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CHICAGO - This is my tenth update to the citizens of the 111 th district, as your State Representative. The Spring Legislative session ended in the early morning hours of Saturday April 9 th . We worked through the night and adjourned at around 6:00 am, after a fiery debate on the fiscal year 2023 budget, which did pass along party lines (I voted no). I was one of three House Republicans on our budget negotiation team; however, we were shut out of the discussions on the budget, and no appropriations working group meetings were held this year. The budget appropriates $46.5 billion, bolstered by ARPA funds and higher tax revenues. All of the remaining ARPA funds were spent, and no additional funds were appropriated towards the remaining deficit in the Unemployment Insurance trust fund. That deficit is now $1.8 billion, and now can only be paid off with benefit decreases and employer tax increases, which won’t take place until after the November election. With record inflation

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“Rinaberger was beyond impressed with the STEPUP curriculum and committed to providing the financial investment and human resources for opening the Pioneer Bakery Café,” said Libera. “Knowing the STEPUP curriculum focused on both hard and soft skills was a key determining factor in moving forward with the partnership.”

A Texas native, Mercedes Mackay earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in business from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Take a load off and take in the views on a relaxing daytime cruise that shows St. Louis from the river that built it. Narrated

The post St. Louis Riverfront Cruise appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Immerse yourself in Van Gogh’s artwork like you’ve never seen it before.  Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will be in St. Louis at the

The post Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) announced the recipient of the first State of Illinois’ Wellness Partner Award to Aetna, one of the State’s ten insurance carriers. The new Wellness Partner Award was created to recognize the commitment to and innovative programming that is the hallmark of the nationally recognized “Be Well Illinois” program. Be Well Illinois was launched in January 2021 by CMS to improve the overall health and wellness of the State of Illinois’ workforce. “Making wellness simple, accessible, and engaging is our priority,” said CMS Director Janel L. Forde, “Aetna has worked tirelessly with the Be Well Illinois team to drive the mission of wellness forward and provide robust resources to all State of Illinois employees, retirees, and covered dependents.” Aetna has been instrumental in partnering with CMS to scale programming at an unprecedented statewide level. This included

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EDWARDSVILLE – In an effort to further its philanthropic efforts, The Gori Law firm announced the launch of its new internal giving initiative, Gori Gives. In 2021, the firm donated almost $300,000 to 90 different local community groups and nonprofit organizations. To continue this momentum, the program is designed to encourage staff involvement in community service and hands-on volunteer work for nonprofit organizations, locally, regionally, nationally – and even globally. “Our firm’s philanthropic mission is to empower our employees to invest their time and energy into helping others,” said Sara Salger, managing partner of The Gori Law Firm. “Each of us has certain skills and abilities, and we want those to go toward not only assisting with our legal capabilities, but also making a positive difference in the world.” While the firm participates in various charities and events throughout the year, such as the Edwardsville Route 66 Festival,

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A shared goal of teaching the importance of community engagement and philanthropy while supporting child- and youth-focused nonprofits brought First Bank and the YouthBridge Community Foundation - Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP STL) together to show high school students what nonprofits do and what goes into funding them.

Weekend plans aren't hard to come by in St. Louis, as there is a wide range of activities happening once more. Geek out at the Fan EXPO, featuring a host of Sci-Fi favorites and more, or take the family to Eckert's Farms for their Strawberry Festival. If you're looking for something more rare, you'll have to plan a trip to Elephant Rocks State Park to view the pending Blood Moon on Sunday.

The IT firm created a system that makes it easier for Got Your Six Support Dogs to help more service members and meet compliance needs.

So, I already had a quick post on the bizarre decision by the 5th Circuit to reinstate Texas’ social media content moderation law just two days after a bizarrely stupid hearing on it. However, I don’t think most people actually understand just how truly fucked up and obviously unconstitutional the law is. Indeed, there are […]

Take Root Hospitality, the restaurant group from Michael and Tara Gallina and Aaron Martinez, is set to open a new restaurant in the gardenside pavilion space at Vicia later this month.

This comes just a few months after the commission announced plans to introduce a new area code in the St. Louis region.

Hmmm. Finland has officially decided to apply for membership in NATO. Russia is pissed. A lot of people under 40 or so might not understand why this is a big deal. Finland is just your standard Western democracy, after all, and has been part of the EU for decades. The only surprising thing is that ...continue reading "The end of Finlandization"

The local intelligence firm gave students from the university's St. Louis Geospatial Collaborative experience using its software to conduct background checks on applicants to a nonprofit security organization.

“Allowing civilians to carry concealed guns without a permit may be influencing the perceived threat of danger faced by law enforcement.”

ST. LOUIS - Today, Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE) released two updated, data-driven reports offering stakeholders deeper insights into the company's operations including its first environmental justice principles. The reports also discuss sustainable energy investments, energy assistance and economic development initiatives designed to support customers regardless of their background. Ameren's full environmental justice principles can be read here . "We know achieving our sustainability goals goes beyond making progress on environmental issues and involves addressing the needs and expectations of our communities," said Gwen Mizell, Ameren's chief sustainability and diversity officer. "Ameren's numerous efforts to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), are crucial facets of a well-rounded sustainability strategy. These reports provide further insight to all our stakeholders, including our millions of customers, to show how we're living our vision, Leading the Way

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ST. LOUIS - The Bailey Foundation (TBF) is announcing its first Take Action Gala, which will take place June 26, 2022, from 6 pm to 10 pm at the Ameristar Casino Resort and Spa in St. Charles, MO. This will be an annual celebration of The Bailey Foundation’s work in the community and a fundraising event to support their initiatives. The nonprofit has enrichment programs where children can pursue their passion in dance, theater, music, and visual arts, in addition to nutrition services, child and family support programs, and community action initiatives. During the gala, a video production will be shown of children from different schools performing what they have learned, providing an example of what The Bailey Foundation offers. Attendees will listen to keynote speakers in the areas of early childhood education, economic development, and mental health awareness, to name a few, and experience an interactive panel discussion. The gala will also host a social hour with refreshments,

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Before starting his own sandwich shop, chef-owner Casey Jovick worked at Sugarfire Smoke House, Pappy's Smokehouse and Baumann's Fine Meats.

Among local organizations it supports are United Way of Greater St. Louis, Arts and Education Council of St. Louis and Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Edward Jones and its associates have also raised more than $30 million in the fight to end Alzheimer's since 2016.