We know that you listen to us on air and check our website for news and information about our region. We hope that you look at our website every day, but we know that's not always possible. So, once a week, on Friday, we will highlight some of the website's top stories.
Up in the air
One Year Later, No End In Sight To School Transfer Turmoil
One year ago Wednesday, the Missouri Supreme Court threw the lives of thousands of students, teachers, parents and school administrators into a turmoil that shows no signs of stopping. By unanimously overturning a lower court ruling and allowing students in unaccredited school districts to transfer to nearby accredited schools, the court enforced a 20-year-old law in a way that no one had foreseen would ever happen.
A Year After Decision In Student Transfer Case, Mother Who Started It All Reflects
Jane Turner, a mother of two, started the legal battle seven years ago. She was fighting for the then-unaccredited St. Louis Public School District to pay her sons' tuition bill to attend neighboring Clayton schools.
Wholesale Hiring Could Begin Soon In Normandy
Let’s say you’ve been a teacher in the Normandy school district for a while and are wondering what’s going to happen to your job when the new state-run Normandy Schools Collaborative takes over on July 1. Well, get ready to re-apply for your job.
Breitenfeld Won Student Transfer Case But Now Home Schools Children, Faces Bankruptcy
As Missouri schools begin preparing for another year of student transfers, Gina Breitenfeld, the woman who brought the case all the way to the state Supreme Court is at the brink of bankruptcy and wondering where her daughters will get their education this fall.
Road Warriors
Analysis: Roads Far Outweigh Bikes In Transportation Tax List
St. Louis area leaders squelched any doubts last week about how they want to spend money from a transportation sales tax. Most of the roughly $1.5 billion worth of requested projects would go toward roads, highways and bridges.
What's new?
Report On Rise Of Innovation Districts Highlights St. Louis
A new report out released Monday by the Brookings Institution on "innovation districts" prominently features St. Louis' Cortex.
Cambridge Innovation Center Is Starting Bigger (And Sooner) In St. Louis
The expansion of the Cambridge Innovation Center to St. Louis is taking on bigger dimensions than originally planned.
Join the club
Zoo-Museum District Board Member Exploring Tax Dollars For African-American Institutions
A member of the St. Louis Zoo-Museum District board is reviving the prospect of a new subdistrict of black arts organizations. An amendment to House Bill 186, passed by the Missouri legislature in 2005, allows the creation of the African American History Museum and Cultural District. But adding it to the ZMD would have to be approved by popular vote — and an election can cost up to $1 million — so the issue has languished for nine years.
St. Louis on the Air
New Documentary Explores 'White Flight' In Spanish Lake
In 1990, the population of the Spanish Lake community in north St. Louis County was 80 percent white and 20 percent black. By 2010, the population was reversed: 80 percent was black and 20 percent was white. Today, much of the township lies empty. In what is being called an “unflinching” documentary, film director Phillip Andrew Morton takes a look at the causes of this population shift in the film "Spanish Lake.”
A voice of soul in St. Louis
Lou 'Fatha' Thimes Sr.: He Made A Living In Government, A Life In Radio
In the dog-eat-dog world of music radio, Lou “Fatha” Thimes Sr. was top dog for a very long time. One of the most memorable personalities on KATZ, Mr. Thimes died Wednesday at the age of 85. “His trademark radio voice,” Tom Ray said, was like “going down into the deep blue sea.”
