Mary Edwards

The citizens of East St. Louis once believed their town was destined for greatness.  They thought the town was poised to outdistance Chicago as the premier industrial giant and railroad freight node of the Midwest.

According to Andrew Theising, political scientist at the Institute for Urban Research at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and series editor of the East St. Louis Sesquicentennial series, “In the 19th century residents really did think it would be the new Pittsburgh. (Early) documents are just gushing with civic pride.”

Governor Jay Nixon, on Monday night, delivered the first State of the State Address of his second term.

He discussed a broad range of topics which included education, Medicaid, mental health and domestic violence.  An in-depth breakdown of his speech as well as reaction from House Speaker Tim Jones is available here.

In the early 1980s, University City resident George Allen was charged with and convicted of raping and murdering court reporter Mary Bell.

Last year, after serving 30 years in prison, Allen was released from prison as new evidence came to light which could have helped Allen’s defense and which a judge ruled made his trial unfair.

In early 20th century Paris, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque were equally well known after they created the Cubist style of painting.  Today, Picasso is a household name while Braque is virtually unknown outside of art history circles.

Washington University’s Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum puts the spotlight on Braque with the opening of the exhibition ‘Georges Braque and the Cubist Still Life, 1928–1945.’