Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInST (First Alert 4) - A person was shot and injured Sunday in East St Sunday in the 1200 block of McCasland in East St No details about the victim have been released but the Illinois State Police said they were taken to an area hospital for treatment The Illinois State Police are handling the investigation This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available East St. Louis (Ill.) made its way back to the top of the Illinois 6A high school football mountain last season winning 13 games while claiming its 11th state championship in program history The Flyers have now been to a state title game four years in a row and finished as the No. 17 team nationally and top-ranked team in Illinois in 2024, per the On3 Composite Rankings Headlined by a trio of road games at some of the nation’s top programs The Flyers will only play three home games this year The season will begin in New Jersey on Aug. 28, as the Flyers will once compete in the Battle of the Beach and take on Bergen Catholic (N.J.), which won another state title and finished as a top-10 team nationally last year. The home opener will come the following week on Sept. 6, as Gadsden County (Fla.) makes the trip to the Midwest The Jaguars were a top-15 team in the Sunshine State last season It’s then right back on the road, as East St. Louis heads all the way to Nevada to take on Las Vegas juggernaut Bishop Gorman, consistently one of the nation’s top programs. The Gaels finished as the No. 3 team overall and will compete for a national title once again this fall. Top 101Shane BeamerPuts NCAA on blast Hot3Trump By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms and use of my personal information described therein The five-game in-state schedule then gears up in the middle of September, the latter three of which will all come on the road. Headlining the matchups is a trip to Edwardsville on Oct 30 team in Illinois last season — the highest-ranked in-state team on the Flyers’ upcoming schedule Then comes a big-time rematch to close the regular season. Florida powerhouse IMG Academy went to Illinois and beat the Flyers 14-13 in overtime last season Louis is now set to head to Florida on Oct 24 and will look to exact some revenge on the Ascenders ahead of postseason action Hot3Trump, Saban blastedNIL order ripped On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media Louis mother of a woman allegedly murdered by her boyfriend last week in the St is raising money for funeral expenses with a GoFundMe campaign Friends and family of the late Kelsey Elem also have flooded social media with tributes and condolences describing her as a happy and beautiful transgender woman who was comfortable in her own skin and willing to help others in need “Anybody who needed help as far as transitioning or anything Elem allegedly was shot and killed in her Affton home on April 24 by Martino Lewis according to a complaint filed by the prosecuting attorney’s office in the Circuit Court of St The two were described as being in a “romantic relationship.” An accompanying statement of probable cause “(Lewis) provided a firearm to another witness and stated (Elem) had been shot while they were driving and that he had taken her to the hospital which investigation proved to be untrue,” the statement read Louis City while still in possession of (Elem’s) vehicle and admitted that a physical altercation had occurred.” Lewis was charged with second-degree murder (Class A felony) armed criminal action (Class U felony) and domestic assault (Class E felony) She identified herself as a certified nursing assistant and caregiver on her Facebook page explaining that Elem had no life insurance and the family didn’t have the money to “send her away properly.” The campaign web page states that a funeral service is planned for May 9 “(Kelsey) was murdered last night around 11:15 pm by her friend after getting into a fight In which the friend shot my daughter in the head killing my baby,” Calvenita Brock wrote in the campaign description “Life was at its best for my daughter because she was comfortably loving her life I was so pleased with the way that my my daughter was enjoying life that was taken away way too soon.” the campaign had raised more than $4,000 of a $10,000 goal with contributions from 114 people Calvenita Brock declined an interview with the BND this week She spoke with a KSDK-TV reporter last week while removing Elem’s belongings from her small brick home on Grace Avenue in Affton She called Lewis a friend and a “dude” that Elem had been helping News of Elem’s death traveled around social media quickly and widely A representative of the Florida-based Unspoken Treasure Society resources and services to the LGBTQ+ community “We say her name Kelsey Elem,” the post read “Another Black Transwoman Murdered by her significant other Unspoken Treasure Society sends out prayers to her family and loved ones.” Elem began transitioning several years ago She often posted about her journey on Facebook Elem called her transition “epic” and “a surprise” but something she “always wanted to do.” “In now I’m happy enough to embrace,” she wrote “It took a lot for me get here in a couple years but hey I did I’m proud of my lifeee in so many ways it just shocks me wen I look back like I was tht dude now tht Girl but yea moral of story love your life (expletive) what people say at the end of day.” JB Pritzker appeared with lawmakers and domestic violence advocates as he signed Karina's Law whose husband allegedly shot and killed her and their 15-year-old daughter in July 2023 Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email leading some jurisdictions to take shortcuts by arresting or disciplining the women for prostitution Sources said he stripped off his clothes during a United Airlines flight after he drank alcohol and took prescription medicine Four people were killed when a vehicle drove into a child care facility in the Sangamon County village of Chatham A Lee Enterprises investigation found most states fail to protect vulnerable women and few law enforcement agencies punish the owners of the b… FBI data from local police departments show that only seven percent of human trafficking offenses led to arrests from 2021 to 2023 — 1,344 arr… Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The historic and now rehabbed Broadview Hotel in East St. Louis opened Friday as the “New Broadview” — a 110-unit apartment building for those over 55 years old developers and affordable housing advocates believe the former hotel’s $44.5 million restoration will serve as an anchor of economic development in the Metro East city that’s seen a depleted population and tax base in recent decades “It is our hope that this development has a catalytic impact on the downtown community,” said Yaphett El-Amin president and CEO of Efficacy Consulting & Development In addition to one-bedroom units priced at $709 per month and two-bedroom units at $822 gym and space in the basement for business incubators El-Amin said 10% of the units will be reserved for veterans The vision to rehabilitate the former hotel riddled with plywood-boarded windows and graffiti Restoring the 140,000-square-foot building came together via a public-private funding partnership with more than 10 different funding sources — or a “smorgasbord,” El-Amin said A little more than $20 million came from the Illinois Housing Development Agency Another $7 million came from historic tax credits $1.5 million from Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grants and $2 million in earmarks for the Illinois General Assembly A handful of residents have already moved into the senior living facility “They could not have picked a better building to resurrect and allow the senior citizens to move into,” Thomas said City leaders and the building’s developers believe Thomas and other current residents will not be the only people who move to East St “As we continue to strengthen and build our city's economy,” said Mayor Charles Powell III “developments such as this will serve as a reminder to our citizens those with business and those looking to open business that East St Louis is always and will be a great place to live and work.” located one block northeast of the Broadview meaning they are eligible for tax credits designed to restore aging buildings and could be attractive to potential developers The city of Rockford in northern Illinois serves as a model that El-Amin and her group want to replicate with rehabbing the historic buildings Louis Arch dominates the skyline to the west I believe that this building will dominate the skyline on the east side,” said state Sen The opening with the New Broadway coincides with a religious nonprofit constructing 20 $360,000 houses farther east in town to attract middle-class residents The number of homicides dropped in East St. Louis last year according to new data released Thursday by Illinois State Police which is the lowest level in nearly a decade Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly told Illinois Public Media on Thursday the data shows “a very good downward trend.” The state agency has partnered with the East St. Louis Police Department since 2020 in what’s called the Public Safety Enforcement Group — or PSEG JB Pritzker appointed him to lead the state agency in 2019 said the partnership between the state and city has worked well to reduce violent crime in the city “This urban policing model that we've been using for the past four years is producing a very good trend in the right direction for homicides and for other gun violence,” Kelly said Last year’s homicide figures equate to a 46% decrease since the peak in 2017. Over the last four years, the city’s population dropped by 820 people Non-fatal shootings also dropped last year which is dramatically less than 121 recorded in 2019 Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Ali Summers said her office has shared the partnership model with other U.S Attorney’s offices across the country that also struggle with high reports of gun violence This partnership continues to allow for the state troopers to help the city’s officers on violent crime investigations which has happened since the 1980s in East St It also bolsters law enforcement’s involvement in the community by partnering with the city’s school district and a faith organization Louis is not alone in seeing portions of its violent crime decrease recently Louis had its lowest number of homicides last year since 2013 and overall crime in the city is down 15% since 2023 Nationally, homicides across the United States dropped in 2024 from a pandemic spike according to the Council of Criminal Justice Illinois State Police plan on moving their regional headquarters from Collinsville to East St. Louis. The project, originally announced in 2022 and expected to take at least three years to complete The reigning Illinois 6A champs will play state champs from Nevada and New Jersey plus a Florida state runner-up and have a rematch against national power IMG Academy (Florida) After playing its five-game Southwestern Conference schedule the Flyers will travel to Florida for a rematch against IMG The two met at the end of season last year with IMG winning a one-point decision in overtime ESL head coach Darren Sunkett talked with HSFA about playing a tough non-conference schedule Below is the Flyers’ complete schedule: August 28 – at Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) September 12 – at Bishop Gorman (Nevada) October 24 – at IMG Academy (Florida) Residents and officials from the Department of Public Works in East St Louis worked Wednesday to clean up and pump water out of the area after heavy rains caused severe flooding across Missouri and Illinois on Tuesday For decades, parts of the Metro East have struggled with flooding from the Mississippi River and internal drainage systems. On Tuesday, dozens of vehicles were stranded and some people died as a result of flash flooding in the St Mike Parson to declare a state of emergency has lived in her home on Belmont Avenue for 29 years She said the residential area has struggled with severe flooding since 2015 Despite the city's claims of fixing the sewer line in recent years Barnes said she continues to deal with water intrusion as rising water levels on Tuesday caused significant damage to her basement and on Wednesday she said she was unable to flush her toilet because the water levels were still too high She stood Wednesday afternoon on Belmont Avenue and pointed to a large pool of water that lingered from Tuesday’s heavy rainfall outside her home at the corner of Belmont Avenue and North 55th Street in East St A few inches of water also sat in her backyard — a glaring water line could be seen along the brown fencing Barnes said as of Wednesday the city hadn’t pumped the water from her street or yard Louis Public Works Department was pumping water on Wednesday from the backyard of another resident Moore said he’s spent a lot of money remodeling his house since he moved there in 2014 but now regrets it “I don’t have a choice but to deal with it,” Moore said Wednesday “I don’t have the money to move nowhere else right now.” The water filled his basement on Tuesday a supervisor with the city’s Department of Public Works who operated a GX Honda water pump on Wednesday behind Moore’s house promised to return Thursday to remove the water from Barnes’ area Barnes said that since Collins joined the department about six months ago he is at least taking the time to check on her and others in the area she’s relied on herself and her family to remove water “I woke up at 2:30 in the morning (Tuesday) and then I looked out on the cameras and the water was up to the back door,” Barnes said “So I got in my car (and) called my brother He (was) out in the rain making sure I have sandbags and plastic inside and out.” Barnes said another brother brought over pipes and ran them from the inside of her house to her driveway to keep the water out of her house early Tuesday “I did get some (water) on the basement side like in the laundry room and the bathroom downstairs and I got another little day care room with a speaker Barnes expressed frustration with the city's lack of response and assistance in prior floods. In July, the Harding Ditch in East St Louis overflowed — as it often does during heavy rains — causing the Parkside levee to break City leaders coordinated with the American Red Cross fire officials and others to rescue and assist residents Although levees have been built and improved over the years Louis still experiences frequent flooding from internal drainage creeks and maintenance issues in the storm sewer system Barnes emphasized the need for city intervention because she’s a taxpaying citizen who has lost thousands of dollars for her home-based day care business due to the floods Louis Public Works officials brought over a dozen cleanup kits to Barnes’ area on Wednesday The white buckets contained gloves and other cleaning supplies from the American Red Cross Collins said he planned to bring more kits to the area on Thursday and also expected the Public Works Department to receive at least two more Honda water pumps — one of which he planned to utilize on Barnes’ street Thursday “I've been here all my life,” Collins said Wednesday and this stuff has been neglected for a very long time What we do on that is we come out and we clean sewers this stuff probably hasn’t been done in 30 years but it's going to take some help and some finances.” Collins said a lot goes into cleaning out the sewers to ensure water doesn’t overflow He said the city has been cooperative with providing him the tools and equipment he needs “We got a brand-new (service body) truck this year Then you have to clean the trenches and make sure you have all the different pumps It's a whole lot of stuff that goes along with it This (service body) truck that we just got cost $564,000.” The Illinois Department of Natural Resources in June agreed to provide nearly $2.6 million to East St Louis to buy out 39 properties in the Mary Avenue and Terrace Drive areas near Harding Ditch that have experienced repeated flooding and flood damage the project includes additional funds to assist homeowners who resided in the impacted structures with up to $22,500 toward a new home The city plans to place deed restrictions on the properties after they are purchased and demolished to prohibit new structures from being built City leaders said the land will ultimately feature public parks and athletic fields Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInEAST ST (First Alert 4) - A woman told First Alert 4 that her boyfriend shot and killed someone who was trying to steal her car in East St The woman said two men were trying to steal her Dodge Charger near 75th and Church streets on Monday morning and they thought the suspects were going to kill them so her boyfriend shot and killed one of the suspects someone tried to steal her car before and damaged it She had gotten the car back from the dealer on Wednesday The Illinois State Police Department confirmed to First Alert 4 that they are investigating a shooting death that happened in the 7500 block of Church Lane around 6:40 a.m They have not provided further information concerning their investigation Louis Flyers don’t just walk onto a football field The Flyers are a nationally-ranked powerhouse that under Illinois High School Association Hall of Fame coach Darren Sunkett had 47 alumni playing at some level of college ball this year and whose team had allowed a total of three first downs and zero points in its first two postseason games Playoff results: IHSA football playoffs 2024: Recap, highlights from Springfield area Pawnee football: Pawnee football falls to defending champ Amboy in first 8-Man semifinal appearance But the Chatham Glenwood Titans gave the Flyers a real game Saturday in their Class 6A quarterfinal at home before a packed crowd the Flyers’ overwhelming talent on both sides of the ball prevailed in a 58-14 final that sends East St Louis (11-1) onto the state semifinals for the sixth straight year at home this weekend against Oak Lawn Richards the chins of players were up on the field afterward despite a game that got lopsided in the second half “We learned today what it takes to play against a team like that which is our goal,” Glenwood junior quarterback Colten Knoedler said It really was a game into the early stage of the third quarter The Titans tied the game 7-7 in the second quarter after a 15-yard TD pass from Knoedler to tight end Jonathan Helm and the Titans defense had previously stopped the high-octane offense led by QB Kendrick Lyons on successive fourth downs That’s when senior running back Christopher Bennett Jr partisan crowd before visions of a huge upset became too animated in their heads Bennett ran for 27 yards and one of his four touchdowns to make it a 14-7 game with 10:39 left in the second then an 80-yard scoring run on the first play from scrimmage after Glenwood’s Herchel Walker ran for a TD to get the Titans to within 26-14 early in the third getting to state and actually winning it this year who is committed to play at Lindenwood University next year “We’ve been to state so many years and come up short It was hard enough a task for the Titans to beat the Flyers with a healthy roster It was another thing to try it without probably their best overall running back who left the game in the second quarter with what appeared to be an injury to his right ankle when it was a 14-7 game who still did an admirable job withstanding not only a constant Flyers rush but a big “I’m praying he’s going to be OK,” Knoedler said When asked what he’ll remember most about the 2024 Titans football season That’s the best class of seniors in any sport that I’ve been a part of There were so many different personalities and every single one of them was so passionate If they take the same approach that they take on the practice field and in the weightroom Flyers coach Sunkett wasn’t surprised the Titans put up a fight in this one “We missed two fourth-down opportunities in the first half and we just told our defense they needed to stiffen up a bit more A lot of positive things started to happen after that,” Sunkett said “We knew (Glenwood) had a lot of adrenaline going It’s like getting a shot; once that shot wears off their adrenaline wore off and we kept the pedal to the medal.”  Restructuring local government, improving public transportation and boosting education spending could significantly reduce child poverty in East St Louis — benefiting over half of the city’s children Children’s Advocates for Change, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization, hosted a forum aimed at addressing child poverty in East St. Louis where the poverty rate for children is three times the national average Metro East officials and others gathered at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s East St Louis Learning Center to discuss potential solutions The median household income in East St. Louis is less than $29,000, compared to the state average of around $78,000, according to data from Child Trends nonpartisan research center based in Bethesda The city has fewer college-educated adults and homeowners than the statewide average The city’s population has dropped from over 82,000 in the 1950s to just under 18,800 today Nearly a third of residents live in poverty more than double the state rate of about 12% Increased funding for public schools would lead to better educational outcomes and lead children to be better equipped to break the cycle of poverty founder of the Land of Lincoln’s Education Advocacy project “The education children receive in East St “They cannot compete with students in neighboring districts where achievement and proficiency levels are so much higher But chronic absenteeism is disproportionately common in East St with 65% of high school students missing 15 or more school days Parents play the most critical role in lifting children out of poverty director of parent and student support services in East St graduated without the skills they need to be successful,” Gholson said they come out with no skill set … it's not livable.” Panelists also examined the impact of recent poverty reduction measures including increased unemployment benefits and child tax credits introduced as part of federal COVID-19 relief efforts poverty rates across Illinois have seen little change over the years is trying to raise her children to beat the cycle of poverty but I raised 11… so to all of you here today keep the fight going because it's important.” Officials from Children’s Advocates for Change plan to host similar forums across poverty-stricken areas across Illinois “Child poverty is not a mere statistic,” said Tasha Green Cruzat “It is a lived experience for many families we also witness the resilience of our community.” Illinois has the potential to eradicate childhood poverty sustained effort in partnership with families and disadvantaged communities president of Children’s Advocates for Change a Chicago-based nonprofit focused on childhood wellbeing This hope drives the focus of the policy forum her organization is hosting in East St The event will bring together social service providers health officials and lawmakers to address the barriers to lifting families out of poverty in one of the nation’s most disadvantaged cities It is scheduled to take place from 1 to 4 p.m at Southern Illinois University’s Wyvetter H Cruzat said the state has made important advancements in helping families and communities in recent years such as through increased funding for schools in high-poverty communities and increased benefits that help people access and pay for housing She is particularly proud of the passage of Illinois’ first child tax credit a measure for which her organization strongly advocated which has long suffered from systemic racism industry decline and government disinvestment The city’s population has dwindled from over 82,000 in the 1950s to just under 18,800 today with nearly a third of people living in poverty more than double the state rate of about 12 percent The child poverty rate is even higher — encompassing nearly one in two children in East St compared to about 16% of children statewide These statistics underscore the challenges confronting East St The median household income is just under $29,000 Pritzker and lawmakers have pledged to do more through the Intergenerational Poverty Act that became law in 2020 state leaders pledged to cut deep and persistent poverty in half by 2026 and lift all children from poverty by 2031 The law created a 25-member commission made up of public and private sector officials who have come together to discuss barriers to economic security But its recommendations are only advisory — implementing changes would require further action by lawmakers Capitol News Illinois and the Saluki Local Reporting Lab previously reported on challenges to overcoming poverty in Cairo a rural majority Black town located about 160 miles south of East St Metro East lawmakers and other nonprofit representatives The event will feature keynote speaker Starsky Wilson president and CEO of the Washington-based Children’s Defense Fund will be analyzing why poverty reduction efforts have stalled despite substantial new and expanded federal investments and state programs poverty rates temporarily fell thanks to federal pandemic support including enhanced unemployment and child tax credit benefits But many are now in a worse position as that extra support has ended and the costs of housing poverty rates have remained relatively unchanged for decades raising the question: “Why haven’t we seen significant movement in poverty?” The forum will also explore the broader implications of poverty on education and health care said an education is one of the most important things a community can provide to a child to set them up for success The schools in the city are also a place that many children rely on for stability access to mentors and other trusted adults But like many school districts across Illinois Louis is grappling with growing attendance issues post-pandemic Louis and returned after college to help her own community said that teams of people have been hired to find the underlying cause of “why is this happening per student per family” and work to address their needs Community partners have been eager to offer their services can bring people together to brainstorm how to make the most impact with the resources available the organization plans to continue these discussions across Illinois uncover unique strategies and advocate for new state programs Cruzart said she is hopeful that Illinois can move the needle on poverty “I think we have to be intentional and do it right,” she said We really have to make sure that we are putting the real effort behind this.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.  Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInEAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (First Alert 4) - An O’Fallon, Illinois, teen was charged Friday in the shooting death of a 21-year-old Metro East woman. The St. Clair State’s Attorney’s Office charged 18-year-old Ricky T. Clayton with first-degree murder. According to the Illinois State Police, investigators were called to a parking lot in the 400 block of North 6th Street on Dec. 22, 2024, for a shooting. There, police found 21-year-old Markela Howliet of East St. Louis, suffering from gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. EAST ST. LOUIS – The final score doesn’t really tell the story of how dominating East St. Louis was in beating Richards 48-0 on Saturday to win its 6A semifinal game and set up a championship showdown with Geneva next weekend. After all, there are a lot of blowouts in the playoffs, though not usually in the semifinals. In this case, yardage and first downs are better indicators. The Flyers piled up 415 yards, 267 in the first half when such things mattered. Richards gained 31 yards – 22 in the air, 9 on the ground on 24 carries – across 48 minutes, the last 17:39 of which were played with the clock running. Richards (11-2) managed five first downs, three on Flyers penalties on one second-half drive. East St. Louis (12-1) had 19 first downs. The differences were many, but skill at multiple positions for the Flyers and dominance in line play were the two that stuck out. East St. Louis controlled each side of the ball, meaning the Flyers could play their game and prevent the Bulldogs from playing theirs. “Our line play’s been great all season,” Flyers coach Darren Sunkett said. “For 13 weeks, these guys have been playing their tails off. Now we’ve got one more, and we’re looking for them to play the same way as all season.” Flyers running back TaRyan Martin is especially grateful. The offensive line – including standouts Terrell Berryhill, Shamon Hamilton and Marquis Sanders – broke open big holes in the second half that allowed him to run 43 and 65 yards for touchdowns. “Man, it might bring me to tears to talk about those guys,” Martin said. “I’ve had a lot of confidence issues, and they’re the ones who keep me up every day.” Martin should gain a boost of confidence from his 146-yard showing on nine carries. Larevious “Fresh” Woods also scored twice, while Amir Tillman ran it in from the 9 for a score. Quarterback Kendrick Lyons threw two touchdown passes. It was one-sided from the start. The Flyers went 65 yards on three plays after receiving the opening kickoff, a 44-yard passing collaboration between Lyons and receiver Kortez Rupert making it 7-0 after 64 seconds. “Our guys were focused,” Sunkett said. “We knew the job we had to do.” Richards went nowhere on its first two drives, lost the ball on a kickoff after the Flyers made it 21-0 late in the first quarter and managed its only first down of the opening half on Myles Mitchell’s 3-yard run on fourth-and-2 after East St. Louis had built a 28-0 lead. The Flyers held Richards to 13 first-half yards. In his final game before college, Mitchell – the Bulldogs’ lead back – gained 6 yards on 14 carries, 9 of which were either for no gain or lost yardage. “We wanted to try to kind of slow things down, try to run the ball and get a couple yards here, a couple here, a couple here,” Richards coach Tony Sheehan said. “It didn’t work out that way. We’ve been kind of banged up in the front, but you can’t take anything away from them. They’re a good football team. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network (First Alert 4) - A 17-year-old from Fairview Heights was charged with first-degree murder in a man’s death on Sunday Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office alleges the teen shot 41- year-old Cicero C The incident happened in the 2500 block of Bond Avenue After an investigation between Illinois State Police and the East St the teen suspect was charged with first-degree murder The teen is currently being held at the St Clair County Juvenile Detention Center and his name is being withheld due to his age Recently, the East St. Louis Flyers announced the following slate of games for 2025. The Flyers will play 10 games, including two road contests against nationally-ranked IMG Academy national Bishop Gorman (Nevada) and at home Gadsden County Among other teams on the schedule are Belleville East O'Fallon and on the road against nationally-ranked Bergen Catholic to start the season Below is the Flyers' 2025 regular season schedule Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App -- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi ANDY VILLAMARZOAndy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007 writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Hundreds of collard greens are evenly planted in rows inside a softly-lit greenhouse at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food Agriculture and Nutrition Innovation Center in East St These collards look surprisingly different from each other and from what you would typically find in a grocery store ranging from yellowish to deep green lined by bright purple veins they're also doing some really cool things below ground,” said Antonio Brazelton a plant scientist who studies the roots of collard greens who also works in a lab at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Brazelton is coordinator for research partnerships at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation The collard greens he studies are heirloom varieties that have been passed down for generations many named for the people who stewarded the seed “Nancy Malone Wheat Purple is by far my favorite one,” Brazelton said “I had never seen purple collards before.” Collard greens are a staple for many households during the holidays but the majority of collards sold at grocery stores and even grown in gardens are one of just a few varieties Brazelton’s work is part of a nationwide effort to change that Collard enthusiasts across the country are coming together to study hardier varieties of collard greens that could also be better suited for the changing climate The collard green varieties that Brazelton is growing and studying were well-traveled before ending up in his greenhouse a geographer and scholar of agriculture at Emory & Henry University in Virginia Davis and some colleagues drove thousands of miles around the Southeastern U.S looking for people growing unique collard greens I think you've got some interesting collards there Those don't look like they were store-bought seed,’” Davis said “And usually people would just beam with pride.” These proud gardeners are known as seed savers families would grow collards and keep the seeds to pass along to future generations Davis asked the farmers for a spoonful of seed and explained that it was for long-term preservation of the genetic diversity of collards The seeds ended up in a bank run by the U.S “Beyond preserving some of the genetic legacy in terms of seed it's also preserving some of the cultural legacy around the names and locations where these were stewarded which is really cool,” Brazelton said of the naming convention a group of people have been working on getting these family varieties onto more people’s plates through the Heirloom Collard Project “You kind of think of seeds as something that comes in packets or pounds in the mail, but these are farmers who, through several generations, and many of them even since the end of slavery, had been carrying these varieties forward. It was amazing,” said Ira Wallace, who is known as the godmother of the Heirloom Collard Project Collard advocates are lifting up a vegetable that is both extremely nutritious and has a rich historical and cultural significance for African Americans, said Wallace, who is also a worker-owner of the cooperatively owned and managed Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in Virginia, which sells the heirloom varieties “[The Heirloom Collard Project] has a tie to history “To take and save all that genetic diversity we don't know what kinds of resilience in our plant families we’re going to need.” In 2020, the project sent seeds across the country, asking farmers and gardeners to try them out and rate their collard crop for various qualities, like yield, taste, appearance and winter hardiness. The variety trial found some heirloom varieties performed better on some traits than more commonly-grown and eaten collards Brazelton’s work is building on those trials studying some of the same varieties to try to understand how the roots factor in other scientists are investigating different aspects of the plant Davis’ trips collecting seeds eventually led him to co-author a book Collards; A Southern Tradition From Seed To Table “Collards makes a great sort of symbol for the South because of its cultural richness,” Davis said His work explored what he calls the “collard belt,” a region that stretches from Virginia through Mississippi But there are plenty of collard greens outside of those states but as a kind of a remnant of Southern heritage,” Davis said we know that would mean their Black heritage And so it becomes a symbol for some people to celebrate.” When Shaffer Ridgeway and his wife started their Waterloo collard greens were the first thing they planted we've always eaten collard greens,” Ridgeway said “I don't know a time in my life when I wasn't eating collard greens it was about trying to make those available.” Their farm is called Southern Goods LLC and specializes in southern produce like collards, purple hull peas, mustard greens and okra. Ridgeway grows an heirloom variety of collard greens called Ole Timey Blue that has deep purple veins “I have a lot of 80-year-old customers that grew up with some of those in the South and so they're very interested to see those around as well.” Philip Kauth is working to learn even more about cold-hardiness and collard greens who used to work with Seed Savers Exchange in Iowa and helped study collard varieties with the Heirloom Collard Project is now executive director of the REAP Food Group in Madison The organization got a two-year grant from the state to study collard greens in the upper Midwest “That's what farmers up here are looking at,” Kauth said “They're really looking at varieties that will thrive in their local environments And it'll take several years in order to do that As climate change warms Midwestern winters Kauth said it is making it easier for farmers to grow collards in the colder climate but it could also lead to more collard greens on farms outside of the South after years dreaming up this experiment and preparing for it he and a team at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee center are ready to collect data The collard green plants that are ready for study are sporting white labels really rewarding now to see it finally,” Brazelton said “I have a 11,000-square-foot space full of collard greens that we're about to actually dig up and actually take root images on.” “I feel like I might be a root scientist now the group pushes down on the leaves to rip them off the stem they place a wooden circle on top of what’s left of the plant and carefully dig around it they hose the dirt off the underside of the plant Then the bunch of roots heads to a scientific photo booth so Brazelton can take a data-rich image for his research to help answer a host of questions “What particular traits lend to plants that do better or plants that are better able to sequester water and nutrients?” he said “So I think we're still finding some of this out and we're figuring it out as we go.” This work is part of a long tradition of African American science and agriculture going back to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and famous researchers like George Washington Carver “I think of this as the modern child of that early work which got a little bit interrupted with the Great Migration of Black people from the South to the North,” Wallace said because we're going to need scientific work to figure our way out of this climate crisis that we seem to be in.” It’s a tradition Brazelton is thinking about he followed an academic path with many similarities to Carver’s Brazelton got an undergraduate degree at Tuskegee University where Carver taught in the late 1800s and early 1900s and a master’s at Iowa State University where Carver also studied “I think Carver saw science as an opportunity for service,” Brazelton said and so it makes me feel like maybe I learned something at Tuskegee and have a really good opportunity to carry that banner.” After Brazelton and the team weigh the collards the leaves’ research role is complete — now they’re headed to people’s dinner tables The center partners with local food pantries and has an after school program that feeds kids from the East St Brazelton said a few will come home with him This story was produced in partnership with Harvest Public Media a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest