MetroSTL

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is sending highway patrol troopers and other state workers to St. Louis as part of an effort to fight the surge of violent crime that has included the killings of more than a dozen children in the region so far this year. The Republican governor on Thursday …

JEFF-VANDER-LOU – Two St. Louis nonprofits are taking a big step toward curbing area homelessness, with tiny houses. For good measure, they want city school students to be a part of it.  North Grand Neighborhood Services (NGNS) and Social Justice For All (SJ4A) have come together to bring the Tiny Houses program to north St. …

ST. LOUIS – Artist Spencer Thornton Banks may not be among the most famous alumni of Sumner High School. But perhaps he should be. Banks, who graduated from Sumner in 1932, was the foremost visual artist in the black community here for a half century. He has certainly earned a stamp of approval from Calvin …

CITY HALL – The city now has least $2 million to spend on programs to fight violence, perhaps including the popular Cure Violence model. The Board of Estimate and Apportionment voted Wednesday to reallocate $1.5 million from facilities and grounds in the Corrections Division budget to violence prevention alternatives. The 2019-2020 city budget already includes …

TOWER GROVE PARK – Thousands of foodies flocked to Tower Grove Park on Saturday for a chance to taste some of the best cuisine St. Louis has to offer during the second annual Taste of Black St. Louis fest. The event was established to celebrate the contributions of African-Americans to the distinct St. Louis culinary …

GRAND CENTER – When a man allegedly stole a Spire truck and took it on a joy ride from Shrewsbury to Collinsville and back to St. Louis on Monday, it ended in a non-incident arrest.  At the point of arrest, detectives drew their guns on the suspect, then one wrestled him to the ground and …

FOREST PARK — Eight mothers sat on stage Sunday at the Missouri History Museum to discuss “the talk” black mothers have with their sons about dealing with police officers. In its fifth year, the Mother 2 Mother panel fosters dialogue between white and black mothers about the often stark differences in raising their children. On …

Norman R. Seay, a longtime civil rights activist, died Tuesday, Sept. 17, at his home in north St. Louis. He was 87. Mr. Seay was born on Feb. 18, 1932, in St. Louis. Mr. Seay was one of the group of protesters whose demonstrations in 1963 at Jefferson Bank & Trust were a watershed for …

ST. LOUIS — Ever wonder why St. Louis is shaped like a teardrop, with a long, narrow neck stretching miles northward from the north side to the Chain of Rocks bridge? It’s all about the water. “It was about protecting our water sources,” Water Commissioner Curt Skouby explained. “In the beginning, the city’s water intake was …

CITY HALL – A staff member for the St. Louis Mental Health Board cautioned members of an aldermanic committee on Tuesday against putting their hopes in a single anti-violence program. Asked about the highly touted Cure Violence program, Serena Muhammad said it could be effective as part of a larger mix of remedies. But she …

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal lawsuit alleges that St. Louis police officers mistreated scores of protesters in a police “kettle” during a demonstration two years ago. The suit was filed Tuesday against the city and 343 officers and officials, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The suit is seeking class-action status over the tactic known as …

CITY HALL – North St. Louis residents are once again complaining about the lack of lawn and brush upkeep on the city’s Land Reutilization Authority properties. The city cuts the grass twice a year – once, April through June, then again July through October – according to Alan Jankowski, commissioner of Forestry, in an interview …

DOWNTOWN – An African-American St. Louis police detective who says he was beaten by white officers while he was undercover has sued the city. Luther Hall claims the officers who allegedly beat him had planned to attack protesters, and he specifically says Mayor Lyda Krewson lied about her knowledge of the attack on him. Hall’s …

CITY HALL – In what he says is an effort to bring police closer to the community, 21st Ward Alderman John Collins-Muhammad wants to divide the city into nine police districts rather than the current six.  Under that plan, each district would have its own headquarters, situated within its boundaries.   “It will improve police response …

ST. LOUIS – Those video cameras on top of light poles are a great way to investigate and catch lawbreakers running from the scene of a crime. But under the right circumstances, they also can alert officials about what’s in the background: potholes somebody should fix, or pools of water still on the street after …

FAIRGROUND PARK – The sun shone down brightly on a group of mothers in Fairground Park Saturday as they marched together in solidarity.  For many of these women, the hurt of losing a child to gun violence in the streets of St. Louis is a painful memory that has been etched into their minds and …

DOWNTOWN – The construction of the brand-new St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station is still on track to be completed by its late December opening date. This means that hundreds of thousands of animals, including a family of otters, will be making their way to the metro St. Louis area.  Three North American river otters …

COLUMBUS SQUARE – It’s one of the very few grocery stores built in north St. Louis since the late 1960’s. The goal is to serve residents in and around the north side. GreenLeaf Market, situated at 1400 N. 13th St., is a community grocery store dedicated to providing the highest-quality fresh foods.  Jessica Murray, marketing …

CITY HALL – A bill calling for an election on whether the city should lift its residency requirement for hiring appears to be dead, at least in its current form. The Board of Aldermen voted 16-11 on Friday against the measure for a November 2020 vote on changing the city charter to drop the residency …

It is a program that has been discussed by St. Louis politicians for months, and now, one city leader is looking to put significant dollars behind the idea of Cure Violence. Meanwhile, MetroSTL.com has gone looking for answers as to exactly what Cure Violence does. In an effort to combat the city’s rising homicide rate, …