The Gateway

Missouri public school districts can still issue mask orders to slow the spread of COVID-19. That’s after a judge denied Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s effort to immediately block the mandates throughout the state.

After a recent legal setback, St. Louis County has issued a new indoor mask mandate that County Executive Sam Page is confident will hold up to legal scrutiny.

Many rural utilities are trying to keep up with increased demand for water and electricity as more states approve recreational marijuana.

Musician Ryan Marquez is celebrating what he calls the city’s “artistic renaissance” with a series of collaborations on his new album, “Saint Unity.” Twenty local vocalists and other musicians contributed to what Marquez calls a snapshot of the creativity in St. Louis.

Many doctors in Missouri are worried about more serious pregnancy complications in women battling COVID-19. That includes a rise in miscarriages, emergency pre-term deliveries, and stillbirth.

Missouri allows passengers in moving vehicles to drink alcohol. That policy has cost the state roughly $370 million in highway construction money for failing to comply with federal safety policies.

Several elements came together at the World's Fair in St. Louis to show off America's global impact on the economy, science, art, and food. It also opened in the middle of the Jim Crow era of discrimination and at the height of the country's removal and forced assimilation of Native Americans.

While some people think of vacuums as just an appliance, the Vacuum Cleaners Collector Club members are passionate about them. The held their national convention in Rolla over the weekend.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft wants to see all elections in the state become partisan elections. He says voter turnout in non-partisan municipal elections can be in single digits, while partisan elections tend to have a much higher turnout.

The initial detailed numbers from the 2020 Census show growing diversity in the region among Asian and Hispanic populations. But the communities also face challenges with government services and support.

St. Louis County employees will need to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Those who refuse will be tested every 14 days. There are exemptions for medical reasons or religious objections to the vaccine.

St. Louis native Carla Power’s new book focuses on deradicalizing extremists. It’s told through the stories of former militants and people working to bring them back into society. Power has won the National Book Award and been a Pulitzer Prize finalist for non-fiction.

Some Missouri farmers are trying to learn just how much carbon they can keep out of the atmosphere by putting it in the ground. And the research is looking at how environmentally friendly practices could also help farmers' bottom line.

The three-day festival "Music at the Intersection" kicks off in Grand Center tonight and will feature the first big live shows for some local venues since the start of the pandemic. It also marks the beginning of a fall season that could include more live events than St. Louis has seen in the past year and a half.

The Blues Hall of Fame member and soul singer worked in relative obscurity for decades before receiving her due in recent years, propelled by a 2005 collection of radically reinterpreted classic rock songs. She is now widely considered one of the great song interpreters. Her most recent release, "Blackbirds," is a collection of songs first popularized by other Black women.

George Washington Carver is best known for his innovative work with peanuts. But this Missourian is also responsible for advancements in biofuels, plant-based meats, alternative medicines, and so much more.

Missouri says it can’t start processing applications under Medicaid expansion until October, even though a judge ordered the state to accept them in August. The gap is leading to uncertainty for many Missouri residents.

Some renters in the St. Louis region could be out of their homes soon now that the U.S. Supreme Court has lifted a federal ban on evictions. Housing advocates expect a wave of evictions if state and local officials do not process aid applications quickly.

Agriculture researchers are examining ways to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. That could involve changing the type of crushed rock farmers use to neutralize soil acidity.

Missouri’s 1st Congressional District was created with the help of Black Democrats and Republicans. That relationship will be put to the test next year because of population loss.

St. Louis aldermen have approved the extension of an order requiring masks in indoor spaces. Mayor Tishaura Jones requested the move. The order went into effect in late July and will now last at least until September 29.

A former schoolhouse for Black children in Chesterfield is getting a second chance. African School #4 will be renovated and moved to the Historic Village at Faust Park in St. Louis County.

Professional wrestling is coming back to The Chase Park Plaza this weekend after a nearly 40-year hiatus. In its heyday, The Chase was one of the most prominent locations in the U.S. for pro wrestlers.

President Richard Nixon was facing his first midterm election when Kansas native Tom Stubbs joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He is retiring, as associate principal timpanist and cymbal specialist, after 51 years.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt has filed a reverse class-action lawsuit against school districts that require face coverings. His office calls the mandates unreasonable and arbitrary. The White House says the legal action puts children in danger.