July 23rd, 2026 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Dems make case for county executive

Williams, Mosley and Zimmerman to compete for vacant seat

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

St. Louis American

For the first time in decades, Democratic voters will choose a nominee for an open St. Louis County executive seat. County Executive Sam Page’s decision not to seek another full term has left state Sens. Brian Williams and Angela Walton Mosley and County Assessor Jake Zimmerman competing in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary for the chance to succeed him.

For the first time in decades, Democratic voters will choose a nominee for an open St. Louis County executive seat.

and raised in Ferguson by a single mother, Williams believes he’s innately in tune with people who’ve grown up without much and struggled just to get by in today’s economy.

Before his election, Williams worked for former U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, helping oversee Missouri’s rollout of the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.

Early access

At this St. Louis preschool, AI starts before kindergarten

By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American

Preschoolers at Dream STEAM Academy won’t just be learning their ABCs this year. They’ll also be creating digital avatars, recording sound bites and exploring artificial intelligence.

The academy unveiled its new innovation lab and media room during last week’s preschool graduation ceremony, expanding a curriculum designed to introduce children from infancy through age 5 to STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and math — and multimedia experiences.

Founder LaToya Blair said the goal is

to help young children build confidence, communication skills and AI literacy through age-appropriate, hands-on learning.

“This technology isn’t going anywhere,” said LaToya Blair, founder of the academy for the youngest learners. “In this space, they’ll create avatars, record sound bites, and showcase what they know. It’s all about teaching them to be creative, communicate effectively and use their voice at an early age.” Blair, a former math and science teacher, said the high-tech curriculum is age appropriate and designed to support, rather than

Jake

has served as St. Louis County assessor since 2011 after serving four years in the Missouri House. He has branded himself as “reassuringly nerdy” with a “wonky” persona while presenting himself as a policy-focused “fixer.”

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

St. Louis American

A large group gathered Saturday in the North Pointe neighborhood near Goodfellow Boulevard and West Florissant Avenue ahead of the Aug. 4 primary election to rally against two statewide ballot measures — Missouri Amendments 4 and 5. Another large group gathered in St. Charles for similar demonstrations during the “Good Trouble Weekend of Action,” organized by Get Out the Vote.

Speaking with FOX 2 STL+, Ruth Huebner of Abortion Action Missouri said the rallies were intended to help voters understand the measures “so that they can make an informed choice and defend the right to equal opportunities across our state.”

Amendment 4 would change how citizen-led constitutional amendments are approved.

Amendment 5 would begin a process that could eventually eliminate Missouri’s individual income tax.

The two constitutional amendments, both referred to voters by the Missouri General Assembly, would make significant changes to state law. Amendment 4 would change how citizen-led constitutional amendments are approved. Amendment 5 would begin a process that could eventually eliminate Missouri’s individual income tax.

Amendment 4

Amendment 4 would change the rules for passing citizen-led constitutional amendments while also adding provisions dealing with foreign campaign contributions and petition fraud. The proposal comes as citizen groups continue using Missouri’s initiative petition process to place constitutional amendments before voters. Last year, the nonprofit People Not Politicians Missouri submitted more than 305,000 petition signatures seeking to block Missouri’s new congressional map from being used in the 2026 elections.

If approved, future citizen-proposed constitutional amendments would have to win both a statewide majority and majority support in each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. Constitutional amendments referred to voters by lawmakers would continue to require only a simple statewide majority.

Richard von Glahn, campaign director for People Not Politicians and policy and political director for Missouri Jobs with Justice, called Amendment 4 “an attempt to end majority rule.”

“In trying to create a different standard for citizens than politicians for passing laws, politicians are showing their contempt for the people of Missouri

Editorial / CommEntary

Commentary Guest Editorial

Keep power with Missouri voters

By Michael A. Wolff

The Missouri Constitution is the people’s constitution. Every word of it has been approved by a simple majority statewide vote. For 118 years, important provisions of our constitution have been proposed by the people themselves, not by legislators or other elected officials.

So why is the Missouri Legislature asking voters to severely limit our right to engage in this purest form of direct democracy?

The centerpiece of Amendment 4, on the Aug. 4 ballot, is the requirement that citizen initiative proposals be approved by a majority vote in each congressional district.

That sounds nice, of course, but Missouri voters are smart enough to ask the best question

sional districts gives veto power to about 156,000 voters over the votes of most of the state’s 2.99 million or so voters who cast ballots in 2024.

That’s a superpower for the nay-voters, who could be as low as about 5% of the state’s total who voted in 2024, according to The Missouri Independent’s analysis.

I’ve ever heard about proposals for legislative or constitutional change: I know what it says, but what does it do?

If approved, the requirement that a citizen-led amendment win in eight out of the state’s eight congressional districts simply means that if it gets less than a majority in a single district, it will lose. The current requirement is a simple majority statewide.

This new requirement would apply only to citizen-initiated proposals — not to proposals referred to our ballots by the Legislature. Some would call this a power grab by Jefferson City insiders. I won’t argue with them.

If Amendment 4 had been in effect, all the citizen initiatives since 2020 would have failed, according to an analysis by The Missouri Independent.

Supporters say this is a way to empower rural voters and keep measures from being enacted by big majorities in urban and suburban areas. But that works both ways, as The Independent’s reporting tells us.

In 2016, a citizen initiative to keep sales taxes from being extended to previously untaxed services was passed with 57% of the statewide vote. If Amendment 4 had been in the Constitution then, the sales tax restriction would have failed because it did not get a majority of votes in the First Congressional District (the city of St. Louis and areas of St. Louis County). The result? A proposal favored by a majority of rural voters would have been killed by a minority of urban voters from one congressional district.

Under Amendment 4, the cost of defeating a citizen proposal would plummet. Opponents of a citizen-initiated proposal could find one congressional district where polling indicates the voters would be receptive to a negative campaign and bombard that district with negative messages. So the battle would be fought between supporters who have to wage a statewide campaign, while opponents would only have to wage a campaign in one district.

Amendment 4’s requirement that citizen initiatives pass in all eight congres-

Amendment 4 backers note that some of the measures that passed with a simple majority statewide — notably, marijuana legalization and reproductive rights amendments — would have failed if required to get a majority in each Congressional district. These measures, along with the constitutional sales tax restrictions that passed in 2016, came to the ballot by citizen initiatives because they could not get support from the Legislature.

The citizen initiative, first enacted in Missouri in 1908, is a popular check on legislatures that don’t follow the will of the majority. Missouri’s direct democracy also includes provisions for citizen-initiated changes in Missouri statutes and the exercise of a veto by voters on laws enacted by the Legislature.

In each case, the Constitution prescribes the portion of voters whose signatures are required to put the proposal on the state’s ballot. But Amendment 4 would impose its win-every-district requirement only on changes to the Constitution proposed by citizens, and not on those proposed by the Legislature. Doesn’t that impose a permanent disadvantage on voters in rural areas, who seem to be a concern of Amendment 4’s supporters?

Rural voters, though not a statewide majority, helped pass the citizen initiatives that Amendment 4 supporters oppose. Marijuana legalization and reproductive rights protections would have failed without significant support from rural voters. For these voters — as with all voters seeking change — the citizen initiatives give them power when they feel shut out by their representatives in Jefferson City.

Love it or hate it, this is direct democracy. Section 1 of Article I of our Missouri Constitution proclaims: “That all political power is vested in and derived from the people; that all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted for the good of the whole.”

Without direct democracy, we cannot bypass a legislative majority that won’t do what most Missouri voters want. Do we really want our state government to be a mini version of Washington, D.C.? If so, Amendment 4 may be the answer. But Missouri voters have said no to a lot of cockamamy ideas in the past. There’s reason to hope they will say no to this one.

Michael A. Wolff is a retired judge and former chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court. He is professor emeritus and dean emeritus of the Saint Louis University School of Law.

Missouri voters should reject Amendments 4 and 5

By Constance Harper

As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, we should be asking more than whether our democracy has endured. We should be asking whether people still have meaningful ways to shape the decisions that govern their lives.

In Missouri, two constitutional amendments on the August ballot would weaken that power. Amendment 4 would make it substantially harder for voters to amend the state constitution through the initiative process. Amendment 5 would begin phasing out Missouri’s individual income tax while opening the door to taxes on more of the goods and services people use every day.

Both amendments would give state lawmakers greater control while leaving ordinary Missourians with fewer protections.

lawmakers to extend sales and use taxes to goods and services that are not currently subject to them.

Amendment 4 would replace Missouri’s longstanding rule that a citizen-led constitutional amendment passes when it receives a majority of votes statewide. Under the proposed system, an amendment would need a majority in every one of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.

That means voters in a single district could defeat a measure supported by a majority of voters across the state.

The initiative process gives citizens a way to act when the legislature will not. Missourians have used it to raise the minimum wage, expand Medicaid, legalize adult-use marijuana, establish paid sick leave and protect reproductive freedom. Voters may disagree about any one of those decisions. But the essential principle is that Missourians had the right to place those questions before the public and decide them by majority vote.

Amendment 4 would preserve the appearance of that right while making it much harder to exercise. It would effectively give each congressional district veto power over the rest of the state. It would also tie the outcome of statewide votes to district lines drawn through a political process.

Amendment 5 presents a different but equally consequential choice.

The measure would require the legislature to enact laws phasing out Missouri’s individual income tax based on revenue growth. Once that tax is eliminated, the state would be prohibited from reinstating it. The amendment would also authorize

Supporters emphasize that Missourians would eventually stop paying state income tax. But the measure is not simply a tax cut. It authorizes a fundamental shift in how Missouri raises revenue: away from taxes based on income and toward taxes on what people buy. Income taxes are tied to how much a person earns. Sales taxes are tied to what a person spends. Families with low and moderate incomes generally must spend a greater share of what they earn to meet immediate needs. Extending sales taxes to more goods and services can therefore take a greater share of their household income.

Amendment 5 does not tell voters which additional purchases or services would be taxed. And it does not tell individual Missourians whether the income taxes they save would be greater or less than the additional sales taxes they could owe. Even the official ballot language acknowledges that the effect on taxes is currently unknown. The amendment would also allow implementing legislation enacted within five years to avoid the normal constitutional requirement that voters approve significant state tax increases. In other words, voters are being asked to authorize a major tax restructuring now while leaving many of its most consequential details for lawmakers to decide later.

Missourians should not amend their constitution without knowing what may be taxed, at what rate, or who will ultimately pay more. A change this significant should provide voters with greater certainty and accountability.

Missourians should not surrender majority rule or authorize a major tax shift without knowing what additional goods and services could be taxed or who would ultimately pay more. Voting no on Amendment 4 protects the principle that statewide questions should be decided by a statewide majority. Voting no on Amendment 5 rejects an uncertain tax restructuring whose consequences have not been fully defined for Missouri households.

On Aug. 4, Missourians should keep power with the people and vote no on Amendments 4 and 5.

Constance Harper is vice president of strategic impact and innovation at the Deaconess Foundation.

By Marc Morial

The big lie just got bigger. Last week, we watched a sitting president declare war on America in a primetime speech that reputable media outlets chose not to air out of their journalistic responsibility to defend the truth.

In a tangential rant about voter fraud, the president bounced from one outlandish lie to the next, with his focus zeroed in on the outcome of the 2020 election. The same election that his own party certified six years ago. Unlike the 2016 election, in which he was the victor, the FBI found no evidence of meddling.

Despite lacking evidence, the president lied to millions of Americans, stating that China and other foreign adversaries “likely” influenced Americans. He claimed that voting machines were vulnerable to hacking and unreliable, a lie that cost the one network that aired his speech unedited, Fox News, $787 million in a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems for pushing lies about the 2020 election.

The president recently fired the last three members of the Election Assistance Commission, the independent federal commission that assists election administration officials nationwide. And in the hours leading up to the speech, his nominee for attorney general set the stage for the siege on our voting rights.

During the confirmation hearing of Todd Blanche, President Trump’s personal lawyer and nominee for U.S. attorney general, he was asked whether

he would uphold the constitutional right to vote by blocking the deployment of ICE agents to polling places. He sidestepped the question by stating that he would “follow the law.” He also avoided answering the simple question of who won the 2020 presidential election.

You read that right.

Blanche, who in his role as acting attorney general proposed creating a $1.8 billion slush fund to pay criminals, including Jan. 6 insurrectionists, refused to commit to preventing an untrained army of masked agents, who have claimed two lives in the last two weeks, from monitoring our elections.

It is unconscionable that the next person to lead the U.S. Department of Justice would propose using taxpayer dollars to compensate people for committing crimes and denying election results. But that is where we are a year and a half into this administration.

Just like the gutting of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais and Shelby County v. Holder, this investigation, the nomination of Todd Blanche and last week’s speech are part of a broad effort to suppress the Black vote. This is not the election to sit out or remain silent. This is the moment our ancestors who were shot, maimed and strung up from trees marched for. This is the day John Lewis and countless others marched for on the Edmund

“Defending the vote means defending the foundation of our democracy.”

— Martin Luther King III, who will help lead next month’s March on Washington to defend voting rights

Faith leaders unite to pray for peace across St. Louis

Na’Porsha Williams

St. Louis American

Pastors from churches across St. Louis gathered at Resurrection Temple Church for a weekend citywide Day of Prayer last week, urging residents to come together in response to ongoing violence and support families affected by crime.

The gathering, featuring fellowship and messages of hope, coincided with similar events held at churches across the city through the “Grill to Glory” initiative, which encourages congregations to serve as neighborhood gathering places and community resources.

“We can’t be like this world. The world needs to be like the church,”

Pastor Dennis R. Sims Sr. of Greater Progressive Church said at the Saturday event..

“You can get all the money, and it won’t change. All the programs in the world won’t change. Jesus. ... That’s the change.”

According to FBI and city crime data, St. Louis continues to report one of the nation’s highest violent crime rates. Researchers have long noted that St. Louis’ status as an independent city, separate from St. Louis County, affects its per-capita crime rankings because the city’s relatively small population can make crime rates

appear higher than those of other large metropolitan areas.

For those attending the gathering, the conversation quickly turned from crime statistics to the people and neighborhoods living with the consequences of violence.

Pastors spoke about the emotional toll of conducting funeral services for children and young adults while urging residents to show more compassion for one another.

“We get tired of going

to funerals, because I prayed over babies in caskets,” said Resurrection Temple Church Pastor Willie Chapman Jr. “You think, because some of us are pastors out here, that don’t bother us? Who wants to look at a baby in the casket? It hurts my heart. ... We need some compassion for one another.”

Sims told the crowd that faith changed the course of his life.

“I know who I used to be. At the time, I walked

in darkness,” Sims said. “I didn’t call my mom ’cause she was gone. My dad was gone. But I called on the name of Jesus. I don’t need nobody to tell me about it, because when I was down and going through heartbreaks, setbacks, broken promises and dreams, ... there was something about the name of Jesus.”

The speakers repeatedly returned to the example adults set for children.

“We can’t be phony in front of our kids,” Chapman said. “They are

Desiree Asberry joins Pastor Willie Chapman Jr. and other community members in a prayer circle during the citywide Day of Prayer, where faith leaders called for healing and peace across St. Louis.

He also encouraged those attending not to lose hope.

“You say ‘I can’t change.’ That’s a lie. You can change. If you just believe,” Chapman said. “It takes each day. One moment. One step. You didn’t get like this in one day. So let God unravel the defeat that keeps you bound up.”

Larry Rogers, a representative of For Word Christian Ministries, said seeing churches from across St. Louis come together motivated him to attend.

“I woke up this morning and saw that they were praying over my whole neighborhood,” Rogers said. “I had to hop in a ride and come over here and just stand in the gap.” Rogers said he hopes young people notice churches working together in their neighborhoods.

the ones gonna call us out. They gonna judge us by what they see, and not by what you say. Hear what we say, and see what we do — and if it lines up, then you give them hope.”

Chapman urged parents to encourage their children with their words.

“When you wake up in the morning, don’t tell them, ‘No, you ain’t gonna be nothing, just like your dad.’ Say, ‘You are great, and there’s greatness in you.’ We got to lift our children up now.”

“The young people need to see this,” Rogers said. “They need to see it when they are driving up and down the street. They just see us over here praying. And it’s where everyone’s welcome.” For Rogers, the turnout wasn’t the measure of success.

“I wasn’t worried about how many people showed up or not, ’cause I know as long as I showed up, God gonna show up and show out,” Rogers said.

Regional group weighs future of North County schools

A regional task force has begun examining whether some North St. Louis County school districts should merge as declining enrollment reshapes public education across the area. The discussion was prompted in part by Normandy Schools Collaborative, which could lose its provisional accreditation when the Missouri State Board of Education reviews district performance next year. Education leaders say Normandy’s struggles reflect challenges affecting districts throughout the region.

The St. Louis Region Future of Public Education Task Force includes school leaders, elected

officials, educators and community representatives. Former Missouri Board of Education member Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge chairs the group, with Riverview Gardens Superintendent Tanya Patton and Beyond Housing CEO Chris Krehmeyer serving as vice chairs.

Rather than focus on a single solution, the task force plans to evaluate four possibilities: leaving Normandy independent, assigning its students to neighboring districts, gradually consolidating smaller districts or creating a new regional school system.

The task force expects to present recommendations later this year. Any district consolidation would require approval from local school boards.

McDonnell Planetarium reopens after technology upgrade

The James S. McDonnell Planetarium has reopened following a nearly six-month renovation that added new projection, sound and visualization technology.

The Saint Louis Science Center said the upgrades make the facility the nation’s largest hybrid planetarium, where a traditional star projector works with a digital projection system to create immersive views of the night sky and celestial objects. New astronomy and Earth science shows are now being presented daily. Planetarium admission is free for Science Center members and $6 for nonmembers.

City

sues over alleged

‘slow flip’ housing practice

The city of St. Louis, with assistance from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, has sued Missouri-based Bustling Funding, LLC, alleging the company uses a predatory “slow flip” business model that targets low-income renters seeking homeownership.

Commentary

Still believing in the ‘American Dream’

By Camike Jones

The promise of America was that the policies were supposed to support the people.

It’s not really a question of left or right. It’s about whether we believe in this American promise — a place where anyone can achieve greatness, no matter the circumstances into which they were born.

Not everyone was included in the original vision of America. Very obviously, some were expressly excluded, even to the point of death. However, hopes and dreams spread. I imagine this happened because the founding ideas were good — freedom from religious persecution, freedom to share your perspective without fear of retribution from the government, and the freedom to keep what you’ve worked for.

ated a justice system that is fair to all, regardless of class or race.

Yet, the promise of America and what it could be remains.

Call us naive, but I think many of us strongly believed in the American Dream. For some, it motivated them to keep pushing each day to create a better life for themselves. For others, it fueled the passion to make the world better for future generations, in a world they may never live to see.

I come from a long line of hardworking Americans. I can trace my family back through multiple generations born in the United States. My family is made up of military and Navy veterans, postal carriers, business owners, city employees, community advocates, nurses, factory workers, educators and so on. We come in multiple ethnicities and all shades, from the palest alabaster to the deepest dark chocolate. We are America.

I just returned from a trip to New York, where I walked the Brooklyn Bridge in the rain with people of different ages, languages and ethnic backgrounds.

The city is asking a court to require occupancy permits before tenants move into homes covered by similar agreements.

The lawsuit contends tenants are promised a path to buying a home but move into properties requiring extensive repairs and may face eviction if they cannot keep up with rent or maintenance.

Volunteers continue Wells-Goodfellow cleanup effort

A volunteer-led effort to remove overgrown vegetation and trash from vacant properties in the WellsGoodfellow neighborhood has continued for the past two years.

Organizers say the work is intended to improve safety, reduce illegal dumping and support future redevelopment. The Sustainable Clearing

and Greening initiative said volunteers have cleared lots near Laclede School, Barrett Brothers Park and Cardinal View Apartments after raising about $100,000 in funding.

Organizers also showcased a rehabilitated home they said demonstrates how cleared properties can support neighborhood reinvestment.

Two hundred fifty years ago, the founding fathers understood the harm that could happen in a country ruled by an unchecked king or a person with unlimited and unquestioned powers. They understood the consequences of not having an independent and truth-telling press.

The country’s founders wanted freedom of speech and the ability to peacefully dissent without facing repercussions from the government. They wanted to elect a leader instead of being led by a king with a so-called divine birthright.

Some of the recent Supreme Court decisions seemingly reflect a return to increased executive authority. The recent Trump v. Slaughter decision puts more power in the hands of the person holding the top seat of the executive branch.

There are many other deeply rooted issues to resolve in America. The meritocracy this country claimed has not yet been fully achieved. Nor have we cre-

I had a layover in Chicago, home to two baseball teams and the newly opened Obama Presidential Center. This center celebrates two people whose lives are testaments to what America can be, a place where two people reached heights that no one imagined. They were not born into wealth or privilege, but their vision and effort led Barack Obama to the highest office in the land and made both Barack and Michelle Obama historic figures.

The trip reminded me that the best part of this 250-year American experiment is us, here, together.

We don’t always have to agree with one another on every policy or lifestyle choice, but we can agree on the freedom to make those choices. And we can agree that the American Dream is still worth making a reality.

Camike Jones is editor-in-chief of the Indianapolis Recorder.

From zoo visitor to zookeeper

Jackson Tucker helps launch one of St. Louis Zoo’s biggest expansions

By Chris King For The St. Louis American

Jackson Tucker, who works in the inaugural class of zookeepers at the St. Louis Zoo’s new WildCare Park in North County, has been connected to this zoo for almost all of his 24 years on Earth.

His family celebrated his first birthday at the St. Louis Zoo. At 20, he landed his first internship at the zoo’s River’s Edge attraction. Now, after graduating from Michigan State University

with a degree in zoology, he is helping prepare the zoo’s new 425-acre safari and conservation campus for its grand opening next year.

WildCare Park is one of the largest expansion projects in the zoo’s history.

WildCare Park is one of the largest expansion projects in the zoo’s history and a major investment in North St. Louis County. According to the Saint Louis Zoo, the project is expected to generate more than

$660 million in regional economic activity over the next decade, support hundreds of jobs annually and attract more than 420,000 visitors each year.

Zookeeping is both manual labor and dirty work.

Tucker feeds the animals — giraffes and rhinoceroses are his primary responsibilities — and cleans up their waste. He grooms the

pastures where they roam and graze. This is unavoidably dirty and smelly work.

“There is a lot of cleaning up poop,” he said.

More goes into feeding these animals than simply stuffing lettuce fronds into holes cut in the sides of plastic buckets. A zookeeper has to learn and manage the internal dynamics of animal populations to make sure more vulnerable animals receive as much nutrition as the more

Price, Hayes among Living Legends honorees

Smith elected Webster Groves mayor pro tempore

The Webster Groves City Council unanimously elected Councilmember Emerson Smith as mayor pro tempore. Smith will preside over council meetings and represent the city at official functions when Mayor Laura Arnold is unavailable.

Smith joined the council by appointment in 2019, was elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024. He serves as council liaison to the Old Webster Business District and the Stormwater Management Advisory Commission.

Joyce named University City finance director

Jeffrey T. Joyce has been appointed finance director for the city of University City.

Jeffrey T. Joyce

Joyce most recently served as chief financial officer at Paramount Bank. He previously held financial leadership positions with First Bank, CitiMortgage, CitiFinancial Services and the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Brigham Young University.

Jordan named Kirkwood fire marshal

Jordan

Peter Jordan has been appointed fire marshal for the city of Kirkwood. Jordan brings more than 20 years of fire service experience to the position. He most recently served as deputy chief and fire marshal for Central County Fire & Rescue in St. Charles County. He will oversee Kirkwood’s fire prevention and life safety programs, including inspections, code enforcement, plan reviews, public education and fire investigations.

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

The Be The Change Foundation will celebrate its eighth Living Legends Awards Ceremony at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Missouri History Museum.

The annual event honors individuals whose leadership, service, advocacy and lasting impact have helped shape the St. Louis region.

Wiley Price, the retired, iconic St. Louis American

See Legends, A6

SLU student joins Aspen advisory group

Townsell Photographer, columnist were mainstays covering Blacks in St. Louis

Faith Townsell, a political science major at Saint Louis University, has been appointed to the Aspen Institute’s Rising Generations Strategy Group. Townsell is one of 40 members selected for the inaugural advisory group, including eight young people. She will serve a three-year term advising the institute’s Education & Society Program on K-12 education policy.

Promotion, board appointment, new hire, award... please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to areid@stlamerican.com

Harris-Stowe marks progress on $66 million STEM building

St. Louis American staff

Construction continues on HarrisStowe State University’s $66 million STEM building — the largest capital project in its history — designed to prepare more students for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The four-story facility, scheduled to open in August 2027, will include 18 classrooms, 12 research laboratories and collaborative learning spaces. University leaders say the building will expand STEM education at Missouri’s only public historically Black university while helping prepare students for high-demand careers identified in the St. Louis region’s STL 2030 Jobs Plan. Students, alumni, faculty and supporters recently signed the building’s final steel beam before it was lifted into place, marking a major construction milestone.

The STEM building is expected to support undergraduate research, hands-on learning and partnerships with employers while expanding the university’s capacity to educate students in science and technology fields.

dominant.

“You have to play by their rules,” Tucker said.

In less routine moments, Tucker helps keep the ani-

mals entertained through what zoos call enrichment activities. For giraffes, that means encouraging them to stretch and move their necks and tongues in different ways. For rhinoceroses, it often means extended wallowing sessions in mud.

He also helps train the animals. The rhinoceroses, for example, are being conditioned to tolerate human touch because WildCare Park’s future safari experiences are expected to include close-up encounters between visitors and

some of the animals.

Then there are moments Tucker calls “once-in-a-lifetime, insane experiences.”

One day, he became a first responder when an addax — a critically endangered desert antelope — gave birth in a pasture at WildCare Park.

“Have you ever provided the first neonatal examination of an addax?” Tucker said with a laugh. “I have.”

WildCare Park, located in Spanish Lake, is designed to expand the zoo’s conservation and breeding capabilities beyond what is possible at its Forest Park campus. Plans include safari-style attractions, research facilities, educational programming and large naturalistic habitats for endangered species. Zoo officials say the project is expected to become both a conservation hub and a major tourism driver for the region, with nearly $184 million in projected off-site spending tied to hotels, restaurants, retail and transportation over the next decade.

For Tucker, the chance to help build the operation from the ground floor is just as exciting as working with the animals.

Legends

Continued from A5 photographer and a member of the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame, and Bernie Hayes, a longtime St. Louis American columnist and founder of the National Black Radio Hall of Fame at HarrisStowe University, are among the honorees.

“The greatest honor we can give our community leaders is to celebrate them while they are here to inspire us,” said Lyah LeFlore-Ituen, director of the African American History Initiative for the Missouri Historical Society.”

Price retired from The St. Louis American in December after more than 45 years as a photojournalist whose work documented generations of Black life in St. Louis. A member of the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of

“When my hands aren’t feeding animals or cleaning up after them, I’m taking notes,” Tucker said. “I’m learning how to build up a zoo from scratch.”

Perhaps that first birthday party at the zoo helped set him on this path, but Tucker said he has loved animals for as long as he can remember. Growing up, he owned nearly every animal his mother, Dana Redwing, would allow in the house — from dogs and cats to a fire-bellied toad. His father, Mark Tucker, stretched those boundaries a little further with a snake.

His internship at the zoo showed him animals could become more than a hobby.

His mentor at River’s Edge, Katie PilgrimKloppe, encouraged him to pursue zookeeping professionally. At Michigan State, Tucker deepened his interest in wildlife conservation, particularly during a study-abroad experience in South Africa, where he learned how species interact within larger ecosystems.

“There is so much we still do not know,” Tucker said. “We don’t know what the existence or extinction of a species may ultimately mean for human beings.”

Fame, Price photographed every U.S. president from Jimmy Carter to Joe Biden.

One of his best-known images — then-Sen.

Barack Obama surrounded by clergy in prayer during his 2008 presidential campaign — is part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Hayes wrote a regular column for The St. Louis American from 1979 to 2009, offering his perspective on politics, culture and issues affecting the Black community. A longtime broadcaster and journalism educator, he also founded the National Black Radio Hall of Fame and has been recognized for his contributions to Black media and broadcasting.

“As both the director of the African American History Initiative and a past Living Legends honoree, I am proud

His interest in conservation was also shaped by his grandmother, Eleanor Tucker, an avid news consumer who followed stories about endangered species. Watching coverage surrounding the extinction of the northern white rhinoceros helped Tucker understand how fragile some animal populations had become.

Tucker also understands how uncommon his career path remains for Black professionals.

“No one who looks like me does what I do,” he said.

He believes the profession is slowly diversifying, but said conservation and zoology still lack Black representation at many levels.

“I want to see more people who look like me doing this so I’m not the last one,” Tucker said. “Once you’ve opened a door, you should not close it behind you. I know what it’s like to be the first one in the room and the only one in the room who looks like you.”

He hopes to eventually pursue graduate studies and move into zoo management and conservation leadership.

“I don’t always want to be the only one.”

to celebrate this year’s extraordinary recipients, whose vision, service and leadership continue to shape a stronger St. Louis for generations to come,” LeFlore-Ituen said. Aja Owens, president of the Be The Change Foundation, said, “We believe our community heroes deserve to be honored while they can experience the appreciation and gratitude of the people they continue to serve.

“Living Legends is our opportunity to celebrate those who have dedicated their lives to creating positive change.”

Joining Price and Hayes as honorees are Arriel Bivens-Biggs, Zaki Baruti, Anthony Shahid, Lady Ada Taylor, Nicole Galvin (Queen Mocha Latte), Dr. Eugene B. Redmond and Afro World (Sheila Forest).

The free event will include a reception and awards ceremony

HealthMattersHealthMattersHealthMatters

Hidden heart condition

St. Louis father fights for awareness after son’s sudden death

By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American

Chris Hill remembers his 14-yearold son, Colin, as a boy who loved to run.

“I look back at him as a kid, he always loved running,” Hill recalled. “He always loved being fast. That was kind of his lane anyway. So once he started running, he just fell in love with it.” Colin, a McCluer High School student, had recently begun competing in cross-country when he suffered sudden cardiac arrest on Oct. 28. An autopsy

determined he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, an inherited heart condition that causes the heart muscle to become abnormally thick. Hill said his family had never heard of the condition before Colin’s death.

“I don’t feel like nobody should find out what their child died from in an autopsy,” Hill said. “My son could possibly still be here if I would have seen a flyer like the ones that I’ve been putting out.”

Determined to spare other families the same loss, Hill founded Colin’s Heart Foundation to raise awareness about HCM and encourage parents to learn more about the condition.

“I think people need to have awareness and know about it up front, and then they can choose what they want

Medicaid ban on routine care expires

But Missouri still says no

By Jennifer Porter Gore Word In Black

Medicaid can once again cover non-abortion services such as cancer screenings.

Health care providers such as Planned Parenthood and similar clinics are once again eligible to receive Medicaid reimbursements, allowing low-income patients to resume receiving routine care at those facilities in states that permit the payments. In Missouri and other states that prohibit Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood, however, the federal change has little practical effect. State law continues to bar the organization from receiving Medicaid payments for any services. Last year, congressional Republicans fell short of their longstanding goal to ban abortion services nationwide while advancing the One Big Beautiful Bill budget legislation.

But they did succeed in banning Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood and similar reproductive health care providers nationwide for one year. Because Congress did not renew the ban before taking its Independence Day recess, the ban has automatically expired.

Medicaid can once again cover non-abortion services such as cancer screenings, birth control distribution and testing for sexually transmitted infections at the clinics that were able to remain open. But individual states must decide to allow the clinics to be reimbursed.

Millions left high and dry

According to a 2025 KFF tracking poll, 1 in 3 women reported receiving care at a Planned Parenthood clinic,

Helping students start school healthy

St. Louis American staff

For many families, getting children ready for school goes beyond buying notebooks, backpacks and other supplies. It also means scheduling physical exams, updating immunizations, completing dental exams and making sure children have access to medical care.

As the new school year approaches, schools and health care providers across the St. Louis region are expanding efforts to help families get those tasks done before classes begin. Three federally qualified health centers

preventive services.

The partnership also includes outreach events that provide dental education, enrollment assistance, referrals to primary care providers and connections to community resources.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to start the school year healthy and ready to succeed,” leaders of the participating health centers said in a statement.

“By working together and leveraging both our health center locations and mobile health units, we can provide earlier access to essential health care services, reduce barriers to care, and help families meet school health require-

HealthMattersHealthMattersHealthMatters

Care of

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along with one in 10 men. Nearly half of Black women reported receiving care at a Planned Parenthood clinic. More than 4 in 10 Medicaid recipients said they had received services at Planned Parenthood, while one-third of those patients had private insurance. One in 5 Republican women and 4 in 10 Democratic women also said they had received care at a Planned Parenthood clinic.

A spending bill passed in the 1970s already blocks federal Medicaid dollars from paying for abortion in nearly all cases.

During debate over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Republicans sought to make the Medicaid funding restrictions permanent. Democrats unsuccessfully tried to remove the restrictions altogether.

In 2025, however, the Supreme Court ruled that states may prevent providers from being paid through Medicaid programs. The court

Heart

Continued from A7 to do with that information,” Hill said. “But they can’t say they didn’t know.”

also found that Medicaid enrollees cannot challenge those restrictions in federal court.

Laurie Sobel, associate director for women’s health policy at KFF, said the ruling marked a significant departure from longstanding interpretations of Medicaid’s “free choice of provider” provision, which guarantees enrollees the right to obtain care from any qualified, willing Medicaid provider.

Nora Walsh-DeVries, vice president of political and legislative affairs at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the impact of the cuts “is really horrible for us and some of it is unfortunately irreversible.”

Managing a smaller budget is even more challenging, Walsh-DeVries said, coupled with “kind of also knowing that there is an intention from Republicans to permanently defund us.”

Medicaid covers roughly 96 million Americans, and just over 21.4% of adult Medicaid beneficiaries ages 19 to 64 are Black.

The Trump spending

Doctors say awareness is especially important because HCM often goes undiagnosed until symptoms become severe or tragedy strikes. “In basic terms, it just means that the walls of the heart are too thick,” said Dr. J. Gmerice Hammond, an assistant professor of medicine at Washington University. “The heart is essentially a muscle, and it’s got to squeeze the blood out properly.”

The thickened heart muscle can make it harder for the heart to pump

cuts have forced the closure of at least 14 hospitals across 13 states. More than 400 hospitals are at risk of closing or cutting staff, and roughly 360 clinics have closed.

The Medicaid program also covers roughly 40% of pregnancies and births nationwide.

The one-year reimbursement ban forced Planned Parenthood to close nearly 30 health centers since July 2025. Two out of three of the closed

blood and can trigger dangerous heart rhythm problems that increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

Although HCM is considered the most common inherited heart condition, many people have never heard of it. Estimates suggest it affects between one in 200 and one in 500 people, according to Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

A one-year federal ban on Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood and similar reproductive health providers has expired, restoring coverage for routine, non-abortion services in states that allow it. Missouri is not one of them.

centers were in rural areas, medically underserved communities or places facing shortages of primary care professionals.

All of the closed centers were in counties identified as “contraceptive deserts.”

Some states provided roughly $400 million in emergency funding during the ban. But Planned Parenthood health centers in states that only partially replaced lost federal funding — or provided no funding at all — were

A child with a parent who carries an HCMrelated genetic variant has a 50% chance of inheriting it.

Doctors said Colin’s case was unusual because genetic testing found neither of his parents carried a known HCM-related genetic variant.

Colin had passed a routine sports physical before joining the cross-country team, something Hill now believes illustrates the limits of standard screenings.

“Don’t just go in and do the little 14-point physical that the school requires,” Hill said. “All they do really is just slap a stethoscope on your chest and on your back and then ask you a couple of questions and let you go. You can’t find heart issues like that.”

A widely cited study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found HCM was the leading cause of cardiovascular-related sudden death among young athletes, accounting for 36% of those deaths.

The research also found Black athletes represented a disproportionate share of sudden cardiac deaths, a disparity Hammond said reflects broader inequities in diagnosis and research.

“In our community, a lot of times we receive genetic testing that says the variants or the results are inconclusive,” Hammond said. “I want to point that out because, if that happens, make sure to have them keep looking because we are underrepresented.”

She said Black patients remain underrepresented in

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Continued from A7

ments before the first day of class.”

St. Louis Public Schools is making a similar push through its Ready for Day One campaign. Students can receive school and sports physicals, immunizations and vision screenings while families can also get enrollment assistance, transportation information and connections to community resources.

District officials describe the events as a one-stop opportunity to help students arrive prepared for the first day of class. According to the Missouri Primary Care

Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. Now that the federal ban has expired, additional states could seek permanent restrictions on Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the nonprofit Susan B. Anthony ProLife America, and other anti-abortion groups want Congress to include the ban in the 2027 tax and spending bill.

more likely to close than those in states that fully replaced the money from Washington.

States have the final word

Several states — many in the Bible Belt or with large rural populations — have either permanently blocked or sought to block Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood, according to Sobel’s analysis. They include Alabama, Arizona,

genetic research and databases, making it harder in some cases to identify disease-causing variants.

“We need more equitable access to screening in the Black community,” Hammond said. “That’s going to help us in terms of finding those of us who may have this and getting the treatment that we need.”

For Teresa Shores, 63, the consequences of those gaps became personal.

She was diagnosed with HCM six months ago after decades of symptoms that she said were repeatedly dismissed.

“When I complained in early adulthood about episodes where I would be short of breath, I was told at one point, ‘Oh, that sounds like stress or anxiety. Let’s put you on some medicine for that,’” Shores said. “Only now have I found out that my heart is not shaped properly, and that is what was really causing my symptoms. The doctors assured me I said the right things. The medical system just missed it.”

After her diagnosis, Shores learned that two of her brothers had also been diagnosed with HCM but never realized other family members could be at risk.

“In our community, families use general terms for heart problems,” Shores said. “For years, my brother told me he had an ‘enlarged heart.’

He passed away last year at 63. I lost an uncle at 31 to a sudden heart attack while driving his car. You

Association, federally qualified health centers provide more than 2.4 million patient visits each year to more than 628,000 Missourians. The clinics operate in every Missouri county and St. Louis. They offer medical, dental and behavioral health services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

Nearly 93% of patients served by Missouri’s federally qualified health centers live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and 17% are uninsured, according to the association. For many families, those clinics provide routine medical care that would otherwise be out of reach.

The effort comes at a time when childhood vaccination rates have slipped

“Defunding Big Abortion is now the default expectation of the pro-life movement,” Dannenfelser said in a statement. “When they return to D.C., Republicans must do all they can through reconciliation to once again block taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood and abortion businesses.”

Last year’s budget cuts are expected to reduce Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion. Experts say the cuts will cause roughly 10 million Americans to lose their health coverage.

don’t automatically associate those stories with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.”

Doctors say many people with HCM experience no symptoms or only mild ones. When symptoms do occur, they can include shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitations, dizziness and fatigue.

“Please make sure that we don’t just attribute that to hypertension or asthma or, ‘Oh, maybe I’m out of shape,’” Hammond said. “If you have those, take them seriously.”

With early diagnosis and treatment, including medications, implanted devices or surgery in some cases, many people with HCM are able to manage the condition successfully. Doctors may also recommend tests such as electrocardiograms, echocardiograms and genetic testing when a patient’s symptoms or family history warrant additional evaluation.

Shores said her diagnosis motivated her to enroll in a clinical drug trial at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University.

“I decided to enter a trial drug study because I want people to get the help they need,” Shores said. “Black women, in particular, are underrepresented in a lot of drug trials, and I told the doctor I wanted to be one of them. This is going to get more of us in the community to participate in research. If this helps anybody, I would be so grateful — my brother is a tribute to that.”

locally. An NBC News analysis of state immunization data found the percentage of St. Louis kindergarten students meeting required vaccination standards fell from 91.6% during the 2010-11 school year to 75.9% in 2024-25. The analysis also found exemption rates increased while measles, mumps and rubella vaccination coverage dropped below levels public health experts generally associate with strong community protection.

“If you’re not compliant with your immunizations, you should not be enrolled in school,” Amber Boleyjack, director of nursing at St. Louis Public Schools, told NBC.

Former friend wants Will to take the stand against Jada

Jim Gilstrap, whose voice became a fixture on some of the most memorable recordings of the past five decades, has died of natural causes. He was 79.

Gilstrap was the co-lead vocalist on the theme song for the sitcom “Good Times,” one of television’s most enduring opening themes.

He also sang the memorable opening lines on the Grammy Awardwinning classic “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” featured on Stevie Wonder’s classic album “Talking Book.”

His recording credits include Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, The Jacksons, Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton, Teddy Pendergrass, Stanley Clarke, Whitney Houston, George Benson, George Duke, The Brothers Johnson among many others.

Jim Gilstrap

Rapper Boosie is demanding a refund from a lobbying firm that failed to deliver a pardon from President Trump.

According to documents reviewed by The New York Post, the Louisiana rapper approached MAGA lobbying firm Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl of JM Burkman & Associates in September 2025 and paid them $600,000 to secure a pardon from President Trump for federal gun charges from 2023.

The documents show Boosie’s agreement that if the pardon was not obtained by 5:00 p.m. on Jan. 1, the firm had to provide a $300,000 refund.

“This contract was prepared by and signed by Burkman & Associates, including the return of funds provision,” Boosie’s Baton Rouge-based lawyer, Jill Craft, told The Post. “We expect them to live up to their end of the signed contract.”

The 43-year-old, whose real name is Torrence Hatch Jr., claimed Burkman and Wohl mentioned that they had reached out to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ill), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and conservative activists and commentators Laura Loomer, Mike Cernovich, Jack Posobeich and Erika Kirk during his attempt to win a pardon.

“EVERYONE U SAID U REACHED OUT TO FOR MY PARDON HAS SAID U R LYING,” Boosie wrote on X. “ITS GETTING HOT SO WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?”

Will Smith’s ex-friend is seeking the actor’s testimony against his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, in a $3 million lawsuit filed last winter.

Bilaal Salaam, who alleged Jada confronted and threatened at Will’s birthday party in September 2021, requested via an email on July 7 that a judge require the actor to participate in a deposition, according to legal documents obtained by Page Six

Jada’s legal team responded, stating that “there is nothing to meet and confer about” because the “Men in Black” star “is not a party to this litigation” and has not formally been served a subpoena.

Salaam filed the lawsuit in December 2025, alleging that Jada confronted him in the lobby of the Regency Calabasas Commons hotel during Will’s birthday celebration in September 2021.

According to his complaint, Jada threatened that he would “end up missing or catch a bullet” if he continued discussing her private life. Salaam claims members of her entourage were present and followed him to his vehicle.

He is seeking $3 million in damages for alleged emotional, physical and financial harm.

Jada has denied his account and dismissed Salaam’s public allegations as “nonsense.”

Bigga Rankin dies at 50

Bigga Rankin — the legendary DJ whose mixtapes helped launch some of hiphop’s biggest names — has died. He was 50. Rankin’s family announced his death in a statement that was posted to his social media accounts on Monday, July 20. The Jacksonville native, born Billy Plummer, served as an A&R at Think It’s A Game Records.

Bigga Rankin spent the past three decades promoting major rap artists like Rick Ross, T.I., Yo Gotti, Jeezy and B.o.B. He hosted various mixtape series over the years, including Strictly 4 Traps N Trunks, Street Lights and his Real [n-word expletive] Radio.

“Bigga wasn’t just a champion of TIG, he was a champion for hip hop,” his label Think It’s A Game said in a statement. “He believed in artists before the world did, opened doors for countless careers, and poured into so many people that it’s impossible to name them all.”

Hot Sheet Sources:

‘Fierce champion of SLPS dies at 73

By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American

Mary J. Armstrong, an educator and longtime president of the American Federation of Teachers

St. Louis, Local 420, has died after struggling with a chronic illness for several years, family members said.

“Mary was a fierce champion for St. Louis Public Schools,” said Kathy Conley-Jones, Armstrong’s lifelong, self-described “sista/ friend.”

“Mary’s negotiating skills; her not backing

AI

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replace, traditional developmental milestones.

“Everything they do in this space with electronics is going to be educational to get them ready for their next step in life,” said preschool teacher Marilyn Washington. “It’s a great thing because, in the future, technology is what it’s all going to be. We are introducing it early, but we are teaching them to use it as a tool.”

The academy’s expanded center comes as members of Generation Alpha — generally defined as children born beginning around 2013 — are raised completely immersed in touchscreen technology, artificial intelligence and social media.

According to research by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 40% of children have a tablet by age 2, 58% have one by age 4, and nearly one in four kids own a cellphone by age 8.

Despite their interest in digital devices, Black students across Missouri

Executive

Continued from A1

State Sen. Angela Walton Mosley, elected in 2020, represents the 13th District, which includes parts of north St. Louis County. Her father, Elbert A. Walton Jr., is a former Missouri state representative. Her husband, Jay Mosley, and daughter, Chanel Mosley, serve in the Missouri House.

Mosley also serves as Senate Democratic minority caucus chair. She told St. Louis Public Radio the position requires listening to colleagues and helping lead Senate Democrats.

The St. Louis American asked the candidates four questions about the race. Mosley did not respond as of press time. Asked what makes them the best candidate for county executive, Williams said the county needs

Amendments

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in this brazen power grab,” von Glahn said.

Supporters, including the Missouri Farm Bureau and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, say the proposal would protect Missouri’s Constitution from well-funded, out-ofstate interests while requiring petition campaigns to build broader statewide support.

Opponents, including Respect MO Voters and the Missouri Association of Realtors, argue the proposal gives unequal weight to congressional districts and makes it harder for citizens than lawmakers

down but also understanding that it took both sides was beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” Conley-Jones continued. “As it relates to public schools, everything Mary did came from her heart.”

Armstrong became president of Local 420 in 2003 and led the union until retiring from education in July 2017 after a 30-year career. She took over as the district entered one of the most turbulent periods in its history.

Around the same time, former Mayor Francis Slay and a newly formed seven-member school board

hired turnaround firm Alvarez & Marsal. William Roberti, a former clothing store executive, was named interim superintendent. To close a massive budget gap, the firm closed schools, eliminated jobs, privatized services and angered many teachers, parents and community members.

Armstrong quickly took issue with the firm’s approach.

“They are a reputable

firm, but this is their first time dealing with a public entity,” Armstrong told reporters. “It just seems like everything has been done behind closed doors, and then, bam! This is what it’s going to be.”

Former SLPS

Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams said his relationship with Armstrong often resembled another kind of union.

“I would always say Mary and I were in a mar-

riage and, like sometimes in a marriage, you have to sleep on the sofa,” Adams said with a laugh. “But we both fought really hard to do what’s best for this district.”

Armstrong also used the pages of The St. Louis American to challenge city leaders. “There was something about Mary J. Armstrong,” said Dr. Nicolé Williams Freeman, a friend and former SLPS deputy superintendent.

“There are people whose accomplishments can be measured by the offices they held… then there are people whose

Easton Pritchard,

explore science tools inside Dream STEAM Academy’s new innovation lab, where young students are introduced to technology, engineering and creative learning.

greatest achievements are found in the lives they touched and the hope they inspired. Mary J. Armstrong was that kind of leader.” ed by her son, Eric L. Armstrong, and grandson, Eric L. Armstrong. A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, July 30, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Austin Layne Mortuary. An Alpha Delta Chapter event will precede the service.

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

she said. They will create their own original characters and animated, talking AI versions of themselves, helping them understand and embrace emerging technology, Blair said.

Parents also are offering praise.

“It’s a wonderful place to start,” said Shayla Arnold, whose triplets have attended the academy for two years. “I especially love the engineering focus because you don’t often hear about minority children getting to deal with that so early.”

Another parent, Sydney Lyles, whose daughter, Ivy, has attended the academy since age 2, said the academy bridges the gap between natural curiosity and future readiness.

continue to face significant disparities in STEM education. About 14% of Black students score at or above proficiency in mathematics on state MAP tests, compared with 45% of White students, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

someone with the experience “to get things done” even when people across the table disagree.

“I bring a record of delivering real results for St. Louis County. Over my career in the State Senate, I have secured nearly $100 million in state funding for this county, including $2 million to rebuild Kinloch, Missouri’s first Black city, and $8 million to redevelop Jamestown Mall after more than a decade of neglect,” Williams said.

Zimmerman said he’s the only candidate who has done “the hard work of running a piece of county government.”

“Giving speeches is easy. Balancing a budget, serving the taxpayers, caring for our employees, and upholding a commitment to running a diverse and professional office — that’s the hard part (and) this is no time for training wheels,” Zimmerman said.

“I know what it means

to amend the Missouri Constitution.

Amendment 5

Amendment 5, known as the Income Tax Elimination and Sales Tax Changes Amendment, would gradually phase out Missouri’s individual income tax if state revenue growth meets benchmarks in the proposal. To replace lost revenue, lawmakers could expand or modify sales taxes and other revenue sources.

Mailers, television commercials and advertisements on Black-oriented radio stations have promoted the measure with a simple promise: “Pass Amendment 5, and we’ll all have an extra $3,000 in

By sixth grade, White students in St. Louis public and charter schools are nearly three times as likely as Black students to demonstrate proficiency in math, and White students are enrolled in

to grow up without much … my mother worked multiple jobs to provide for our family … my grandmother made history as the first African American woman to hold an international appointment as a union autoworker,” Williams said.

“From them, I learned that you show up and you do the work, you don’t wait for someone else to fix things for you.”

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate STEM courses at roughly twice the rate of Black students, according to data from St. Louis Public Schools and DESE.

By introducing structured STEAM activities for children under age 5,

big job.”

Although she did not respond to The American’s questionnaire, Mosley told St. Louis Public Radio she would meet with department heads and employees who work on the ground because they often have the clearest understanding of what is and isn’t working inside county government.

Since Page was elected county executive in 2019, the relationship with the County Council has sometimes been marred by power struggles, legal battles and ethics investigations.

“As assessor, I have to be accountable to this community every day,” Zimmerman said.

“When we get it wrong … people let us know!”

He said hearing directly from residents “is what makes me ready for the

our pockets.”

Gov. Mike Kehoe and conservative groups, including Americans for Prosperity-Missouri, contend the amendment would make Missouri more competitive, attract new businesses and residents, and leave more money in workers’ paychecks. Earlier this year, The St. Louis American quoted state Rep. John Martin, a Republican from Columbia, who called the proposal a “historic opportunity.”

“We have a historic opportunity to help Missourians to have more take-home pay, and they can choose to spend that,” Martin said.

Critics see it differently.

Since Page was elected county executive in 2019, the relationship with the County Council has sometimes been marred by power struggles, legal battles and ethics investigations.

The American also asked the candidates how they would improve that

Sarah Narkiewicz, director of the LowIncome Taxpayer Clinic at Washington University, said Missouri would still have to generate enough revenue to pay for schools, health care, transportation and public safety. Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, called the proposal “the largest sales tax increase in state history” and warned it would disproportionately affect seniors, many of whom no longer pay state income taxes on Social Security benefits.

The Missouri Budget Project disputes campaign claims that most Missourians would come out ahead financially, estimating that between

the center aims to shift early technology use from screen time to interactive learning, Blair said. Instead of just watching influencers, the students will be learning the foundational communication and tech skills required to produce their own content,

relationship.

Mosley is involved in pending litigation with 4th District Councilwoman Shalonda Webb stemming from a physical altercation after a town hall meeting late last year. Mosley told St. Louis Public Radio she could work with Webb if elected.

“People should be able to work with people they don’t like,” Mosley told the station. “You still have to get a job done.”

Zimmerman compared the relationship to Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

“Remember the old book ... Well, it’s like that … but worse,” he said.

“It’s time to end the drama and get back to doing the real work.”

Williams said the county executive and County Council are separate branches of government for a reason.

“The relationship works

60% and 80% of resi-

dents could see a net tax increase if Missouri relies more heavily on sales taxes to replace income tax revenue. Health care advocates have also joined the opposition. Dr. Priya Pal, a physician-scientist specializing in HIV research, said shifting more of the tax burden to sales taxes could make medical care less affordable.

“As physicians, we see every day what happens when health care becomes unaffordable,” Pal said.

“People delay appointments, skip medications, postpone screenings and arrive sicker than they otherwise would have.”

Opponents also argue the proposal would tem-

“Kids already have a certain grasp on technology, but learning these concepts at this age will ensure they are truly prepared as the world advances,” Lyles said. “If they aren’t exposed to it now, they’ll struggle to catch up later. But by starting early, their potential will only progress further and further.”

best when it is built on respect, transparency and a shared commitment to results for residents, not gridlock or political posturing.”

He said he would treat council members “as a genuine partner, not an obstacle.”

Asked why they are seeking the office, Williams said he wants the opportunity to “come back home” and serve the region where he grew up.

Zimmerman said, “Nothing truly worth doing is easy. My parents raised me to believe that when we see a mess, we should try to fix it. God calls all of us to serve, and if my life can be a small part of making things better, then I believe it’s my responsibility to stay in the fight.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

porarily suspend some protections of Missouri’s Hancock Amendment by allowing lawmakers to make major changes to the state’s sales tax structure during the transition away from the income tax without another statewide vote. Supporters respond that the amendment gives lawmakers the flexibility needed to modernize Missouri’s tax system while reducing income taxes as state revenues grow. Missouri voters will decide both constitutional amendments in the Aug. 4 primary election.

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

“It is a violent act against yourself to allow other people in your life to diminish you.”

MATI 2026

6th annual festival positioned STL as cultural crossroads

Programming showcased the depth of the region’s artistic influence

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American

Music at the Intersection’s 6th annual festival brought four days of performances, conversations and community to the Grand Center Arts District. More than 100 artists across jazz, hip hop, funk, soul and spoken word filled venues throughout the neighborhood. Through MATI, audiences were offered a comprehensive look at the region’s cultural legacy and the national talent drawn to St. Louis each year. From Jon Batiste’s opening night at The Fabulous Fox to Wyclef Jean’s closing set on Sunday, MATI 2026 demonstrated why the festival has become a signature event for the city.

Batiste opens the weekend with a musical journey

Grammy winner Jon Batiste launched the festival Thursday night with Jon Batiste Live: A Fantastical Musical Journey. His catalog spans nearly two decades, but he relied heavily on the compositions of others to set the tone for the weekend. The audience welcomed every moment.

“He brought the juke joint from Sinners to the Fox,” St. Louis American columnist Mike Jones said after Batiste made his exit. “If that wasn’t the best show I’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is.”

Batiste moved through the orchestra seats with his melodica, leading a second line to “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “You Are My Sunshine.” He encouraged singalongs during William DeVaughn’s “Be Thankful for What You’ve Got,” smiled as the crowd harmonized without prompting, and shifted into Curtis Mayfield’s “It’s Alright.” He took a brief detour into Prince’s “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore” before returning to his own catalog with “I NEED YOU.”

He gave background vocalist DeSz the spotlight through Ray Charles’ “The Night Time Is the Right Time,” then guided the audience through choreography during “Big Money” with the help of a woman who introduced herself as “Grandma Janice.” He slowed the tempo with Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” transitioned into “Für Elise Batiste,” and demonstrated his ability to merge classical, gospel and blues piano in a single sequence.

Batiste paid tribute to Chuck Berry with “No Particular Place to Go,” nodding to Berry’s longtime pianist Johnnie Johnson. He honored fellow New Orleanian Fats Domino with “Ain’t That a Shame,” then closed with “Butterfly” as the audience raised their cell phone lights in the air. The show reflected his consistent goal: leaving audiences feeling better than when they arrived.

Zapp brings the funk to Friday night

Friday night at The Big Top belonged to Zapp. The funk legends delivered a highimpact show that reminded audiences why bands of their era remain festival staples. Dressed in bedazzled black tuxedos, they worked the stage with choreography that matched the magnetism of their catalog.

The show opened with a video tribute to Roger Troutman and a reminder that Zapp is one of the most sampled acts in music history. The crowd erupted at the first notes of “More Bounce to the Ounce” and stayed on their feet through a set that included “Be Alright,” connected to 2Pac’s “Keep Ya Head Up,” and a featured performance by funk/disco duo Tuxedo. Their reimagination of Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun” kept the groove going. Earlier performances included Illphonics, Nubya Garcia and Moonchild. After The Big Top

Wyclef Jean closed out MATI 2026 with a high energy show at The Fabulous Fox Sunday night. His set was the final act of more than 100 artists who played the 6th Annual Music at the Intersection July 17-19.

Two Temptations, one Muny debut

Jawan M. Jackson and Nick Rashad Burroughs help bring Motown legacy to Forest Park

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American

When Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations makes its Muny debut next week, two actors who have lived inside the Temptations’ story will help introduce the musical. Jawan M. Jackson and Nick Rashad Burroughs arrive at The Muny carrying personal histories, regional ties and a shared commitment to honoring the men behind one of the most influential groups in American music.

For Jackson, stepping back into the role of Melvin Franklin is both familiar and deeply personal. He originated the role on Broadway and has played it in nearly every major iteration of the show. He is also a touring member of the current iteration of the group, which still includes original member Otis Williams. Bringing his Melvin to The Muny marks a milestone.

This is the first time the production will appear on The Muny stage. Jackson said the moment feels significant. “The Muny is iconic,” he said. “And it’s my first time performing there. I feel like it’s going to be electric.”

“Melvin is a part of me,” Jackson said. “Every time I get to pay homage to him, it’s a privilege. And introducing him to a new generation — people who know the songs but not the men — that’s always an honor.” Jackson grew up in Detroit, the birthplace of Motown and the city Franklin represented around the world. Growing up with a deep voice meant there were few artists he could look to for representation. Melvin Franklin was one of them. That connection shaped his understanding of the role long before he ever stepped onstage.

“One thing about a Detroiter is that we’re going to represent anywhere we go,” he said. “I take Detroit with me in everything I do.”

His long relationship with the role and new connection to the actual group has now become part of Temptations history. “When I first started the show, they said there were 24 Temptations,” Jackson said. “Now they’ve had to change the number to 27 — and I’m the 27th member.”

Although Ain’t Too Proud has played in St. Louis before, this is the first time the production will appear on The Muny stage. Jackson said the moment feels sig-

St. Louis American Calendar

BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS

Sat., Aug. 1, 12 noon, Rides N School Supplies, O’Fallon Park Rec Plex, 4343 West Florissant Avenue.

Sat., Aug. 1, 1 p.m., Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis Back to School Fair, Boys and Girls Club –Mathews-Dickey, 4245 N. Kingshighway Blvd.

Sat., Aug. 8, 12 noon, Dem Jeep Girls Back to School Giveaway, 95 North Oaks Plaza.

Sat., Aug. 8, 12 noon, Goodfellas Back to School Picnic, Bayer YMCA, 5555 Page Blvd.

Sat., Aug. 8, 12 noon, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Back to School drive through giveaway, 1408 N. Kingshighway Blvd.

Sun., Aug. 16, 12 noon, Inspiring STL Back to School Bash, Hoskins-Jackson Park, 6231 Washington Avenue, Berkeley MO.

CONCERTS

Fri., July 24, 7 p.m. doors, Buddy Guy 90 with Carlise Guy & The Nu Blu Band, The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, MO 63005. For more information, visit www.thefactorystl.com

Wed., July 29, 7:30 p.m., Babatunde: The HipHopera Tour, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO. For more informa-

tion, visit www.citywinery.com

Thurs., July 30, 7 p.m., Lil Wayne: 20 Years of Carter Classics with 2 Chainz, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. For more information, visit www.livenation.com.

Sat. Aug. 1, The City Winery welcomes Kindred The Family Soul, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com

Tues., Aug. 4, 8 p.m., Akon & Ne-Yo: Nights Like This Tour 2026, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. For more information, visit www. livenation.com.

Sun., Aug. 9, 7:30 p.m., Jack Harlow, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday, July 25, 5 p.m., Be The Change presents Living Legends 2026. This year’s honorees are Zaki Baruti, Arriel Givens-Biggs, Sheila Forrest, Sharee Nicole Galvin, Bernie Hayes, Wiley Price, Anthony Shahid and Lady Ada Taylor, Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd. Visit www.eventbrite.com for more information.

Thurs., July 30, 6 p.m., Black Tech Midwest presents SIP & TECH Mixer St. Louis Edition, The Post

Building, 1190 Cole Street. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com

Sat., Aug. 8, 3 p.m., The Golden Era of Black Radio, the fundraising event will feature a tribute to the late Doug Eason. The Post-Dispatch Building, Tucker and Cole Street. COMEDY

July 31 – Aug. 1, Jess Hilarious, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria Street, St Louis MO 63117. For more information, visit st-louis.heliumcomedy. com

Sat., Aug. 1, The

Factory welcomes Aries Spears, The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, MO 63005. For more information, visit www.thefactorystl. com

Fri., Aug. 7, 7:30 p.m., D’Lai: I Beg Your Pardon Tour, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com

Aug. 7 – Aug. 9, Helium welcomes Karlous Miller, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria Street, St Louis MO 63117. For more information, visit st-louis. heliumcomedy.com.

Comedy veteran Aries Spears will bring his signature brand of comedy to The Factory. See COMEDY for more details.

ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

Fri., July 24, 9 p.m.

Ish Ensemble feat. Alayna Lovelyy, The Dark Room, The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Sq, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://kranzbergartsfoundation.org

Sat., July 25, 9 p.m.

T-Dubb-O & The Blue City Syndicate: A Live Cinematic Recording Experience, The Dark Room, The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Sq, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://kranzbergartsfoundation.org

Sat., Aug. 15, 1 p.m.

CWE Jazz and Blues Festival, Euclid and Laclede in the Central West End. For more information, visit cwescene. com.

THEATRE

Through July 26, 7 p.m. Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA, 6880 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63130. Various showtimes, for more information, visit www.cocastl. org

July 27 – Aug. 2, The Muny presents Ain’t Too Proud, The Muny, 1 Theatre Dr, St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, visit https://muny.org

Aug. 6 – Aug. 13, The Muny presents Meet Me In St. Louis, The Muny, 1 Theatre Dr, St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, visit https://muny.org

ART

Sat., July 25, 2 p.m. Urban Arts Expo, 5261 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit https:// artbydeonne.com

Sat., July 25, 8 p.m. Art, Mimosa and Pancakes, The Hawthorn, 2231 Washington Ave, St. Louis MO 63103. For more information, visit https://ampexhibit.com/

Through Aug. 9, Teaser by Ayana Evans, Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit https://camstl.org

concluded, the party continued with MATI Artist-in-Residence Keyon Harrold and hip hop artists Tef Poe, AJ McQueen and Rapsody at Sovereign. Hip hop at the Intersection

Hip hop was present throughout the weekend. Illphonics opened The Big Top on Friday, and DJ Spinderella kept the energy high on the Theresa stage. Trackstar The DJ curated a lineup at Sophie’s, while St. Louis favorites anchored the skate party.

Friday night, Harrold organized a conscious hip hop showcase at Sovereign featuring Tef Poe, A.J. McQueen and Grammy winner Rapsody. Poe shouted out Pine Lawn, McQueen led a call-andresponse moment, and Rapsody honored Lauryn Hill with a “Ready or Not”/“Doo Wop (That Thing)” mashup — all backed by Harrold and his band.

Saturday’s conference programming featured Kyjuan and Murphy Lee of the St. Lunatics among the presenters. The day culminated with a live taping of the Still 400 podcast featuring Juvenile and Mannie Fresh at .Zack. The duo reflected on their careers, parenting, and the creation of “Back That [expletive] Up.” Juvenile later performed the song during Wyclef’s Sunday night set.

Saturday night at The Big Top also included New Orleans hip hop by way of featured bounce ambassador Big Freedia. Her unmatched energy elevated the already sweltering temperatures. “I’m that queen that will make you bounce,” she said — and she proved it.

Saturday night at The Big Top closed with Killer Mike. Trackstar The DJ’s Run The Jewels partner in rhyme demonstrated why he has been a fixture

Muny

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nificant. “The Muny is iconic,” he said. “And it’s my first time performing there. I feel like it’s going to be electric.”

The production also stars James T. Lane, Elijah Ahmad Lewis and Daniel Yearwood.

Jackson said the reimagined staging will give audiences a fresh experience. “It’s going to be told in a way it hasn’t been told since Broadway,” he said of the production that is directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge.

Portraying Melvin Franklin is more than a performance for Jackson — it is a responsibility tied to the legacy of Motown and the representation it offered Black audiences during the civil rights era. “Motown artists were ambassadors for Blackness,” he said. “For how we saw ourselves, not as stereotypes.” He said that standard guides him daily. “Somebody is looking at me the same way I looked at them. I have to be an excellent role model, father, uncle, brother — all of it.” Jackson hopes audiences walk away with a deeper understanding of the men behind the Temptations’ catalog.

He shared stories about Franklin’s health challenges and the lengths he went to in order to perform.

“He would fly out to get treated, then come right back on stage,” Jackson said. “After the show, he’d be on a breathing machine. People don’t know that. They just see the Temptations.” Nick Rashad Burroughs will join Jackson onstage as David Ruffin — a role

in hip hop for more than two decades. Backed by a quartet of background singers and Trackstar on the turntables, Mike’s set landed at the intersection of OutKast and Public Enemy. Club anthem features like Bone Crusher’s “Never Scared” and “Kryptonite” by the Purple Ribbon All Stars were mixed with politically charged selections such as “Reagan” and “Something for Junkies,” which outline the social commentary he has become known for alongside his Grammywinning artistry.

His performance of selections from Michael, including the album’s title track, made clear why the record nearly swept the 2024 Grammy Awards.

“I took y’all to church and didn’t even pass around a collection plate,” Mike joked after his background singers stirred the

he grew up watching every Sunday with his family in Birmingham, Alabama. When he learned he had been cast, his first thought was about the people who shared that ritual with him.

“My family is going to get to see me do this thing we all watched together on TV,” he said. “It feels like a dream come true.”

Burroughs grew up as a preacher’s kid, singing in church and directing the youth choir. He said those roots — gospel, R&B and the discipline of church musicianship — prepared him for the role long before he ever stepped on a stage. “I feel like I’ve been set up to play the most perfect role,” he said. “I’ve been surrounded by this inspiration my whole life.”

Portraying Ruffin means carrying forward a legacy of Black excellence built under pressure. “They had all the odds against them,” Burroughs said. “And they still rose to the top.” He said that understanding fuels his approach to the role. “If you’re going to do this story, the hard work comes with it. It’s hard work or nothing.” Burroughs said one of the most important parts of playing Ruffin is portraying him as a full human being. “People think he’s the villain or the diva,” he said. “But it’s my job to find out who he really was.” He said the musical gives audiences a chance to see the layers behind Ruffin’s choices — the insecurities, emotions and pressures that shaped him.

“I have to see him as a human being,” he said. “Where he was flawed, why the flaws happened, and how to make him feel authentic.”

Burroughs’ connection to St. Louis runs deep. He first performed here during the national tour of

crowd.

“Yes!” served as the perfect benediction.

Harrold’s jazz moments anchor the festival

Keyon Harrold’s presence was felt throughout MATI 2026. He opened the festival finale on Sunday and closed out Saturday night with the Miles Jam at Jazz St. Louis’ Ferring Jazz Bistro — a tribute to Miles Davis during the centennial year of his birth.

The set featured fellow Ferguson native Shedrick Mitchell and drummer Chris Dave. With only two measures of sheet music on the piano, they played for nearly two hours.

Harrold’s improvisation demonstrated his signature precision — building lines that connected seamlessly and adding new chapters to the story unfolding in

Something Rotten, returned with Moulin Rouge, and later starred in Dreamgirls at The Muny. “St. Louis has been one of my favorite places to perform,” he said. “I’ve built a family of friends here.”

He said performing iconic Black roles at The Muny carries weight. “I want young Black men to feel seen on stage,” he said. “I want them to know their work is valid.”

Burroughs said the moment Ruffin first sings with the Temptations in the movie was the moment he knew he wanted to perform. “Seeing how free he was on stage — I couldn’t help myself,” he said.

Knowing that a young boy in the audience may have the same reaction to his performance is emotional. “That’s all I ever want to do — inspire young Black men and women.”

Both actors hope audiences allow the music and story to take them somewhere familiar. Jackson wants people to understand the men behind the harmonies. Burroughs wants them to feel the memories tied to the songs. “These songs hold family, love, history,” Burroughs said. “It’s a celebration of a group that led us musically for decades.”

For Jackson, returning to Melvin Franklin is an honor. For Burroughs, stepping into David Ruffin is a fullcircle moment. Together, they will help usher the Temptations’ story onto The Muny stage — and introduce it to audiences who may be seeing it for the first time.

The Muny’s debut of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations will run July 27 through August 2 at The Muny at Forest Park. Visit muny.org for more information.

real time.

By the time they reached “So What,” it was clear why Harrold is often considered the heir apparent to Davis. His playing demonstrated intentional and instinctive clarity. He kept the warmth of traditional jazz close, but leaned into whatever style the moment called for — a trait that has made him a go-to collaborator in hip hop, R&B and neosoul.

Earlier Saturday, an emerging collective of jazz artists — trumpeter Josiah Burton, trombonist Lamar Harris, Poet Laureate Pacia Elaine Anderson and vocalist Dee Jazz — showed that the next generation has something to add to the genre. Their mashup of “Misty” and “Hot in Herre” was just one of the moments that reflected the hip hop influ-

ences shaping their sound.

A finale rooted in St. Louis

MATI 2026 closed the same way it began — with a celebration at The Fabulous Fox. Harrold welcomed Aida Ade and Sir Eddie C to the stage, creating an improvised moment that aligned with MATI’s mission of highlighting the region’s contribution to the American Songbook. PJ Morton followed with a set that blended new music with familiar favorites and included a gospel-infused mashup of “Mercy” and “Your Grace and Mercy.” Harrold’s portion of the show culminated with a performance by Grammy winner Andra Day. The pair brought the crowd to its feet with “Strange

Fruit” and “Rise Up.”

Wyclef Jean closed the festival with a set that honored The Score while showcasing his versatility. He played multiple instruments, rapped in three languages, and led the crowd through party staples including “September,” “Boots on the Ground,” “This Is How We Do It” and “Teach Me How to Dougie.” Women in carnival attire danced on stage as he performed “Maria Maria” and “Hips Don’t Lie.” The night ended with Maze featuring Frankie Beverly’s “Before I Let Go.” Music at the Intersection once again demonstrated why St. Louis remains a globally relevant cultural anchor — and a place where legacy, innovation and community meet on stage.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Another memorable MATI. I knew when Jon Batiste and his megawatt smile hit that second line Thursday night that the 6th Annual Music at the Intersection was going to be something spectacular. Y’all know how much I love to say I told you so…welp, I did. For some reason regular Black folks to really check for him like that, even though his music is New Orleans soul and blues. He could go shopping at the Schnucks on Union and Natural Bridge without wearing a shiesty and not have to worry about being bothered. Him and Leon Bridges are two unapologetically Black acts that have mostly white audiences. Several years ago, I told a friend I had to get off the phone to see Leon Bridges. She asked me if he went to Soldan. But anyway, Batiste brought the house down! And so did everybody else at MATI. But let me take a moment to show love to my boy Keyon Harrold, who has been holding it down for MATI from the get. Y’all remember that “Hey Mon” skit from “In Living Color” with the Jamaican family with all the jobs? That was Keyon Harrold this weekend. When I tell you he played, he sang, he played, he curated shows. He was working so hard as MATI’s artist-in-residence, that I wouldn’t have been surprised if he wasn’t frying fish in one of the food trucks or fixing drinks at the Jazz St. Louis bar. I got my life from every minute of his sets – especially that off-the-cuff freestyle moment he facilitated with Aida Ade and Sir Eddie C for the closing night concert at The Fox on Sunday. That moment perfectly summed up why MATI is so important! I have so many MATI highlights that I would need three Partylines to do it justice. You know what, I’m gonna do a part two next week to make sure everyone gets their flowers. As a sneak preview I will let y’all know that Big Freedia, Killer Mike, Zapp, Rapsody, AJ McQueen, Coultrain, Andra Day and PJ Morton were just a few of my favorites.

Breezy and Ursher served at The Dome! I could do a whole item on the outfits alone for all the looks that were pooched, perched and sat at the Dome for the R&B Tour. As a matter of fact, I will. Check for it below, but I can’t wait until my next post to ask who was the woman in the Nigerian wedding gown? Can you say straight outta Zamunda? Okay, now let’s get on with the concert. They played in our face with that 9 p.m. start time after we waited outside – and inside – all that time. DJ Fresh was keeping us engaged like the rent was due. He had y’all’s aunties out here turnt with a capital T! And I was here for every bit of it. When I tell you I got my whole entire life from that whole entire concert! They sang, they danced, they hunched. Chris Brown even pulled a Peter Pan on us by flying through the sky. Usher. Sir. Who was your personal trainer for this tour? The body was giving P90X plus CrossFit. Why did Breezy’s costume moment where he was looking like the light skinned dude who killed Cochise in “Cooley High” tickle me so? That show was so good that folks who spent half their mortgage felt satisfied despite being on the verge of moving back into their granny’s basement. If I had to pick a favorite between Usher and Breezy…the thing is, Usher was better vocally, but Breezy worked as hard as his DJ did at keeping us from being furious for having to wait. He risked his life with that aerial stunt, so I guess I’ll go with him. They were so good together. And I got double life from them giving Nelly a moment in the show. After seeing them co-headline, I almost wish they would have put out an album together and performed from it for the show. Hey, they could always do that and come back to sing and dance The Dome down all over again. I would be the first one in line to get a ticket.

R&B Tour Fashion. As I promised a few paragraphs ago, here is a rundown of who wore what – the good, the bad and the “girl, what were you

going through?” I’ll start with the good. Melissa Jones. When I tell you her black bedazzled look was utterly everything. If I could find those pants in a 2X, I’d have my Education Salute 2026 look on lock. Her utterly flawless look made up for the woman in that homemade Usher/Brezzy bustier. Girl. Why? And the girls found out the hard way that wearing kitten heels to a concert is still choosing violence. And who was the woman wearing that belt that looked just like the championship belt Usher had on during the show? Sis, how did you know? And some of y’all need to do a “twerk check” before you leave the house in an outfit. Because those strippers weren’t the only ones showing all their business – and at least they were paid, and it was on purpose.

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Jordan Walker leads call for more Black youth in baseball

Shortly after Jordan Walker’s 12th and clinching blast of the Home Run Derby final against hometown hero Kyle Schwarber had landed among bitter fans at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the St. Louis Cardinals right fielder spoke of the importance of his achievement.

“I hope it means a lot to [Black kids],” Walker told reporters. “I want to be a role model for Black kids, and I want more Black kids in baseball. Hopefully this raises some awareness. I know a lot of them are playing basketball [and] football.

more people to look up to, the more kids will get back into baseball,” said Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood.

Modest gains

“I want them to know the baseball route is open to them, too. There are a lot of kids that are athletic enough and mentally strong enough — Black kids that can play this game — and I want to see them do it.”

Walker, who grew up in suburban Atlanta, said Braves third baseman “Chipper” Jones was his favorite player until Jason Heyward made his debut with the team.

“For Black kids, I want to kind of be a role model for them,” Walker said, “like [Heyward] was for me.”

The 2026 All-Star Game rosters featured several Black players, who shared their hopes on inspiring more Black participation in baseball.

“I think once kids see

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge and Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton missed the game because of injuries, but were voted in as American League All-Star starters. Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams joined teammate Wood on the NL squad. And, of course, there was Walker, who stole the show in the Home Run Derby.

“I feel like there’s been like a little surge in getting more Black players in the game,” Wood said.

“We’ve got four [Black players] on our team right now. Last year at one point, we had five..”

The Cardinals’ opening day roster featured three Black players: outfielder Victor Scott II, shortstop Masyn Winn and Walker. After struggling offensively the first months of the season, Scott was sent down to Triple-A Memphis.

When the St. Louis trio took the field on opening day, Major League Baseball reported that 6.8% of players on rosters, injured lists and the restricted list were Black. That was up slightly from 6.2% at the start of

the 2025 season. It marked a two-year increase from a 6% rate at the beginning of 2024. It was the largest increase in a season since a 0.7% rise from 2017 to 2018.

MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred, who to his credit has ignored criticism of baseball diversity programs, sees progress and hopes for more.

“[Y]ou have to contin-

ue to invest, grind it out, do that grassroots work to attract more people to the game and then nurture them in a way that gets them into this elite pipeline,” Manfred said.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns, who was named to the NL All-Star team and just signed a seven-year, $105 million contract extension, said he is perplexed by the low

InSIdE SportS

With Earl Austin Jr.

number of Black baseball participants.

“You don’t see a lot of Black athletes in baseball. I don’t know why that is,” Burns said. “I think it’s great for guys like me and [Walker] to strive to get Black athletes into the game of baseball, whether it’s talking about it or doing stuff in the community. I think it’s great he pointed it out.”

As for Walker, he has become a rarity — a Black star in baseball. They have been few and far between at Busch Stadium since the days of Bob Gibson, Curt Flood and Lou Brock. Hopefully Cardinal Nation will appreciate Walker’s stardom, and the team will reward him with a lucrative contract extension soon.

2025-26 Prep Players of the Year

It was an exciting season of high school sports in the St. Louis metro area. A couple of weeks ago, we began our annual Prep Year in Review series by looking at the great teams in the area. This week, we conclude our high school coverage by looking at the great athletes by their individual sport. Here is a look at the St. Louis American 2025-26 Players of the Year, listed by sport.

The Top Honors

per game. As a senior, he passed for 2,622 yards and 29 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns while leading the Cadets to an 11-1 record and the Metro Catholic Conference championship. He is headed to Kansas State in the fall.

Our 2026 Male Athlete of the Year is Quentin Coleman, a senior guard who led Principia to its second consecutive state basketball championship.

Our Co-Female Athletes of the Year are Bailey Hensgens, a track and field star from Incarnate Word Academy and Shaye Witherspoon, a volleyball hitter from Lafayette.

Players of the Year, by Sport

Football (Large Schools)

Nick McClellan (CBC): – The outstanding senior quarterback was a true dual-threat weapon for the Cadets’ powerful offense that averaged 55 points

Football (Small Schools) Xavier Clark (St. Mary’s): The junior running back led the Dragons to a district championship and a berth in the Class 4 state semifinals. He rushed for 2,098 yards on 265 carries and scored 25 touchdowns. He also had 232 receiving yards for the season. He has already committed to the University of Missouri.

Boys Basketball

Quentin Coleman (Principia): The 6-foot4 senior guard led the Panthers to their second consecutive Class 3 state championship. He scored a career-high 50 points in the state championship game against Miller Career Academy. As a senior, he averaged 23 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 45% from 3-point range. He finished his stellar career ranked

in the top 20 nationally in the senior class and is headed to the University of Illinois.

Girls Basketball

Dasia Scott (Principia): The 6-foot-2 junior forward led the Panthers to the Class 3 state championship, the first in the program’s history. She was a dominant force at both ends of the court, averaging 20 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, as she led the Panthers to a 30-2 record. She has received multiple scholarship offers from Division I collegiate programs nationwide.

Nick McClellan, CBC’s outstanding senior quarterback, was a true dual-threat weapon for the Cadets’ powerful offense that averaged 55 points per game.

Volleyball

Shaye Witherspoon (Lafayette): The 6-foot3 junior outside hitter is the latest star player in the Lafayette High girls volleyball dynasty. As a junior, she led the Lancers to a 40-2 record and another Class 5 state championship. She averaged 5.9 kills a set, ranking second in the St. Louis area. She also had 94 blocks and 94 service aces. She has already committed to the collegiate powerhouse program at Nebraska.

Soccer Freddy Tate

(Chaminade): A senior forward who was one of the top scorers for the Red Devils. He scored 16 goals and had 6 assists, including 7 game-winning goals.

Xavier Clark (St. Mary’s): A two-sport standout who is also an excellent basketball player, Clark also excelled on the soccer pitch. He scored 22 goals and had 11 assists, leading the Dragons to a 17-7 record. He also recorded six game-winning goals.

Boys Wrestling Colin Rutlin (CBC): A junior standout who won a state championship at 157 pounds. He finished the season with a 40-3 record.

Pierre Walton (Althoff): The senior became a back-to-back state champion when he won the Class 1 state title at 165 pounds. He finished the year with a 44-1 record. He won a state title at East St. Louis as a junior.

Girls Wrestling Lexington Johnson (St. Charles West): A senior standout who won the Class 1 state championship at 170 pounds, Johnson finished the season with an outstanding

58-2 record.

Boys Track Moquez Bulliner (Belleville West): A stellar senior sprinter who was the Illinois Class 3A state champion in the 400-meter dash. He recorded a winning time of 47.2 seconds, the seventh fastest in state history. He led the Maroons to a second-place finish in the overall team standings.

Girls Track Bailey Hensgens (Incarnate Word Academy: The junior field event star has already established herself as one of the top combination jumpers in the history of St. Louis girls prep track and field. As a junior, she was a Class 4 state champion in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. On the track, she was also a state runner-up in the 200meter dash.

Baseball Corde Gage (CBC): A dual-sport athlete, Gage also stands out on the Cadets’ football team. In baseball, he helped CBC earn a berth in the state championship game as a standout outfielder. He had a .404 batting average with 1 home run, 6 triples, 30 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases.

IT PROFESSIONALS

(POSITIONS ARE IN ST. LOUIS, MO)

Application Engineers, Business Analysts, Business Operations Analysts, Business Systems Analysts, Data Testers, Database Analysts, IT Project Managers, Jr. Systems Administrators, QA Test Analysts, Software Developers, Software Engineers, Software Quality Assurance Testers, Software Test Engineers, Sr. Database Administrators, Business Intelligence Analysts, Computer Systems Analysts, Data Analysts, Database Administrators, Graphic Designers, Software Quality Assurance Analysts, Technical Business Analysts. Multiple positions. Mail resume to: Infinite Computer Solutions, Inc., Attn: HRGC, 2600 Tower Oaks Blvd, Ste. 700, Rockville, MD 20852.

COMMERCIAL TREE SERVICES

II- FRANKLIN COUNTY RFP 2026

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified vendors. Bid documents are available as of 7/22/26 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY

CURRENT JOB OPENINGS!

The Missouri Historical Society is actively hiring for the following positions:

African American History

Programming Specialist

Housekeeper

Managing Director of Philanthropy

Membership Intern

Private Event Coordinator

Rental Event Assistant and Sales Support

Resource Protection Officer

Sales and Events Manager

Visitor Experience Associate

Please visit: Job Opportunities for position details and to apply.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

CANDIDACY FILING

2026

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, the Castle Point Street Light District will be looking to fill one seat (six-year term) on the Board of Directors who operate and maintain streetlights in the Castle Point Subdivision. Candidates must appear to file a declaration of candidacy on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. -11 :00 a.m. and Tuesday, July 28 from 3:00 p.m.6:00 p.m. Must come to the Lewis & Clark Library 9909 Lewis & Clark Blvd. (Hwy. 367). Ask Sharon, Secretary. Candidates must be 18 years or older, have a current MO State Driver’s License or Missouri State ID which shows an address within the Castle Point Subdivision, possess a current military ID NOTICE TO CONSULTANTS

The St. Louis County Department of Transportation is requesting the services of a highly-qualified consulting engineering firm to perform professional engineering services for the McKnight Road Resurfacing – Route 100 to Litzsinger Road project (St. Louis County project number AR-1898).

Full details for these projects, including submittal requirements and deadline, will be available on July 20, 2026 from the St. Louis County Vendor Self-Service portal: https://stlouiscountymov endors.munisselfservice. com/Vendors/default. aspx

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Military Vehicle Compound, Fencing and Site Improvements at Jefferson Barracks, Project No. T2504-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, August 11, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo .gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Fire Alarm System, Infrastructure at Moberly and Boonville Correctional Centers, Project Nos. C2511-01 and C2502-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30

PM, August 18 and 20, 2026, respectively. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SOLICITING BID

Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/WBE/DBE/ Veteran/SDVE for the following: T2147-01 Jefferson City Readiness Center Civil Support Team Building Addition

Contact: Estimating Department ; estimating@ reinhardtconstructionllc.

com

Phone: 573-682-5505

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the County of St. Louis (the “LCRA”) and STLVentureWorks (“STLVW”) requests proposals from qualified contractors to provide general janitorial services at five (5) different properties located in St. Louis County. The requested services shall be for a one-year period with two successive options for renewal for terms of one year each. A copy of the RFP is available at https://stlpartnership.com/rfp-rfqs/. Proposals must be received no later than 3:00pm CST on Friday, August 7, 2026.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

REQUEST FOR BIDS

Russell Construction is seeking bids for the Winston Churchill Apartments renovation (MHDC project #25-440-TE) at 5475 Cabanne Ave, St. Louis, MO 63112. Project scope includes demolition, concrete repairs, masonry restoration, trim replacement, new roofing, openings, flooring, painting, bath accessories, appliances, cabinetry, MEPF work, elevator modernization, and light sitework.

We encourage subcontractors to attend one of the site walkthroughs for this project on 7/28 @ 11:30 or 7/29 @ noon.

Bids are due on August 6th by 5:00 PM and are to be emailed to estimatingSTL@ russellco.com. To access the plans and specifications or for any questions related to this project, please contact Ashley Grass at (314) 781-8000.

Minority-owned and women-owned enterprises are highly encouraged to submit bids. This project has business enterprise goals of 21% African American, 2% Hispanic American, 0.5% Asian American, 0.5% Native American, and 11% Women. Workforce (boots-on-the-ground) goals are 25% minority, 5% women, 20% city resident, and 15% apprentice.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Hazelwood School District is seeking bid proposals to remove and replace electrical panels at Larimore Elementary.

Interested parties should submit their bid proposal through Bidnet via the district’s website at https://www. hazelwoodschools. org/Page/2238 on or before Tuesday, August 4, 2026 not later than 10:00 a.m

COMMERCIAL FENCING SERVICES IIFRANKLIN COUNTY RFP 2026

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified vendors. Bid documents are available as of 7/22/26 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor.

SOLICITING BID

Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/WBE/DBE/ Veteran/SDVE for the following: T2505-01 Jefferson City Readiness Center Building 1 Repairs to Interior/Exterior Jefferson Readiness Center

Contact: Estimating Department ; estimating@ reinhardtconstructionllc. com

Phone: 573-682-5505

SOLICITING BID

Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/WBE/DBE/ Veteran/SDVE for the following: U2610-01 New Outdoor Pavilion – Missouri Veterans Home Contact: Estimating Department ; estimating@ reinhardtconstructionllc. com Phone: 573-682-5505

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Renovate Interior Headquarters Building, MSHP, Jefferson City Project No. R2410-01will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, August 25, 2026. Project information available at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Repave Parking Area Storage Building (Lower Shop), MSHP General Headquarters, Jefferson City, Missouri, Project No. R2505-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, August 27, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the County of St. Louis (the “LCRA”) and STLVentureWorks (“STLVW”) requests proposals from qualified contractors to provide general Landscaping services at five (5) different properties located in St. Louis County. The requested services shall be for a one-year period with two successive options for renewal for terms of one year each. A copy of the RFP is available at https://stlpartner ship.com/rfp-rfqs/. Proposals must be received no later than 3:00pm CST on Friday, August 7, 2026.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

NOTICE OF PRIMARY ELECTION

STATE OF MISSOURI

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2026

Notice is hereby given to the registered qualified voters of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, that the Missouri Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, as certified by the Honorable Denny Hoskins, CPA, Secretary of State, State of Missouri, and the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of St. Louis. The polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

The purpose of the Primary Election is to nominate candidates in the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Green parties of Missouri and the City of St. Louis for the federal, state and county offices to be voted upon at the General Election scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2026; and to submit certain constitutional amendments and local ballot propositions to the qualified voters as set forth below.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION

FOR STATE AUDITOR

Scott Fitzpatrick, 118 Skyline Drive, Cassville, MO 65625

Gerald (Jerry) Wistrand Jr., 809 S Harding St, Oak Grove, MO 64075

FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 1

Paul Berry III, 11932 Barbara Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63043

Andrew Jones, 3911 McRee Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 79

Mike Hebron, 3134 St. Vincent Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 80

Jennie Drag, 3917 McDonald Ave #A, St. Louis, MO 63116

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 84

Robert Vroman, 4105 Dressell Ave., St. Louis, MO 63120

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION

FOR STATE AUDITOR

Quentin Wilson, 1503 Greening Lane, Kirkwood, MO 63122

Gregory Upchurch, 529 Caulks Hill Rd, St. Charles, MO 63304

FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 1

Alissa Murphy, 831 Westwood Drive #2N, Clayton, MO 63105

Carl E. Harris Sr, 106 Berry Manor Cir, St. Peters, MO 63376

Cori Bush, 721 N. 17th St. Apt. 507, St. Louis, MO 63103

Wesley Bell, 900 S Hanley Rd Apt 8C, St. Louis, MO 63105

Carl Earnest Henderson, 4497 Pershing Ave. Apt. 609, St. Louis, MO 63108

FOR STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 4

Steve Butz, 3823 Holly Hills Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63116

Gina Mitten, 1615 Hunter Ave, St. Louis, MO 63117

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 76

Marlon Anderson, 1556 Switzer Ave, St. Louis, MO 63147

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 77

Kimberly-Ann Collins, 4234 E. Lexington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63115 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 78

Marty Joe Murray, 2005 Geyer Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 79

Rachel D’Souza, 4272 Russell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63110

Adam S. Hopkins, 3517 Hebert St, St. Louis, MO 63107

Helen Bailey, 2939 Dodier St., St. Louis, MO 63107

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 80

Elizabeth (Lilly) Fuchs, 4228

Wyoming Apt A, St. Louis, MO 63116

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 81

Tony Kirchner, 6055 Carlsbad Ave, St. Louis, MO 63116

Aaron Nathaniel Clite, 4122 Alma Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116

James (Jimmy) Lappe, 6111

Alabama Ave., St. Louis, MO 63111

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 82

Nick Kimble, 5456 Gresham Ave, St. Louis, MO 63109

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 84

Del Taylor, 5738 Etzel Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63112

FOR COLLECTOR OF REVENUE

Gregory F.X. Daly, 4127 Upton Court, St. Louis, MO 63116

FOR LICENSE COLLECTOR

Mavis “Tessa” Thompson, 3510 Dodier Street, St. Louis, MO 63107

Dylan Hassinger, 3022 Wyoming St, St. Louis, MO 63118

FOR RECORDER OF DEEDS

Anthony T. Brandon, Jr., 5932

Harney Ave, St. Louis, MO 63136

Patty Ellison-Brown, 3131 Franke Ct., St. Louis, MO 63139

Shane Cohn, 4666 Tennessee Ave, St. Louis, MO 63111

Yolonda “Yogi” Yancie, 1205 N. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63113

LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION

FOR STATE AUDITOR

Dustin Coffell, 80 Fountain View Ter Apt 12, Lake St. Louis, MO 63367

FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 1

Tom Schmitz, 400 S 4th St Unit 1104, St. Louis, MO 63102

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 77

Michael Corey, 4232 Enright Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108

GREEN

PARTY CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION

FOR RECORDER OF DEEDS

Jerome H. Bauer, 6036 Pershing Ave, St. Louis, MO 63112

Don De Vivo, 4451 Swan Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND BALLOT PROPOSITIONS TO BE SUBMITTED

The following constitutional amendments and local propositions will appear on all ballot styles, including the Nonpartisan Ballot, per Section 116.240, RSMo, and applicable local authority:

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 1

(Proposed by Article IV, Section 47(c); Second Regular Session, SJR No. 1)

Shall Missouri continue for 10 years the one-tenth of one percent sales/use tax that is used for soil and water conservation and for state parks and historic sites, and resubmit this tax to the voters for approval in 10 years?

The measure allows continued collection of the existing sales and use tax, which generates revenue of approximately $140 million annually.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 2

(Proposed by 103rd General Assembly, First Regular Session, HCS HJR Nos. 23 & 3)

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

* require all charter counties, including Jackson County, to provide for the election of a county assessor; and

* require assessors in all charter counties to comply with any training requirements established by general law?

State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 4

(Proposed by 103rd General Assembly, Second Extraordinary Session, HCS HJR No. 3)

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

* Modify current requirements that a statewide majority of voters may approve initiative petitions to amend the constitution;

* Require a majority of voters in each congressional district to approve initiative petitions to amend the constitution; and

* Make available to each voter the full text of initiative petitions with their ballot?

The Department of Corrections estimates increased annual costs of up to $21,817. The Office of State Public Defender estimates an unknown fiscal impact. Other state governmental entities

estimate no costs or savings. Local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.

CONSTITUTIONAL

AMENDMENT NO. 5

(Proposed by 103rd General Assembly, Second Regular Session, SS SCS HCS HJR Nos. 173 & 174)

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

* Require legislative phase-out of the individual state income tax based on revenue growth, and authorize the expansion of sales and use taxes;

* Curtail constitutional limits on taxing goods and services; and

* Require local tax rate cuts without reducing school funding if local sales tax revenue increases?

The proposal has no direct impact on state or local tax revenue. If passed, implementing legislation will have an unknown impact to state and local tax revenue. If implemented, state government entities expect a reduction of $57,000 annually in income tax check-off donations and implementation costs of at least $100,000.

PROPOSITION M — OFFICIAL BALLOT

Shall the Charter of the City of St. Louis be amended to modernize language describing City departments, divisions, or other organizations, to provide for modern methods of advertisement and publication, to delete obsolete references to Missouri statute, to delete obsolete references to City departments, divisions, or other organizations, to remove obsolete references to pay scale, to replace pronouns with specific title references, and to standardize capitalization of titles and uniform formatting of numbers?

CWE SOUTH SPECIAL BUSINESS DISTRICT — OFFICIAL BALLOT

(submitted to qualified voters residing within the CWE South Special Business District only)

Shall the CWE South Special Business District be authorized to impose a tax on owners of real property, including that real property used exclusively for residential purposes, located in the CWE South Special Business District in a sum not to exceed eighty-five cents on the one hundred dollar assessed valuation?

A sample ballot for each party, and for the Nonpartisan Ballot, is set forth immediately following this notice.

BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS FOR THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS

Jerry M. Hunter, Chairperson

Joseph A. Barbaglia, Secretary

Susan R. DiRaimondo, Commissioner Andy Schwartz, Commissioner

Leo G. (Gary) Stoff, Jr., Republican Director D. Benjamin Borgmeyer, Democratic Director

BIDS

OA-FMDC, State of MO will have the following MO National Guard projects that will be open for public bid through September 2026, subject to available funding. When released, bid documents will be available at https://oa.mo. gov/facilities/ T2411-01 Construct Solar Array, Whiteman AFB ANG Readiness Center, Knob Noster T2526-01 Install New Emergency Generator, Hangar Helicopter AASF, Whiteman AFB ANG Readiness Center, Knob Noster

SEALED BIDS

SEALED BIDS

Bids received by Zion Travelers Community Involvement Association

Bids for Commercial Flat Roof Replacement Bids for A/C Units w/ Warehouse Ceiling Fans

Full Details Available At: ZTCIA.ORG

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the County of St. Louis (the “LCRA”) and STLVentureWorks (“STLVW”) requests proposals from qualified contractors to provide general HVAC services at five (5) different properties located in St. Louis County. The requested services shall be for a one-year period with two successive options for renewal for terms of one year each. A copy of the RFP is available at https://stlpartner ship.com/rfp-rfqs/. Proposals must be received no later than 3:00pm CST on Friday, August 7, 2026.

Bids for New Outdoor Pavilion, Missouri Veterans Home, St. James, MO, Project No. U261001 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, July 30, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities SEALED

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the County of St. Louis (the “LCRA”) and STLVentureWorks (“STLVW”) requests proposals from qualified contractors to provide general Trash Removal services at five (5) different properties located in St. Louis County. The requested services shall be for a one-year period with two successive options for renewal for terms of one year each. A copy of the RFP is available at https://stlpartnership.com/ rfp-rfqs/. Proposals must be received no later than 3:00pm CST on Friday, August 7, 2026.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the County of St. Louis (the “LCRA”) and STLVentureWorks (“STLVW”) requests proposals from qualified contractors to provide general Security Systems and Alarm services at five (5) different properties located in St. Louis County. The requested services shall be for a one-year period with two successive options for renewal for terms of one year each. A copy of the RFP is available at https://stlpartnership.com/rfp-rfqs/. Proposals must be received no later than 3:00pm CST on Friday, August 7, 2026.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

Religion

For some divorced members, church becomes another loss

divorce.

By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word In Black

For nearly a decade, Kimmoly LaBoo poured herself into her Baltimorearea church, completing leadership training and mentoring others. But when her marriage began falling apart, she said she encountered misunderstanding and blame-shifting from church leadership instead of the support she expected.

During counseling sessions, LaBoo says she initially withheld details of her husband’s emotional abuse to protect his dignity, only to have the pastor privately blame her for the faltering marriage.

bled marriage made her unfit to lead. Meanwhile, her husband continued to lead lay worship and direct the senior choir.

“How could I be removed from teaching a writing class while the person creating the chaos at home remained in front of the congregation every week?” LaBoo says. “The church has to know when a situation is beyond Bible study. If leaders aren’t equipped to help, they have a responsibility to refer people to someone who is.”

Even after LaBoo finally disclosed years of explosive tirades and property destruction that required police intervention, the church never adjusted its response to her.

Even after LaBoo finally disclosed years of explosive tirades and property destruction that required police intervention, the church never adjusted its response to her.

Instead, a writing ministry she had developed was indefinitely postponed while leadership questioned whether her trou-

LaBoo’s experience reflects a broader, troubling pattern. While the Black church has long upheld marriage as a sacred covenant, interviews with divorced church members, therapists, and ministry leaders reveal that many congregations struggle to respond when those marriages collapse. A growing body of research shows that while Christian couples frequently rely on shared faith to sustain their marriages, divorced members — particularly women — often feel isolated, overlooked, or quietly stigmatized in

congregations where marriage remains the spiritual ideal. Whether a member experiences compassion or condemnation frequently depends less on theology than on local church

in Ohio, argues that churches often spend too little time honestly preparing couples for marriage and too little helping members heal after a

“People divorced with children is a different group than people who are divorced without children,” Jones says.

“They’re trying to heal …

imize a husband’s or wife’s misconduct at home because it is hard to reconcile with a member who is active and faithful in the pews. Furthermore, women frequently bear a disproportionate share of judgment during a split.

To fix this, Jones recommends churches create specialized ministries for divorced parents, build referral partnerships with licensed therapists, and establish grief support groups that treat divorce as a significant emotional loss.

Not every story ends in rejection, however. When her marriage to a pastor ended, Roxanne Freeman said members of her denomination rallied around her as they gradually recognized the reality of what had happened behind closed doors.

“They always supported me,” Freeman says, though she acknowledges her experience is unusual. “I have seen other people … leave the church. They embrace the people who they like … and the other one kind of flees.”

Ultimately, ministry experts say congregations must change church norms around divorced couples, learning to love members through their brokenness rather than treating the end of a marriage as a permanent spiritual scar.

“That’s our responsibility,” Jones says. “To love.”