Connect with us

Local News

Ray Hartmann Is Taking His Talents to Substack | St. Louis Metro News | St. Louis

Published

on

[ad_1]


THEO WELLING He’ll always be “our” Ray Hartmann.

This week, Riverfront Times founder Ray Hartmann moves on from the weekly column he’s written for the paper since 2019 — and onto Substack. Hartmann hasn’t owned the paper since 1998 but has kept himself busy with other business ventures, including a stint owning St. Louis Magazine, nearly four years hosting a talk show on KTRS (550 AM) and his ongoing run as a panelist (and co-founder) of Nine PBS’  Donnybrook. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Why Substack? It’s a platform that I think is perfect for someone in my position — someone who has been doing this a long time and has an audience. I’m about to have two kids in college in the next year, and there are two things that I think I need more of: One is flexibility, and the other is money. 

This solves that? We’ll see. One person I follow on Substack is Thom Hartmann, a prominent progressive writer. He has 38,000 subscribers. He publishes something called the Hartmann Report. I suspect I’ll lower the Hartmann average on Substack, but I think there’s room for me to do well. I’ve written over 1,000 columns for the RFT over the years, and I’ve really enjoyed the past four years. But at this point, I need more flexibility in my life, which is one reason I’ve stopped doing radio. 

I’m going to miss the RFT, but I’m not going to miss the deadlines — and I know the people who have to enforce those deadlines are not going to miss me. But we’re planning for me to continue to contribute occasionally. 

“Ray Hartmann’s St. Louis Insider” will provide local and state coverage. And unlike some Substacks, you’re asking everyone who wants to read it to pay. Are you worried that’s a big ask? No, I don’t. The truth is that, contrary to what a lot of people think, two years out from bankruptcy, I’m in good standing with the taxing authorities, but I have a payment plan, and it’s substantial. I’ve always paid my fair share of taxes or more. If you want to criticize me, show me the seven-figure tax check you’ve written.

Charter membership for your Substack includes the ability to participate in a monthly Zoom call titled “Ray Hartmann Shuts Up and Listens.” What’s the idea there? We’ll find out, but I think there’s a lot of people who will be interested. I know from just going to the grocery store that a lot of people watch Donnybrook and read the column and like to interact. This gives them a chance to do that, and more than that, it gives me a chance to get some ideas. I think it’ll be fun. This is all about flexibility and trial and error. People will get a chance to get their ideas out. I’m going to come away from those monthly sessions with content. If someone wants to get the word out about the need for or against red light cameras, they’re going to have a forum, and I might take it from there and share it.

You’re also getting into grant writing. Anything you’d want to share about that? Part of it is, I’m looking for new and interesting things to do. I’m an old marathoner and I’m sort of at the 24-mile mark. When your ‘things to do’ list starts ‘don’t fall down,’ you want to find new and interesting things to do — that also, frankly, can be monetized. And I found two. I just finished a course at Northwestern University in grant writing, and I think it’s a really interesting challenge, and hopefully I’ll be able to do some good things strictly on a freelance basis to help local organizations to find significant funding they might not otherwise be able to get. 

You’ve been observing Missouri politics for a long time. Do you see any hope for Democrats in this state? You never say never. If you’d asked that question about Republicans in 1964, they would have said no. I think there’s hope for them. I actually do. They still start statewide with a 40 percent base. There’s hope. A lot of what’s happened has been driven by a cult of personality. And it can change.

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

[ad_2]

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Local News

Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

on

[ad_1]

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.

Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News |  Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

[ad_2]

Source link

Continue Reading

Local News

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

Published

on

[ad_1]

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.”

Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News |  Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

[ad_2]

Source link

Continue Reading

Local News

St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

Published

on

[ad_1]

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.”

Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News |  Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

[ad_2]

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending