View of the 1200 block of Tucker Boulevard (12th Street), looking south from the intersection at O'Fallon Street, which will be rebuilt with stimulus money.
City to Use Stimulus Bill Funds to Rebuild Tucker Blvd
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), March 15, 2009 - The Missouri Department of Transportation has added an additional $17 million to its list of federal stimulus-funded projects in the City of St. Louis. The money will be used to rebuild the Tucker Boulevard Bridge, from Washington Avenue to Cass Street.
In addition to the design/rebuild of Interstate 64 from Kingshighway to I-170, projects planned for the St. Louis area include:
- Interstate 44 at Arsenal. Project will replace the bridge deck. Drivers can expect lane closures and restrictions between summer 2009 to winter 2010.
- Interstate 70, Poplar Street Bridge to I-44/55. Crews will install median barrier, signs, guardrail and curbs between winter and summer 2010. This area will get extremely congested, especially during morning and evening peak traffic periods.
- Interstate 64, Taylor to Vandeventer. This project will overlay pavement and install guardrail. A separate project will perform structural repairs on Vandeventer. Drivers can expect lane closures and permanent restrictions from summer 2009 to winter 2010.
- Interstate 70, Poplar Street Bridge to I-44/55. Crews will install median barrier, signs, guardrail and curbs. This project runs from winter 2009 to summer 2010.
- Interstate 70 outer road (Memorial Drive) from Poplar Street Bridge to Washington Ave. This project will replace pavement, drainage and signage along the outer road, work runs from winter 2009 to summer 2010.
- Route H at Adelaide. This project will remove and replace bridge deck. Drivers can expect lane closures and permanent restrictions from fall 2009 to fall 2011.
- Interstate 55. Work includes deck rehabilitation on six bridges, sidewalk improvements. Drivers can expect lane closures and permanent restrictions from spring 2009 to winter 2010.
- Interstate 70 at the Broadway-Cole Street Viaduct. Crews will seal the deck, paint the outside girders and clean out drains. Work runs from summer to fall 2009.
"Check a Charity" Database Reaches 1,000 Organizations
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), March 15, 2009 - Attorney General Chris Koster says the Check a Charity feature on his Web site recently added the 1,000th charitable organization to its records, giving consumers more information and options than ever before when considering charitable donations.
"Consumers face a dizzying array of options when researching the charities they;d like to help financially, and it's overwhelming when you add in all the telemarketing calls and mail solicitations," Koster said. "Before making a donation Missourians need to do their research, and Check a Charity is a good place to start."
Consumers can search for a charity by name or look at an alphabetized list. Online records for each charity will show the amount of money raised in the past year and what percentage of funds was spent on program services, as opposed to administrative costs like fundraising, overhead and payroll. Koster and most consumer advocates nationwide recommend consumers give to charities that spend at least 65 percent of their funds on program services.
Most of the data comes from the charities' IRS 990, which includes a description of the charity=s mission as well as the financial information described above. Koster says a charity's listing on the Web site should not be seen as a "seal of approval" from the Attorney General, but rather as one piece of information to be considered when researching a donation.
The Check a Charity link can be found at the Attorney General's Web site, ago.mo.gov. Consumers without Internet access can obtain the same information by calling the Consumer Protection Hotline, 1-800-392-8222.
McCaskill Staff to Hold 'Kitchen Table Talks'
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), March 15, 2009 - Members of U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill's staff are traveling throughout the state to hear from local residents, and to inform them of the numerous ways her office can be of service to all Missourians.
A representative will be at the Chesterfield City Hall and the Wright City City Hall in on March 24, 2009 and in St. Charles County at the New Melle City Hall, the Portage de Sioux City Hall and the St. Paul City Hall on March 26, 2009.
McCaskill's staff are hosting a series of "Kitchen Table Talks" statewide in order to reach out to constituents, address their questions and concerns, and provide Missourians with the resources necessary to receive assistance from a federal agency. The staff are documenting all problems that constituents are facing, as well as any input that residents have on impending legislation. The findings will be reported back directly to Senator McCaskill.
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