Will Bauer

How to find SNAP alternatives in the St. Louis region – and how to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be paused on Saturday due to the government shutdown. Here is a resource for people to find food during this pause.

Food pantries across the St. Louis area are preparing for an influx of people requesting assistance since hundreds of thousands in the region will not receive SNAP benefits next month due to the government shutdown. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/government-p...

Cost of marketplace health plans to soar in 2026, will hit some in southern Illinois especially hard Certain insurance customers will see some of the highest premium hikes in the country when they start shopping for plans on the open enrollment marketplace.

If federal tax credits expire in 2026, insurance costs for many will go up.

That’s especially true in southern Illinois, where certain insurance customers will see some of the highest premium hikes in the country when they start shopping on Nov. 1.
www.stlpr.org/health-scien...

Helicopter crash kills 4 members of Illinois GOP governor candidate Darren Bailey’s family Darren Bailey, a Republican candidate for governor in Illinois, said his son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren were killed in a helicopter crash

Four family members of Darren Bailey, a Republican candidate for Illinois governor, were killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday in Montana.
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Indiana's commission looking at taking counties from Illinois is about to have its first meeting The new Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission is meant to look into bringing disgruntled Illinois into Indiana.

A new commission to explore taking rural counties from Illinois and bringing them to Indiana is set to have its first meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
www.wthr.com/article/news...

Dems’ new Illinois redistricting plan targets LaHood House Democratic leaders have shifted their proposed new Illinois congressional map as they angle for a mid-decade redraw in the Land of Lincoln.

House Democratic leaders have shifted their proposed new Illinois congressional map as they angle for a mid-decade redraw in the Land of Lincoln.

The latest configuration would target GOP Rep. Darin LaHood rather than GOP Rep. Mary Miller.
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New Illinois Veterans' Home in Quincy looks to move past Legionnaires’ disease The $300 million facility with 80 independent living apartments and 210 beds in long-term care replaces buildings where the water system was linked to the Legionnaires’ outbreak.

There's a new Veterans Home open in Quincy.

The $300 million facility replaces buildings that saw an outbreak of Legionnaires Disease kill 14 residents and sicken dozens more:

Legal nonprofit launches new 'mobile justice vans' to reach more Illinoisans The Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, a nonprofit that provides assistance to lower-income residents, believes the vans will help break down geographic and transportation barriers.

SWANSEA, Ill. — Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, a provider of free civil legal assistance to lower-income Illinoisans, launched two mobile offices on wheels Monday in hopes to expand its services. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/law-order/20...

Metro East cave-turned-industrial park considers nuclear-powered electricity Rock City is an underground industrial park in a cave located below a nature reserve in Valmeyer, a small town of about 1,200 people. A recently signed memorandum signaled interest in potentially brin...

VALMEYER, Ill. — The developer who turned a cave into an industrial park has been looking at alternative ways to bring electricity to its underground roads, offices and cold storage — including the possibility of miniature nuclear reactors. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/economy-busi...

St. Louis Public Schools fires Superintendent Millicent Borishade The board voted to end its contract with Superintendent Millicent Borishade who has held the top role for just over a year.

BREAKING: The St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education voted Friday to fire Superintendent Millicent Borishade during a closed session.

Borishade told STLPR that she was not given a cause for her termination. www.stlpr.org/education/20...

Judges recommend state regulators cut Ameren Illinois' rate hike request by $44M The final decision on Ameren Illinois’ $128.8 million rate hike request for natural gas delivery services will be made by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Ameren Illinois’ $128.8 million rate hike request for natural gas delivery services should be cut by $43.7 million, two judges recommended recently. The final decision will be left to the Illinois Commerce Commission. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/health-scien...

Illinois govenor's taxes show more than $10M in 2024 income — $1.4M from gambling Illinois' governor says 'I like to play cards' as returns show $1.4M in gambling income

“I was incredibly lucky,” Pritzker told reporters on Thursday. “You have to be to end up ahead, frankly, going to a casino anywhere. It was in Las Vegas and I like to play cards.”
www.stlpr.org/government-p...

Rep. Budzinski of Illinois says some health insurance premiums will double if Congress doesn’t act Democrats in Congress have held off voting on a spending bill unless legislators agree to again approve the tax credits for people who buy insurance on healthcare.gov.

ICYMI: @budzinski.house.gov said last week that some of her constituents will pay double for health insurance if Congress doesn’t vote to extend a subsidy program that helps pay for premiums. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/health-scien...

As residents worry about costs, Collinsville explores funding for PFAS water filters After officials of the Metro East suburb recommended filtering drinking water because of so-called forever chemicals, residents had numerous questions about costs and health concerns at the latest cit...

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — The city is nearly finished with an engineering analysis needed for a state grant application that would cover the remaining cost to retrofit its water treatment plant so it can filter out so-called forever chemicals. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/health-scien...

U.S. Supreme Court hears Bost’s challenge of Illinois mail-in ballot law The Murphysboro Republican is challenging an Illinois law counting ballots that arrive up to two weeks after Election Day.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in an Illinois Republican congressman’s case challenging a state law on mail-in ballots.

More from @jasonrosenbaum.bsky.social:
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New bus service will take St. Louis Blues fans to and from Belleville this season A round-trip ride will cost $10 on the "Blue Note Express."

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A new bus service from the St. Clair County Transit District and Metro Transit will take St. Louis Blues fans in the Metro East to and from the Enterprise Center at select home games this season. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
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Supreme Court to Consider Illinois Mail-In Balloting Lawsuit

GOP Congressman Mike Bost's challenge to Illinois' law that governs mail-in ballots will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court today. At issue: whether a federal elected official has standing to sue. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/u...

Officials say Cortex area still blighted after all these years, move renewal forward An aldermanic committee moved forward with a plan to renew a blight determination for St. Louis’ Cortex district in an effort to finish redeveloping the area.

Blight — the most ambiguous word used in municipal government.

From @kavahnmansouri.bsky.social:
www.stlpr.org/economy-busi...

A smoke sesh inspired Collinsville brothers' hit documentary on competitive birdwatching Owen and Quentin Reiser spent a calendar year traveling across the U.S. to identify as many bird species as possible.

A new documentary follows two brothers from Collinsville as they travel the U.S. attempting a “Big Year” — spotting as many bird species as possible in 12 months.

Quentin and Owen Reiser sat down with @stlpublicradio.bsky.social to talk about their journey.

Government shutdown cancels major military transportation conference in St. Louis Last year’s meeting in St. Louis attracted nearly 2,000 attendees, according to the National Defense Transportation Association Foundation.

The National Defense Transportation Association and U.S. Transportation Command’s fall meeting scheduled in St. Louis next week is the latest victim of the federal government shutdown. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/government-p...

Illinois American Water buys Madison's wastewater system for $3M Illinois American Water has $9.1 million in investments planned for the Metro East community's wastewater system over the next five years.

MADISON, Ill. — The city is the latest Metro East community to sell its wastewater system to Illinois American Water. The publicly-traded firm acquired the system, which served about 1,500 customers, for $3 million. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/economy-busi...

Edwardsville school board suspends superintendent with pay and installs acting leader After suspending Superintendent Patrick Shelton, the Edwardsville District 7 Board of Education said in a statement that it was confident in acting Superintendent Allen Duncan's ability to lead the di...

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — The Board of Education voted unanimously last week to suspend Superintendent Patrick Shelton with pay. The district and school board did not provide any specifics about why Shelton was suspended, however. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
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Illinois historic home could become a visitor center thanks to preservation grant The grant will help Calhoun County’s Historic Preservation Commission study what needs to be done to turn a 1900s house into a visitor center for the Perrin’s Ledge historic site.

CALHOUN COUNTY, Ill. — The county's Historic Preservation Commission recently received $5,000 to study creating a visitor center where explorers landed in 1673 after discovering the Illinois River. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/culture-hist...

Ex-GOP nominee for Illinois AG Tom DeVore temporarily loses law license over inappropriate client relationship DeVore rose to prominence filing lawsuits over COVID restrictions during pandemic.

ICYMI: Tom DeVore, the Bond County Republican who ran for Illinois AG in 2022, will lose his law license for 60 days.
www.stlpr.org/government-p...

Rep. Hoffman says Illinois needs to fix its pension system for public workers Problems with part of the current pension system have created issues for school districts hiring teachers.

ICYMI: In a presentation to SIUE employees yesterday, Democratic state Rep. Jay Hoffman said that it’s a critical time to fix Illinois' pension program for public-sector employees hired after 2011 — but it may not happen this fall. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/government-p...

Illinois EPA says Bethalto water is safe, but residents want more done While residents see the state agency’s results as a sign that temporary progress has been made thanks to increased public scrutiny, they want to solve the underlying issues that have plagued their wat...

BETHALTO, Ill. — After months of residents dealing with brown water, tests by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency found the drinking water "meets all state and federal water quality standards."
@stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/health-scien...

How a Facebook controversy led to Metro East teacher’s resignation A Columbia High School teacher’s resignation sparked a flurry of public comments at a school board meeting last week.

COLUMBIA, Ill. — Public records provide new insight into the events leading up to the resignation of a high school teacher after posting about Charlie Kirk.

Side note: These records have to be about some of the most unusual that I've seen reported on.
www.stlpr.org/education/20...

St. Louis TV merger is just one factor in Kimmel suspension What do channels 2, 5, and 11 have to do with what’s going on on channel 30*?  For now, funny man Jimmy Kimmel is off his Jimmy Kimmel Live late night show, which airs on ABC. That’s not unrelated to ...

What do St. Louis channels 2, 5, and 11 have to do with what’s going on on channel 30 and Jimmy Kimmel?

From @ryankrull.bsky.social:
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'Right thing to do': Steelworkers rally in Granite City for long-term commitments After the newly-acquired U.S. Steel scrapped its decision to wind down processing at the Metro East mill later this fall, steelworkers rallied this weekend in hopes of keeping the plant open beyond 20...

GRANITE CITY, Ill. — Hundreds of steelworkers, their families and local supporters rallied in downtown on Saturday afternoon to keep the Metro East mill open beyond 2027. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/economy-busi...

U.S. Steel reverses plans for Granite City Works — plant to continue operating The company announced earlier this month it would stop work at the Metro East plant this fall but now has changed course.

GRANITE CITY, Ill. — U.S. Steel has scrapped its plans to wind down processing at the Metro East mill later this fall.

“We are pleased to have found a solution to continue slab consumption at Granite City for the foreseeable future."
@stlpublicradio.bsky.social
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Increased SIUE enrollment and program cuts led to balanced budget, chancellor says Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor James Minor says greener pastures are ahead for the Metro East school.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville projects a balanced $341.6 million budget for fiscal 2026 after pulling out of a $10.3 million deficit.

What helped? Enrollment gains for the first time in four years.