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The group home at 4 N. Ruby Lane in Fairview Heights was part of a federal lawsuit alleging the trustees discriminated against disabled residents by charging a nonprofit group four times more than it should have for a sewer tap-in fee. Caseyville Township has agreed to pay $60,000 to Cerebral Palsy of Southwestern Illinois, based in Belleville, and refund $10,225 of the nonprofit's tap-in fee. The nonprofit filed the lawsuit in January following the construction of two group homes located at 220 Oulvey St. and 4 N. Ruby Lane in Fairview Heights.

Caseyville Township settles discrimination lawsuit for $60,000

Caseyville Township trustees have settled a federal lawsuit alleging the trustees discriminated ...

Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill. questions Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the implementation failures of the Affordable Care Act, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Sebelius said in a blog post early Wednesday that she is asking the department's inspector general to investigate the contracting process, management, performance and payment issues that may have contributed to the flawed launch of HealthCare.gov.

Testy exchange between Shimkus and Sebelius goes viral

Video of U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, engaging in a fiery exchange with Kathleen Sebelius...

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Metro-east News

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 March 18 general primary election in St. Clair County.

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.

Hot Topics

Ameren Illinois serves the metro-east and the rest of Southern Illinois.

Ameren warns of local scammer targeting customers

A scammer is at work in the St. Louis area, targeting businesses and posing as a bill collector for Ameren.

Sports

Belleville West's (13) Imani Berry and Alliyah St. John try to steal the ball from Edwardsville's Aaliyah Covington during their game at West.

Edwardsville survives serious scare from West

With a 63-game Southwestern Conference winning streak on the line, the Edwardsville Tigers' go-to girl came through Thursday at Belleville West High School.

Features

FILE - This film image released by The Weinstein Company shows Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines in a scene from "Lee Daniels' The Butler."

Where's 'The Butler'? Globes Snubs and Surprises

The long race to the Academy Awards is especially steep this season and it's no surprise that an ample list of notables were left empty-handed in the 71st annual Golden Globe nominations.

State|Region

Illinois prisoner dies after 5-story fall

The Illinois Department of Corrections says an inmate serving a 70-year sentence on a murder conviction plunged five stories to his death after a visit at the maximum-security lockup by his girlfriend.

Nation|World

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio leaves a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, where he vehemently rebuked conservative groups who oppose the pending bipartisan budget compromise struck by House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Budget Committee Chair Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Boehner said the GOP leadership has had enough tea party-driven intransigence in Congress and he doesn’t care what they think.

Family feud: Boehner takes on GOP critics on right

After years of bitter friction within Republican circles, House Speaker John Boehner is lashing out against hard-line conservative and tea party groups — the latest GOP establishment figure to join the increasingly public battle roiling the... 1 hour ago

Opinion

No wonder Shimkus is frustrated

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus is usually an easy-going guy, but Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had him frustrated and upset this week.

2013 Pro Football Contest

Make your picks each game to win a trip for two to Hawaii!

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