Brent Jones thought he would be a music teacher. While studying vocal music education at Indiana University, he took a campus job at the Indiana Daily Student where he wound up on the design desk. After a year, he decided music was more of a hobby, so he moved back to his hometown of Tilton, Ill., to decide what to do next. While there, he became a sports clerk for the (Danville) Commercial-News where he created briefs and agate for local games and covered high school and college sports on assignment. He also earned an associate degree from Danville Area Community College.
In 2005, he enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and joined the staff of the campus newspaper, the Daily Egyptian. While at the DE, he worked on the design desk, becoming Design Chief in 2006. During his time there, the paper was an Associated Collegiate Press finalist for the Pacemaker award in 2006 and named Best In Show at the National College Media Convention in 2007 for the issue breaking the allegations of plagiarism against SIU President Glenn Poshard.
Brent first lived in St. Louis when he was accepted to an internship at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in December 2006. He worked on the design desk until May 2007, laying out pages in the A, Metro, sports and business sections, including Metro, sports and business front pages. After the internship, Brent moved back to Carbondale and in December 2007 completed his Bachelor of Science in Journalism, with a minor in economics.
While now focusing more on online layout and presentation for obvious reasons, Brent retains a love of print design. Completed freelance projects range from programs for community theater to a 228-page book.
Email: bjones@stlbeacon.org
Dr. Graham Colditz, a director at the Siteman Cancer Center and professor at Washington University, looks at data from the St. Louis Regional Health Commission's Decade Review of Health Status about the change in prostate cancer over the past 10 years. Previously: Colorectal cancer and breast cancer
Dr. Graham Colditz, a director at the Siteman Cancer Center and professor at Washington University looks at data from the St. Louis Regional Health Commission's Decade Review of Health Status about the change in breast cancer over the past 10 years. Next: Prostate cancer
Dr. Graham Colditz, a director at the Siteman Cancer Center and professor at Washington University looks at data from the St. Louis Regional Health Commission's Decade Review of Health Status about the change in colorectal cancer over the past 10 years. Next: Breast cancer and prostate cancer.
How long will it take Saint Louis University to find a successor to President Lawrence Biondi? As a clue, we looked at the time gap between current Jesuit university presidents and their predecessors.
Graphic and spur of the moment reporting are part of this original staffer's favorite Becon experiences.
Here's a graphic that breaks down votes on Proposition P, popularly known as the “Arch tax.” It passed in St. Louis County's April 2 election with 57,784 yes votes to 51,349 no votes. The 3/16 of a penny sales tax increase will go toward improving local parks, trails and the Gateway Arch grounds.
More than 50 people gathered at Old North St. Louis Restoration Group on Thursday to discuss the arts in Old North. Poets, musicians and visual artists talked about how their art is connecting them to the community. Others talked about their wishes for more dedicated places for art to happen in Old North or how the neighborhood's influence can spread throughout the city. See the video.
Eric S. Armbrecht, assistant professor at St. Louis University's Center for Outcomes Research talks about the prevalence of diabetes. There are about 114,000 people in St. Louis and St. Louis County diagnosed with diabetes and perhaps another 30,000 undiagnosed.
The Loop District has a lot of art to offer, say residents. At a Beacon-sponsored open mic Wednesday, around 20 people involved in neighborhoods around the well-known stretch of Delmar gathered at the Regional Arts Commission to talk about art, and art that could be, in their community. See video here.
The Garden District's residents rank an arts center high on their wish list. Several of the two dozen people who came to an open mic conversation mentioned a place for arts to call home in the neighborhood as a priority. From the Shaw Art Fair to art at MOBOT and Tower Grove Park, choirs, murals and more, residents also told the Beacon how their neighborhood is already connected to the arts. See video here.
Sports · Picture of Health · Kresge arts community grant · Education · Human Interest · Beacon Roundtable · Proposition P · High Fives · Social Issues · 2012 SLU governance dispute
Brent Jones · William H. Freivogel · Eric Christensen · Waller McGuire · Stephanie Dechambeau · Anna Jackson · Joseph Higgs · Jason Motte · Leona Hills · Bobby Fischer
Missouri · United States · St. Louis · Texas · Miller Park · Cairo · St. Louis Gateway Arch · Grand Center · Tower Grove Park · The Grove
National Weather Service · St. Louis Public Radio · Missouri Botanical Garden · Texas Rangers · Grand Center · KWMU · Metro · Regional Arts Commission · Old North St. Louis Restoration Group · St. Louis Beacon
Good Friday · NCAA basketball tournament · Grand Center Art Walk · Lantern Festival: Art by Day, Magic by Night
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Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.
When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.
Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice today when he announced that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s sculptured bust will be formally installed in the Capitol at 1 p.m.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Author M.M. Costantin, who has lived near the Loop for more than 40 years, compiled a photo book that shows Delmar when it was bustling, when it was dangerous and when it came back to life.
They arrived four years ago as fifth-graders, behind in their work and not used to rigorous classes, but they've advanced rapidly and have a strong academic grounding for high school.
The Beacon's Mary Delach Leonard and Rob Koenig extensively covered flooding in 2011 in Missouri. Now this coverage is compiled in an iBook. Read the stories.
Isley, a world-class guitarist as well as a gifted songwriter, communicates and connects swith an audience on an intimate level at "An Evening of Music and Discussion." He is hosting the event on Thursday in O'Fallon, Mo.
Like many artists, dancer Antonio Douthit hears a different drummer. But the drumbeat that changed his life at 16 wasn’t in his head. It wafted from a window on Washington Avenue. Douthit comes home for a May 25 performance in "Spring to Dance."
Justin Leszcz started getting into the world of farming by foraging and tending a very small urban farm. He now sells miscellaneous product to various restaurants in town and can be seen at farmers' markets selling his popcorn and corn meal.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's arts and features editor. You can contact her at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Twenty winners will split a million dollars and a wide array of professional services after this year's Arch Grants competition. Victors will also see one-on-one business mentoring in their prize package. The diverse group includes everything from biotech concerns to fashion enterprises.
Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.
The Academy of Science-St. Louis hosts tours of EarthDance, an organic farm, and the Monsanto Agronomics and Breeding Facility May 21-22. The workshop is meant to prompt discussion and answer questions about these two competing philosophies of food production.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Vernon Bowman's challenge to Monsanto Co.'s patent on its Roundup Ready soybean seeds was billed as a David vs. Goliath contest. Goliath won and won big. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an Indiana soybean farmer had violated Monsanto's patent on its genetically engineered soybean seeds.
Sally Altman is the Beacon's Health and Science editor. You can contact her at saltman@stlbeacon.org.
Last week, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura sacrificed his crown as the King of America. He faced an individual decision to play against the best in the nation or the best on the planet. Find out what happened at that world-level tournament.
Our world sees rapid change in many ways -- how we view women, races, sexual minorities and other populations, for instance. While a daily delivery of new and different can be exhausting, it can force us to reflect and consider how to move forward, often incrementally, toward what is good and what bring value to our lives.
Paying professors less, increasing online courses and raising class size might make the bill cheaper, but the value of the degree will be less, as well. It's not that there are no solutions, but the easy ones create their own problems.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's Voices editor. You can contact her and submit opinion pieces for possible publication at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.