It's been nearly two years since gunfire erupted in what was supposed to be a routine council meeting in Kirkwood City Hall. But instead of business as usual, a deadly attack by a man known as "Cookie" Thornton, left a permanent scar on the mostly picturesque community.
Today, we invite you to help us continue to examine this important issue by telling us about your experiences where you live and where your children go to school -- and especially if you have experiences in Kirkwood. Please tell us your story.

St. Louis has long been a major hotbed of soccer. Five of the 11 players on the national soccer team that defeated England in the 1950 World Cup were from St. Louis. In addition, 20 St. Louis soccer personalities are enshrined in the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
In 1959 soccer became a varsity sport at St. Louis University and a college dynasty was born; the school's team won national titles in 1959, '60, '62, '63, and '65. On a national level in 1967, St. Louis established the St. Louis Stars, which stole the spotlight from other sports such as the Cardinal baseball team. Two players of fame for the Stars were Pat McBride and Al Trost. Both men also played for St. Louis University.
Do you remember those days? Was there a particular game or player you just can't forget? Perhaps you have a memorable picture from those times. Share your story or picture.

The U.S. Labor Department calculates "underemployment" by adding to the unemployed those people who are "marginally attached" to the labor force and those who are employed part-time for economic reasons. The "marginally attached" are those who have been unemployed for the past 12 months but have recently stopped looking for work. In December 2009, the underemployment rate rose to 17.3 percent of the civilian labor force -- nearly 27 million people. In addition to those folks, an uncounted number are working at jobs outside their professional experience or training, and often for less money than they were hoping.
If you -- or someone you know -- are underemployed, we want to learn about your experience. Please tell us: Are you underemployed?

Community Cinema, a free monthly screening at the Missouri History Museum of a PBS Independent Lens film, brings our community together to view films about important social issues. KETC/Channel 9 and the St. Louis Beacon want to know what subjects you would like to see the Community Cinema series tackle and discuss in coming seasons.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have each reached agreements on legislation to change health care coverage in the United States. The proposals are similar but differ on such major issues as a new government-run insurance plan and abortion coverage.
Many questions remain, including how much will this cost and how will we pay for it? The St. Louis Beacon and KETC want to learn about your health-care coverage experiences. What can you afford to pay for health insurance?

Did you thrive, or just barely survive in this past year? Did you experience a major life transition? Did a certain event spark an epiphany for you?
The St. Louis Beacon and KETC/Channel 9 want to hear what happened to you in 2009 that you'll be telling people about for a long time to come -- and why these particular events are so important to you. Please use the form below to tell us what are your Top 5 memories from 2009.