Will Bauer

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...

Failure to warn: How East St. Louis became a battleground against an international chemical giant East St. Louis has become ground zero for lawsuits against paraquat, a herbicide banned by much of the industrialized world but still legal in the U.S.

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — The fates of the nearly 6,500 lawsuits filed against Syngenta Corporation regarding paraquat, a key ingredient in the Swiss company's weedkiller, are being decided at the federal courthouse in the Metro East. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/health-scien...

Edwardsville said it had ‘no formal proposal’ for a data center — city emails tell a fuller story The massive facilities are a hot topic in the Metro East, as a developer, Cloverleaf, eyes three towns as possible sites. Dozens of emails obtained by Illinois Answers Project show detailed discussion...

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — As the Metro East grapples with a developer looking to build three data centers in the area, the city assured residents it had ‘no formal proposal’ for a facility, but city emails tell a fuller story.

From @jayohday.bsky.social:
www.stlpr.org/government-p...

Edwardsville Officials Assured Residents on Facebook The City Had ‘No Formal Proposal’ For a Data Center — But City Emails Tell a Fuller Story The massive facilities are a hot topic in the Metro East, as a developer, Cloverleaf, eyes three towns as possible sites. Dozens of emails obtained by Illinois Answers Project show detailed discussion...

New from me for @illinoisanswers.bsky.social —

Edwardsville officials assured residents on Facebook the city had ‘no formal proposal’ for a data center, but city emails tell a fuller story

illinoisanswers.org/2026/02/21/e...

Story also available at theintelligencer.com

Metro East city to hit pause on data centers after residents grill developer Troy, Illinois, officials made the decision after a “disappointing” private meeting with representatives from the developer and city elected officials and staff.

TROY, Ill. — The city is preparing a moratorium on data centers, effectively ending talks with an interested developer after a “disappointing” private meeting with the Houston-based company earlier this month. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/government-p...

Illinois health officials confirm second measles case in Metro East, release exposure locations Officials warn people may have been exposed to measles in several Metro East communities, including Glen Carbon, Collinsville and Edwardsville.

MADISON COUNTY, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Public Health and local health officials reported Wednesday that a second person in the Metro East has been infected with measles. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/health-scien...

Better public safety is key to Chicago-area sheriff Mendrick’s GOP run for governor In the four-way Republican primary for Illinois governor, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick is touting himself as the candidate best positioned to make the state safer.

ICYMI: Sheriff James Mendrick, of DuPage County in suburban Chicago, believes his lengthy law enforcement career positions him best to address public safety and criminal justice issues in the race for the Republican nomination for governor. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social
www.stlpr.org/podcast/poli...