Illinois lawmakers want funding for safer school routes
(KTRS) Several Illinois lawmakers are calling for more funding to ensure students have safe streets to walk to school. Howevever, the issue comes during the state’s drawn-out budget fight. The proposal seeks $5 million for the program, a combination of state and federal aid. But since Illinois has been operating without a budget since July,…
Lehtera helps Blues defeat Wild 4-2
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Jori Lehtera scored in his return to the lineup and the St. Louis Blues held on to beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 on Sunday night. Ryan Reaves, Patrik Berglund and Robby Fabbri also scored for St. Louis, which won its third straight. The Blues have victories in seven of their…
Scientists: Discovery of young, wild black carp troubling
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Scientists say the discovery of two young black carp in a ditch connected to the Mississippi River is a troubling sign for native species in the river. Adult black carp have been caught in the Mississippi River before. But the Missouri Department of Conservation says the discovery near Cape Girardeau…
Missing radioactive container found in Wayne County
(KTRS) A radioactive container that went missing last year has been found in Wayne County. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency says that Wayne County Well Surveys Inc. of Fairfield reported the device’s recovery on Friday. The radioactive “well logging source holder” contains americium, a highly radioactive metal. It went missing in October 2015. The discovery,…
Records: Routine personal use of Collinsville credit cards
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (AP) – Spending records show that a southwestern Illinois elected leader facing criticism for personal use of Collinsville credit cards isn’t the only city official to adopt the practice. The Belleville News-Democrat (bit.ly/21T2pM3 ) reports that six other Collinsville officials in four years reimbursed personal purchases made on city-issued credit cards. Collinsville City…
Justice Department sends Ferguson warning on consent decree
ST. LOUIS (AP) – The Justice Department says it will drop a lawsuit against Ferguson if the City Council approves a proposed agreement to reform its police department and court. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1TBPhd9 ) obtained a copy of a letter sent Friday to Ferguson’s mayor. In it, the head of the DOJ’s Civil…
Former first lady Nancy Reagan dies at 94 in California
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former first lady Nancy Reagan has died at 94 in Bel-Air, California. Assistant Allison Borio says Mrs. Reagan died Sunday at her home of congestive heart failure. Her marriage to Ronald Reagan lasted 52 years until his death in 2004. A former actress, she was Reagan’s closest adviser and fierce protector…
Peyton Manning to retire after 18 NFL seasons
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are confirming that Peyton Manning is retiring after 18 seasons in the NFL. A month after Denver’s victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, the nearly 40-year-old quarterback has informed Broncos general manager John Elway he’s calling it a career. Manning is going out just as…