St. Louis

St. Louis – September 28, 2026 -- Every time one of six newly signed college football mascots scores this season, Friskies will donate 10,000 meals to shelter cats, with the cat food brand pledging up to 500,000 meals total across the fall.

The brand announced it has signed six mascots from five universities into its "Certified Frisky" campaign: Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat from the University of Arizona, Truman the Tiger from the University of Missouri, Will D. Cat from Villanova University, Cosmo the Cougar from Brigham Young University, and Aubie the Tiger from Auburn University.

Each first score of the game triggers a 10,000-meal donation

Whenever one of the five schools' teams records its first score in a regular-season game -- touchdown, field goal or safety -- Friskies will donate 10,000 meals to Greater Good Charities. The meals go toward feeding shelter cats in the schools' local communities and beyond.

St. Louis – September 20, 2026 -- Beggin' is adding three limited-edition, bacon-flavored Halloween dog treats to store shelves: Ghoulish Ghosts, Pupkin Bites with Bacon and Pumpkin, and Bat Bites. All three are available now while supplies last.

Each treat carries a seasonal shape and a bacon-forward recipe

Ghoulish Ghosts are soft, chewy, ghost-shaped treats made with real bacon. Pupkin Bites are pumpkin-shaped and combine real bacon with real pumpkin. Bat Bites are bite-sized and bat-shaped, also made with real bacon.

All three treats list real meat as the first ingredient and contain no artificial flavors or FD&C colors, according to Beggin'.

Bat Bites are locked to a single retailer

Beggin' Bat Bites are sold exclusively at Target and on target.com, while the other two treats are more widely available. All three products are produced in Purina-owned facilities in the USA.

St. Louis – – September 18, 2026 -- Nearly 40 years after Illinois alternative rock trio Lucky Mary Blonde broke up, a long-lost 1988 live recording is streaming worldwide today as the album "Lucky Mary Blonde LIVE!" on Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music.

A single cassette from a 1988 Carbondale show survived by chance

The band released "Let the Moonlight Burn" in December 1987 and toured Midwest college venues from Chicago to Memphis before disbanding in late 1988. Private cassette recordings from one of its final Carbondale, Illinois performances were made directly from the soundboard and stage microphones, then forgotten. Decades later, a friend of the band located one tape and sent it to drummer John Baldus in St. Louis.

St. Louis – September 17, 2026 -- A fireplace update can change the entire feel of a living room for less than the cost of a kitchen or bathroom remodel, according to a new HelloNation article featuring insights from Fireplace Expert John Bubenik of The Color Craftsmen in St. Louis, Missouri.

High mortgage rates are pushing homeowners to renovate instead of relocate.

With interest rates elevated, the article notes that many homeowners are choosing to stay put rather than accept a higher rate on a new mortgage plus closing and moving costs. A focused project like a fireplace remodel offers a way to make a familiar home feel new again.

St. Louis – September 13, 2026 -- Archway Endodontics is marking five years of operation this September, with Dr. Brian R. Judd, DDS, MS, having treated patients at the practice since it opened its doors in September 2021.

The practice, located in the Hampton Village Plaza Medical Center at Hampton and Chippewa, focuses exclusively on endodontics, the dental specialty covering the interior of the tooth and the tissue surrounding the roots. Dr. Judd purchased the practice in August 2023, meaning patients and referring dentists across St. Louis County and Southern Illinois have worked with the same specialist for the entirety of Archway's five-year history.