Saint Louis Beacon

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High gas prices mean vacations close to home

By Bill Smith, Beacon staff
Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )
Just weeks from the start of another summer travel season, St. Louisans are taking a hard look at whether escalating gasoline costs have priced them out of their dream vacations. This week, the Beacon spoke to some drivers to get their takes on travel plans and the impact of higher fuel costs. This is what they had to say.

Dogfighting laws may tighten in Missouri

By Bill Smith, Beacon Staff
Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )
Proposals in the Legislature could reduce the amount of time a former fighting dog would have to spend in a shelter; could increase penalties for spectators; and could allow for seizure of personal property belonging to a person convicted of participating in dog fighting.

USO at Lambert needs a facelift. Can Marc Bulger score?

By Mary Delach Leonard, Beacon staff

Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )

The James S. McDonnell USO at Lambert airport could use a facelift. For starters, the maroon and navy-striped couches are showing wear. The walls could use a fresh color scheme. And there aren't enough electrical outlets for the personal laptops popular with today's "plugged-in" Armed Forces. Thanks to an upcoming fundraiser sponsored by Marc Bulger, though, help may be on the way.

St. Louis VA welcomes vets home

By Mary Delach Leonard, Beacon staff
Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )
As part of a major national outreach, the St. Louis VA Medical Center is throwing a welcome home party for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan on May 17 at the Soldiers Memorial downtown. The VA will honor the veterans at a formal ceremony and present them with Global War on Terror medals.

Welcome to our new home

By Platform staff

Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )

Well, almost. We're setting up here at stlbeacon.org but in the meantime, to keep up to date on the news that matters, please visit our temporary home at stlplatform.org.

Thanks for stopping by. Now more than ever, we are a work in progress, so come back often. We appreciate your thoughts and suggestions as well as your patience as we launch.

Analysis - Earthquakes reinforce need for planning

By William Allen, Special to the Platform
Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )
As windows rattled, beds shook and bricks tumbled, Midwesterners reacted with shock, fear and even wonder at Friday’s series of earthquakes centered in southeastern Illinois and felt across a dozen states. Just as inevitably, the seismic activity in the Wabash Fault Zone will bring a wave of public discussion about whether Missouri and southern Illinois are in the bull’s eye of an impending “Big One” from the New Madrid Fault -- and whether the region’s buildings and people are adequately prepared.

Jefferson City Highway-Naming Blues

By David Drebes, Special to the Platform
Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )
You'd think that naming a stretch of highway "Carl Edwards Drive" after the NASCAR driver would not be a big deal in the Missouri Legislature. You'd be wrong.

Kirkwood kids find it's hard to talk about the tragedy

By Ryan Miller, Special to the Platform
Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )
Since the Feb. 7 assault on the Kirkwood City Hall, a sizeable group of citizens has met regularly to discuss issues of race and to search for understanding and healing. In contrast, no groups have formed at Kirkwood High School to specifically address these issues, although the Black Achievement and Cultural Club, the Social Justice Committee and students in the alternative education program, Atlas, have discussed them. Some students from Meacham Park say no one listened when they raised the possibility that Charles “Cookie” Thornton had been treated unjustly by the city. Others felt uncomfortable expressing their opinions. Thus, much of the discussion of Thornton among Meacham Park students has been in the neighborhood. There, many empathize with Thornton and some even consider him a hero.

Southern Illinois quake shakes wide area

By Brent Jones and Mary Delach Leonard, Platform staff
Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake roused St. Louis area and downstate Illinois residents just after 4:30 a.m. Friday. The quake, 38 miles from Evansville, Ind. and 128 miles from St. Louis, produced five aftershocks, each in the 2.0 magnitude range and a sixth aftershock that registered 4.6. The New Madrid Fault was not the culprit — Friday morning's quake originated in the Wabash Valley zone.

Kirkwood mayor says community knows how to love

By William H. Freivogel, Special to the Platform
Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 )
Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda returned Thursday night to the city council chamber where he was gravely wounded two months ago. "A terrible thing happened in this room," he told the overflow crowd, "but this is a community that knows how to recover, how to love, how to love one another."

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Editors' Picks

Economy
- Chillicothe, Mo., bank takes over after regulators close Columbian Bank of Topeka: Citizens Bank of Chillicothe buys insured deposits, other assets of failed Kansas institution. | MarketWatch
- Amtrak strains to meet growing rider demand: Illinois Sen. Durbin wants to boost train service and revive rail-car manufacturing. | Chicago Tribune
- Gassed up and ready to go: Missouri S&T unveils state's first fueling station for hydrogen vehicles; Rolla event is part of Maine-to-California tour of hydogen cars. | Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Despite spring floods, Agriculture Department predicts strong corn crop: But lower food prices are unlikely as 30 percent of crop goes for ethanol. | Chicago Tribune
Govt./Politics
- New Missouri law bans big trucks from far-left lane: Provision of new transportation bill bars trucks weighing more than 48,000 pounds from traveling in the left lane of urban highways with at least three lanes carrying traffic in the same direction. | Columbia Tribune
- Huntsville, Mo., woman wants area to post "Trail of Death" signs: Similar to "Trail of Tears" marking forced march of American Indians in 1830s across nation's South to Oklahoma, "Trail of Death" recalls 660-mile route from Indiana to Kansas where members of Potawaomi tribe lost their lives in 1838. | Moberly Monitor-Index
- Iowa Republicans urge flood recovery over prison construction: Democratic House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says cancelling new prison won't save money, charges GOP with political ploy. | Des Moines Register
- Email suit against Blunt is revived: The judge who threw out the first suit appointed Democrat Joe Maxwell and Republican Louis Leonatti to investigate whether the governor violated Missouri's sunshine law by destroying emails. They filed an amended suit Monday. | AP/Missourian
Other news
- Herrin, Ill,, man's yard sinks into subsiding coal mine: Subdivision road also falls, home appears safe. | Southern Illinoisan
- Former Branson Mayor Wade Meadows dies at 89: Mayor from 1987 to 1994, Meadows earned credit for much of the tourist attraction's growth. | Springfield News-Leader
- Kansas City bishop apologizes for clergy abuse: Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph reaches tenative $10 million settlement with 47 who sued 12 priests. | Kansas City Star
- Missouri State University grad student anxious over parents' detention in China: Pang Jin says government arrested her parents for practicing meditative excercise of Falun Gong. | Springfield News-Leader

Manufacturing harmony: Wicks Organs

Read the story and see a larger version of this slideshow

Voices

Does Martin's anti-Obama group violate law?
Law Scoop
The Obama campaign claims that Ed Martin's anti-Obama group violates federal election law. Election law experts say that the group may violate the law, but that federal election authorities won't do anything about it until after the election.
Olympics prepared viewers for the conventions
In the News
How much is show? How much is substance? How do you recognize spin? Does age matter? All the things you learned to think twice about when watching stylized ceremonies and twirling gymnasts will be useful as you observe the demonstrations and think about the hype.
Cartoons for Aug. 27, 2008
Editorial Cartoons

Nothing like a convention to sharpen the pencils of editorial cartoonists. From the contrast between Biden and Obama to the steadfastness of Hillary Clinton suports, Mike Thompson, Scott Stantis, John Sherffius, Gary Markstein and Chris Britt have plenty to say.
Hollywood gives itself creative absolution
In the News

If protests about Tropic Thunder can make one person think instead of laugh when characters make fun of people with disabilities, they will have been worth it, according to a father whose son has autism.

The Lens

Mousing around

Who's the leader of the club that sues for excess use?

Beacon staff reporter Robert Joiner is now in Denver and will travel to Minneapolis-St. Paul to bring you news that matters from both conventions. The Beacon will also have blogging contributors inside both meetings.

See all our convention coverage in one convenient place.

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To see the latest winner, read "Reduce the stigma of reporting medical errors "

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