Prosecutors agree to stop prosecuting 17-year-olds as adults – See page A9
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CAC Audited NOVEMBER 14 – 20, 2019
91 years serving, empowering and advocating equity in St. Louis
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“Women’s Day allows women from all over the world to worship together in synergy and to move in unity toward our God-given purpose.” – Mother Barbara McCoo Lewis, general supervisor, COGIC International Women’s Department Joyce Rodgers, assistant supervisor, COGIC International Women’s Department, spoke at Women’s Day on Friday, November 8 at America’s Center, part of the Church of God in Christ’s (COGIC) 112th Holy Convocation in St. Louis. Seated behind her is Mother Barbara McCoo Lewis, general supervisor, COGIC International Women’s Department.
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
‘There is power in you’ COGIC celebrates Women’s Day at Holy Convocation in St. Louis By Elizabeth Sharpe-Taylor For The St. Louis American
n “This is the week we have planted faith.”
Women showed out in numbers during the Church of God in Christ’s (COGIC) 112th Holy Convocation in downtown St. Louis on Friday, November 8 for Morning Manna. During Morning Manna, approximately 10,000 women arrived at America’s Center to celebrate Women’s Day, a decade-long tradition that debuted at the National Holy Convocation originally held in Memphis,
– Joyce Rodgers, assistant supervisor, COGIC International Women’s Department
Tennessee. Women gathered for service, some wearing
white to represent purity. Hugs were shared as mothers of the church and women of faith greeted one another for prayer and praise. “Women’s Day allows women from all over the world to worship together in synergy and to hear the voice of the general supervisor and move in unity toward our God-given purpose,” said Mother Barbara McCoo Lewis, general supervisor, COGIC International Women’s Department. Friday’s Morning Manna service incorporated convocation’s traditional points of praise as well as current issues troubling the community. See COGIC, A6
‘Scorched earth tactic,’ not a crime By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American A special prosecutor decided not to file criminal charges against the defense team for former governor Eric Greitens for allegedly threatening to ruin Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner’s career if she didn’t drop her case against Greitens in 2018. Special Prosecutor Michael W. Bradley said that while Greitens’ attorneys’ statements were “aggressive,” they did not show intent “to harass, intimate or threaten the Circuit
Officer Coats posts violent, racist tweets St. Louis police conducting internal review after Cop Watch STL report
Photo by Wiley Price
Special prosecutor does not charge Greitens’ counsel for threats to Gardner
Vol. 91 No. 34
n “Such aggressive behavior by the defense team, while being described as a ‘scorched earth tactic,’ is not a criminal threat.” – Special Prosecutor Michael W. Bradley
Attorney,” according to his report filed on November 7. The case stemmed from statements made during two meetings between Gardner’s office and Greitens’ defense team in the spring of 2018 — after a grand jury indicted the governor based on allegations that he took a semi-nude picture of a woman without her consent and then transferred it in a way that it could be accessed by a computer, a felonious invasion of privacy. In his report, Bradley said he considered requesting the assistance of the Missouri State Highway Patrol in his investigation, but ultimately decided that the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department performed “a thorough See GARDNER, A7
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner
HEALTH
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Bartney Coats, who proudly wore a Darren Wilson name badge during Ferguson protests, has been posting racist, biased tweets for years. On Monday, November 11, Cop Watch STL posted a long thread of Coats’ tweets, including calling U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) a “she boon” in February. The thread also includes several of Coats’ Bartney Coats Islamophobic tweets. “Before he was trolling people with racist posts, he posted some of his personal pics,” according to Cop Watch STL’s thread. “That’s how we figured out he was Officer Bartney Coats. He uses his badge #5127 as his Twitter handle (@ FIFTY27).” When asked to comment on Coats’ posts, a police spokeswoman told The American, “We are aware of the posts and an internal investigation is being conducted.” Coats posted photos of himself wearing the name badge of Wilson — the thenFerguson police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in August 2014 — at a See COATS, A7
ArchCity Defenders turns 10 By Chris King Of The St. Louis American The cofounders of ArchCity Defenders – three white male graduates of Saint Louis University School of Law – deliberately recruited black leadership for their civil rights firm two years ago, and this decision set the tone for its 10th anniversary gala held Friday, November 8 at the Stifel Theater in downtown St. Louis. Executive Director Blake Strode – the board’s unanimous decision to succeed cofounder Thomas Harvey at the helm – presided over the gala, along with Kayla Reed, leader of ActionSTL and Strode’s buddy and ally. This young, black leadership brought spirit and sass to the celebration of 10 years of elevating the poor and undermining systematic racism, mass incarceration, and their mash-up in the St. Louis County municipal courts and St. Louis Workhouse. See ARCHCITY, A6
SPORTS
BUSINESS
Affinia opens substance treatment clinic
District championships are up for grabs
Officers, engineers share road maps to success
Affinia Healthcare has added a substance use treatment clinic in South St. Louis at its 2220 Lemp Ave. location.
District titles will be on the line this weekend as the playoffs in the state of Missouri continue into the third round.
Military officers and engineers spoke with students affiliated with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
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