Bennett was ‘spiritual center’ of St. Louis’ COVID-19 response
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CAC Audited JANUARY 6 – 12, 2022
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City bucks national trend in homicide rates
Following 2020 spike, rate returns to 2019 level By Dana Rieck The St. Louis American With one of the highest homicide rates nationally for years now, St. Louis has held the reputation of the country’s most dangerous city. Despite this, its homicide rate in 2021 decreased by a jaw-dropping 25% as compared to its record-setting spike in 2020. In fact, the Gateway City became one of the nation’s few large cities that bucked the trend of increasing homicide rates since the pandemic began. More than two-thirds of the country’s 40 most populous cities saw more homicides in 2021 compared to
2020, according to a CNN analysis. Not only that, but CNN reported 10 of those cities broke their own homicide records in 2021. They are Philadelphia; Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; Portland, Oregon; Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Milwaukee; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Tucson, Arizona. As for St. Louis, homicide numbers decreased from 263 in 2020 to 195 in 2021, or about 87 homicides per 100,000 people (which was the highest in the city’s history) to 65 homicides per 100,000 people.
n St. Louis’ homicide numbers decreased from 263 in 2020 to 195 in 2021, or about 87 homicides per 100,000 people (which was the highest in the city’s history) to 65 homicides per 100,000 people.
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Vol. 93 No. 41 COMPLIMENTARY
Mayor to scrap police chief search
Effort hindered by city department By Dana Rieck The St. Louis American St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones confirmed Tuesday she is scrapping the current search for the city’s new police chief after facing difficulties created by a former city leader. Rick Frank, who stepped down from the city’s independent personnel department in December, had put in place a plan to have the police chief finalists chosen solely by his department. This broke from how current Police Chief John Hayden was chosen under Mayor Lyda Krewson and Frank, who hired an outside consultant to find and pick the finalists. “I only had two white St. Louis male candidates to choose Mayor from and St. Louis is more Tishaura diverse than white males, Jones our police department is more diverse—there were a lot of diverse candidates within the police department who were kicked out of the first round so I want to start over to find the right candidate,” Jones said. Sources in Jones’ administration told The St. Louis American last month the personnel department rejected the majority of 30 people nationwide who applied for the position and administered a written test to only two internal candidates, who are both white, but did not administer a virtual version of the test to four other out-of-state candidates. “There were flaws in the current process
Honoring those lost to violence Connie Gray, the sister of Families Advocating Safe Streets founder Jeanette Culpepper burns a candle in honor of those lost to violence in 2021. The event took place at Williams Temple Church of God In Christ Friday, Dec. 31. It was the first event without it’s founder who passed in October of 2021. A second event will be held at time 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 7, at the same location.
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Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
City lockdowns not on the table yet with spiking COVID-19 cases
“I don’t think we’re there yet,” Mayor Tishaura Jones says By JoAnn Weaver The St. Louis American With COVID-19 cases reaching new elevated levels, St. Louisans are worried about what they can do to protect themselves from the new Omicron variant, which, according to the CDC, is more transmissible than previous strains. When asked if St. Louis city would limit attendance at sporting events in indoor facilities, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones responded by saying, “I don’t think we’re there yet.” “I’ve been in conversation with health director Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis, and I don’t think we’re there yet. We are still monitoring the situation,” she
BUSINESS
Nearly 350 jobs expected at new Hazelwood snacks plant
Production is set to begin this month as a private-label subsidiary of Post Holdings moves processing of its fruit and nut snacks from Canada.
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Legacy Books and Cafe drew a line that led back to Kingshighway and turned north to Enright for residents waiting to get COVID-19 tests Tuesday, Jan. 4.
said. Mayor Jones visited CareSTL Health, a federally qualified health center (FQHC), and thanked health care workers for their tireless effort to keep St. Louis families healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We hear time and time again that our healthcare workers are exhausted and are tired of bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “They’ve supported us over the past few years, and we can support them too by taking common sense steps to protect each other from COVID-19. According to Jones, the city’s positive rate is See COVID, A7
SPORTS
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
LIVING IT
Holiday tourney champs crowned as new year begins
Contemporary Art Museum awarded $15,000 grant
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Gifts of basketball abounded during holiday tournaments. Incarnate Word dominated and Vashon conquered Southern Illinois.
CAM’s teen education program provides participants between the ages of 14-18 with more than 50 hours of studio time each semester.