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ALTON - The Alton City Council passed several resolutions and approved the resignations of two members of the Alton Municipal Band, as well as the appointment of two new Police Chaplains, at their Feb. 8th, 2023 meeting at 6:30 p.m. The Alton City Council unanimously approved the resignations of both Mike and Linda Ferguson from the Alton Municipal Band after 40 years of service. “They are retiring, stepping down from this volunteer position after 40 years of service, so we’d like to thank and congratulate Mike and Linda for their service to the Alton Municipal band,” Alton Mayor David Goins said. They also approved the appointment of two new Alton Police Department Chaplains, Lewis “Ray” Vajda and Harrell “Eddie” West. “Our Chaplain program is very important to us, they do a variety of things … internally, they’re there for offices and their families for counseling and emotional support,” Alton Police Chief

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There were more than 1,500 disappointed people at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 29, not including visitors from Ohio. On the day the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals to earn their third trip to the Super Bowl in the past four years, 1,550 people tried and failed 4,571 times to place a bet on […]

The post Lawmakers renew push to legalize sports wagering in Missouri appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The GOP-led Senate gave the measure initial approval in a voice vote. Another vote is needed to send the bill to the Republican-led House.

Missouri House lawmakers have voted against banning children from openly carrying firearms on public land without adult supervision.

The special prosecutor would be able to hire 15 assistant prosecuting attorneys and 15 support staff using state general revenue.

Celebrate legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim at Side by Side by Sondheim, which revisits almost 30 of the most poignant, powerful and witty songs in the American musical theatre

The post Side by Side by Sondheim – The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

On their two-year dating anniversary, modern day couple Rashad and Genesis have plenty to celebrate—a marriage proposal and the promise of a new life together. But will their relationship survive

The post The Light – The Black Rep appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

"Missouri has one of the weakest texting and driving laws on the book right now," AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria said.

The global automation company announced it would be leaving its long-time home in Ferguson last fall.

Missouri’s top judge is asking the General Assembly to fund overtime pay for court clerks.

Missouri House lawmakers have voted against banning children from openly carrying firearms on public land without adult supervision.

Latah County Courthouse, Moscow, Idaho

Jimmy Emerson, DVM

Judicial gag orders are often unconstitutional even when they’re carefully crafted. But when they’re not, they can create widespread confusion and wreak havoc on the free press.

An order entered in the Idaho murder trial of Bryan Kohberger is the latest example. The embarrassingly incoherent document purports to bind everyone from “law enforcement personal (sic)” to attorneys for victims’ families and “any interested party in this case.”

Worse yet, Judge Megan Marshall used “including, but not limited to” language to introduce the list of those supposedly gagged, leaving anyone not expressly mentioned to wonder if they are also silently censored and at risk of being held in contempt of court.

For example, the mayor of Moscow, Idaho, reportedly told journalists he can’t comment on the effects of the murders on the community due to the order. The police department issued a press release that it will no longer discuss the case with the media or public. A victim’s relatives and their attorneys had to file a motion asserting their otherwise obvious right to speak for themselves. A local 911 service requested clarification on whether it can comply with open records laws and release tapes requested by the press without running afoul of the gag order. Other agencies denied records requests outright, citing the order.

Over two dozen media outlets have challenged the order because it “restrained [their] rights to gather and publish information about this newsworthy matter” by prohibiting potential sources from making any statements except direct quotes from the public court record.

Judges, of course, are not dictators, or even legislators. They have no authority to issue orders directed to the public at large, or, for that matter to miscellaneous attorneys and government employees with an “interest” in their cases. And they certainly have no business overriding open records laws from the bench.

Their power extends only to the parties and attorneys appearing before them in their courtroom, and even then they are subject to Constitutional limitations and required to specifically explain the necessity for any gag order. Marshall only vaguely alluded to “preserv[ing] the right to a fair trial,” but the Supreme Court has repeatedly cited studies confirming jurors’ ability to set aside pretrial publicity. It has also explained that there are plenty other ways to avoid juror bias without censorship, like sequestering the jury or changing the trial location.

In theory, those whom Marshall unconstitutionally gagged should just ignore her order. She has no legitimate means of enforcing it. But if a judge has gone far enough off the rails to issue a flagrantly unconstitutional order, who is to say they might not dispatch compliant law enforcement officers to carry out their unlawful edicts? It wouldn’t be the first time.

And officials who must know they won’t be arrested for defying the order, like the mayor, now have a handy excuse to avoid the press.

It’s great that media outlets and others are challenging the gag order. There is a good chance they’ll ultimately succeed. But the press can’t make up for lost time — important stories will go untold and valuable perspectives will be permanently suppressed.

That’s why judges need training so this doesn’t happen in the first place. And state bar associations and other power brokers need to stop endorsing judges like Marshall who either don’t understand or hold outright contempt for the First Amendment.

Anthrax & Black Label Society will perform with special guest Exodus at The Factory on Feb. 8.

The post Anthrax & Black Label Society appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

After days of behind-the-scenes negotiations, the Missouri Senate gave initial approval Wednesday to legislation that included a watered-down version of the GOP-backed ban on so-called “critical race theory.” But the changes weren’t enough to win over Democrats, who allege the bill still runs the risk of being a “tool to bludgeon public schools that are […]

The post Missouri Senate advances ‘Parents Bill of Rights’ with less focus on critical race theory appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri educators would face limits on how to teach public K-12 students about race under a bill advancing in the state Senate. The Republican-led Senate gave the measure initial approval Wednesday.

Missouri K-12 public school teachers would face limits on how they talk about race and history under a bill approved Wednesday in the state Senate.