Cahokia school district union rejects proposed contract by wide margin ^12.1%

STLPR - By Will Bauer - 6/30/2026, 9:17 PM

Negativity Bias 17.3% - Framing Effect 15.5% - Ambiguity (Equivocation) 8.4%

The Cahokia Federation of Teachers voted down a tentative agreement that the union’s bargaining team and the school district reached earlier this month. Nearly two-thirds of the union that’s made up of teachers, service employees and secretaries rejected the terms of the four-year contract, said Ray Roskos, the field service director at... more

Metro East cyclists get new bridge, longer trail to explore in St. Clair, Madison counties ^9.8%

STLPR - By Will Bauer - 6/26/2026, 10:00 AM

Optimism Bias 18.1% - False Dilemma 8.4% - Overconfidence Bias 8.3%

Enthusiasts of paved trails in the Metro East will have two new options to explore on their bike rides, runs or walks in Madison and St. Clair counties this week. Madison County Transit unveiled a 640-foot pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Illinois Route 111 in Pontoon Beach on Thursday. The $6.3 million bridge will allow users of MCT’s... more

Cave-in under I-44 spotlights need for infrastructure funding, S&T professor says ^21.8%

STLPR - By Will Bauer - 6/15/2026, 9:35 PM

Framing Effect 22.1% - Optimism Bias 12.9% - Biased Writer Voice 12.9%

The 30-foot-wide cave-in that opened below and shut down Interstate 44 for at least a week serves as a good example of why infrastructure and public works should remain funded, said the head of Missouri’s statewide center focused on improving roads and bridges. Heath Pickerill, who leads Missouri’s Local Technical Assistance Program... more

FanDuel closes Fairmount Park's sportsbook in Collinsville ^10.5%

STLPR - By Will Bauer - 6/9/2026, 8:19 PM

Post Hoc (False Cause) 17.6% - Optimism Bias 12.6% - Composition/Division 10.3%

The last wagers on sports other than horse racing have been cast in the sportsbook at Fairmount Park. FanDuel, the online gambling company, on Monday closed the physical space where patrons placed bets on sports at the track in Collinsville. The decision was part of FanDuel’s restructuring across the country, said Vince Gabbert, general... more

Cahokia school district and teachers union reach tentative agreement ^39.4%

STLPR - By Madison Lammert, Will Bauer - 6/3/2026, 8:21 PM

Negativity Bias 34.3% - Quote-first Misdirection 14.6% - Confirmation Bias 13.1%

After going without a contract for an entire school year, the Cahokia Federation of Teachers and the school district have reached a tentative agreement. Cahokia School District 187 and the union, which represents teachers, service employees and secretaries, reached a four-year deal Tuesday night, according to Ray Roskos, the field... more

What are Metro East lawmakers saying about the end of the 2026 Illinois legislative session? ^27.6%

STLPR - By Will Bauer - 6/2/2026, 6:22 PM

Post Hoc (False Cause) 19.4% - Optimism Bias 13.8% - Ambiguity (Equivocation) 11.7%

Illinois lawmakers across the Metro East in both parties believe there were a handful of legislative victories throughout the 2026 legislative session that just wrapped up — despite local politicians being divided about the budget largely along party lines. The $56 billion budget passed Monday capped the spring lawmaking in Springfield... more

Illinois Lt. Gov. candidate Mitchell says he’s ready to step in if Pritzker leaves office ^31.3%

STLPR - By Will Bauer, Jason Rosenbaum - 5/29/2026, 10:00 AM

Appeal to Emotion 21% - Negativity Bias 18.1% - Framing Effect 14.8%

With Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker widely seen as a presidential contender in 2028, his running mate in this year’s gubernatorial contest, Christian Mitchell, could be needed to take over as governor if Pritzker leaves office. “If anything happens, yes, I'll be ready,” Mitchell said on the latest episode of the "Politically Speaking"... more

$30M federal grant for Lambert power plant is central to terminal consolidation ^38.3%

STLPR - By Will Bauer - 5/28/2026, 8:54 PM

Optimism Bias 25.9% - In-Group Bias 11.4% - Appeal to Emotion 10.8%

A $30 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration will be used by St. Louis Lambert International Airport to help pay for the construction of a modernized electricity facility that’s central to the airport's plan to consolidate its two terminals into one. The grant, which was lauded by public officials on Thursday, will be... more

Missouri Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger will retire June 1 ^55.2%

STLPR - By Will Bauer - 5/12/2026, 9:10 PM

Halo Effect 25.3% - Optimism Bias 24.7% - Appeal to Authority 15.1%

Missouri's commissioner of education, who has led the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education since 2024, will retire at the start of next month. Karla Eslinger will stop down from the state's top job in K-12 education on June 1 after the Missouri State Board of Education accepted her retirement on Tuesday. "Serving as... more

St. Clair County sounded tornado sirens Monday to 'err on the side of public safety' ^10.9%

STLPR - By Will Bauer - 5/5/2026, 7:03 PM

After the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency received a 911 call and police in a small village confirmed spinning storm clouds on Monday afternoon, the tornado sirens for the entire county sounded shortly after 2:43 p.m. A tornado never formed. The National Weather Service did issue a severe thunderstorm warning with a tornado... more