Collinsville

Students raise their hands during a summer school program in the Jennings School District. The north St. Louis County district was one of the first public schools in the St. Louis area to reopen to students.

Education

As School Year Continues, Some Students Return To Classroom, Others Stay Home

Ryan Delaney

Some districts are bringing students back to classrooms but some schools have already had to close because of possible virus exposure.

Cannabis plants grow inside Ascend Illinois indoor facility in Barry, IL. Ascend owns two existing medical dispensaries and plans to open two additional recreational dispensaries early next year.

Economy & Business

Steady Marijuana Sales Mean Security For Illinois Cities With Dispensaries

Eric Schmid

Collinsville’s marijuana dispensary is offering the city some insulation from economic damage caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The city can depend on…

The census will only ask if respondents are 'male' or 'female.' That leaves out a growing number of people who identify outside of that gender binary.

Government, Politics & Issues

Some Metro East Cities Will Be Hard To Count In The 2020 Census

Eric Schmid

BELLEVILLE — The success of the 2020 census will largely depend on people answering the survey themselves, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That way,…

Fairview Heights Mayor Mark Kupsky addresses the council on Dec. 17, before they vote to allow cannabis sales in the community. The council voted 7-3 to allow cannabis related businesses to open in the community.

Government, Politics & Issues

Fairview Heights Moves Closer To Having A Marijuana Dispensary, But It’s Still Months Away

Eric Schmid

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — The City Council voted nine to one on Tuesday to approve regulations for recreational marijuana businesses that want to open in the…

Long lines at the Collinsville dispensary greeted the first day of legal recreational marijuana sales in Illinois.

Economy & Business

Legal Marijuana Sales Start In Collinsville And Across Illinois

COLLINSVILLE — The first day of 2020 has been highly anticipated for many — from baby boomers who remember smoking pot before the government declared the…

Show-Me Cannabis seeks to legalize marijuana and regulate its medical use.

Economy & Business

Collinsville Dispensary Can Sell Recreational Marijuana, City Approves New Zoning Laws

COLLINSVILLE — A Collinsville medical marijuana dispensary is one of the first in the state to receive a permit allowing recreational marijuana sales…

Illinois Supply and Provisions in Collinsville sold $5 million of recreational marijuana in January. The dispensary accounted for 13.6% of sales in Illinois.

Government, Politics & Issues

Metro East Cities Set Zoning Requirements For Cannabis Businesses

Eric Schmid

EDWARDSVILLE — Metro East cities that want to allow cannabis-related businesses are starting to decide where these establishments can set up shop in their…

The intersection of Collinsville and St. Louis Avenues in East St. Louis is where a mob of white rioters first gathered before they rampaged through the city, seeking out and killing black residents.

Government, Politics & Issues

Some Metro East Cities Could Lose Home Rule Taxing And Regulatory Powers In 2020

Eric Schmid

BELLEVILLE — Illinois’ slow but steady population decline could jeopardize the home rule status some Metro East cities enjoy.Home rule grants cities broad…

In March 2019, a trainer works out a horse at Fairmount Park racetrack in Collinsville. The Illinois Racing Board recently approved the track's plan for 60 live racing days in 2020.

Education

Fairmount Park Will Have More Racing Days In 2020, But Has Not Yet Hit Its Minimum

Fairmount Park in Collinsville has scheduled 60 racing days in 2020 — up from 40 this year.But that schedule will require Fairmount to spend more money…

A worker at Kruta's Bakery selects a bear claw for a customer's order on Aug. 13. The bakery celebrates a century of serving the Metro East and St. Louis region.

Economy & Business

Kruta’s Bakery Marks 100 Years As A Family-Run Business

Eric Schmid

Jennifer Hammond knows exactly what to do when there’s a birthday at her office. She immediately picks up a cake from Kruta’s Bakery in Collinsville.For…