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

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

Art for business's sake in St. Charles.
September 2, 2008... Byline: Sarah Wienke Art venues and galleries are a valuable economic development tool that St. Charles city officials plans to start using to improve the business climate. St. Charles Economic Development Director Nadine Boone is working...

Jobless rate soars in St. Louis metro area.
September 2, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask The jobless rate in the St. Louis metropolitan area, including St. Charles County, continues to rise. Last week the federal government announced that the jobless rate in the metropolitan area climbed to 7.2 percent in...

St. Charles city officials praise law intended to end metal theft.
September 2, 2008... Byline: Sarah Wienke AT&T, law enforcement and St. Charles city officials are hoping that a new state law will stem a rash of metal thefts here and across the state. The thefts are due to the rising worldwide demand and increasing value of...

Commentary: Confronting clients or employees in a positive way.
September 2, 2008... Byline: Ed Mayuga As a small business owner, you may conduct business with an old friend, or perhaps you hired a family member as part of your staff, but now you are faced with a dilemma. Something about their behaviors and actions may be...

St. Charles County Business Record News Digest: September 2, 2008.
September 2, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff County's tax rate unchanged The St. Charles County Council has set the real estate tax at two-tenths of a cent for each $100 of assessed valuation, the same rate it was last year. The tax...

Q&A with Steve Henze, St. Charles franchisee of Side Pockets.
September 2, 2008... Byline: Wm. Stage Rack 'em up! Side Pockets' twin attractions are good food and pool tables, plenty of them. Located in Mark Twain Mall, the 13,000 square-foot restaurant-bar is one of the largest in St. Charles County. Patrons may peruse...

High-end shopping center opens in Lake Saint Louis.
September 2, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Economy fears being what they are, it may not be the best time to open a shopping center geared to premium shopping. But merchants at The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis say the early crowds are large for what the developer...

Go-karts, mini golf, bumper cars in St. Peters - that's Incredible.
September 2, 2008... Byline: Amy Armour Make room Chuck E. Cheese, another pizza parlor is coming to town this fall. Renovation of the old Burlington Coat Factory building has started in St. Peters for America's Incredible Pizza Company, an all-indoor, family...

Residents sue St. Louis County over implementation of trash districts.
September 2, 2008... Byline: Angela Riley In an effort to prevent St. Louis County from dividing its unincorporated areas into eight different trash districts, two residents filed suit alleging that the county violated its own charter by not allowing citizens...

St. Charles Countians On the Move: September 2, 2008.
September 2, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff Guaranty Financial adds Unger to board Guaranty Financial Group Inc. has added James J. Unger to the company's board of directors. Unger, 60, is president and CEO of St. Charles-based...

Man acquitted of molesting child wins $16M in suit against ex-wife and Lee's Summit officer.
September 3, 2008... Byline: Angela Riley A man served five years in prison before he was acquitted of molesting his adopted daughter was awarded $16 million by a federal jury in a suit against his ex-wife and a Lee's Summit police officer. Theodore W. White...

Man speaks out after Cole County Circuit judge frees him from prison.
September 3, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese A man convicted of murder in 1985 for a gas station killing but freed from prison by a judge last month says the justice system broke down. Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan ruled last month that Darryl...

Missouri ballot lawsuit adds only two to count.
September 3, 2008... Byline: Scott Lauck Two ballots. Of all the disputed provisional and absentee ballots in the Democratic primary for the Missouri attorney general race, only two will be reconsidered, according to a joint stipulation signed Tuesday in Clay...

8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: Numbers unnecessary in harassment filing.
September 3, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter A former civilian employee for the Navy recruiting district office in Kansas City may pursue her sexual harassment claims, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Tuesday. But the plaintiff, Gina Jenkins, may not...

More detailed Missouri judicial evaluations due today.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Yes or no. The question faces voters in every election cycle when they must decide whether appointed judges should keep their jobs. This year, the choice should be a bit easier. In an effort to give voters the ability...

St. Louis Circuit Court holds off on final approval of BJC settlement.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese Uninsured patients who were treated at BJC hospitals could start seeing lower bills under a settlement pending in a St. Louis courtroom, but a judge did not give final approval after a hearing on the matter Wednesday....

Pardoned felon-turned-lawyer concerns Missouri Supreme Court.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Charles Emerick A felon-turned-attorney appears to have the Missouri Supreme Court scratching its collective head about how it should discipline him for lying on his bar application. Thomas Michael Fisher's lawyer told the court on...

Kansas City lawyer David M. Byrn will fill spot on Jackson County bench.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Gov. Matt Blunt named Kansas City lawyer David M. Byrn to the Jackson County Circuit Court. Byrn, a partner at Jeter, Rains & Byrn, received Blunt's call Friday afternoon before he went out of town for the Labor Day...

Eighth Circuit rejects limit on bankruptcy attorney's advice.
September 5, 2008... Byline: Allison Retka A St. Louis-based federal appeals court took aim Thursday at portions of a 2005 bankruptcy reform law, declaring unconstitutional provisions in the act that affected the advice attorneys can give bankruptcy clients....

Vote judge out, Missouri Bar committee evaluation recommends.
September 5, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter A 12-member Missouri Bar committee issued a recommendation that St. Louis County residents vote no on retaining Associate Circuit Judge Dale W. Hood. All other judges evaluated this year were recommended for...

Commentary: When a prayer request should be unspoken.
September 5, 2008... Byline: Christine Ann Hughes It's Sunday morning and you are enjoying being with people you generally do not see or talk to during the week. It's a moderate sized Sunday School class and these folks have prayed for you while you were...

Missouri Supreme Court studies 'mobile' DNA evidence.
September 5, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The attorney for a man found guilty in a 1992 murder told the Supreme Court that DNA and other evidence should not be enough to uphold his conviction and life sentence. Samuel Freeman was convicted in southeast...

Missouri Supreme Court considers polio vaccine standard.
September 5, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The state Supreme Court considered Thursday whether a lawsuit against a vaccine maker should have been allowed to reach a jury trial. A St. Louis jury considered the case of a man who contracted polio after receiving a...

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis VP: Good old days gone.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask People know the economy is not good as it was. But, says Richard G. Anderson, an economist and vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, it is not as bad as people fear. Anderson made that observation...

Business Record Business News: September 8, 2008.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask St. Charles is vying with an unknown community in St. Louis County for an $18.5 million, 90,000-square-foot Schattdecor AG manufacturing plant. Nadine Boon, the city's economic development director, said the company...

City of St. Charles hopes new hire results in new stores.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask A bromide in economic development is that retailers follow rooftops. But there are occasions when the free market needs some encouragement and retailers need help in finding the right locations for their stores, said...

St. Peters wins open records suit against Great Rivers.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Sarah Wienke The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court ruled in favor of St. Peters in a lawsuit filed against the city by the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center. The Great Rivers Environmental Law Center was seeking records involving...

8th Circuit ruling means attorney fees can't be seized.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared Friday that attorney fees awarded under the Equal Access to Justice Act belong to the attorney who represented the prevailing party, not the party itself. The decision...

Business Record News Digest: September 8, 2008.
September 8, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff Bridgeway forms new board Volunteers at Bridgeway Behavioral Health have formed the Bridgeway Behavioral Health Foundation Board. Its purpose is to provide financial support to Bridgeway...

Missourians in the News: September 8, 2008.
September 8, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff Premier promotes Armour Premier Bank has named Joseph M. Armour president of its St. Charles branch. The Jefferson City-based bank said Armour would be re-sponsible for the overall management...

Republican candidate for Missouri attorney general seeks boost from Palin pick.
September 9, 2008... Byline: Scott Lauck Republicans across the country are generally thrilled by Sarah Palin's effect on the Republican ticket. So is Michael Gibbons, but his excitement is more personal -- he thinks she might help him get elected. John...

Law firms aid tornado victims in Kansas.
September 9, 2008... Byline: Charles Emerick Dripping wet and standing in a sea of mud -- the result of a torrential downpour a day earlier -- Mark Johnson worked among hundreds of volunteers in an effort to rebuild part of a small Kansas town. Little was left...

Former St. Louis County deputy's bribery conviction upheld by 8th Circuit.
September 9, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter A former St. Louis County deputy sheriff, convicted of taking bribes, failed to persuade a federal appeals court to throw out his conviction. A jury convicted Curley Hines of 10 counts of accepting bribes, one count of...

St. Louis wraps up recounts, results don't change much.
September 9, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff The St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners has finished up recounts in the attorney general's race and a state Senate contest, and the results didn't change much. In the Democratic primary...

Cole County judge rules energy initiative qualifies for November ballot.
September 10, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Supporters of a clean energy initiative collected enough valid signatures to get the measure placed on the November ballot, a Cole County judge said. In August, Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan certified that...

Polish parishioners countersue Archdiocese of St. Louis.
September 10, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The dispute between a Polish Roman Catholic church and the Archdiocese of St. Louis is proceeding toward trial, and the church has filed a countersuit. The archdiocese sued St. Stanislaus in July, seeking to bring the...

Thompson Coburn decides to stay put in St. Louis.
September 10, 2008... Byline: Heather Cole Thompson Coburn is renewing its lease for 12 years at the U.S. Bank Plaza downtown and getting an almost $16 million boost from the city and the state as part of the deal. The firm is getting access to a parking garage...

Judge rules energy initiative qualifies for November ballot.
September 11, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Supporters of a clean energy initiative collected enough valid signatures to get the measure placed on the November ballot, a Cole County judge said. In August, Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan certified that...

Polish parishioners countersue Archdiocese.
September 11, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese The dispute between a Polish Roman Catholic church and the Archdiocese of St. Louis is proceeding toward trial, and the church has filed a countersuit. The archdiocese sued St. Stanislaus in July, seeking to bring the...

Officers attempt unions in wake of ruling by Missouri Supreme Court.
September 11, 2008... Byline: Angela Riley Some Missouri Supreme Court decisions go by with little notice taken by the general public, but that is not the case with the decision handed down last May to allow public workers the right to bargain collectively....

Missouri Supreme Court considers property tax rate hikes.
September 11, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese State Supreme Court judges are wrestling with a detail of property tax law, with millions of dollars in tax rate hikes at stake. The state's highest court heard arguments Wednesday in a case where the Franklin County...

Lee's Summit claims verdict covered by Missouri state fund.
September 11, 2008... Byline: Charles Emerick Lee's Summit and a state fund that provides liability coverage for the city are disputing who is responsible for a portion of a recent multimillion dollar federal court verdict. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Jackson...

Public reprimand sought for Lake Ozark attorney.
September 11, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Attorneys for the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel and a Lake Ozark lawyer facing discipline both argued to the Missouri Supreme Court that the lawyer should receive a public reprimand for his wrongdoing. Warren S....

Missouri AG candidates meet in first debate.
September 12, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese Attorney general candidates Chris Koster and Michael Gibbons expressed support for Missouri's plan for choosing appellate judges, but differed on the need for a media shield law and the future of a fund for injured...

Weekend woes: Insurance companies ask Missouri Supreme Court to rule on statutory deadline.
September 12, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter A lawyer for a group of insurance companies asked the Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday to find that his clients filed timely claims for tax refunds even though the Department of Revenue didn't receive their filings...

Armstrong Teasdale headed to Clayton.
September 12, 2008... Byline: Heather Cole Armstrong Teasdale is likely to move to Clayton from downtown St. Louis. Armstrong Teasdale managing partner Michael Chivell confirmed in a voice mail Thursday that the firm has signed a letter of intent to occupy a...

Missouri recount of primary vote gives a wider victory to Chris Koster.
September 12, 2008... Byline: Business Record Staff Chris Koster was named the official winner of the Democratic primary for attorney general, with the results of a statewide recount widening his margin of victory. According to results announced Thursday by...

Keynote at Missouri Statewide Preservation Conference says preserving the old generates new $$$.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask International consultant Donovan Rypkema last week made some persuasive arguments on behalf of historic tax credits and the role they play in the rehabilitation of older buildings. But local developer Penny Pitman, who...

Would-be Christian nightclub owner sued by state of Missouri for deceptive practices.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sarah Wienke A Wentzville business that allegedly uses deceptive practices to sell motor vehicle extended service contracts is one of six in the region being targeted by the Attorney General in Operation Taken for a Ride. In March,...

Treasury secretary's announcement improves mood at builders show in St. Charles.(Conference news)
September 15, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Given the current state of the real estate market, one might have expected the mood at the 14th annual Builders New Home Show to be somewhat somber. To be sure, there were not as many homebuilders and other vendors at...

St. Louis Pirate Festival makes for an economic treasure trove.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sarah Wienke Pirates are descending on Wentzville this month, and officials couldn't be happier. The St. Louis Pirate Festival, which began last weekend, gives a welcome boost to the city's economy. We're pumping money into the...

Q&A with Joh Troy, St. Louis artist.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Wm. Stage John Troy has the enviable skill of making people and places come to life on the painted surface. Since 2002, he has taught drawing, painting, printmaking, and art history at Lindenwood University, where he holds the rank...

St. Charles County Business Record News Digest: September 15, 2008.
September 15, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff Magazine cites affordable homes here Earlier this year Money magazine named St. Charles as one of the top 100 places to live. Now the magazine says St. Charles is one of the best 25 places in...

St. Charles Countians on the Move: September 15, 2008.
September 15, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff Hughes named to Ritenour Hall St. Charles homebuilder Tom Hughes has been named to the Ritenour High School Hall of Fame. Hughes graduated from the St. Louis County high school in 1969....

Six groups: Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt should reject panel.
September 16, 2008... Byline: Angela Riley Better Courts for Missouri and five other organizations are urging Gov. Matt Blunt to reject all three of the Appellate Judicial Commission's nominees for the Supreme Court. The organizations oppose the nominations of...

St. Louis Circuit Court approves BJC settlement.
September 16, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese Hundreds of thousands of patients could see their outstanding medical bills start to fall under a settlement agreement that now has the final stamp of approval in St. Louis Circuit Court. BJC Health System and attorneys...

St. Louis Circuit Court: Commissioner slot to remain vacant for now.
September 16, 2008... Byline: Kelly Wiese In hopes of appeasing lawmakers intent on removing judges, the St. Louis Circuit Court judges have decided not to fill a commissioner vacancy for now. At an en banc meeting, the judges welcomed Robin Ransom Vannoy,...

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt names Hayden to fill Judge Kays' seat.
September 16, 2008... Byline: Angela Riley Gov. Matt Blunt has appointed Kenneth M. Hayden to the 26th Judicial Circuit, filling the vacancy created by appointment of Judge Gregory Kays to the federal bench. Hayden received the news on Thursday from Blunt...

Saint Louis University to host a wide array of legal events.
September 16, 2008... Byline: St. Charles County Business Record Staff Saint Louis University Law School has a busy fortnight coming up, including a Constitution Day discussion, the largest naturalization ceremony in St. Louis history and the annual Ambulance...

8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds manditory arbitration clause for American Express.
September 17, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter A federal appeals court has upheld the mandatory arbitration clause included in the terms and conditions accompanying American Express cards. Chrystin Pleasants, a Texas resident, filed a class action lawsuit against...

Missouri Court of Appeals affirms Ray County Circuit Court's judgment in drunk driving case.
September 17, 2008... Byline: Charles Emerick Despite blowing over the legal limit after being arrested, an Oregon woman will keep her license because she apparently wasn't intoxicated at the exact time she was pulled over. The Missouri Court of Appeals Western...

Fake lawyer from California had little presence in St. Louis courts.
September 17, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter A California man facing federal charges in North Dakota related to practicing law without a license worked for a short time on a case for a St. Louis Blues hockey player who pleaded guilty four years ago to plotting to...

Missouri Bar extends comment period on new ad rules.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Scott Lauck What was once an urgently sought change to Missouri's lawyer advertising rules now might not go to a vote until next summer. The Missouri Bar's Board of Governors voted Wednesday to extend the comment period for the...

St. Louis attorney Thomas M. Burke prepares to take over leadership of The Missouri Bar.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Charles Emerick / Donna Walter A historic presidency comes to an end Friday, when Charlie Harris hands over leadership of The Missouri Bar to St. Louis attorney Thomas M. Burke. Harris, a partner at the Kansas City firm Seyferth...

Saint Louis University celebrates Constitution Day with a Supreme Court review.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Angela Riley In celebration of Constitution Day, Saint Louis University Law School took a look back at the most influential decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court's past term and a look forward to the impact that a new president will...

Panel at Missouri Bar Annual Meeting says more diversity needed.
September 19, 2008... Byline: Charles Emerick Progress has been made in diversifying the legal profession, but there is still much more work that needs to be done. A panel of legal professionals at The Missouri Bar Annual Meeting came to that conclusion on...

Critic of Missouri's Nonpartisan Court Plan says 'minor changes' still required.
September 19, 2008... Byline: Scott Lauck Attempts to alter Missouri's Nonpartisan Court Plan have failed twice in the last two years, but fears that the system could face further attacks remain strong. At a plenary session of the Missouri Bar Annual Meeting on...

State of Missouri making court-ordered payment to probation officers.
September 19, 2008... Byline: Charles Emerick More than 1,000 probation and parole workers soon should get the back pay a court found they deserve back in 2005. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and the Service Employees International Union Local 2000 announced Thursday in...

Doe Run lawsuit moves to federal court for third time.
September 19, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter The venue volleyball match between a group of Peruvian plaintiffs and Doe Run Resources Corp., its owners and officers continues as the defendants -- for the third time -- move the game to federal court. The plaintiffs...

Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Stith salutes legal pioneers.
September 19, 2008... Byline: Scott Lauck The intricate and perhaps too-small web of diversity in Missouri's legal profession was on full display last week in Kansas City, as a generation of pioneers took the stage at The Missouri Bar Annual Meeting. And as she...

Governor's office places Missouri Supreme Court panel's questionnaire responses online.
September 19, 2008... Byline: Business Record Staff Those trying to study the three candidates for the state Supreme Court vacancy just got a bit more information at their fingertips. Gov. Matt Blunt's office late Thursday afternoon posted online the responses...

Chief Justice Stith salutes legal pioneers.
September 19, 2008... Byline: Scott Lauck The intricate and perhaps too-small web of diversity in Missouri's legal profession was on full display last week in Kansas City, as a generation of pioneers took the stage at The Missouri Bar Annual Meeting. And as she...

Lindenwood University's growing business school to get new home.
September 22, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Like much of the rest of Lindenwood University, the school's business program is growing. To accommodate that growth the university has announced plans for an $8.5 million project to renovate and expand Harmon Hall on...

Economic Center of St. Charles County hosts workshop as part of Business Boost series.
September 22, 2008... Byline: Amy Armour Learning to work as a team is often a difficult, but essential, task for small business owners. The Economic Development Center of St. Charles County is hosting a training workshop as a part of its Business Boost series...

City of Dardenne Prairie goes green and Smart.
September 22, 2008... Byline: Sarah Wienke The city of Dardenne Prairie is making the commitment to go green, starting with a new city hall. The official groundbreaking for the $3.4 million city hall was Saturday, Sept. 20. It will be built on a 300-acre tract...

St. Charles County Council backs off tax hike.
September 22, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Realizing there wasn't enough support to get it approved, the St. Charles County Council on Friday backed away from a proposal to hike the county's property tax levy. During an early morning meeting the council voted to...

St. Charles County Business Record Biz Bites: September 22, 2008.
September 22, 2008... Byline: Mike Trask Francis Howell North High School graduate Mark Buehrle is investing in his hometown. The premier left-handed pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, or more precisely his development firm BDDB LLC, earlier this month bought...

St. Charles Countians on the Move: September 22, 2008.
September 22, 2008... Byline: Business Record Staff Premier promotes Cole Premier Bank has promoted Kirsten E. Cole of St. Charles to cash management officer. Cole will be responsible for developing new business relationships and assisting business with...

St. Charles County Business Record News Digest: September 22, 2008.
September 22, 2008... Byline: Business Record Staff Report: Employers' workers' comp premiums could fall A recent report by the National Council on Compensation Insurance said Missouri employers could realize a 7.7 percent decline in workers' compensation costs...

Insiders offer bleak assessment of retail's future during luncheon in St. Charles.
September 22, 2008... Byline: Sarah Wienke Industry insiders predicted the retail market is headed toward a period of 'retail Darwinism' over the next two to five years during a recent panel discussion on The Changing Face of Retail. The panel discussion and...

Local customs matter in contacting jurors after trial.
September 23, 2008... Byline: Angela Riley Missouri's state and federal courts have a patchwork of rules regarding attorneys' ability to contact jurors after a trial, as a case in Kansas City's federal court illustrates. But the bottom line, attorneys and legal...

Missouri family gets $1M for wrongful death.
September 23, 2008... Byline: Charles Emerick Questions surrounding a deadly crash last year will remain unresolved following a $1 million settlement. Larry Freeman's widow and four adult children received the settlement for the May 2007 accident that took the...

Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards seeks High Court review of arbitration dispute.
September 23, 2008... Byline: Charles Emerick Unhappy with an appeals court ruling from this summer, Hallmark Cards is now asking the Missouri Supreme Court to enforce an arbitration agreement against a former employee. The Kansas City-based greeting card...

Republican gubernatorial candidate pitches 'novel' Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan reform.
September 24, 2008... Byline: Donna Walter Claiming the courts are in disorder, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof proposed reforms to the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan. Hulshof told a group of reporters on a conference call Tuesday morning that...