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A former Velda City officer pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon in connection to a 2020 shooting.

by Mick Dumke

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Update, Nov. 30, 2022: This story has been updated to include a statement from a Joe Mansueto spokesperson, who reached out after the story was published.

For months, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has pushed a controversial plan to turn over public housing land to a professional soccer team owned by an influential billionaire.

In mid-November, that billionaire owner of the Chicago Fire Football Club, Joe Mansueto, donated $25,000 to the mayor’s reelection campaign.

And now, a member of the City Council is asking the city government’s top watchdog and ethics officials to investigate whether the contribution violates prohibitions on pay-to-play politics.

“I believe this represents a gross & familiar abuse of power and, at a minimum, a potential violation of the City of Chicago’s Governmental Ethics Ordinance,” Alderman Raymond Lopez wrote in a letter to Deborah Witzburg, the city’s inspector general, and Steve Berlin, executive director of the city’s Board of Ethics. Lopez cited sections of the ordinance that prohibit gifts and political contributions meant to influence official decisions.

Mansueto, though an ally, had never given to Lightfoot’s political fund before his Nov. 17 contribution, according to election disclosure records. (Mansueto’s family foundation has donated to a number of cultural and nonprofit entities, including ProPublica.)

On Wednesday, Lightfoot’s campaign spokesperson praised Mansueto and fended off the criticism.

“Mr. Mansueto has been a socially responsible leader in Chicago’s business community, investing in our neighborhoods and supporting a range of philanthropic initiatives. We are proud to have his support for our grassroots campaign,” spokesperson Christina Freundlich wrote in a statement.

She added: “Government decision-making is firewalled from political campaign activities, and our team executes a rigorous vetting process on every contribution to ensure we have complied with all campaign finance rules and laws.”

A spokesperson for Mansueto did not address the campaign contribution but stressed that the business leader is committed to the city. “Joe believes in investing in historically disinvested parts of Chicago, a vision he shares with Mayor Lightfoot as a way to lift up the city as a whole,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement

Mansueto made the donation the same week Lightfoot released the first ads in her bid for reelection against 10 challengers in February. And it came as officials work to finalize a deal that would let Mansueto’s team take over 23 acres of valuable land that have long been set aside to house low-income families.

At Lightfoot’s behest, the Chicago Housing Authority agreed to lease the site to the Fire so the team can build a new training facility. But the Lightfoot administration and the CHA have kept many of the key details secret. The CHA did not conduct a formal bidding process, and it has refused to release a copy of the proposed agreement or show how it determined the value of the land.

Lopez is one of Lightfoot’s leading council critics, but in September he sided with her and voted in favor of a zoning change the Fire needed to build the new practice facility. He said in an interview that he still supports the Fire’s project but wrote the letter with “disdain” for the mayor’s decision to accept the campaign donation.

“I look forward to the independent investigation by the IG,” he said.

On Wednesday, as Lopez sent his letter, CHA residents and housing advocates protested the land deal outside the headquarters of Morningstar, the investment research firm that Mansueto founded and serves as executive director.

DNA collection at the time of arrest may make sense in certain cases. If it’s a violent crime — rape, murder, home invasion, etc. — it probably is smart to take some sort of a sample which may help place the suspect at the scene of the crime. Not that DNA evidence is infallible. It’s […]

Clarence E. Battle, 58, was convicted of statutory rape and statutory sodomy after raping a 13-year-old girl.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans voted Wednesday to keep earmarks in place when they take over the chamber in January, a move that solidifies GOP support for the controversial spending practice that was brought back under new guardrails and transparency mechanisms less than two years ago.  Earmarking has become especially important to members of both […]

The post U.S. House GOP to keep earmarks for local projects — with some ‘tweaks’ appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A man is under arrest for being involved in a recent spree of burglaries in St. Louis. Wednesday morning, in a virtual news briefing, police confirmed a suspect was taken into custody on Tuesday. St. Louis Police Captain Donnell Moore from District 6 told reporters, "We feel one of the main actors in these burglaries, we currently have in custody." Moore shared several pieces of evidence linked this person to several recent burglaries.  "He is a part of a group and the number of burglaries…

Santa’s Magical Kingdom is unlike any other place on earth, and this year, it’s bigger, brighter and merrier!   More than four million shimmering lights, electrifying special effects and whimsical

The post Santa’s Magical Kingdom appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Whether you’re starting a new holiday tradition or continuing a favorite one, the 37th Annual Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park is worth a stop.   More than a million gleaming

The post Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Republican Will Scharf, a key player in Gov. Eric Greitens’ brief state administration, will be a candidate himself in 2024, he said Wednesday, but what office he is seeking is uncertain. Scharf issued a news release announcing he’d formed a committee to raise money for a statewide campaign. An attorney, Scharf has spent the past […]

The post Former aide to Greitens plans bid for Missouri office in 2024 appeared first on Missouri Independent.

When KBP Brands started testing Funnel Cake Fries at four local KFCs in the fall, the new menu item shattered its expectations. Now, the Overland Park, Kansas-based franchisee is taking its idea beyond the Kansas City market.

After Tuesday night's (11/29) state execution of 37-year-old Kevin Johnson, 19 people in Missouri remain on death row (still 18th most among states).

A developer has been working on a planned redevelopment of the massive downtown building since 2016, with long delays attributed to contractor disputes and the pandemic.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a pedestrian struck on Chambers Road near Green Valley Drive that resulted in the death of an adult male. On November 29, 2022, at 6:18 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a person struck near the intersection of Chambers Road and Green Valley Drive. Responding officers located an adult male who had been struck by a motor vehicle. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene. Preliminary investigation has revealed a vehicle was traveling westbound on Chambers Road approaching Green Valley Drive when a male entered the roadway and was struck. The driver remained on scene. No other injuries were reported. This is an active investigation. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators if you have

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A Ladue woman was sentenced Wednesday for defrauding the U.S. government and taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars in pandemic relief funds.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows sparkles in winter as its annual Christmas light display, Way of Lights, illuminates the grounds.   All are invited to witness

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WonderLight’s Christmas at World Wide Technology Raceway features approximately 2 miles of LED Christmas lights synchronized to rocking Christmas music.   Open nightly from Nov. 11 to Jan. 1, including

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Jingle Bears! Jingle Bears! The U.S. Bank Wild Lights is back at the Saint Louis Zoo. The highly anticipated holiday light display will be open on select nights from Nov.

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Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden dazzles visitors with its exquisite light displays year after year.   Celebrate the season with more than one million twinkling lights, beautiful projections,

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Join us at Cardinals Nation Restaurant & Bar for Family Night with Fredbird on select Wednesday evenings this off-season! Bring your family down for games, prizes, and meet Fredbird from

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