Scott Air Force Base

Here's what's happening to local government agencies, support services and attractions.

Last year’s meeting in St. Louis attracted nearly 2,000 attendees, according to the National Defense Transportation Association Foundation.

Dubbed “Feed It Onward,” the new program from the Environmental Protection Agency aims to cut down on food waste by connecting farmers to military bases. It debuted at the Metro East military base on Friday.

With the first study complete, backers will turn their attention to funding the project’s initial phase.

Nearly 26,000 people work for the federal government in the St. Louis metropolitan area. If a portion lose their jobs, some economists said it will have overall trickle-down effects, while others believe it wouldn’t have broader implications.

U.S. Transportation Command Commander Jacqueline Van Ovost is retiring after more than three decades in the military. The pilot was one of relatively few women four-star generals in the U.S.

The project — which will connect MidAmerica to St. Louis-Lambert International Airport via light rail — is expected to wrap in spring 2026, according to the St. Clair County Transit District.

Starting at the barge terminal near Fayetteville — about 15 miles southeast of Belleville — the pipeline would run roughly 16 miles north to deliver fuel to the Metro East base.

Col. John Poole commands the 375th Air Mobility Wing at the Metro East base. He said he’s spent a majority of his first months learning. From there, he plans to write and implement a new strategic plan.

Illinois quit collecting property taxes from disabled veterans in 2015, but that has cost Metro East school districts and other taxing bodies near Scott Air Force Base hundreds of thousands — or sometimes millions of dollars.