Carolyn P. Smith
Breaking News Reporter | Belleville News DemocratCarolyn P. Smith has worked for the Belleville News-Democrat since 2000 and currently covers breaking news in the Metro East. She graduated from the Journalism School at the University of Missouri at Columbia and says news is in her DNA.
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The longtime civil rights and voting rights activist died Thanksgiving Day in O'Fallon, Illinois. Scott spent 32 years as the head of the East St. Louis NAACP branch. -
Under Illinois law, all police agencies will be required to begin wearing body cameras by the start of 2025. East St. Louis got its first body cameras in September. -
The shooting happened just blocks from the site of the annual Chili Cook-off, which was Friday and Saturday in downtown Belleville. -
Washington Park trustees say Mayor Leonard Moore has been locking them out of a building where they want to meet to conduct village business. -
Kendall Perry was rehired as chief after the new mayor, Charles Powell III, took office. Depending on who you ask, Perry either abruptly retired or was among the four city staff members fired in January for reasons they say were political. -
La’Tatia Stewart, 56, of Cahokia Heights, was found dead on Wednesday. She'd become well known in St. Louis after her son was shot and killed in 2020. -
Another Save A Lot store, at 2600 State St., remains open. It is not owned by the same person. -
Charles Powell III defeated Mayor Robert Eastern III, who was running for his second term, and Marie Franklin in Tuesday’s election. -
The village received a $4 million state grant to help pay for the project. The final construction cost is unknown but the police chief expects it to be about $6 million. -
Former chief Kendall Perry left the police department last month. Now, the city has selected its former director of internal affairs as the next chief.
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Earlier this week, former Police Chief Kendall Perry told the Belleville News-Democrat he'd been fired. -
Two days after being appointed East St. Louis’ interim city manager, Calvin Riley began firing key city employees, including high-ranking police department and code enforcement officials.
