St Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) articles from June 2011

St Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) archives from June 2011

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Pat Gauen column.(Column)
June 30, 2011... Byline: Pat Gauen June 30--"What just happened?" It told us something when a former Illinois governor reacted to his corruption conviction this week by turning to his attorney and asking, "What just happened?" The arrival of reality...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Bernie Miklasz column.(Column)
June 30, 2011... Byline: Bernie Miklasz June 30--Ryan Franklin fooled 'em for as long as he could. That's the beauty of it all. Franklin is probably feeling sad, frustrated and empty after being released by the Cardinals on Wednesday, but when his head...

The end may be near for Del Taco building.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Tim Bryant June 30--Adios, Del Taco? Possible demolition of the restaurant with a saucer-shaped roof beloved by some preservationists became more likely Wednesday when a St. Louis aldermanic committee approved tax abatement to...

Carpenter delivers win over Orioles.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Joe Strauss June 30--BALTIMORE -- In a span of three starts he has gone from enigma to competitive to, dare it be said, dominant. Chris Carpenter returned to Camden Yards for the first time since August 2002 and wouldn't leave...

MSD OKs ambitious upgrade to system.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Tim O'Neil June 30--ST. LOUIS -- Sewer bills are in line for big increases to cover a $4.7 billion, 23-year plan to stop sewage from bubbling into the area's rivers and streams. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District board...

A plan to curb car break-ins.
June 30, 2011... Byline: David Hunn and Jennifer Mann June 30--ST. LOUIS -- Most public parking lots will be required to have gates and attendants under new rules aimed at fighting car break-ins downtown, Mayor Francis Slay announced Wednesday. The...

Former Brentwood official admits stealing $30,000 for gambling.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Robert Patrick and Paul Hampel June 30--BRENTWOOD -- Former Brentwood city administrator Christopher A. Seemayer admitted Wednesday in federal court that he embezzled almost $30,000 from the municipality since Jan. 1, 2010, and...

BRIEF: Zoo asks for public's help in naming baby elephant.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Diane Toroian Keaggy June 30--ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Zoo wants the public's help picking a name for a baby Asian elephant born Friday. The baby was born to mother Rani and father Raja after a typical gestation period -- in...

EPA alleges further violations at Ameren plant.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jeffrey Tomich June 30--The Justice Department, which earlier this year sued Ameren Missouri over alleged air violations at the Rush Island power plant, is raising the stakes in its case against the utility. The government amended...

SEC probing Monsanto's incentives on Roundup.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Georgina Gustin June 30--CREVE COEUR -- Monsanto Co. announced Wednesday that the company is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a program that offered incentives to dealers who sell the...

Agent says Oshie talks 'are going well'.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jeremy Rutherford June 30--The Blues and the agent for T.J. Oshie are negotiating a contract extension that could have the forward signed before the start of free agency Friday, when he'll be permitted to receive offer sheets from...

Illini's Leonard gets experience on U.S. under-19 team.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Stu Durando June 30--There are some elements of Meyers Leonard's summer basketball excursion he can be pretty sure won't be duplicated during his career at Illinois. There was the moment this week when the U.S. under-19 team...

Cardinals release Franklin.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Joe Strauss June 30--BALTIMORE -- For several long moments after Tuesday night's 6-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles, Ryan Franklin walked the clubhouse with an ice pack strapped to his right shoulder. Franklin, 38, had performed the...

NHL dream is closer for Webster Groves' Mayfield.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Dan O'Neill June 30--Life's most glorious moments sometimes have most innocent beginnings. Jane Mayfield grew up in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she and her brother enjoyed ice skating at the Air Force Academy. Skating wasn't...

Fusz soccer team loses title game in early morning play.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Joe Lyons June 30--A slow start proved costly Wednesday morning as the Lou Fusz SC Gold boys soccer team fell 2-1 to the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Crew Juniors in the Under-17 title game at the Midwest Regional Tournament in Appleton, Wis....

Illinois is poised to certify staph infections as killers.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Blythe Bernhard June 30--Death certificates in Illinois will soon reflect what patient safety advocates say has been a secret killer -- staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Under the new law, health care providers...

Last leg of Page extension poised to get funding.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Mark Schlinkmann June 30--ST. CHARLES COUNTY -- The Page Avenue extension project could be finished by the end of 2014 under a newly crafted $100 million funding plan. St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, who helped put...

BRIEF: Man gets four years in internet sex case.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Mark Schlinkmann June 30--ST. CHARLES COUNTY -- Raymond Heying, 68, of Ozark, Mo., pleaded guilty Tuesday to child sex felonies following an investigation by St. Charles County's cyber crime unit and was sentenced to four years in...

Third man pleads guilty in city's biggest heist.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Robert Patrick June 30--ST. LOUIS -- The third of four men who robbed the ATM Solutions office last summer, in the region's largest cash holdup, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges and faces decades in prison. In front of...

St. Louis jail beating causes murder case mistrial.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Valerie Schremp Hahn June 30--ST. LOUIS -- A judge dismissed jurors in midtrial Wednesday morning after a murder defendant was beaten in a holding cell by another inmate who apparently knew one of the victims in the case. Jimmy Davis...

UM economic development takes big cut.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Tim Barker June 30--The University of Missouri system is slashing its economic development budget next year in response to an unexpected cut in higher education funding. The move will eliminate nearly half of the $5 million...

Henry Dussold dies, alderman was proof that every vote counts.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Michael D. Sorkin June 30--Henry Dussold didn't spend much time alone. As the eldest of 11 children, Henry Dussold took care of all the others after his father died from the effects of mustard gas as a World War I soldier. ...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Talk Of The Day column.(Column)
June 30, 2011... Byline: Amanda St. Amand June 30--He is accused of a terrible crime. Jared Lee Loughner is charged with killing six people and injuring 13 others in the January shooting rampage in Tuscon, Ariz., that left U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Tipsheet column.(Column)
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jeff Gordon June 30--The Cardinals should thank the New York Yankees for adding to the Brewers' road woes. In two short days, the reeling Cards halted their free fall, won twice at Baltimore and moved back within one game of the...

Franklin's reaction described as 'relief'.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Joe Strauss June 30--BALTIMORE -- For several long moments after Tuesday night's 6-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles, Ryan Franklin walked the clubhouse with an ice pack strapped to his right shoulder. Franklin, 38, had performed the...

Today I'd go ... on an archaeological dig in Colorado.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Amy Bertrand June 30--From the dozens and dozens of emails I get about travel trips, one occasionally stands out. This one, about a chance to work for a week on an archaeological dig, had me very intrigued. From the email: The...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jeff Gordon column.(Column)
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jeff Gordon June 30--When former Blues forward Paul Kariya officially retired Wednesday, he did not depart quietly. The oft-concussed scorer blasted the NHL for failing to legislate against dangerous head shots during his playing...

Oshie, Blues agree on contract extension.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jeremy Rutherford June 30--Blues forward T.J. Oshie and the Blues have agreed to a one-year contract extension. The deal will pay Oshie $2.35 million for the 2011-12 season. "It was something that we were working on for a...

Fire guts grocery on South Grand in St. Louis.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Kim Bell June 30--ST. LOUIS -- The Afghan Market on South Grand Boulevard went up in flames early Thursday in a three-alarm fire. St. Louis firefighters escaped injury, although a wall collapsed while they were trying to fight the...

BRIEF: Former Blue Kariya announces retirement.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jeremy Rutherford June 30--Former Blue Paul Kariya announced his retirement Wednesday from the NHL, citing the advice of doctors who say that he would be susceptible to another concussion. Kariya played three seasons with the...

Rocker Dave Alvin knows the hearts of working people.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Barry Gilbert June 30--For his 11th solo album, road warrior Dave Alvin has rolled a winner with "Eleven Eleven." The CD contains 11 songs that are about 11 things that he cares most about: "life, love, death, loss, money, justice,...

Hanks, Roberts are spot-on in likable 'Larry Crowne'.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Calvin Wilson June 30--Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) has often been employee of the month at the big-box retailer he's worked for since his stint in the Navy. So when the bosses call him in for a surprise meeting, he assumes he'll once...

St. Louis flies high for the Fourth of July.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Diane Toroian Keaggy June 30--As Americans, we can count on bipartisan bickering, congressional sex scandals and Fair St. Louis. We know that every Independence Day weekend, St. Louisans can consume a day's worth of calories in a...

Shula's 347 Grill aims to tackle St. Louis steakhouse market.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Joe Bonwich June 30--With a losing record only twice in more than 30 seasons, pro football coach Don Shula's teams were legendary for their competitiveness. With at least half a dozen high-end steakhouses within a few football fields...

Midnight deadline could loom large for Clay v. Carnahan prospects.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jake Wagman June 30--ST. LOUIS -- Today's fundraising deadline could go a long way toward deciding whether two of the city's most prominent Democrats will go head-to-head next year. Like all federal and state candidates, U.S....

Mistrial declared after St. Louis murder suspect beaten at jail.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Valerie Schremp Hahn June 30--ST. LOUIS -- A judge dismissed jurors midtrial Wednesday morning after a murder defendant was beaten in a holding cell by another inmate who apparently knew one of the victims in the case. Jimmy Davis...

Charges expected today for man who fired at St. Louis police.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Patrick M. O'Connell June 30--ST. LOUIS -- A man was shot in the arm and foot by police after he fired on them Wednesday night near the corner of Red Bud and West Kossuth avenues near Fairground Park, city police said. No police...

BRIEF: School grants don't extend to Metro East.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Elisa Crouch June 30--SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- The Illinois State Board of Education is sending $74.9 million in federal school improvement grants to 13 failing schools over the next three years. The bottom 5 percent of schools in the...

Former Gov. Wilson out as CEO of insurer MEM.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Lisa Brown June 30--Former Missouri Gov. Roger Wilson is out as chief executive of the Missouri Employers Mutual Insurance Co., the state's largest workers compensation provider, and a search is under way to find his replacement. ...

BRIEF: Teen charged after shootout with St. Louis police.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Marlon A. Walker June 30--ST. LOUIS -- A 19-year-old was charged today in connection with an incident where he exchanged gunfire with police officers Wednesday night. Kyle Johnson, of the 2000 block of Cass Avenue, was charged...

BRIEF: Vinita Park man sentenced to 30 years in prison for North County murder.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Valerie Schremp Hahn June 30--CLAYTON -- Anthony Williams, 19, of Vinita Park, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison after a jury found him guilty last month of second-degree murder in the killing of Earl Bush, 28, in his car in...

Police in Town and Country arrest 'prolific' theft suspect.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Joel Currier June 30--TOWN AND COUNTRY -- Police this morning arrested a man they call a "prolific" thief wanted in dozens of break-ins over the past several months. Jeremy Burkhalter, 27, of the 8500 block of Renz Avenue in St....

Blues chat: Will D'Agostini be back with the club?
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jeremy Rutherford June 30--Jeremy Rutherford: Hey gang, lots of questions, so let's jump right into it. ------ Charlie: JR, Armstrong has recently made public that the budget given to him by ownership is higher than the cap...

New Jersey woman admits scamming thousands.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Robert Patrick June 30--EAST ST. LOUIS -- A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty in federal court here Thursday and admitted running a telemarketing scam that cost over 22,000 people $30 million, the U.S. Attorney's office said. ...

BRIEF: New Salt River Road segment opens.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Mark Schlinkmann June 30--ST. PETERS -- A new four-lane, 2.5-mile extension of Salt River Road opened Thursday afternoon between Highway 370 and Mid Rivers Mall Drive. St. Peters officials also reopened Spencer Road north of...

Blues forward T.J. Oshie couldn't imagine playing anywhere else.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jeremy Rutherford ST. LOUIS _ An early morning announcement that T.J. Oshie had signed a contract with the Blues on Thursday had many of his die-hard fans thrilled. But it was quickly followed by questions about the length of the...

Blues' Armstrong seeks to fill complementary spots in free agency.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Jeremy Rutherford ST. LOUIS _ Since signing Paul Kariya on July 1, 2007, the Blues have been noticeably quiet on the opening day of free agency. In fact, in the last three summers, backup goaltender Ty Conklin in 2009 has been the...

Carpenter throws complete game in topping Orioles as he benefits from lead, defense support.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Joe Strauss BALTIMORE _ In a span of three starts he has gone from enigma to competitive to, dare it be said, dominant. Chris Carpenter returned to Camden Yards for the first time since August 2002 and wouldn't leave until he had...

Cardinals did Franklin no favors by letting him take all those beatings.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Bernie Miklasz ST. LOUIS _ Ryan Franklin fooled 'em for as long as he could. That's the beauty of it all. Franklin is probably feeling sad, frustrated and empty after being released by the Cardinals on Wednesday, but when his head...

Supreme Court further unburdens wealthy politicians.
June 30, 2011... The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday, June 29: ___ The U.S. Supreme Court this week issued another in a series of wrongheaded 5-4 decisions further entrenching the power of money in politics. This...

Seven-on-seven sponsored teams pave way to scholarships, organizer says.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Ben Frederickson David Yost has noticed a trend. As the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for University of Missouri, Yost finds and recruits high school players he thinks will be able to transition into and contribute to...

Justice Department alleges further violations at Ameren plant.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Jeffrey Tomich June 29--The Justice Department, which earlier this year sued Ameren Missouri over alleged air violations at the Rush Island power plant, is raising the stakes in its case against the utility. The government amended...

Third robber in St. Louis ATM Solutions heist pleads guilty.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Robert Patrick June 29--ST. LOUIS -- The third of four men who robbed ATM Solutions in St. Louis last summer pleaded guilty to three federal charges Wednesday and now faces decades in prison. Larry R. Newman, 20, admitted that he...

Powerlifter gets better with age.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Harry Jackson Jr. June 29--The magic number is 600. "That's it: 600 pounds at 60 years old," said Greg Chrun. "It's never been done before." Chrun already is knocking on the door of the record he wants. He recently won the...

Clinic for Hispanics ready for expanding.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Doug Moore June 29--ST. LOUIS -- Much of the talk here in the old auto parts store at Chouteau and Compton avenues is in Spanish. The building in midtown was reincarnated early last year as a place for Hispanics to come for what...

MSD leaders meet with residents, promise to help them.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Tim O'Neil June 29--ST. LOUIS -- Leaders of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District went today to a neighborhood damaged by a major sewer backup Sunday, and promised to make good on the residents' losses. "We will adjust for actual...

Mistrial declared after St. Louis murder suspect beaten at jail.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Valerie Schremp Hahn June 29--ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis judge declared a mistrial this morning after the defendant in a murder case was beaten up in a holding cell by another inmate who apparently knew one of the two murder victims in...

Former Brentwood official admits embezzling money, gambling it away.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Robert Patrick June 29--ST. LOUIS -- Former Brentwood City Administrator Christopher A. Seemayer pleaded guilty to two felonies in federal court here Wednesday morning and admitted embezzling almost $30,000 in city money and gambling...

Oshie's agent: 'Things are going well'.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Jeremy Rutherford June 29--With 48 hours remaining before Blues forward T.J. Oshie becomes a restricted free-agent, and permitted to receive offer sheets from other team, there appears to be some progress in negotiations. Earlier in...

AAA dubs St. Louis 'Best Large City for a Weekend'.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Harry Jackson Jr. June 29--St. Louis has been named the Best Large City for a Weekend by AAA Midwest Traveler magazine. There's even a delicious shot of Laclede's Landing and the Gateway Arch on its cover. In fact, Missouri ended...

Study targets dandruff among black women.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Harry Jackson Jr. June 29--Yolinda Washington's lifelong dandruff problem has been embarrassing, she said. "You want people to look at you, not your scalp." She used to have her hair washed weekly at a salon. Between visits, she...

BRIEF: Mentor program will help Madison County lawyers.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Terry Hillig June 29--EDWARDSVILLE -- Lawyers beginning their careers will be mentored by more experienced attorneys under a new program in Madison County announced Wednesday by Third Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Ann Callis and...

BRIEF: Authorities: Worker in Bethalto nursing home took patient's drug patch.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Terry Hillig June 29--BETHALTO -- Authorities say a nursing home worker removed an 87-year-old patient's Fentanyl patch on Friday so she could ingest the pain-killing drug herself. Madison County prosecutors on Wednesday charged...

Last leg of Page extension project poised to get funding.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Mark Schlinkmann June 29--ST. CHARLES COUNTY -- A new $100-million plan to finish the Page Avenue extension project was endorsed Wednesday by a regional board. St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, who helped put together...

Reed adds gourmet touch to annual 'Magic Chef' fundraiser.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Jake Wagman June 29--ST. LOUIS -- It's only fitting that a fundraiser at the Magic Chef mansion will feature a magic chef -- or, at least, a pretty good one. Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed --who glided to a second term...

Cardinals get excellent relief from Lynn; Franklin's rough outing could portend change.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Joe Strauss BALTIMORE _ For reasons obvious and subtle, the Cardinals resembled a more potent, more flexible and maybe even a more dangerous team Tuesday night at Camden Yards. They also suggested pending change within their...

Discounters step in to spaces left by big-box retailers.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Kavita Kumar ST. LOUIS _ The hulking shells of former big box stores, victims of the economic downturn and the rise in online retailing, have quietly started filling up with commerce again. The spaces formerly occupied by retail...

Revisiting the sisterhood with the wondrous jeans.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Amanda St. Amand "Sisterhood Everlasting" by Ann Brashares; Random House (349 pages, $25) ___ If you've wondered what ever happened to the four best friends whose lives were intertwined from birth and sealed by their shared...

Can plus-size and high-end designer fashion meet in the middle?
June 29, 2011... Byline: Debra D. Bass Pardon the pun, but New York's Full Figured Fashion Week has doubled in size and shows no sizes of shrinking. The organizers of last weekend's event are celebrating, and plus-size models are rejoicing, yet mass...

Eight myths to chill an old-school Republican's soul.
June 29, 2011... The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Sunday, June 26: ___ When Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., quit the (no longer) bipartisan deficit-reduction talks last week, it was not...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Bill McClellan column.(Column)
June 29, 2011... Byline: Bill McClellan June 29--Not since Shoeless Joe Jackson was run out of baseball has Chicago produced a more fetching villain than Clueless Rod Blagojevich. First, the feds got him for perjury. He was convicted last year of lying...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Susan Weich column.(Column)
June 29, 2011... Byline: Susan Weich June 29--Mike Force and Chris DiGiuseppi have a relationship that transcends their police work together in Lake Saint Louis. A few years ago, when Force was seriously ill with lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease,...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Bryan Burwell column.(Column)
June 29, 2011... Byline: Bryan Burwell June 29--Because we have heard The Big Lie for so long, when someone actually starts speaking the truth, sometimes we don't know what to make of it. First it was football's Steve Spurrier, and now it is college...

Mentoring program for tech startups ready to go.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Alexia Mcghee June 29--A new program aimed at financing and mentoring local information technology startup companies is now accepting applicants. StartUp St. Louis Accelerator Program, run by Capital Innovators, will offer a 12-week...

Cards get much-needed boost.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Joe Strauss June 29--BALTIMORE -- For reasons obvious and subtle, the Cardinals resembled a more potent, more flexible and maybe even a more dangerous team Tuesday night at Camden Yards. They also suggested pending change within...

Wildwood wrestles with lake proposal.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Stephen Deere June 29--WILDWOOD -- The sounds around David Ferman's home are mostly soothing: the gurgling of a creek, the rustle of leaves and the staccato chirping of swallows. So he was surprised last year when neighbors told...

Host pumps up expectant crowd.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Kevin C. Johnson June 29--"For these 10,000 hopefuls, the journey starts right now," said Ryan Seacrest to the TV cameras in downtown St. Louis on Tuesday morning. The scene was the first audition stop of the upcoming season of...

Swimsuits traded for spectroscopes at summer camps for smart kids.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Michele Munz June 29--ST. LOUIS -- At last week's camp, first-graders practiced Cartesian graphing while older kids created electric circuits or measured phosphate and nitrate levels in stream water. "We have double electrodes to...

Blues still have holes to fill.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Jeremy Rutherford June 29--Nearly shut out in their attempt to trade for NHL-ready players at the draft, the Blues will resume their search Friday when the league's free-agency window opens. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong...

Freese, Punto are in lineup right away.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Joe Strauss June 29--BALTIMORE -- For a change, the Cardinals became a little more whole Tuesday. One week after playing their first game with first baseman Albert Pujols on the disabled list, the Cardinals welcomed back third...

U.S. women open World Cup with 2-0 win.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Tom Timmermann June 29--First Lauren Cheney got a shot in the starting lineup for the U.S. women's national team. Then the U.S. midfielder got shots on the North Korean goal. Again and again and again. Cheney, getting a...

Fairmount shortens season.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Ken Roberts June 29--COLLINSVILLE -- Fairmount Park will end its live racing meet three weeks early this season -- on Sept. 9 -- after the Illinois Racing Board on Tuesday approved a request from Fairmount president and chief...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Judith Evans column.(Column)
June 29, 2011... Byline: Judith Evans June 29--Q: I'm looking for the dishpan cookies recipe that appeared in the Post-Dispatch. -- Carol Saabye, St. Louis A: Quite a few readers sent in copies of this recipe, which has been printed in countless...

Akin changes course, apologizes for comment.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Jason Hancock June 29--U.S. Rep. Todd Akin caused an uproar last week when he told a national radio audience that "at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God." On Tuesday, he issued a statement apologizing to anyone who...