Alton

The U.S. Department of Labor is now suing the owner, Khalid Ramadan, for approximately $367,890 in compensation and damages for 179 IHOP workers.

The Madison County trail system consists of more than 135 miles of Class 1 bikeways. Here’s what to know about the trail projects in Edwardsville, Collinsville and nearby.

The Lovejoy apartment complex, soon to be built in downtown Alton, is to be complete by the end of 2026 and house 120 family units. In all, the project will cost more than $50 million. The company building the complex received more than $1 million in federal funding for construction on Tuesday.

Like other employers, Madison County Transit is struggling to hire drivers. To avoid burning out employees, Managing Director SJ Morrison said MCT will reduce routes in low-traffic areas.

A series of fights prompted district administrators to close Alton High School last week. On Tuesday, students return to class with new metal detectors and more staff in hallways between classes to increase safety.

The existential threat from flooding is also an economic one for the cities and towns that hug the country's major rivers. In total, flooding in 2019 along the Mississippi and its tributaries caused an estimated $6.2 billion in damage, including millions in the St. Louis region.

“There’s not a scarcity of resources right now. We have this ability to be a great economic hub because of the attributes we have in this region and the development that is happening today,” one elected leader said.

While the Mississippi River produced major flooding in parts of northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, it is expected to crest well below serious flood levels in the St. Louis area this weekend.

From May through November, bus tours will lead visitors through the rich Black history of Alton.

The project includes a new visitors center for the city and outdoor gathering areas.