Will Bauer

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From St. Louis Magazine's business newsletter: Gas prices in the counties that make up the Metro East average now $3.90 per gallon. That's up $1.06 per gallon from last week.

Illinois primary voters should send mail-in ballots by 5 p.m. Tuesday Both major political parties in Illinois are recommending their primary voters send ballots in one week before election day. The recommendations follow a change made by the U.S. Postal Service under t...

If you're voting by mail in next week's Illinois primary elections, both major political parties are recommending their voters send ballots in by 5 p.m. today due to a change in how USPS defines postmarks. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/government-p...

Syngenta says it will stop making paraquat, weedkiller linked to Parkinson’s disease But with many smaller companies still making the pesticide, states like Missouri are eyeing bans.

Swiss agrochemical giant Syngenta announced last week it will halt global production of paraquat by the end of June.

Nearly 6,500 lawsuits have been filed over the chemical against both Syngenta and Chevron in the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.
www.stlpr.org/2026-03-09/s...

Residents find E. coli in drinking water of Illinois city that floods with sewage Nonprofit Equity Legal Services spearheaded the community-led testing in Cahokia Heights, and residents say the findings validate water quality and health concerns that they've been raising for years.

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill. — Residents have found E. coli in their drinking water through community-organized testing of samples from kitchen taps, intensifying longstanding worries about water quality. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social @jayohday.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/health-scien...

Residents find E. coli in drinking water of Illinois city that floods with sewage Nonprofit Equity Legal Services spearheaded the community-led testing in Cahokia Heights, and residents say the findings validate water quality and health concerns that they've been raising for years.

Cahokia Heights residents have found E. coli in their drinking water through community-organized testing of samples from kitchen taps.

The results raise new questions about infrastructure in a community plagued by sewage spills and flooding.

St. Louis beer fans pour one out amid rumors of discontinued Stag kegs It’s unclear if kegs of St. Louis-favorite Stag will still be available in the coming months, or if the kegs will still be available in certain parts of the region in the future.

Dozens of mourners packed sardine-dense into the Crow’s Nest bar in Maplewood on a Friday night in February.

The occasion? A funeral for kegs of Stag, the classic American lager with deep roots in St. Louis and the Metro East.

Feds accuse former Carlyle police chief of wire fraud, theft Article Summary A federal grand jury in East St. Louis returned a four-count indictment against former Carlyle Police Chief Mark

With @jayohday.bsky.social
Feds accuse former Carlyle police chief of wire fraud, theft capitolnewsillinois.com/news/feds-ac...

Public comment on air pollution limits for Metro East coal plant ends Monday The state drafted a new permit for the Prairie State coal plant. An environmental group alleges the plant has been operating without one.

MARISSA, Ill. — The public has until the end of the day on Monday to weigh in on how much pollution the Prairie State Generating Co. coal plant in Washington County should be allowed to put into the air.

From @stlpublicradio.bsky.social's @rebeccathiele.bsky.social:
www.stlpr.org/news-briefs/...

St. Louis beer fans pour one out amid rumors of discontinued Stag kegs It’s unclear if kegs of St. Louis-favorite Stag will still be available in the coming months, or if the kegs will still be available in certain parts of the region in the future.

Domestic legacy brands such as Stag are in a precarious position, according to the former St. Louis market manager at Pabst, which owns Stag.

More on the iconic beer and it's future in the region from STLPR's Sarah Fentem: www.stlpr.org/culture-hist...

St. Louis beer fans pour one out amid rumors of discontinued Stag kegs It’s unclear if kegs of St. Louis-favorite Stag will still be available in the coming months, or if the kegs will still be available in certain parts of the region in the future.

While a distributor in Belleville says they'll keep distributing Stag kegs, others in the St. Louis region won't be — and a Maplewood bar even had a Stag funeral since it will no longer be carried on tap. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/culture-hist...

Judge tosses East St. Louis’ $2.7 billion PCB case against Monsanto A federal judge dismissed the city of East St. Louis’ claims for fines over alleged pollution from the old Monsanto chemical plant in Sauget.

A federal judge on Friday dismissed the city of East St. Louis’ claims for massive fines over alleged pollution from the old Monsanto chemical plant in Sauget.

From the Belleville News-Democrat:

FEMA says it won't pay to demolish a majority of tornado-damaged properties in St. Louis St. Louis sought permission for the federal agency to pay for demolishing vacant condemned properties, second homes and some commercial properties. This denial means St. Louis will have less money to…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency told St. Louis it will not pay for most building demolitions the city hoped would be covered.

This denial means St. Louis will have less money to spend on rebuilding.

'Logistics wins wars': How Scott Air Force Base is supporting military strikes on Iran With scant details coming from U.S. Transportation Command, retired Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, who stepped down as its commander in 2024, explains how the Metro East base coordinates the movement of t...

U.S. Transportation Command, headquartered at Scott Air Force Base in the Metro East, plays a significant role in moving equipment, personnel and supplies for American military operations worldwide — including the ongoing strikes on Iran. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/show/st-loui...

“I would not have guessed that we would have been able to achieve that in this past year — or in any year,” said Brendan Kelly, who served as the St. Clair County state’s attorney from 2010 to 2019. “It is encouraging, but it is a result of a long period of hard work.”
www.stlpr.org/law-order/20...

The Plunging Birthrate

"We spent decades shaming women for having kids under the wrong circumstances, for not having their ducks in a row. Now they are holding up their end of the bargain.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/b...

Glen Carbon’s board of trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to establish the boundaries for a sales tax and revenue bond district, which now awaits approval from the state.

$2B entertainment and retail venue planned for Glen Carbon near I-270 and I-255 intersection Glen Carbon’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously this week to establish the boundaries for a sales tax and revenue bond district for the development. The goal is creating “a premier entertainment, to...

GLEN CARBON, Ill. — A developer wants to use a newly expanded state bond program to build a nearly $2 billion shopping and entertainment venue near the intersection of I-255 and I-270. www.stlpr.org/economy-busi...

FWIW: The homicide rate per 100,000 people based on the 2024 census estimate is 84.23 in East St. Louis. Using the same population estimate, St. Louis would be 49.70.

East ‘Safe’ Louis? That’s where the mayor says the city is headed as homicides fall 31% In 2019, East St. Louis reported 36 homicides. The next year, Illinois State Police formed a partnership to help with criminal investigations and community partnerships. Last year, the city’s homicide...

For more on what ISP, East St. Louis officials and community members believe is behind the turnaround in a city that's long struggled with violent crime, here's St. Louis Public Radio's story from three years ago:
www.stlpr.org/law-order/20...

Homicides in East St. Louis fell again in 2024, Illinois State Police say In 2024, the Metro East city recorded 20 homicides. At the most recent peak in 2017, that same figure stood at 37.

The 2025 figures follow a trend that we've seen in East St. Louis for a couple of years now. Important to note: Population has also been declining for decades. www.stlpr.org/law-order/20...

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — The 15 homicides committed in 2025 represent the lowest level seen in the Metro East town in 45 years, according to new data released today by Illinois State Police.

Illinois lawmakers consider lowering DUI blood alcohol limit from 0.08 to 0.05 The proposed bill would make Illinois the second state to set its DUI threshold below the federal blood alcohol content limit of 0.08.

A proposal in the Illinois statehouse would lower the state’s legal blood alcohol content threshold for driving from 0.08 to 0.05.

If the bill passes, Illinois would join Utah as the second state in the country to adopt a stricter limit.
www.stlpr.org/government-p...

. @will-bauer.bsky.social and I have now interviewed the three main #ILSEN candidates.

And for the record:

@rajaforil.bsky.social is a Cubs fan
@julianastratton.bsky.social is a White Sox fan
@robinkelly.house.gov is a Mets and Yankees fan (she's from NY)

Reviving the American dream is key to Krishnamoorthi's Democratic bid for U.S. Senate Illinois U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who holds a massive fundraising advantage, is among three leading Democrats in the primary to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

Krishnamoorthi has amassed a massive campaign war chest of $28 million, and he's led a majority of the polls that have been released publicly. Will that be enough to win the March 17 primary?

My and @jasonrosenbaum.bsky.social's conversation with Krishnamoorthi:
www.stlpr.org/podcast/poli...

Reviving the American dream is key to Krishnamoorthi's Democratic bid for U.S. Senate Illinois U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who holds a massive fundraising advantage, is among three leading Democrats in the primary to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

“I'm running to preserve, protect and defend the American Dream, which I think is slipping out of the grasp of millions of people, especially now during the chaos of Donald Trump,” @rajaforil.bsky.social told @stlpublicradio.bsky.social.

Reviving the American dream is key to Krishnamoorthi's Democratic bid for U.S. Senate Illinois U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who holds a massive fundraising advantage, is among three leading Democrats in the primary to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

However, the Chicago-area congressman believes that path is getting harder for a majority of Americans — and it’s why he’s running this year to replace longtime Sen. Dick Durbin.
www.stlpr.org/podcast/poli...

Reviving the American dream is key to Krishnamoorthi's Democratic bid for U.S. Senate Illinois U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who holds a massive fundraising advantage, is among three leading Democrats in the primary to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

Raja Krishnamoorthi's family benefitted from public housing, food assistance and public schools in Peoria to help reach the American Dream after they immigrated from India.
www.stlpr.org/podcast/poli...

Illinois Republican Heidner wants to bring his business acumen to governor's office Rick Heidner, a real estate developer, video gambling machine mogul, gas station chain and fuel company owner, entered the GOP primary late last fall. Even with the abbreviated campaign timeline, Heid...

Rick Heidner has made a name for himself in Illinois — not in politics but in business. However, he’s hoping to change that by winning the GOP nomination in the Illinois governor’s race next month. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/podcast/poli...

Lawyers wrangle over Syngenta settlement while families wait for justice “It’s a shitty settlement," whispered one attorney in the courtroom. "Spread that far and wide in case I get gagged.”

www.stlpr.org/health-scien...