// a href = ./ //

   An off-duty St. Louis firefighter is being called a hero after rescuing a man who had driven his truck into the River Des Peres Sunday.  

   Firefighter Chris Dimza was driving in the area just west of I-55 when he saw a crowd of people was pointing toward the river.  He stopped to see why.

   Upon learning that a truck had gone into the rain-swollen river, Dimza, who's part of a water rescue unit stationed in north St. Louis, dove into the water and swam toward bubbles.  A man surfaced briefly and the firefighter was able to bring him safely to shore.  

   Fire Department divers later pulled the man's truck from the water.  

   The driver was taken to a hospital.   He has not been identified and his condition is unknown.  No one else was injured in the incident.

   BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — President Barack Obama will appeal to Northern Ireland's youth to sustain their peace in his first opportunity to highlight the role the United States has played helping bring about reconciliation in the country.

   Obama arrived at Belfast on Monday morning. After his Belfast speech he will attend a two-day summit of the Group of Eight industrial economies.

   Later Monday he was to meet on the sidelines of the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Topics for the two leaders range from Syria to arms control. Russia has criticized Obama's decision to arm Syrian rebels and has dismissed U.S. claims that President Bashar Assad's regime has used chemical weapons against Syrians.

   Russia is a member of the G-8. So are Canada, Japan, Britain, France, Italy and Germany.

   EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) - An East St. Louis program aimed at helping at-risk students is celebrating after every high school senior enrolled in the program graduated and was accepted to college.

   Pathways began in 2011, working with students in sixth grade through high school. There are 168 participants, including this year's six graduates.

   The program at the Christian Activity Center in East St. Louis focuses on academics. Director Angela Whitlow tells the Belleville News-Democrat she'll continue to work with the graduates to help them navigate paperwork, registration and financial aid issues.

   Seventeen year old Paul Graham will be a first-generation college student when he begins studying in a pre-veterinary program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale this fall.

   He says his mom is proud.

   Less than two-thirds of East St. Louis students graduate from high school.