St. Louis Metro Community News and Information

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Spotlight on St. Louis Area Neighborhood Activities - Updated July 25, 2010

MoDOT Demolishes Pedestrian Bridges Over I-55

July 24, 2010 - On Saturday, Missouri Department of Transportation and its contractor Fred Weber, Inc. removed debris on I-55, north of Holly Hills, after demolishing the pedestrian bridge at Bowen Street over the highway. MoDOT reopened southbound I-55 reopened at 3:45 p.m. Northbound I-55 reopened at 5 p.m. ahead of schedule.

MoDOT Reopens I-55 Ahead of Schedule
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), July 24, 2010 - The Missouri Department of Transportation and its contractor Fred Weber, Inc., has reopened northbound and southbound Interstate 55 between River City Boulevard and Broadway Saturday afternoon, July 24, 2010.

Southbound I-55 reopened at 3:45 p.m. Northbound I-55 reopened at 5 p.m. Crews have completed the demolition of two pedestrian bridges over I-55, one north of Delor and one north of Holly Hills ahead of schedule. The interstate closure was scheduled to last until Sunday evening.

The Union bridges over Interstate 55, the pedestrian bridge at Holly Hills and the pedestrian bridge near Delor Street were all built in the early 1960's. The side- by- side bridges over Union Road have deteriorated beyond the point of simply repairing the bridges and the structures need to be completely replaced.

The clearances of the Union bridges over Interstate 55 have also been points of concern and the bridges have suffered damage from trucks striking the bridge supports.

This bridge work is part of a project that consists of the demolition or replacement of four bridges between Lindbergh and 4500 South Broadway, as well as upgrading the interstate lighting and the signals at Loughborough.

Missouri to Become Fifth State to Criminalize Possession of K2
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), July 11, 2010 - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed a new bill making Missouri the fifth state to criminalize possession of K2. K2 is a synthetic substance similar to marijuana. Beginning Aug. 28, possession of 35 grams or less of K2 will be a Class A misdemeanor, and possession of more than 35 grams will be a Class C felony. The new law carries penalties that will be identical to those for possession of marijuana.

In a statement, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said, "K2 has been associated with serious health risks such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, vomiting, hallucinations, tremors and possibly seizures," Gov. Nixon said. "Most alarming is that health care providers and poison control centers are seeing increased use of K2 by children. It is unsafe and has serious potential for abuse, especially by children. Missouri is helping lead the way by taking a stand against this drug."

Possession or sale of K2 already has been banned by local ordinance in St. Charles and Pettis counties and in several municipalities. Alabama, Kansas and Kentucky already have passed laws criminalizing its possession, and other states are considering similar bills; on July 2, the Arkansas Health Board passed an emergency rule to ban the distribution of K2.

Under Missouri law, a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine; a Class C felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The bill also adds certain steroids, painkillers, sedatives and nitrites (known as "poppers") to Missouri's controlled substance list to match the federal controlled substance list.

Postal Service Proposes Price Changes
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), July 11, 2010 - A new Forever Stamp image will be available as part of a pricing package that would add less than 13 cents a month to the average American household's budget.

The U.S. Postal Service Governors recommended increasing the price of a First-Class stamp 2 cents to 46 cents and authorized the production of a pane of four evergreen tree branches as the newest image for Forever Stamps. The price of a postcard would increase 2 cents to 30 cents.

The Postal Regulatory Commission must approve the recommended price changes. The increases would not go into effect until January 2, 2011. It would be the first stamp price increase in almost two years.

Holiday Evergreen Forever Stamps will be available to the public in October at the current rate of 44 cents. Once purchased, the stamps are valid literally forever - despite any future price changes. No additional postage will ever be needed.

Faced with plummeting mail volume traced to the recession and increased use of the Internet, the Postal Service is projecting a deficit of nearly $7 billion for the next fiscal year. Despite eliminating 1 million work hours and reducing expenses by more than $1 billion every year since 2001, a budget gap remains.

The proposed price changes, if approved, will raise about $2.3 billion for the first nine months of 2011. Postmaster General John E. Potter said he does not want customers to bear the burden of dramatic price increases. Instead, Potter announced in March that pricing would be one in a series of solutions the Postal Service is pursuing to become financially sound.

"There is no one single solution to the dire financial situation that the Postal Service faces," Potter said. "These proposed rate adjustments are moderate and part of a fair and balanced approach to insuring mail service for all Americans well into the future."

Other actions outlined in March included changes to delivery frequency, restructuring prepayments of retiree health benefits, creating a more flexible workforce and expanding access to products and services to places more convenient to customers.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Archived St. Louis Community News and Information:

Missouri First Lady Tours City Seeds Urban Farm

"Cool Down St. Louis" Distributes New Air Conditioners to Needy St. Louis Families

St. Louis is Tenth in Nation in Volunteering

The School's Out Café Opens for the Summer

Gov. Nixon Signs Bill Reforming Missouri's DWI Laws

Gov. Nixon Signs Bills to Benefit Missouri Veterans and Families

Grace Hill Celebrates the Historic Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing

Kingdom House Receives Funding for Youth Programs

Home Farming Movement Creates Community Farm in St. Louis Neighborhood

Arson Can Threaten Health and Vitality of Neighborhoods and Communities

St. Louis Cardinals to Host Green Week

St. Louis City Partners with Boeing for 2010 Open Streets

Walk Run 'n Roll for People of All Abilities

Missouri's Second Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday

It's Not too Late to Fill Out and Turn in Your 2010 Census Form

Walmart Foundation Funds Meals On Wheels

Foreclosure-Relief Business Finally Shut Down

Hibernian Parade Puts Spotlight on St. Louis' Irish American Community

Aldermen to Hold Final Public Hearing for Input on Potential Elimination of Earnings Tax

St. Louis City Announces New Procedure to Protect Unattended Property, Keep Parks Clean

Hardee's 10th Annual Rise and Shine for Heat Raises More Than $85,000

Life Skills Receives $20,000 Grant from Verizon

Gateway to College National Network Expands Programs

41st St. Louis Observation Honors Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

City of St. Louis and County Donors Give Big Boost to Heat-Up St. Louis

Anheuser-Busch Employees Donate $225,000 to Three Local Charities

St. Louis Receives Award for Municipal Excellence from the National League of Cities

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