GODFREY - Alexis Gilchrese and Ronald Gilchrese of Godfrey say their relationship spans years, from early dating in middle school and high school to reconnecting later and marrying on Sept. 30, 2023. The couple first met or started dating on July 24, 2021. Alexis Gilchrese described what makes their relationship special: “We started dating originally in middle school and high school, stayed friends, and got back together after some hard-learned lessons in life.” In sharing a memory,
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced lane and ramp closures on eastbound Interstate 55/70 in St. Clair County to allow for bridge maintenance.
The familiar heart symbol doesn’t look much like a real human heart—and that mismatch is the whole mystery. If the shape is supposed to stand for love, why is it a pair of rounded bumps meeting at a point, like a leaf or a peach? The answer isn’t one neat origin story. It’s a long chain of art, belief, and habit that turned a rough idea of “the heart” into one of the most recognizable icons on Earth. Why the heart became the home of feelings Long before anyon
A text message can cross the world in seconds, yet it can still feel oddly weightless. A handwritten letter, by contrast, can make your chest tighten before you even open the envelope. Same basic goal—sharing words—yet one lands like a notification and the other lands like a keepsake. Handwritten letters feel more personal because they carry more of the sender with them. Not just their ideas, but their time, their choices, their habits, and even their imperfections. The letter becomes
Paul Simon, Elvis Costello and ZZ Topโs Billy F Gibbons are among the artists set to perform at the 10th annual Love Rocks NYC concert, taking place March 5 at…
On display at the ever-popular orchid show, the Missouri Botanical Gardenโs vast orchid collection includes more than 6,000 individual plants representing almost 700 unique species, and approximately one in 10 […]
The average price of gas in Illinois is up to $2.99 a gallon as of February 9, 2025, according to GasBuddy, which is 9.2 cents higher than last week, 11.8 cents higher than last month, and 22.9 cents cheaper than a year ago.
Some people can’t hide what they feel even when they try. You see it in their face, hear it in their voice, and catch it in the way they move. We often describe that kind of openness with one vivid phrase: “wear your heart on your sleeve.” It’s a saying people use all the time, but it’s also a surprisingly physical image. Why would anyone put their heart—something private and vulnerable—on the outside of their body? The answer blends old customs, storytelling,
On February 9, 1990, the Soviet Union signaled that it would allow Lithuania to pursue independence, a turning point in the slow collapse of the Cold War order in Europe. The announcement did not instantly make Lithuania free, and it did not end the Soviet Union overnight. What it did do was change the direction of events: it showed that Moscow was no longer willing—or no longer able—to hold the union together by force in the same way it had in earlier decades. At the time, this mattere
Over the next decade, obesity rates across the nation could surge to close to half of U.S. adults, a new study published in the medical journal JAMA estimates. Researchers at the University of Washington conducted the analysis using body mass index data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and self-reported weight data from […]
A new proposal in Springfield would require certain Illinois drivers to install speed-limiting technology in their vehicles, creating a statewide program aimed at reducing high-speed crashes and traffic fatalities.
My biggest complaints with AI tend to be with the human beings who are rushing language learning models into mass adoption without doing their basic due diligence. Like AI toy maker Bondu, the creator of “AI” enabled stuffed animals, which recently left the stored chat logs children have with their polyester-filled automated friends openly available […]
This morning starts clear with temperatures around 38 degrees. Expect abundant sunshine throughout the day, with the high reaching 51 degrees by the afternoon. Winds will be mild, coming from the south-southeast at 6 mph with gusts up to 13 mph. Evening brings clear skies and cool conditions as temperatures drop toward 38 degrees. Overnight remains clear with lows around 38 degrees. Tomorrow will be partly sunny with highs near 55 and lows dipping to 28. Winds will pick up slightly from the north-northwest
The Harlem Globetrotters are celebrating their 100th anniversary with a tour that honors their legacy of desegregating professional basketball and their connections to St. Louis sports legends.