Madison

The Ten Best Shows In St. Louis This Weekend: September 14 to 16

The office has been hectic lately. Next week is our big Best Of St. Louis issue. Things have occasionally gotten ugly; the "motherfuckers" are flying with unusual frequency, weary staffers are resorting to puns (puns!) in conversation and the jello shots just don't seem to have enough kick to 'em la ... More >>

Americans Hate Lawsuits, According to Poll by Group that Hates Lawsuits

The American Tort Reform Association -- the group that once deemed the Illinois counties of Madison and St. Clair "judicial hellholes" -- has  just released the results of a poll on how U.S. citizens feel about lawsuits. Guess what they found? That almost everybody agrees with them! Among the f ... More >>

Oh Lordy! Harley Owners Blame Church for Damaged Bikes

One usually thinks of bikers as "sinners" and churchgoers -- especially those who attend a chapel called Peace Free Will Baptist -- as pretty moral folks. Perhaps even too moral.  But, oh, no! Lordy, no! Not according to what has got to be one of the most frivolous local lawsuits in years. And ... More >>

KSDK Knows When You're Going to Die, Based on ZIP Code

To hype last night's "I-Team Investigation," KSDK-TV (Channel 5) had been running a promo piece that featured two cartoon guys. Cartoon Guy No. 1 is Joe, who, the voiceover says, lives in St. Charles. He's got glasses and kind of looks like George Costanza. Cartoon Guy No. 2, Doug, favors a young Pa ... More >>

Ten Best Food Events This Weekend: February 17-19

Friday (Feb. 17): Third Friday Open House @ Third Degree Glass Factory New Orleans motifs await at this month's open house event, featuring live entertainment, a free s'mores bar, pomegranate martinis and a small tapas menu featuring items like mixed salad with cajun shrimp, crawfish bisque and ho ... More >>

Happy Birthday Shirley Brown, Enemy to Hussies Everywhere

This post is dedicated to all the creepsters out there. You know who I'm talking about: dudes who troll for tail while their significant others obliviously go about their day. These philanders think they can get away with their serial cheating, but almost 97 percent[1] of the time a girlfriend shak ... More >>

The Ten Best Things to do in St. Louis This Weekend: September 16 to 18

What do you mean those mushrooms were "medicinal"? ​It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming the return of fall and trying to find somewhere to stand in the Pageant for Bon Iver. But another week has come and gone, and you, as usual, have no excuse to be bored this weekend. DJ Lance Roc ... More >>

The Humanoids' Hard Work Pays Off

Heroin Getting Out of Control in Metro East, Says U.S. Attorney

Zia Nizami / AP Attorney Wigginton​The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois has declared a war on heroin. The drug, once limited in the number of victims it reached, has hit the St. Louis region like a tidal wave in the last three years, leaving both low-income and af ... More >>

Madison and St. Clair Counties Named "Judicial Hellholes" -- Again

judicialhellholes.org​The American Tort Reform Association has once again included Madison and St. Clair counties to its annual listing of so-called Judicial Hellholes. St. Clair was named to the list from 2004 through 2007. Madison County has been on the list in all but one year since 2002. St. C ... More >>

Gateway Raceway Shutting Down

image viaThe Gateway Raceway in happier days.​It's not just a sad day for Democrats, it's a sad day for St. Louis NASCAR fans, too. Dover Motorsports, which owns the Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois, announced this morning that it was shutting down the racetrack for good. Li ... More >>

Jessie Hampton, Malcolm Johnson Charged in Murder of Ralph Hill in July

Jessie Hampton (left) and Malcolm Johnson​St. Louis police last week nabbed the men they believe are responsible for an early-morning attack that left one man dead and another critically injured. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. July 12 when police were called to the 2000 block of Madison in no ... More >>

New and Old Worlds Collide: Was Man Texting and Driving When He Struck Amish Buggy?

​That's the speculation in mid-Missouri where a man was charged yesterday with second-degree involuntary manslaughter slamming into an Amish buggy in January.According to reports, 43-year-old Jeffrey Fleming of Staunton, Illinois, was traveling down Highway 63 in rural Randolph County this past Ja ... More >>

Manly Men of St. Louis, Get Your Whiskers Trimmed at This Weekend's NASCAR Race!

Wahl! That's a sexy shave.​As Daily RFT was first to tell you earlier this week, St. Louis has been named the sixth-most manliest city in the nation. How did we earn such honor? According to the authors of the study, it has something to do with our appetite for sports (particularly the motorized k ... More >>

"Hoggy" in Handcuffs for Accidentally Shooting Toddler in the Face

Madison Police DepartmentEmmitt Gordon, Jr., a.k.a., "Hoggy"​A 30-year-old Madison man known as "Hoggy" is in custody and charged with popping off a round that sailed three blocks and landed in a toddler's face. The child was sitting on his grandfather's lap at the time (we blogged it a week ago). ... More >>

A Freak Shooting To Brighten Your Friday

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scubabix/ / CC BY 2.0​Someone was shot in the face yesterday in Madison, Illinois. It was a two-year-old boy. He was sitting on his grandfather's lap around 5:45 p.m. when it happened. The bullet apparently came through the window, randomly, from two blocks away. From ... More >>

Pink Handcuffs Can't Hold Brooklyn Man Arrested For Burning Rubber

Image ViaCops love donuts but not this kind.​Just when you think crime and punishment in the metro east suburbs can't get anymore absurd (Taco Bell police chase, anyone?) a guy goes and escapes from the pink handcuffs of a female Brooklyn police officer.A 23-year-old man -- police declined to name ... More >>

Death of Amish Man on Highway 63 Ruled a Homicide, Police Want Cell Phone Records

http://www.flickr.com/photos/passer-by/ / CC BY-SA 2.0​You may recall how, last month, 29-year-old Eli Borntrager of Madison died after getting thrown from his horse-and-buggy in a crash on Highway 63 near Moberly. According to the story in the Hannibal Courier-Post, police have ruled it a h ... More >>

Young Amish Man Driving Horse-and-Buggy on State Highway Rear-Ended in Fatal Crash

http://www.flickr.com/photos/passer-by/ / CC BY-SA 2.0​A very sad story in north-central Missouri of two worlds colliding (literally and figuratively): A 29-year-old Amish man who was steering his horse-and-buggy south on Highway 63 near Moberly, Missouri on Tuesday was rear-ended by a vehicle cru ... More >>

10 Things to Do Under $10 This Weekend in St. Louis, December 18-20, 2009

This is the last non-holiday weekend 'til 2010, so get out there and enjoy it! Here are our ten suggestions for things to do this weekend that will cost your $10 or less! Image ViaJimmy Keuhnle brings his fluffy performance art to the Gateway Arch Friday.​Inflatable Suit Performance Tour at the Ga ... More >>

Asbestos Cases Once Again Earning Madison County Title of "Judicial Hellhole"

A skech inside a Madison County courtroom.​Earlier this decade Madison County, Illinois, earned the title "Judicial Hellhole" thanks to the outrageous number of asbestos cases filed there. In 2003 alone trial attorneys filed an astounding 953 asbestos claims in the county -- most of which had noth ... More >>

Tour Diary: The Blind Eyes

The Blind Eyes are Seth Porter, Kevin Schneider and Matt Picker. They are playing on October 17 at Off Broadway with the Safes, Gentleman Auction House, and Beth Bombara. But last weekend, they trekked to the upper Midwest for a few shows. Porter was kind enough to share what happened. Read below! ... More >>

That Couldn't Possibly Work In St. Louis, Could It?

blameitonthevoices.comSeattle Police are taking a more relaxed approach to drug laws...​St. Louis police prefer to wage the war on drugs the old fashioned way. Coke dealers on the Northside? Root 'em out, round 'em up, make a few arrests, and confiscate some dope for the TV cameras. Meanwhile in S ... More >>

Stooge Robbers, Clueless Mothers, Bigoted Wackos: Who Is This Week's Ass Clown?

A quick word before we begin this week's Ass Clown voting. For those of you scratching your heads as to why Christopher Coleman has not yet appeared in our weekly Ass Clown showdown, the answer is simple: It wouldn't be fair to the other contestants. That's because each week we learn something new a ... More >>

Is stltoday.com Baiting Its Racist Commenters with Photo of Kidnapping Victim "Lil' Pimp"?

If you haven't logged into the Post-Dispatch's website this afternoon, you're missing a colorful game of cat-and-mouse between the site's moderators and its online commenters. The latter are having a field day with a photo and caption of Cortez King, the five-month-old baby kidnapped (and returned) ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest: 5.16-5.22

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs.Show Me Vegan: Lisa makes smoky black-bean soup with cilantro sauce.St. Louis Eats & Drinks: The Pollacks visit one of my favorites, Nachomama's.STL Hops: A special series from Mike and a couple of friends -- how to spend 36 hours in Madiso ... More >>

Mizzou: You're so Gay

Columbia, Missouri, University of Missouri, Mizzou, Out Traveler, Gay-Friendly College Towns

Sacred Garbage?

Native Americans trash plans to expand a sprawling Illinois landfill.

Strong Bonds

Joe to Hank Aaron: Don't sell out! Back Barry!

Planet Granite

Yippee: Unreal finds a way to interact (virtually) with the world's sexiest people! Plus -- Granite City's relative suckiness, McDonald's bad 'tude and Circuit City's parking-lot campers.

What, a Dump?

Environmentalists decry the expansion of a gigantic Illinois landfill.

Ask a Negro Leaguer Column

Week of June 1, 2006

Ask a Negro Leaguer Column

Week of May 9, 2006

Ask a Negro Leaguer Column

Week of April 27, 2006

Ask a Negro Leaguer Column

Week of October 12, 2005

Here's to You, Ms. Robinson

We love you more than you can know

Dullsville

The town of Madison deserves more than this sports-movie cliché

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Week of September 1, 2004

A Turbid Time

Turbid means "muddy"

Best Worthy Cause

Great Rivers Land Trust

Lap Dance

Emerson Indy 250 is fast & furious

Art Critics' Corner

Week of March 19, 2003

Best Attraction To Take Out-Of-Towners

Old Chain Of Rocks Bridge

Best Rural Bicycle Ride

Monroe and Randolph Counties, Ill.

Herc Jerk

Celebrated strongman Magnus Ver Magnusson makes tracks at Gateway International Raceway

Drag Hags

Life on the drag strip is fast, not at all cheap and just barely under control

Pale Horseradish, Pale Diner

There'll be a hot time in the old town when Collinsville hosts the 13th annual International Horseradish Festival

Interstellar Dreamfest

Friday-Monday, Sept. 3-6; Oak Shores Retreat, outside Mount Vernon, Ill.

The Merchant of Venice

The McKinley Bridge is broke — structurally and financially — and everyone wants it fixed. Trouble is, Mayor Tyrone Echols of Venice isn't about to give away the city's bridge. But he could be talked into trading it.

Night & Day

May 26 - June 2, 1999