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Carlinville High School Burned 35 Years Ago

3 years ago
CARLINVILLE - Dick Spohr still remembers the events of the early morning of Sunday, Sept. 13, 1987. “The police department called my home before midnight,” said Spohr, the former Carlinville High School principal. “I pulled on some clothes and drove out to the school. I ended up wearing those clothes for a day and a half.” Tuesday marks the 35th anniversary of the fire that swept through the high school building in Carlinville, ravaging the third story. The first and second stories suffered massive smoke and water damage. The origin of the fire was traced to the attic between the third story and the roof of the structure, built in 1921. “Today’s students don’t always know much about the fire, and some haven’t even heard of it,” said Pat Drew, the current Carlinville High School principal who was a sophomore in 1987. “But all of us who were there remember it very well.” Many recall the community response to the fire

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T-Mobile Fires More Employees After Promising That Most Definitely Wouldn’t Happen After Their Last Merger

3 years ago
It’s a tale as old as time. Two companies look to merge, and promise regulators that the new super-union will create unlimited, untold synergies. They insist repeatedly the consolidation most certainly won’t raise prices, and that the megadeal will absolutely in no way result in layoffs. Regulators rubber-stamp the deal, then, like clockwork, all of […]
Karl Bode

What does the Illinois SAFE-T Act really do?

3 years ago
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) -- With the general election two months away, both Democrats and Republicans are in attack mode. Republicans in particular are using certain legislature--House BIll 3653, or the SAFE-T Act--to motivate voters. But there are many claims floating around about what the bill actually does or does not do. WMBD's digital producer Maggie [...]
Maggie Strahan

New Voting Restrictions Could Make It Harder for 1 in 5 Americans to Vote

3 years ago

Sign up for ProPublica’s User’s Guide to Democracy, a series of personalized emails that help you understand the upcoming election, from who’s on your ballot to how to cast your vote.

This video is the result of a partnership between ProPublica and Gray TV/InvestigateTV.

For all the recent focus on voting rights, little attention has been paid to one of the most sustained and brazen suppression campaigns in America: the effort to block help at the voting booth for people who struggle to read — a group that now amounts to about 48 million Americans, or more than a fifth of the adult population.

Across the country, from California to Georgia, people like Olivia Coley-Pearson and Faye Combs are working to help citizens with low literacy skills exercise their constitutional right to vote, but doing so requires fighting through stigma and increased restrictions on accessibility.

Watch the Investigation (Investigate TV)

While new voting restrictions in states like Florida, Texas and Georgia do not all target voters who struggle to read, they make it especially challenging for these voters to get help casting ballots. ProPublica analyzed the voter turnout in 3,000 counties and found that places with lower estimated literacy rates tended to also have lower turnout.

See for yourself: For the launch of its Right to Read series, ProPublica partnered with Gray TV’s Investigate TV team, which produced the segment above.

Read the full ProPublica investigation.

by Caresse Jackman, Gray TV/Investigate TV, and Aliyya Swaby and Annie Waldman, ProPublica

Bi-State Workforce Boards Receive Department of Labor Grant To Launch Gateway Registered Apprenticeship Programs Hub

3 years ago
EDWARDSVILLE – The U.S. Department of Labor awarded Madison County and the St. Louis region workforce innovation areas a four-year,$5.8 million grant to be a part of the Apprenticeship Building America program. “We are thrilled with this announcement from the Department of Labor to be able to launch the Gateway Registered Apprenticeship Programs Hub,” Employment and Training Director Tony Fuhrmann said. Fuhrmann said the Gateway Hub, which includes six local workforce innovation areas —Madison County Employment and Training, St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department, City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and the Jefferson/Franklin Consortium in Missouri — received $5,819,104 in ABA grant funding. The project aims to register at least 750 new apprentices across the region and represents the first joint initiative between Illinois and Missouri workforce areas, Fuhrmann said “These Local Workforce Innovation Areas serve

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St. Louis Weather Turning Hot Again This Week (Yes, Really)

3 years ago
Put away your pumpkin spice lattes, it’s still summer in St. Louis. Cooler temperatures have had us dreaming of cozy sweaters and crunching leaves, but St. Louis summer isn’t done with us quite yet. It’s still summer by the calendar (it doesn’t end until September 22), but it’s also still summer in the forecast, too.
Jaime Lees

Former St. Louis TV Star Gives Marathon Testimony in His Own Trial

3 years ago
Former reality TV star Tim Norman, 43, took center stage at his own murder-for-hire trial this morning. Norman was the final witness called by his own defense on the morning of the sixth day of the trial. "Did you have anything to do with the murder of Andre Montgomery?" his attorney Michael Leonard asked.
Ryan Krull

Corpse Reviver Halloween Pop-Up Returns to Lazy Tiger

3 years ago
A wickedly popular Halloween-themed pop-up bar is back again this year, promising paranormal vibes, haunted Tiki cocktails and luau-inspired food. Corpse Reviver (210 North Euclid Avenue), the seasonal concept from the minds behind Lazy Tiger, Yellowbelly and Retreat Gastropub will run from Thursday, October 13, through Saturday, October 29, giving guests the opportunity to celebrate spooky season at one of the city's essential cocktail bars. According to co-owner and acclaimed bartender Tim Wiggins, this year's Corpse Reviver, held at Lazy Tiger, will be a bit different from those in years past.
Cheryl Baehr