Ste. Genevieve

Darkness and awe swept across southern Missouri and Illinois on Monday as the moon passed between Earth and the sun. St. Louis Public Radio's photographers documented the scene.

Total solar eclipses occur every year or two, but it is exceedingly rare for the paths of two of them to intersect only a handful of years apart, as it has in a swath of southern Missouri and Illinois.

This will be the last time in more than 300 years, researchers say, that a total solar eclipse will go over southern Illinois and Missouri. Here’s what you need to know to make the best of the celestial spectacle.

The future of NexGen’s proposed Ste Genevieve County mine remains unclear after an appeals court ruling.

Environmentalists have asked the state Administrative Hearing Commission to overturn a water permit for a silica mine in Ste. Genevieve. Residents and environmentalists say the permit would allow the mine to release contaminants in the local water supply.

NexGen has proposed mining silica sand in Ste. Genevieve County on about 250 acres near Hawn State Park.

The Missouri Mining Commission has revoked a mining permit for a silica sand mine in Ste. Genevieve County. The commission ruled that NexGen Silica’s application did not include a full list of property owners with vested interests in the mine.

NexGen Mining Inc. plans to mine silica sand in Ste. Genevieve County despite blowback from residents.

A lawsuit filed in Ste. Genevieve County Court after the Missouri Department of Natural Resources approved a permit for the mine asks a judge to strike down the ordinance so the mine can be built.

A silica mine has been proposed for Ste. Genevieve County. Residents and conservationists are concerned the mine would harm the community more than it would help it.