Abortion fight moves to administrative hearing
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St. LouiS AmericAn The
91 years of serving the St. Louis community
CAC Audited JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2019
Vol. 91 No. 14 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Community rallies behind Kim Gardner Demands special prosecutor to investigate her claims, funding for her defense St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner
By Chris King Of The St. Louis American A group of community advocates who support St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner will rally at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 27 at City Hall to issue a set of demands to various authorities. They will demand that Mayor Lyda Krewson fire St. Louis City Counselor Julian Bush, that Bush and the city stop obstructing the payment of Gardner’s legal fees, that the courts appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Gardner’s allegation of Tampering with a Judicial Official, and that Judge Mike Mullens lift the gag order in an investigation of Gardner’s office. That is according to Jerryl Christmas, an attorney and former prosecutor and former candidate for See GARDNER, A6
Ferguson passes over Frank McCall for police chief Candidate from Georgia chosen over veteran handling DOJ consent decree By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Two black men were in the running for police chief of the Ferguson Police Department. Frank McCall is the current interim police chief and was assistant chief under former chief Delrish Moss. Jason Armstrong is captain of the Forest Park Police Department in Forest Park City, a suburb outside of Atlanta, and has served there for 17 years. He was an interim police chief for two months there, but otherwise has no experience as a police chief. On June 25, the Ferguson City Council approved the city manager’s selection of Jason Armstrong as the police Armstrong department’s next chief. Councilwoman Fran Griffin was the only “no” vote. Newly elected in April, Griffin is also the only councilmember who doesn’t consistently align herself with Mayor James Knowles III. The police chief selection was ultimately made by City Manager Jeff Blume. Blume formerly was the longtime financial director for Ferguson cited by the U.S. Department of Justice multiple times for urging police to issue more citations to generate more revenue for the city. Blume said the interview process was
Photo by Wiley Price
See FERGUSON, A7
Photo by Cathy Sewell
Summer means science Kristin Williams, Kyleigh Johnson, Makila Bean and Janila Hill learned how to use a compass at the St. Louis American’s Summer Science Program at Little Creek Nature Area in Florissant on June 19. The camp (led by Cathy Sewell, The American’s Newspapers in Education manager) was held June 17-28 to help students bolster their science skills when out of school for the summer.
Cure Violence meets Better Family Life Local advocates welcome help from national group that treats violence as public health issue
WashU to raise minimum wage to $15 by 2021 Graduate Workers Union still fighting for union voice and childcare
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Marcus McAllister, an international trainer with Cure Violence, spent a week speaking with community members and public officials about bringing the group’s violence prevention model to St. Louis. at the end of n “We have to look at the best thatBut week, his tone applied practices and go with changed and his it. So let’s learn. Let’s share.” posture relaxed when he sat down with – James Clark, Better Family Life some of his own — people out doing “the work” in the city’s toughest streets. On Friday, June 21, McAllister took a seat at a long conference table with about 15 men and women “soldiers” at the North St. Louis social-service organization Better Family Life Inc. (BFL). These are people who are in the streets, on front porches, and in the living rooms in some of the highest-crime areas in North See VIOLENCE, A7
Photo by Rebecca Rivas
Marcus McAllister, an international trainer with Cure Violence, met with community members and public officials in St. Louis last week. This is the second time he has visited St. Louis to talk about bringing the group’s violence prevention model to the city.
After a year of Fight for $15 protests, Washington University announced on Tuesday, June 25 that it will raise the minimum hourly wage to $15 for regular employees and basic service contractors by July 1, 2021. The decision affects about 1,200 regular and contracted workers, according to the Service Employees International Union Local 1. “Housekeepers, graduate workers and campus workers at WashU came together across racial lines and different backgrounds to fight for the $15 we need to support our families and improve our neighborhoods,” said Local 1 WashU housekeeper Gary Johnson. See WASHU, A6