The Gateway

More than a third of Illinois students don’t have basic reading skills by the fourth grade. As parents and teachers are trying to figure out why kids are struggling, some experts say a popular teaching strategy isn’t working.

Local opposition to wind and solar energy projects is on the rise. But now local governments in some states including Illinois are being told their ability to say no to wind and solar farms is limited.

Modern day cannabis products now dwarf the weed of yester-year when it comes to strength. That spike in potency may be leaving new consumers behind, but industry newcomers are looking to corner the market on low strength weed.

In far southern Illinois, conservative congressman Mike Bost faces a serious challenge in the March 19th primary from a fellow Republican who says his voting record isn’t good enough – even though Bost was in line with former President Donald Trump 94% of the time.

St. Louis created the city’s Office of New Americans in October to help streamline resources for immigrant and refugee families. Gilberto Pinela, the office’s director, talks about its goals and how the office is prioritizing new arrivals.

Before last February, St. Louisans needed to travel to the Metro East to buy recreational marijuana. In the year since Missouri legalized it, there has been an affect Metro East dispensaries and communities.

Lawmakers have supported pipelines to sequester CO2 or distribute hydrogen power across the Midwest. Farmers and landowners are resistant to the projects.

Herman Mellville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick is one of the most-adapted books in American literature. Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting a theatrical adaptation that borrows some of its moves from the circus.

A new Missouri Historical Society collection is highlighting the life of a prominent Black St. Louis physician. Dr. John H. Gladney was the first Black ear, nose, and throat specialist in the city.

Despite a drop in crime rates and homicides the last four years, St. Louis area community members feel public safety officials shouldn’t be hasty to take credit. They still see a disconnect between police and the public.

Chris Koos is the mayor of Normal, Illinois, and the newest member of Amtrak's board of directors. He wants to see the passenger rail service increase ridership to above pre-pandemic levels, including on the Chicago to St. Louis route.

A 140 year-old crematorium in south St. Louis is now home to a new alternative to traditional burial practices. It's one of the few places in the region that offers “water cremation.”

A federal program is sending the pricey machines to rural and low-income districts. While they have some downsides, they are being embraced by the schools, drivers and students.

Mike Parson is outlining goals for this year while looking back on his six years in office. The Republican delivered his final State of the State address this week.

Legal recreational marijuana is grown at 51 cultivation facilities approved by the state. Another eight are waiting for Missouri to sign off on their ability to compete.

The state’s Child Care Assistance Program workers want higher pay and retirement benefits. The initiative provides affordable services for low-income families throughout Illinois.

Republican Jason Smith wants to move colleagues toward future bipartisan collaboration with a bill that increases the child tax credit. It also provides incentives for business development and low-income housing.

Students are working on ideas for cities that solve problems and meet the needs of modern society. It's part of a national competition that challenges sixth through eighth graders to design a city of the future.

The president of Lincoln University, a historically black college in Jefferson City, is under suspension while an investigation is underway into his conduct. John Mosely was the subject of an email from the school’s former vice president of student affairs, Antoinette Candia-Bailey, sent hours before she died by suicide.

A group will begin gathering signatures for an initiative petition to strike down the state’s ban on most abortions. It needs roughly 171,000 signatures to put the measure on the August or November ballot.

The St. Elizabeth Republican hasn’t been shy about expressing his disdain about high-profile infighting within the party but says the decision to leave Congress after 16 years is based on a desire to stop working.

The National Weather Service says the frigid temperatures over the past few days have broken a temperature record from the late 1800s. Forecasters say a warm-up is expected over the next couple of days before the temperatures drop again over the weekend.

The National Weather Service says an Arctic air mass is moving in. It will bring windchill values around 15 below on Sunday and Monday. The St. Louis region is not expected to receive much snow in the winter blast.

School board members plan to replace the courses with a "politically neutral" curriculum. Many students opposing the decision say the classes helped them learn about long-ignored histories and their identities.

Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley was at the U.S. Capitol Building during the insurrection. He wonders how it might impact this year's Presidential election.