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RFT Reviews the Week: May 22 to May 28 | St. Louis Metro News | St. Louis

Published

2 years ago

May 31, 2023

Natural Bridge

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Tina Turner died last week after a battle with a long illness.

Here’s What You Missed Last Week in St. Louis

MONDAY, MAY 22. The Post-Dispatch breaks the news that Rick Hummel died Saturday and it’s an outpouring of love for the Commish. The 77-year-old covered the Cardinals for five decades. But just when you want to see the Cards win one for the departed sportswriter, they lose to Cincinnati in the 10th inning — and strike out 14 times. Also unfortunate news: The city’s Public Utilities Director Curt Skouby says his department needs a 40 percent rate increase, stat. Anyone else starting to think there will be nothing left of the Rams settlement (much less all that ARPA money) once the city gets caught up on all its long-neglected infrastructure? Nothing works!

TUESDAY, MAY 23. News breaks that some kid from Chesterfield crashed a U-Haul into a White House security barrier the night before in what’s described as an attempt to “seize power, and be put in charge of the nation” — and kill the president if necessary. What are they teaching these kids at Marquette High, and how delusional do you have to be to think a U-Haul is going to be enough to seize power? Officers didn’t even find weapons or explosives … just a sad-sack Nazi flag. That’s not even enough to seize the Reichstag, kiddo. Meanwhile, our supposed week of perfect weather turns hot — 85 degrees and a bit muggy. At least the Cardinals win, 8-5.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24. Tina Turner dies at age 83. The Post-Dispatch headline tells us that the “Sumner grad’s big dreams helped her become royalty,” proving that in St. Louis, it really does all go back to high school. Still, for all our eye-rolls at the St. Louis question, we can’t help but be proud we can claim one of the greatest of all time matriculated here. Rest in peace, queen.

THURSDAY, MAY 25. Oath Keeper Stewart Rhodes gets 18 years for helping lead the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th. And yet Josh Hawley walks free among us! Rhodes is the first person to be found guilty of “seditious conspiracy.” Meanwhile, the national media seems increasingly certain that the U.S. will default on its debt and throw the economy into chaos. Our only consolation is that we’ve been to this rodeo before; it’s hard to get too wound up when every eight months or so Congress seems intent on scaring the shit out of us and then every eight months or so they just raise the ceiling anyway. We’re gonna just keep telling ourselves these boys are crying wolf … right?

FRIDAY, MAY 26. Nearly 100 people gather outside a St. Charles County library branch to protest — and counterprotest — a library clerk’s attire, which apparently included both a goatee and makeup on a day a total Karen happened to be there with her kid. Said Karen, who is apparently named Rachel Homolak, admits her kid didn’t even see the offending librarian, but these are the times we live in: She still put the poor librarian on blast on social media. The Post-Dispatch says 35 people heeded her call to protest. Another 60 showed up to support the librarian, which shows there are still some nice people in the world — even in St. Chuck!

SATURDAY, MAY 27. In Cleveland, the Cards beat the Guardians 2-1, despite just getting two hits. Both of them were from Brendan Donovan, who also garnered two walks and a stolen base — leaving him with two runs scored and also the game’s sole RBI. The other run came courtesy of a passed ball, and, yes, Donovan is also the guy who scored on that. Truly heroic. Back in St. Louis, the weather is actually perfect. Next time someone tells you perfection isn’t possible, point to this day.

SUNDAY, MAY 28. The kids in D.C. reach a debt ceiling deal (told ya!) Back home, at Sunday mass, Catholic parishes read individual letters from Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, who explains that he’s ordering the closure of 35 parishes and reassignment of 155 priests, the biggest reorganization of the Catholic church in St. Louis history. Reflecting the Catholic church’s falling fortunes in north city and north county, nearly half of the closures are there. Which of course means it’s going to be even harder to be Catholic in north city/county, and that means things may even get worse from here. Remember when St. Louis was the Rome of the West? Now we really are just a rowdy Dubuque.

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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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