‘Thundering victory’ for Franks @stlouisamerican
@stlouisamerican
Bruce Franks Jr. celebrated his victory over incumbent Penny Hubbard in Missouri House District 78.
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2015 Newspaper of the Year!
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CAC Audited SEPTEMBER 22 – 28, 2016
Vol. 88 No. 24 COMPLIMENTARY
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Pray Ferguson activist for Ray Darren Seals laid to rest Grandmother says ‘saint and believers’ are needed again for boy battling tumor By Chris King Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Pallbearers conducted the remains of Darren Seals out of Greater St. Mark Family Church in Ferguson following his funeral on Saturday, September 17. Seals, 29, was killed in Riverview on September 6. His murder remains unsolved.
‘I loved the way he loved his people,’ said his mother By Mariah Stewart Of The St. Louis American Hundreds of people gathered inside Greater St. Mark Family Church on Saturday, September 17 to mourn and celebrate the life of Ferguson frontline activist Darren Seals, whose violent death shocked the region. “I first met Darren on August, 9 2014, Michael Brown Sr. said. “He showed a lot of love to me and my family – and I just wanted to come up here and show some love to him and his
n “He showed a lot of love to me and my family – and I just wanted to come up here and show some love to him and his family.” – Michael Brown Sr.
family.” Brown was the first of many speakers who
came forward to remember the young man for his activism in response to the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown Jr. “I want people to know that Darren Seals was a Ferguson frontline activist,” Ebony Williams, a Ferguson activist and friend of Seals, said. “He was a rebel with a cause. His only objective was to learn from his mistakes and teach other boys from the ‘hood like him that there is hope in the future.” See SEALS, A7
From unaccredited to excellence Riverview Gardens High School to be honored at Oct. 1 Salute
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Easier to kill, harder to vote General Assembly expands gun rights, mandates voter photo ID if amendment passes
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Darius Kirk, principal of Riverview Gardens High School, said he will never forget the cab ride on the way over to his district interview when he flew in from Oklahoma in 2013. The cab driver asked him where he was going. When Kirk told the driver, she said, “‘Baby, if I was you, I’d get back on that airplane and turn back and 29th go home.’” At the time, it was one of the lowest-performing schools in the state. Kirk told her, “It takes someone with strong leadership and someone with a vision and purpose for children for them to excel, and for them to make what seems impossible possible.” She responded, “Well, maybe you’re the right person for the job.”
His grandmother asks the people she calls “the saints and believers of this great city” to pray for Ray on his birthday again. Yvonne Rhodes wrote to The American this time last year. She asked “the believers of the city to celebrate Ray’s birthday on September 23 by praying for him.” Ray Lathon was diagnosed with a brain tumor on June 15 of last year when the boy was five. The family was told the condition was incurable, and Ray was given a prognosis of six months to a year of life remaining. He finished his medical treatment last August 17. The grandmother’s letter about Ray was so detailed and eloquent it merited a front-page story. Naturally, every grandmother sees her grandchild as special in the eye of God, but Ray was seriously Ray Lathon accomplished. At age three, he recited the Lord’s Prayer during Easter Sunday service. He fed the homeless with his pastor. He helped his family cook, clean, garden and even repair cars. When Ray took deathly ill at age five and was hospitalized, he would ask his visitors to join hands and start a prayer circle. “There was so much crying and such testimonies that came from this little boy’s belief in prayer,” his grandmother wrote. That came to be just as true when Ray’s story was published in this newspaper. His grandmother called last week and came to
By Jo Mannies and Marshall Griffin Of St. Louis Public Radio
Scott Spurgeon, nearly tripled its score on the state’s rigorous assessments in just two
The Missouri General Assembly has acted to ease restrictions on guns and add more requirements for voters. That’s the upshot of September 14’s veto session, where lawmakers overrode most of Gov. Jay Nixon’s vetoes of various bills. The Missouri House arguably cast the climatic decision of the day, when it voted 112-41 to resurrect SB656, a pro-gun bill that in effect does away with Missouri’s permit system for concealed weapons and expands “stand your ground’’ provisions and legal use of the “castle doctrine.” The Senate earlier approved the override of
See SALUTE, A6
See VOTE, A7
Photo by Rebecca Rivas
Riverview Gardens High School Principal Darius Kirk talks with students Lajasia Higgins (right) and Amber Porter about colleges. The high school will receive the Monsanto School of Excellence at the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Saturday, October 1. In Gov. Jay Nixon’s state of address this year, he recognized Riverview Gardens School District for being the most-improved school district in Missouri. The district, led by Superintendent