Reinhardt Construction, S. M. Wilson complete Columbia Area Career Center expansion, renovation
The innovative facility includes a student enterprise center, innovation hub and large community center that also serves as a storm shelter Columbia Public Schools and the Joint Venture team of Reinhardt Construction LLC and S. M. Wilson & Co. recently celebrated the completion of the 27,000-square-foot addition and 35,000-square-foot renovation to the Columbia Area Career…
Read MoreIllinois named top state for workforce development
Illinois places No. 3 nationally and No. 1 regionally for workforce development in new Site Selection Magazine rankings, Chicago region ranks as top 5 tech hub. Site Selection ranks Illinois No. 3 nationally and No. 1 regionally for workforce development, a testament to the state’s large, diverse, and skilled talent pool, cutting-edge training programs, and smart investments. The leading economic development publication based its rankings on…
Read MoreCorporation for Public Broadcasting board votes to dissolve organization
After 58 years of service, closure comes following Congressional defunding, marking new era for public media The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress to steward the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting, announced that its board of directors has voted to dissolve the organization after 58 years of service…
Read MoreSouthern Illinois Builders Association awards scholarships
The Southern Illinois Builders Association began offering scholarships in 2012, and since then has awarded 169 scholarships totaling approximately $330,399.93. Members of the SIBA Education Committee recently selected the following individuals to receive scholarship checks: Shaelyn Borowiak, Aviston, Ill.; Samuel Denny; Columbia, Ill.; Gibson Fager, Murphysboro, Ill.; Chase Fallert, Bloomsdale, Mo.; Addison Gansauer, Carlyle,…
Read MoreHi-Pointe Drive In announces closure of St. Louis Metro East restaurants
A post on social media from Hi-Pointe Drive In’s president, Ben Hillman, today shared that three restaurant locations in the St. Louis Metro market have been closed. These include the Edwardsville and O’Fallon, Ill., locations along with a third restaurant location in Ballwin, Mo. The post on Hi-Pointe Drive In’s Facebook page read as follows:…
Read More[Op-Ed] Vulnerable communities must be at the center as Illinois builds toward an AI future
By STATE REP. La SHAWN FORD (D-CHICAGO) Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to spark a robust debate in our society, but all can agree it is a technology with true staying power. This is why it is essential for Illinois and the United States to take a leading role in the advancement of this technology. The…
Read MoreO’Fallon’s Planning Commission chair receives APA award
The City of O’Fallon, Ill., recently announced that Planning Commission Chair Larry Sewell has been awarded the Dwight F. Davis Award by the St. Louis Metro Section of the American Planning Association (APA). The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and long-term commitment to the advancement of planning in the St. Louis…
Read MoreBetty Ann Market, Red Bud/Millstadt IGA owner acquires Highland Tru-Buy
By ZACHARY DAUM Managing Editor, Herald Publications [email protected] Craig Norrenberns, owner of Betty Ann Market in Mascoutah and Red Bud/Millstadt IGA, has expanded his independent grocery operation with the recent purchase of Tru-Buy in Highland, a store long operated by the Gutzler family. The acquisition, finalized shortly before Thanksgiving, brings the Highland grocery at…
Read MoreGovernor announces $24M manufacturing training academy expansion to downstate community colleges
Grant funding will increase advanced workforce training facilities at Illinois community colleges Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) have announced that $24 million is now available in grant funding to establish six new Manufacturing Training Academies (MTAs) at community colleges in the state’s downstate regions to expand training…
Read MoreScott Plocher elected president of Southern Illinois Builders Association
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Scott Plocher of Plocher Construction Company Inc., which is headquartered in Highland, Ill., stepped into the role of president of the Southern Illinois Builders Association. Other officers for 2026 are: First Vice President – Richard Boyer, Boyer Fire Protection, St. Louis, Mo.; Second Vice President – Matt Fricke, Warning Lites of…
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