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Tishaura Jones: Missouri’s Conservatism Hurts St. Louis | St. Louis Metro News | St. Louis

Published

2 years ago

April 28, 2023

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click to enlarge DANNY WICENTOWSKI “If things get even more extreme, I’m wondering how that’s going to hurt our economy as well,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones says.

Missouri’s reputation for extreme conservatism harms St. Louis, Mayor Tishaura Jones says.

The mayor sat down with the Riverfront Times a day after she railed against “far right-wing Republicans” in Jefferson City during her second State of the City address earlier this week.

She discussed a wide range of topics, from Republicans in Jefferson City to the prospect of Kim Gardner running for reelection. At one point she laid into Missouri’s conservative politics and its adverse effects on the city of St. Louis.

Missouri has one of the strictest abortion laws compared to any other state. This year, Missouri legislators filed more anti-LGBTQ+ bills than any other state. And the state’s loose gun laws could very well be the reason why Black people fall victim to homicides here more than any other state in the nation, a recent study concluded.

“We have seen that conventions have decided not to come here,” Jones said. “Students have decided not to come here for secondary or post-secondary education because of our abortion laws. If things get even more extreme, I’m wondering how that’s going to hurt our economy as well.”

To legislators in Jefferson City, Jones said during her State of the City address, a 12-year-old receiving gender-affirming care is “a bigger threat than a 12-year-old with an assault rifle.” She described legislation against transgender kids and their families as “ugly attacks.”

Last month, Governor Mike Parson visited St. Louis and told reporters that crime in St. Louis harms the image of the state, and that when he travels to recruit businesses, he has to “deal with that situation all the time.”

But Jones said she deals with the flip side of that problem — and that Missouri’s negative image could contribute to St. Louis’ population decline.

“I think that people look for places where there’s opportunity,” Jones said. “They look for places where there isn’t a lot of interference between the cities and the state government. Where cities are allowed to exist, or where cities are allowed to flourish, despite what the state does — or in spite of what the state does.”

“I think in the past you saw a more collegial relationship between cities and the state government, but now it’s more antithetical,” Jones continued.

Yet there are many contributing factors to the perception that the area is troubled. If the national narrative isn’t focused on Missouri’s reactionary policies, such as the attorney general’s attempt to restrict transgender health care, they’re often highlighting dysfunction, such as the problems plaguing the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.

Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner came under intense public scrutiny after a man out on bond crashed into and maimed a visiting teenager. News of the crash cascaded into widespread criticism of Gardner’s office. The Missouri Attorney General has launched an investigation into the office, which has since been described by a judge as a “rudderless ship of chaos.”

Jones said shortly after the crash that Gardner had “lost the trust of the people.” When asked if Gardner had lost her personal trust, Jones said she “stood by” her previous statement.

“I realize that is a difficult office to run, and we have offered our support, because no one wants to see the Circuit Attorney’s Office fail,” Jones said.

Gardner has said she’ll run for reelection despite calls for her to resign. Will Jones support her?

“We’ll see if she runs for reelection,” Jones said. “You know, filing doesn’t open until February 2024. People can say that they’ll run and then change their mind. You never know.”

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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

7 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

7 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

7 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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