Urban League Conference coming to St. Louis
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2016 Gold Cup Newspaper Missouri Press Association
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St. LouiS AmericAn The
CAC Audited JULY 20 – 26, 2017
Vol. 89 No. 18 COMPLIMENTARY
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EPA says developer must clean up asbestos Residents upset with McKee’s response to Clemens Mansion fire site By Rebecca Rivas Of the St. Louis American Photo by Wiley Price
EPA inspectors meet with officials from the city’s health department and mayor’s office at the Clemens Mansion fire site in North St. Louis city on July 17 to test for asbestos in the debris. The mansion’s owner, Paul McKee Jr.’s NorthSide Regeneration LLC, prevented the EPA from testing because they said the house was unsafe.
Old North resident Leon Bell went to the hospital on Monday, July 17 because he was having chest pains and lung problems after the historic Clemens Mansion caught fire on July 12 – just a block from his home. It’s believed that the mansion, at 1849 Cass Ave. and with ties to Mark Twain, had an asbestos roof, according to the city’s
n “We need someone to test inside these houses. For human lives, we should be more concerned.” – Leon Bell
neighbors’ yards and homes. “All of my doors were open,” Bell said. “All of my windows were open because the fire department was trying to release the smoke out. There’s a lot of dust on the floors. After I found out that it contained asbestos, which we all know is a very serious chemical, I can’t let my kids back in there. We need someone to test inside these
operations director. Those remains and dust particles were scattered throughout
See EPA, A7
McSpadden plants new seeds in Jennings Michael Brown Foundation, Police Athletic League partner with Jennings School District By Sophie Hurwitz For The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price
Lezley McSpadden and her son Andre, 12, work in a garden in the Jennings School District that was planted and is being maintained by McSpadden’s Michael O.D. Brown We Love Our Sons and Daughters Foundation and the St. Louis County Police Athletic League, in partnership with the district. The produce will go into the district’s food pantry.
On Tuesday, July 18, Lezley McSpadden and her family and friends from the Michael O.D. Brown Foundation were out gardening in the middle of the day, despite the 100-degree heat. McSpadden’s Michael O.D. Brown We Love Our Sons and Daughters Foundation – named for her son, who was killed in n “We’re hoping 2014, and dedicated to reforming we’re planting new police practices and improving seeds and watching community health – created things grow, because this farm, on the campus of the Jennings School District’s Gore of the uprising and Community center. the outcome of the The garden was already Ferguson situation thriving, though it had only been pertaining to my son.” planted in early June. The corn sprouted a few feet tall already. McSpadden listed the vegetables – Lezley McSpadden growing there, occasionally looking over to her mother Desuira Harris and aunt Barbara Berry, who helped her out if she forgot something: corn, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, greens, carrots, herbs, green beans – the list went on and on. “This is a family effort,” said McSpadden. “I’m glad to have the help of my mother, and my aunt, and everyone else.” Her daughter Deja Brown, who graduated from Jennings High School this year and is headed to Tennessee State University in See SEEDS, A6
Students find solutions to community problems Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls partners with World Wide Technology
n For bullying, the students created a mentorship program that they believed would help create a culture of non-violence and friendship.
By Melinda Oliver For the St. Louis American
and tackled issues ranging from homelessness to bullying. “It’s really incredible to see our students working together to find solutions to community issues,” said Julia Hercules, dean of student life and community affairs. “One of my students, upon seeing the impact of her environmental project, said to me, ‘When we first started this
Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls, the state’s only allgirls public school located in North St. Louis, creates a capstone project to teach social responsibility and leadership skills to its eighth grade students. This year, the eighth-grade class broke off into small groups
See STUDENTS, A7
Carlia Idleburg and Jayla GordonSpraggins of the Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls planted trees as part of their eight grade capstone project.