April 20th, 2023 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Board of Aldermen begins its historic new path

By Rachel Lippmann

St. Louis Public Radio

New members sworn in Tuesday

Megan Green, Board of Aldermen president, presided over the 14-member body for the first time in St. Louis history on Tuesday.

In a commentary in today’s St. Louis American, Green wrote “Voters delivered the most diverse slate of municipal lawmakers in our city’s history. Our newly elected aldermen and alderwomen will be the first racially balanced Board in our history.” Green said in her inaugural remarks: “The disparities in our community have

See ALDERMEN, A6

Yearning for justice for Ralph Yarl

KC Black teen shot for ringing wrong doorbell

By Alvin A. Reid The St.

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday evening.

According to his family, Biden called the Yarl household and spoke with the wounded youth for about an hour.

“It was actually a beautiful, thoughtful, meaningful, compassionate conversation. [Biden] asked Ralph great questions about his musical background and shared stories about his own family playing similar instruments,” a relative post-

ed on Instagram.

“Each day is different. He has a long road ahead. However, we are very thankful that he is still here with us. I’ve been taking the time to read the emails and comments to Ralph. It warms our hearts to see him smile at all the kind words.”

Andrew Lester, 84, was scheduled for a Wednesday arraignment on charges of assault in the first degree, which could carry a life sentence. He is also charged

Gardner ouster attempt begins with drama

Attorneys square off in Civil Courts building

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

The St. Louis American

The first courtroom showdown between the city’s top prosecutor and the state’s attorney general was as illuminating and dramatic as an episode of Law & Order. On Tuesday, lawyers for St. Louis Circuit

Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey met before Judge John Torbitzky in a packed fourth-floor courtroom room in the city’s Civil Courts building. The courtroom drama that included arguments about subpoenas, trial timelines, and contents of the case lasted for more than four hours.

In the end, Judge Torbitzky said he’d rule on most of the issues on another date. He did, however, set a tentative date for a possible three-week trial beginning September 25, 2023. Gardner’s attorneys’ first order of business was challenging Bailey’s “quo warranto” lawsuit filed in mid-February. They maintain that the lawsuit should

See GARDNER, A7

By Alvin A. Reid

Congresswoman

ProPublica reported that Thomas accepted lavish trips and gifts from a prominent Republican donor for more than 20 years without disclosing them.

“Justice Clarence Thomas has made a mockery of his ethical obligations and disgraced himself and the entire judiciary,” Bush said in a Monday statement.

It is clear that Justice Thomas holds a complete disregard for law and ethics that is incompatible with the trust and confidence placed in federal judges. For these reasons, and because the federal judiciary has failed to hold Justice Thomas account-

See THOMAS, A6

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Newly sworn in 2nd Ward Alderman Tom Oldenburg, 4th Ward Alderman Bret Narayan, 6th Ward Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez, 10th Ward Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard, 12th Ward Alderwoman Sharon Tyus and 14th Ward Alderman Rasheen Aldridge at City Hall Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, President of Claflin University in South Carolina makes light hearted comments about working with Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith when he was the president of HSSU for five years. He is speaking in the auditorium named for him Friday, Apr. 14 at Collins Smith’s inauguration.

Kimberly M. Gardner

History at Harris-Stowe

Jonathan Majors dropped by his agent and publicist following domestic violence charges

Jonathan Majors has been dropped by his talent manager Entertainment 360 and his publicist, PR firm The Lede Company, following his arrest on domestic violence charges three weeks ago in New York City.

On March 25, he was arrested for an alleged physical assault on a 30-yearold woman. The unidentified victim was transported to the hospital with “minor injuries to her head and neck.” Majors is scheduled to appear before a judge on May 8. He’s accused of multiple harassment counts and assault from the New York City District Attorney.

“Jonathan Majors is completely innocent and is probably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows,” Majors’ criminal defense attorney Priya Chaudhry told Deadline in a March 27 statement. “We are quickly gathering and presenting evidence to the District Attorney with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently.”

Chaudhry added that the “evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place and witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations.”

Jamie Foxx still in hospital a week after suffering a medical complication

It’s been a week since Jamie Foxx’s daughter, Corinne Foxx reported the entertainer was hospitalized due to a health-related incident.

Corinne shared the news in an Instagram post on her account last Wednesday (April 12) that the incident happened on Tuesday, April 11. She didn’t specify what occurred, but she did say with “quick action and great care,” Jamie is “on his way to recovery.”

A source with information about the situation told CNN Jamie is still hospitalized in Georgia and undergoing medical tests.

Jamie is in Atlanta filming the Netflix movie “Back in Action” with Cameron Diaz. A source revealed to CNN the medical emergency didn’t occur on set and Jamie wasn’t driven to the hospital in an emergency vehicle.

An unnamed source relat ed to the film’s production told CNN on Friday (April 14) that filming is “cur rently under way” and is set to wrap up this week. The per son didn’t share if Jamie has unfinished scenes or if he will return to set.

Jalen Hurts highest paid player in NFL history

24-year-old Jalen Hurts is rolling in the dough now. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has signed a new five-year contract with a salary of $255 million, $51 million per year, making him the highest paid player in NFL history. His contract includes $179.3 million in guarantees and a no-trade clause.

Hurts dominated the Eagles in 2022, contributing to their Super Bowl journey.

Eagles coaches and personnel have applauded Hurts’ hard work throughout the offseason with head coach Nick Sirianni praising him in January.

“It’s like having Michael Jordan out there,” Sirianni said of Hurts. “He’s your leader. He’s your guy.”

“The hardest part, for sure, is the scarcity of really good quarterbacks, and we got one, and we got a very special player,” Eagles owner said in March.

RHOA star Kenya Moore’s divorce stalled Real Housewives of Atlanta

Kenya Moore’s divorce is STILL not finalized and Media Take Out learned that the divorce battle with ex-husband Marc Daly is heating up –

again. Kenya and Marc have been unable to reach a divorce settlement, as Marc is asking for his ex-wife to pay him BIG BANK to walk away from the marriage. He also wants joint custody, and possible child support payments from Kenya.

A person close to Kenya claims that Kenya offered a “fair” settlement to Marc – which amounts to many hundreds of thousands of dollars – but so far, he’s balked at her offer.

The two were set to battle it out in court next month. But now there’s a problem.

According to court documents, Marc’s lawyer has officially quit the case, just days before trial. Radar Online was the first news agency to report this.

In documents filed in Georgia court last week, Marc’s lawyer Regina Edwards informed the court of her request to withdraw from the case.

The attorney told the court that the trial is scheduled for May 22, 2023, but “will not be affected by the undersigned’s withdrawal.”

Meaning Marc has less than a month to get a new lawyer, and get ready for trial.

As Media Take Out reported, Kenya filed for divorce from Marc in May 2021. In the petition, she listed the date of separation as September 19, 2019, and noted they had been living in a “bonafide state of separation since that date.”

Sources: CNN, New York Post, Deadline

Jalen Hurt

- Sofia Mohammed, executive

STEMSTL Week matches Black youths with tech opportunities

at Tandy Rec Center,

By Danielle Brown St. Louis American

When it comes to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics [STEM] the numbers show a lack of Black professionals.

STEMSTL prides itself on providing “equitable access to high-quality STEM learning and employment opportunities for all learners in the St. Louis Metro region,” and its STEMSTL Celebration Week begins Saturday, April 22, 2023.

“STEMSTL makes sure if there’s a resource in one area it can be duplicated for another and expand,” said Samantha Minor, STEMSTL community coordinator. “We partner with organizations within our ecosystem, and do lots of collaborating to make sure that students and educators have the resources they need to gain exposure in STEM.”

Kate Polokonis, STEMSTL executive director said organizations including Heru Urban Farms, the National Weather Service, the YMCA, St. Louis Artworks, and the St. Louis Science Center are partnering to host events.“STEMSTL’s youth board member Rohan Suri was the driving force behind our day of robotics open houses. Multiple institutions like Maryville University, St. Louis Public Library, and Lowe’s have donated materials for the STEM-

at-Home kits. Seeing all these fantastic people and organizations come together for STEM Celebration Week fills me with hope for the future of STEM education in St Louis,” she said.

Mayra Taylor Garcia, STEMSTL programs manager said the company wants to ensure families have the opportunity to continue their emergence and exploration in STEM accompanied by the celebration week’s events.

“We have a STEMSTL giveaway running that week on that Saturday after the week is over,” Taylor Garica said. “We are giving one family membership to the following institutions: Saint Louis Science Center, Saint Louis Zoo, The Magic House including Made for Kids on Delmar and Missouri Botanical Garden. Families can enter the raffle by taking a picture at the event or posting about the event and tagging STEMSTL on social media using the hashtag #YouBelongInSTEMSTL. Every event serves as one entry for families. The winner will be revealed the following Saturday.”

STEMSTL Celebration Week events

Saturday, April 22

Earth Day 365 Festival, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 1 Theatre Drive, Forest

Park, St Louis, MO 63112

Sunday, April 23

Earth Day 365 Festival, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 1 Theatre Drive, St. Louis MO 63112 & Heru Urban Farming

Monday, April 24

Everything Space Day, 7:309:30 p.m. Stacy Park- 9750 Old Bonhomme Road, Olivette, MO 63132

Tuesday, April 25

STEM @ Home STEM Kit

Distributions to various locations for students K- 12th grade

Wednesday, April 26

Weather Wednesday, 4-6 p.m.

NWS Weather Exploration at Clay Community Education Center- 3820 N. 14th Street, St. Louis, MO 63107

Thursday, April 27

Robotics Day Beta. Made Esports event, 4-6 p.m. at

Tandy Recreation Center, 4206

Kennerly Ave, St Louis, MO 63113

Friends of the Rainforest at Ferguson Library, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. - 35 N Florissant Rd, Ferguson, MO 63135

Friday, April 28th

Pathways to Career Day and Project Lead The Way Capstone senior showcase at the St Louis Science Center, 9 a.m. - noon, 5050 Oakland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110

Juniors and seniors from the region will display engineering and bioscience projects in St. Louis Science Center’s Boeing Hall. The showcase will feature a scholarship award ceremony to recognize excellence in the following categories: academic merit in bioscience, academic merit in engineering, innovation in bioscience, and innovation in engineering.

STEM Signing Day at the St. Louis Science Center, noon - 1 p.m.

STEMSTL, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Boeing present

STEM Signing Day. St. Louis area students will be celebrated who are committed to studying STEM at the post-secondary level, a bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or technical program. Each student will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

START Work with STL Artworks at St. Louis Artworks, 4-5 p.m. 5959 Delmar Blvd, St Louis, MO 63112. St. Louis Artworks will host an open house to introduce St. Louis Artworks’ apprenticeship programs.

To learn more about STEMSTL and STEM Celebration Week on their website: https://stemstl. org/

Submitted photo

Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls students from left, Destinee L., Keva B., and

Adeline N., participated in a student STEM/construction workshop on Thursday, April 13 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Editorial/Commentary

Guest Editorial

While we work to defend our fundamental freedoms in Jefferson City, we can’t lose sight of the issues facing us at home: the need for safe neighborhoods, greater access to early childhood education and affordable housing.

We can accomplish more when we work together

By Megan Green

Five months ago, I told readers of the St. Louis American that the Board of Aldermen had a monumental task ahead of us. Today, I’m happy to report that your lawmakers came together to put the foundation for a more strategic, efficient legislative branch in place.

I commend the outgoing Board for working diligently to invest our remaining ARPA dollars in city infrastructure and public safety. The final Board was also instrumental in reestablishing the civilian oversight of the police department. That work brought us to a turning point in our city. Two weeks ago, voters delivered the most diverse slate of municipal lawmakers in our city’s history. Our newly elected aldermen and alderwomen, many of them supported by this newspaper, will be the first racially balanced Board in our history.

Our new Board of Aldermen will have six Black members, six white members, one Asian member and one Latina member. Eight of the Board’s 14 members are women. Two members are openly LGBTQIA.

We need that brand of leadership now more than ever. The Missouri General Assembly is working to dismantle our ability to self-govern. In the weeks ahead, the state legislature could vote to take away local control of our police department and put it in the hands of lawmakers in Jefferson City— politicians who like to appear tough on crime, but insist on inflaming the conditions that lead to crime; who are rushing toward the wrong side of history by erasing basic human rights for transgender Missourians; and who are punishing communities by defunding public libraries. This isn’t governance. It’s fascism. It’s anti-freedom of speech. It’s anti-public safety. And it’s antithetical to the principles on which this country was founded.

and through no fault of their own, those opportunities come at too high a price. We need to help working families shoulder the financial burden of early childhood education.

And we must do more for our unhoused population who are often penalized, even criminalized, for being vulnerable. An Unhoused Bill of Rights will decriminalize homelessness, create safeguards to protect their dignity and help them rebuild their lives.

Renters in our city are too often victimized by predatory landlords who raise rents on their tenants while lowering their quality of life. A Tenants’ Bill of Rights will create eviction protections and a right to counsel for renters—bringing the legal process for evictions into balance.

Most importantly, we must address our city’s housing crisis by rewriting the zoning code to encourage the development of affordable housing. If developers want a deal, they need to ensure that low-and moderate-income St. Louisans have access to housing they can afford. Our best way forward is to do that work together—to build a stronger connection between people and city government. To that end, the board is changing the way it does business. We have democratized public input and put more citizens in touch with local lawmakers by making virtual hearings permanent.

This brand of collaborative governance will guide the process for deciding how we invest the Rams settlement funds, the promise and potential of which can’t be overstated. Directed toward the right initiatives, these funds will create generational change for city residents.

Tennessee fiasco links racism, gun violence

By Marc Morial

A crowd of more than 1,000 that gathered at Tennessee’s Capitol to demand safer gun policies was mostly white.

The three 9-year-old children and two of the three staff members who died in the mass shooting that inspired the protest were white.

The group of legislators who stood at the House podium with a bullhorn to lead protestors in the galleries was multiracial.

Only the Black legislators were expelled.

The Tennessee lawmakers who voted to expel House members Justin Jones and Justin Pearson while sparing Gloria Johnson shifted focus away from the outcry against gun violence – which cuts across every demographic – toward their own appalling racism.

In the eyes of the nation, when the House convened on the morning April 6, the Tennessee Three were facing expulsion because they protested gun violence. When it adjourned that evening, the Jones and Pearson had been expelled because they are Black.

The reality is that racial resentment and gun extremism are inexplicably linked.

Nearly half of Southerners live in a household with at least one gun, compared to 28 percent of Northeasterners. Six of the ten states with the highest rates of gun violence –including Tennessee – are in the South. Tennessee has the 10th-highest rate of gun violence in the nation and ranks 29th on the strength of its gun safety policies. Just eight days after the massacre at Covenant School, the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee voted to defer action on any gun-related legislation until next year.

While the anti-gun safety supermajority in Tennessee’s legislature’s may continue to block common-sense policies for some time to come, their effort to silence the outcry against gun violence clearly has failed. Not only have both Black legislators been reappointed to the House, but they also return as national heroes.

The Nashville Metropolitan Council unanimously voted to reappoint Jones to his seat on Monday, and the Shelby County Board of Commissioners returned Pearson to the House on Wednesday.

But while we work to defend our fundamental freedoms in Jefferson City, we can’t lose sight of the issues facing us at home: the need for safe neighborhoods, greater access to early childhood education and affordable housing.

Crime visits too many of our residents and our government owes it to you to find a way through it. The current model of arrest-and-incarcerate isn’t working. It does little to reduce recidivism. It costs more in the long run. And it puts law enforcement in harm’s way when other alternatives exist. We need to remember that the perpetrators of violence are, many times, victims themselves and that poverty creates an inertia which prevents people from moving forward.

We want our city to be safe so our children can thrive. They rely on us, and we must do everything we can to help them lead dignified, prosperous lives. But for many parents, despite their best efforts

And for everyone who has experienced roadblocks at City Hall—my office is establishing a Red Tape Commission to thoroughly review our past policies and practices to modernize city government. We need to remove barriers that make it easier to open a business in Ballwin or Belleville than in St. Louis. It’s imperative that we update the City’s minority contracting and procurement practices to guarantee that our development workforce and contracts reflect diversity.

Most importantly, we will address our city’s housing crisis by rewriting the zoning code to encourage the development of affordable housing. If developers want a deal, they need to ensure that low-and moderate-income St. Louisans have access to housing they can afford.

The disparities in our city have been years in the making. Change won’t happen overnight. But if we work together and apply ourselves to a common purpose, we can build a St. Louis that works for everyone.

Megan Green is the first woman to serve as president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen

Racial resentment is a “statistically significant” predictor of white resistance to gun safety policies, research shows. Yet those same “racially resentful” Americans are less likely to support “gun rights” if they believe Black people are exercising those rights more than they are.

Despite the reality that a gun in the household offers almost no protection against assailants, doubles the risk of death by violent homicide and triples the risk of death by violent suicide, the vast majority of gun owners cite “protection” as their reason for owning one.

Clearly, for many white gun owners “protection” means “protection from Black people.”

The high rate of gun ownership in the South, even today, can be traced to the backlash against Reconstruction. The higher the rates of historical enslavement in a county, the higher the rates of contemporary gun ownership.

“Today we are sending a resounding message that democracy will not be killed in the comfort of silence,” Jones said after the vote. “Today we send a clear message to Speaker Cameron Sexton that the people will not allow his crimes against democracy to happen without challenge.”

In contrast to the legislature’s stubborn refusal to address gun violence, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has issued an executive order strengthening background checks for gun purchases and called for a red flag law that would temporarily remove guns from dangerous people. Lee and his wife, Maria, were longtime friends of two of those who lost their lives at Covenant School: substitute teacher Cynthia Peak and principal Katherine Koontz. Peak was expected at the governor’s mansion for dinner with Maria Lee on the day of the shooting. It should not take a personal connection to the victims of a massacre to move a public servant to take a stand against gun violence.

Marc Morial is National Urban League president and CEO

Thomas is in trouble – again

By Gloria Browne-Marshall

Clarence Thomas has served on the U.S. Supreme Court since 1991.

African American and born in poverty in Pinpoint, Ga., Thomas attended Yale Law School and took the place of Thurgood Marshall, an esteemed civil rights attorney and first African American to sit on the Supreme Court. He also spent several years in St. Louis, honing his legal skills with icons including Margaret Bush Wilson and Frankie Freeman.

Those facts should bring pride to the Black community. Unfortunately, shadowy questions have marked Thomas’ tenure on the Court from the very start.

Sexual harassment allegations by law professor Anita Hill were levelled against him thirty-one years ago. He is known for being anti-Black with rulings that have undermined affirmative action, voting rights, and criminal justice reform. Now, he is the focus of a scandal that could lead to impeachment.

For twenty years, Thomas has been taking luxury trips worth millions from a Republican billionaire known for actively pushing a conservative agenda.

um near Pinpoint, one of Thomas’ pet projects. Money was given to Ginny Thomas, a former leader of the Tea Party Movement, who also supported the Jan. 6 mob’s attack on the Capital, Kaplan said. It is not just accepting vacations and expensive gifts. It is the failure to disclose these gifts, Kaplan says.

Members of the U.S. Supreme Court must be above reproach because they interpret the law of the land. Justices have an ethical responsibility to disclose gifts in order to avoid an appearance of impropriety or influence peddling, meaning someone has undue power over judicial decisions or viewpoints.

“None of these gifts were disclosed on Justice Thomas’ official disclosure forms,” said Joshua Kaplan, one of the ProPublica reporters who wrote the story “Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire.”

Justice Thomas and his wife Ginny Thomas have been living a lavish lifestyle as friends of Harlan Crow, a billionaire super donor to conservative causes. The Thomases had a vacation in Indonesia, flew on Crow’s plane and stayed on his yacht. They also enjoyed his private island retreats, a ranch and exotic trips to places around the world for years.

“Crow’s apparent gifts to Thomas have no known precedent in the modern history of the U.S. Supreme Court,” Kaplan says. Money was given to build a muse-

Thomas had been given notice that ProPublica was investigating these gifts from Crow, Kaplan said.

He seems not to understand that taking these gifts and then failing to report it gives a public impression that a conservative Republican billionaire has bought the most powerful Black man in American government and that these trips allowed Crow to have access to Thomas to ensure this powerful jurist did not stray from the conservative path.

Perhaps Thomas did not realize how his behavior undermined a high Court already suffering from the lowest public approval rating in its history and defies laws passed in the wake of the Watergate scandal. The Ethics in Government Act requires Supreme Court justices and many other federal officials to report most gifts to the public. Federal employees in positions of power must report free rides on private jets.

Conservatives have a supermajority on the Supreme Court and Roberts is one of them. Moreover, Clarence Thomas is viewed as the most conservative justice on this Court.

Gloria Browne-Marshall is a professor at John Jay College (CUNY)

Guest Columnist Megan Green

Guest Columnist Gloria BrowneMarshall

Columnist Marc H. Morial

ESL 189’s Briana Morales named Teacher of Year

St. Louis American staff

It wasn’t your average Monday on April 17 for Briana Morales, an English teacher at Gordon Bush Alternative Center in East St. Louis.

Morales was named the 2023 Illinois Teacher of the year and was presented her award in a surprise visit by state Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders.

One of 13 finalists, Morales has taught high school English at Gordon Bush Alternative Center in East St. Louis School District 189 since 2018.

Her students have experienced poverty, gun violence, and personal tragedy, and she empowers them to process their trauma by sharing their stories through written and spoken word.

“They faked me out; I thought I was coming down here for a meeting,” Morales said.

“I think that the work we do is amazing. There are so many amazing things that are going on and I just knew we had such a great story to tell here. The kids have an amazing story to tell.”

Morales said her school and its district “are putting East St. Louis on the map. And not only are we putting East St. Louis on the map ... we’re putting alternative education on the map.”

So, every day here, we do the best that we can to show [out students] that who you are is enough. We’re elevating peoples’ humanity at all times.”

As Teacher of the year, Morales can begin an ambassadorship beginning in July and the state will fund a one-year sabbatical that provides a teacher with the opportunity to teach in her place under her guidance.

Morales will represent Illinois on the national stage in the National Teacher of the Year program sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

“I think that students deserve good teachers no matter what district they’re in,” she told the Belleville News-Democrat.

“There are kids who need a teacher who is excited to see them every single day.

The time is ripe for real change

By Marian Wright Edelman

Dr. Martin Luther King’s last Sunday sermon was delivered at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 1968 four days before his assassination in Memphis.

Dr. King said its title, “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution,” was based on the old story of Rip Van Winkle, who fell asleep for 20 years and slept right through the American Revolution — and he warned us that during upheaval in our own times we must not do the same.

As Dr. King spoke about the freedom revolution he saw happening around the world and the urgent need for America to finally end racial injustice, he addressed “the myth of time.” This was the idea that only the passage of time would ultimately solve this, and Black people and their allies simply needed to be patient.

Dr. King said there is an answer to this myth: “It is that time is neutral. It can be used whether constructively or destructively. And I am sorry to say this morning that I am absolutely convinced that the forces of ill will in our nation, the extreme rightists of our nation—the people on the wrong side — have used time much more effectively than the forces of goodwill.”

He continued: “It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation, not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, ‘Wait on time.’

Somewhere we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are willing to be co-workers with God. And without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. So, we must help time and realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”

A few minutes later Dr. King shared the parable of the rich man Dives, who went to hell, and the poor, sick man Lazarus, who laid outside Dives’ gate hoping for crumbs from his table. Dr. King said Dives didn’t go to hell because he was rich, but instead of realizing that his wealth was his opportunity to bridge the gulf between them, Dives walked by Lazarus every day and never really saw him: “He went to hell because he allowed his brother to become invisible . . . And this can happen to America, the richest nation in the world.”

Calling for the Poor People’s Campaign that would soon come to Washington, Dr. King added: “This is America’s opportunity to help bridge the gulf between the haves and the have-nots. The question is whether America will do it. There is nothing new about poverty. What is new is that we now have the techniques and the resources to get rid of poverty. The real question is whether we have the will. ‘If ye do it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye do it unto me.’ That’s the question facing America today.”

Dr. King did not live to see how our nation would answer the question. On the day he was assassinated he called his mother to tell her the title for his next Sunday sermon: “Why America May Go to Hell.”

Fifty-five years later, we are still waiting. But the time is still ripe to choose the right answer. This is also a ripe time for all of us to recommit to being the tireless, persistent, dedicated co-workers with God who will help.

Marian Wright Edelman is founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Devin Mosely, a 12th grader at Gordon Bush Alternative Center, celebrates with Illinois Teacher of the Year Briana Morales on April 17, 2023. Mosely called Morales “an amazing teacher.”

Photo courtesy of East St. Louis School District 189

Marian Wright Edelman

Aldermen

Continued from A1

been centuries in the making, and change won’t happen overnight. We need to work together with common purpose, a shared conviction, and an unyielding urgency.”

But she also alluded to potential conflicts.

“Our city is counting on you to model productive disagreement and compromise,” Green said.

Four new aldermen, including the first Latina to serve, Daniela Velázquez, took their oaths of office alongside 10 returning lawmakers with promises of cooperation to serve the residents of the city.

“I plan to serve the way I ran my campaign,” said 10th Ward Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard, the new majority floor leader, “through a position of peace, through a position of inclusion, through a position of transparency and collective cooperative work with the people who supported me.”

Green gave all 14 aldermen a chance to speak during a portion of the agenda reserved for

Thomas

Continued from A1

able, I am calling for impeachment proceedings to begin regarding Justice Thomas’s apparent violations of federal law.

Bush and lawmakers led by Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson, ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, and Illinois Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García held a news conference and demanded that Thomas resign.

lawmakers to introduce special guests. 12th Ward Alderwoman Sharon Tyus took the opportunity to vent her frustration.

“I’m not scared of the first Black female mayor or the first white [female] president of the Board of Aldermen,” she said. “If you do not respect north St. Louis, if you come for me, I’m coming for you.”

She called Green a “tyrant” and a “dictator.”

When Green interrupted, Tyus yelled “You are being a white Becky. Sit down,” Green at one point threatened to have Tyus removed unless she could be civil.

Tyus was also sharply critical of new rules that emphasized internal democracy over seniority for board leadership positions. Previously, the roles of vice president, floor leader and assistant floor leader, and the selection of committee chairs, were based on seniority. Tyus is third on the list.

But under the new rules, those three positions are elected by their colleagues; they then work with the board president to choose committee chairs.

Laura Keys, the alderwoman of the 11th Ward,

“It’s time for Clarence Thomas to resign because of his ethics violations and conflicts of interest,” García said in a statement.

“It’s time for a binding ethics code for our Supreme Court, and it’s time for the wealthy and well-connected to be held to the same standards as everyone else.”

ProPublica reported on a series of lavish trips Thomas has taken over more than two decades, which have been funded by billionaire and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow.

was angry that conversations about who wanted to be in leadership took place before she was even sworn in.

“Either I’m part of the group, or I’m not,”

Thomas has accepted luxury gifts from the billionaire Dallas businessman nearly every year, which had included vacations on Crow’s superyacht and trips on the billionaire’s Bombardier Global 5000 jet as well as a week each summer at Crow’s private resort in the Adirondacks, ProPublica reported, citing flight records, internal documents and interviews with Crow’s employees.

The report also found that flight records from the Federal Aviation Administration and

she said. “If I’m part of the 14, I need to be in the loop. I fail to see the transparency here.” Green ran for a full term unopposed, and the eight candidates she endorsed

FlightAware suggest that Thomas makes “regular use” of Crow’s jet, noting that Thomas used the private plane for a three-hour trip in 2016.

On April 16, the Washington Post reported that that over the last two decades, Justice Thomas has disclosed that his family received hundreds of thousands of dollars in rental income from a firm that has not existed since 2006.

“These revelations are just the latest in a pattern of lawless and shocking behavior that has characterized Justice Thomas’s career,” Bush said.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Democrats on the Senate judiciary Committee stated in an April 10 letter that Supreme Court Justice

won their races. Along with Jones, more progressive lawmakers have significant power to advance Green’s agenda.

She pledged to make 2023 “the year of the

John Roberts must investigate Thomas’ actions.

The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to hold a hearing on the need to “restore confidence” in the court’s ethical standards.

Democrats promised to take action through legislation if Roberts does not address the court’s ethical standards.

“Holding judges accountable for their behavior is a matter of life-or-death for our communities. They wield enormous power, and the current hands-off approach to the judiciary has only emboldened lawless, corrupt, far-right judges to strip away our rights and make our lives worse off,” said Bush.

“This is why, in addition to impeachment, Congress must pass

tenant,” with a focus on affordable housing and counsel for those facing eviction.

“If developers want a deal, they need to ensure that low- and moderate-income St. Louisans have access to housing that they can afford,” Green said.

Green also wants to tackle the rising costs of early childhood education and revamp liquor licensing, zoning codes and the minority contracting process.

She also warned in her commentary, St. Louis’ biggest threat is the state legislature.

“In the weeks ahead, the state legislature could vote to take away local control of our police department and put it in the hands of lawmakers in Jefferson City—politicians who like to appear tough on crime but insist on inflaming the conditions that lead to crime,” she wrote.

“This isn’t governance. It’s fascism. It’s anti-freedom of speech. It’s anti-public safety. And it’s antithetical to the principles on which this country was founded.”

Alvin A. Reid of the St. Louis American contributed to this report

Supreme Court ethics reform, expand the Court, institute term limits, and take other actions to rein in this unaccountable, anti-democratic, and dangerous institution. Whether for reproductive freedom, civil liberties, labor rights, voting rights, or something else, every person has a stake in holding the judiciary accountable.

“History will judge how Congress responded during this crisis in our federal judiciary. House Republicans must move forward with impeachment proceedings. But if they continue choosing not to act, the Judicial Conference of the United States must immediately exercise its authority and refer Justice Thomas to the Attorney General for further action.”

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

7th Ward Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier in her first session Tues. April 18, 2023 after being sworn in earlier that morning.

with armed criminal action, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Lester is accused of shooting Yarl when the teenager arrived at Lester’s home by mistake the evening of April 14.

Yarl was supposed to pick up his siblings from 115th Terrace. Instead, he went to 115th Street, where Lester lived. Lester reportedly answered the door when Yarl knocked or rang the doorbell.

He then allegedly shot Yarl once in the head and shot him again after he fell onto the ground. Yarl was shot just above the left eye and in the upper right arm. Yarl reportedly went to several households for help before someone lent him some assistance and called for help.

Lester allegedly used a .32-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver to shoot Yarl through a glass door, according to a probable cause statement by police.

Reaction has come swiftly from Black leaders in Kansas City, Missouri and throughout America and the world.

“What an indictment of the racism in our country and the reckless gun laws in our state that a Black teenager ringing a door-

Gardner

Continued from A1 be dismissed because it doesn’t meet the criteria of a typical “quo warranto” case.

Bailey’s lawsuit claims that Gardner should be removed from office because she failed to prosecute cases, failed to keep victims informed and failed to review thousands of cases submitted by St. Louis police and failed to meet the obligations of her office.

Noting that Gardner refutes all charges, one of her attorneys, Jonathan Sternberg, defined Bailey’s actions as a “poorly stated political move that doesn’t remotely state a lawful claim for Ms. Gardner’s ouster under Missouri law.” Bailey, Sternberg added, must “show that Ms. Gardner intentionally failed or refused a duty.”

Torbitzky interrupted to ask why it isn’t fair to assume that Gardner showed “intentional conduct” when “you take all of the content of the entire (quo warranto) petition together?”

Sternberg immediately countered that Bailey had shown no evidence that Gardner’s conduct was deliberate.

“It has to be the intentional failure of a known duty,” Sternberg argued, adding: “So, unless they have some fact that they can allege-which they don’t-that Ms. Gardner engineered this for some reason, it doesn’t meet that standard…which is not a high burden.” Judge Torbitzky pressed Bailey’s attorneys to define what was in their petition that would allow him to believe that Gardner’s conduct was “intentional as opposed to just negligent?”

Adam Crane, Missouri Assistant AG, responded by defining “willful neglect” as “when a public official knows that they need to do more but fails to do so.” The petition, Crane added, is “replete with examples that show a repeated pattern of Gardner failing her personnel and the duties of her office.”

Accusations and calls for Gardner’s removal from office reached a fevered pitch in February when a 17-year-old volleyball player was critically injured in a crash caused by 21-year-old

bell is perceived to be a threat that must be met with deadly force,” Mayor Tishaura Jones said in a statement.

“It’s yet another devastating reminder of the bigotry Black children face, and the fear Black parents wrestle with daily. I am thankful to see charges filed in this case.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade blamed “Missouri Republicans’ extreme gun laws that have established a culture of fear.”

Daniel Riley-who was on bond on a robbery case. The crash led to amputation of her legs. Gardner’s office was targeted even though Judge Bryan Hettenbach, who issued Riley’s recognizance bond, hadn’t revoked it even after numerous violations and a request from Gardner’s office that he be jailed. That case and high-profile critic’s claims that her “understaffed, dysfunctional “office has mishandled cases heightened calls for Gardner’s removal..

Torbitzky asked Crane why Gardner should be held liable for her subordinate’s actions. The assistant AG attorney answered: “We’re obviously talking about inaction not necessarily any particular action…when assistants have failed to accomplish the circuit attorney’s goals, the circuit attorney has failed.”

At that point, Gardner’s attorneys invoked the history of Missouri law, in particular “quo warranto” lawsuits filed in the state. They argued that there were no cases in Missouri history where a public official was ousted from office because of repeated failures of their subordinates without any intentional direction of their actions.

Sternberg insisted Bailey’s allegations “don’t remotely come close to meeting” the bar of the 13 cases in Missouri history where public officials have been ousted under quo warranto. Those cases, the attorney added, included corrupt officials who misused public funds, provided kickbacks to friends or “intentionally turned a blind eye toward notorious organized crime due to their own involvement in those offenses.”

Going back as far as the 1940s, Sternberg stated that most “quo warranto” petitions revolved around people accused of “official corruption” who showed willful neglect which included malfeasance. In Gardner’s case, he continued, Bailey’s lawyers have shown no examples of “corruption or willful malfeasance.”

Gardner’s attorneys also raised a 1967 Missouri Supreme Court case that specifically defined the criteria of “quo warranto” petitions. The high court ruled that such petitions must show “willful and deliberate

“Fear that turns neighbors against each other and causes people to see every situation as us versus them or Black versus white. Too often, Black lives suffer the most from this fear-driven, shoot-first culture.

“Ralph Yarl was almost another fatality of the dangerous gun laws that get Missourians killed every day. The madness has to stop.”

State Reps. Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City; Jamie Johnson, D-Kansas

acts of aggression and coercion.” Therefore, Sternberg argued that Bailey must show that Gardner either committed “willful or deliberate acts of aggression and coercion” or that she intentionally failed to act contrary to her duties.

In further dissection of Bailey’s lawsuit, Sternberg noted how the attorney general “plucked 40 select cases out of Gardner’s 19,300” court cases to try and show that she “purposely engineered the outcome of those cases”

City; Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City; and Eric Woods, D-Kansas City released the following joint statement on the felony charges filed by Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zach Thompson.

“Ralph Yarl is an outstanding young citizen: a terrific student, a talented musician, and a good friend, brother, and son. But regardless of who he is and what he’s accomplished in his young life, no one should have to suffer the gruesome and

which supposedly proves “willful neglect.”

After dismissing the tactic, Sternberg took a swipe at Bailey’s qualifications and motives behind his lawsuit.

“This is an attack on the democratic process by someone who was never elected,” Sternberg said.

“If Mr. Bailey doesn’t like the job Ms. Gardner is doing, that’s his right…he can support another candidate in the next election and hope the people of St. Louis agree with him.

“But the law of

Ralph Yarl is an All-State saxophone player and dedicated student in the Kansas City area. Last Thursday, he accidentally went to the wrong address and rang the doorbell after his parents asked him to pick up his siblings. He was shot in the head by the homeowner through a closed glass door, and the alleged assailant then shot him again after he fell to the ground. His family says he is making a “miraculous” recovery and the shooter has been charged.

senseless act of violence

Ralph did last Thursday.

“And while we may want to think that race did not play a factor, it is naive to assume that a white teenager in the same situation would face the same violence. This is a time when we must be willing to have hard conversations about racism in this country and, sadly, in our communities. We stand with the Black community and everyone crying out for justice.”

The Missouri NAACP

Missouri doesn’t allow him to use this court to oust Ms. Gardner for stuff he doesn’t agree with.”

A statement released from Gardner’s office Tuesday, carried a similar tone. It also possibly spoke to one of Gardner’s attorneys, Natalia Ogurkiewicz, who abruptly resigned from her post last week. In her resignation letter, Ogurkiewicz cited a “toxic work environment” as a reason for her departure.

“With this Quo Warranto, the Attorney General of the State of

has scheduled a press conference and rally at the Clay County Prosecutor’s office at 4 p.m. Friday.

“Missouri’s culture of death has persisted far too long,” Nimrod Chapel, Missouri NAACP president said in a statement.

“The police are not treating this case in the same way Black people accused of murder are treated. A Black suspect would be in jail. We know that many of you share the same anger, fear, and frustration that the attempted murderer, who is Caucasian, has not been charged with a hate crime nor the attempted murder of a child who may be injured for life.”

CBS News quoted several legal experts who believe Lester’s lawyers will claim self-defense under Missouri’s “stand your ground” law, which allows for the use of deadly force if a person fears for his or her life.

Robert Spitzer, a professor emeritus of political science at the State University of New York, Cortland, said the Missouri law provides “wide latitude for people to use lethal force.”

CBS also interviewed St. Louis defense attorney Nina McDonnell, who said prosecutors have a strong case but called the “stand your ground” defense “a huge hurdle.”

Missouri has launched a full-out attack not only against St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, but against her entire staff,” Gardner’s statement read. “No other office in America is the subject of such scrutiny, and any staff that experienced this, no matter their leader, would feel demoralized and broken.

“That is, of course, the Attorney General’s goal –to break down the office until people quit, even if it means cases cannot be prosecuted.”

Photo courtesy of the AP

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith posed with SGA, CAB and Student Affairs staff at HSSU's outdoor basketball court ribbon

St. Martin’s Child Center Education gifted HSSU

$300,000 in scholarship funds during Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith’s Inauguration Scholarship Gala.

by

Executive

Alandrea Stewart, Vice President and Chief of Staff; James Fogt, Vice President for Planning, Innovation, and Institutional Effectiveness; Lorie Jackson-Fuller, Director of Human Resources; Dr. Freddie Wills, Vice President of STEM Initiatives and Research Partnerships; Dr. Terence Finley, Vice President of Business and Finance;

Horner, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs; Dr.

Student Affairs and Enrollment Management;

Advancement; and Tahir Younas, Chief Information Officer.

cutting.

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith posed with student leaders after they presented her with a plaque at Sunset at the Stowe, an event that doubled as Dr. Collins Smith's birthday party.

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith discussed her journey in her inaugural address.

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith posed with HSSU’s Board of Regents (pictured left to right) Mr. Dexter A. Martin, Ms. Valerie E. Patton, Mr. Michael P. McMillan, and Ms. Christine Chadwick.

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith surrounded

her

Cabinet (Pictured left to right) Dr.

Dr. Dimetri

Shawn Baker, Vice President of

Shanette Hall, Chief of Public Safety; Jeff Shaw, Vice President of Institutional

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith received a proclamation from Dr. Vernon C. Mitchell, Jr. On behalf of St. Louis mayor, Tishaura O. Jones.

Congresswoman and HSSU alum, Cori Bush presented Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith with a Congressional Resolution.

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith pictured with former HSSU President and current Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack.

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith posed for a photo with fellow University Presidents and delegates.

President of Tennessee State University Glenda Glover, and members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. celebrated Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith after her investiture ceremony.

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith posed for a photo before the investiture ceremony began.

WOKE Brand owner W.K. Winston presented a custom made jacket to Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith.

WOKE Brand owner W.K. Winston presented a custom made jacket to Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith.

Affinia Healthcare developing residency program

Will focus on diversity, equity of future doctors

Affinia Healthcare has received a $500,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for a Health Center Planning and is implementing a Family Medicine residency program in partnership with A.T. Still University, Christian Hospital and DePaul Hospital. Joining Dr.

Affinia president and CEO, are Clay Farmer, community safety and security vice president, and Steve Harmon, Human Resources, Equity & Inclusion vice president.

By Alvin A. Reid

St. Louis American

There is an acute shortage of Black doctors throughout America, and the negative impact this has on AfricanAmerican health care will continue to increase unless this changes, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges.

Affinia Healthcare has received a $500,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for a Health Center Planning and Development Program.

Affinia Healthcare is implementing

a Family Medicine residency program in partnership with A.T. Still University, Christian Hospital and DePaul Hospital. The planning and implementation will focus on diversity and equity in training future primary care physicians for service at Affinia Healthcare and in the community health center environment.

“Affinia Healthcare is honored to have been selected for this award as it supports our strategic initiatives to help increase diversity and equity in the delivery of care for patients in a practical and relevant way,” said Dr. Kendra Holmes, Affinia Healthcare president and CEO.

“We are excited to collaborate with ATSU, Christian Hospital, and DePaul Hospital — leaders in the education and healthcare industries — to make this significant shift in how the next generation of healthcare professionals will serve our communities.”

Affinia Healthcare will seek certification by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and lead the residency program which will start during the 2025-26 academic year.

Only about 5.7% of physicians in the United States identify as Black or African American, according to the

Nothing in life is perfect, not even healthcare. If healthcare was perfect then health disparities would not exist and health outcomes would not be determined by one’s race, gender, ethnicity, or financial resources. The health system in this country is flawed which leads to unfavorable results for certain minority populations particularly, African Americans. Disease prevention care is a crucial component of wellness for everyone but is not readily available for all populations. Many evidenced-based screenings, such as pap smears, colon cancer screens, and mammograms exist, but some populations lack access to them. Furthermore, not all cancers or diseases have associated screenings. Compared to the general US population, African Americans have higher rates of certain chronic conditions such as diabetes, stroke, hypertension, and obesity.

n Though cancer can affect anyone, in the United States, African Americans have the highest rates of cancer compared to other ethnic groups.

Though cancer can affect anyone, in the United States, African Americans have the highest rates of cancer compared to other ethnic groups. Compared to white women, black women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer. Prostate cancer deaths in black men is more than twice that of white men.

One of the major barriers to preventive screenings is access. Colonoscopies, for instance, require the patient to have a driver to pick them

Researchers prove stress damages Black children’s brains

‘Substantial evidence’ of effects of structural racism, trauma

By Alexa Spencer

Black children don’t ask to be born into poverty, exposed to racism their whole lives, be hypersexualized and criminalized or experience other forms of hardship. But that’s the reality for too many kids — and researchers say the high level of exposure to stress is causing damage to their brains. That’s the sobering finding discovered by a team at Harvard University’s McLean

See STRESS, A11

A team at Harvard University McLean Hospital researchers found in a study that Black children are more likely to show changes in their brains linked to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Kendra Holmes,

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

See AFFINIA, A11

See ANDERSON, A11

Denise HooksAnderson

Photo courtesy of California Health Report

‘Taking Care of You’

Federal Judge’s ruling an attack on Obamacare

NNPA Newswire

A federal judge has ruled that insurers no longer have to pay for preventive care services like cancer and heart disease screenings.

The ruling comes as a result of a lawsuit brought by a group of insurers who argued that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exceeded its authority by requiring them to cover certain preventative care services without being able to charge copayments or deductibles.

The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, was signed into law in 2010 to make it easier for millions

Stress

Continued from A10

Hospital and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry

The researchers analyzed surveys and MRI brain scans of 7,350 white children and nearly 1,800 Black children, ages 9 and 10. They found that the Black kids were more likely to show changes in their brains linked to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

of Americans to get health insurance.

One of the law’s key provisions was the requirement that insurance companies cover certain preventative care services without cost-sharing, including immunizations, blood pressure screenings and mammograms.

However, the recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, of the Northern District of Texas, has effectively invalidated this provision of the ACA.

In his ruling, Judge O’Connor wrote that the ACA’s requirement for insurers to cover preventative care services

long-term psychological health impacts.

“exceeds the powers of Congress under the Commerce Clause” of the U.S. Constitution.

The ruling is likely to significantly affect health insurance in the U.S., especially for people who already have health problems like cancer or heart disease.

If insurance companies weren’t required to cover preventive care services, patients might be less likely to get the screenings and tests that could catch these health problems early.

“The President is glad to see the Department of Justice is appealing the judge’s decision, which

blocks a key provision of the Affordable Care Act that has ensured free access to preventive health care for 150 million Americans,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated.

“This case is yet another attack on the Affordable Care Act –which has been the law of the land for 13 years and survived three challenges before the Supreme Court.

“Preventive care saves lives, saves families money, and protects and improves our health. Because of the ACA, millions of Americans have access to free cancer and heart disease

screenings. This decision threatens to jeopardize critical care.

“The administration will continue to fight to improve health care and make it more affordable for hard-working families, even in the face of attacks from special interests,” she said.

In a statement, Dr. Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, called the ruling “a clear step backward for our health system.”

“Preventative care is a cornerstone of good health,” Dr. Harris said. “It’s critical that patients have access to

these services without cost-sharing to stay healthy and catch health problems early before they become more serious and more costly to treat.”

The ruling is also likely to face legal challenges in the coming months. Several states and health care advocacy groups have already said they will appeal the decision. They say that the ACA’s requirement that insurers cover preventive care services is a crucial part of the law’s goal to make more people eligible for health insurance.

Affinia

Continued from A10

Association of American Medical Colleges. The U.S. African American population is about 12%, according to the 2020 Census.

Michael Dill, the Association of American Medical Colleges’ director of workforce studies, told CNN that Black people being “historically excluded from medicine” and “institutional and systemic racism in our society,” our reasons there are so few Black doctors.

At young ages, exposure to the sciences, science education resources, mentors and role models all make it more likely that a child could become a doctor –but such exposures and resources sometimes are disproportionately not as accessible in the Black community.

“We can improve our admissions to medical school, make them more holistic, try to remove bias from that, but that’s still not going to solve the problem,” Dill said.

2.8% of physicians were Black in 1940, and 9.7% of the US population was Black. That increased

Nathaniel G. Harnett, the study’s leader and director of the Neurobiology of Affective Traumatic Experiences Laboratory at McLean, said it’s clear that structural racism is having Anderson

Continued from A10 up post procedure. In addition, the patient most likely needs an additional day off from work to perform the prep the day before. If you work in a non-professional setting, you most likely do not have adequate sick days. Therefore, getting the procedure done would mean no pay. Such a scenario would then help explain why colonoscopy

“Our research provides substantial evidence of the effects structural racism can have on a child’s developing brain, and these small differences may be meaningful for their mental health and well-being through adulthood,” Harnett, who is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said in a statement It’s true: the early years of a child’s life are directly connected to their future health. This is because the brain forms rapidly before birth and into early childhood.

According to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, those years are when children can be set up for a successful and healthy future. The development process doesn’t complete until around age 25, but the first eight years of childhood are foundational.

But not all children are given the same opportunity.

For example, compared to their white peers, Black boys and girls are more likely to be exposed to trauma and domestic violence, and have a parent who is deceased or incarcerated.

They’re also more like-

ly to live in deliberately disadvantaged neighborhoods that lack green space, access to fresh food, and have high levels of violence.

“These racial disparities are not random. Rather, they are deep-rooted structural inequalities that result from a history of disenfranchisement of racially minoritized groups (e.g., slavery, segregation) that reinforce themselves through societal norms and practices (i.e., systemic racism),” the researchers wrote.

Previous research reveals that adversity early

on in life can lead to various mental illnesses in adulthood, including PTSD, anxiety, depression suicidal ideation and substance misuse

Specifically, in this study, the researchers found that Black children had less gray matter — brain tissue that processes information — in three essential areas.

The areas are the amygdala, which determines how people respond in a crisis; the hippocampus, responsible for learning and memory; and the prefrontal cortex, where reasoning, planning, judgment, and impulse control take place.

“The dataset in our study included children younger than 10 years

to 5.4% in 20189, but 12.8% of the population was Black.

According to the AAMC, the number of Black or African American first-year medical school students increased 21% between the academic years of 2020 and 2021.

Affinia Healthcare will now help grow those numbers through the $500,000 grant.

“Statistics show

rates are only 38% in the African American population. African Americans make up roughly 14% of the population but 35% percent of the population with end stage kidney disease. Diabetes and hypertension are risk factors for chronic kidney disease. For many years, however, the calculation tool used to determine kidney function included race. The formula used included a Black race variable which increased eGFR values and overesti-

that many patients in underserved communities suffer or experience a lower standard of care when seeing providers who don’t understand or have bias toward certain populations,” said Dr. Melissa Tepe, Affinia Healthcare chief medical officer.

“It is imperative that we cultivate a new generation of clinicians who will know how to serve

mated kidney function by up to 16% which potentially delayed appropriate diagnosis and care such as dialysis and being placed on the transplant list. This variable has now been eliminated and the GFR calculation uses race-neutral criteria.

To combat these disparities, I encourage patients to begin to advocate for themselves and family members. Speak with your provider and ask if you are up to date on your preventive screenings. Have you

these populations in a more equitable way. This is another way Affinia Healthcare can help provide a better quality of care for our patients and communities.”

Having Black physicians care for Black patients could shrink the difference in cardiovascular deaths among White versus Black patients by 19%, according to a paper written by Dr. Marcella

had your blood pressure checked? Have you been screened for diabetes and high cholesterol? Have you had a mammogram? Have you been screened for prostate cancer? Have you had a bone density test?

Immunizations also prevent diseases. Vaccines are not just for children. In many cases, you may also need a booster or two. Ask your provider about the Tdap and shingles vaccines. Lastly, don’t forget

Alsan, an infectious disease physician and professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Alsan authored the paper with colleagues Dr. Owen Garrick and Grant Graziani while she was attending Stanford. It was published in 2019 in the American Economic Review

As reported by CNN, during the fall and winter of 2017 and 2018 in

old — children who have no choice in where they are born, who their parents are and how much adversity they are exposed to,” Harnett said. “These findings offer another chilling reminder of the public health impact of structural racism, and how crucial it is to address these disparities in a meaningful way.” his study debunked the scientific theory that differences in brain structure are due to race.

In the future, the team hopes to build on what they’ve discovered by investigating whether exposure to adversity speeds up or slows down brain aging

According to Harnett, “These findings may just be the tip of the iceberg.”

Oakland, California, 637 Black men were randomly assigned to visit either a Black or a non-Black male doctor. The visits included discussions and evaluations of blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol levels and diabetes, as well as flu vaccinations.

“We saw a dramatic increase in their likelihood of getting preventive care when they engage with Black physicians,” said Garrick, chief medical officer of CVS Health’s clinical trial services.

“It didn’t look like there was a strong preference for Black doctors versus non-Black doctors. It was only when people actually had a chance to communicate with their physicians, talk about ‘Why should I be getting these preventative care services?’” Alsan said.

In addition, when Black patients receive care from Black doctors, those visits tend to be longer and have higher ratings of patients feeling satisfied, according to a separate study of more than 200 adults seeing 31 physicians, study published in 2003 in the Journal Annals of Internal Medicine

how important it is to have some knowledge of your family history. For instance, breast cancer in a first degree relative increases your risk of breast cancer. Knowing that information may change when the first mammogram is recommended and the cadence of future imaging. This is also true of colon cancer screenings. Some individuals in our country would prefer to eliminate discussions regarding the impact of racism and discrimination on healthcare. However, such ignorance leads to continued disparities and increased morbidity and mortality. As a community we must continue to push for discoveries that provide insight into the inequitable care we receive and demand changes in how care is provided.

Your family doctor, Denise HooksAnderson, MD, FAAFP Family Physician yourhealthmatters@ stlamerican.com

Nathaniel G. Harnett

Graph courtesy of UCLA Medical Center

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 8,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Participants in the 2022 St. Louis American’s Summer Science Academy use self-directed research to create illustrations showing the different parts of a cell.

SCIENCE CORNER

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism is the process of converting the food we eat into energy through a series of chemical reactions. The thyroid gland produces hormones to determine how fast or slow this process takes place. The pancreas secretes hormones to determine the body’s metabolic activity. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate your body burns calories at rest. People with a low BMR tend to gain weight more easily. The more muscle you have, the higher your BMR rate will be. If you want to burn more calories while you sleep, you need to lose fat and add more lean muscle. Get active!

What can you do to help the process? First, choose your food wisely. Even though a chocolate

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

In this experiment, you will use chemistry to see the different components of milk. You will turn milk into a solid.

Materials Needed:

Skim Milk White Vinegar

Microwave Proof Bowl

• Strainer • Measuring Cup • Measuring Spoons

Procedure:

q Add 4 teaspoons of white vinegar to 1 1/2 cups of skim milk.

w Microwave the mixture for a minute.

bar has the same number of calories as a banana with yogurt, your body processes those calories differently. Choose foods with a lot of nutrients for your calories—fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, lean protein, and whole grains. Aim for 60 to 90 minutes of activity each day to boost your metabolism. Drink plenty of water to flush wastes from your body. And finally, get plenty of sleep. This allows your body to build and repair cells.

African-American Biochemist William C. Davis

William Davis was born in August 1926 in Georgia. When he was 15, he moved to New York City to live with his brother. He graduated from Dwight High School in 1945, then attended New York University before going to Talladega College in Florida. Davis left college to serve as 2nd Lt. of Engineers in the Korean War. He did return to Talladega College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1956. Two years later, he earned a master’s degree in organic chemistry from Tuskegee Institute. In 1965, he earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Idaho.

Solid Milk

e After a minute, the milk and vinegar will be separated into two parts, a liquid and a solid. If it has not separated, try microwaving the mixture for another 15-20 seconds.

Keep a food journal for one day. Write down everything you eat and drink. At the end of the day, calculate the number of calories you consumed. What nutrients did you get? What changes do you think you should make?

As a class, keep track of your daily activity /exercise minutes. Set a goal and work to meet it. Brainstorm ideas of ways to add exercise and fun activity to your day. Survey 20 people regarding their activity level. 1 = inactive and 10 = very physically fit. Graph the results.

DID YOU KNOW?

Learning Standards: can identify main idea and supporting details in non fiction text. I can make textto-self connections.

r Stir the milk, and the solid curds will become a “blob.” t When you strain the liquid off, you can make the blob into one big lump.

y Let it cool off before you play with it. It feels like rubber. The protein in the curds is what makes it act like rubber. You can form the blob into shapes. If you leave it out, it will harden. Beware: The smell is very foul! What happened? By adding the vinegar, you have created a chemical reaction that separated the milk into two parts, a solid (curds) and a liquid (whey).

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can draw conclusions and analyze results.

Food and Activity Challenges

Bring in three food labels to class. Use them to write math problems for your classmates to solve. Trade labels and answer the questions asked.

Many fast food menus offer more nutritious choices. Use a fast food menu to showcase unhealthy vs. healthier choices. Create a poster with the amount of calories, fat, and sodium in an unhealthy meal vs. a healthier meal choice at the restaurant.

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

Davis has worked as a research director at Physicians Medical Laboratories. He specialized in the chemistry of food while there. He worked to improve such foods as the potato chip, instant potatoes, and soft serve ice cream. He also developed an organic glue that holds particle board together. Davis was a visiting scientist at Washington D.C.’s George Hyman Research Institute and a research associate at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Next, he worked as a chemistry professor at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, Texas. Davis is a member of the American Chemical Society, Health Physicist Society, Society of Nuclear Medicine, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is the chair of the National Sciences Department and director of Renewable Energy at St. Philip’s College. The science building at St. Philip’s College is named in his honor, he received the Tuskegee Institute’s George Washington Carver fellowship, the U.S. Armed Forces Purple Heart, and he was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame in 2000. His research has been published in the Journal of Medical Technology and the European Journal of Pharmacology. Learning Standards: African American who has made strides in the STEM fields. I can make text-to-text connections.

Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper. Activities — Vowel Scavenger Hunt: Cut out words from the newspaper and count the number of vowels and consonants in each word. Paste the words on a separate piece of paper and write the fraction of vowels for each. Reduce the fractions, if possible. For example, cat = 1/3 (1 of the 3 letters is a vowel). Newspaper = 3/9 or 1/3.

Processed foods, especially those with added sugar and salt, can be addictive.

Purchasing a House: In the classified section, find a house that you would like to own. If you paid $500 a month towards the house payment, how many years would it take to buy the house?

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify and reduce fractions. I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

According to Melanie Warner, author of “Pandora’s Lunchbox,” 70% of our calories now come from processed food.

5,000 additives to be allowed in our food.

A breath of fresh air

Tuesday marked the dawn of a new day at the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen, where a reconstituted board and the recently-declared “People-first agenda” will help reshape the direction of the city’s development. For the first time in decades, the Mayor, the Board President, the Board, and the Comptroller are aligned in their policy priorities and fulfilling their campaign promises.

Tuesday morning at City Hall began with an inspiring inauguration ceremony, including an opening song by Kennedy Moore and stirring words by Mayor Tishaura Jones and Comptroller Darlene Green. Former Missouri Supreme Court chief justice Michael Wolff led the oath of office for the new alderpersons, then after some photos, everyone reconvened in the second-floor chambers for the new Board’s first meeting Typically, the first meeting is ceremonial, with mostly uneventful adoptions of rule changes and brief “thank you” speeches by all of the alderpersons. This week’s first meeting, however, was anything but typical.

For 31 minutes - instead of the two that everyone else got - Alderwoman Sharon Tyus (Ward 12) rambled incoherently, name-dropping through confusing stories. She then rattled off the sup

political families, like the Clays, the Bosleys, and the Hubbards, all of whom recently lost their remaining political seats to a new generation of challengers like Congresswoman Cori Bush, former state representatives Bruce Franks and new Alderman Rasheen Aldridge (Ward 14). Tyus also cited her opponent’s prior campaign manager, State Representative Kimberly-Ann Collins, for literally backstabbing her client, aldermanic candidate Tashara Earl, by switching sides to support Tyus’ campaign. Something still doesn’t feel right about that.

After ignoring the time limit for “thank yous,” Tyus sought to commandeer and filibuster the new Board’s first meeting while personally offending her colleagues and publicly displaying a lack of preparation. Between insulting the young alderpersons, the LGBTQ alderpersons and then President Green directly, Tyus hurled bizarre accusations and recited irrelevant political history. The crux of Tyus’ anger seemed to be rooted in what she termed a “lack of transparency” – feigning ignorance about what was going on. But, as it turns out, Tyus didn’t check her emails, didn’t return President Green’s calls, and didn’t try to meet with anyone prior to Tuesday. Tyus has isolated herself and then sought to use

to claim that the rest of the Board was conspiring against her.

But what was most memorable about Tyus’ performance on Tuesday was her apparent lack of awareness that she no longer holds power on the Board of Aldermen. This was most manifest when Alderman Shane Cohn (Ward 3) introduced the first resolution to change the seniority rules in committee assignments to not only make the process more democratic but to place alderpersons onto committees where they have experience and interest. Tyus’ reaction was what you might expect – inappropriate, factually inaccurate, and immature.

Alisha Sonnier’s (Ward 7). Frankly, we feel sorry for Tyus because apparently no one around her seems willing to be honest with her about how she is perceived by her colleagues and constituents.

We offer special accolades to the freshman alderpersons - the “Fab Four” - for surviving their first interrogations and standing their ground against Tyus’ intimidating tactics and misinformation.

We won’t give her mean-spirited homophobic remarks a platform and won’t discuss her gloating about winning without knocking on voters’ doors or the lack of courtesy she displayed by being disrespectful of Ald. Aldridge. At one point, Tyus declared that “nobody is Blacker than” she and made an unforgivable

Some folks view Tyus as simply a bully; but the EYE sees her clangorous irrelevance. Tyus likely understood that the resolutions could not be stopped so she did the only thing she could do: talk, talk, talk. Tyus became so disrespectful that she got a stern warning from President Green that the city marshals were prepared to remove her from the chambers. But Tyus words and reckless disregard for the truth were nothing more than a swan song for a long-time public official, rendered feckless by her own outdated politics and inability to make new friends at the new Board. The truth is that this is an abrupt finale to her relevance and to quote Shakespeare’s Macbeth: “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

After the first rule change, effectively nullifying Tyus’ seniority privilege, there were a few less “controversial” rule changes: new support staff positions will be added and alderpersons’ expense

the Date

from $4,200 to $5,000 to address a long-standing funding shortage for postage. Another rule change relating to printing of the aldermanic journal was also passed. (Didn’t last week’s Donnybrook cast suggest that the “progressive caucus” didn’t have enough members to change things at the Board?)

The meeting ended with the following results of voting on three new leadership positions: a Vice President, a Floor Leader, and an Assistant Floor Leader. The remaining “Ladies for Lewis” caucus - Alderwomen Tyus, Laura Keys (Ward 11), and Pamela Boyd (Ward 13) - insisted that they didn’t know there were leadership roles to fill (again, the unopened emails). Instead of preparing for the day’s agenda, the three veteran alderwomen lobbed accusation after accusation of cheating, “set-ups,” and embarrassment. Ultimately, Alderman Cohn was elected as Vice President, Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard (Ward 10) was elected as Floor Leader, and Alderman Aldridge was elected as Assistant Floor Leader. Political reality is not done with Ald. Tyus and her alternative reality.

of another word to describe the Circuit Attorney’s office other than “mismanaged.”

The chaos in the city prosecutor’s office means that there have been very few opportunities for bond hearings, keeping innocent people who have not been convicted of a crime behind bars in the city jail. Those who can afford to hire a defense attorney have filed overwhelming numbers of motions for speedy trials, compelling jury trials in shortened periods of time and oftentimes forcing prosecutors to dismiss violent felonies like murders and shootings. The impact of Gardner’s critically shortstaffed office cannot be understated.

Shortly after the public resignation of the assistant prosecutor, Gardner received an “order to show cause” in a murder case, after no one from her office appeared at a scheduled murder trial. This means that the judge has ordered the Circuit Attorney to appear this coming Monday to explain this lapse. The staffing crisis at the Circuit Attorney’s office is no longer a secret, and this is the first public setting where Gardner has been ordered to account for it. This is the initial step to holding Gardner in contempt of court, with a range of punishments from possible fines to incarceration.

The first day is typically uneventful: the Board is supposed to resolve basic procedural and administrative issues. But inauguration day, in real-time, the public got to watch a major shift in power at City Hall. Elections have consequences.

The Kim Gardner saga

Community trust in Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner continued to erode in the last week, as the “embattled prosecutor” experienced one political setback after another.

The first setback came when, last Thursday, yet another young assistant prosecutor left the office and publicly shared her resignation letter. The prosecutor cited a toxic work environment and Gardner throwing staff under the metaphorical bus as reasons for her departure. She also referenced politics as influencing the operations of the office.

At the time this column was written, Gardner’s office has only three trial attorneys handling hundreds of criminal felonies. For context, the office is budgeted for around 55 attorneys. We can’t think

You read that right: a St. Louis City judge (a former SLPOA lawyer appointed by Gov. Eric Greitens) is trying to put the St. Louis City Circuit Attorney in jail.

This was all on top of a scheduled hearing in the Attorney General’s quest to remove Gardner from office. Lasting several hours and addressing the highlights of the Attorney General’s lawsuit, Judge John Torbitzky decided to schedule this highly-contentious case for trial in September.

We earnestly want to see Gardner prevail because we know about the nefarious political motives of some of her opponents. The dubious “quo warranto” lawsuit filed by unelected Attorney General Andrew Bailey in mid-February should have been summarily dismissed because it doesn’t meet the requirements of these “quo warranto” cases.

Sadly, no matter the outcome of Gardner’s myriad problems, nothing good is likely to come out of these unfortunate situations for her and her tenure in office.

APRIL 20 – 26, 2023

Midwest BankCentre takes innovative approach in Dellwood

Innovation Centre opening this summer

By Alvin A. Reid

St. Louis American

Orvin Kimbrough, chair and CEO of Midwest BankCentre, was honored as 2023 Corporate Executive of the Year during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 21st Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards and Networking Luncheon. He made it clear that his commitment to the communities his institution serves would never wane while he is at the helm.

“We continue to double-down on our commitment to helping more people access reasonably priced capital. We want more people to own homes. We want more people to start businesses. We want more people to live thriving, self-determined lives,” he told the American

We are planning to open an Innovation Center in Dellwood that

will serve as the center of gravity for us to test ways to better serve low- to moderate-income, small business, mortgage, and consumer finance needs throughout St. Louis and beyond.

The Innovation Centre, a full-service, cashless bank branch featuring an Interactive Teller Machine (ITM), will open in summer 2023 in the $13 million R&R Marketplace in Dellwood in North St. Louis County.

Kimbrough recently announced that Midwest BankCentre and the nonprofit Refuge and Restoration, the owners, and operators of the Marketplace, have closed on a financing structure including $5.75 million in loans provided by Midwest BankCentre.

Ground was broken in October 2021 for the Refuge & Restoration Marketplace [R&R], an effort to transform an abandoned strip mall into a community focal point led by Pastors

Ken and Beverly Jenkins – broke ground on the project at 10148 W. Florissant Avenue in October 2021.

In addition to the Innovation Centre branch, it will include an early childhood learning center, behavioral health and addiction center, workforce and career development center, a state-of-the-art office space and coworking facility, a medical school, and a restaurant are among the amenities that will be onsite.

“Being part of this project as both a financier and tenant with a physical location is a continuation of our commitment to economic development in the region with an intentional focus on North County and the City of St. Louis,” said Kimbrough.

“Developments like this create pathways for upward mobility and are catalysts in reversing disinvestment in our region.”

See

Mercedes-Benz dealership fueled atmosphere of unfairness

Female employees, Black consumers faced discrimination

St. Louis American staff

In March 2022, the St. Louis American profiled a new car owner taking part in a pilot program that saved her from an outrageous interest rate for a loan. Unfortunately, many Black consumers are not as lucky as Katherine Faulkner.

She found an interest rate she could afford through a pilot program established by Justine PETERSEN and the NISA Charitable Fund. She learned that many prospective minority car buyers are saddled with higher interest rates and tag-on fees that white consumers avoid. Recently, Tri-Star Imports, the owner of Mercedes-Benz of Saint Louis, was ordered to pay $1.8 million to two former women employees who alleged the dealership discriminated against Black customers, regardless of credit worthiness or their wealth status. Tri-Star is not alone, as reported by the American last year.

Tri-Star Imports, owner of Mercedes-Benz of Saint Louis recently lost a $1.8 million lawsuit by two former women employees who alleged they, and Black consumers, were victims of discrimination.

agreed to pay $21.9 million in restitution to thousands of Black, Pacific Islander, and Asian customers after the government alleged that they were charged higher interest rates than white borrowers. Federal agencies said from 2011 to 2016, borrowers of color regularly paid Toyota between $100 and $200 more per month due to higher interest rates than white borrowers.

In 2015, Honda Motor

In 2017, Toyota’s auto-loan division See

PeoPle on the Move

Dr. Scoggin named Covenant House CEO

Dr. Yusef Scoggin

Covenant House Missouri’s Board of Directors announced the appointment of Dr. Yusef Scoggin as the new CEO of the organization. Dr. Scoggin comes to Covenant House Missouri with more than a decade of experience in leadership, social work, and community advocacy. Most recently, Dr. Scoggin served as the director of the department of human services for the City of St. Louis. He has also acted as director of the Office of Family & Community Services for the St. Louis County Department of Human Services.

Kesha Kent named talent strategist

Kesha Kent has been named diversity talent strategist at Husch Blackwell. Kent is author of “Networking, It’s Your Superpower!.” She also co-authored the book “Stuck. Strained. Stressed.: Real Stories About Shifting Your Mindset to Overcome Challenges.” She has a master’s degree in organizational leadership and a bachelor of arts degree in leadership/management from Judson University. Prior to Husch Blackwell, Kent served in several positions at Ascension Health, including national talent adviser. She is also the owner and founder of MrsKeshSpeaks, LLC.

and St. Louis RCGA. Holyfield’s educa-

includes Saint Louis University and University of Missouri-St. Louis. In the volunteer

Suggs named director at Rockwood Schools

Dr. Cassandra Walker Suggs has been named director of educational equity and access at Rockwood School District. Walker Suggs has been at Rockwood for nearly three years, including serving as assistant principal of Rockwood South Middle and most recently as school principal at Wildwood Middle. Prior to those roles she served as dean of students at Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri. Her extensive education includes a doctorate of education from UMSL, a master’s degree in education from Lindenwood University and a masters/ESOL from Southeast Missouri State University.

Promotion, board appointment, new hire, award... please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to kjones@stlamerican.com

Midwest BankCentre will open The Innovation Centre in summer 2023 in the $13 million R&R Marketplace in Dellwood. From left are R&R Church Pastor Ken Jenkins, Refuge and Restoration founder and chair; R&R Church Pastor Beverly Jenkins, president (ex-officio) and CEO, founder, Refuge and Restoration, Orvin Kimbrough, Midwest BankCentre chair and CEO, and Wes Burns – EVP of community and economic development, Midwest BankCentre.

MIDWEST, B2

Dr. Cassandra Walker Suggs

Kesha Kent

Felicia Holyfield has been named executive assistant at James S. McDonnell Foundation. Prior to McDonnell, she worked at Greater St. Louis Inc., St. Louis Regional Chamber

tion

side, Holyfield serves as president, Sanctuary Choir, East Union Missionary Baptist Church.

Felicia Holyfield named executive assistant

Felicia Holyfield

Photo courtesy of Midwest BankCentre

Lawsuit

Continued from B1

Dorothy Robinson and Denise Ligon worked at the Mercedes-Benz dealership for more than three years at 1048 Hampton Ave.

What they witnessed and experienced led them to sue the dealership’s owner, Tristar Imports, for discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

In November 2022, a jury ruled in their favor.

“When I had an African American client, it was more difficult to get the deal approved,” Robinson told Christine Byers and Greg Miller of KSDK

“I witnessed that they treated Black customers differently,” Ligon said.

The lawsuit alleged that they, along with their female and Black co-workers, were treated more harshly.

According to the KSDK report, Ligon said she had dozens of glass awards that lined a shelf in her office and one of her managers banged on the glass to her office so hard some awards fell and cracked.

Her attorney, Mary Anne Sedey, used the broken awards to demonstrate the discriminatory treatment during the two-week trial that took place in the fall of 2022.

KSDK obtained depositions from the women.

“There were a number of practices that they observed where Black customers were just treated differently than white customers,” Sedey said.

“For instance, a Black customer would want to write a personal check for a deposit and take the car,

Midwest

Continued from B1

ITMs, which look like an ATM, allow customers to speak with Midwest BankCentre tellers through two-way live video. Customers can walk up to the ITM, touch the screen to get started, and one of Midwest BankCentre’s team members will appear onscreen and guide customers through transactions.

These include accepting cash deposits and checks, bill payments, making payments to loans, opening new checking and savings accounts, getting new debit or credit cards, and withdrawing cash.

The 1,800-square-foot bank branch will open directly into the North County Innovation Center. NCIC has a longstanding relationship with the Cambridge Innovation Center and an understanding that will allow space for training, some shared services, as well as intellectual property sharing.

The bank’s location will allow direct access to the businesses housed within NCIC, creating access to financial education and services. In addition, three Midwest BankCentre employees from the area will staff the new branch.

“There is a significant need for financial services in this area. There are options there, but many are predatory payday loan services that cause hardship for many residents,” said Wes Burns, Midwest BankCentre executive vice president of community and economic development.

“We are excited to be joining this transformational project, by opening a branch and helping finance the broader project.”

The center could also help community members avoid high-interest loan shops which dot the area. Within a 5-mile radius of Dellwood, there are nearly 35 predatory payday loan services. Predatory payday loan establishments typically impose unfair, deceptive,

and they would say, ‘No.’ this was “routinely” done for white customers.

There were allegations that Black customers were racially profiled. A manager would go online, see a Black prospective car buyer’s address, and say “Oh, he can’t afford that car,’ based on where he lived and the fact that he was Black.”

During the trial, Sedey said several of her clients explained how Black consumers would be quoted higher interest rates during what’s known as “penciling a deal.”

“There would be the assumption that Black customers were going to have to pay a higher interest rate because their credit wouldn’t be any good,” Sedey said. “So, there were a number of different ways in which Black people were just simply treated differently as customers.

“And these are people who are buying Mercedes Benz cars. So, to assume that people who had come to a dealership to buy a Mercedes Benz automobile were not people of means, that’s a classic stereotype.”

“It’s so much bigger than what people know,” Robinson added.

Tristar and the dealership did not respond to KSDK request interviews and denied the allegations during the civil trial.

In November 2020, the American profiled Rich Miller, a former Lincoln Mercury Ford dealer who published the book Dealing: The Incredible Journey of an African American Car Dealer

According to Miller, Black people in the

or abusive loan terms on borrowers, and these types of lenders often target minorities, the elderly, the less educated, and the poor, according to a Midwest BankCentre release.

Predatory payday loan loans often carry high fees and interest rates, and, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a typical twoweek payday loan with a $15 per $100 fee equates to an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of almost 400%. Payday lenders often also strip the borrower of equity or place a creditworthy borrower in a lower credit-rated and more expensive loan, all to the lender’s benefit.

Ashley O’Neal, senior vice president and retail market manager will direct the retail team’s sales and service, including consumer and business banking.

“Ashley has built one of the most diverse retail teams in the industry, assembling a team that reflects and honors the diversity of this community, including Black, Bosnian, Hispanic, Asian, White, LGBTQ, wealthy, and low-income customers,” Burns said.

“Her strength in honoring diversity and inclusion has made us a leader in community banking and created a model that other community banks are emulating.”

Lisa Morgan, who like O’Neal resides in Florissant, will serve as Community and Economic Development lender, and will concentrate on the north St. Louis region.

Nick Thompson, who joined Midwest BankCentre in 2020 and was previously the BankCentre Leader at the Clayton branch, was recently promoted to Retail Regional Manager for the Northwest Region.

Formerly known as Springwood Plaza, R&R Marketplace has been vacant since a local grocery store at the site closed more than 15 years ago.

The former grocery store will become a multiplex that houses the relocated Refuge and Restoration Church as well

United States spend more than $50 billion on new cars every year. He said African Americans spend more money on cars than houses yet face discriminatory practices in buying vehicles – and in attempts to own car dealerships.

Miller recommends boycotting selected manufacturers, picketing select dealerships, organizing labor strikes, and purchasing stock in publicly traded car companies to filibuster their shareholder meetings and/or to vote to have racist policies removed and replace members of their board.

They have an incentive to, unfortunately, charge people as much as they can,” said John Van Alst, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) told KSDK.

His group has researched discriminatory car lending practices for nearly 20 years.

“There really isn’t any transparency, and people don’t know what’s happening,” he said.

“It’s hard for a consumer to even know if they were discriminated against. You can’t tell after you walk out of the dealership.”

An NCLS report concluded that auto financing companies often charge Black and Hispanic consumers between $300 and $500 more in interest rate markups compared to similarly qualifying white borrowers. It recommends financing a car loan through a bank or credit union where rates can be lower.

as all the community partners; additional services include, event space availability, counseling, arts and education, a food pantry, a commercial kitchen for caterers, and many other community services. Other tenants in the development are the Assisted Recovery Centers of America (ARCA), Bell Brown Medical School, Workforce Development; Employ St. Louis (ESL), Early Childhood Education; Brilliant Angels Academy, Business Development; NCIC business development and Coworking facility, and Cathy’s to Go Restaurant with dine-in capability. The development will train over 2000 youth and adults in soft skills, partnering with other career pathways for job placement within the next five years.

Midwest BankCentre’s Dellwood Innovation Centre is located five miles away from two of the bank’s other North Region branches, each celebrating an anniversary. Midwest BankCentre’s Pagedale branch (6810 Page Ave., St. Louis 63133) is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. When it opened, it was the city’s first full-service bank.

Midwest BankCentre’s Friendly Temple branch (5501 Dr Martin Luther King Dr., St. Louis 63112) is celebrating its five-year anniversary. The full-service bank is located at Friendly Temple Church’s North St. Louis campus and serves previously unbanked and underserved residents and businesses in the rebounding WellsGoodfellow community.

“Taken together, the Pagedale, Friendly Temple, and Dellwood branches serve thousands of working families who now have access to reasonably priced capital to buy homes, start or scale businesses, educate their children, access other types of small-dollar loans and dream big,” said Kimbrough. “Opportunity can change a family’s trajectory. The impact will span generations.”

“It’s great for the quarterback position (and) the Black quarterbacks that are coming up behind us.”

– KC Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on Jalen Hurts’ $255 million contract extension

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

More bounce to the ounce

St. Louis American Boys ‘Fab Five’

It is time to introduce the members of the St. Louis American “Fab Five” All-Star Team for the 2022-23 season, a collection of talented players that represent athleticism, versatility, and the ability to make their teammates better.

The quintet of Macaleab Rich of East St. Louis, Kennard Davis Jr. of Vashon, Kobi Williams of Westminster Christian, Jordan Pickett of Belleville East, and Javaris Moye of Kirkwood can all impact the game in a variety of ways to help their respective teams succeed.

Here is a look at the First Team members of the St. Louis American “Fab Five” All-Star Basketball Team.

Kennard Davis Jr. (Vashon): The 6’6” senior forward is the St. Louis American Co-Player of the Year. He was the top player and leader for the Wolverines, who won their third consecutive Class 4 state championship this season. The versatile Davis could play any position on the floor, and he also did an excellent job with his leadership as he navigated his younger teammates through a rugged non-conference schedule. He could

score in the post, make 3-pointers, rebound, and even take over the ball handling duties if needed. As a senior, he averaged a team-high 14 points along with 5.6 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field. He has already signed with Southern Illinois University.

Javaris Moye (Kirkwood): The 6’4” senior guard led Kirkwood to a magical 24-3 season, which included a conference championship and a 20-game winning streak to start the year. He was a stellar performer at both ends of the court as he was a smooth offensive player who could score from anywhere on the court. On the defensive end, he could be disruptive with his length and tenacity on the perimeter. As a senior, he averaged 13.9 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals while shooting 49 percent from the

field and 40 percent from 3-point range.

Jordan Pickett

(Belleville East): The 6’4” senior guard was one of the top players in the metro east area this season in leading the Lancers to an excellent 26-7 season. He followed in the footsteps of older brother and former Fab Five member Javon Pickett to have an illustrious career at Belleville East. He enjoyed a tremendous season offensively as he averaged 19.9 points a game while making 67 3-pointers on the year. The SIUEdwardsville recruit also averaged five rebounds and two assists a game in leading the Lancers to a Class 4A regional championship.

Macaleab Rich (East St. Louis): The 6’7” senior forward is the 2023 St. Louis American Co-Player of the Year after enjoying

a sensational season for the Flyers. The robust 250-pounder combined his physical strength, athleticism and versatile skill set to be one of the toughest matchup problems in the state of Illinois. He also spent much of the season playing the playmaking and facilitator role for the Flyers in addition to his heavy load of scoring and rebounding. As a senior, Rich averaged 20 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 61 percent from the field to lead the Flyers to a third-place finish in the IHSA Class 3A state tournament. Rich will be attending Kansas State next season. Kansas State advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament this season.

Kobi Williams (Vashon): The 6’4” senior shooting guard

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

enjoyed a remarkable season as he led a young and inexperienced Wildcats team to a berth in the Class 5 state quarterfinals. He was a dominant force at both ends of the floor en route to earning Player of the Year honors in a strong Metro League this season. He was a tremendous scorer and defensive player as he averaged 23.6 points a game while usually guarding the opposing team’s top player on a nightly basis. The Truman State recruit led the Wildcats to a 20-7 record and a share of the Metro League title and a district championship.

St. Louis American “Fab Five” All-Star Teams

Second Team Nilivan Daniels 6’3” Chaminade (Sr.) Nashawn Davis 6’5” Cardinal Ritter (Jr.) Clayton Jackson 6’2”

(Sr.)

Co-Players of the Year: Macaleab Rich (East St. Louis), Kennard Davis Jr. (Vashon) Freshman of the Year: Jaylen Edwards (Principia) Coach of the Year: Tony Irons (Vashon) and Ryan Johnson (Cardinal Ritter) Game of the Year; Vashon 58, vs. Staley 57 (Jan. 28) Show Me Champions Classic

MLB Black player participation level remains appalling

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson was in the starting lineup for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He brought the number of Black Major League Baseball players to one. Larry Doby played for the Cleveland Indians within a month, and the number of Black players doubled to two. By 1955, according to SABR, MLB remained 89.8% white. We must go back to 1955 to find a lower percentage of Black players on Major League rosters than the 6.1% that were on rosters on Opening Day 2023. According to an annual study published in USA TODAY, 58 of 945 players on the active, injured, and restricted lists on Opening Day were Black - the smallest percentage since 1955. Robinson would retire from the Dodgers in 1956.

Black, yet its two teams have one Black player, respectively. Marcus Stroman pitches for the Cubs and Tim Anderson plays shortstop for the White Sox.

“It is frustrating,’’ CC Sabathia, vice president of The Players Alliance and special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred, told USA TODAY Sports.

“I’m not seeing light at the end of tunnel, but there’s some headway. It’s right there under the surface.’’

Baseball is not as white as it was in 1955. Opening-day rosters were packed with 269 internationally born players, which is 28%.

There were twice as many players from the Dominican Republic (104) as Black players (58) on this year’s opening-day rosters. The population of the Dominican Republic is 10.4 million. The U.S. population is about 334.7 million.

The St. Louis Cardinals franchise is ahead of the sorry curve this season. On its 26-man roster, outfielder Jordan Walker, and pitchers Jack Flaherty and Jordan Hicks are African American. This comprises 11.5% of the roster. Five teams have no Black players, and nine others have one, USA TODAY reported.

About 30% of Chicago’s residents are

Tony Reagins, MLB’s chief baseball development officer, said “I thought I could turn this thing around in five years. But it takes time. “

“Sure, we’ve got work to do, but the pipeline and foundation will bear fruit. We’ve just got to be patient.’’

Black baseball fans, including me, have run out of patience. While

many top prospects in the minor leagues are Black, that 6.9% level is not a coincidence or misfortune. Baseball, and many of its fans, struggle to welcome Black players for whatever reason.

The effort to field more Black players must begin in the respective owners’ suites, then work its way down through the front office to the field.

For the pitiful Black

participation percentage to change for the better, many of the top people in baseball must change their minds.

The Reid Roundup

While admitting “I don’t know how I would have fared in those times,” St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Jordan Walker honored Jackie Robinson for helping

him become a Major League Baseball player.

“He kept going through it, and not only able was he able to get through it, he did a really good job of playing baseball and was a superstar athlete,” Walker said on April 15, Jackie Robinson Day.

“The things said about you, and said at you, while on the baseball field

– and to still be able to perform is truly something

special. “I’ll never have to experience [what Robinson did] because of him. This is truly a special day.”…Former Cardinal Jason Heyward and L.A. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the crowd in Dodgers Stadium on Jackie Robinson Day. “I get chills. Jackie Robinson’s story was the first story I read as a kid. I remember reading and learning about him. Little did I know it would lead me on a long path of following in his footsteps,” Heyward said…Roberts and Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker are MLB’s only Black managers. Baker joined former and current players in hosting 75 minority youths before the April 15 game against the Texas Rangers. “Whatever dream you have, don’t let nobody tell you that you can’t fulfill your dream. Ain’t nobody going to give it to you. You’ve got to work for it, and you’ve got to be prepared.” Baker said…Philadelphia Phillies veteran Josh Harrison is in his 13th Major League season. He is tired of the talk about baseball’s lack of Black players. “We’ve always had this conversation, and we continue to have it. There’s a clear-cut disparity of not enough representation. What’s the solution? I don’t know. But I do know that it doesn’t surprise me.”

Earl Austin Jr.

Kennard Davis Jr.

Photo courtesy of the L.A. Dodgers

Alvin A. Reid

L.A. Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward says he got “chills” when asked to speak before the Jackie Robinson Day game at Dodgers Stadium.

Kobi Williams Macaleab Rich

Jordan Pickett

Javaris Moye

Regional Arts Commission launches push to increase arts funding

By Jeremy D. Goodwin St. Louis Public Radio

The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis is launching a campaign to raise the region’s national profile as an arts destination.

The commission, which gets most of its money for grants from a tax on overnight accommodations, saw its funding dwindle when tourism dipped sharply at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We need to get people in hotels,” said Jay Scherder, communications senior manager.

Tax revenues for RAC went from $6.9 million in 2019 to $3.5 million the next year, causing the grant-making agency to sharply cut grants it had already promised for 2020. RAC temporarily shed most of its staff, simplified its grant-application process and removed some limitations on how organizations may use their money.

RAC forecasts that it will receive $7.3 million in tax revenue this year. That would make 2023

the first year to exceed the 2019 total, but is still about $100,000 less than RAC forecasts it would have received if not for the pandemic.

The centerpiece of the marketing push is a new website that compiles arts offerings — StLouisArts. org. It’s a response to arts leaders who have said it’s

Meridian Medical Technologies, a Kindeva Drug Delivery Company, announced it will expand manufacturing capabilities in Bridgeton, Missouri, investing more than $100 million over the next four years in a newly purchased facility. Meridian, which recently combined with Kindeva — a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization — will convert this new 155,000-square-

difficult to get on the radar of visitors to St. Louis.

“What this website is hoping to accomplish is to be able to put St. Louis on the map as being an arts

town,” Scherder said, “a place that people can come and have a very unique experience compared to other cities across the United States.”

The marketing push is a strategic shift for RAC, whose leaders have been exploring ways to boost its revenues. Previous profile-building efforts, including development of a mobile app and an arts calendar produced in partnership with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, did not succeed, Scherder said.

Funding for the campaign comes from RAC’s annual tourism outreach budget of $500,000, or about 7% of its expected revenue in 2023.

Studies by Americans for the Arts, a national advocacy organization, have found that arts organizations in St. Louis generate more income than its sports teams.

As of fiscal 2015, arts organizations in St. Louis supported 19,129 jobs and generated nearly $600 million annually in direct economic activity.

“The arts are one of the biggest draws to St. Louis.

Meridian investing $100+ million in North St. Louis County expansion

foot facility to support increased production of drug-device combination products, creating job opportunities in the St. Louis area.

Since January 2022, Meridian has added approximately 300 employees for a total of approximately 900 in the St. Louis area. The company’s new facility, which will be completed in 2024, will support continued growth by dramatically

increasing its abilities to develop and manufacture products that will bring new medicines to new markets and customers worldwide.

“Meridian’s expansion brings not only new investment and new jobs to the St. Louis metro, but highlights the continued growth of our bioscience and advanced manufacturing sectors,” said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc.

The Cardinals and beer, they get more love than the arts, but the arts bring in more revenue to St. Louis than sports do, and so they really do deserve to get a spotlight,” said Cat Neville, vice president of communications for Explore St. Louis. The commission is targeting potential visitors living in Peoria, Paducah, Chicago, Indianapolis and other cities with digital marketing and ads in major airports. Many early visitors to StLouisArts.org live in Germany, Scherder said — a place where St. Louis arts leaders hope to find new audience members after the start of nonstop flights from Lambert International Airport to the country.

“It’s really a positive cycle that benefits everyone in our region to have folks come and for us to be known as a world-class arts and culture city, which we are. It’s important to scream that from the rooftops,” said Andréa Purnell, chair of RAC’s Board of Commissioners.

RAC leaders said events like the Music at the Intersection festival, which drew large crowds to the Big Top in Grand Center last year, are a good place to market St. Louis to visitors.

Living It

Ahmad Jamal remembered as pioneering Jazz legend

St. Louisans honor his memory

By Danielle Brown St. Louis American

American jazz music mourns the irreplaceable loss of Ahmad Jamal, an incredible pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator, whose eight-decade career helped changed the direction of jazz while also inspiring a movement for newcomers and influencing many in hip-hop to sample his classic records.

Jamal’s daughter, Sumayah Jamal, confirmed the icon died Sunday afternoon (April 16) in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts after losing a battle with prostate cancer. Jamal was 92. Jamal’s music notably impacted East St. Louis native and fellow jazz legend Miles Davis. Davis talked about Jamal’s influence on his unique sound in his 1989 autobiography, “Miles Ahead.”

“He knocked me out with his concept of space, his lightness of touch, his

Banksy debut displayed

City Foundry exhibit draws inquisitive fans

By Ashley Winters

St. Louis American

The artwork of Banksy debuted in St. Louis at the City Foundry STL April 14-16 and admirers of the anonymous international street and graffiti artist came by the dozens.

The artivist and philanthropist has shared his belief in social global change, and some of the artwork is crafted from garbage found on the street. Some works have been labeled controversial and others are called sarcastic. Local blogger Star Houze is familiar with Banksy and is intrigued with the ‘ghost writer’ personality and his effort to remain anonymous.

“The fact that he hides who he is, really forces you to focus on the art and not the artist,” said Houze. Her favorite piece is the popular “Girl with Balloon”

understatement, and the way he phrases notes and chords and passages,” Davis wrote.

Davis recorded Jamal’s “New Rhumba” on his 1975 album, “Miles Ahead.”

Jamal’s musical imprint left a lasting impression on other St. Louis and Metro East natives including pianist Ryan Marquez, saxophonist Scooter Brown, Jazz vocalist Denise Thimes, and Jazz St. Louis President and CEO, Victor Goines.

n “Shoutout to Ahmad Jamal, his classical approach and jazz influence is a huge loss in the jazz world and in the hip hop world.”

- Saxophonist Scooter Brown

Marquez saw Jamal perform at Jazz St. Louis after a Webster University professor recommended that he and his classmates attend.

“That experience was amazing,” Marquez said.

“It was an amazing experience to see somebody with such mastery be totally

in their bliss. The way he played with space, he was a minimalist and captivated the audience by being intentional with what he was saying and playing the right notes.”

Marquez called Jamal, a forefather of modern and contemporary jazz.

“It’s a sad day knowing he’s passed on,” Marquez said.

“But the amazing and beautiful thing about music is its transcendental and has the ability to permeate the spaces of the unknown which supersede the physical. His music will live on for as long as music lives on.”

Brown was introduced to Jamal through his father’s diverse record collection.

“Right off the bat my favorite record is “The Awakening,” Brown said.

“A reissued version dropped that I’ve been looking for on vinyl. I remember bumping “The Awakening” when I got my first job right out of college. I love his interpretation of “Dolphin Dance,” and I love the fact that he’s one of the most sampled jazz artists in hip-hop.”

Jamal is sampled on “Stakes Is High,” by De La Soul, “I Gave You Power,” by Nas, “Feelin’ It,” by Jay Z, “Be Your Girl” by Teedra Moses and many other songs.

series that was created in 2002.

“Banksy choosing St. Louis is not a coincidence, the idea of Banksy’s art being here is enough to get the conversation going,” she said. Reportedly, his

Good meets evil

Christian Thompson plays Fiyero in “Wicked” at The Fox

By Danielle Brown

St. Louis American

Popular Broadway pick, “Wicked” runs at The Fabulous Fox Theatre through Sunday, May 7. The production depicts “The Land of Oz” before Dorothy’s introduction from the story’s witches’ perspectives. It begins with Elphaba, an outcast because of her emerald green skin. She is stubborn, strong-willed, and virtuous, which also sets her apart from the crowd. She and Glinda have their initial differences but soon become best friends. Glinda is a brilliant outgoing witch who lives by the rules, while Elphaba is a risk tasker.

Fiyero, an attractive prince, is in Oz

“for a good time not a long time.”

It’s Glinda who has feelings for him first, but he and Elphaba form a relationship. Few Black men have played the role on Broadway, with the roster including Taye Diggs and Justin Guarini.

n “It’s a very funny show, that comedy has to be exactly right.

Florida-based actor Christian Thompson joins the short list of Black male actors keeping Fiyero’s name alive.

Banksy sculpture, ‘Rage, Flower Thrower’ at the Banksyland art exhibit at the Foundry STL.

Kingsley, the assistant to the VP of Operations and performer at the exhibit, describes Banksy as “a radical artist who creates think pieces to promote a call to action.”

“The point of the exhibit in St. Louis

I think comedy is also something that has been a fun challenge to figure out.”

- Actor Christian Thompson

“Both myself and [Lissa deGuzman] who plays Elphaba are both people of color,” Thompson said.

“We get to tell a story that feels like a person of color story and we get to portray a person of color’s love story. I think that’s very special and that means a lot. That’s something I think is important for the audience to know. A lot of people will appreciate it because we don’t see that a lot in the musical theater world unless it’s in shows specifically about race.”

Thompson said it’s been great working with the two leading ladies, Lissa deGuzman who plays his love interest and Jennafer Newberry who plays Glinda.

“They’ve been incredible, some of the most talented women I’ve ever met in my life,” he said. “It’s been a humbling experience working with them and the rest of the cast.”

Thompson faced challenges with the production. His first number in the show, “Dancing Through Life” is quite athletic. He said he’s still “working on building his stamina to do the number justice.”

“I think the show as a whole is a lot more active than people think,” he said. “It’s a very large stage and we’re doing some very incredible things on the stage.

See Jamal, C8

Photo courtesy of the AP

Photo by Joan Marcus

Florida-based actor Christian Thompson joins the short list of Black male actors keeping Fiyero’s name alive.

Photo by Ashley Winters

Jazz American pianist Ahmad Jamal performs at the Five Continents Jazz Festival, in Marseille, southern France, Friday, July 18, 2014.

April programs at the Missouri History Museum

By the Missouri Historical Society

When designing a city, it’s important to make sure there are plenty of parks, playgrounds, and green spaces for people to enjoy. On Friday and Saturday, April 14 and 15, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, families with students in grades PreK–12 can learn about the many parks and playgrounds around St. Louis and the work that made them possible at the Missouri History Museum’s History Exploration Days.

On both Friday and Saturday, families can enjoy storytelling and songs about the great outdoors, make nature-inspired crafts, design miniature parks using recycled materials, learn about local plants at a touch table and inquiry station, and work together to find important moments in St. Louis’s parks and green spaces during a scavenger hunt throughout the Museum’s galleries.

A 45-minute walking tour on Friday will explore Forest Park’s exciting history, including how the ways we use the park have changed over time. This tour, which departs from the Museum’s south entrance at 10:30am and 11:15am, is geared toward ages 8 and up and will cover approximately 1 mile with multiple stops along the way.

In addition, on Saturday morning, Shine Bright Dance Project will provide entertainment for all ages while sharing the history of dance throughout the St. Louis region. This performance will take place on the Museum’s north lawn at 10:30am.

History Exploration Days are sponsored by the Lori and Robert Duesenberg Educational Endowment. For the complete schedule of events, visit mohistory. org/events. Please note that registration is no longer required for History Exploration Days, but please check in at the Welcome Desk upon arrival.

On Thursday, April 20, at 6:30pm, the Museum will present Functional: The Thelonious Monk Story in collaboration with A Call to Conscience and Jazz St. Louis. This full-length play honors the musical genius of pianist and jazz composer Thelonious Sphere Monk and tackles the issues of mental illness relating to disparities in healthcare, police interaction, education, and social acceptance. Functional: The Thelonious Monk Story explores Monk’s misdiagnosis, the

discriminatory practices he faced, and the societal stigma that plagued his career and how these issues persist today; recognizes the importance of creative self-expression through the arts; and celebrates how Monk stood firm to pursue his music without compromise. Written by Mariah L.Richardson and directed by Fannie Belle Lebby, the play stars Phillip “Dr. Philgood” Graves. The performance is free with seating on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 30 minutes prior to start time. The play lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes with a brief intermission. Arrive at 5:30pm to enjoy happy hour with food and drinks available for purchase from Salt & Smoke; explore the Museum’s exhibits, including the #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis banner display in the Grand Hall; and check out a music history touch table.

Functional: The Thelonious Monk Story will be repeated on Friday, April 21, at 7:00pm, followed by a facilitated discussion with the National Alliance for Mental Illness in St. Louis (NAMI–St. Louis) on living with and overcoming the challenges posed by mental illness; and again on Saturday, April 22, at 2:30pm.

The Museum recently opened its newest exhibit, Soccer City, presented by Bank of America. Soccer City explores the St. Louis region’s reputation as America’s first soccer capital. Through graphics, media interactives, films, artifacts, and even a game room, the exhibit tells the story of a major metropolis, a dynamic sport, and the many personalities who propelled St. Louis to the competitive forefront.

On Thursday, April 25, at 11:00am, author and soccer historian Dave Lange will discuss the past, present, and future of the sport in St. Louis. This in-person program will begin with stories from local soccer history, starting with some of the first games played on this side of the Atlantic in the early 1880s. Stories about the Stars, the Steamers, and the Storm—plus local World Cup athletes and St. Louis CITY SC—will be kicked around the Lee Auditorium. After audience questions and a discussion, Lange will sign copies of his book, Soccer Made in St. Louis: A History of the Game in America’s First Soccer Capital, in the Missouri History Museum’s Grand Hall.

Missouri Historical Society Collections

Unidentified girl on a swing at the Pruitt-Igoe Day Nursery, 2328 Biddle Street, August 1964.

Music Director & Conductor A. Dennis Sparger leads The Bach Society Chorus and Orchestra

in an afternoon of glorious music in the stunning stained-glass setting of First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood. The audience will

Sheldon Chorus to perform

Gospel Mass

St. Louis American staff

The Sheldon’s All-Star Chorus will debut its performance of Gospel Mass, composed by the late St. Louis composer Robert Ray. The showcase will be a preview of the ensemble’s trip to New York’s Carnegie Hall in June.

According to conductor Maria A. Ellis, “The Gospel Mass takes the classical form of a choral mass and applies characteristics of American gospel music to the expressive and passionate text.”

The concert will open with solo performances by students who have been taking private voice lessons this semester.

Ellis was invited to curate and conduct a program featuring almost 100 singers – of which, the All-Star Chorus will comprise 22.

“When I was asked to conduct at Carnegie Hall, it dawned on me that if I were to perform the Gospel Mass, I could feature several components that are important to me,” says Ellis.

“A Black composer who is from St. Louis and was a professor at University of Missouri-St.

Louis (which is where I received my music degree), Black soloists who are from St. Louis, and I could take the singers from my All-Star Chorus. On one of the biggest stages in the world, I could feature an authentic American genre of music as well as celebrate Black culture and St. Louis.”

An inclusive opportunity for high school singers to learn music literacy, gain performance experience, and build a community of students who have a strong passion for music, the All-Star Chorus is unique in that it aspires to lessen the barriers required for chorus participation.

The Sheldon’s All-Star Chorus program is free for students in 9th through 12th grades. The Sheldon provides transportation to and from rehearsal for those students who do not have access to regular transportation.

The All-Stars share a meal before every rehearsal. This practice brings the choir members together to socialize and create strong bonds of friendship. These intentional relationships help foster social-emotional learning, self-awareness,

social skills, and inclusion within the community that the chorus creates.

All-Star Chorus students represent school districts from across our region, from St. Louis Public Schools to Mehlville; Granite City, Illinois; New Haven High School; Kirkwood; Hazelwood; Grand Center Arts Academy; and Riverview Gardens.

Ellis holds a B.M. in Music Education emphasis on Voice (K-12 Certified) Degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis

and is the host of the award winning-program Bach and Beyoncé on Classic 107.3.

She serves as a host for the St. Louis Symphony “Live at Powell” broadcast and is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, National Association of Music Educators, Missouri Alliance for Arts Education, where she is chair of the RIDE (Race, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity) Committee.

The concert is free and open to the public, but donations will

• Certified event planner recognized for seamless organizing and spotting even the smallest details

• Highly experienced consulting services cover countless details including: table arrangements, seating charts, budgeting, etiquette, logistics, crisis management, and so much more!

• Creates a “day of” master timeline to ensure the seamless flow of each special moment

• Presents premium preferred vendor list while coordinating and overseeing communication flow

• Day of coordination specializes in overseeing details others often miss

• Managing a productive rehearsal ceremony and timeline

be gratefully accepted at the door. The proceeds will benefit the chorus travel fund, which will help support the ensemble’s trip. Advanced donations can be made by texting “NYC” to 314-582-8848 or visiting https:// www.thesheldon.org/chorus/. The Sheldon’s All-Star Chorus is made possible by the Arthur and Helen Baer Foundation and many other generous donors.

Photo courtesy of The Sheldon The Sheldon All-Star Chorus, seen here in a 2019 performance, will debut Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass on Sunday, May 7 at The Sheldon. The show will be a preview of a New York Carnegie Hall performance in June.

SLDC IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

In the role of Financial Operations Specialist you will be part of a team who executes our day-to-day and long-term finance needs as well as, ensures our accounting practices are sound and accurate. You will work closely with seasoned industry experts and leaders from departments across the organization to reconcile accounts and fulfill requests.

To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/ careers-page/

The St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) is eagerly seeking candidates to join our team as we endeavor to bring economic justice to St. Louis City residents and communities that were disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

There are multiple 2-4-year limited term positions available, term of employment will vary for each position.

These positions will assist in the administration and implementation of various Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) Programs targeted for households, small businesses and communities adversely impacted by the pandemic.

The City of Clayton is now hiring for HR Manager, Mechanic Foreman, Mechanic and more PT and FT roles. Apply at www.claytonmo.gov

ARTS LEAD (AA LEAD)

The ARPA for the Arts Lead (AA Lead) is a newly created position that is responsible for the central coordination and project management of all American Rescue Plan ACT (ARPA) grant funding that is received by the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC) to support the recovery of the St. Louis arts and culture sector.

This is a full-time position that includes a comprehensive benefits package and is funded through March 31, 2027, using ARPA dollars allocated by the City of St. Louis to RAC.

EDI DATA INTAKE ANALYST II

The City of Richmond Heights is accepting applications for the position of Police Officer $62,791 - 67,368 DOQ.

To apply go to https://richmondheights. applicantpro.com/jobs/ www.stlamerican.com

All positions will be funded in whole or in part through an allocation of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the US Department of the Treasury and the City of St. Louis’ Community Development Administration.

To see the full job description of positions available and to apply online go to: http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/sldc/ and click on “Careers at SLDC.” SLDC is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity.

LIABILITY CLAIMS ACCOUNT MANAGER

Responsible for new, renewal and ongoing Large Casualty and Public Entity Liability account management services and the analysis, implementation and oversight of associated administrative issues. To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/careers-page/

Washington

levels, with positions in engineering, nursing and health care, research, administration, technology, security and more.

JR73214 Assistant Business ManagerDivision of Comparative Medicine (DCM) JR73537 Director, Graduate Medical Education - Office of Medical Education

The Director for Graduate Medical Education is responsible for overseeing and administering the Sponsoring Institution’s ACGME-accredited programs, as outlined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and other non-ACGME program oversight entities and accrediting bodies. This role is responsible for assuring compliance with ACGME Institutional Requirements and ensuring a quality work environment for trainees in our training programs. The scope of responsibility extends to the educational, fiscal, and administrative health of the institution’s GME activities, its compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, the support and development of its program directors and coordinators, and the well-being of its trainees. In conjunction with the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME) and other Office of Education Leaders, this position coordinates operational planning, systems assessment and analysis, program development, and information management on behalf of the sponsoring institution and its programs.

JR73473 Manager Administrative Services - Radiology

Position is responsible for the administration of payroll, human resources and reporting activities. Plans, develops and directs the daily activities of the payroll office ensuring submission, processing and delivery of payroll documents/checks. Approves on-line payroll documents and bi-weekly payroll entries in the FIS/Perspay system. Approves payroll cost transfers. Coordinates new and existing faculty, staff, house staff and courtesy appointments and reviews appointment letters. Advises employees on visa issues and acts as a liaison between department and International Office. Coordinates budget preparation and submission for salaries, fringe benefits and appointments. May manage payroll office staff including training, employee relations, evaluations, job descriptions and record maintenance.

Insurance Billing/Collection Assistant II - Physicians Billing Service

This role performs comprehensive financial assistance review and processing for post service applications. You will provide follow up and assistance to the financial counseling team as needed and will review and apply discounts, adjustments and patient registration updates in the EPIC system. You will establish appropriate budget plans for patients upon request and collect payments for both pre service and services rendered when appropriate. You will interact routinely with clinical/technical staff and department personnel and assist with incoming calls with the Financial Counselor and Patient Services area. Also, you will work with special projects as assigned by management as needed.

Medical Assistant Apprentice- JR72269

How would you like to be a Medical Assistant, but don’t have time or the funds to go to school? We have a solution! Once you pass our entrance requirements and are hired through Washington University, you can complete our Apprenticeship program in just 12 weeks. Upon completing, and passing the credentialing exam, along with being a continued employee for 1 year, you will receive recognition as a Certified Medical Assistant. Class times will be during working hours (4 hours a week), and there will be no tuition costs to you. For

As the company’s largest department, I.S. is responsible for supporting both ongoing operations and our next innovative project. Information technology is prioritized, allowing us to partner with colleagues to securely enable and support new capabilities every day. Utilizing a diverse set of technologies, like Guidewire, Salesforce, Java, C#/.NET, Mule, and Azure, the available career opportunities continue to grow rapidly. To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/ careers-page/

For more information, please visit the job posting on the website, https://racstl.org/ career-opportunities/. Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter online by April 9, 2023.

SYSTEM OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

In the role of Systems Operations Coordinator, you will be part of a team that supports the critical software applications leveraged by our Business Development department. You will work closely with business development personnel, analysts, and teams within our information services department. To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/careers-page/

FAMILY COURT OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY CONTRACT JUVENILE DEFENSE ATTORNEY

The Family Court of St. Louis County is seeking an attorney to perform full time legal work as a juvenile defense counsel in delinquency cases. This is a contractual position with a monthly retainer of $5,000 per month. The position is subject to annual renewal and continued availability of funding.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from an accredited law school, possession of a current license to practice law in the State of Missouri, at least two (2) years of trial experience preferably in juvenile, family or criminal law with additional years of trial experience or any equivalent experience being preferable. Applicants are not prohibited from engaging in the practice of law outside the terms of the contract where no conflict of interest exists. However, juvenile defense cases must take priority over all other cases including but not limited to dockets and case settings. Any office space and/or other accommodations provided by the Family Court shall not be used for any purpose other than to perform services under the terms of the contract entered into by the parties.

To apply, candidates should send a cover letter and resume to SLCCourtJobs@courts.mo.gov, or mail to Human Resources, Saint Louis County Circuit Court, 105 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105. Applications must be received by 5 PM, Friday, April 21, 2023

Note: Any selected individual will be required to submit to a drug screen and background check prior to hire. EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 314 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMO711 or 800 735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form.

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St. LouiS

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: BADEN SCHOOL APARTMENTS located at 8724 Halls Ferry Rd. St. Louis, MO

PARIC Corporation is soliciting bids ONLY for the DEMOLITION, ELEVATORS, FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS, PLUMBING, HVAC and ELECTRICAL for THE BADEN SCHOOL APARTMENTS located on 8724 Halls Ferry Rd. St Louis, MO. The project consists of the renovation of the historic building into 50 Apartments. Access to documents is available from our Smartbid link. If you do not received a bid invitation please send your company information to tlalexaner@paric.com

A PREBID meeting will be held on 4/12/23 at 11:00am at the project site

BIDS WILL BE DUE ON MAY 4, 2023 @ 2:00pm

Send all questions to Andrew Kalicak (AKalicak@paric.com) or Michael Skalski (MSkalski@paric.com)

Job will have prevailing wage requirements

Goals for Construction Business Enterprise

• 21% African American

• 11% Women

• .5% Asian American

• .5% Native American

• 2% Hispanic American

Goals for Workforce (field) participation

• 25% Minority

• 7% Women

• 20% Apprentice

• 23% City of St Louis Resident

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Alberici Constructors, Kwame Building Group and the Saint Louis Zoo seek bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for a project at the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park. The project consists of mass excavation, grading , site utilities and replacement of the HVAC systems in the HQ Building. To request bid documents, please send an E-mail to stlzoobids@alberici.com.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Construct Six New Cabins at Echo Bluff State Park, Project No. X2208-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, May 11, 2023, via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid.

Project information available at: oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Fluid Cooler, Wheeler Hall & Administration Building, Project No. E2304-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, May 11, 2023. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

#

57823104,

Promotional Items, T-Shirts and Other Apparel

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting proposals for Promotional Items, T-Shirts and Other Apparel.

If interested, a copy of the request can be obtained by emailing Barbara A. Morrow at email address: morrowb@hssu.edu.

Proposals must be emailed no later than 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 (there will not be a public opening), and must be emailed to: morrowb@hssu.edu

The University reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses received, or to cancel this request in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of the University to do so.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

# 57823103,

Marketing and Branding Support Services

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting proposals for Marketing and Branding Support Services which consists of Creative Development, Design, Copywriting and Production of Multiple Marketing-related pieces, including university-wide design templates, an annual report, banners, billboards, brochures, digital and motion display ads, magazine, tablecloths and advertising buying.

If interested, a copy of the request can be obtained by emailing Barbara A. Morrow at email address: morrowb@hssu.edu

Proposals must be emailed no later than 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 (there will not be a public opening), and must be emailed to: morrowb@hssu.edu.

The University reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses received, or to cancel this request in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of the University to do so.

CORRECTED NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS ST. LOUIS COUNTY

AGENCIES: St. Louis County is the “Lead Agency” for the St. Louis County HOME Consortium. The St. Louis County HOME Consortium is a group of contiguous units of local government that have joined together for the purpose of receiving HOME funds and administering a HOME Program as a single grantee. The members of the St. Louis County HOME Consortium include St. Louis County, the City of Florissant, Jefferson County, St. Charles County, and the City of O’Fallon.

ACTION: Notice is hereby given that the 2022 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) and the 2023 Annual Action Plan have been drafted by the St. Louis County HOME Consortium. The drafts may receive several updates prior to submission to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

SUMMARY: The 2022 CAPER and the 2023 Annual Action Plan summarize the 2022 accomplishments and the 2023 proposed actions, respectively, of the St. Louis County HOME Consortium. Both documents include the following programs funded by HUD: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs. These documents provide information on how funding received through the CDBG and ESG programs have been/will be spent in St. Louis County as well as information on how HOME funds have been/will be spent in St. Louis County and in the jurisdictions of the members of the St. Louis County HOME Consortium.

AVAILABILITY OF REVIEW MATERIALS: A copy of the 2022 CAPER and 2023 Annual Action Plan will continue to be available for public review and comment from March 24—April 24, 2023. Copies may be obtained by contacting Sonya Venerable at svenerable@stlouiscountymo.gov. The document will also be available on the St. Louis County website at: https://stlouiscountymo.gov/ st-louis-county-departments/human-services/community-development/

PUBLIC HEARING: A public hearing for the 2022 CAPER and 2023 Annual Action Plan will be held on April 24, 2023 from 5:00 – 6:00 pm at the St. Louis County Library—Mid-County Branch, 7821 Maryland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63105. Persons with disabilities or who otherwise need assistance, including those with limited English proficiency, should contact Sonya Venerable at svenerable@ stlouiscountymo.gov at least 48 hours in advance of the hearing.

COMMENT PERIOD: Comments concerning the 2022 CAPER or 2023 Annual Action Plan should be made during the public comment period; the comment period is March 24— April 24, 2023. Written comments will be accepted until 6:00pm on April 24, 2023 and may be submitted via email to aellis@stlouiscountymo.gov or mailed to Amy Ellis, Director, St. Louis County Office of Community Development, 500 Northwest Plaza Drive, Suite 801, St. Ann, MO 63074.

LETTING NO.8756

RECONSTRUCTION OF TAXILANE CHARLIE FROM S TO G - PROJECT 1

At St. Louis Lambert International Airport

Electronic bids submitted through the Bid Express Online Portal will be received by the Board of Public Service until 1:45 PM, CT, on MAY 16, 2023, then publicly opened and read. Proposals must be submitted electronically using “Bid Express Online Portal” at https://www. bidexpress.com/businesses/20618/home Plans, Specifications, and the Agreement may be examined and downloaded online through Bid Express.

A mandatory pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held April 25, 2023 at 10:00 A.M., via Zoom:

Meeting URL: https://cmtengr.zoom.us/j/85231927282? pwd=aS82YVc4akVwTktkV3lad2FsRFZxUT09

Meeting ID: 852 3192 7282

Passcode: 696699

Dial by your location +1 309 205 3325 US; +1 312

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including DBE policies). All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

UMSL – TOUHILL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER – INTERIOR LED LIGHTING & CEILING REPAIR – PHASE I

Color Art Construction, a general contractor is seeking competitive bids for an interior LED lighting & ceiling repair project at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The project scope includes but is not limited to demolition, drywall, painting, electrical and gypsum board accessories. A bid walk is scheduled for Monday, April 17th at 10:00am. Bids should be emailed to Color Art Construction Wednesday April 26th by noon. Please email your bid or any questions to bidrequestsCAC@color-art.com

ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS

The City of St. Peters is seeking qualifications for the 23-145Jungs Station Road Resurfacing (STP 7305(623))” until 2:00 p.m. local time, April 27, 2023. This will be a Non-Public opening. The purpose of this project is to provide construction phase services and prepare all required plans and specifications required to acquire needed property rights and bid the reconstruction of Jungs Station Road and signal replacement at the Jungs Station Road and Plum Tree Drive signalized intersection.

The RFQ will be available on April 13, 2023 and may be obtained from the City of St. Peters website https://mo-stpeters.civicplus.com/Bids.aspx

If your firm would like to be considered for providing these consulting services, please prepare a Technical Proposal. This proposal should include any information which might help us in the selection process, such as the persons or team you would assign to each project, the backgrounds of those individuals, and other projects your company has recently completed or are now active. The proposal shall be submitted in quadruplicate, in a sealed package, and clearly marked with the Consultant’s name and City of St. Peters – 23-145 – Jungs Station Road Resurfacing (STP 7305(623)). The proposal must be received by the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department by 2:00 p.m., local time, April 27, 2023.

All questions regarding the project and proposal submittal are to be submitted via e-mail to Bids@stpetersmo.net and specify in the subject line “23-145Jungs Station Road Resurfacing (STP 7305(623) before noon local time, April 20, 2023.

The City of St. Peters will evaluate firms based on a) experience and competence, b) the capacity of the firm to perform the work in the timeframe needed, c) past performance.

Once a proposal is selected, a contract will be negotiated, with the firm, based on a mutually agreed upon scope of services. This project has received federal reimbursement funding through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STP) administered by the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council of Governments. A DBE goal of 12% has been determined by Missouri Department of Transportation for the Preliminary Engineering portion of the project.

DBE firms must be listed in the MRCC DBE Directory located on MoDOT’s website at www.modot.gov, in order to be counted as participation towards an established DBE Goal. We encourage DBE firms to submit proposals as prime consultants for any project they feel can be managed by their firm.

It is required that your firm’s Statement of Qualification (RSMo 8.285 through 8.291) and an Affidavit of Compliance with the federal work authorization program along with a copy of your firm’s E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding (15 CSR 60-15.020) be submitted with your firm’s technical proposal and with your firm’s Letter of Interest. It is also required that your firm be prequalified with MoDOT and listed in MoDOT’s Approved Consultant Prequalification List

The City reserves the right to waive any informality and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the City.

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Tower Grove Park, 4257 Northeast Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110 is requesting proposals for general construction for new basketball courts. RFP responses are due 4/25/23 by 2:00 p.m. Project information, registration, and questions through Katie Aholt (katie@navigatebuildingsolutions.com or 636-359-8538).

Tower Grove Park hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant of this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry or national origin in consideration for an award. Federal Land and Water Conservation Funds are being used in this project, and all relevant federal, state and local requirements apply.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed Bids for:

ST.

LOUIS

ART MUSEUM LIGHTING CONTROL UPDATES

Will be received by the Administration of the St. Louis Art Museum, Owner, at 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110 at 2:00 p.m. on May 12, 2023. The bids will be privately opened and read. Bids from certified M/WBE contractors are encouraged.

Electronic copies of the drawings, specifications and other related contract information will be available beginning on April 17, 2023, and may be downloaded at no cost from Sharepoint (https://bit.ly/43s8Oni).

A mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. on the West Loading Dock, 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, MO.

Questions regarding the scope of work should be directed, in writing, to Steve Dietiker, McClure Engineering, sdietiker@mcclureeng.com. Questions over the phone will not be accepted.

The Owner reserves the right to waive informalities in bids and to reject any and all bids.

Advertisement for RFP SLFRF Consulting Services

The St. Louis City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) is seeking separate proposals for an agency providing Financial Services & Compliance Consulting for State Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF).

Requests for Proposal packets may be obtained beginning April 21st, by downloading from the City of St. Louis website at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/procurement.cfm. Contact Nevena Chamov chamovn@stlouis-mo.gov with questions.

The deadline for submitting proposals is May 22, 2023, by 4:00 P.M. via email at: chamovn@stlouis-mov.gov. CEMA reserves the right to reject any or all responses with or without cause.

INVITATION TO BID

FERGUSONFLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT

ASBESTOS AIR

MONITORING/ VARIOUS SCHOOLS

Sealed bids are being requested from the Ferguson Florissant School District and will be received and publicly opened on Friday, April 28th, 2023 @ 1:00pm cst at the Operation and Maintenance dept. located at 8855 Dunn Rd. (REAR) Hazelwood, MO 63042. Bid specs must be obtained at http://new.fergflor.k12.mo.us/ facilities-rfq Contact Matt Furfaro @ mfurfaro@fergflor.org for further information/questions.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

City Academy school is accepting proposals for contracting out the Food Service Program with a Fixed Price contract for the 2023-24 academic school year. Request for Proposals are due by June 5, 2023 at 8am.

For questions and bid specifications, please contact the Brian Gross at 314.880-5046.

City Academy reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

To Advertise your Job Opportunity in the newspaper ad online please email Angelita Houston at ahouston@stlamerican.com

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Upgrade Electric Network - Camp Rising Sun at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Project No. X2202-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, May 18, 2023, via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Paving Repairs MSHP General Headquarters, Jefferson City, MO, Project No. R2221-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, May 18, 2023 For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION AND MATERIAL TESTING FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF TAXILANE CHARLIE FROM TAXIWAY SIERRA TO TAXIWAY GOLF AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 P.M., CT, April 11, 2023 through the Bid Express online portal at https:// www.bidexpress.com/businesses/20618/home?agency=true. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-service/, under BPS RFQ and RFP Announcement, or call Board of Public Service at 314-622-3439.

25% DBE participation goal.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Buckley Road Bridges No. 528 & 528-P project, St. Louis County Project No. CR-1772 will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https://stlouiscountymovendors. munisselfservice.com/Vendors/ default.aspx, until 2:00 PM on May 17, 2023

Plans and specifications will be available on April 17, 2023 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouiscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Normandy Schools Collaborative is issuing a Request for Proposals for Landscaping Services for 2023. Proposals due May 1, mandatory pre-bid meeting to be scheduled between April 20 and April 24. See https://www.normandysc.org/ departments/businessoperations/request-forqualificationsbids for details.

MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICES

For SLDC’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) Programs The St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on January 20, 2023, seeking qualified firm(s) to provide marketing and public relations services, including strategic marketing planning and implementation support, marketing communications and public relations oversight for SLFRF funded Economic and Housing Development Programs.

The RFP deadline has been extended and is available for download on SLDC’s website at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/SLDC Responses are due by 4:00 pm, Monday, May 1, 2023. SLDC is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The City of St. Louis Department of Health has posted a request for proposals (RFP) to provide STI testing and treatment. The RFP has been entered into the City Journal and can be found at https://www.stlouis-mo. gov/government/departments/ health/documents/fiscal-documents/sexually-transmitted-infection-sti-treatment-rfp.cfm

SEALED BIDS

Bids for High Voltage Electrical Services – Missouri State Fairgrounds / Statewide, Project No. IDIQMCA-3007, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 5/2/2023 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: oa.mo.gov/ facilities

All questions can be addressed to Suzanne Alexander, Bureau Chief for Communicable Diseases, at alexandersu@stlouis-mo.gov

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

SEASONAL SECURITY SERVICES GATEWAY ARCH RIVERFRONT St. Louis, MO

The City of St. Louis Port Authority will receive Sealed Proposals on 5/15/2023. For more info. Visit https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/departments/ sldc/procurement/index.cfm

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.”Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or email ahouston@stlamerican.com to place your ads today!

Brown has even sampled Jamal in his own music. He specifically sampled “The Awakening,” on “Snoopy’s Interlude,” a song dedicated to his father who grew up with the childhood nickname Snoopy.

“Shoutout to Ahmad Jamal his classical approach and jazz influence is a huge loss in the jazz world and in the hip hop world,” Brown said.

Thimes, like Brown and Marquez, was introduced to Jamal’s music at a young age. With her late father Lou “Fatha” Thimes being a prominent DJ and announcer in St. Louis, she was exposed to a lot of music, especially jazz.

She fell in love with Jamal’s song “Poinciana (The Song of the Tree),” at an early age.

“At this point in my life his music has meant a lot to me because he’s one of our jazz pioneers,” Thimes said. ‘There’s not too many jazz greats that have lasted as long as he did and continue to spread the music as well as the

Banksy

Continued from C1

is to make his art more accessible to everyday people, not just the one

importance of this music in the fabric of our communities and our nation.”

Thimes met Jamal years ago at Jazz St. Louis ahead before a performance. She saw him walking upstairs toward the Green Room, stopped and thanked him for his contributions to jazz music. She then sang for him.

“I said thank you so much for who you are and what you bring to this music,” Thimes said. “He smiled at me with those beautiful white teeth and said ‘you are welcome.’ I introduced myself. I told him I was a rising jazz singer and I gave him my CD and he thanked me.”

“I sang for him right there while I was standing in front of the women’s restroom. I started singing a little bit of “Tenderly” and he said, ‘Aww yeah, you hang in there and you stay the course’ and I said I’m gonna do my best.”

Thimes saw Jamal perform at a private event David and Thelma Steward hosted at The Sheldon Concert Hall & Art Galleries.

“When I saw him that time, all I could do was sink myself in my seat and there were times I didn’t even applaud,” she said.

“I didn’t want to do

percenters. Our tour is not going to big cities like L.A. or New York. It’s all the opposite so that people like you and me can experience his work too,” she said.

She said Banksyland introduces a world of art to

anything to break the moment of me seeing this wonderful man. I’m grateful for that moment to have embraced him one more time.”

Goines had the opportunity to work with Jamal at Jazz At Lincoln Center. He said it was a pleasure.

“He was a master of

Black and brown communities that may never have a chance to see his work.

“Folks that think inside the box probably won’t enjoy his work,” said Kingsley.

Britt Reyes, Vice President of Operations

form and dynamics,” Goines said.

“He knew how to work the band. His band wasn’t based upon form being fixed like most songs in the jazz industry. He would have some people play in a certain form and he would give them a cue to move on and after they

for Banksyland, called Banksy “a vigilante of the art world.

She has visited his Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, Israel, which serves as a full-functioning hotel and art piece.

“This is what is so per-

would move on he would give them another cue to move to another section.”

Goines called Jamal “a man of great dignity and humanity who was a champion for jazz and represented royalty.”

Jamal was born Frederick Jones on July 2, 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and acknowledged his birthplace as the contribution to his growth. Jamal’s father was an open-hearth worker in the steel mills, while his uncle Lawrence was a pianist. Jamal learned how to play piano at three years old from copying what he heard Lawrence play.

Lessons began at seven. Early on, he sought influences from his music teacher Mary Cardwell Dawson (founder of the National Negro Opera Company), and his aunt Louise, who gifted him with sheet music of popular songs. His jazz influences included Nat King Cole, Erroll Garner, and more.

He toured with former Westinghouse High School student George Hudson’s Count Basie-influenced orchestra at 17, joined a song-and-dance team, and penned one of his most common themes, Ahmad’s Blues at 18. He converted

plexing about Banksy, a hotel that is also art, made from trash. Is it art, is it a hotel, or is it both?”

A standout piece is the ‘Flower Thrower’ that was created in 2003. It reminds viewers of the young Black man who threw a

to Islam two years later and adopted the name Ahmad Jamal. He joined the group The Four Strings which later became The Three Strings when the violinist left the group, and caught the attention of talent producer John Hammond, who signed the group to Columbia’s Okeh label. Chicago bassist Israel Crosby joined the group in 1955. His group became the house band for Pershing Hotel in Chicago, and one night in January 1958 they recorded more than 40 songs, including one of their biggest hits, Latin groove, “Poinciana.” Poinciana is a Latin groove taken from the 1952 Dreamboat movie. Eight songs from that evening including “Poinciana” are on the million-selling album, “At The Pershing: But Not For Me.” He also recorded “Suicide Is Painless,” the theme song for the movie M*A*S*H in 1970, recorded the albums “Jamalca” and “Intervals” in 1974 and 1979, respectively. He leaves behind his daughter Sumayah from his second marriage and two grandchildren.

tear gas canister back at police during the Ferguson Uprising.

“The more his art is available to everyone, the more the healing can happen,” said Reyes The tour’s next stop is Kansas City, Missouri, and then Canada and the United Kingdom. To learn more about the tour visit Banksyland

Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.

That’s been the biggest challenge having the stamina to perform the show at its max potential.”

He added another challenge is committing to the comedy in the show.

“I think it’s always a challenge to truthfully do some of the comedy,” he said. “It’s a very funny show, that comedy has to be exactly right. I think comedy is also something that has been a fun challenge to figure out.”

He’s noticed some major parallels and differences between him and Fiyero. He said a difference is that he thinks his character is cooler than him. Both he and his character sometimes mask how they feel, and he says he has suffered from anxiety and depression.

Why should audiences see Wicked? Thompson answered because of the nostalgia people remember from seeing “The Wizard of Oz” and seeing themselves in each of the characters.

“The show and its themes of friendship, battle between good and evil are just so universal,” he said. “You can see yourself in every character, you can see yourself in the themes of the show.”

Tickets for Wicked can be purchased by calling Metrotix, 314-534-1111

Photo courtesy of ahmadjamal.com

A young Ahmad Jamal toured with Westinghouse High School student George Hudson’s Count Basie-influenced orchestra at 17.

Rising inflation and its impact on mental health

(StatePoint) It’s no secret that the country is feeling the pinch from inflation and the rising costs of goods and services, with 48% of Americans struggling to make ends meet financially, according to the latest data from Dynata’s Global Consumer Trends survey. That’s up from 34% in August of last year.

These circumstances are having a significant impact on wellness, with 53% of respondents attributing financial difficulties as being an extremely or very important contributing factor to their worsening mental health since before the pandemic. Women are feeling the impacts most. Nearly six in 10 women – 57% – say financial difficulties are the largest contributor to a decline in their mental health vs. 44% of men who say the same.

Many Americans however are finding new ways to ease the burden on their mental health. Here are a few of the habits and attitudes that have helped those who report having better mental health now than they did pre-pandemic:

• Exercise. Getting more exercise has helped 78% of respondents achieve better mental health during this time of financial uncertainty.

• Spending more time with hobbies and interests. Seventy-four percent of respondents have seen an improvement in their mental health by spending more time and focus on their hobbies and industries. Whether it’s knitting, playing a sport or bird-watching, taking on a new hobby can be an effective way to better your mental health.

• Spending time with loved ones. The pandemic was a long period of separation for many, but with life back to normal, spending time with loved ones has been a proven way to boost mental health, with 74% of respondents seeing an improvement.

• Rest. Now is a great time to sit back and take some time to relax, as 73% reported an improvement in their mental health from just taking time to rest.

• Cooking and healthy eating. The pandemic gave many a chance to spend more time in the kitchen cooking their favorite meals. Seventy-two percent of respondents attribute cooking and healthy eating to helping improve their mental health. During these difficult financial times, spending more time in the kitchen can be a great way to help ease stress, save money on meals and

of course, reap the physical and mental benefits of a good, balanced meal.

• Work-life balance. This has been a stressful time for employees, with news of layoffs coming almost daily, on top of the already existing financial stressors. However, 72% of respondents attribute achieving a better work-life balance to lowering stress levels and improving

their mental health.

While many Americans are feeling the pinch right now, the good news is that proven coping strategies can help lighten the mental load.

For full survey results, visit https:// www.dynata.com.

What older adults should know after a doctor’s visit

(StatePoint) You know how important regular check-ups are and that consulting your healthcare provider when you have a concern is smart. But what happens after the visit is just as essential to maintaining good health.

Unfortunately, some people don’t follow their provider’s advice. Maybe they don’t take their prescriptions as written or forego recommended preventive screenings and immunizations. This can be costly, both for individuals and the health care system. Case in point: More than 125,000 people die each year because of prescription medication non-adherence, according to the National Council for Patient Information and Education.

Following a doctor’s recommended care plan can be challenging, according to Dr. J.B. Sobel, chief medical officer with Cigna Healthcare’s Medicare business. There are multiple reasons why older patients can have difficulty following their provider’s instructions – including managing multiple medications at different times of day – or trouble accessing or affording care.

Thankfully, there are some processes and resources that can help you faithfully follow your healthcare provider’s advice. Get organized. More than half of adults 65 and older take four or more prescription drugs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. With more medications, it can be difficult to know what to take, when to take it, and in what dosage. A low-cost pill organizer, available at drug stores and retail outlets, can help you stay organized. You may also want to automate your medication by taking it at the same time every day if directions allow that. The key is to find a system that works for you and stick with it. Communicate with your provider or pharmacist. If your medication doesn’t seem to be working or is causing undesirable side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about adjusting your dosage or switching to an alternative. Likewise, discuss any concerns about screenings or tests with your provider.

Having a good rapport with your doctor helps. Take notes at your appointment or bring a loved one with you to help with

questions. And don’t be afraid to ask if there’s anything you don’t understand. Connect your providers. Make sure your various doctors share information. For example, if you have an unexpected hospital visit, notify your primary care provider so they can review any new medications or diagnoses from the hospital and help you fit them into your current care plan. This can also help protect you from unnecessary or duplicate procedures. Find alternative access to care. If you have difficulty getting around or live far from where care is rendered, there are programs to help. Your provider may offer virtual visits. You may be able to have prescriptions safely delivered to your home in a 90-day supply, perhaps at a lower cost, and with reminders for

refills. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you may be eligible for rides to your provider or pharmacy at no extra cost. Learn more about Cigna Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans at www.cigna. com/medicare.

Seek help with costs. “Extra Help” is a federal program providing prescription drug cost support to those who qualify. Many pharmaceutical manufacturers help customers afford medications. You could also ask your healthcare provider about generic medications, which typically cost less but are equally effective.

Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans pay for many preventive procedures with no extra cost to you.

“If keeping up with your health care feels overwhelming, please don’t get dis-

couraged,” said Dr. Sobel, who oversees a team of clinicians that contact Cigna Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage customers whose prescriptions have lapsed or not been refilled. “Seek help from a doctor, a pharmacy or a loved one. They want to help you. Keep in mind that it’s easier to maintain good health than it is to recapture your health following a preventable crisis.”

The information contained in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen.

Three ways to prep your home for bug season

It can be tempting to think that bugs simply disappear in the cooler months. The truth is that many bug species have evolved to survive all year long, sometimes hiding in the warm nooks and crannies in and around homes. Others go into a hibernation-like state.

“Bugs can be a lot smarter and more resilient than you may realize. Even if you don’t see household pests right now, some may still be waiting in your home for those first warm days to signal them to become active, search for food and find a mate,” says Emma Klingman, senior products research at Zevo, a maker of pest control products with naturally-inspired ingredients you can feel good about.

To prep your home for bug season and outsmart pests, follow these three steps:

See BUGS, D7

Take these six steps to manage your blood pressure

(StatePoint) High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects nearly half of adults in the United States, and only about 1 in 4 with this condition have it under control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hypertension can be dangerous and in many cases, fatal. In 2020, it was a primary or contributing cause of more than 670,000 deaths nationwide. Medical experts say that controlling your blood pressure is possible and it starts with having the right information.

“Nearly half of all American adults have high blood pressure, and many don’t even know it. High blood pressure is a ‘silent killer,’ often having no overt symptoms, but increases the likelihood of heart attack, stroke and other serious health risks. I urge you to know your numbers and make the simple lifestyle changes that can help you control your blood pressure and live a long and healthy life,” says Jack Resneck Jr., M.D., president of the American Medical Association (AMA).

To get on the right track, consider these tips and insights from the AMA:

1. Know your numbers. Hypertension is diagnosed when your systolic blood pressure is greater than 130 mmHg or your average diastolic blood pressure is greater than 80 mmHg. Visit ManageYourBP.org to better understand your numbers.

2. Monitor blood pressure. Once you learn your blood pressure numbers, take and keep regular records using an at-home blood pressure monitor. For an accurate reading, the CDC says to sit with your back supported for 5 minutes before starting and wait at least 30 minutes after drinking or eating a meal. You should also avoid stimulants for at least 30 minutes beforehand, as the CDC says that smoking and drinking alcohol or caffeine can elevate your blood pressure. If you take medication for hypertension, measure your blood pressure before your dose. Share your numbers with your health care provider.

3. Eat right. Reduce your intake of processed foods, especially those with added sodium and sugar. Eat less red meat and processed meats, and add more plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and olive oil to your diet. Also, reduce your consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and drink more water instead. Drinking sugary beverages, even 100% fruit juices, is associated with a higher all-cause mortality risk, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

4. Drink alcohol only in moder-

ation. If consuming alcohol, do so in moderation as defined by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans -- up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men, and only by adults of legal drinking age.

5. Be more physically active. Do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity. Be sure to include a mix of cardiovascular exercise, strength training and flexibility. Obtain guidance from your doctor if you aren’t sure if it is safe for you to

exercise.

6. Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, losing as little as 5 to 10 pounds may help lower your blood pressure. Consult your doctor about safe ways to maintain a healthy weight.

“Unmanaged hypertension can have life-altering consequences,” says Dr. Resneck. “The good news is that there are many ways you can take control of your blood pressure and your health.”

Bugs

Continued from A1

1. Tidy up: Household pests love snacking just as much as people do, but you don’t need to play host to them. After meals, wipe down tables, counters and other kitchen surfaces. Be sure to regularly sweep and vacuum crumbs, as well as mop up to eliminate sticky food residue. Keep a tightly-fitting lid on your garbage bin, and rinse cans and jars before recycling them.

2. Be ready: Even an immaculate

home will face pest problems at some point. That’s why it is important to have tools on hand to catch a problem early, before it becomes a much bigger one. Zevo’s Instant Action sprays target and shut down biological pathways found in insects, not in people or pets. Likewise, the brand’s traps use a UV and blue light system to attract and capture flying insects, and they have a discreet design that can serve as a bouncer at your home’s entry points. It’s also smart to use these traps in potential problem areas, such as near trash cans and fruit bowls and near toilet bowls and drains.

3. Safeguard the yard: Defending your yard from pesky pests will not only

improve the comfort of your home’s outdoor spaces, it will help prevent insects from finding their way indoors. Be sure to eliminate standing water by properly tending to your lawn and by periodically clearing downspouts of debris. Any water feature in your garden should use running water. If you have a patio or deck, consider screening it in. If you don’t love the look of screened walls, installing ceiling fans can be an effective alternative. Run the fans whenever you entertain to deter unwanted guests, such as mosquitos, from crashing the party.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to apply bug repellant when spending time outdoors. Find a formula that will be

easy to use, such as the new on-body products from Zevo, which include a pump spray, aerosol and lotion. They offer eight hours of protection from mosquitoes and ticks and are lightweight, odorless and not sticky.

For more usage tips and more information, visit https://zevoinsect. com and follow on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram (@ZevoInsect).

“As we usher in gorgeous spring weather, it can be an especially challenging time of year to keep bugs at bay at home. But with the right tools and strategies, you can help prevent and combat infestations as they arise,” says Klingman.

Five important financial tips for newlyweds

(StatePoint) Spring is in the air and with it, ushers in wedding season. If you’re about to get married or just walked down the aisle, here are five things to do to ensure your financial health.

1. Determine how you will handle finances. They say money can’t buy love and happiness, but talking about it in a marriage, or even beforehand, goes a long way. You’ll want to discuss whether you’ll have a joint bank account and credit cards, separate accounts or a combination of the two. It’s a personal decision, so consider the pros and cons. It’s also a good idea to know the roles you will play. For example, will you or your partner pay the day-to-day bills? The other person may want to manage the monthly mortgage and auto expenses, or even the long-term investments and retirement funds. If you need help coming up with a plan, you may want to seek the advice of a financial counselor.

2. Get life insurance. When you get married is a perfect time to take steps to protect your loved ones if something unfortunate should happen. “If you have people who depend on you – including your new spouse – chances are you need life insurance,” said Lou Colaizzo, senior vice president, Erie Family Life. “While it’s hard to think about the possibility of not being there for a loved one, it’s so important to plan for.” Colaizzo added that some people may hesitate to seek out life insurance because they don’t want to go through the trouble of getting a medical exam, but that’s not always necessary. For example, Erie Insurance has a policy called ERIExpress Life, which may be able to provide protection with a simple application process and no physical medical exam. Colaizzo recommends people consult with their

insurance agent to determine the life insurance that’s best for them.

3. Protect your bling. Chances are you spent a lot of time and money picking out rings you’ll love and wear every day. Unfortunately, burglaries are more common than you may think. According to the FBI, there were more than 1.1 million burglaries in 2019. Protect your wedding jewelry, and any other expensive jewelry, by adding these items to your homeowners or renters policy. It is advisable to have photos and documentation of the value of the ring and other valuable jewelry in the event of a theft or a loss.

4. Update your car insurance. Notify your agent to make sure you’re both covered to drive each other’s cars. You may also be eligible for savings, such as a multicar discount or bundling your car insurance with homeowners and/or life insurance. Additionally, some insurance companies offer a lower rate for married couples.

5. Make updates to your records if you change your last name. It’s a big decision and takes a lot of work if one of you decides to change your name after marriage. It’s important to be patient and diligent as the entire process may take several months. Remember to update all the appropriate forms, including a new Social Security card, driver’s license, passport, bank accounts and credit cards, among other considerations. Additionally, notify your employer for payroll and health insurance coverage updates.

Getting married is an exciting, big life event. While you and your partner start your new life together, have an open conversation about financial considerations and double check to make sure you’re covered to protect the life you’re building.