May 2026

Smith applauds $280 Million in FEMA Relief for two Missouri hospitals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) today celebrated the announcement of $280 million in FEMA Public Assistance grants to Missouri hospitals for increased costs they endured during COVID-19. Among the recipients are two cornerstone health facilities in Southeast Missouri — Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston and Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau — receiving roughly

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Six candidates for 8th District Congressional primary election

JEFFERSON CITY — There are six candidates in the running for the Eighth Congressional District of Missouri, which includes Perry and Ste. Genevieve Counties.   The incumbent, Jason Smith, is seek re-election. He is being challenged in the primary election by Gordon Heslop.   There are three Democrats seeking that party’s nomination: Chris Reichard, Clayton

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Senator Hawley’s GUARD Act to protect kids from AI Chatbots passes committee unanimously

WASHINGTON — Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed Senator Josh Hawley’s GUARD Act, a bill to protect children from abusive sexual content, inducement to commit self-harm, and emotional companions through AI chatbots.   This bipartisan legislation imposes criminal penalties on companies whose AI chatbots engage in sexually explicit conduct with minors or solicit

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Rep. Friess to host 2026 Women’s Leadership Summit

RED BUD – Ilinois State Representative David Friess (R-Red Bud) is proud to announce the 2026 Women’s Leadership Initiative Summit on June 24, 2026, at Southwestern Illinois College’s Red Bud Campus. This event will aim to bring together high school girls from across the region for a day focused on leadership, mentorship, and personal growth.

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Randolph County Sheriff releases arrests reports

CHESTER –  The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office has released its latest report of arrests.   Listed as arrested:   27-year-old Deshaun A. Crispin of Sparta, April 27, 2026 by Sparta Police for aggravated assault. Pretrial Release.   52-year-old Douglas H. Inselmann of Steeleville April 28, 2026 by Steeleville Police for unlawful possession of methamphetamine, driving

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Illinois maintains high childhood vaccination rates, outpacing national trends

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’s newly-updated School Vaccination Coverage Dashboard shows that coverage rates for all school-required childhood immunizations are holding steady compared to last year, and all but one of those immunizations is above the state’s 95% coverage goal to optimize prevention of infectious disease spread.   The dashboard is put together each year by the Illinois Department of

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