🌱 How an East St. Louis student turned reading struggles into college success

Good morning to you East St. Louis! Catch up on our news and events right here. Keep reading to stay in the know. ☀️

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In today's newsletter:

• How an East St. Louis student turned reading struggles into college success
• Why a 2003 East St. Louis murder case is back in court
• How Jackie Joyner-Kersee's East St. Louis roots earned Hall of Fame honors

Also on today's calendar: Food On The Move | Gateway Pet Guardians and 3 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you call a one-legged Big Foot? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Mostly sunny and warm, with a high of 84 and low of 60 degrees.
• Wednesday: Partly sunny and very warm, temps: high: 89, low: 68. 🌶 Hot!
• Thursday: A shower and thunderstorm, with a high of 80 and low of 59 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Told he'd always struggle to read, East St. Louis teen now takes college classes (bnd.com) — An East St. Louis Senior High School sophomore who once struggled to read is now a state speech champion taking full-time classes at Southwestern Illinois College through District 189's Running Start program. His journey through special education, local tutoring, and leadership roles in East St. Louis organizations shows how strong advocacy and school support can transform expectations for students with autism.
   

• Belleville native fights for uncle imprisoned for murder he says he didn't commit (bnd.com) — A Belleville native is leading a renewed legal push for her uncle, convicted in a 2003 killing that occurred when a sailor drove to East St. Louis to buy drugs. New affidavits alleging coerced testimony and a long-saved letter are now before a St. Clair County judge, while supporters in East St. Louis and nearby towns organize petitions and public awareness.
   

• See which 11 trailblazing women are inducted into Women's Hall of Fame (stargazette.com) — Among the new National Women's Hall of Fame inductees is Jackie Joyner-Kersee, honored not only for her Olympic track dominance but for founding a major youth and family center in her hometown of East St. Louis. Her foundation now serves thousands annually with education, athletics, meals, and life-skills programs, putting the city at the heart of a national celebration of women's achievements.
   

📸 Around East St. Louis

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🗓 Upcoming Events in East St. Louis

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday October 3
• EMMAFEST Family Fun Festival 2026 →
  Jones Park, 2920 Argonne Drive, East St. Louis
  11:30 am

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Tuesday October 6
• Food On The Move | Gateway Pet Guardians →
  Gateway Pet Guardians, 725 N. 15th St., East St. Louis
  10:00 am
Sunday October 11
• Grupo Bryndis La Industria Del Amor Los Gamma De Enrique Mora →
  El Palanque Saint Lois MO, 609 Saint Louis Ave, East Saint Louis
  7:00 pm
Saturday October 17
• 1886 Historic Lincoln High School Clean Out →
  240 N 6th St, East St. Louis
  9:00 am
• SWEETEST DAY: PAINT AT THE GARDEN →
  16 Missouri Ave, East St. Louis
  3:00 pm
Friday October 23
• Rollin N East Boogie →
  Skate City, 2200 East Broadway, East St. Louis
  8:00 pm

📣 East St. Louis Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Wednesday September 30
• School Dismisses 1 Hour Early
  East St Louis SD 189 East Saint Louis, IL 62201
Thursday October 1
• IL FARM Distribution | House of Prayer →
  House of Prayer, 5501 North Park Drive, Washington Park
  9:00 am
Friday October 2
• Varsity Football vs. Alton Marquettte at Alton Marquette
  Madison CUSD 12, 219 E 4th St, Alton
  1:00 pm
• Silent Theory →
  Pop's NightClub & Concert Venue, 1403 Mississippi Ave, Sauget
  7:00 pm
• Silent Theory: The Redemption Tour Part Two →
  Pop's NightClub & Concert Venue, 1403 Mississippi Ave, Sauget
  7:00 pm
Saturday October 3
• City 66: The Other Road Bus Tour →
  National Building Arts Center, 2300 Falling Springs Road, Sauget
  1:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Kohl's posted a job opening for Seasonal Retail Sales Associate in Fairview Heights. Apply here.
• SPECTRUM posted a job opening for Service Technician ($20 PH starting) in Collinsville. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near East St. Louis here.

🗞 Nearby News

Sauget

• 2026 St. Louis Fall ID: Statistical Leaderboards (prepbaseballreport.com)

Cahokia

• Cahokia: How Did North America's First City Take Shape? (curiosmos.com)
• Greg Freeman's new-Americana manifesto (pastemagazine.com)

Belleville

• Does Illinois owe you money? The state holds $5 billion in unclaimed property (bnd.com)
• Fall fun returns to Eckert's Farm (kmov.com)
• Fast Talk: Recapping weekend's big winners (dirtondirt.com)

Ok East St. Louis! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Hop Squatch! (Thank you Terri R. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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