China plane lands Lambert celebrated the first all-cargo flight from China on Sept. 23
Page B1
Vol. 83 No. 26
CAC Audited SEPT. 29 – OCT. 5, 2011
COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
‘Unimaginable injustice’ Innocence Project shows evidence that George Allen Jr. didn’t commit murder By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American Photo by Wiley Price
George Allen’s mother, Lonzetta Taylor, and Tom Block, the volunteer prison minister, who helped get Allen's case to the project attorneys.
As horror stories often begin, George Allen Jr. was walking on the wrong street at the wrong time on March 14, 1982. Almost 30 years later, Allen is still sitting in prison for a murder and rape that he didn’t commit, said a team of
local and national attorneys who are trying to prove his innocence. On Sept. 26, attorneys from Bryan Cave LLP and the New York-based Innocence Project presented evidence to a Missouri court that they hope will overturn his 95-year sentence.
“This DNA testing coupled with what we now know about the serology evidence proves that Mr. Allen is innocent.” - Olga Akselrod, Innocence Project
See ALLEN, A6
INSIDE
Starsky Wilson is new Deaconess president
RELIGION
80-year-old author celebrates release of her children’s book Ms. Olivia Longstreet will appear at Christian Family Store from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 1 to celebrate her book “Edgar’s Moon.”
Pastor takes helm of foundation that serves urban children
~ Page C7 ~
NEWS
By Chris King Of The St. Louis American
Charter schools should do right, or close down State Rep. Tishaura Jones has received several calls from parents, teachers and administrators with complaints about Imagine Schools.
~ Page A9 ~
SPORTS
NHL need more brains, less bananas The Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds was the target of a racial gesture by a fan in Detroit recently when a banana was thrown on the ice.
~ Page B4 ~ Photo by Wiley Price
Way of the Lord Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church recently had a block of Marcus Avenue renamed Rev. William G. Gillespie Way in honor of the beloved pastor and community leader who passed away earlier this year after leading the church since 1956. Mrs. Martha Gillespie, Pastor Mary Newbern-Williams and 4th Ward Alderman Sam Moore unveiled the new street sign.
The Rev. Starsky D. Wilson is going from leading a church with 200 congregants to leading a foundation with $50 million in charitable funds – but he’s not leaving his pulpit any time soon. On Monday the Deaconess Foundation announced that Wilson has been chosen as its new president and CEO. Wilson has served as full-time pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ near Fairgrounds Park in the city of St. Louis for three years. “I’m talking to the church now about continuing to serve in both roles, at least for the next “The com- good period of time,” Wilson told The American. “Hopefully, munity we can work out a long-term expects us relationship, and the foundation to live out is fine with me taking time to our mission figure that out.” in a way that The faith-based foundation has close ties to the United is authentic Church of Christ, where Wilson and consisis a faith leader. tent with “The Deaconess heritage where the always has been connected to the church,” Wilson said. “The real needs first leaders of the Deaconess are.” Society in the 1880s started in the old St. Peters Evangelical – Rev. Starsky Church. There always has been a D. Wilson See WILSON, A7
SWEETS ENTER HALL OF FAME Longtime St. Louis American owner/publisher, columnist inducted By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American The late Nathaniel and Melba Sweets, longtime leaders of The St. Louis American, were recently inducted into the Missouri Press Association
Newspaper Hall of Fame. Nathaniel Sweets joined The American as advertising manager in 1928, the year it was founded, and became publisher in 1933. Melba A. Sweets, longtime editor and columnist at The American, continued to write for the paper after Nathaniel
sold it in 1981 to a group that included current publisher and executive editor Donald M. Suggs. Nathaniel passed in 1988 and Melba in 2005. He remains the publisher emeriSee SWEETS, A7
Nathaniel was instrumental in keeping The American alive and vibrant for more than 45 years as owner/publisher.