St. Charles County Business Record, MO articles from April 2008

St. Charles County Business Record, MO archives from April 2008

City of St. Louis asks judge to rule on 'eminent domain' mural.
April 1, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter The city of St. Louis wants a federal judge to order property owner Jim Roos to paint over a year-old mural he commissioned to protest the city's use of eminent domain to take his property. The controversial...

Both sides seek new trial in legal malpractice case: Mo. law firm ordered to pay $3.7M to bank.
April 1, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese Thompson Coburn, one of Missouri's largest law firms, has been found guilty by an Illinois jury of legal malpractice and ordered to pay millions to a bank client, but that's not the last word on the subject. Regions...

Missouri Supreme Court ends suit over clergy abuse.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The state Supreme Court has ended a man's lawsuit claiming sexual abuse by a member of the clergy, saying the time in which to file suit had expired. Robert Visnaw sued in 2006, claiming former Marianist Brother William...

Commentary: Eminent domain ruling endangers property rights.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Nicholas A. Loyal For decades, the property rights of Missouri residents have been disregarded as municipalities throughout the state plowed through personal history in the disastrous pursuit of progress. Recently, the state's...

Taylor seeks reopening of post-conviction proceedings in Mo. Supreme Court.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter The case of death row inmate Michael A. Taylor is before the Missouri Supreme Court again -- this time to reopen post-conviction proceedings so he can challenge the effectiveness of the lawyers who represented him when...

Missouri Supreme Court denies former ALJ retroactive benefits.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter A former workers' compensation judge will have to wait another few months before he can start collecting retirement benefits. On Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court said awarding Robert H. Sihnhold, 64, pension...

Missouri Supreme Court considers flexibility in filing deadlines.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The Supreme Court considered Tuesday whether a man gets to bend the rules in seeking to have his conviction set aside despite filing the request a day late. Vincent McFadden, 28, has become a regular before the Missouri...

Commentary: A little planning makes travel much easier.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Christine Ann Hughes I'm a little frazzled, apprehensive, nervous, tired, overwhelmed and excited. Winter is gone. Spring is officially here, and I am preparing for a 10-day tour of Israel. As I write this, I will leave in two...

Disturbing the peace: Missouri Supreme Court to decide if instant message was a threat.
April 4, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Two years ago a 16-year-old told a friend he wanted to take a gun to school, shoot the people who hated him and then kill himself. Now it's up to the Missouri Supreme Court to sort out whether that statement was a true...

Missouri Lawyers in the News: April 4, 2008.
April 4, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Report Robert E. McAuliffe, a St. Louis attorney for Spencer, Fane, Britt, & Browne, was appointed to the Missouri State Council on the Arts. McAuliffe holds a bachelor's degree from Wabash College...

WingHaven community takes flight.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Joan Elliott Almost a decade ago, WingHaven -- O'Fallon's mixed-use, technology-based hub -- broke ground with a specific concept in mind. Developed by McEagle Properties, this $750 million community is driven by McEagle's LifeWork...

St. Charles settles lawsuit with developer.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask St. Charles officials have settled a lawsuit filed by developer Mike Sellenschuetter after the city refused to allow his planned condominium project to connect to the municipality's water and sewer service. The city...

St. Louis man creates holiday to honor lawyers.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese Nearly every group or cause has a special holiday -- all but lawyers, it seems. Steve Hughes decided that needs to change. So the St. Louis area man, who's not a lawyer himself, has declared April 8 as National Be Kind...

AT&T Missouri promotes Craig Felzien.
April 7, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff AT&T Missouri has promoted Craig Felzien to regional director of external affairs. Felzien already oversees external affairs for AT&T in the St. Louis area. The promotion means his territory has...

Barnes-Jewish St. Peters doctor gets national recognition.
April 7, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff The National Committee for Quality Assurance and the American Diabetes Association have announced that Dr. Stanley Mathew, chief of staff at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital, has been honored by...

Dale Poslosky named SSM St. Joseph board chairman.
April 7, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff Dale Poslosky, co-owner of Modern Business Interiors in St. Charles, has been named chairman of the 30-member SSM St. Joseph Advisory Board. He will serve as chairman for three years. SSM St....

SSM St. Joseph Hospital launches electronic recordkeeping.
April 7, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff SSM St. Joseph Hospital West said its paper medical charts became extinct last month when the hospital started using a complete electronic health record (EHR). Hundreds of physicians and staff...

Missouri American Water seeks higher rates.
April 7, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff Missouri American Water wants its customers, including those in St. Charles County, to pay more for water service. The company last week filed a request with the Missouri Public Service Commission...

St. Charles food service training to be offered in English, Bosnian.
April 7, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff The St. Charles County Department of Community Health and the Environment will offer ServSafe Manager Certification Training in May. This one-day class prepares those who are in charge of food...

Synergetics merges Philadelphia operations into O'Fallon plant.
April 7, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff Synergetics USA Inc. last week said it will close its Philadelphia plant and merge the operations and production of generator products into its plant in O'Fallon, where the company is based....

AmerenUE seeks 12 percent rate hike from Missouri Public Service Commission.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask AmerenUE on Friday said it needs an additional $251 million annually to provide adequate electric service to its customers. The utility said its request for a 12.1 percent increase in electric rates, if approved by the...

St. Charles Convention Center not affected by labor strife at America's Center in St. Louis.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask The St. Charles Convention Center thus far has not realized any increased demand as a result of the labor strife occurring at America's Center in St. Louis, said Susan Sarakas, director of sales and marketing for the St....

Judge sides with Discovery: Union Station told to accept deal it's lawyer said it never made.
April 8, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter An agreement is an agreement - and St. Louis Union Station Holdings agreed to accept $220,000 for the early termination of The Discovery Channel Store's lease, according to a St. Louis Circuit Court judge. On Friday,...

Retrial begins with diverse jury members.
April 8, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese Prosecutors laid out their case Monday against a man on trial for the second time in the 2003 shooting death of his ex-girlfriend's sister. Vincent McFadden is being re-tried on charges of first-degree murder, armed...

Lawyer behind D.C. gun case at Missouri Athletic Club tonight.
April 8, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff The attorney behind the challenge to the handgun ban in Washington, D.C., is scheduled to speak at the Missouri Athletic Club tonight. Robert Levy, who reportedly has never owned a handgun, has...

Federal judge nominees in Missouri moving forward.
April 9, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. is well-qualified to be a federal judge but David Gregory "Greg" Kays did not get as strong a recommendation from the American Bar Association committee that rates judicial nominees. Limbaugh,...

Good-bye, Biotactica: Founders of life science law firm in St. Louis close up shop.
April 9, 2008... Byline: Heather Cole Two attorneys who launched a St. Louis life sciences intellectual property firm a year and a half ago have called it quits. Kevin Buckley and Tara Nealey are winding down Biotactica after issues with funding falling...

St. Louis County jury finds McFadden guilty again of killing ex-girlfriend's sister.
April 9, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese For the second time, a St. Louis County jury has convicted a man in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend's sister. Vincent McFadden, 28, was found guilty Tuesday afternoon of first-degree murder, armed criminal...

Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis elects two new members-at-large.
April 9, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Sara Weiler Gillette and Tiffany B. Kieffer were elected Monday night as members-at-large to the Young Lawyers' Division of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Four lawyers competed for two two-year terms...

Missouri Supreme Court to answer: Should facing accusers apply to penalty trial?
April 10, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter State Supreme Court considers the question for the first time Criminal defendants have the right to confront their accusers during the guilt phase of trials, but should they have the same right in the penalty...

Bill in Missouri would overturn Appeals Court on Aquila power plant demolition.
April 10, 2008... Byline: Aaron Bailey Missouri lawmakers heard passionate testimony Wednesday on a bill that would essentially overturn previous court rulings that a controversial Kansas City-area power plant was built illegally. The Missouri House's...

Worker reaches $2.3M settlement with BNSF in St. Louis Circuit Court.
April 11, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese An injured railroad worker has reached a nearly $2.3 million settlement with the railroad in St. Louis Circuit Court. Thomas Joe Carney sued Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co. in August 2005 over injuries he...

Missouri circuit court judge: Probation officers deserve $4.1 million in back pay.
April 11, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The state has been ordered to provide $4.1 million in back pay to probation and parole officers for a raise denied them in 2004. Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan ruled in 2005 that denial of their raise, which...

Another Missouri jury calls for death for McFadden.
April 11, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Report Once again, execution is the recommendation of a St. Louis County jury for a man convicted in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend's sister. The jury on Tuesday found Vincent McFadden,...

Chesterfield-based AdOne Media goes bankrupt after $1.1 million verdict.
April 11, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter The Chesterfield-based outdoor advertising firm AdOne Media Inc. has filed for bankruptcy in the Northern District of Illinois. Last month a St. Louis County jury ordered AdOne and its president, James Neumann, to pay...

Wash University School of Law in St. Louis to present distinguished alumni awards.
April 11, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Report Washington University School of Law will celebrate the achievements of seven individuals at its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner tonight at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Dean Kent...

Weidenbaum: Tough economic decisions ahead.
April 12, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Noted Washington University economist Murray L. Weidenbaum thinks the debate about whether the U.S. is in a recession is, well, academic. Regardless of how it's labeled, this is a soft, inadequate economy that is not...

Q&A with Randy Greene of Greene's Country Store in St. Louis.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Wm. Stage Walk in the expansive Greene's Country Store, located on Highway N in Lake St. Louis, and you'll likely be surprised at the sheer variety of merchandise on the shelves. Sure, there are the obligatory items for a old-timey...

Commentary: Do you need background and reference checks? Yes, you do!
April 14, 2008... Byline: Ed Mayuga As candidates near the end of the interview process and you are excited about hiring that person, STOP, take a minute and plan your background and reference checking strategy. Why is it important to check background and...

St. Charles marina owner pleads guilty to bank fraud.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff John "Jack" Gorecki of St. Charles pleaded guilty last week to bank fraud charges involving false loan applications submitted to area financial institutions, according to U.S. Attorney Catherine L....

Service corp of Retired Executive opens office in St. Charles County.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff The Service Corp of Retired Executives, better known as SCORE, has opened a business office at the Economic Development Center of St. Charles County, 5988 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters. SCORE...

Barnes-Jewish St. Peters hospital recognized.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff Professional Research Consultants recently recognized Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital with six achievement awards, five as regards patients' perceptions and one for the Overall Top Performer...

St. Charles Convention Center turns three.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff The St. Charles Convention Center marked its third anniversary last week, with Global Spectrum officials saying the facility has exceeded expectations. Global Spectrum manages the facility for St....

St. Charles County Assn. of Realtors look for tenant.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff The St. Charles County Association of Realtors is looking for a tenant for its building at 110 Point West Blvd. in St. Charles. The association has approximately 820 square feet of office space...

St. Charles winery owners celebrate 10 years.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff Little Hills Winery & Restaurant owners Dave and Tammy Campbell will mark their 10th anniversary of ownership April 18-20 with special entertainment. The Campbells bought the winery/restaurant, at...

Ribbon-cuttings.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff The following businesses recently celebrated their grand openings with ribbon-cutting ceremonies: F&M Bank and Trust, located at 2435 Highway K in O'Fallon. The phone number is 636-379-3426. Snap...

Cuivre River Electric Community Trust gives $11,200 in homeless grants.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff The Cuivre River Electric Community Trust recently contributed $11,200 to help fight homelessness in St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren counties. Not-for-profits First Step Back Home and New Beginnings...

SSM St. Charles Medical Group opens Wentzville office.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff SSM St. Charles Clinic Medical Group has opened its 12th office. The Wentzville practices of Drs. James M. Cuellar and Peter S. Montgomery is now part of the Medical Group's family medicine...

Dr. Aislinn Vaughan named to cancer commission post at SSM St. Joseph.
April 14, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff Dr. Aislinn Vaughan has received a three-year appointment as cancer liaison physician for SSM St. Joseph, the collective name for SSM Health Care's major facilities in St. Charles County. In this...

St. Peters-based Titan Homes takes over Bower & Bailey developments.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Rick Cronin wasn't looking to take on additional projects. But when the banker who finances your developments calls looking for a favor, you're inclined to say yes. Cronin said the chairman and president of Truman Bank...

Murray L. Weidenbaum: Tough economic decisions ahead.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Noted Washington University economist Murray L. Weidenbaum thinks the debate about whether the U.S. is in a recession is, well, academic. Regardless of how it's labeled, this is a soft, inadequate economy that is not...

Titan takes over Bower & Bailey developments.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Rick Cronin wasn't looking to take on additional projects. But when the banker who finances your developments calls looking for a favor, you're inclined to say yes. Cronin said the chairman and president of Truman Bank...

Missouri House gives first-round approval to court-selection changes.
April 15, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The House gave initial approval to a proposed amendment Monday to revamp the way Missouri picks judges for its highest courts. The measure by Rep. Stanley Cox, R-Sedalia, would change the makeup of the Appellate...

Missouri House lawyers give mixed support for court plan.
April 16, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese Some attorney members of the Missouri House helped a proposal to overhaul Missouri's judicial selection system win first-round approval. The proposed constitutional change, HJR49, is sponsored by Rep. Stanley Cox, a...

Missouri Supreme Court denies class certification in Diet Coke sweetener suit.
April 16, 2008... Byline: Allison Retka The Missouri Supreme Court has shut down a Kansas City woman's effort to bring a class action lawsuit against the Coca-Cola Co. for a sugar substitute used by the beverage giant. The potential class for Diana...

Workers' compensation conviction upheld by Missouri Supreme Court.
April 16, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter A corporate president was rightfully convicted for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance, the Missouri Supreme Court said Tuesday. Robert Salter, president of Housecalls Inc. in Olivette, was convicted of...

Missouri executions remain uncertain.
April 17, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Ruling on lethal injection won't bring quick state court decisions The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Kentucky's use of lethal injection to execute its prisoners, but court watchers in Missouri say the decision leaves...

Wanted: Execution dates in Missouri.
April 17, 2008... Byline: St. Charles Business Record Staff Last June, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon asked the Missouri Supreme Court to set execution dates for these 10 capital punishment inmates. Renewed motions were filed for the following inmates:...

Court plan revamp fails: Missouri House reverses earlier support for issue, votes down 69-83.
April 18, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The House has rejected a proposed state constitutional amendment that would alter the way judges are chosen for the state's highest courts. In a surprise result that potentially puts the issue to rest for this year, the...

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon seeks execution dates for four additional inmates.
April 18, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon on Thursday asked the Missouri Supreme Court to set execution dates for four inmates. Nixon's motions come a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a case out of Kentucky that...

No defender relief from St. Louis city hall.
April 18, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese A St. Louis governing board has rejected a request by the circuit court to provide half a million dollars to hire private attorneys to represent criminal defendants and get felony cases moving more quickly. The Board...

St. Louis firefighters in court to keep back pay.
April 18, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Lawyers for St. Louis firefighters Michael Martinez and Eric Deeken told the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals their clients are entitled to keep the back pay a federal jury awarded them in their reverse discrimination...

St. Louis law firms announce staffing changes: April 18, 2008.
April 18, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Report Husch Blackwell Sanders has added Melanie P. Rheinecker and Laura B. Staley to the firm's St. Louis office. Rheinecker joins the Business Services Division and will focus her practice on...

Wal-Mart to pay $300,000 to rejected Missouri job applicant.
April 18, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff Wal-Mart Stores Inc. agreed to pay $300,000 to a Hardin, Mo., man to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The proposed...

Missouri budget offers little to assist public defenders.
April 22, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese With hope dwindling for help from state or city leaders, the state public defender system is warning courts and lawyers to brace for June. That's when the public defender system plans to shut off certain...

ABA promotes new rule-of-law index.
April 22, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter American Bar Association President William H. Neukom called upon the local bar association to join in his efforts to promote the rule of law in this country and abroad. Speaking at the 50th annual Law Day celebration...

Incoming president of Bar Assn. of Metropolitan St. Louis encourages diversity, pro bono services.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Attorney David E. Crawford Jr. will be the first tell you that the public views his profession negatively. And as the new president of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, he pledges to change that image by...

Dealmaking lawyers weigh in on St. Louis real estate market.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Allison Retka City officials downplay recession, tout new building projects There was little talk of housing slumps or economic slowdowns Wednesday at a symposium on the real estate market in metropolitan St. Louis. City...

Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys blasts study of litigation climate.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese Missouri moves up on survey of best places to defend corporate cases A big business group's latest survey of corporate lawyers ranks Missouri's litigation climate in the middle, 31st of 50 states, a few notches...

Clayton firm sues Bayer over anti-bleeding drug.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Clayton-based Carey & Danis is poised to serve in a leadership role managing the multidistrict litigation against Bayer AG over its anti-bleeding drug Trasylol. The law firm filed eight lawsuits with the federal court...

Voting groups sue Missouri Department of Social Services over registrations decline.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Aaron Bailey A national nonprofit group is suing the Missouri Department of Social Services for allegedly breaking the law by not registering low-income clients to vote. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or...

Public Defender Commission in Missouri gets old friend.
April 24, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff Gov. Matt Blunt has named a new member to the state Public Defender Commission, but he's hardly a newcomer to its challenges. Blunt announced Monday that he nominated Doug Copeland to serve...

Nominations advance: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee sends Limbaugh, Kays to Senate floor.
April 25, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously voted to send the nominations of Judges Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. and David Gregory "Greg" Kays to the full Senate for a confirmation vote. Limbaugh is the...

Missouri Supreme Court considers bipolarity in attorney discipline case.
April 25, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The Supreme Court is considering whether mental illness should be reason enough to set a different standard for an attorney who took money from client accounts for personal use, but later repaid it. The Office of...

Missouri state Rep. Hunter forges ahead with Second Injury Fund bill.
April 25, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter State Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, is bound and determined to push through a House bill drastically changing the Second Injury Fund - even though a complete overhaul has virtually no chance of passing in the Senate....

Court considers health insurance for retired St. Louis police.
April 25, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The Supreme Court considered Thursday how nice of a health plan retired St. Louis police officers are due. Unlike most law enforcement agencies, many details regarding the St. Louis Police Department, and the board that...

Missouri Supreme Court considers health insurance for retired St. Louis police.
April 25, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The Supreme Court considered Thursday how nice of a health plan retired St. Louis police officers are due. Unlike most law enforcement agencies, many details regarding the St. Louis Police Department, and the board that...

Missouri Gov. Blunt touts effects of tort reform.
April 25, 2008... Byline: Scott Lauck Gov. Matt Blunt toured the state Thursday to tout the effects of the Legislature's tort reforms undertaken in 2005. During stops in Kansas City and St. Louis, Blunt, who made tort reform one of his priorities his first...

Proposed amendment yanked from Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee.
April 25, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese A proposed amendment to explicitly define courts' authority to hear cases has been taken away from the Senate Judiciary Committee and re-assigned to another panel with few lawyer members. The House passed HJR41 on April...

Emerson buys naming rights to Lindenwood theater.
April 26, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask The 250-seat theater in Lindenwood University's new $32 million Center for Fine and Performing Arts on its St. Charles campus will be named the Emerson Black Box Theatre. The term black box refers to a type of theater...

Center's GM Lindgren gets Zonta award for community work.
April 26, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff The local Zonta club recently presented Global Spectrum's Shura Lindgren, general manager of the St. Charles Convention Center, with its Yellow Rose Award in recognition of her efforts in...

Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles faces six-figure budget shortfall.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Facing a $100,000 shortfall in its operating budget this year, the board overseeing the operation of the Foundry Art Centre has approached St. Charles City officials for money. But it's too soon to tell whether that...

Is your business vulnerable to cyberattacks?
April 28, 2008... Byline: Amy Armour Think your company is too small to attract a hacker? Think again. "Small businesses are a hacker's dream... Hackers know that most small business owners have the 'It won't happen to me' or 'I don't have anything that...

St. Charles County officials cheer interchange, seek more road funds.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask As officials celebrated the completion of the new, single-point interchange at Interstate 70 and Highway 94, questions lingered about whether there will be funding available for other major transportation needs in St....