Black Nurses Association continues mission of pioneer Mary Eliza Mahoney • See page B1
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St. Louis American The
CAC Audited February 18- 24, 2021
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PACs receive big money as mayoral primary approaches, candidates launch television ads By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American With less than two weeks until the primary election in St. Louis, mayoral candidates’ political action committees (PACs) are raking in big money from influential donors. While the maximum donation allowed by an individual or committee to a mayoral candidate is limited to $2,600, as stipulated by a St. Louis Board of Alderman bill unanimously passed in June 2018, the same is not true for PACs. These committees, which raise money for independent expenditures, may solicit and accept unlimited contributions from individuals and
other groups. The finances of PACs supporting St. Louis mayoral candidates are detailed in this report. Aldermanic President Lewis Reed Aldermanic President Lewis Reed’s PAC, One St. Louis, has raised over $200,000 with nine contributions since the beginning of 2020. More than half of that came from one funder — CHIPP (Carpenters Help in the Political Process) — which donated $100,000 on Feb. 11. CHIPP is a main proponent of privatizing St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Behind CHIPP in contributions to Reed is
Clayco and its CEO, Robert Clark, who donated $55,000 in total. Clayco is a construction engineering company, and Clark worked with private-equity firm Oaktree Capital in its effort to privatize St. Louis Lambert International Airport, according to the St. Louis Business Journal. In addition, Jeff Tegethoff contributed $10,000 to One St. Louis on Wednesday. He is a managing partner at CRG, the St. Louis real estate development and investment arm of Chicago-based construction firm Clayco. See PACs, A6
Spring training?
Vol. 92 No. 44 COMPLIMENTARY
Reed calls Spencer’s attack ad a ‘sad old racist trope’ By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American St. Louis Alderwoman and mayoral candidate Cara Spencer began airing an ad Tuesday attacking Aldermanic President Lewis Reed’s political record, an effort Reed called a “sad old racist trope.” The 30-second commercial claims Reed has led the city in the wrong direction for more than 20 years. In true political ad fashion, grainy footage of Reed is n “Shame on used, in addition to several shots her for running of various news articles — one racist, divisive in 2020 about St. Louis reaching its and offensive highest homicide ads.” rate since 1993; another ques— Lewis Reed tioning his push to privatize the airport and one about Reed receiving an ethics fine. “The Reed Record? Corruption, cronyism and crime that’s out of control,” a narrator says at the beginning. The commercial also features a man and woman who talk about their personal connection to crime. They call for change, asserting politicians have had their chance and failed. “St. Louis is in the fight of its life and I’m
See Ads, A6
Photo by Bill Greenblatt for The St. Louis American
The statue of Ozzie Smith fields heavy snow outside Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. Temperatures dropped single digits this week, but nowhere near the record set in January 1884 in St. Louis of -22.
Jennings names Knight as district superintendent Former SLPS official replaces McCoy By Sophie Hurwitz Of The St. Louis American The Jennings School District Board of Education on Tuesday, gave unanimous approval to Paula D. Knight to serve as the north St. Louis County district’s next superintendent. Knight will replace Art McCoy, who announced last fall that this would be his last year leading the district after over five years as superintendent. Knight’s start date will be July 1, according to a Jennings news release. After McCoy announced his retirement from Jennings, he was tapped to lead the Regional Business Council’s workforce development program, a job he started on Jan. 4. He will be ending his tenure as superintendent on June 30. “I’m retiring from the system, not the mission,” he said in a letter to the community in
late 2020. “The work continues in a different way, being a worker outside the system supporting the system inside.” Regarding Knight’s appointment, McCoy said, “Selecting a strong successor is the most critical step to sustain success. Our amazing Board of Education has done just that with Dr. Paula Knight. She is Paula D. Knight an amazing education leader with whom I have had the pleasure of serving side-by-side for over two decades. Now, I am proud to pass this torch to Dr. Knight on July 1st.” Knight will be moving to the Jennings position from her current job as deputy superintendent and chief academic officer in the St. Louis Public Schools, where she began her career in
education in 1994 as a classroom teacher at Hamilton Elementary. The news release noted her numerous community organization involvements. She is a past president of the Urban League Guild-St. Louis chapter, a member of the NAACP, an Education Steering Committee member for the Regional Arts Commission, and a member of the Board of Directors with the United Way of Greater St. Louis, among other volunteer positions. She was appointed in 2013 to then-Gov. Jay Nixon’s Coordinating Board for Early Childhood, the state’s public/private entity for coordinating a cohesive system of early childhood programs and services. Under Knight’s leadership, student enrollment in Early Childhood programs increased from slightly over 1600 in the city of St. Louis to 2,210 in the 2017-2018 school year. Early childhood education, Knight said, is her passion. “I truly believe the earmark of any successful See Jennings, A7
Officials deny advocacy organizations access to Justice Center ArchCity Defenders, others cite inmates complaints By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American Several local advocacy groups on Wednesday asked St. Louis officials to allow attorneys to inspect the conditions at the St. Louis City Justice Center following the recent uprising. The city responded with a resounding “no,” and an accusation that these organizations “clearly intended to spread a false narrative” by sending their letter with the request. The group of organizations sent the letter to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards and Corrections Commissioner Dale Glass. It was signed by individuals from the ACLU of Missouri, ArchCity Defenders, and the MacArthur Justice Center — as well as Missouri State Public Defender Mary Fox and Elad Gross. See Justice, A7