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Aldridge and Washington Face Off As Memory of Past Conflict Looms | St. Louis Metro News | St. Louis

Published

2 years ago

March 20, 2023

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click to enlarge Courtsey Ebony Washington/Tim Bummel, House Communications Ebony Washington and State Representative Rasheen Aldridge The upcoming aldermanic election gives Ward 14 candidate Rasheen Aldridge a sense of deja vu.Aldridge’s ascent to public office began after he quashed incumbent Rodney Hubbard Sr. to win election as the Fifth Ward Democratic Committeeman in 2016. His victory came only after a lawsuit filed against Hubbard and his wife, then state representative Penny Hubbard, sparked a rare election re-do. Aldridge had sued along with activist Bruce Franks, who challenged Penny Hubbard for her state seat. The suit alleged that “extreme irregularities” with absentee ballots had secured wins for the Hubbards. Aldridge and Franks won in court — and then later won the do-over elections.Seven years later, Aldridge again faces the Hubbard family.His opponent in next month’s general election, Ebony Washington, is the niece of former Ward 5 Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard and the granddaughter of Penny and Rodney Hubbard Sr.And just like Aldridge’s last contest with the Hubbards, Washington edged above her opponents by receiving far more absentee votes than any candidate.Washington has never previously run for political office. Yet in the primary earlier this month, she managed to get more votes than her three high-profile opponents in the new 14th ward that includes downtown St. Louis and a swath of north city. Her opponents included Aldridge, a high-profile Democrat in the Missouri House, and incumbent aldermen Brandon Bosley and James Page.Considering Washington’s lack of name recognition, Aldridge thought March’s primary would result in a general election race between him and Bosley, who comes from a St. Louis political dynasty and will have served on the Board of Aldermen for six years when his time in office ends in April.Still, was Aldridge surprised by the results? No. “The Hubbards did their absentee thing again,” Aldridge says. By “absentee thing,” Aldridge is referring to the findings of a 2016 Post-Dispatch investigation — that staffers who claimed to work on the Hubbards’ campaigns may have unlawfully filed absentee ballots on behalf of unsuspecting voters.Forty percent of the votes Washington received in the primary were cast through absentee ballots. Absentee votes made up 28 percent and 23 percent for Aldridge and Bosley, respectively, and about 34 percent for Page.Besides Page, Washington received the fewest votes at the polls on the actual election day. Reached by phone last week, Washington says her community involvement was what secured her win. She says she’s tutored adults to help them obtain their GEDs through the St. Louis Public Schools. Among other volunteer experiences, she says she’s worked with a neighborhood clean-up group and a domestic violence center called Redevelopment Opportunities for Women.“When you are true to yourself and a genuine person who really cares about the people, it shows,” Washington says. “The voters spoke on election day — they’re tired of being lied to.”Both Aldridge and Washington said they ran to provide a new perspective on the Board of Aldermen. Bosley and Page, who had been redistricted into the same ward, collectively had about eight years of experience on the board.”We need leaders who are going to be willing to step up and come up with bold ideas to move us forward,” Aldridge says.A progressive, Aldridge aligns with St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Board of Aldermen President Megan Green. Washington says she disagrees with some of both officials’ ideals, especially in regard to public safety. She believes the fact that she received more votes than three already-elected officials means Ward 14 residents are ready for a change — and she says Aldridge represents just more of the same.“I believe Rasheen is like a ventriloquist doll for the mayor… He’s not for the people,” Washington says.Asked about her ties to the Hubbards, Washington declined to explain how she was related, confirming only “close ties” to the family. (Multiple other sources later confirmed the details.)“I don’t understand why my relatives are important for my platform or my plans for the ward,” Washington says.Apart from her family’s history, Washington has a past of her own.Two restraining orders were filed against Washington last February by the father of Washington’s children and his wife, according to the St. Louis American, and will expire by the end of this month.In 2021, Washington was cited but never charged for shoplifting at a Wal-Mart directly across the street from Manchester Police Department. Court records also show Washington was sued by Carr Square Tenant Management Corporation last April after not paying rent for five months. The nonprofit corporation’s agent is her grandfather, Rodney Hubbard Sr.If Washington can pull off a victory in the general election on April 4, it will be another chapter in what was once a St. Louis political dynasty.But for Aldridge, it’s “a rematch with the Hubbards” — and he’s running to win, just like last time.Coming soon: Riverfront Times Daily newsletter. We’ll send you a handful of interesting St. Louis stories every morning. Subscribe now to not miss a thing.Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

11 months ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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A warrant is out for a Fenton man’s arrest after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a sword.

Police say that on Sunday, Angelus Scott spoke openly about “slicing his roommate’s head” before he grabbed a sword, raised it up and then swung it down at the roommate.

The roommate grabbed Scott’s hand in time to prevent injury. When police arrived at the scene, they found the weapon used in the assault.

The sword in question was a katana, which is a Japanese sword recognizable for its curved blade.

This isn’t the first time a samurai-style sword has been used to violent effect in St. Louis. In 2018, a man hearing voices slaughtered his ex-boyfriend with a samurai sword. His mother said he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.

As for Scott, 35, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was charged yesterday with two felonies, assault first degree and armed criminal action. The warrant for his arrest says he is to be held on $200,000 bond.

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Caught on Video, Sheriff Says He’s Ready to ‘Turn It All Over’ to Deputy

Published

11 months ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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Video of St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts taken by a former deputy suggests that the sheriff has a successor in mind to hand the reins of the department over to, even as Betts is in an increasingly heated campaign for reelection.

“I ain’t here for all this rigmarole,” Betts says in the video while seated behind his desk at the Carnahan Courthouse. “The Lord sent me here to turn this department around and I’m doing the best I can and I think I’ve done a good job. I’ve got about eight months and I’m going to qualify for my fourth pension.”

He goes on, “Right now I can walk up out of here and live happily ever after and forget about all this…and live like a king.”

The sheriff then says his wife has been in Atlanta looking at houses and that the other deputy in the room, Donald Hawkins, is someone Betts has been training “to turn it all over to him.”

Asked about the video, Betts tells the RFT, “My future plans are to win reelection on August 6th by a wide margin and to continue my mission as the top elected law enforcement official to make St. Louis safer and stronger. Serving the people of St. Louis with integrity, honor and professional law enforcement qualifications is a sacred responsibility, and I intend to complete that mission.”

The video of Betts was taken by Barbara Chavers, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 after 24 years of service. Chavers now works security at Schnucks at Grand and Gravois. Betts’ brother Howard works security there, too.

Chavers tells the RFT that she was summoned to Betts’ office last week after Betts’ brother made the sheriff aware that she was supporting Montgomery. It was no secret: Chavers had filmed a Facebook live video in which she said she was supporting Betts’ opponent Alfred Montgomery in the election this fall. “Make the judges safe,” she says in the video, standing in front of a large Montgomery sign on Gravois Avenue. “They need a sheriff who is going to make their courtrooms safe.”

In his office, even as Chavers made clear she was filming him, Betts told Chavers he was “flabbergasted” and “stunned” she was supporting Montgomery.

“I don’t know what I did that would make you go against the preacher man,” he says, referring to himself. He then refers to Montgomery as “ungodly.”

Betts goes on to say that not long ago, he was walking in his neighborhood on St. Louis Avenue near 20th Street when suddenly Montgomery pulled up in his car and, according to Betts, shouted, “You motherfucker, you this, you that. You’re taking my signs down.”

Montgomery tells the RFT that he’s never interacted with Betts outside of candidate forums and neighborhood meetings.

“I don’t think anyone with good sense would do something like that to a sitting sheriff,” Montgomery says.

Montgomery has had campaign signs missing and on at least two occasions has obtained video of people tearing them down. (Chavers notes that the sign that she filmed her original Facebook video in front of is itself now missing.)

One man who lives near Columbus Square says that he recently put out two Montgomery signs, which later went missing. “If they keep taking them, I’ll keep putting them up,” he said.

Betts says he has nothing to do with the missing signs. In the video Chavers filmed in Betts’ office, Betts says that his campaign isn’t in a spot where it needs to resort to tearing down opponents’ signs.

“If you sit here long enough, a man is getting ready to come across the street from City Hall bringing me $500, today,” Betts says. “I’m getting that kind of support. I don’t need to tear down signs.”

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St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

Published

11 months ago

May 21, 2024

Natural Bridge

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The City of St. Louis is working to develop its first citywide mobility plan in decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Tuesday. This plan seeks to make it easier for everyone — drivers, pedestrians, bikers and public transit users — to safely commute within the city.

The plan will bring together other city projects like the Brickline Greenway, Future64, the MetroLink Green Line, and more, “while establishing new priorities for a safer, more efficient and better-maintained transportation network across the City,” according to the release.

The key elements in the plan will be public engagement, the development of a safety action plan, future infrastructure priorities and transportation network mapping, according to Jones’ office.

The overarching goals are to create a vision for citywide mobility, plan a mixture of short and long-term mobility projects and to develop improved communication tools with the public to receive transportation updates. In recent years, both people who use public transit and cyclists have been outspoken about the difficulties — and dangers — of navigating St. Louis streets, citing both cuts to public transit and traffic violence.

To garner public input and participation for the plan, Jones’ office said there will be community meetings, focus groups and a survey for residents to share their concerns. The city will also be establishing a Community Advisory Committee. Those interested in learning more should check out at tmp-stl.com/

“Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or taking public transit,” Jones said in a news release. “Creating a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan allows us to make intentional and strategic investments so that moving around St. Louis for jobs, education, and entertainment becomes easier, safer and more enjoyable.”

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