Belleville News-Democrat

Advocates have said Freeburg's mascot, the "Midgets” to be derogatory, objectifying and dehumanizing. A bill proposed in the Illinois General Assembly would ban public schools from using derogatory names for people with disabilities as mascots.

Before the Super Bowl, Puppy Bowl XXI will be broadcast at 1 p.m. on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Max and more.

“It will be close in investment to that of the St. Elizabeth Hospital when it was built here in O’Fallon. That was close to $300 million,” Mayor Herb Roach said.

The Illinois Department of Transportation expects the 3.5-mile section between Illinois 15 and Illinois 157 in Cahokia Heights and Sauget to be closed until July 31.

Addington Place managers announced this month that the facility is closing in April because the owner of the building sold the property, and the new owner does not want to use it for assisted living.

Crews will resurface 3.5 miles of the roadway, repair bridges, add new lighting and make signing and drainage improvements between Illinois 15 and Illinois 157 in St. Clair County.

Freeburg has been the “Midgets” for 90 years. Many people with dwarfism now consider the term a slur.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Jan. 7 the state is at a “high” level for respiratory illness activity. Between COVID, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and norovirus, some health care professionals say we are experiencing a “quademic."

The July 16 storm dropped 8 inches of rain. Although it's not clear how county officials will use the money, the federal dollars could be used to develop affordable housing, help small businesses, repair roads.

The settled lawsuits involved allegations that St. Clair County did not pay overtime compensation to employees and that sheriff’s deputies injured two people detained at the jail.