Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) articles from November 2003

Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) archives from November 2003

Nicole Harris joins law firm of Rabbitt, Pitzer & Snodgrass P.C.
November 1, 2003... Byline: staff Nicole Harris has joined Rabbitt, Pitzer & Snodgrass P.C. as an associate. She will focus her practice in the areas of product liability and transportation litigation. Prior to joining the law firm, Harris was the prosecuting...

Boyce, Johnson, and Prost elected to board of directors of MidWest BankCentre-St. Charles.
November 1, 2003... Byline: staff Charles Boyce, Tom R. Johnson and Michael Prost have been elected directors to the newly expanded board of directors of MidWest BankCentre-St. Charles. Boyce is executive vice president of Innsbrook Corp., the developer of...

Timothy A. Redden named president of Citizens National Bank South County Banking Center.
November 1, 2003... Byline: staff Timothy A. Rodden has been named president of Citizens National Bank South County Banking Center. Rodden brings a rich background of more than 20 years of experience in banking to Citizens National Bank. Prior to joining the...

St. Louis law firms announce staff changes for November 1, 2003.
November 1, 2003... Byline: staff Larry Moore has been promoted to associate in the St. Louis office of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum. He is a member of HOK's computer group and currently serves as a computer programmer. Moore is also a Microsoft Certified...

Missouri appeals court upholds role of Family Support Division.
November 1, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter A Missouri appeals court has upheld an executive order issued by Gov. Bob Holden that transferred most of the responsibilities of the Division of Child Support Enforcement to the newly created Family Support Division...

Robert Haldiman moves to Husch & Eppenberger's office in Peoria, Illinois.
November 1, 2003... Byline: staff Robert C. Haldiman has moved from the St. Louis office of Husch & Eppenberger to the firms Peoria, Ill., office. He will continue to practice in the intellectual property and technology group. He specifically concentrates his...

Nicole Havens Bolton joins firm of Spencer Fane Britt & Browne L.L.P.
November 1, 2003... Byline: staff Nicole Havens Bolton has joined the law firm of Spencer Fane Britt & Browne L.L.P. as an associate in the litigation practice group. She earned her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2003 where she was...

Doctor gets another chance to defend himself in negligence case.
November 4, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter A St. Joseph doctor will have a second chance to defend against allegations that he negligently diagnosed a patient as having Crohn's disease rather than ulcerative colitis.A decision handed down last week by the...

Worker seeking benefits lacked proof of good cause for leaving employment.
November 4, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright A hammer-machine operator who left his job voluntarily due to a back injury will not receive unemployment benefits, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, ruled Thursday after finding that the worker...

Applicants sought for 22nd Judicial Circuit Commission vacancy.
November 4, 2003... Byline: staff The 22nd Judicial Circuit Commission (St. Louis City) announced Monday that the commission is now accepting applications for the position of associate circuit judge. The vacancy is created by the retirement of Judge Thad...

Landlord didn't control premises, not liable for injury.
November 5, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter A woman who was injured when she fell over a ledge inside a Kansas City club may not recover damages from the building's landlord because the landlord did not exercise enough control over the building to be liable for...

Transfer of easement was erroneous.
November 5, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright A butcher shop will have to find a different way to make the business more accessible due to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District's interpretation of an easement appropriating a portion of privately owned...

Program to discuss affirmative action policies and practices.
November 5, 2003... Byline: staff A special program this Thursday will take a look at affirmative action policies and practices and their implications for education, sports and business.The Women Lawyers' Association of Greater St. Louis and the Mound City...

St. Charles County officials turn to Web to market their communities.
November 5, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Now working during a time of strained budgets and increased competition, local economic developers are turning increasingly to their personal computers to market their communities to site selectors and other decision...

Suits against hospitals covered by nonprofit venue statute.
November 6, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter When two or more nonprofit corporations are defendants in the same lawsuit, the case will be tried in a single venue, the Missouri Supreme Court said Tuesday.The decision deals with several cases that have been...

Run-off election to be held for spot on 21st Circuit Judicial Commission.
November 6, 2003... Byline: staff No candidate received a majority of all the valid votes counted in the election for a position on the 21st Circuit Judicial Commission. The circuit clerk will hold a run-off election between Gerard T. Noce and Leonard P....

Insurance company must conform with policy cancellation provision.
November 6, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright After two attempts in the Circuit Court of Perry County and in the Missouri Court of Appeals, an insurance company must provide coverage to a trailer park owner held liable after a 5-year-old girl fell out of a tree...

U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules out-of-state company's Web site may subject it to jurisdiction.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Deborah Fauver Could lending money in Missouri, via in-state brokers and a Web site, subject an out-of-state company to jurisdiction here for claims arising from unrelated out-of-state acts? Maybe so, held a unanimous panel of the...

Former homeowners charge lender failed to escrow property tax payments, wrongfully foreclosed on home.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Cathy Kingsley The percentage of mortgages in the foreclosure process was at a record high earlier this year, as some homeowners had trouble making ends meet during these economic hard times.In the case of Paul V. and Yolanda...

Lawsuit claims oversized load caused car accident, injuries.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Cathy Kingsley On Nov. 12, 2001, Judy Coffman was operating her motor vehicle eastbound on Route MM in Jefferson County. Charles L. Barnes, who was operating a vehicle for Imperial Homes, was traveling on Route MM in the opposite...

Rainy day funds offered by charitable housing program.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon The Home Downpayment Gift foundation has introduced a plan to assist qualified homeowners hit by economic hardship. The Rainy Day Program has been designed and funded to help homeowners hit with unforeseen financial...

Sweat equity grants made available.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon It may not sound pleasant. Anyone who has ever participated in it knows it is not easy. But even with historically low interest rates and more financing packages available now than ever before, a large number of...

Lenders, builders optimistic with economic turn.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon Wall Street might not have been overly impressed, but the fastest surge in 19 years for the U.S. gross domestic product - ending the third quarter at 19 percent - and the first decline in 30-year fixed mortgages in a...

Gershman Investment changes name to reflect core business.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Erin Piel One of the oldest independent mortgage companies in St. Louis has a new name. Gershman Investment Corp. is now Gershman Mortgage, a change which the company believes better reflects its core business - commercial and...

AGC hands out Keystone Awards to area builders.
November 7, 2003... Byline: Erin Piel What do a state-of-the-art performing arts center, a temperature-sensitive home for penguins and puffins and a 100-year-old Florissant church have in common? They, among others, were recipients of the Associated General...

Kids In the Middle Inc. elects board member.
November 8, 2003... Byline: staff Alan Zvibleman of Capes, Sokol, Goodman & Sarachan has been elected to the board of Kids In the Middle Inc., a local nonprofit organization that provides therapy services to children whose parents are experiencing family...

Cole & Associates hires project manager - engineering.
November 8, 2003... Byline: staff Ty Abbott has joined Cole & Associates as a project manager - engineering. As a project manager, Abbott will be responsible for advancing various engineering projects and enhancing and maintaining client relationships. Prior...

Armstrong Teasdale law firm elects new partner.
November 8, 2003... Byline: staff Michael E. Whittle has been elected partner at the law firm Armstrong Teasdale. He is a member of the firm's business services department where he concentrates in the areas of real estate and corporate law. He also has...

Husch & Eppenberger names 13 new members to firm.
November 8, 2003... Byline: staff Husch & Eppenberger L.L.C. has named 13 new members to the firm, eight of which will practice in the St. Louis office.Eric Berry practices in the environmental and regulatory practice group. He represents clients in numerous...

Second Injury Fund must pay benefits of guard killed while working two jobs.
November 8, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter The Second Injury Fund must pay death benefits to the family of a Kansas City police officer who died while working on his second job as a security guard because the company he worked for did not carry workers'...

Collection attorney Don Kramer honored by group he created.
November 8, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright Shock and surprise ran through the veins of Donald B. Kramer on Oct. 24 as the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys' board of directors tricked him into receiving an award in his namesake at the...

Court of Appeals reverses, remands auto insurance suit.
November 11, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, reversed and remanded a decision last week involving family members of a woman hit by a vehicle not owned by the driver and their insurance company.Linda Stotts and...

Insurance discrepancy voids $2.4M judgment.
November 12, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter The widow of a Kansas City man who was fatally shot during a robbery at the gas station where he worked will not collect the $2.4 million judgment she received in a wrongful death action she brought against the owners...

Family denied death benefits over salesman killed in auto accident.
November 12, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright The family of a traveling salesman whose drunken driving accident resulted in his death will not be able to collect benefits from his former employer, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, decided...

Dispute ends in vacated decision; Ownership of items at family home in question.
November 13, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright A man who took personal property items from his family home after the death of his last living parent ignited a family dispute that made its way up to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, which issued its...

American Institute of Architects honors architectural excellence in St. Louis.
November 14, 2003... Byline: Erin Piel The St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects recently honored excellence in architecture in the metropolitan region at its 15th annual St. Louis Design Awards. According to Michelle Swatek, executive...

Reverse mortgage offers retirement option.
November 14, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon The challenges of preparing for retirement are greater today than in the past in part because of an increased cost of living for seniors, but to a greater degree because those entering this phase of life have higher...

Home inspectors battle unfair liability claims.
November 14, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon The seasons are changing, and many hidden elements of a home's true condition are about to be exposed to the elements of winter. Even the most diligent of home inspectors, who performed their duties leading to homes...

Survey shows outlook for commercial real estate improving.
November 14, 2003... Byline: staff The economic climate for the nation's commercial real estate markets has improved dramatically, although immediate demand for industrial and office space remains weak, according to a recent survey conducted by the National...

Statistics show rise of felony, civil cases in county.
November 14, 2003... Byline: Cathy Kingsley It comes as no surprise that the number of felony cases filed in Jefferson County was on the rise as it was at one time the highest in the country for the number of methamphetamine operations. In fiscal year...

St. Louis Family Court to host Adoption Saturday.
November 15, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter Next Saturday, in the St. Louis County Family Court and in jurisdictions across the nation, an estimated 3,100 children will be adopted from the foster care system. More than 120 jurisdictions are participating in...

MO Supreme Court to hear workers' compensation dispute involving injured ironworker.
November 15, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright A workers' compensation dispute about whether an ironworker who threw his back out after slipping on a beam resulted in either permanent total disability or permanent partial disability will be one of three cases to...

Polsinelli Shalton & Welte hires new chair of health care group.
November 15, 2003... Byline: staff Mary Beth Blake has joined Polsinelli Shalton & Welte as the firm's new chair of the health care group. Her addition expands the firm's health care group to 14 attorneys. During her 26-year career, Blake has established...

The Barry Law Firm adds associate to staff.
November 15, 2003... Byline: staff Shawn M. Fusco has joined The Barry Law Firm as an associate. The firm focuses on estate planning and administration, real estate, banking, corporate and commercial litigation. Fusco is a 2003 graduate of Saint Louis...

St. Louis office of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum names new senior associate.
November 15, 2003... Byline: staff John Cannon has been promoted to senior associate in the St. Louis office of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum. A member of HOK's science and technology group, Cannon has worked on the U.S. Naval Academy/Michelson-Chauvenet Hall...

Cissell Mueller Co. adds associate broker to staff.
November 15, 2003... Byline: staff Tim O'Brien has joined Cissell Mueller Co. L.L.C. as an associate broker. He will handle retail leasing, land acquisition and development for the firm. Prior to joining Cissell Mueller, O'Brien was the area manager of eastern...

Jefferson City office of Armstrong Teasdale adds associate to staff.
November 15, 2003... Byline: staff Kimberly J. Shields has joined the Jefferson City office of Armstrong Teasdale L.L.P. as an associate member in the firm's litigation department. She concentrates her practice in the areas of tort litigation as well as...

Clayton Chamber of Commerce elects new board member.
November 15, 2003... Byline: staff Christopher "Kit" Heffern has been elected to the board of directors of the Clayton Chamber of Commerce. Heffern is the president of Elleard B. Heffern Fine Jewelers in Clayton. He is an American Gem Society certified...

Green Cordonnier & House adds associate to staff.
November 15, 2003... Byline: staff Joseph R. Kuhl has joined the law firm of Green Cordonnier & House L.L.P. as an associate.

Same-sex workplace harassment claim rejected.
November 18, 2003... Byline: Deborah Fauver A male supervisor's repeated inappropriate touching of a male employee was not "based on sex" and thus not actionable under Title VII of the Civil Rights act, held a unanimous panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of...

Judge Godfrey remembered as a true gentleman of the law.
November 18, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright The family of civil trial Judge Michael F. Godfrey, who died last Tuesday, said their goodbyes in a private service at the Holy Family Abbey on Friday. "Mike was always upbeat," Judge Floyd McBride said about...

Injured railroad worker awarded $1.5 million in damages.
November 19, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright A St. Louis jury awarded $1.5 million in damages on Nov. 7 to a railroad trackman that suffered injuries to his neck and spine after his dump truck rolled over. On Nov. 1, 1999, a group of railroad workers were...

Panel named to fill judicial vacancy.
November 19, 2003... Byline: staff The St. Louis City Judicial Commission announced on Tuesday the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Gov. Holden to fill the vacancy on the St. Louis Circuit Court created by the appointment of Judge Patricia L. Cohen...

Judge Richard Enright remembered.
November 19, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge Richard T. Enright of Division 3 died Sunday, Nov. 16, leaving behind his family and a 30-year legacy of work on the county bench characterized by his even temper. "He was...

Bankruptcy courts stay afloat amidst flood of non-business filings.
November 20, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright The bankruptcy balloon continued to inflate during the 2003 fiscal year with non-business bankruptcies making up 97.8 percent of the 1,661,996 filings nationwide. Non-business bankruptcies rose 7.8 percent during...

Burn victims file lawsuits against fireworks company after explosions.
November 21, 2003... Byline: Cathy Kingsley An operation that was producing merchandise deeply rooted in American tradition may soon be history after a series of tragedies during the past few years. Explosions at Sunset Fireworks Ltd. in Dittmer in 1999,...

Clayco Construction recognized by Concrete Council.
November 21, 2003... Byline: Erin Piel For just about as long as Clayco Construction Co. has been in business in St. Louis, it has been winning awards for its work, and 2003 is no exception. Earlier this month, top honors from the Concrete Council of St....

FTC opinion supports Realtors with homebuyers calling sellers.
November 21, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon Federal Trade Commission head Mozelle Thompson told members of the National Association of Realtors that they, as well as agents and brokers, are not violating the national Do-Not-Call law by telephoning for sale by...

National Assn. of Realtors members support dual agency practices.
November 21, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon A survey among members of the National Association of Realtors shows that a majority of real estate professionals belonging to this organization not only approve of, but also participate in, dual agency practices even as...

Road construction contractors launch postcard campaign.
November 21, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon Road construction contractors take the idea of writing their congressman seriously. Professionals in this field announced plans last week to call on lawmakers to stop stalling with political time-spending games and move...

Survey finds increased workloads as biggest challenge for attorneys.
November 21, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright Saying that there are not enough hours in the day might be a bit of an understatement for attorneys pulling their hair out as they juggle case after case after case. If you feel that way, take a deep breath -...

Judgment against telemarketer upheld.
November 21, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter A Grandview, Mo., telemarketing company dialed the wrong number when it placed a prerecorded advertising call to the Margulis household. That's because the exclusive purpose for Max G. Margulis' law practice is to go...

Stephen Stickford joins St. Louis Convention & Visitors Comm. as senior vice pres. of sales.
November 22, 2003... Byline: staff Stephen R. Stickford has joined the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission as senior vice president of sales and services. In his new position, Stickford will oversee meetings, conventions, tourism, sports and...

Noelle Woodworth joins St. Louis Convention & Visitors Comm. as executive meetings sales manager.
November 22, 2003... Byline: staff Noelle Woodworth has joined the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission as executive meetings sales manager. She will provide services to the small meetings market, foster relationships with meeting planners across 24...

Heather Hancock named market sales manager of two Marriott hotels in Fenton, Mo.
November 22, 2003... Byline: staff Heather Hancock has been named market sales manager of Dominion Hospitality Group for its Fairfield Inn by Marriott and TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotels in Fenton, Mo. In her new position, Hancock is responsible for...

Martha K. Dill joins tax department of Schowalter & Jabouri P.C.
November 22, 2003... Byline: staff Martha K. Dill has joined Schowalter & Jabouri P.C., Certified Public Accountants and Consultants. She will work in the firm's tax department.

John Schedler named president of St. Louis-based FieldTurf Mid-America L.L.C.
November 22, 2003... Byline: staff John Schedler has been named president of St. Louis-based FieldTurf Mid-America L.L.C. He will manage day-to-day operations and oversee the marketing of FieldTurf products in Missouri, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky,...

Joseph W. Mudroch joins Government e-Management Solutions Inc. as regional sales manager.
November 22, 2003... Byline: staff Joseph W. Mudroch has joined Government e-Management Solutions Inc. as regional sales manager. GEMS is a provider of financial, human resources and property manager software to governments nationwide. As regional sales...

Nine new attorneys join Armstrong Teasdale.
November 22, 2003... Byline: staff Michael K. Daming, Stephanie M. Grise, Bruce D. LeMoine, Craig G. Moore, Todd R. Nissenholtz, Joy L. Vokac, Deanna M. Wendler, Alan L. Cassell and Evan R. Sotiriou have joined Armstrong Teasdale. Daming is a member of the...

Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., receives the 2003 Community Service Award from the Primerus Law Firms.
November 22, 2003... Byline: staff Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., has received the 2003 Community Service Award from the International Society of Primerus Law Firms. Primerus is an alliance of lawyers and law firms that are pre-screened for - and sworn to uphold...

Missouri Court of Appeals rules insurance company not protected by statute of limitations.
November 22, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright An injured man's attempt to recover damages from his auto insurance company is not barred by a five-year statute of limitations, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, ruled in a reversed decision on...

Improvements to attorney disciplinary system may result in more complaints filed by public.
November 25, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter There's a shift in strategy at the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, which could result in more complaints about attorneys but fewer formal disciplinary cases. According to Maridee Edwards, chief disciplinary...

Transplant scam costs University of Illinois $2.3 million.
November 25, 2003... Byline: Emily Umbright The University of Illinois settled a lawsuit for $2.3 million after a transplant surgeon blew the whistle on unnecessary liver transplant practices amounting to $1,001,645.39 in defrauded Medicare and Medicaid...