News opinion: A Texas school shooting is followed by a near miss at a Belleville, IL high school; a teen upset with student girlfriend tries to fix things with a threat of a gun in Southern Illinois near St. Louis, MO. Parent calls police.
News opinion: The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) again closes a child neglect case shortly before a child's death. Report shows two neglect complaints and end of involvement after little cooperation from parent.
News opinion: Joe Hubbard, who founded Catholic Urban Charities to help needy residents, argues that the progressive income tax will be fairer for taxpayers and better fund essential human services in Southern Illinois near St. Louis, MO.
News opinion: What happened to BND editorial cartoonist Glenn McCoy? McCoy is ending his work for the Belleville News-Democrat in Belleville, IL in Southern Illinois near St. Louis, MO and focusing on his work in animation with the Minions.
News opinion: Illinois state loans and tax credits will boost all of downtown Belleville, IL's retail district as more active retirees, seniors come to restaurants, bars, businesses. Historic hotel Meredith Home saved from demolition.
News opinion: Sports gaming, gmabling can save Fairmount Park horse track in Collinsville, IL, in Southern Illinois near Belleville, IL, and St. Louis, MO, but won't help Illinois lawmakers balance state budget in Springfield, IL.
Opinion: Every taxpayer in Belleville, IL and other Southern Illinois cities near St. Louis, MO, owes $50,800, mainly to the state employee pension systems and lawmakers in Springfield IL want to increase taxes rather than balancing budget.
News opinion: Illinois farmers from Southern Illinois near Belleville, IL, and St. Louis, MO, should support Republican President Donald Trump steel tariffs even as it affects farms, soybeans and economy.
Sports news opinion: Superintendent of East St. Louis Senior High School Flyers in East St. Louis, IL, in Southern Illinois near Belleville, IL and St. Louis, MO, right to cancel IHSA boys track season.
News opinion: Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner brings up death penalty in time for 2018 governor election against Democrat JB Pritzker as part of new gun control bill debate in Springfield, IL.
Eleven police officers in East St. Louis, IL, racked up overtime to boost their salaries to more than $100,000. Prosecutors need to investigate any abuse in an impoverished city where corruption is common and the murder rate is nationally ranked. News opinion
The Collinsville Area Recreation District is already cut up and parceled out, so all that remains is for voters to end it on Nov. 6. While the layer of government will end, the property tax debt it created will linger for years to come in southern Illinois near St. Louis, MO. News opinion
News opinion: Nursing homes are allowing patients to suffer neglect, injury, death at too high a rate in Southern Illinois near St. Louis, MO. Most of the responsibility rests with state not delivering money that will hire adequate staff.
The Illinois Department of Transportation follows federal guidelines to offer beautification along roads. Using the money to renovate downtown business districts is economic development, not transportation enhancement. News opinion
A Bloomington, IL, area police dog trainer laments the possibility of euthanizing marijuana-sniffing drug dogs if Illinois legalizes pot. A local prosecutor warns about opioid addicts abusing anti-diarrhea medicine Imodium to get high. News opinion
Delivering a baby in the United States is riskier than in any other part of the developed world. Better education and recognition of the medical conditions that lead to maternal deaths is imperative this Mother's Day.
News opinion: Illinois state lawmakers failed to meet a deadline to let voters decide about term limits. They also are making little progress toward the budget deadline. Springfield, IL remains isolated from, aloof to state residents' needs.
News opinion: Monroe County, IL voted to become a sanctuary county for gun owners to protect Second Amendment rights. The statement is a message to Springfield, IL state lawmakers trying to impose gun control laws in Illinois.
News opinion: Illinois is seeing deaths increase from motorcycle accidents while fatalities are down across the nation. Blame nice weather, but also blame drinking and distracted driving by bikers in Southern Illinois near St. Louis, MO.
Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza responds to BND editorial on her financial transparency initiatives and gubernatorial politics. She said Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is responsible for worsening some financial, but that bipartisan solutions exist. News opinion
August Adolphus Busch IV, the former CEO of Anheuser-Busch, was held in the Swansea Police Department until Tuesday afternoon after a helicopter landed at Bronze Pointe Office Park overnight. Busch is a commercial pilot with certificates in airpla
