HSSU grant aims to boost Black entrepreneurship jobs
@stlouisamerican
@stlouisamerican
St. Louis American See A3
The
CAC Audited JAN. 27 – FEB. 2, 2022
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
stlamerican.com
St. Louis County appoints first Black police chief Lt. Col. Kenneth Gregory was interim chief since July
By Dana Rieck The St. Louis American
Kenneth Gregory, photographed at a press conference in November, has been named chief of the St. Louis County Police Department.
The St. Louis County Police Department named Lt. Col. Kenneth Gregory as its first Black chief Tuesday, a little more than five months after he took over as interim chief. The department was established in 1955, and Gregory is its 10th chief. His predecessor, Chief Mary Barton, was the first woman to serve as the department’s leader. In charge of the appointment, the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners wrote in a statement Tuesday it had “engaged in extensive” conversation about the process and criteria for
See CHIEF, A6
Photo by Brian Munoz / St. Louis Public Radio
McCluer High School teacher Kem Smith refuses to let COVID-19 and staff shortages keep her from offering a firstclass education to her students. She was preparing a lesson on her classroom smart board on Jan. 25, 2022.
Vol. 93 No. 44 COMPLIMENTARY
Cal Harris to become county’s chief of staff Sam Page announced 2 other appointments
By Dana Rieck The St. Louis American With his appointment announced Monday morning, Cal Harris joins a growing group of Black leaders finding their voice in the region’s local governments. Harris will serve as St. Louis County Executive Sam Page’s chief of staff, responsible for leading the staff in managing county government, developing a strategy for county departments and overseeing the expenditure of new federal funding. Cal Harris will also promote strateHarris gic initiatives, improve efficiency and ensure equity continues to guide the administration’s work. He replaces Winston Calvert, who in December announced he would be leaving county government to work for The Equity Network, a nonprofit foundation. While he is a native of St. Louis County, Harris is moving to the Karen area from Baltimore, where he Aroesty served as a communications director for the city. “Cal brings vast experience in policy, communications and strategy,” Page said in a prepared statement. “I am excited he will be joining the team and returning to his hometown.” Prior to working for Baltimore city government, Harris worked at the Bipartisan Policy Center Stephanie and served on various political Lewis campaigns, including Nicole Galloway’s gubernatorial campaign and Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign. “Returning home to serve in the Page administration and impact policy for a community I love is truly humbling,” Harris said in a prepared state-
See HARRIS, A7
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
COVID-19 tests mental toughness of area teachers The state of Missouri was suffering teacher and substitute teacher shortages long before the COVID-19 pandemic wrapped its talons around the world’s throat. However, according to local educators, the pandemic has made an already fragile situation more friable with some long-term teachers seeking new careers. More and more teachers are experiencing
BUSINESS
Ruling the roost: Women open Creole restaurant
4 Hens Creole Kitchen opened its doors on Monday and is located in the City Foundry.
Page B1
burnout, Todd Fuller, spokesman for the Missouri State Teachers Association, told St. Louis Public Radio in December. “What’s concerning is not just new teachers leaving the class, but teachers who have 10, 15, 20 years in the profession are deciding to leave to do something else,” he said. COVID has introduced frustrating challenges into the school system. Teachers inter-
School lawsuit costs key
By Alvin A. Reid The St. Louis American
viewed for this story say it’s not just the virus; it’s student academic decline, the serious lack of janitorial staff to properly clean and sanitize classrooms, administrators who fail to address the safety concerns of children and educators and much more. A survey conducted by the State Teachers Association late last year found Missouri teachers are “stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed.” Additionally, out of the 2,800
The St. Louis Public Schools District is one of 45 districts in Missouri facing a lawsuit from Attorney General Eric Schmitt targeting mask mandates. Regardless of Schmitt’s legal action and threats, SLPS Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams said in a letter to parents and staff district attorneys are confident school officials have the authority to require masks. “If there is a shift in guidance from our health community, we will re-evaluate our position, but for the time being, we will continue to follow protocol that we know has been effective in limiting transmission of the virus in a school setting,” Adams said. Other area districts refuse to give in to Schmitt’s
See TEACHERS, A7
See SCHMITT, A7
Staff shortages heighten problems
By Sylvester Brown, Jr. The St. Louis American
Legislators take on Schmitt’s ‘shameful stunts’
SPECIAL SECTION
HEALTH
Get a handle on your finances in 2022
Spike in COVID-19 cases among pregnant women
Page D1
Page A10
Financial resolutions, preparing for the upcoming tax season, investing in your home and much more.
At Barnes-Jewish Hospital, approximately 45% of pregnant women were positive for COVID-19 last week.