Oculus Inc. welcomes four new team members across multiple departments
St. Louis-based Oculus Inc., an award-winning, WBE-certified architecture and interior design firm, has expanded its architecture, interior design, and marketing department teams with the addition of four new team members: Aaron Grimes, Ann Seibert, Marlie Woods, and Natalie Bell. “We are excited to kick off the new year with the addition of Aaron, Ann, Marlie,…
Read MoreSouthwestern Illinois College: ’80 Years Strong’ in 2026
Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2026, marking “80 Years Strong” of providing affordable, accessible education and serving as a cornerstone of the southwestern Illinois community. Founded in 1946 as Belleville Junior College, the institution was created to meet the post-World War II demand for higher education. Through the early 1960s, the…
Read MoreMadison County’s Project Homeless Connect links people to housing, health care, support
Madison County will host its annual Project Homeless Connect from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, bringing individuals and families who are navigating homelessness or a housing crisis together with services, support, and basic necessities all in a single, accessible location. The event will take place at Riverbend Family Ministries, 144 E.…
Read MoreBaker Sterchi elevates Tom Kammerer to Member
Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC recently announced the elevation of Tom Kammerer to Member, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Kammerer is based in the firm’s St. Louis office and focuses his practice on first- and third-party insurance defense, premises liability, property damage, personal injury, transportation and subrogation matters. He is a member of the Bar…
Read MoreRegional officials highlight transit trajectory in 2026 during CMT’s “Talking Transit” event
Scheduled opening of first, large-scale transit infrastructure project in 20 years among key highlights The MetroLink extension to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is scheduled to open in summer 2026 as ongoing efforts on both sides of the river work to deliver reliable access to opportunity. The circumstances surrounding transit funding are changing. Illinois is…
Read MoreSoulcial Kitchen strengthens board leadership with recent appointments
Tony Fuhrmann and Chef Lasse Sorensen bring decades of expertise in workforce innovation and culinary excellence to nonprofit’s mission National award-winning Soulcial Kitchen and The Soulcial Solutions Foundation recently announced the appointment of two distinguished leaders to its Board of Directors: Tony Fuhrmann, a veteran workforce development executive with nearly four decades of public and private…
Read MoreNew dietary guidelines issued
By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on Jan. 7 released the dietary guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, marking the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades, according to a news release from the secretaries. The topline message: Eat real…
Read MoreAmeren delivers big economic benefits for Illinois, Missouri
Study estimates company’s operations are generating more than $20.7 billion in annual economic output Ameren Corporation’s (NYSE: AEE) operations in Illinois and Missouri triggered more than $20.7 billion in annual economic output, according to a study by a leading market research and development firm. Conducted by HR&A Advisors and commissioned by Ameren, the study analyzed…
Read More2026 economic outlook: The K factors
By ERIC KELLEY Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer UMB Private Wealth Management Economic growth was surprisingly robust in 2025 despite lots of fireworks in Washington D.C. and some pretty challenging periods for the financial markets. We had a painful market sell-off in April after the initiation of the new tariff campaign, but that trend…
Read MoreIllinois Retail Merchants Association launches first-ever statewide retail scholarship challenge
The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) has announced the launch of the Illinois Retail Scholarship Challenge, which encourages high school seniors to develop creative, practical solutions to real business challenges facing the retail sector, with teams competing for scholarships of up to $60,000. Supported by grant funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic…
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