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RFT Reviews the Week: July 24 to July 30 | St. Louis Metro News | St. Louis

Published

2 years ago

July 31, 2023

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click to enlarge Bone Thugs-N-Harmony closed out the first night of Pig & Whiskey Festival, which was a scorcher.

MONDAY, JULY 24. Local grocer Fields Foods seems to be in deep trouble: Its Pagedale store, a much-lauded collab with a local nonprofit, has closed less than a year after launching, and across the city, shelves are empty. Owner Chris Goodson says he’s selling to an employee group — oh, and he needs massive tax breaks to redevelop Cleveland High School. This bodes well. Also, state Senator Andrew Koening (R-Manchester) is running for state treasurer, and we’re enjoying the idea of all the GOP candidates beginning a circular firing squad to rival the Democrats’.

TUESDAY, JULY 25. It’s super hot in St. Louis — and beyond. Water temps in southern Florida are at 100 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Is boiling to death our fate? Well, convicted child killer Johnny Johnson may get a reprieve; a three-court panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals issues a stay in his execution, which had been set for August 1. More problems with the city’s 911 dispatch system: KSDK reports a man died of a heart attack after playing baseball in Forest Park. His friends called 911 over and over again, to no avail. They note that the park also apparently lacks defibrillators, which just seems dumb.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26. A morning downpour does little to cut through the heat. In Delaware, a judge blocks Hunter Biden’s plea deal. In London, Kevin Spacey is found not guilty of sexual assault. And across the world, music lovers mourn Sinead O’Connor. Sinead, let this 45-year-old newspaper decree on behalf of all of Gen-X: Nothing compares 2 U.

THURSDAY, JULY 27. The U.S. Senate votes 61-37 to expand a federal program for survivors of nuclear radiation to include all the St. Louis-area residents poisoned by the waste the feds carelessly dumped here after the Manhattan Project — the subject of our cover story three weeks ago. We hate ever to credit that Hawley dipshit, but this is good. Really good. Meanwhile, security at City SC pepper sprays rowdy fans en route to the team losing 4-0. Now they’re out of the Leagues Cup, which we will pretend means something to us. Also, the Loop Trolley goes offline because it’s too hot. That clown car always was quick to throw in the towel.

FRIDAY, JULY 28. It’s still ridiculously hot, yet the Pig & Whiskey Festival is packed. No trolley-style quitting for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony! Alas, one music fan who isn’t in attendance: Robert “Beatle Bob” Matonis. His sister confirms he died July 27 after suffering from ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. RIP. In unrelated news, Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore charges a 34-year-old man with statutory sodomy and sexual misconduct after he allegedly snatched a child in St. Louis Hills and assaulted him behind a dumpster. The same guy is also accused of attacking a kid at Francis Park. Terrifying.

SATURDAY, JULY 29. A massive storm rolls through the metro area in the late afternoon, and in a frustratingly common occurrence this summer, tens of thousands are again without power. Powering along: The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which overrules the three-judge panel that granted convicted killer Johnny Johnson a reprieve earlier this week. His execution is now set after all for August 1, as long as the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t get involved. Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of St. Louis hosts a summit on gun violence. Says Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, “It’s a human life issue, and it’s a quality of life issue.” Hear, hear.

SUNDAY, JULY 30. It’s the final mass for the Catholic parishes ordered to close under the archdiocese’s All Things New plan, and it feels like the end of a (very flawed) era. It’s also incredibly hot yet again — but the trolley is supposedly back. To which we have to ask: Who cares, and is anyone even riding the damn thing? Meanwhile, the beleaguered Cardinals trade no fewer than three pitchers, and righthander Jordan Hicks posts a photo of his Imo’s order, purchased from the Hampton Avenue pizzeria earlier in the day. The Texas native even got the Provel bites before heading off to Toronto. We’re not crying, you’re crying!

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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

1 year 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

1 year 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

1 year 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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