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A building that originally housed Dairy Queen in Swansea has reopened as a new restaurant. Swansea Family Restaurant opened Wednesday at 1500 N. Illinois St. in Swansea, where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. The new eatery is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

What's in the old DQ in Swansea? Restaurant opens for business

A building that originally housed Dairy Queen in Swansea has reopened as a new restaurant.

Tom Holbrook in a BND file photo.

Toddler helps county decide order of candidates on primary ballot

A toddler's grasp has determined the order of candidates in eight races on the ballot for the...

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Metro-east News

Snow falling on East Main Street in Belleville in a 2012 file photo.

Overnight temperature expected to be coldest of the year

Thursday morning is expected to bring the lowest temperature of the season for the metro-east with a low of 3 degrees. 3 hours ago

Crime

Police capture man accused of shooting security guard in East St. Louis

A 22-year-old security guard for a public housing complex was shot in his foot during a struggle on Wednesday with a man who previously had been banned from going to the Waverly Building. 43 minutes ago

Hot Topics

East St. Louis man sent back to prison for drug distribution

An East St. Louis man has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for heroin distribution.

Sports

FILE - In this Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, file photo, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is carted off the field after getting injured in the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Foxborough, Mass. Gronkowski's season ended abruptly Sunday with a knee injury when he took a low hit from Cleveland Browns safety T.J. Ward. No penalty was called.

AP Study: Hits to head still prevalent in NFL

Almost once a game, an NFL player absorbs an illegal blow to the head or neck that could put his career — or worse — at risk.

Features

Centralia native wrote lyrics for 'Elf The Musical"

Tony-nominated lyricist Chad Beguelin, a Centralia native, grew up going to the Fox Theatre, so having "Elf The Musical" play there for the holidays is a special feeling.

State|Region

In this Dec. 10, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard work continues to raise the 154-foot towboat towboat Stephen L. Colby which sank just over two weeks ago in the Mississippi River near LeClaire, Iowa. The Coast Guard said Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013 two small holes were discovered in the boat's hull but they have been patched, the boat is watertight and nearly ready to be towed to a repair facility. A larger 30-by-12 inch hole had been patched earlier.

Once sunken towboat ready to move to repair docks

A Mississippi River towboat that partially sank slightly more than two weeks ago began a 350-mile trip Wednesday to a St. Louis-area repair facility, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said. 2 hours ago

Nation|World

The feet of people as they sing and dance to celebrate the life of former South African president Nelson Mandela inside the Methodist church, that he attended as a child at Mqhekezweni , South Africa, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013. A flag-draped casket containing the body of Nelson Mandela arrived with a military honor guard Wednesday for display in an amphitheater where he was sworn in 19 years ago as South Africa's first black president.

Black and white, thousands bid farewell to Mandela

Black and white, old and young, South Africans by the thousands paid final tribute Wednesday to their beloved Nelson Mandela. In silence or murmuring, they filed past the coffin. Some glanced back, as if clinging to the sight, a moment in history. 5 minutes ago

Opinion

Maximum consequences

LaTosha Cunningham was shocked this week when a judge sentenced her to 60 years in prison for the murder of Yoko Cullen. She was so overcome with emotion, she passed out in the courtroom -- the same reaction she had when she was charged with the murder... 2 hours ago

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