Nets 30 awards, including first place for General Excellence
Page A11
CAC Audited SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2013
n io e! at id uc ins Ed n t o t io te ec lu l s Sa cia e Sp
American wins MO Press Gold Medal
Vol. 84 No. 23 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Reconnecting care Health services shifted to providers as Medicaid expansion stalls By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American
“This change had a negative effect on ConnectCare funding that will be exacerbated by Medicaid expansion not being approved.”
St. Louis-area health providers are strategizing to offer health services to patients previously served by St. Louis ConnectCare. Two weeks ago, the facility, which offered specialty health care to mostly uninsured, underinsured and indigent patients, announced a major
– Melody Eskridge, ConnectCare CEO
layoff and a business model shift. Come October 1, specialty clinic and transportation services
sexual health testing and services, and an onsite pharmacy. The nonprofit, located at 5535 Delmar, cut services and more than half of its staff in an effort to stay afloat. “Our continuing focus will be on ensuring patients have access to the most-needed servic-
will be terminated. ConnectCare will keep open its Smiley Urgent Care health center, TB and
See CARE, A6
City school rated perfect by state Urban Montessori school scores 100 percent on Annual Performance Report By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price
City Garden Montessori School is no longer a secret, especially after the state released its Annual Performance Report (APR) scores for all school districts on Aug. 23. Located in Botanical Heights (formerly McCree Town), the charter school of 192 kinder “The economic and garten to eighthracial makeup of our grade students earned student body reflects a perfect APR score the diversity of of 100 percent. Along St. Louis and America.” with Brentwood, it is one of only two – Principal Nicole Evans school districts to score 100 percent in the St. Louis region. The school opened in 2007 with a dream not too different from that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said Principal Nicole Evans. “The economic and racial makeup of our student body reflects the diversity of St. Louis and America,” said Evans. “If you have been watching the local news, you realize that education is the new civil rights issue of the day.” So, it was fitting that days after the state’s reports were released, the school’s students – 51 percent white,
City Garden Montessori School third year student Brenee’ Goodwin, 9, learns her American states with the assistance of Rasheen Coleman, assistant director of development, and Principal Nicole Evans.
2012 UM Suggs Scholar ‘apreciative’ of opportunity Kevin Redmond is studying mechanical engineering at Mizzou By Ciera Simril For The St. Louis American Kevin Redmond, 19, grew up in Webster Groves, an ambitious student who always knew college was in his future plans. He applied to five universities and researched many engineering programs that fit his needs. The only thing he wasn’t sure about was how he would meet the financial obligations that come with attending college. When he found out that he had earned the 2012 Dr. Donald M. Suggs Scholarship to attend the University of
Kevin Redmond
See CITY, A7
Northside TIF moves forward By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Missouri-Columbia, he expressed it as being “the greatest achievement of my life.” Mizzou’s Dr. Donald M. Suggs Scholarship is designed to enhance recruitment and retention of academically talented minority undergraduate students and has a total fouryear value of $57,000 that includes $7,000 for study abroad opportunities. Redmond’s mentor and college counselor at Webster Groves High School, Karen Verstraete, is the reason that he
The St. Louis TIF Commission voted to release an estimated $190 million in tax increment financing (TIF) for the second half of developer Paul McKee Jr.’s Northside Regeneration project on Wednesday. After hearing two hours of critical public comment on the redevelopment project last month, six commissioners voted in favor and one abstained. In 2009, the commission approved Northside’s $391 million TIF but only released financing for the first two areas. Soon after, several residents sued the City of St. Louis and McKee, challenging the Northside TIF and redevelopment plan. The $8 billion project was tied up
See SCHOLAR, A6
See TIF, A6