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 of the week.
After the grand jury, change is still on the agenda
Can St. Louis Business Owners Help Push For Systemic Change?
The St. Louis Business Council’s Reinvest North County Fund announced on Thursday they’re awarding $119,500 to support businesses and school districts. And some key players within the St. Louis business community promised relief to riot-stricken businesses as well as millions of dollars to help bolster the region’s poorest communities. But can those efforts make a difference? At least two professors with experience in community building efforts noted that a high-profile effort to rebuild Los Angeles after the riots in the early 1990s there fell flat. They worry that big companies are more focused on philanthropy than with empowering communities.
Ferguson Commission Feels Discomfort And Frustration About Brown's Death
The 16-member commission met for the first time Monday at the Ferguson Recreational Center. The nine black and seven white members are tasked with tackling St. Louis’ systemic racial and economic divides. The Rev. Starsky Wilson, co-chairman of the commission, said the members plan to talk about changes to policing, municipal governance and systemic poverty. He said the “entire world” would be watching to see how St. Louisans respond to the aftermath of Brown’s shooting death.
Despite State Law, Police Departments In Missouri Still Struggle With Bias In Policing
Since 2000, police departments in Missouri have been required by law to report information about their traffic stops – including the race of the person pulled over. Every year, the data have shown that minorities are disproportionately stopped and searched -- in spite of the state requiring police departments to come up with policies that combat the use of race in traffic stops. So why is it so hard to get rid of bias in policing?
Mapping What Happened After The Grand Jury Decision
Our new map compiles information about the protests and violent unrest that erupted last week. In our new map, you can sort what happened where by day (Nov. 24-29) and type of event. Protest, street closures, fires, arrest and other information are color coded.
Former Ferguson Mayor Will Seek City Council Seat
Former two-term Ferguson Mayor Brian Fletcher said Thursday that he’s seeking a City Council seat in April's election. Fletcher has been a vocal proponent of Ferguson, launching the I Love Ferguson committee in August, and strong opponent of Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, even calling for the governor’s resignation in November.
A lost life, a grieving community
Protests Over Murder Of Bosnian Highlight Deep Frustration; Community Feels Ignored
The St. Louis region’s Bosnian community long has been touted as the largest in the world outside of Bosnia itself. But, as some local activists add ruefully, their numbers have yet to translate into political clout. That frustration has been front and center since last weekend’s murder in south St. Louis of Zemir Begic, a 32-year-old Bosnian-American who was beaten to death by three teenagers wielding hammers.
Senior moments
Washington University Students Ponder Life When They’re 64
If medical tests found that you had risk factors that could possibly lead to Alzheimer’s disease when you are in your mid-60s, would you want to know? What if you were a freshman in college, just starting out on your path to adulthood? Would that change your answer? That’s one of the questions that students in a new course at Washington University are pondering as they look into what their futures may hold — and learn lessons that may be useful to anyone, no matter their age.
The big picture
I-70 Billboard Art Will Spotlight Black Women And Message Wars
Mickalene Thomas is an artist who examines what it means to be a black woman. So what does her work suggest when juxtaposed with an ad for a strip club? How about when it’s displayed just off West Florissant Avenue, a few miles down the road from Ferguson? Thomas’ “A Moment's Pleasure” is scheduled for installation this week on an east-facing billboard near exit 245 B at West Florissant Avenue. It’s part of the “I-70 Sign Show,” a project that will rotate the work of several artists on billboards along the interstate.
