Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalIllinois Gambling Expansion Poised To Revive Fairmount Track
Fairmount Park Racetrack is filled with spectators on most Tuesdays and Saturdays, eager to watch horses fly down the dirt track.
But with just 41 live racing days this year, the stands at the Collinsville track remain empty far more days than they’re filled.
A recent gambling-expansion law in Illinois could change the track’s fortunes. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill in June, which was long-sought by the horse racing industry. Racetracks can now apply for licenses to host table games like blackjack and roulette, slots, video gaming and sports betting.
The move couldn’t come fast enough for Brian Zander, president and general manager of Fairmount.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/illinois-gambling-expansion-poised-revive-fairmount-track
St. Louis School Districts Respond To Summer Gun Violence, Loss Of Students
During the first week of the school year, St. Louis Public Schools didn’t just deal with summer learning loss – it started classes without several of its students.
“We have a 7-year-old who will not be starting school today,” said the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Mary Warnecke, who spoke with reporters on Tuesday. “We have a 10-year-old murdered not that long ago, in the city of St. Louis, who will not be starting school today. We have a 2-year-old murdered on Ferris not so long ago. We have a 3-year-old who was murdered on Michigan not so long ago.”
The district has lost four children to gun violence over summer break, including the most recent death of Xavier Usanga, an incoming second grader at Clay Elementary, who was shot and killed on Monday.
“It is an experience that our children unfortunately experience time and time again,” said Megan Marietta, manager of social work services at St. Louis Public Schools. “And we are seeing that our children are desensitized to the loss. [...] Some children don’t come and utilize the [crisis] team. Some staff won’t utilize the team because, unfortunately, they are becoming numb.”
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-school-districts-respond-summer-gun-violence-loss-students
Scammers Target Small-Town Missouri Businesses For Their Love Of High School Football
Small towns love their high school football team.
So much so, that every year around this time there are scam artists who try to prey upon that pride to get money from local businesses.
The scam works like this: An out-of-town printing company calls businesses saying it is printing items to promote the high school team, and asks them to be sponsors by buying an ad.
But the money doesn’t go to support the team, and the items may never be printed
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/scammers-target-small-town-missouri-businesses-their-love-high-school-football
Editorial from Joplin, MO on something many of us take for granted. A full service supermarket.
Wally Kennedy: Joplin needs a full-service supermarket
Frequent readers of this column know that I visit family near Boulder, Colorado, at this time of year. Boulder, as you might know, has been named the happiest city in America. Every time I go there, I am struck by the vibrancy of the city. It is a happy place.
But I have never been envious until now. Boulder has something that Joplin used to have — a full-service supermarket. This is a supermarket with a bakery, a delicatessen, a seafood department, a floral department, dine-in and carryout food service, wine and spirits, a pharmacy and a coffee kiosk.
While in Boulder, I visited a Safeway supermarket. I picked up a handheld basket because I did not think I would be buying that much. Just a few things, the basics. When I walked into the produce department, I stopped to look around. This prompted a store employee to walk up and ask me: “Can I help you find something?”
“No,” I said. “I’m just marveling.”
https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/wally-kennedy-joplin-needs-a-full-service-supermarket/article_4badccb5-a335-5ad8-9756-d274baefd7e0.html
Former Economic Development CEO Gets 3 Years' Probation, $20K Fine For Stenger Scheme
Sheila Sweeney, the former chief executive of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, has been sentenced to three years' probation and fined $20,000 for her role in a corruption scheme orchestrated by then-St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger.
Sweeney admitted in May that she knew Stenger was trying to steer county contracts to a campaign donor and did nothing to stop it. Sweeney helped that donor, John Rallo, get a $130,000 marketing contract, even though he had no relevant experience. She also maneuvered to make sure that Rallo’s real estate company was able to purchase two pieces of industrial property near the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy
U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry could have sentenced Sweeney to up to 10 months in federal prison, according to federal guidelines for the crime, misprision of a felony.
Justin Gelfand, Sweeney's attorney, noted that she had never been convicted of a crime before and had an extensive history of charitable work. In a pre-sentence memo to the court, her attorneys also asked for probation because she is “the primary caretaker of her 79-year-old husband of 27 years, who is in poor health.”
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/former-economic-development-ceo-gets-3-years-probation-20k-fine-stenger-scheme
Ferguson-Florissant Students Will Carry Clear Backpacks, See More Police
Middle and high school students in the Ferguson-Florissant School District will have to shove books, binders and calculators into clear backpacks as part of an overhauled security plan district officials announced Wednesday.
And all of Ferguson-Florissant’s 10,600 students will see more police and security officers when they arrive for the first day of school Thursday.
The district issued clear book bags to all sixth through 12th graders over the summer. The transparent bags are an attempt to reduce the number of weapons that have ended up on high school campuses. Last school year, district security officers recovered three firearms in backpacks after being tipped off by other students. None of the instances resulted in shots fired or injuries.
“The issue is safety and there are times that a search may be required, but it will depend on the circumstance,” Superintendent Joseph Davis said.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ferguson-florissant-students-will-carry-clear-backpacks-see-more-police
Bost And Others Influenced Trump Into Backing Off Commuting Blagojevich's Sentence
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, confirmed he spoke with President Donald Trump and his acting chief of staff just before the president backed off of his consideration of commuting former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich' prison sentence.
Trump had brought up the idea while speaking to reporters on Air Force One while returning from a trip to El Paso, Texas last week.
CNN reported, Trump decided to back off after conversations with Bost and U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria. They also spoke with Trump's acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.
All five of Illinois congressional Republicans, including U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, and U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, have been against the idea of Blagojevich being allowed to leave prison early.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/bost-and-others-influenced-trump-backing-commuting-blagojevich-s-sentence
Ashcroft's Delay Makes Vote On Missouri's 8-Week Ban 'Impossible,' Abortion-Rights Group Says
The pro-abortion rights group No Bans on Choice plans to abandon its efforts to collect signatures on a petition that would give voters the option to overturn a Missouri law that bans most abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, officials from the committee said Wednesday.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft on Wednesday released the wording for the ballot initiative after a months-long legal battle.
American Civil Liberties Union representatives say it’s unlikely they would collect the 100,000 signatures they need to place a referendum on the ballot before the law goes into effect on Aug. 28.
Abortion rights advocates in Missouri quickly accused Ashcroft of willfully withholding the initiative until the latest possible date to prevent the petition receiving enough signatures. They expressed outrage that Ashcroft had waited for so long.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ashcroft-s-delay-makes-vote-missouri-s-8-week-ban-impossible-abortion-rights-group-says
Ashcroft's Delay Makes Vote On Missouri's 8-Week Ban 'Impossible,' Abortion-Rights Group Says
The pro-abortion rights group No Bans on Choice plans to abandon its efforts to collect signatures on a petition that would give voters the option to overturn a Missouri law that bans most abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, officials from the committee said Wednesday.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft on Wednesday released the wording for the ballot initiative after a months-long legal battle.
American Civil Liberties Union representatives say it’s unlikely they would collect the 100,000 signatures they need to place a referendum on the ballot before the law goes into effect on Aug. 28.
Abortion rights advocates in Missouri quickly accused Ashcroft of willfully withholding the initiative until the latest possible date to prevent the petition receiving enough signatures. They expressed outrage that Ashcroft had waited for so long.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ashcroft-s-delay-makes-vote-missouri-s-8-week-ban-impossible-abortion-rights-group-says
Ashcroft's Delay Makes Vote On Missouri's 8-Week Ban 'Impossible,' Abortion-Rights Group Says
The pro-abortion rights group No Bans on Choice plans to abandon its efforts to collect signatures on a petition that would give voters the option to overturn a Missouri law that bans most abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, officials from the committee said Wednesday.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft on Wednesday released the wording for the ballot initiative after a months-long legal battle.
American Civil Liberties Union representatives say it’s unlikely they would collect the 100,000 signatures they need to place a referendum on the ballot before the law goes into effect on Aug. 28.
Abortion rights advocates in Missouri quickly accused Ashcroft of willfully withholding the initiative until the latest possible date to prevent the petition receiving enough signatures. They expressed outrage that Ashcroft had waited for so long.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ashcroft-s-delay-makes-vote-missouri-s-8-week-ban-impossible-abortion-rights-group-says
Profile Information
Gender: MaleCurrent location: U.S.
Member since: Sat May 13, 2006, 07:37 AM
Number of posts: 38,958
