Judge rules that the CVC must release more Dome documents
The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission is being ordered to release more documents related to the renovation of the Edward Jones Dome.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Judge Bryan Hettenbach ruled yesterday that the documents are subject to the state’s Open Records Law. The Post-Dispatch was a party to the lawsuit that led to the ruling.
The CVC had sought to keep some documents secret, citing real estate and contract exemptions. But Judge Hettenbach ruled that because there’s no other team competing to play in the Dome, and no other sports stadium competing to host the Rams, "basic principles of open government favor public knowledge."
It’s not clear whether the CVC will comply with or fight the ruling.
Woman arrested for cooking meth in a South County Wal-Mart
A St. Louis area woman is in custody after being caught cooking methamphetamine in a South County Wal-Mart.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the woman was using the so-called "one-pot" method, where the drug is cooked inside a soda bottle. Police discovered the 20 oz. bottle when arresting the woman for shoplifting an item from the store at Telegraph Road and Interstate 255.
The store was evacuated, though police officials say it was mostly a precautionary measure. They say the woman did not begin making the drug inside Wal-Mart, and was not trying to steal any of the ingredients needed to make meth, though precursors were seized from her car.
The woman and a male companion arrested with her were not immediately identified.
Attorneys for Mo. death row inmates challenge execution protocol
Lawyers for inmates on Missouri’s death row are raising concerns about the state’s new execution protocol.
Missouri changed its execution method late last month to cope with a shortage of sodium thiopental, one of three drugs given in a cocktail. The state will now use a single drug - the anesthetic propofol, which killed pop star Michael Jackson.
Attorney General Chris Koster last month asked the state Supreme Court to set execution dates for 19 men. Court records released on Thursday to the Associated Press show that attorneys for six of those inmates have until June 29 to show why a date should not be set.
In separate filings, attorneys for David Barnett and Herbert Smulls argue that propofol can cause extreme pain in some patients even in normal doses. The new execution protocol calls for a dose 15 times greater than normal.
Cape casino to open earlier, cost more than expected
Missouri’s newest casino will open earlier than expected, but building costs are coming in higher than expected.
The Southeast Missourian says Isle of Capri Casino in Cape Girardeau will open around November 1, nearly two months ahead of schedule. It’s the second time the opening date has been moved up. When the final steel beam was put in place in February, CEO Virginia McDowell said the facility would open around Thanksgiving.
Isle of Capri also announced yesterday that the projected cost for the casino is now about $135 million, $10 million more than a previous estimate. Company officials say that’s mostly due to higher-than-expected infrastructure costs.
