year because it is the day with the least amount of daylight.

One of the hottest restaurants in St. Louis, Balkan Treat Box, has announced its second concept in the area: Telva at The Ridge. The forthcoming restaurant is slated to open in early 2023. Located at the Rolling Ridge Nursery in Webster Groves, Telva at The Ridge will continue to serve food from the Balkan region — but this time, through a café and coffee shop.

These restaurants elevate the ultimate comfort food.

EAST ALTON - $100 could buy you a day-and-night difference in your car’s appearance if you know it needs cleaning but don’t have the time to do it yourself. T & R Auto Detail of East Alton is offering a complete auto detailing service - including a full exterior wash, interior detailing, engine detailing, wheel cleaning, and more - for just $100. Visit the “Shop Local” section of Riverbender.com to learn more about this offer and “clip” this coupon before it expires on January 31. T&R Auto Detail Owner Rob Whitten said customers get a “complete detail - top to bottom, bumper-to-bumper.” “If there’s tar on there, it comes off. If there are scratches in it, they come off,” he said. “ shampoo, wax - the only thing I don’t do is ceramic coating.” Whitten said T & R Auto Detail currently operates by appointment only, so interested customers can call him at (618) 467-9254 to schedule a drop-off.

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Instead of shopping at the last minute, it might be more prudent to get your grocery items at the next-to-the-last minute.

CHICAGO – Illinois Lottery players have a chance to become a multi-millionaire this holiday as the Mega Millions jackpot soars to $465 million for tonight’s drawing. If a player wins Tuesday night’s jackpot, it would be the 12th largest jackpot in the game's history. In July, an Illinois Lottery player won a historic $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois, and the third largest lottery prize ever won in the U.S. 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 login to the Illinois Lottery website or app and purchase a ticket online. Mega Millions is played every Tuesday and Friday night. Tickets are $2 each, and players can add the Megaplier for an additional $1 for the chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes.

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Gov. Mike Parson has named Vivek Malek to serve as state treasurer, the first Indian American to hold a statewide office in Missouri.  Malek, 45, will replace Republican Scott Fitzpatrick, who was elected state auditor in November.  “We interviewed a lot of great candidates for state treasurer, all of which have promising and rewarding careers […]

The post Missouri governor taps political newcomer to serve as next state treasurer appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Though St. Louis christened CITYPARK stadium in November with an exhibition match, our new Major League Soccer team, St. Louis City SC, has yet to play there. But the schedule for the inaugural season was released today, and soccer fans now have a date to countdown to the soccer team's home opener: Saturday, March 4, when the City SC will take on Charlotte FC. That won't be the team's first game.

We’ve been warning about the likelihood of extreme winter weather in late December for a couple of weeks now. The next several days will finally see those prognostications come to fruition.

Some big-name rock stars came out in Las Vegas Monday to help magician Criss Angel celebrate his 55th birthday — and it was all for a good cause. Blabbermouth reports that KISS’ Paul Stanley, Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander and Skid…

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