St. LouiS AmericAn
Mayoral primary ballot takes shape
Deadline to file for candidacy was Monday
By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American
general election, also regardless of party affiliation. Proposition D affects elections for mayor, comptroller, Board of Alderman president and aldermen.
The primary election will be held March 2 and the general election will follow a month later on April 6. The deadline to file for candidacy on the primary ballot was Monday. Below are those who will
appear on the March ballot in the mayoral and comptroller race.
See PRIMARY, A6
Pro-Trump rioters storm U.S. Capitol
Rep. Bush says hold Republicans accountable
By Ishmael-Lateef Ahmad
n The takeover forced members of Congress to suspend debate on the process to approve the Electoral College vote to confirm former Vice President Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.
The chambers of the U.S. House and Senate were breached Wednesday by protesters from a nearby Trump rally, overwhelming security and sending elected officials and staff into hiding. A 6 p.m. curfew was ordered by the mayor of Washington, D,C. The storming of the Capitol forced security staff, with guns drawn, to barricade doors and order staffers and elected officials to hunker down behind chairs and desks. Apparently stoked by President Donald Trump to march over to the Capitol, hundreds if not thousands of Trump supporters did just that. Within a short time Wednesday afternoon, they stormed the nation’s chief legislative house, overwhelmed Capitol Police and sent legislators and staff into hiding, some with gas masks.
The takeover forced members of Congress to suspend debate on the process to approve the Electoral College vote to confirm former Vice President Joe Biden as the next president of the
The Rev. Raphael Warnock and fellow Georgian Jon Ossoff narrowly defeated U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler after a nine-week runoff battle that caught national attention. Warnock, shown above, bumps elbows with President-elect Joe Biden in Atlanta, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, during a campaign rally. On right, Raphael Warnock at his last debate with incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler. (See editorial on page A4.)
Bush is sworn into Congress Says she’s bringing St. Louisans with her
By Dana Rieck
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, said it’s still sinking in that she belongs in the nation’s capital. “I’m just so excited and so honored and humbled to be here, everything so far has just been absolutely amazing,” she
While Bush said the people of Missouri’s First District were on
mind an hour before she was sworn into the House of Representatives on Sunday morning, she said Wednesday that sentiment remains.
“How much I can get done, and how fast I can get it done — people feeling represented — that’s the biggest thing on my mind right now today,” she said in an inter-
view with The American shortly before the ceremony.
As for the ceremony itself, Bush said it didn’t happen like she imagined or how the House planned — instead of in groups, the entire House was sworn in together — but she was honored to be sworn in alongside the likes of Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif. and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas.
“It was amazing, though, because we all got to be together,” she said Wednesday. “I
n “The health department will be providing vaccinations to 1a workers across the county until notified by the state to proceed to the next category.”
– St. Louis County Executive Sam Page
ing health care workers are in the first group of vaccine recipients — category 1a — as defined by the state, which is overseeing the distribution of the vaccine. “The health department will be providing vaccinations to 1a workers across the county until notified by the state to proceed
Photo Courtesy of the AP
The St. Louis American
Andrew Jones Jr. Tishaura O. Jones Lewis Reed Cara Spencer
Cori Bush
Photo by JGlenn Photography
Raphael Warnock wins Georgia Senate seat
MF Doom dies on Halloween at age 49
Hip Hop’s masked rapper MF Doom died on Halloween 2020 at age 49, however, word of his passing wasn’t released until a few days ago, when his wife and record label Rhymesayers made comments on social media. So far, there’s no word on his cause of death or reason for the late announcement. The Londonborn Doom, whose real name was Daniel Dumile, moved to Long Island as a child, and he started performing and producing hip hop as a teenager. He and his brother, Dingilizwe, or “DJ Subroc,” formed the group KMD and released a critically acclaimed debut album, “Mr. Hood,” in 1991.
ects with the likes of Danger Mouse and Ghostface Killah.
Author Eric Jerome Dickey dies if cancer at age 59
The chronicler of Black life and love, bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey died in Los Angeles on Jan. 3, 2021 at age 59. NBC reports the literary giant died of cancer. His Penguin Random House publicist, Becky Odell told the Memphis Commercial Appeal, “His work has become a cultural touchstone over the course of his multi-decade writing career, earning him millions of dedicated readers around the world,” Penguin published many of Dickey’s best-selling novels, including a recent work, “Bad Men and Wicked Women.” Among the many works by the Memphis, Tennessee native include “Sister, Sister,” “Friends & Lovers,” “Between Lovers,” “Finding Gideon,” and “Sleeping with Strangers.”
confirm the split, as did a representative for Kravitz. No word on the reason for the breakup. People reports that Kravitz and Glusman, who were first linked in October 2016, married in June 2019 at the Paris home of the actress’ father, Lenny Kravitz
Dr. Dre aneurysm prompts a miscalculated no-brainer for nabbed would-be burglars
In the late 90s, CNN reported the rapper re-emerged as Metal Face Doom, modeled after the Marvel villain Dr. Doom, and a solo record, “Operation: Doomsday.” CNN said Doom was known for his intellect, wit and intricate rhyme style, which he displayed on six solo albums and five collaborative proj-
Zoë Kravitz files for divorce
After 18 months of marriage, “Big Little Lies” star Zoë Kravitz has filed for divorce from her husband, actor Karl Glusman People says court records filed Dec. 23
If you think his ongoing divorce drama wasn’t enough, mogul was hospitalized after suffering a brain aneurysm on Monday, where he was placed in the ICU. While celebrities were shouting out prayers and well wishes on social media, would-be burglars tried to seize the oppor tunity to break into his house. TMZ reports security confronted four men spotted casing Dre’s Pacific Palisades home early Wednesday morning before they could get to the main structure. The crooks made a mad dash, but police
eventually caught up with them and arrested them for attempted burglary.
Dre apparently is doing well enough to post on Instagram, saying, “Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes. I›m doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team. I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars. One Love!!
Save your tears over Weeknd’s plastic surgery
It’s apparently a new video and a new face The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye. Tuesday’s video release of the Grammy-winning Canadian singer’s fourth single, “Save Your Tears” from his latest album, After Hours, freaked out a lot of people with his dramatically altered face. But worry not. People reported, “While fans speculated about The Weeknd’s shocking transformation, Mike Marino of Prosthetic Renaissance confirmed on Instagram that the look is actually prosthetics.”
Sources: CNN, Essence, Memphis Commercial Appeal, NBC, New Yorker, New York Times, People, Shadow and
Kelly, two others fall short of signatures needed to enter St. Louis mayoral race
By Dana Rieck
Of The St. Louis American
Dana Kelly and two others have fallen short of the 1,170 signatures from registered voters necessary to run for St. Louis mayor in the upcoming primary election.
Kelly needed to turn in more than 500 additional signatures by the end of business Monday in order to be on the primary ballot, according to Benjamin Borgmeyer, Board of Elections Democratic director. Monday was the last day a person could file to run for mayor in the primary election.
Kelly said on Wednesday, Dec. 30, that she had 11 canvassers collecting signatures and aimed to turn in 800 additional signatures Monday. Borgmeyer confirmed at the end of the day Tuesday that she did not meet the signature requirement.
“I know that we registered a
lot of people to vote when we were getting the signatures,” she said. “And so because there isn’t a precedent, and because there aren’t any policies for this brand new requirement, we can expect some snags. So, it’s okay, I’ll work through it, it’s not a big deal. I was very surprised at that number — very surprised — but we can make sure to make it happen this weekend,” she said before Tuesday’s final count.
Kelly also noted that she had a late start on gathering signatures because she was quarantined after testing positive with the coronavirus from the end of October to the beginning of December. She said despite her being on the sideline, her crew of canvassers was able to collect around 900 signatures during that time.
Kelly filed for mayoral candidacy on Tuesday, Dec. 29. Because the other two candidates who fell short of signa-
tures, restaurant owner Lassaad
Jeliti and barber shop owner Keith Jefferson, filed on the last day to do so there is no window for them to collect more signatures and turn them in.
Borgmeyer noted last month that various reasons could account for signature shortages: a signature belongs to someone who isn’t a registered voter, a signature doesn’t match the
voter’s on file, and lines on the petition form are left blank.
“So with this nonpartisan filing, there are a requisite number of signatures for the petition for candidacy,” Borgmeyer said. “This is because in the city code there is a provision for people running as independents to collect signatures and the nonpartisan primary triggers this part of the code for every candidate.”
Kelly was the second candidate to fall short of petition signatures for mayoral candidacy. City Treasurer Tishaura Jones initially fell short by 274 signatures, but collected more and turned in the additional signatures a little more than a week later.
Borgmeyer confirmed Andrew Jones Jr., who filed Dec. 23, met the signature requirement and is on the primary ballot. In addition to Andrew Jones and Tishaura Jones, who
are not related, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed and Alderwoman Cara Spencer are also on the ballot for mayor. Mayor Lyda Krewson announced in November she would not run for re-election. The primary election will be held March 2 and the general election will be held April 6. This election will look different from those in the past because of the passage of Proposition D in the city on Nov 3. Voters should expect primary ballots to be nonpartisan; they will be asked to choose as many candidates as they approve of in each race, regardless of party affiliation. The two candidates with the most votes will then face off in the general election, also regardless of party affiliation. Proposition D affects elections for mayor, comptroller, Board of Alderman president and aldermen.
Court extends eviction moratorium through January
By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American
As the expiration date approached, St. Louis officials extended the eviction suspension through Jan. 31 to protect tenants financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, the suspension was effective through Jan. 4. The original suspension was put in place March 20 at the early onset of the pandemic. It has been periodically extended since.
CDC’s federal moratorium on evictions. But, both have the welfare and safety of residents in mind.
Thom Gross, spokesman for the 22nd Judicial Circuit of Missouri, said last month that there are various differences and overlaps between the city’s suspension order and the
The eviction suspension protects tenants from evictions except in the following cases:
● when they engage in criminal activity on the property; ● threaten the health and safety of other residents;
● damage or pose an immediate and significant risk of damage to property;
● violate building codes, health ordinances or similar regulations;
● violate any other contractual obligations.
It also excludes evictions of those who have received judgments for drug-related activity and possession of commercial properties.
If the suspension expires at the end of January, up to 40 million U.S. renters could face eviction, according to studies from the Aspen Institute and the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project. Eighty percent of those potentially facing eviction nationwide are Black or Hispanic. Last month the region’s three utility providers — Spire, Missouri American Water and Ameren — extended a suspension of nonpayment shutoff until Jan. 5, due to the holidays.
Dana Kelly
Editorial / CommEntary
Warnock’s is a voice America must heed
As we the people of the United States look toward Inauguration Day the nation’s eyes are fixed on the Senate races in Georgia. There, the Rev. Raphael Warnock has just won his race against Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler, making him the first Black senator in Georgia’s history. Along with fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff, who becomes the state’s first Jewish senator and the first Jewish senator elected from any deep South state since Reconstruction, the two bring the Senate into Democratic control.
It is clear that Warnock, who was pastor to Congressman John Lewis, is a force to be reckoned with and a voice to be listened to. And the fact that he won is indicative of the power of two interlocking historical forces in America: that of the Black church, and that of Black grassroots organizing. Warnock’s win makes him one of only two sitting U.S. senators to also be an active clergy member, along with James Lankford, R-Oklahoma. Warnock has said he won’t be giving up his position as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist, where the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., once served.
He will also, as the Rev. Otis Moss III, senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, wrote in The Washington Post, be “the first member of Congress from the South since Reconstruction to explicitly profess the spiritual tradition of the social gospel as envisioned and designed by people of African descent.”
It is in his role as a Black Baptist pastor that Warnock will be most able to govern. The liberatory ethics Warnock has studied and implemented in his work in the church ought to be more present in U.S. governance than the “prosperity gospel” that drives many of our more conservative legislators to see financial inequity as nothing more than the will of God; that is, that the rich are rich because they are righteous enough to be. The social gospel that Warnock has preached from his pulpit is one of good works towards equity: the garishly rich must give support to the starving poor, and liberation for the underclasses here in the U.S. and across the globe is a religious and ethical imperative.
Warnock’s policies — such
as expanding affordable health care, ending private prisons, and working against mandatory minimum sentencing — are clearly dependent upon the social gospel that he preaches. If he manages to bring the gospel that he preaches into being as tangible policy, that will be a great victory.
Observers have known for months now that it was the power of Black women organizers that flipped Georgia blue for the first time since 1992, and played a large part in securing a victory in the 2020 presidential race. While the rest of the country may have been shocked at the win, Black women like Deborah Scott of Georgia Stand Up were not: “We’ve been working at it for 15 years,” she told the New York Times. Georgia has the third highest percentage of Black people in all the states.
Stacey Abrams is another one of the Southern Black women who deserves major credit for the Democratic Party’s success in Georgia. Abrams lost the gubernatorial race in Georgia in 2018, but her fight didn’t stop there: she has steadfastly campaigned for Joe Biden, Jon Ossoff, and of course, Warnock. As late as mid-afternoon Tuesday, Abrams was active on televi-
sion and social media calling on Georgia voters to turn out to the polls.
Abrams’ parents, it is worth noting, were preachers like Warnock, who does not see his role as a pastor as being separate from his role as a politician. Both are positions of community leadership, and positions where he is tasked with standing up for people who are oppressed.
“Somebody asked why a pastor thinks he should serve in the Senate,” Warnock said in one campaign video. “Well, I committed my whole life to service and helping people realize their highest potential. I’ve always thought my impact doesn’t stop at the church door. That’s actually where it starts.”
Georgia could be a harbinger of good things to come for states like Missouri. If we encourage and pursue grassroots organizing and the Black Church to be the powerful forces for the good that they can be, we could perhaps turn the tide here, too. And, as we move into a Biden administration — an administration which we must hold accountable to the ethical standards its campaign promised to uphold Warnock’s voice, now elevated to a national platform, is one we would do well to listen to.
As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues
Perseverance: In 2021, there is real possibility for change
By Darlene Green For The St. Louis American
As we prepare to begin the year 2021, let us reflect on what this past year has meant. I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul, in his letter of perseverance to the Galatians: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
There’s no denying that for the people of St. Louis 2020 has been a year of loss and challenges. As I write this, our city has lost more than 280 souls to the coronavirus and more than 250 souls to gun violence. Every one of these losses is a painful tragedy for the families and friends left behind.
The challenges of 2020 have also been financial. Many business owners and workers are hurting. And for the city, the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, put an end to our slow but steady revenue increases of several years.
Yet through the tragedy we must take heart from those who are rising to the challenges we face. When the pandemic hit
last spring, St. Louis city leaders and departments undertook significant measures to reduce costs and leave nonessential positions unfilled. Thus far, we have been able to maintain our revised budget without layoffs or dipping into reserves. Our region is fortunate to have experts like Dr. Alex Garza and Dr. Fred Echols driving our public health decisions related to COVID-19. And we have countless career health care practitioners, first responders and other public health experts doing their best to care for and protect the people of St. Louis. We are not there yet, but the end of the pandemic is in sight. Now, it is important that as a city we refocus our effort on eliminating violent crime. St. Louis cannot achieve the growth and greatness we deserve by continuing to put it
We’ve
One of the things that happens when you write an opinion column is when you get to the end of the year you write something about what were the most important events of that year, muse about what they meant and what they may mean for the new year. But I believe also when you’re writing in this space what you’re really doing is bearing witness. Webster defines bearing witness as showing that something exists or is true. So what’s the truth about 2020?
The truth is that 2020 revealed what has become and what that possibly portends for 2021 and beyond. Webster defines metaphor as a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, or a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else.
The Wizard of Oz, a children’s fairy tale that has captured the imagination of adults for 100 years, is an excellent metaphor for America in 2020. Oz is a fantasy land presided over by a great and powerful wizard, where all dreams and wishes are possible if you believe. But when the curtain is pulled back we discover nothing really works in Oz, because nothing in Oz is real, especially the Wizard, who is just an ordinary, old man who reached Oz on a hot air balloon.
In 2020 the curtain was pulled back on America, and if America ever worked, it doesn’t anymore. By the end of 2020 the coronavirus had decimated the United States. More than 19 million infected, over 100,000 hospitalized with over 330,000 deaths To contextualize the economic damage to the country, your frame of reference would have to be the Great Depression. To put these numbers in some context, America is 4 percent of the world’s population but suffered 23 percent of the global infections and 18 percent of the
seen it before
world’s fatalities. But the scale of our suffering is not the unavoidable consequences of the pandemic, but rather is a function of how America chose to respond to the pandemic. America’s Hobbesian capitalism creates a political economy that results in a war of all against all, and is incapable rising above the profit motive.
It’s a country with a culture that also revels in its active ignorance and its governmental incompetence. There are tens of thousands of people unnecessarily infected, dead or their economic lives devastated because of ignorance, incompetence and greed. Donald Trump as president is the perfect caricature of the Wizard of Oz, apologies to the Wizard.
If we’re not in Kansas anymore, then where are we? Webster defines analogy as a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
There are two historic moments you should be conversant with in order to understand what could be in America’s future.
The year is 1932, when Adolf Hitler was elected chancellor of Germany But it’s really the period leading up to that will give you some insight on how people in a democratic republic can voluntarily and enthusiastically, democratically become a oneparty authoritarian state. Enough economic instability, add cultural change and a healthy appeal to racial solidarity and you’re there before you know it. I would suggest given white America’s ignorance and naïveté about the mendacity of American history,
Letters to the editor
Racism and history
How long will it not matter that you are white and privileged? All the conversation about Trump returning to the White House seems so hypocritical considering the nonprivileged Black man.
Everyone knew who Donald Trump was from the beginning of his presidency. It did not matter as long as he was white. How does a man’s whiteness allow him to destroy America?
on the sidelines.
The unprecedented homicide rate in 2020 has raised engagement among community advocates, business leaders and ordinary citizens. In 2021, there is a real possibility for change and the community demands it.
I would like to see serious and detailed commitments from those running to be St. Louis’s next mayor for increased community policing and collaboration among the police department, the circuit attorney’s office, and providers of violence interruption and youth development programs. I would also like to see our business community continue engagement and support for addressing violence and its root causes.
Most importantly, I would like to see a renewed commitment to the virtue of community — a belief that we are in this life together and must support one another.
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”
May 2021 bring you peace, health and joy.
Darlene Green is comptroller of the city of St. Louis.
No race of people are flawless, yet some white people want to put people of color into boxes. A perfect example is a recent incident at the Arlo Hotel in New York Soho. A white woman attacked the 14-year-old son of Grammy award musician Kenyon Harrold, accusing him of stealing her iPhone. The white hotel manager was complicit by asking the boy to prove the phone belonged to him.
Trump lit this fire and is pouring lighter fluid on it everyday. Trump’s whiteness will take care of all his transgressions. He will not be satisfied until there is blood shed on the White House grounds and the beginning of a Civil war. Is this the new history? Is whiteness what our country is all about? This sure won’t look good in the history books 75 years from now.
Dorothy Dempsey St. Louis
Wake up, Sen. Hawley
Regarding “Hawley to object to Electoral College results” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dec. 30, 2020), Sen. Josh Hawley has become an embarrassment to Missouri. Hawley has joined the right-
it would be easier than you think.
And for those who say it couldn’t/wouldn’t happen here, I would say it already has once before.
Our future could be deja vous all over again. I’m talking about the presidential election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877, and unlike this election, it was one of the most contested elections in US history. That election, in fact, was decided by the Congress and newly emancipated Black people where the human sacrifice that made the Compromise possible. Republican nominee Rutherford B. Hayes faced Democrat Samuel J. Tilden. Southern Democrats ceded the election to Republicans, allowing Hayes to become president in exchange for an end to Reconstruction and the removal of federal troops from the South.
We know what happened next, a hundred years of Jim Crow apartheid and racial terror. If you were Black living in that America, there was not a lot of difference between the United States and Nazi Germany.
I reference 1876 because it reminds us that when white political leaders talk about the need for unifying the country they’re talking about white America, and they’re prepared for Black Americans to pay whatever price is necessary to make that happen.
There is no commitment to democracy in America. Let me restate that, there’s no commitment to a multiracial, multiethnic democratic America.
When you look at the lengths some white Americans have gone to in the last two months, including Republicans in Congress this week, sedition and treason can be justified if that is what it takes to maintain white privilege in America. But we have been here before.
for length and style.
wing conspiracy groups spreading lies about the result of the presidential elections defying all evidence to the contrary that there was no election fraud.
Former Attorney General William Barr and Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, have both claimed that there was no systemic election fraud, and 50 failed election fraud court challenges by President Donald Trump’s attorneys have still not convinced Hawley that there was, in fact, no election fraud?
Missouri needs a senator who adheres to the Constitution, and, instead of putting out delusional charges of election fraud, he needs to work to increase the speed of delivery of Covid-19 vaccines and work with his Republican colleagues in the Senate to provide $2000 stimulus checks to help Missourians who have lost jobs and are trying to provide for their families and themselves.
Ross Caravelli Florissant
Guest Columnist Darlene Green
Guest Columnist Mike Jones
The social gospel that Rev. Raphael Warnock has preached from his pulpit is one of good works towards equity.
2 inmate protests at City Justice Center lead to prisoner relocation
By Sophie Hurwitz For The St. Louis American
Twice in the past week, inmates at the City Justice Center in downtown St. Louis refused to return to their cells. On New Year’s Day, the second incident, correctional officers used tear gas against the inmates who stayed outside their cells beyond recreational time.
Following each protest, groups of inmates were transferred to the St. Louis Medium Security Institution — the Workhouse — which had been slated to be closed Dec. 31. Fifty-six people were transferred from the Justice Center to the Workhouse on Dec. 29, followed by 45 on Jan. 1.
The Workhouse has been subject to scrutiny by activist groups for several years due to the poor treatment of people inside, many of whom are being held pre-trial — incarcerated not because they have been convicted of a crime, but because they are unable to pay bail.
Over the summer, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen passed a resolution calling for the Workhouse to be closed by the end of 2020, after months of pressure by the Close the Workhouse activist campaign.
According to a statement by that same group, the recent protests at the Justice Center were a response to inadequate protections for those being held there against the coronavirus.
There is not yet any public, city-level data available regarding COVID-19 transmission within St. Louis’ jails, or among correctional officers. Jacob Long, spokesperson for Mayor Lyda Krewson’s office, on Jan., 2 told KMOX radio that the jail’s two positive COVID19 cases were being treated in the medical unit, away from the general prison population.
The Close the Workhouse campaign, however, says it has received reports of more widespread COVID-19 at the Justice Center and the Workhouse.
“The administration is, at best, being dishonest, and at worst, withholding information regarding the recent protests at CJC and COVID-19 cases in the jails,” the group said in a statement.
Marc Taylor and Neva Taylor, parents of a man who was relocated to the Workhouse last week, agreed. Their son, Marc Taylor II, has been serving time at the City Justice Center since September. Marc Taylor II, 29, is a father of three and a disabled veteran. He is serving time for his first offense.
In late December, Marc Taylor said, his son told him he noticed people starting to get sick in his pod. “He noticed there was a lot of sick people,” he said. “He said they were coughing, and he could tell they were sick.”
Then, the Taylors say, a group of inmates at the city justice center began to demand that correctional officers
separate the sick from the well — a set of demands that Marc told them was ignored.
Neva Taylor said her son told her the protest was nonviolent. Then, “It got a bit more heightened, and... they took them to the Workhouse.” She added that not everyone taken to the Workhouse was in fact involved in the protest: “they took people who were and weren’t part of it.”
Now, the Taylors are concerned for their son’s physical and mental well-being. Since being moved to the new jail, they say he has not been able to access his medication. He has also had to let go of all his possessions—books his parents sent him to read in jail, longsleeved shirts for the cold, and holiday cards. “He said, he knows they’re gonna be gone when he gets back,” Marc Taylor said. Since he was moved to his new location, he has not received his medication, nor has he been able to speak with his mental health counselor.
In other jails in Missouri, the coronavirus has been spreading rapidly for some time. Howard and Pike counties closed their jails entirely in November, due to transmission of the disease among staff.
St. Louis County Jail has become a hotspot for the virus, too. In early November, a group of inmates in St. Louis County Jail attempted a similar protest, also refusing to return to their cells. At that point, 110 inmates at that jail had tested positive for COVID-19.
Incarcerated people are at a particularly high risk for contracting the disease. According to data collected by the Equal Justice Initiative, they are five times more likely to become infected than the general population.
As of Dec. 18, one in five prisoners in the United States was infected with the coronavirus, according to an Associated Press/Marshall Project report.
As of Monday, there were 711 people being held at the St. Louis City Justice Center, and 144 at the Workhouse.
In Missouri, correctional officers are slated to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the first phase of the vaccination rollout. Incarcerated people, however, have to wait until the second phase.
In the meantime, inmates at St. Louis County jails and their families say they are not being told whether the sick people they are housed with are COVID-positive or not. “The biggest concern was the mixing of the sick prisoners with the non-sick prisoners,” Marc Taylor said, adding that his son, who has been moved to the Workhouse, has no clue when or if he will be moved back. “They said it was indefinite.”
If they get sick and die….it’s going to be on the city of St. Louis. Prisoners have rights,” Marc Taylor stated. “Now, he could be subject to a death sentence, because of being put in with someone who has COVID.”
Making 2021 better not just new
This past year has been a year to remember. The country endured the most openly corrupt and divisive administration in modern times. Our resilience and sanity was tested with the worst pandemic in 100 years. We discovered that our planet is deteriorating at a much faster rate than previously predicted. And while some Christians likened it to the end-of-the-world scriptures in the Bible, most of what this country and the world have experienced (and will experience) were man-made. To make matters worse, the forced isolation severed us from our critical support systems that we depend on for love, compassion and advice.
I like to think of myself as tough and unbending.
Experiencing COVID-19 in action, on top of all the political drama was even too much for me. I’ve lost friends and family to the pandemic and to drug overdoses. I signed myself up for a meditating and breathing class for about eight weeks to learn some new coping skills. I’ve been doing a lot of deep breathing and humming ever since.
The year tested all of our sensibilities. We have been profoundly affected in ways that are still being revealed. We took to the streets to make our voices heard and to defend our humanity. These fights kept me going during 2020 along with other acts of courage and compassion. I was especially inspired by Black and Brown people rising up to fight for their very lives and for their dignity —despite the pandemic.
Despite the laws and court rulings thrown in their way like spike strips.
Despite the challenges of accessing vital services.
Despite losing jobs and benefits.
Despite the pervasive violence all around.
Despite ...
The presidential election is over but our future is still uncertain. We don’t know the full depth of Donald Trump’s corruption and devastation. We’re going to feel these past four years for a very long time.
Our task is to intensify the transformative work over this last year to get to the source of the relentless oppression and suffering. We have learned a lot about ourselves and government in this time of crisis. We are a sick nation — weighed down by social disintegration, political corruption and financial greed. Our efforts must be more intense, more strategic and more collective. We who believe in racial and gender justice must create pathways toward hope and healing if we expect to become whole and healthy, on both the individual and societal levels. Many of us have sunk into despair and self-destructive behavior. Then there’s the pandemic. The delivery of vaccines is regrettably short of the government’s goal. Will the vaccines get to people fast enough to make a difference? Will it be as effective as predicted? How long will it take to dig us out of the economic hole caused by the regular capitalist greed and escalated by the pandemic. I have confidence in the unprecedented wave of folks who made it to a ballot box to oust a tyrant from the White House. I believe they understand that we are better and stronger together, that we all want a better future for our families. Our mission is not complete because the struggle for human rights is perpetual. Then there’s the 70 million people who voted for Trump. These are the folks who have no problem with the way his administration operated and now believe he was robbed of the election. They live in a parallel universe and will be huge obstacles to our quest for democracy and racial equity. After braving this distressing year, we should welcome the new year with a healthy dose of realism. We know what’s waiting for us in 2021 and we must tackle those issues with unflinching determination.
Jamala Rogers
Rioters
Continued from A1
Virginia who were to send state troopers and national guard units.
Reports that Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were secretly
Primary
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Mayor
Andrew Jones Jr. has not held public office and is the
hustled away from the Capitol building could not be immediately confirmed, nor could reports of shots fired and more than a dozen people injured. National media also reported an improvised explosive was found on Capitol Hill grounds. While the president on Twitter urged supporters to protest peacefully, Biden went on national television to urge protesters to stand down.
only Republican candidate running for mayor. He is a utility executive and ran unsuccessfully for St. Louis mayor in April 2017.
Tishaura O. Jones, St. Louis treasurer, was re-elected to office Nov. 3, a day before she announced her 2021 bid for
“At this hour our democracy is under assault,” Biden said. An assault on the rule of law. This is not dissent, it’s disorder … It’s not protest, it’s insurrection … The world is watching.”
Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush, D-1st District, issued a statement saying she
mayor. She also lost the 2017 primary race for St. Louis mayor, coming in second to Mayor Lyda Krewson who won about 2% more of the vote.
Lewis Reed is president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. He is a Democrat
plans to introduce a resolution demanding expulsion of members of Congress who have violated their Oath of Office by inciting a domestic terror attack at the U.S. Capitol. Bush, who sheltered in place as a pro-Trump mob has stormed the Capitol Building, released the following statement.
who represented the 6th Ward from 1999 until 2007, which is the year he assumed the aldermanic presidency. Reed ran unsuccessfully in the 2017 mayoral primary election against several opponents and he came in third with 18.3% of the vote.
“The Republican members of Congress who have incited today’s domestic terror attack at the United States Capitol must be held accountable for violating their Oath of Office,” Bush said. “I am prepared to do whatever it takes to defend our democracy. That’s why, as my first legislative action, I will be introducing a resolution to call for their expulsion from the House of Representatives under the 14th Amendment. No person should be serving in Congress who is actively working to undermine the rights and freedoms of the American people as afforded to us by the Constitution.”
Cara Spencer is a Democrat who is the alderman of the 20th Ward. She was elected in 2015. Her term ends in 2023. Spencer is executive director of the Consumers Council of Missouri.
Comptroller
Darlene Green is running unopposed. She has served as the city’s comptroller since 1995 and has held the position during four mayoral administrations.
Photo by Lucian Perkins / For The St. Louis American
Trump protestors on the grounds of the U. S. Capitol.
Continued from A1
got sworn in with members of Congress that I have looked up to for a while.”
As the first Black woman from Missouri elected to Congress, Bush’s swearing-in was a historic moment. She said she has felt the excitement and hope in her interactions with people since she was elected in November.
“I’ve received a lot of emails and letters, and I’m stopped on the street, in the store, with people just saying that [they] feel represented now,” she said. “So many black women have come up to me and are just in tears and they just walk up to me and hug me — even in the pandemic — and have been very emotional about feeling seen.”
And those responses haven’t just been from Black people, Bush noted.
“And so many of these people feel you don’t have to be Black,” she said. “You know, it’s all random people from all different walks of life that feel like this is a turning point, because if I can do it, so many others can do it as well.”
Bush is also the first nurse elected to Congress in Missouri and the first Black Lives Matter protest leader elected to Congress nationally.
She said she’s received support and advice from a lot of people, including Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ayanna Pressley, C-Mass.
Bush said Pressley talked to her a lot about self care and about remembering that she is human.
“Because if I am not well I can’t help others,” she said. “So that was some great advice.”
Ocasio-Cortez also talked to Bush about practical things, such as how to pay for a wardrobe and how to find a place to live that is still within her means while in Washington, D.C., which has a notoriously high cost of living.
Legislative goals
On the morning of her swearing in, Bush said she is prioritizing her goals that have to do with providing COVID19 relief.
She said she’s in full support of an effort led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., to implement a monthly, recurring payment of $2,000 to families for a year.
“So I’ll be organizing around that and we’ll see what happens,” she said. Bush also said she is focusing on providing educational tools for children, including tutors, national broadband, laptop computers and other
equipment that children need to successfully participate in school.
“And then we absolutely need a $15 federal minimum wage with so many families hurting right now and struggling without having a livable wage,” Bush said. “And we need Medicare for all and we need to cancel medical debt and student debt, to help our people get to a place of stability.”
Along her general duties in the House, Bush will also sit on the House Committee on the Judiciary. She was appointed to the committee on Dec. 18. She said it’s been her long-time goal to be able to address policing and other civil rights issues.
On Monday, her staff announced Bush had also been appointed to serve on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the main investigative committee in the House.
“I’m really nervous, but I’m also just honored and excited,” Bush said Sunday on being sworn in. “I’m overwhelmed and I’m just grateful to the people of St. Louis for believing in me and being on this journey with me and I want the people of Missouri’s 1st District to know that I’m bringing them with me, that this seat is our seat, that this office is our office and that I am doing this for us.”
COVID
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includes dentists, school nurses, behavioral health workers, substance abuse providers, optometrists and physical therapists.
“We believe there are potentially several thousand 1a health care workers still to be vaccinated, and we have begun reaching out to those with whom we are not currently connected,” Page said.
At this time, no vaccines are available to the general public. Page said the St. Louis County Health Department will continue to follow state and federal guidelines to determine who qualifies for vaccination moving forward.
Although vaccinations are underway, Page said it is important to not let expectations cloud the reality that COVID-19 is still spreading.
“We must continue to follow our public health protocols and protect the health and safety of everyone,” Page said. “We’re hopeful about vaccines, but health care is a large industry with a large number of workers in the 1a category. And we’ll be working to vaccinate our health care workers for the next several weeks.”
Page said St. Louis County has asked for more vaccines and its health department stands ready to ramp up the staffing and administer as many vaccines as the state will allow them to have.
“We are hopeful for a steady supply, but we have already seen in our hospital partners that there can be issues with the supply chain. We don’t want to create a false expectation. As we get the vaccine in hand, we will quickly let those who are eligible,” Page said.
“Across the county, the vaccine supply has not been
as robust as we had hoped. We are moving as fast as we can, based on the vaccine we have available. So, thanks to all of you for staying safe, for being patient. This pandemic will continue to negatively impact our community for months, until the vaccine is widely available.”
Also this week in St. Louis County, new restaurant dining protocols began Jan. 4 with limited indoor dining at 25% of fire code capacity and tables spaced six feet apart. Banquet facilities are being allowed to operate at 25% capacity or 50 people, whichever number is lower.
Restaurants and bars are required to close by 10 p.m. Restaurants and bars are also to record the names and contact information for its patrons in case COVID19 contact tracing and case investigation are necessary. For more information, visit stlcorona.com.
U.S. Rep Cori Bush, front left wearing StL mask, is joined by others being sworn in Sunday for the 117th Congress in Washington, D.C.
Photo provided by U.S. House of Representatives
“Taking Care of You”
Faces of the Pandemic
In a year like no other, a global pandemic tested us all. We found ourselves face-to-face with unprecedented jobs loss, business closures, concern for our own, our family and our loved one’s health and safety. Intimate, work, and social relationships were strained and most of us are overwhelmed with COVID fatigue.
In 2020, the St. Louis American set out to go beyond fear and the negative reality of Black people comprising disproportionate numbers of coronavirus infections, deaths and layoffs from a virus that has crippled our country. With support from organizations such as the Deaconess Foundation and others, we set out to personalize the pandemic with stories and photos of those affected.
It was a year that started with great loss and ended with great hope based on the development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine. Through it all, our newsroom worked to help our readers understand, talk about and rise to the challenges of the unfolding pandemic. With individual-focused stories, photos and narrative, we did indeed put faces on dire statistics. Here, we’ve listed just a few of our stories that defined St. Louis in 2020— a year of extraordinary disruption and challenge. Lastly, we want to thank you for the continuous support that makes our crucial work possible. All of these stories can be found at www.stlamerican.com
COVID-Related stories from 2020
COVID-19 is forcing churches to operate differently
By Sandra Jordan / Mar 20, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/covid-19-is-forcing-churches-to-operate-differently/article_13b984ca-6ae7-11ea-a155-8bccd8ebcf65.html
Coping with COVID-19 in North County
By Sandra Jordan / May 1, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/coping-with-covid-19-in-north-county/article_4b41c004-8bb911ea-a48c-9f58853b543d.html
We know how to prevent homelessness due to COVID-19
By Patrick J. Fowler and Jason Q. Purnell / May 12, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/columnists/guest_columnists/we-know-how-to-prevent-homelessness-dueto-covid-19/article_388e7fe6-9457-11ea-af5c-bbc16f106816.html
Jump-start your life after COVID-19 now
By Leslie Gill / Jun 12, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/columnists/guest_columnists/jump-start-your-life-after-covid-19-now/article_f1a248ac-ac79-11ea-8148-bffed3b8fe8e.html
Regional Health Commission awarded $1M for COVID-19 outreach Jun 19, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/regional-health-commission-awarded-1m-for-covid-19-out-
reach/article_f9ec0914-b27b-11ea-8701-7bd174478c4b.html
Detainee at St. Louis Workhouse tests positive for COVID-19
By Chris King / Jun 23, 2020 http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/detainee-at-st-louis-workhouse-tests-positive-for-covid-19/article_cb0093b6-b557-11ea-bda5-4795742c9361.html
COVID-19 at the St. Louis Workhouse
By Ramona Curtis / Jun 24, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/covid-19-at-the-st-louis-workhouse/article_100ceeb2-b64011ea-9abb-f31b4f587401.html
STL County distributes $28M for COVID relief
By Sandra Jordan / Jul 20, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/stl-county-distributes-28m-for-covid-relief/article_3c5c088ecab5-11ea-9c0a-83849032c160.html
Spanky, COVID-19 and the plight of Missouri’s disabled
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Aug 8, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/spanky-covid-19-and-the-plight-of-missouri-s-disabled/article_ d467f248-d98b-11ea-a8ec-8f98090bb351.html
Continued on page A11
“Taking
COVID-19 may have a high survival rate but it’s still not ‘harmless’
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Aug 18, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/your_health_matters/covid_19/covid-19-may-have-a-high-survival-rate-but-itsstill-not-harmless/article_505e7828-e188-11ea-9951-6bb25af5b4bb.html
Surviving COVID-19: The struggle for Black performing arts in St. Louis
By Sylvester Brown Jr./Aug 22, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/surviving-covid-19-the-struggle-for-black-performing-arts-in-stlouis/article_7c038224-e481-11ea-9584-63ef72551532.html
Losing Lamont Hadley Sr.
COVID-19 takes from STL a beloved singer
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Aug 27, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/your_health_matters/sylvester_brown_jr_deaconess_fellowship/losing-lamont-hadley-sr/article_4eb9825c-e80d-11ea-be93-67dfa9b93163.html
COVID-19 survivor embarks on nursing career
By Pat Matreci / Apr 30, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/business/business_news/covid-19-survivor-embarks-on-nursing-career/article_734936e8-8a71-11ea-8ce3-c773966b9740.html
A MUSICIAN’S BATTLE FOR HIS MOM IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19
By Sylvester Brown, Jr. / Sept. 3, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/entertainment/living_it/a-musicians-battle-for-his-mom-in-the-midst-of-covid-19/ article_6bd40ba4-ee62-11ea-a510-e3c3bd1887f4.html
Kids and COVID - they face a ‘triple whammy’: high crime, racial tension and isolation from the pandemic
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Sep 23, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/kids-and-covid---they-face-a-triple-whammy-high-crime-racialtension-and/article_91e6a908-fe13-11ea-a139-67da4be3ed07.html
Losing his cool Eddie Smith - COVID survivor and HVAC engineer, on healing ‘sick building’
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Sep 12, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/your_health_matters/covid_19/losing-his-cool-eddie-smith---covid-survivor-andhvac-engineer-on-healing-sick/article_6026948e-f524-11ea-8017-af5e0f843a83.html
‘I’m moving forward with my life,’ COVID survivor Annie Cooper turned to job retraining with MOKAN to ‘bounce back’
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Sep 14, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/your_health_matters/covid_19/i-m-moving-forward-with-my-life-covid-survivorannie-cooper-turned-to-job-retraining/article_367ce0be-f6fc-11ea-b8db-8bbdd60d56ec.html
KJ’s and corona: COVID-19 is tough, so bar owner Kenny Martin got tougher
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Sep 16, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/entertainment/living_it/kj-s-and-corona-covid-19-is-tough-so-bar-owner-kennymartin-got-tougher/article_93d72774-f86e-11ea-9141-43239c47b6b7.html
Confessions of a last responder: Ronald L. Jones on COVID’s impact
on the funeral business
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Sep 27, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/your_health_matters/covid_19/confessions-of-a-last-responder-ronald-ljones-on-covid-s-impact-on-the-funeral/article_6ec2f428-011e-11eb-a7ce-172469c426d3.html
Ella Owens, COVID-19 and How God Got Her Attention Sylvester Brown Jr. / Sep 27, 2020 http://www.stlamerican.com/religion/local_religion/ella-owens-covid-19-and-how-god-got-her-attention/article_2a2b0b00-00da-11eb-9ec8-cbfa676ce73e.html
COVID testing and voter registration for the faithful
By Sylvester Brown Jr./ Oct 7, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/election/oct-7---last-day-to-register-to-vote-covid-testing-and-voter-registration/ article_e615288e-08c6-11eb-bf62-2789d7f1b166.html
Coping with grief during the pandemic By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American By Sandra Jordan / Oct 13, 2020 http://www.stlamerican.com/your_health_matters/health_news/coping-with-grief-during-the-pandemic/article_b48404fa-0dcd-11eb-8045-53d837be3614.html
The COVID gap year: Pandemic pushes student out of WashU into local workforce
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Oct 21, 2020 http://www.stlamerican.com/business/business_news/the-covid-gap-year-pandemic-pushes-studentout-of-washu-into-local-workforce/article_e3df5eb2-12f4-11eb-a63f-87a3da5a0fc4.html
Distrust keeps Blacks from joining COVID clinical trials
By Sylvester Brown Jr./Oct 30, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/distrust-keeps-blacks-from-joining-covid-clinical-trials/article_ d16a373a-1ab9-11eb-8b76-af415b748b61.html
Billie’s Pastries offers comfortable gathering place in perilous times
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Nov 19, 2020
https://www.stlamerican.com/billie-s-pastries-offers-comfortable-gathering-place-in-perilous-times/article_7b4f1942-2ac2-11eb-ad7c-cb4377276f50.html
COVID fatigue
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Nov 12, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/covid-fatigue/article_da5c72d8-252f-11eb-93990b13e37f6f6b.html
Kristian Blackmon creates happiness and joy in the midst of a pandemic
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Nov 25, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/entertainment/living_it/kristian-blackmon-creates-happiness-and-joy-in-themidst-of-a-pandemic/article_1a465f20-2f77-11eb-8c98-530ac671902f.html
“There’s nothing funny about COVID”
By Sylvester Brown Jr. / Nov 29, 2020
http://www.stlamerican.com/business/eye_on_business/there-s-nothing-funny-about-covid/article_163b56763272-11eb-b634-7f5bb98633f8.html
NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION
Resolve to Eat Right!
Nutrition Challenge:
This time of year many people make New Year’s resolutions. A resolution is simply a promise you make to yourself of ways that you would like to improve your life in the new year. So for 2021, why not make a resolution to eat healthier?
Try adding a healthy new habit every few weeks or so. Here
PRESENT:
Healthy Kids
are a few ideas (from past Healthy Kids features) to get you started. What are some other tips you’ve learned?
Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5
New Year, New You!
Another healthy change you can make for yourself with the new year is to be more active. Staying active not only helps keep your heart healthy, but it burns calories, improves your brain functioning and helps you feel better — the more you do!
Some reminders:
> Try to have at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day that increases your heart rate (60 minutes is even better).
The new year brings a fresh start. Plan on making 2021 your best year yet! Try letting go of the problems you may have faced last year and look forward to a new year with excitement and hope. Here are a few ways to stay positive.
> Make a list of all of the good things that happened for you in 2020.
> What are some goals you’d like to achieve in 2021?
> Warm up, stretch and cool down before and after exercising.
New Year’s Resolutions
Healthcare Careers
Weekly Newspaper in Education Program
1. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
2. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less fried foods and sweet snacks.
3. Eat slowly and stop as soon as you feel full.
> Start off slowly and increase time, distance, and speed as you feel stronger.
> Select one or two of those goals and make a list of specific steps you can take to accomplish your new year goals.
> Always remember — you can’t change others, you can only change yourself and how you react. So focus on yourself and how you can have a happy 2021!
Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3
> Check with your doctor before starting a brand new exercise program.
> Drink lots of water when you’re working out. Discuss some of the ways you can keep active during the cold winter months.
Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5
Salsa-Guac
Ingredients: ½ Cp Salsa 2 Ripe
Avocados
Chopped Cilantro 1 Tbsp Lime juice Salt, to taste
Directions: Smash the avocados and combine with the salsa, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Use as a dip for baked tortilla chips.
Tyler D. Roy, Counselor
Where do you work? I am a private practitioner at Arbor Counseling.
Where did you go to school? I graduated from Lincoln Sr. High School in East St. Louis, Illinois. I then earned a Bachelor of Art in Psychology and Criminal Justice from St. Louis University and an M.Ed. in Professional counseling from the University of Missouri, St. Louis.
What does a professional counselor do? I help people of all ages find solutions and ways to deal with problems they may be having at home, at school, and with their loved ones. I help people feel better about themselves and I teach them how to express their thoughts and feelings, even the not-so-good ones, in healthy ways.
Why did you choose this career? It has always made me sad to see other people sad. With my job, I get to show people how they can still be happy and enjoy life, even when they don’t have the best situations in their lives. My job allows me to help people become stronger, happier, healthier, and to feel better about themselves.
What is your favorite part of the job you have? I absolutely love EVERYTHING about my job. But my favorite part is working with children and teens. I love watching them develop new skills and adopt new ways of thinking and doing things. I also love watching them become stronger, wiser, and more confident in themselves and what they can accomplish.
Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3
“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551
Inspired by the e-edition of The American’s STEM page, 6th Grade Student Madison Moore works on a fun Science Investigation activity at home.
What do all great scientists have in common? They are skilled critical thinkers and problem solvers. Just like you can train your body and your muscles to work more effectively, you can also train your mind to think more critically.
Give your brain a work out with mazes, brain teaser riddles, Sudoku puzzles, math equations, etc. Read mystery books and learn to look for clues and make predictions. Look for patterns. Patterns are everywhere—colors, numbers, letters, etc. When you identify patterns, your brain can make connections quickly and easily. Think of different uses for
SCIENCE INVESTIGATION
Background Information:
common everyday items, such as a paperclip. How many different uses can you discover?
Ask yourself questions, such as how many different ways can you stack a set of blocks? Which way would give you the tallest structure? Which way would give you the strongest structure? Keep an open mind and be flexible as you consider your options. Practice this process often. Brainstorm a list. Set a timer and see how many ideas you can generate. Then, select your best three choices and develop a hypothesis that you can test.
Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details. I can make text to self connections.
Build Balloon columns!
In this experiment, you will see if you can walk on air. What is your hypothesis? Do you think it is possible to walk on air? Support your answer with specific reasons and details.
Materials Needed:
• Garbage Bag Filled with Air • Balloons Filled with Air • Balloons Filled with Water • Tape • 4 24” by 24”
Cardboard Squares
Procedure:
q Make two strong platforms by gluing two pieces of cardboard together so that the grooves (lines) in the cardboard are going in the opposite directions.
w Try standing on one of your platforms supported by a garbage bag filled with air. (Take caution and make sure to have a partner help you balance or stand near a wall.) Does it hold your weight?
e Now try balloons filled with air. Predict which will hold your weight better.
r Start out standing on one of your platforms supported by a
bunch of balloons. The balloons stay in place best if you sandwich them between two platforms. Try taping the balloons to the bottom platform and then putting the second platform on top.
t Have a friend pop one balloon at a time. What happens when the balloons pop? How few balloons still support your weight?
Extension: Try the same thing with balloons filled with water. Be sure you do this testing somewhere that can get really wet. Analyze: Which holds your weight better, balloons filled with water or balloons filled with air? Which substance can hold your weight with the fewest balloons? Why do you think one works better than the other?
Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can create a hypothesis and analyze results. I can draw conclusions.
Give your problem solving ability a challenge with these equations.
b – 7.2 = 1.8
v Write the sentence as an equation. b decreased by 150 is 221
b Write the sentence as an equation. z multiplied by 280 is 179
Equation Challenges! Richard Drew originally made scotch tape to seal cellophane wrappers in a butcher’s office to keep food safe from spoiling. Paper clip designs have their own names. The very first one was called “The Philadelphia.” Other designs were named “The Clipper,” “The Daisy,” “The Niagara,” “The Eureka,” “Banjo Paper Clip,” and “Octo Clip.”
n Write the sentence as an equation. 72 is equal to z divided by 369
Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.
A ballpoint pen can write approximately 45,000 words.
African-American Mechanical Engineer & Inventor
Ruth J. Miro
Ruth J. Miro was born on February 4, 1960, in New York City and grew up in the Bronx. She attended New York’s Monroe Business College to study business and e-commerce. Miro received patent #6,113,298 on September 5, 2000, for her improved paper ring design. A press release to promote her new product stated, “These new and improved paper rings are ideal for business professionals, especially authors, students, and schools. There is an increased excitement over the range of functions it serves. They can be used for sorting, filing [loose leaf] papers, index cards, recipe cards, photo pages, memos and much more… RJ Miro paper rings come in an array of colors such as Red, Black, Green, White, Blue and Gold.” She also received patent #6,764,100 for a stationery organizer and is the founder of RJMiro, which designs and sells supplies for the school, office, and home.
Miro is a member of the International Association of Black Millionaires and the National Association for Female Executives. She has received recognition and many awards, including Empire Who’s Who, Manchester Who’s Who, and Cambridge Who’s Who. The Wall of Tolerance gave her an award for her public stance against hate and intolerance. (The Wall of Tolerance is located in the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Alabama.)
In addition to her business accomplishments, Miro supports literacy by donating money to various educational charities and authors. She features authors on her business website to promote their work. She states, “I would like to see more African American stores buying and selling African American products.”
Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I can make text to world connections.
MAP CORNER
Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper.
Activity One —
Creative Predictions for Jobs: Review the Help Wanted section in the Classified ads. What characteristics do the employers seek—experience, dependability, etc.? Which characteristics seem to be the most important to employers? What job do you think you are best suited for? Why? Write a paragraph explaining what skills and characteristics you have that will make you a good employee.
Activity Two —
Who Am I? Riddles: Fold a piece of paper in half. On the outside flap, write a riddle about a character of a newspaper story. Paste the newspaper article on the inside, highlighting the character’s name and characteristics used to create the riddle. Share the riddle with your classmates.
Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can draw conclusions. I can use character traits and think critically.
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.
Photo by Melvin Moore
By Jaclyn Driscoll
St. Louis Public Radio
Missouri Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, prefiled a measure to amend the state constitution to legalize recreational cannabis.
In addition to allowing adults 21 and older to use the drug, Dogan said, his proposal would be an important step toward criminal justice reform.
“It expunges the records of people who’ve been convicted of nonviolent marijuana offenses and has anyone who’s incarcerated for nonviolent marijuana offense be released from prison,” Dogan said. Dogan said he is the first in the majority party to file a recreational cannabis bill. While the House has taken up proposals in past sessions, the Senate has been reluctant to do so. Dogan said he is confident his proposal will get the traction it needs to make it to the floors of both chambers for discussion.
“Ten percent of the total arrests in the state of Missouri in 2018 were for marijuana possession,” Dogan said. “Just by tackling that, that’s going to address a lot of those racial disparities.”
While cannabis use is illegal at the federal level, the legisla-
tion states that no Missouri law enforcement personnel or state funds be used to enforce federal laws, as seen in other states that have legalized marijuana. What is different about this bill, though, is the lack of state regulation when it comes to who can grow and sell the drug.
Dogan said that was intentional.
“I don’t think we need a huge bureaucracy to pick winners and losers in terms of who gets licenses,” Dogan said.
The state’s medical marijuana program stipulated that at least 192 licenses be awarded to facilities across the state to
grow and sell the drug. While the constitutional amendment did not cap the number of facilities, the state did not award more than the minimum required. Dogan said this has caused problems for the program and the state as a whole.
“One of the issues with the medical amendment that we passed was that the authority to regulate was given to the state, and there’s a lot of controversy around that now,” Dogan said.
“A lot of time and energy, including taxpayer money, is being spent on these lawsuits.”
While businesses begin to come online, the rocky rollout of the medical marijuana program in Missouri continues to draw scrutiny. A federal lawsuit filed last month seeks to strike down a state requirement that
Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, believes changes to cannabis laws would help advance criminal justice reform.
Photo credit: St. Louis Public Radio
Missouri Rep. Dogan announces exploratory Committee for St. Louis County executive
St. Louis American Staff
medical marijuana licenses go to businesses owned by residents of the state.
Gov. Mike Parson’s administration is also at the center of legislative and law enforcement probes into the handling of licenses in the state and how key decisions, such as who received licenses, were made.
Dogan’s fix for this is to leave licensing up to local and county governments and keep the state out of it completely.
“What I’m trying to do is reduce the amount of regulation on the industry,” Dogan said.
“By and large, if you want to get a license to grow or sell, you can do it.”
The proposal taxes the drug at 12%, mandates that it be properly tested and labeled, and would not allow adults to use cannabis in public places.
Jaclyn Driscoll is the Jefferson City statehouse reporter for St. Louis Public Radio, a reporting partner of The St. Louis American.
State Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Baldwin, announced Monday he would be forming an exploratory committee to run for St. Louis County executive. If he proceeds, Dogan would challenge incumbent Sam Page. Dogan represents the 98th District, which includes parts of Ballwin, Ellisville, Fenton, and Wildwood. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2014, and re-elected to additional terms in 2016, 2018, and 2020. Dogan serves as chairman of the House Special Committee on Criminal Justice, which was established to craft policy solutions that ensure the safety of the public and address the state’s prison overcrowding problem. In Jefferson City, his legislative agenda has focused on education reform, ethics reform, and criminal justice reform. In his first year in the House, he successfully organized two-thirds of the legislature to petition then-Gov. Jay Nixon to commute the sentence of Jeff Mizanskey, who served over 20 years of a life sentence for nonviolent marijuana offenses. He also sponsored the “Blue Alert” law to allow for quicker capture of anyone suspected of killing or injuring a police officer, after Ballwin Police Officer Mike Flamion was shot and wounded in his district in 2016.
We all have a history. A story. We bring with us life experiences that shape who we are and make us better.
At Spire, we know our individual stories only make us stronger as a whole. That’s why we’re committed to an inclusive work environment where all that makes us unique is embraced, encouraged and valued.
Because it truly takes all of us our backgrounds, our perspectives and our experiences to move forward.
WePower names Haymore director of entrepreneurship
Will oversee the Elevate/Elevar Accelerator
By Danielle Brown Of The St. Louis American
Keisha Mabry Haymore is a woman on a mission, make no mistake about it.
Mabry Haymore is director of entrepreneurship with WePower STL, a non-profit committed to building more power and wealth opportunities for Black and Latinx people, by restructuring the education, economic, health and justice systems. The program provides access to capital and training, using Village Capital’s scientifically-proven, business curriculum, advice from a business coach and mentors; access to attorneys and a range of profes-
sionals; and a collaborative working space.
“The goal is to continue to get power, money, and resources into the hands of Black and Brown people,” Mabry Haymore said in an interview with The American.
As the newly named director of entrepreneurship, she oversees the Elevate/Elevar Accelerator, a six-month program designed to equip 10 Black and Latinx entrepreneurs with the resources and training they need to take their businesses to the next level.
erator is to use entrepreneurship as a path to wealth building,” Mabry Haymore said. Applications for the 2021 Elevate/Elevar cohorts may be accepted, starting Jan. 18. Interested applicants can visit the information form to learn more: https://wepowerstl. org/elevate/start-your-application/. Successful applicants will begin the program in April for six months.
The next round of participants will launch at the end of next year.
“Our main goal for the accel-
According to the website, the ideal candidate for the 2021 Elevate/Elevar Accelerator program
would be someone with an annual revenue between $50,000 and $500,000 with a for-profit startup company and/or small businesses dedicated to St. Louis; living-wage job creation; and someone currently working full-time on a business or who aims to be by April 2021.
“The goal is for all entrepreneurs to grow their revenue, hire people, and be on the path to sustainability and profitability,” Mabry Haymore said. “We want them to be connected to the capital, the people they need, and the system they put in place to be on the track to upward mobility and wealth building.”
In addition to the accelerator,
apply for
St. Louis business owners say stimulus won’t provide enough to fully recover
By Corinne Ruff St. Louis Public Radio
Shekela Bester missed out on the first round of small-business loans approved by the government last spring to curb the economic devastation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
But the owner of Florissant-based nonprofit Hoppee said her paperwork was ready to go late last month when Congress allocated another $285 billion to the federal loan program, called the Paycheck Protection Program.
“Oh, it was like a breath of fresh air. It was like ‘Oh, they didn’t forget about us!’” she recalls feeling when she heard the news. “We have so many people in need and we are trying our best to balance the resources we do have to make sure that they stretch.”
Bester said the money will help keep her organization afloat so it can provide monthly food pantries, a winter coat drive and other necessities for people who need them.
last year.
“It doesn’t last very long,” he said. “It’s almost like giving you 30 days to maintain payroll for your employees. It gives you an opportunity to change things, to get things together.” Jenkins said this kind of stopgap money is especially important as local governments continue to change capacity limits on indoor dining, among other things. His business has been down by about 70% since he closed the restaurant for indoor dining and stopped accepting cash last February. Since then, he moved to a carryout-only model for consistency.
n “If you can get the other PPP and it can hold you over until things come back to normal by keeping your staff, that will be huge.”
— Jerome Jenkins, co-owner, Cathy’s Kitchen
But Bester and other small-business owners worry that the federal stimulus package, which also provides more unemployment benefits and direct payments of $600, is a temporary solution. They’re concerned that without more substantial support, people won’t be able to overcome the pandemic’s impact.
“It may put some things in the refrigerator for some of my clients, but it won’t stop the evictions or the hardships or the struggles that they’ve got going on,” Bester said. “That $600 is already gone.
Jerome Jenkins, who co-owns Cathy’s Kitchen with his wife in Ferguson, said he’s already working with his bank to apply for another PPP loan to help cover the cost of payroll. He received a nearly $33,000 loan
Over the past few months, Jenkins has watched other small businesses close along the South Florissant Road business strip where his restaurant is located. But he’s hopeful the loans will help those still open stay afloat until more people can get vaccinated and restrictions loosen up.
“If you can get the other PPP and it can hold you over until things come back to normal by keeping your staff, that will be huge,” he said.
‘A slap in the face’ Employees in the service industry, like Katie Brown, have also been waiting on relief for months.
She has depleted her savings and has been living paycheck to paycheck. The pizzeria where she worked as a server closed early on in the pandemic. She received unemployment benefits for a while, until she could pick up shifts at other bars and restaurants along Cherokee Street. Given the restrictions on restaurants, Brown is bringing in less money. She said the $600 check from the federal government will help pay her rent for a month. But she’s frustrated the government isn’t doing more.
United States Magistrate Judge Shirley Mensah was sworn in Monday for a five-year term as chief magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Missouri. She replaces U.S. Magistrate Judge Nannette Baker, who concluded her five-year term. This occasion marked the first time in the history of the Court where the position of the post of chief judge was passed from one African American to another. Mensah has served as a magistrate judge since 2012 and has served in several leadership roles both within the District Court and across the federal judiciary, including her tenure on the Judicial Conference of the United States Defender Services Committee.
Mensah grew up in Liberia until a military coup caused her family to emigrate to the United States, an experience that led in part to her pursuit of a career in law. After graduating from Washington University School of Law, Judge Mensah worked at the law firm now known as Husch Blackwell before joining the Court in 2012.
Outgoing Chief Magistrate Judge Nannette A. Baker completed a successful five-year term that saw the addition of two new Magistrate Judges and a massive increase in the Court’s criminal caseload.
Sulbrena Day,
started working at St.
Hospital in East St. Louis as an LPN in 1974. After a 46-year career, she retired Dec. 31. After becoming a registered nurse, Day entered critical care medicine and started her path up the ranks at St. Mary’s, eventually becoming director of nursing and vice president of nursing. She also helped guide the transition to Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital. Advancing her educational journey, she earned a BSN, MSN and then a doctorate in health care. At Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville, her hometown, Day began as vice president of ancillary services; she became chief operating officer in 2016. In 2018 she added the title of chief nursing officer.
After retirement, Day will continue to teach nursing at Midwest Career Source in Belleville and as a member of the faculty at McKendree University in Lebanon.
Cathy Jenkins sits in her Ferguson-based restaurant, Cathy’s Kitchen, before a lunch rush in late December. She and her husband are preparing to
another federal loan to get through the pandemic.
See HAYMORE,
Shirley Mensah
Sulbrena Day
Keisha Mabry Haymore
Corrine Ruff / St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis high school teens compete in National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
By Lillian Emenogu
For The St. Louis American
St. Louis has no shortage of Black teens pursuing innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.
High school students from around the world participated this past fall in the annual Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, including two teams from the St. Louis area.
The network is an international educational non-profit organization providing entrepreneurship training and education programs to young people from low-income urban communities. Teens who would like to get involved can inquire
Stimulus
if the program is available through their high school guidance counselor.
The Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is an eight-month series of business plan and pitch competitions that take place at the local, regional and national levels, culminating in a high-stakes national championship in New York City. Every year, thousands of students compete for the chance to win the championship title.
This year, Micah Montgomery, 16, a transfer student from Jennings Senior High to Hazelwood East, pitched her business, Cavy Pads, to a team of judges in the quarterfinal elimination round. Cavy Pads is a product that provides owners of guinea pigs and other
“It’s just kind of a slap in the face to get $600. It’s just, like almost nothing,” she said.
Over the past few months, she’s paid for groceries and gas with money from a community auction set up to support bartenders and artists in the Cherokee Street neighborhood.
Lucas Hanner set up the auction last March, at first giving out money weekly, then monthly, to a rotating list of 30 people. By the end of 2020, he raised more than $53,000 for industry workers.
“None of us should have had to worry about this. That money should have been there,” he said, noting that the government should be doing more to support people who aren’t able to bring in a full paycheck due to the pandemic.
But Hanner said given how small the direct payments are, he feels obligated to keep up the auctions, even though he works full time and has two kids at home. He’s hoping Congress passes legislation pushing to increase direct payments to $2,000.
Corinne Ruff is a reporter for St. Louis Public Radio, a reporting partner of The St. Louis American
small animals stylish, easy-toclean, affordable, animal-safe cage bedding.
The idea started over a year and a half ago with her guinea pig, Max, and with the help of her family and the $500 prize
money she won after advancing to the semi-finals, she has successfully launched her business and is open to receive orders. Micah credits the program for opening her path to entrepreneurship.
“Before NFTE, I didn’t think of entrepreneurship as a path for me, but they brightened my insight to entrepreneurship and I’m grateful I started at Jennings and am excited to continue my growth with entrepreneurship at Hazelwood East,” she said in an interview..
In the next few years she hopes to realize her goal of distributing Cavy Pads in at least one major retail pet store.
The teens who competed in the quarter-final round of the NFTE competition also included Lailah Hall, 17, and Anthony McDonald, 18, with their venture QuickFarm, an app that offers healthy and affordable options to predominantly Black and Brown people
who live in food deserts.
Although the team did not advance to the semi-finals, both Lailah and Anthony have successfully completed their first semesters as college students, at Florida A&M and Jackson State University, respectively, and hope to continue their work.
To get involved with Lailah and Anthony you may send an email to QuickFarmStl@gmail. com. To support Cavy Pads, you may follow their Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook @ cavypadsplus or send Micah an email at cavypads@gmail. com.
Lillian Emenogu is an editorial intern with The St. Louis American.
Haymore
Continued from A15
Mabry Haymore is now the digital coach with the ‘Grow With Google’ initiative’s expansion in St. Louis, where every month she will facilitate three free workshops to help Black and Brown entrepreneurs with digital skills training.
In the workshops, they will learn techniques from how to use Google ads, products and services, and how to monetize Youtube. For more detailed information, visit the website: https://events.withgoogle. com/digital-coach-stl/.
“I’m excited about this opportunity, and I’m just thankful to have such a supportive organization like WePower aligned with my role as director of entrepreneurship. It just makes sense,” Mabry Haymore said.
Mabry Haymore met her supervisor, Charli Cooksey, founder and CEO of WePower, when the two worked together at Teach for America a decade ago. When the pair met they hit it off immediately and somehow knew eventually one day they’d work together; they just didn’t know when.
In November 2019, Mabry Haymore and Cooksey crossed paths when Cooksey asked if she would be interested in being director for the accelerator program.
This came right after Mabry Haymore decided to quit her job to pursue public speaking full-time and learned she was pregnant. She had been director of human resources
n “The goal is to continue to get power, money, and resources into the hands of Black and Brown people.”
— Keisha Mabry Haymore
at College Bound, a nonprofit that helps economically-disadvantaged students pursue college degrees.
She declined Cooksey’s offer and instead applied for the Entrepreneur in Residence position.
“From March 2020 until August 20, 2020, when my daughter, Zari, was born, I was the entrepreneur resident responsible for the accelerator, facilitating all the curriculum,” she said. “And then I also was a business coach for the accelerator.”
Cathy Jenkins, co-owner of Ferguson-based Cathy’s Kitchen, tops a to-go order of mac and cheese with spices during a lunch rush in late December. It’s been almost a year since the restaurant offered dine-in service.
She took a month off after her daughter’s birth. Once again, Cooksey asked if she would be interested in taking on the director role. This time she agreed.
“I thought about it. With everything that happened in 2020, public speaking changed drastically because you could no longer host events in-person. Now you have to rely on the virtual format,” Mabry Haymore said.
“I just don’t get the same feeling that I had or have the same love for online public speaking that I had for in-person public speaking, so it just made sense to pivot.” A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Mabry Haymore has a bachelor of science degree in agriculture from the University of Kentucky, and a masters of business administration in entrepreneurship from the University of Louisville. She received a masters of secondary education in middle school education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She also does public speaking and is the author of “Hey Friend: 100 Ways to Connect with 100 People in 100 Days.” She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc., and the wife of LaRon Haymore.
Lailah Hall Micah Montgomery
Anthony McDonald
Continued from A15
Corrine Ruff / St. Louis Public Radio
Living It Trumaine ‘DJ Tab’ Barnett-Epps
Of The St. Louis American
With a glimpse into the world of DJing through his uncle Mel Hardin, a former member of the Motown duo Mel and Tim, and Omar Epps’ character ‘Q’ in the film “Juice,” Trumaine ‘DJ Tab’ Barnett-Epps
“That made me want to learn how to DJ,” Barnett-Epps said in an interview with refer ring to Omar, relation. “I thought it was coolest things Omar Epps mix and scratch between differ
Photocredit:KingYella
was also doing his,” Barnett-Epps said. “His show CD wasn’t working, so he asked me if I had the record. I did, and I played Tipsy on the vinyl. While he was rapping doing his soundcheck, I was behind him scratching. He turned around and was like, ‘man, you cold, you nice.’ He said, ‘yeah, you’re my DJ now’.”
After watching the movie, Barnett-Epps prevailed upon his parents to buy turntables for him. They agreed, but only if he made good grades.
“I worked my butt off that whole semester with studying,” Barnett-Epps said. “I got all As and maybe one B. They bought me the turntables. It was a cheap set, but at Barnett-Epps’ first gig as a DJ was for a cheerleading competition at Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club. But, it wasn’t until 2004 when a promoter booked him on the same show with Jerrell ‘J-Kwon’ Jones, rapper of the smash-hit record “Tipsy,” that he got his big break and more doors started opening for him.
“I came to do the soundcheck and J-Kwon
The following week, Jermaine Dupri, the Grammy-winning producer, called his house, thanks to his close acquaintance ‘Big Bob,’ who was at the show, and also from St. Louis. Dupri talked to Barnett-Epps’ mom to ask for permission to take him to New York because he was in his early teens at the time. She relented. After that, he and J-Kwon were on their way to New York to do BET Rap City, The Basement and Showtime At the Apollo.
“I was gone for about a week and a half, two weeks, but once I came back ‘Tipsy’ had blown up,” Barnett-Epps said.
The more shows he did and more venues he played, the more people grew familiar with his name around the city, which helped land him a job offer from Jowcol ‘Boogie D,’ Dolby, who was program director at the time at the Urban One radio affiliate, WHHL Hot 104.1 St. Louis.
“I was at work one day — this was when I was working for the post office — and I was delivering mail when Boogie D called to schedule a time and date to meet with him at the station,” Barnett-Epps said. “He told me he didn’t understand how I, as a street DJ, was getting booked more than the station DJs. I got hired a
Noah Jelenovic, 6, delivers morning weather reports from comfort of his home
By Danielle Brown
Of the St. Louis American
At 9 a.m. Monday through Sunday, every morning, you’ll find Noah Jelenovic, an energetic first-grader cheerfully delivering his version of a weather report via @goodmorningstl. Noah, a student at Kratz Elementary School in the Ritenour School District, conveys his report by Facebook and Instagram.
“I’m feeling really happy and excited to make people happy,” Noah said in an interview with The American. “I like being happy and I want people to be happy.”
The creative brain behind the weather report is Noah’s mother and coach, Shanique Jelenovic, who is responsible for the news-like setting and his stage presence as a weatherman.
The powder blue backsplash in every video is a backdrop his mom bought, and that she will alternate between another arriving soon. For the clean and crisp sound of Noah’s commanding delivery, he wears a lapel microphone clipped to his shirt.
“We have a space in our dining room where it stays up and he uses a ring light for us to have really good lighting,” Shanique Jelenovic said. “He’s been using a lapel microphone since September and he knows how to clip it on his shirt. While I’m writing out his script on my dry-erase board, he puts his microphone on. Then some days he’ll put his glasses on and he makes sure he has lip balm.”
Sometimes Noah changes up his presentation
Noah Jelenovic started doing weather forecasts after his mother, Shanique Jelenovic removed all of the games from her old phone because she felt he spent too much time playing — and replaced them with educational apps teaching him American Sign Languages and other languages.
and improvises, his mom said, but for the most part, she tries to at least give him a foundation of what the weather is going to be like.
“We’ve recently incorporated wind reports,” Jelenovic said. “I give him a basis for that and
sometimes he’ll deviate. Then I let him just flow with what he’s going to say as long as it’s still
Photo provided by Shanique Jelenovic
Adams wraps up meetings with community; SLPS school closure vote set for Tuesday
By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American
With one week before the St. Louis Public Schools Board votes on a proposed school closure plan, Superintendent Kelvin Adams said he is wrapping up the last of about 15 meetings he’s held over the last month with concerned residents and organizations.
The Board last met at Clyde C. Miller Academy on Dec. 15, where members voted 6-1 to move the vote about closures to their Jan. 12 meeting per Adams’ recommendation.
“Well, I sensed that there was some concern from the community that we had not done what we said we have done, which I think everybody can verify that we had,” he told The St. Louis American this week.
While he wasn’t ready to discuss specific ideas brought up in those meetings, Adams said they have provided some context for not only residents, but himself as well.
one being the public did not believe the board was actually going to go through with finalizing the process, which was supposed to conclude in March
react to something until it is actually named or identified.
Adams pointed to the national dialogue about societal inequities currently happening due to the pandemic as a contributing factor to the public reaction to the closure list.
He said it does concern him that seven of the 11 schools on his recommended closure list are north of Delmar Boulevard, but he pointed to population numbers to support the closures — specifically that south St. Louis has almost twice the population of north St. Louis.
*Membership dues apply. Restrictions apply and access is subject to YMCA policies and guidelines. Please visit the branch for details. Classes and amenities vary per branch. $0 Enrollment Fee offer valid until January 31, 2021.
Adams said he worked on his plan — a recommendation to the board to permanently close 11 schools — for almost 14 months before recommending specific schools to be closed.
Even so, the plan was met with outcry from community members who felt the board was set to vote on the closures too soon after the names of schools were released.
The superintendent said he was not surprised at this reaction and believes a number of things happened to cause this community-level response —
n “... it would stand to reason that the schools that we would likely look at ... would be schools in north St. Louis. Am I concerned about that? Yes. But it is a data number, it’s a number that I can’t run away from and the community can’t run away from.”
— Kelvin Adams, superintendent, SLPS
2020, because of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Additionally, he said he believes people don’t normally
“So it would stand to reason that the schools that we would likely look at … would be schools in north St. Louis. Am I concerned about that? Yes. But it is a data number, it’s a number that I can’t run away from and the community can’t run away from. We don’t have as many people in one part of the city as we have in the other part of the city.”
The schools north of Delmar Boulevard on the list to be closed are: Clay, Dunbar, Farragut, Ford and Hickey, all elementary schools; Sumner High School and Northwest Academy of Law High School. The other schools on the closure list are: Monroe Elementary, just south of the Benton Park neighborhood; Fanning Middle School in Tower Grove South; Cleveland High School in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood and Carnahan High School in Dutchtown.
“I want to thank the community for the willingness to be patient and flexible as we go through this process,” Adams said. “It’s not easy. It’s like the death of a person and that’s very difficult. So I’m not at all angry, upset or frustrated. I just recognize that this process has been difficult for all parties, especially the community and families.”
Photo credit: St. Louis Public Radio
MHS Offers Virtual Programs for Emancipation Day, MLK Weekend
Art Museum’s Annual Dr. MLK Celebration Goes Virtual
The Saint Louis Art Museum invites you to view Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Celebration: Inspired by a Movement. This virtual version of the annual event will feature local Black performing artists showcasing their original music, dance, and theatrical presentations in response to photographs by Moneta Sleet, Jr. in the Museum’s collection.
Sleet was an accomplished photojournalist who is best known for his documentation of the Civil Rights Movement.
By Ellen Kunkelmann, Missouri Historical Society
The Missouri Historical Society’s annual celebrations for Missouri Emancipation Day and MLK Weekend have moved online for 2021, making them more accessible than ever before. Join MHS for a long weekend of virtual programs January 14–18.
January 14
MHS’s third annual Emancipation Day celebration highlights the voices of those once enslaved and celebrates the contributions of enslaved people to American society. Missouri Emancipation Day commemorates January 11, 1865, when the delegates of the Missouri state convention, led by Radical Republican Charles Drake, passed the immediate emancipation of all enslaved persons—two years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued his own Emancipation Proclamation, which had not applied to slaves in border states that had stayed loyal to the Union.
On Thursday, January 14, at 6:30pm, Etta Daniels and Shelley Morris of Greenwood Cemetery will give a Zoom presentation about the lives of Black Missourians during the 1870s as they experienced newfound freedom in the St. Louis region, based on collected obituaries. Dr. Miller Boyd will also lend a historical overview of the state of St. Louis’s Black community in the years following emancipation.
January 15
The Missouri History Museum’s virtual storytelling programs engage the Missouri History Museum’s youngest visitors and their families with historic objects and museum settings through both traditional and contemporary storybooks. The program on Friday, January 15, “Our Civil Rights,” is recommended for children ages 2 to 5 and their families. This 30-minute Zoom program will begin at 10:30am. To join online, visit mohistory.org/events.
January 17
On Sunday, January 17, at 9:00am, join the Collective STL for a virtual yoga practice set to gospel music. This Zoom program is appropriate for all activity levels and ages. It will be repeated at 9:00am on Monday. Registration is required for this free program.
At 3:00pm, there will be a program celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech at the
United Hebrew Temple on Skinker Boulevard— now the MHS Library & Research Center—on November 27, 1960. Listen to a firsthand account from a St. Louisan who was in the audience that day and hear Rev. Dr. Anthony Witherspoon of Washington Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church speak about this year’s MLK theme of education and building the beloved community. Rabbinical student and activist Koach Baruch Frazier and Rev. Gabrielle Kennedy of Faith & For the Sake of All will reflect on what it means to lead congregations in the legacy of this renowned civil rights leader. Registration is required for this free Zoom program. Join the program early at 2:45pm to enjoy footage from the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Statewide Kick-off Program for Missouri.
January 18
MHS is offering two youth workshops on Monday, January 18. Both programs are free, but advance registration is required.
At 10:30am, children ages 6 to 12 are invited to participate in a youth activism workshop. They will explore the broader context of the civil rights movement through a variety of primary sources; evaluate how activists communicate their messages through images and words; and identify and explain issues they care about by creating a poster that advocates for their views.
Parents and caregivers can stay on the Zoom call after the workshop for an open dialogue on race and parenting facilitated by Tabari Coleman, director of development at the Anti-Defamation League. The conversation will address how we can process and talk about current events and race-related issues with our children. This will be a meeting-based format, and parents can use their sound and camera to participate.
A separate workshop for ages 12 to 18 will begin at 1:00pm. Middle and high school students will explore and analyze primary sources to gain a greater understanding of the history of the civil rights movement. Then, by using their own experiences and analyzing historical examples of justice and injustice, they will question, explain, elaborate, and interpret their concepts of societal justice.
Students are invited to remain online after the workshop for a special open dialogue, facilitated by Coleman, where they can talk honestly and openly with one another about their thoughts on race and activism.
For more information and to register for these programs, visit mohistory.org/events.
The Art Museum is honored to hold more than 100 of his photographs in its collection. Sleet’s career began as a sportswriter for Amsterdam News before he was hired at Our World magazine, where he worked for five years. When Our World shut down in 1955, Sleet went on to become a staff photographer for Johnson Publishing, home of Ebony and Jet magazines. His first assignment was to photograph the Montgomery Bus Boycott. During his career, Sleet earned a Pulitzer Prize for the outstanding quality of his work, in addition to awards from the National Urban League and the National Association of Black Journalists. For the Art Museum’s event, each performing artist has selected one of Sleet’s photographs from the Museum’s collection as inspiration for their unique performances. Kathryn Bentley is serving as the moderator and director of the Inspired by a Movement program. Bentley is a community artist and an associate professor of theater at Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville (SIUE) as well as the director of the university’s Black Studies program. She has been the artistic director of the SIUE Black Theatre Workshop since 2006 and she has performed and directed with numerous theater companies regionally and nationally. In 2000, she founded the CHIPS In Motion program at CHIPS Health and Wellness Center located in North St. Louis. CHIPS continues to be recognized for its innovative programs that use theater as the teaching model to educate young people about preventative healthcare. In 2020, she was presented the St. Louis Visionary Outstanding Working Artist Award. Bentley commits herself to community-engaged arts collaborations, striving to create compassionate, artistic experiences and using theater to lift social consciousness. Each of the artists’ performances will be featured in a short video on the Museum’s website. The videos will be available to view on-demand starting Monday, January 18 and will be available throughout 2021. To learn more, visit slam.org/mlkfreedomcelebration. While we may be apart to celebrate this year, Dr. King’s legacy endures.
Missouri Emancipation Proclamation.
Missouri Historical Society Collections
Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sports
InSIdE SportS
Confluence, MICDS boys and Holt, Lutheran North girls score championships
The Confluence Prep Academy Titans have a very productive holiday tournament season as they won the championship of the Francis Howell/O’Fallon-Christian Round Robin. The Titans defeated Francis Howell, St. Charles and O’Fallon-Christian to take home the championship trophy. After a 1-2 start to the season, the Titans are starting to click as they head into the 2021 portion of the schedule.
Everything with the Titans revolves around its quartet of very talented guards, led by 6’2” senior Kameren Bevel, who averages 19.8 points a game. He is a talented offensive player who can score in a variety of ways. Junior point guard Tresean White is a talented 6’1” floor general who stuffs the state sheet, averaging 11 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.6 steals a game.
Caleb Burton is a 6’2” junior guard who transferred from O’Fallon (Ill.) High. He has been a big addition as he averages 11 points a game. Rounding out the backcourt quartet is 5’10” senior Korey Lawrence, who is also averaging 11 points a game.
Taking care of things inside for the Titans are 6’5” junior Kwyren Thropes and 6’5” freshman Bryant Moore. Thropes averages eight points and six rebounds a game while Moore also averages six rebounds a game.
MICDS wins own tournament
The MICDS Rams won the championship of their own round-robin tournament with victories over Trinity, Ladue and Kirkwood. The Rams are a tall and talented team with a
lot of balance and experience. The Rams defeated Kirkwood 54-38 in the championship game to improve their record to 7-0. The Rams are led by 6’7” junior Brandon Mitchell-Day, who is averaging 16 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game. Senior Nick Roper is a 6’7” wing player who is aver-
The NFL did not shy away from backing Black Lives Matter, pledging money and resources in support of people and communities of color and joining the NBA in advocating for record voter registration and action. But that was the league itself. It is now time for some individual franchises to demonstrate they too support fairness and equality. As of Tuesday morning, there were six open head coaching positions. The Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and San Diego Chargers have several Black options when it comes to making a hire. The top available coaches of color are led by Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy was running backs coach before being named offensive coordinator for the Chiefs in 2018. He has been contacted by “numerous” teams, according to CBS Sports. Teaming with star quarterback Deshaun Watson in
Houston could be thrilling, but bad trades and contracts will slow the re-build from a 4-12 season. The Chargers job is open because Black head coach Anthony Lynn was fired on Monday after compiling a 33-31 record over four years. Rookie quarterback Justin Herbert showed he could be a game-changer and Bieniemy was instrumental in grooming Patrick Mahomes. This would be a good fit. Robert Saleh, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, is called “the most intelligent coach I’ve ever had,” by several of his players. An interesting note on Saleh; He is of Black and Arabic descent and the Detroit metropolitan area has one of nation’s largest Arab populations. He was also scheduled to meet with the Jaguars and Falcons. Falcons defensive coordinator Raheem Morris took over at mid-season as interim head coach and showed he should be leading another NFL team. He is a former Tampa Bay Bucs
aging 12.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and four assists a game.
Another 6’7” player is senior forward Aaron Hendricks who averages 11.6 points and 8.7 rebounds a game. Senior guard Hasani Spann is a sharpshooter who averages 13.4 points a game while senior guard Sam Wienstroer averages seven points while running the show at the point guard position.
Holt girls take St. Dominic title Wentzville Holt’s girls have been on a roll this season and it continued last week when the Indians won the championship of the St. Dominic Tournament. The Indians
SportS EyE
With Alvin A. Reid
defeated the host Crusaders 62-52 in the championship game to head into the new year with a 9-1 record.
The leader of the pack for this talented team is 5’10” senior guard Jaliyah Green, who is averaging 19 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals a game. The SEMO recruit had 19 points,
11 rebounds and five assists in the championship game against St. Dominic. Junior point guard Riley Reddin has done a nice job since coming off a knee injury from last year. The 5’9” Reddin had 16 points and made four 3-pointers in the championship game. She is averaging nine points, three rebounds and two assists a game.
Adding more talent to the mix is 6’0” junior Madison Carroll, a transfer from Timberland who is averaging nine points and six rebounds a game. The Indians also get contributions from 5’8” senior Mya Robinson, 5’11” senior Sydni Scott and 5’7” senior Nysa Gilchrist, who all average between six and eight points a game.
Lutheran North girls win another tournament
It was a happy holiday season for the girls at Lutheran North as the Crusaders won the championship of the Rockwood Summit Tournament. It was the second tournament title for the Crusaders this season. North also won the Lutheran-St. Charles Tournament title in early December.
Senior guard Taleah Dilworth was a big catalyst in the Crusaders run to the championship at Summit. The 5’10” Dilworth had 21 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game against Farmington and 17 points and six rebounds in the semifinals against Lindbergh. Sophomore guard Laila Blakeny continued her excellent play with 22 points, five rebounds and six steals in the championship game. The Crusaders, who are currently 7-1, also got good contributions from 5’10” sophomore Raven Addison, 5’10” senior Cynaa Coleman, 6’0” junior Symone Thomas and 5’4” junior Neveah Howard during the tournament and the season as a whole.
in part to offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Yes, offensive guru head coach Bruce Arians is in charge, but Leftwich is the hands-on guy that was instrumental in helping Brady toss 40 touchdown passes this season.
Long-time Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis joined former NFL head coach Herm Edwards at Arizona State and serves as his co-defensive coordinator. Lewis interviewed for the Texans job and was scheduled to talk with the Lions and Jaguars too There is a wild card candidate too.
Former Dallas Cowboys co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard said earlier this season that he refused to take a lesser job in 2020 because he wants a head coaching position. The Cowboys went with Mike Nolan after Richard was let go – and Nolan’s defense was one of the worst in NFL history. It shows what Richard meant in Dallas. Two seasons ago, Richard was a prime candidate to be a head coach. He was out of the NFL this year by choice. He is still respected and could be quietly approaching teams. The Reid Roundup Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum scored 40 points in a 126-114 win over the Toronto Raptors Monday night. It was the third 40-plus point game in his career, an NBA record for a player under 23 years old... While Saint Louis University men’s basketball is shut down because of COVID protocols, the Billikens made their first appearance in the AP Top 25 on Monday. Coach team is No. 23... The Boston Red Sox, the last MLB team to field a Black player and a franchise that still deals with the racist antics of many Fenway Park fans, made history Monday when Bianca Smith was hired as a minor league coach. She is the first Black woman to serve as a coach in professional baseball history. Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and a weekly contributor to “The Charlie Tuna Show” on KFNS.
seven seasons in Atlanta. Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Tom Brady had one of his best seasons in the NFL,
Alvin A. Reid
Earl Austin Jr.
With Earl Austin Jr.
Lutheran North’s Raven Addison (11) crashes the boards between Vashon’s Aniya Shephard (25) and Chrissy Dudley (2) during game action on February 6, 2020 at Lutheran North.
Robert Saleh, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, is a leading candidate for an NFL head coaching position, Saleh is of African-American and Arab descent.
Photo by 49erswebzone.com
Wiley Price / St. Louis American
St. LouiS american Career Center
HIRING NURSES
Support Technician: https://mohistory.aaimtrack.com/ jobs/507559.html • Membership Coordinator: https://mohistory.aaimtrack.com/ jobs/511497.html
• Web Content Coordinator: https://mohistory.aaimtrack.com/ jobs/513543.html
Follow the links for position details and to apply. Or you may visit www.mohistory.org under the “Current Openings” tab for position details and to apply.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT GRANT COORDINATOR
Family Court of St. Louis County is seeking a Part Time (25 hours week) Domestic Violence Court Grant Coordinator. The incumbent will perform work of marked difficulty in providing assistance with the coordination and execution of activities required under the Department of Justice/ Office on Violence Against Women Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance grant awarded to the St. Louis County Domestic
1-800-735-2966 for accommodations in the application process or if you would like this posting in an alternative format.
for City of STL CDA approved and funded “Keeping It Clean” Initiative. 16-20 hrs/week $15/hr Resume and Cover Letter to kmckinney@slaco-mo.org NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE More Info @ www.SLACO-MO.org
of marked difficulty in planning, scheduling, coordinating and supervising the activities of facilities staff assigned to the Court’s Operations Department. This position includes coordination of facility and maintenance issues in the Court’s building and satellite offices. Work includes supervision of custodial services, food services, laundry, Family Court security officers and transportation officers, office supply inventory, and telecommunications.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (4 years of related experience working may be substituted in lieu of college) or a related area is preferred, plus at least 2 years of experience in facilities management, office management, property management, or a related area; prior experience in food service management is desirable; or any equivalent combination of training and experience. The salary range is $45,399.60-$72,639.36. This position is eligible for 10% addition to pay. TO APPLY: Complete an online application and submit a resume and cover letter by the end of the day on December 30, 2020: http://agency. governmentjobs.com/stlouis/default. cfm EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMo 711 or 800-735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form. COVENANT HOUSE MISSOURI TRAINING AND COMPLIANCE
The incumbent is responsible for the training of Covenant House staff and ensures that consistent, high quality training is developed and implemented. The incumbent will participate in the analysis, design development, and facilitation of training and compliance efforts. The incumbent in this position is also the Site Child Protection Office (SCPO) that will be responsible for investigating incidents in which allegations are made by either youth or staff. To apply, visit our website at www.covenanthousemo.org
Responsible for handling assigned claims from initial assignment to closure, as well as provide assistance in various administrative functions associated with the Loss Portfolio Transfer (LPT) Workers’ Compensation line of business. To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/ careers-page/
St. LouiS american Bids
Please take notice that on November 17, 2020, the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, in Case No. 20SL-CC05483, appointed Hospitality Receivership Services, Inc. (111 Westport Plaza Dr., Suite 500, St. Louis, Missouri 63146) as the general receiver for Route 66 Hospitality, LLC (Registered Agent: SPRA Corp., 120 S. Central, Suite 1600, Clayton, Missouri 63105). Husch Blackwell LLP (190 Carondelet Plaza, Suite 600, St. Louis, Missouri 63105. Attn: Joseph P. Conran and Mohsen Pasha) seeks appointment to be counsel for Hospitality Receivership Services, Inc.
CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
The St. Louis Philanthropic Organization (SLPO) has partnered with Mosaic Beginnings to provide a series of capacity building workshops for nonprofit organizations. Upcoming workshops are Financial Management on January 13, 2021, and Program Evaluation on March 10, 2021, both beginning at 10:00 a.m. The workshops are free to nonprofits, but advanced registration is required. Organizations may register for the workshops and find the 2021 Responsive Grants information via the SLPO website at www.stlphilanthropic.org
The SLPO provides funding and capacity building to nonprofit organizations whose programs and services advance the quality of life for St. Louis City Residents. Mosaic Beginnings is a management consulting firm with a diverse team of consultants with over 100 years of combined experience committed to increasing organizational capacity for organizations, helping them achieve and, often, exceed their goals.
SEALED BIDS
SEALED BIDS
Trail of Tears State Park Jackson, MO, Project No. X1806-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, January 28, 2021 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
Bollinger Mill, Bollinger Mill State Historic Site Burfordville, MO, Project No. X1804-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, January 28, 2021. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
REQUEST FOR BIDS
PINNACLE CONTRACTING
CRESTWOOD CITY HALL
RENOVATION –PHASE 3 ADA RAMP 1 Detjen Dr, Crestwood, MO 63126
Due date: 01/11/21 @ 3:00pm
Description: Bid items in this phase of work: Site Demo/ Excavation, Storm Sewers, Site Concrete, Asphalt, Soils Treatment, Lawns & Grasses, Abatement, Concrete, Flatwork, Masonry, Tuckpointing, Metal Fabrication, Joint Sealants, Door Hardware, Painting, and Electrical. Project is Sales Tax Exempt. MBE/WBE participation is required.
*You may view the plans/specs and submit bids on Building Connected. For any questions, please contact Keana at bids@pinnaclecontracting. com, or 314-783-8000 ext. 0.
METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT
ST. LOUIS MISSOURI
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Clayton Rd. #16705 Sanitary Sewer Protection (IR) under Letting No. 13238-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Tuesday, February 09, 2021 Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: Sewer Construction Wildwood Drain Layers License Required Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 2731 S. Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 or at www.stlmsdplanroom.com. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
MARKET ST 2350 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ‐ ENTRANCE AND LANDSCAPING IMPROVEMENTS
CONTRACT LETTING NO. 13296‐015.1
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Market St 2350 Green Infrastructure – Entrance and Landscaping Improvements under Letting No.13296‐15.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Thursday, February 4th 2021. All bids are to be deposited in the bid box located on the First Floor of the District’s Headquarters located at 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, prior to the 2:00 p.m. bid deadline.
A general description of the work to be done under these contract documents is described as follows:
The construction of entrance and landscape improvements including 3 rain gardens and other native landscaping, parking lot resurfacing, new sidewalks and ADA ramps, footbridge, pavilion, and 467 lineal feet of 8‐inch storm sewer pipe and appurtenances at MSD Headquarters at 2350 Market Street in the City of St. Louis.
No pre‐qualification is required for companies to submit bids for this contract. Bids for this construction contract will be received from all qualified bidders for the specified contract. The bidder shall show experience with work requiring permits for building/structural, plumbing, electrical and grading/excavation permits. All bidders must complete the Purchasing Division Reference Worksheet included within the Bid Documents, which provides five (5) project references for similar type work.
The Engineers Opinion of Probable Construction Cost is $1,900,000.00
Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 2731 Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis MO 63118. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. A non‐mandatory Pre‐Bid conference will be held virtually, on Wednesday, January 13, 2020 at 10:00 a.m., local time, in accordance with Article 6 of the instructions to Bidders.
METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT ST. LOUIS MISSOURI
Maintenance Yard Vehicle Building (Mintert)
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for the Maintenance Yard Vehicle Storage Building (Mintert), under Letting No. 10282-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 03:00 PM on February 10th, 2021. All bids are to be deposited in the bid box located on the First Floor of the District’s Headquarters located at 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, prior to the 3:00 p.m. bid deadline.
A general description of the work to be done under these contract documents can be found in Section 01 11 35 of Part 5 – Specifications of the Bidding Documents. The project is located at 7469 Mintert Industrial Drive in Ferguson Missouri. The WORK is generally described as follows: The Contractor shall furnish all the materials, tools, equipment, and labor to construct a pre-engineered vehicle storage building for District vactor trucks, a fuel dispensing station with diesel and regular buried tanks, a truck wash down area, concrete pavement, three separate storm water bioretention basins, appurtenances and associated site work as described in the bid documents. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for : Building Construction
Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 2731 S. Jefferson, St. Louis MO 63118. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. A non-mandatory virtual Pre-Bid conference will be held in accordance with Article 6 of the Instructions to Bidders on January 27th, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., local time. A site visit at the Maintenance Yard, Address, 7469 Mintert Industrial Dr, Ferguson, MO 63135, will be conducted at 1:00 P.M. following the virtual pre-bid conference
NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS
January 7, 2021
City of St. Louis Community Development Administration (CDA) 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000
St. Louis, Missouri 63103
Trey McCarter, Community Development Planner II, CDA (314) 657-3834
On or about January 15, 2021, the City of St. Louis will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the release of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program (LBPHC) is authorized by Section 1011 of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 (Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, 42 U.S.C. 4852) and funding is provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, approved December 20, 2019 (Public Law 116-94), and the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2019, approved February 15, 2019, (Public Law 116-16). The Healthy Homes Supplemental funding is authorized under Section 502 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970 (12 U.S.C. 1701z2), with funding approved by the same Appropriations Acts, for the following multi-year program/project: The City’s LBPHC Grant Program which will remediate 210 housing units (80 owner-occupied, 110 rental units, and 20 vacant) to lead-safe status throughout St. Louis City (the program target area). The City of St. Louis in conjunction with the City Building Division (BD) and Health Department (HD) will utilize LBPHC funds for hazard reduction activities, outreach, screening, temporary relocation services, and lead inspection and risk assessments. The City of St. Louis is requesting the release of $2,525,000 in LBPHC funds combined with $937,398 in matching contributions from the City’s Lead Remediation Fund and Community Development Block Grant funding for the period of performance of January 4, 2021 through July 3, 2024.
The proposed hazard control activities to be funded under this program are categorically excluded from the National Environmental Policy Act requirements, but subject to compliance with some of the environmental laws and authorities listed at § 58.5 of 24 CFR Part 58. In accordance with §58.15, a tiered review process has been structured, whereby some environmental laws and authorities have been reviewed and studied for the intended target area listed above. Other applicable environmental laws and authorities will be complied with, when individual projects are ripe for review. Specifically, the target area has been studied and compliance with the following laws and authorities has been achieved in this Tier 1 review: Airport Hazards, Coastal Barrier Resources Act, Clean Air, Coastal Zone Management Act, Endangered Species Act, Farmlands Protection, Floodplain Management, Sole Source Aquifers, Wetlands Protection, and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Site-specific environmental reviews will include compliance with the following environmental laws and authorities for proposed projects funded under the program listed above: Flood Insurance Program requirements, Contamination and Toxic Substances, Explosive and Flammable Hazards, Historic Preservation, Noise Abatement and Control, and Environmental Justice. Should individual aggregate projects exceed the threshold for categorical exclusion detailed at §58.35(a), an Environmental Assessment will be completed and a separate Finding of No Significant Impact and Request for Release of Funds published. Copies of the compliance documentation worksheets are available at the address below.
An Environmental Review Record (ERR) that documents the environmental determinations for this project, and more fully describes the tiered review process cited above, is on file at the City of St. Louis CDA, at the above-referenced address, and may be examined or copied weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to Trey McCarter. All comments received by January 14, 2021 will be considered by the City of St. Louis prior to authorizing submission of a Request for Release of Funds and Environmental Certification to HUD.
RELEASE OF FUNDS
The City of St. Louis certifies to HUD that Lyda Krewson in her official capacity as Mayor of the City of St. Louis, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities, and allows the City of St. Louis to utilize federal funds and implement the Program.
OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS
HUD will consider objections to its release of funds and the City of St. Louis certification for a period of fifteen days following either the anticipated submission date (cited above) or HUD’s actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if the objections are on one of the following bases: (a) that the Certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of St. Louis); (b) the City of St. Louis has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; (c) the City of St. Louis has committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58), and may be addressed to HUD and sent to the email address as follows: Karen M. Griego, Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, Program Environmental Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development LeadRegulations@HUD.GOV. Potential objectors may contact HUD directly to verify the actual last day of the objection/comment period.
Lyda Krewson, Mayor, City of St. Louis
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
Service: Marketing Advisory Services
Pre-Proposal Meeting Date: February 03, 2021 Meeting will be held via teleconference. See RFP for details.
Question Due Date: February 24, 2021
Proposal Due Date: March 31, 2021
M/WBE Goals & Incentives:
MBE goals: 25%
WBE goal: 5%
A 15% M/WBE incentive credit shall be applied to the evaluation of professional service prime contracts who are currently certified MBE-African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American and WBE-Women owned Business Enterprises.
Point of Contact: Briana Bryant– bnbryant@flystl.com
Proposal
INVITATION TO BID
CITY OF O’FALLON, MISSOURI
The City of O’Fallon, Missouri is accepting sealed bids for services related to a disabled transportation program. Specifications are available at www.ofallon.mo.us under Bid Opportunities.
Interested vendors should submit sealed bids clearly marked “Bid #21-004 Disabled Transportation Program“ to the City of O’Fallon attn, Julie Moellering 100 North Main Street, O’Fallon, MO 63366 by 2:30 P.M. CST, January 19, 2021. Due to COVID-19 concerns, bids will be opened per the instructions in the bid package. No attendance at the bid opening will be permitted.
The City of O’Fallon reserves the right to reject any and all bids and waive any informality. The City of O’Fallon also reserves the right to select the lowest and/or best bidder as determined by the City in its sole discretion.
Great Rivers Greenway is seeking a Volunteer Coordinator. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.
and submit by January 29, 2021.
BID NOTICE
Great Rivers Greenway is seeking qualifications for Digital Strategy and Support Service. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids/ and submit by January 22, 2021.
REQUEST FOR BIDS PINNACLE CONTRACTING
Washington University Investment Management Company
101 South Hanley Rd, Suites 1850 & 1850A, Clayton, MO 63105
Due date: 1/21/21 at 5:00pm.
Partial renovation of existing office space, originally built out in 2016. Existing video conference room to be converted into two separate focus rooms. Remove existing coat closet and portion of adjacent storage/file room to open up to open office/reception area.
Modify existing systems furniture in open office area. Ddd two standard and one executive office. MBE/WBE participation strongly encouraged from all bidding subcontractors. Contact Keana at keana@pinnaclecontracting.com or 314-783-8000 ext. 0 for more information.
ADVERTISEMENT FOR: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The City of St Louis Department of Health is seeking proposals to provide its Communicable Disease program with Website Design and Development Services for its HIV Prevention Programming. Requests for Proposals may be obtained beginning January 4 2021, from the City of St. Louis Department of Health, Natalie Torres, 1520 Market Street-Suite 4027, St. Louis MO 63103, negronn@ stlouis-mo.gov, (314) 657-1491. Proposals may also be downloaded from the City of St. Louis website at www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/ procurement.cfm. All questions must be submitted in writing no later than January 11, 2021, to Natalie Torres at the information listed above. All questions will be addressed through addenda posted on the St. Louis City website at http://stlouis-mo.gov/. The deadline for submitting proposals is January 29, 2021, by 4:30 P.M. at the address listed above. The Department of Health reserves the right to reject any or all responses with or without cause.
SEALED BIDS
Bids for Upgrades to Air Distribution System at the State Capitol Building, P r o j e c t N o . O2016-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 1/28/2021 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for Contract No. F 21 501, Replace Boiler in Childcare Building, St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, until 2:00 p.m. local time, Tuesday, January 26, 2021. Bids can be dropped in the mail slot at the front door of Engineering and Design, 5464 Highland Park Drive. Bids will be opened and read by the Manager of Engineering and Design (Ken Kempf), 5464 Highland Park Drive (Plan Room). Specifications and bid forms may be obtained by emailing Angie James at ajames84@stlcc.edu
Voluntary PREBID Meeting: January 18, 2021 at 9:00am at Childcare Building, Florissant Valley 3400 Pershall Road, St. Louis, MO 63135
An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer
BID NOTICE
The City of Crestwood is seeking bids for the Operation and Management of the Whitecliff Park Aquatic Center. This is an equal opportunity bidding event. Please call (314)729-4860 for more information. Qualified contractors may obtain a bid packet at www.cityofcrestwood.org
The sealed bids are due January 21, 2021 at 2:00 pm. The bids will to be received at the Crestwood Community Center, 9245 Whitecliff Park Lane, Crestwood, MO 63126. www.cityofcrestwood.org
BID NOTICE
Great Rivers Greenway is seeking bids for repairs to pedestrian bridges. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids/ by February 3, 2021.
METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT ST. LOUIS MISSOURI LEMAY WWTF SECONDARY BUILDING DRAIN LINE REPLACEMENT (IR) CONTRACT LETTING NO. 13462-015.1
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Lemay WWTF Secondary Building Drain Line Replacement (IR) under Letting No. 13462-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on January 21, 2021. Bids can be deposited in the bid box located on the First Floor of the District’s Headquarters located at 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, prior to the 2:00 p.m. bid deadline, or Bidders have the option to electronically submit their bid via email. Bidders shall A general description of the work to be done under these contract documents can be found in Section 01 11 35 SUMMARY OF PROJECT, of Part 5 – Specifications of the Bidding Documents.
The work to be done under these contract documents consists of:
· Removal and replacement of sanitary and roof drain piping, fittings and valves.
· Removal and replacement of pipe and structural support fasteners.
· Insulating of new piping.
Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: Building Contractors or Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Contractors.
The Engineers Opinion of Probable Cost is $ 324,000.00.
Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
A non-mandatory Pre-Bid conference will be held at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, on December 23, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., local time.
A site visit will be conducted following the pre-bid conference.
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.”
at
or email ahouston@stlamerican.com
USS St. Louis scholarship fund provides grants to support crew, family members
St. Louis American Staff
The USS ST LOUIS (LCS19) Commissioning Committee has established a $500,000 scholarship fund that will award annual grants to qualifying members of the crew and their dependents who are pursuing undergraduate degrees or advanced technical training.
The scholarship fund, one of the largest of its kind to be presented to the crew of a naval ship by representatives of the sponsoring city, will support sailors and their families throughout the life of the ship.
“It is a great honor to have this beautiful ship named for our hometown, and to establish a lasting bond with the inspiring men and women who sail her,” said Barbara Broadhurst Taylor, the ship’s sponsor.
“We’ve embraced the crew as honorary St. Louisans, and have committed to making a meaningful investment in their futures. This legacy scholarship fund is our way of showing how much we value them.”
One important distinction of the scholarship fund is that it is available to not only members of the crew, but to their college-age children and spouses, as well.
“Family members sail in spirit with their loved ones on every mission, and their patriotism and sacrifice match the commitment of the enlisted crew,” Taylor said. “We celebrate and honor them as equal partners in service to our country.”
Taylor has first-hand understanding of the vital role family members play in military service. Her father, Edwin B. Broadhurst, and her father-inlaw, Jack Taylor, were decorated pilots in World War II. She and her daughters, Patty Taylor and Chrissy Broughton, who
serve as the ship’s maid and matron of honor, will continue to support the ship throughout its life.
The scholarship fund will be administered by The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, a nonprofit organization that helps students by awarding interest-free loans and scholarship grants; advising them to make informed financial decisions about postsecondary goals and options; and advocating for policies that improve college accessibility and affordability for students with significant financial need.
A grant of $5,000 will be awarded each year to one recipient based on an evaluation of academic performance, career potential, character and financial need. The grants are renewable for up to 10 semesters and can be applied toward study for a first undergraduate degree or certificate from an accredited, nonprofit, postsecondary institution.
Original crew members of USS ST LOUIS (LCS-19), known as plankowners, and their dependents are eligible to apply for as long as the fund
exists. Subsequent crew members and their dependents are eligible to apply for a period extending up to five years after terminating service on the ship.
Application forms are available through The Scholarship Foundation, sfstl.org; Scholarship Central, myscholarshipcentral.org; and The Navy League of the United StatesSt. Louis Council, navyleaguest.louis.org. The application window closes on April 15; the first award will be announced this summer before the start of the fall 2021 semester.
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, a nonprofit organization founded in 1920, is based upon the conviction that an educated society is essential to a democracy. The Scholarship Foundation provides access to post-secondary education to community members who otherwise would not have the financial means to fulfill their educational goals. Annually, more than 500 students are awarded approximately $5 million in direct financial support in the form of interest-free loans and grants from The Scholarship Foundation.
couple of weeks after I met with him.”
Barnett-Epps worked with the station for five years until he was fired in May 2018 for allegedly falsifying his timesheet, which he says he didn’t do.
About a year earlier, in December 2017, he had just launched his own online, St. Louis-based, hip-hop station, Streetz 105.1, which attracted 100,000 listeners on its pilot day.
“I wanted to create a station that was for us, for our city, and that’s exactly what I did,” Barnett-Epps said. “We do turkey drives, we do toy drives, we do so much community work.”
With his former Get-N-Tune energy drink that launched in 2016, Barnett-Epps was inspired to get his feet wet on other business avenues, believing he had worth beyond his importance in the club and on stage.
“I’m one of those people, I’m not content with doing one, two, or three things,” BarnettEpp, 33, said. “Other than being Black we have to be able to do multiple things.”
Although Get-N-Tune did well, he said he’s done with that venture and now wants to try marketing bottled water. With the energy drinks, he realized there’s only so many people who drink them, and opted for water instead because it’s healthier.
He’s projected to release his brand of high-purified water by the end of February. He’s still toying with the name.
“With water, I don’t have to worry about who I’m marketing it to, what age I’m marketing it to, or what demographic I’m in because everybody drinks water,” Barnett-Epps said.
Outside of Streetz, BarnettEpps is the proud owner of Streetz 99.3, an online, hip-hop station based in Nashville. He is also the owner and CEO of the St. Louis-based record company, Iconic Music Group, where he manages Bay Ghee, TwinGang314, Yvette, DOE F.A.M., and Tay Ruger. Through a partnership with Pinoy Broadcasting, he also owns three stations in the Philippines. He is a world-re-
resembled a game.
“I was looking in my Mom’s phone on the weather app, I looked at the weather and I loved telling the weather,” Noah said.
consistent with the weather report.”
In at least two-takes, Jelenovic records and edits from her phone and adds background music. Recently, she added captions in the video because she felt it was important for people who are hearing impaired.
“I thought that was really important to include captions because when I attended Quincy University, I was a sign language major, and I was immersed in deaf culture,” Jelenovic said. “I saw a lot of times how that community wasn’t included in everyday life, so I felt it was important to add captions to his videos.”
Noah’s newfound infatuation with the weather began after his mother removed all of the games from her old phone because she felt he spent too much time playing — and replaced them with educational apps teaching him sign and other languages. At the time, the weather app was the only remaining animation that
Jelenovic said Noah would randomly tell their family the weather throughout the day,” she said. “Or someone could say, ‘oh it looks like it’s going to rain,’ He would say ‘yeah it is going to rain. It’s a 40% chance of rain’.”
Seeing the comments Jelenovic received from the videos when they first started sharing them showed her why it was important for the reports to continue even in the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am a big advocate for mental health and self-care so if my son is part of why someone smiles during this time that is hard on everybody, I’m all for it,” she said.
Noah has 967 followers on Instagram. His goal is to reach 1,000 before the end of the month. To celebrate his milestone once it arrives, he will host an online giveaway with prizes including water bottles, fanny packs, and face masks with the Good Morning STL logo.
Noah’s parents, Shanique
his focus to arts administration, said he’s shared the stage with other Black artists, but the decision-makers typically are white.
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diverse casts on our stage,” said Michelle Myers, director of administration. “But over the last year, over the last six months, we’ve really begun to understand that good intention isn’t enough.”
In September, Opera Theatre announced its Voices Fund to support the work of young artists, particularly Black, Indigenous, Asian American and Latino artists. The organization reallocated $725,000 from donors to its annual gala, canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The fellowship program is funded for three years by gifts from Bob and Jane Clark and the construction firm Clayco Inc. The second round of fellows will begin work in January 2022. The length of the fellowship will extend to 10 or 11 months in its second and third years.
Johnson, who pursued a career as a singer before shifting
“I never saw anyone that looked like me behind the table, behind the scenes,” Johnson said. “Anyone that was doing the casting, doing the conducting, doing the stage management, the directing.”
A relative lack of opportunities for Black artists and other artists of color is widespread in the opera field, though Opera Theatre is among the organizations that have begun diversifying their stages.
Metropolitan Opera in New York recently announced it will open its 2021 season with “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” by jazz artist Terence Blanchard. It will be the first opera by a Black composer to appear at the Met. Opera Theatre St. Louis presented the show’s world premiere in 2019.
Opera Theatre premiered “An American Soldier” the year before — an opera about Danny Chen, a Chinese American man who died by suicide while serving in Afghanistan after enduring racially motivated
nowned touring DJ and enjoys mentoring youth in his spare time.
Barnett-Epps, a 2005 honors graduate of Normandy High School, holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from ITT Technical Institute.
“We have to show our people that you can do anything and make it even though you are from here, no matter what your circumstance is,” BarnettEpp said. “You just need the drive and determination to want to do it.”
Learn more about BarnettEpps here:https://www.djtab. com/.
Jelenovic and Ivan Jelenovic, don’t live together but co-parent Noah. His father is one of Noah’s biggest fans.
“It makes me glad that throughout this activity Noah is learning new skills and helping others in the process,” Ivan Jelenovic said.
Early supporters of the videos contacted Jelenovic asking how to donate to Noah, so she created a Venmo account @ GoodMorningNoah for anyone interested in donating.
“We use a portion of the money to buy supplies for his weather channel; so like the backdrop, the ring light, the microphone were purchased with donations, and then for the rest of it he loves to go to Five Below, that’s his favorite store,” she said.
When Noah isn’t keeping track of what Mother Nature’s doing around town , he’s playing with his Beyblades, spinning toys, watching The Proud Family on the Disney+ streaming service, or singing.
Fans of Good Morning STL can watch Noah Jelenovic deliver his weather report every morning at 9 a.m. CST on Facebook @GoodmorningSTL and Instagram @goodmorningstl.
hazing. Yet Andrew Jorgensen, general director, described his organization’s administrative staff as “almost entirely white” in September. He and Artistic Director James Robinson are white.
Myers said a lack of diversity in Opera Theatre’s office staff hurts the organization’s ability to reflect its full community.
“When you don’t have a diversity of voices represented in planning the art and creating the art, it just doesn’t connect with people as well,” she said. She said she doesn’t expect Opera Theatre to have open positions available for Johnson, Beverly and Alvarado when they finish their fellowship next summer. But the program aims to help them develop personal networks among other professionals in the field, to help with future job searches.
Jeremy Goodwin is arts and culture reporter for St. Louis Public Radio, a reporting partner with The St. Louis American.
D.J.
Photo by King Yella