Local News

RFT Reviews the Week: March 20 to March 26, 2023 | St. Louis Metro News | St. Louis

Published

2 years ago

March 27, 2023

[ad_1]

click to enlarge Courtesy Saint Louis Zoo Look at him, he’s done nothing wrong ever.

MONDAY, MARCH 20 It’s gone from 20 degrees to 55, and we aren’t complaining! What we are complaining about: The Missouri Attorney General is issuing a new rule to restrict gender-affirming care — the better to persuade GOP primary voters that he’s the one and only candidate capable of governing by fiat. Who needs an elected legislature when a bureaucrat unelected by the people can take matters in his own hands, no need for public hearings? (In fairness, it’s hard to imagine all the testimony going on in Jeff City will work out any better for parents of trans kids; after all, this is Missouri.) Also, in Idaho, Republicans block a plan to provide tampons in schools — they’re allegedly “too woke.” Real women free bleed, donchaknow.

TUESDAY, MARCH 21 It’s the first day of spring, and Donald Trump is apparently telling his friends that he’s looking forward to doing a perp walk. Anything for attention! Also: Ben the bear is leaving for Gladys Porter Zoo after repeatedly escaping his cage at the St. Louis one. We don’t care how naughty he was; banishing him to Brownsville is just mean. Meanwhile, a missing St. Charles woman was found dead in Maryland Heights six days after going missing. The woman had texted with the man who’s now charged in her death. Which leaves us with one question: How do we pin this on Kim Gardner?

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22 St. Louis County Executive Sam Page wants a 3 percent county tax on marijuana — and if municipalities pass their own taxes, his proposal would stack them, meaning places like Maplewood and Florissant could easily end up with 6 percent sales tax on top of the 6 percent charged by the state. Ouch. That seems to fly in the face of the constitutional amendment approved by voters, which said the appropriate taxing authority could include municipalities or, for unincorporated areas, the county — not, for incorporated areas, the county on top of municipalities. Local pols are apparently out of any revenue ideas beyond taxing vice, as smokers and drinkers know all too well. Also, contrary to his own predictions, Donald Trump did not get arrested today. Trumpers seem disappointed.

THURSDAY, MARCH 23 The House Committee for Energy and Commerce is grilling the CEO of TikTok — and if ever there was a crew that made us sympathetic to the foreign-owned social media outlet steadily rotting our brains, it’s our posturing, pious Congress. Naturally, the best political coverage of the hearing came on TikTok, where observers mocked the Capitol circus with the eye rolls they deserved.

FRIDAY, MARCH 24 A tornado kills 26 people in Mississippi and leaves a swath of destruction 100 miles wide. In St. Louis, we’re lucky it’s just rain, rain, rain. Meanwhile, in NCAA basketball, all four No. 1 seeds have now lost. No, we have no actual dog in this hunt, but for a city that is never a No. 1 seed at anything, the triumph of the underdogs feels like a positive development.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25 Now this is the kind of spring weather we’re talking about! The parks are full of pickleball paddles and noisy kids. In the Grove, drag queens are on the march, organized by our own society columnist, Chris Andoe. Seen and heard: Lots of beautiful drag queens, and lots of gay men awkwardly wearing dresses in solidarity. Gay men, we salute you for trying. These lewks are not easy to pull off. And how about St. Louis CITY SC? Five wins in a row, baby!

SUNDAY, MARCH 26 The glorious weather continues. Some additional good news, for once: Organizers of the volleyball tournament that infamously left a Tennessee teen a double amputee last month returned to St. Louis and gave the city high marks for safety. Intriguingly, the city blocked off a lane of Washington Ave between 7th and 10th streets and “turned [it] into a pedestrian thoroughfare for the weekend,” per the Post-Dispatch. Wondering what it would take to get safe pedestrian zones in your neighborhood? Forget it, Jake, it’s St. Louis. Meanwhile, in Florida, the Astros beat the Cards 24-1. That one hurts.

[ad_2]

Source link

Local News

Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

7 months ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

[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.

[ad_2]

Source link

Local News

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

Published

7 months ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

[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.”

[ad_2]

Source link

Local News

St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

Published

7 months ago

May 21, 2024

Natural Bridge

[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.”

[ad_2]

Source link