January 1st, 2026 edition

St. Louis American The

JANUARY 1 – 7, 2025

Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928

stlamerican.com

Vol. 97 No. 38 COMPLIMENTARY

$15 minimum wage arrives

Missouri’s hike sparks conversations about value, fairness, pay equity

By Ashley Winters St. Louis American Ebony Sims sees wage conversations at her workplace stretch well beyond the state’s lowest earners. Even employees who are not on minimum wage talk about how pay compares and whether it feels fair.

Sims, a business assistant at Lindbergh Dental, said minimum wage laws often set expectations across the workforce because they create a reference point. When the

floor for wages rises, employees at higher skill levels also start reassessing their value.

“Minimum wage sets a baseline across industries because it acts as a reference point for pay across the board,” Sims said. “Some employees won’t feel comfortable doing double the work of a minimum-wage job but only making two dollars more. People start to feel undervalued and underpaid.”

See WAGES, A12

Photo courtesy of SEIU

The movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour began nearly a decade ago and included protests like this SEIU demonstration outside St. Louis City Hall in 2017. That wage level will take effect for some Missourians starting Jan. 1.

Kehoe fumbles, fails to keep Chiefs Kansas wins big with stadium deal

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

Photo by courtesy of the Thompson Family

Dwayne and Dwight Bosman of The Bosman Twins musical group pay respects to their friend, Hank Thompson.

Black voice falls silent

See CHIEFS, A12

Reviving the Ville

Longtime radio personality Hank Thompson dies Dec. 8

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By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American y most accounts, the overflow gathering at McClendon Mortuary in north St. Louis County on Dec. 22 was an event befitting a statesman.

Henry George “Hank” Thompson died Dec. 8. He was best known as a radio personality who, for more than 40 years, chronicled and championed the pride, pitfalls and plight of the Black community.

Political consultant Tim Person described how he learned of the death of his longtime friend.

“He called me the week before his death. He told me he was in the hospital but still wanted to

See THOMPSON, A12

Photo by courtesy of the Thompson Family

Christal Watson was sworn in Dec. 15 as the first Black woman to lead Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County as mayor and CEO. A week later, she got jaw-dropping news: The Kansas City Chiefs are moving from Missouri, bringing with them a new $3 billion stadium.

It’s a stinging loss for Missouri, where some Democrats are blaming Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe for the Chiefs’ departure.

But the move is being celebrated as a generational win in Kansas. The reigning

During the 1980s and 1990s, Hank Thompson (left) was part of a diverse mix of Black radio voices — including the late Onion Horton and Lizz Brown.

City turns to modular homes to rebuild long-vacant blocks

By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American St. Louis is preparing to test a new way to rebuild long-vacant blocks in the Ville — by putting houses back where homes once stood.

The St. Louis Development Corporation has approved a pilot project that would bring about 10 new homes to empty lots in the historic North St. Louis neighborhood, an area still recovering from years of disinvestment and damage from the May 16 tornado.

Under the plan, SLDC will partner with Module Building Systems, a St. Louis-based builder that specializes in

See HOMES, A12 SPORTS

Sweet time to watch elite girls basketball

The Sweet Hoops Girls Basketball Showcase will bring together some of the area’s top players and teams. The six-game event will take place on Saturday at Harris-Stowe State University.

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LIVING IT Patti LaBelle

The best of arts, culture & entertainment

Once again, the region has affirmed its standing as a top-tier arts and culture destination, thanks to a rich tapestry of experiences.

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Editorial/Commentary A2

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

Guest Editorial

Commentary

Voting rights, worker The politics of uneducated, angry white men rights, under threat

than just splintering voters of color from the Democratic candidate; It is also keepMaybe Donald Trump wants to make it ing white men ignorant so that they can be appealed to with racism, sexism, and harder for white men to get into college. capitalism.

Perhaps it is not an accident that affirmaWhite men without college degrees tive action has come to an end in higher education institutions. Maybe none of this love Trump, and MAGA conservatives believe colleges are bastions of liberal is the irony some people think it is. brainwashing. In reality, though, higher The Trump Administration’s rolleducation writ large is designed to cultiback of DEI policies has an unintended vate critical thinking skills in a racially consequence: white men, the Trump and ideologically diverse setting. That Administration’s core demographic, are reality doesn’t develop a prospective being excluded from college admissions. white male Trump voter; keeping white And that could be playing into the hands men out does. of white conservative elites who depend Besides reducing opportunities for on white men and their grievances to stay exposure to new people and different in power. ideas, reducing the number of white men The prospect of fewer white men who attend college feeds the conspiracy attending school is part of a larger trend. among them that the country — and perSince 2018, enrollment among white stuhaps the world — is against them, and dents has dropped by 19% across all secthat white men are being intentionally left tors: public, private, two-year, four-year, behind. Conservative elites can selective, and non-selective. Since then manipulate those men into the Supreme Court banned race as voting against their interests, a consideration for college admishelping secure political power for sions, enrollment among college white people in a society that is freshmen who self-reported as becoming more diverse. white dropped to 31% in 2025 It’s a playbook the white power from 40% in 2023. structure has followed for centuGenerally, in sheer numbers, ries: picking the pockets of uninmore women attend colleges and formed white people. universities than men. Therefore, From the racial bribe to in an attempt to secure gender bal- Guest Columnist the Southern Strategy, conance, higher education institutions Rann Miller servative power brokers have will admit more white men with always put up ideological barriers lower test scores or other qualifications between white workers and their political than women. In that sense, white men and economic interests, helping white benefited from affirmative action.

However, the Trump Administration — elites maintain political and economic power over everyone. bolstered by a 2023 Supreme Court deciWhite people have tacitly agreed to sion banning race as a factor in college such strategies, in large part, because of admissions — issued an executive order false hope: unable to defeat the powerful, along similar lines. Under the order, colthey lean on white privilege, hoping to leges and universities that receive federal convert it to power, influence, and wealth. funding are prohibited from considering Perhaps anti-DEI hysteria won’t backgender, race, ethnicity, nationality or fire, but the actual policies that eliminate political views in admissions or hiring. it will, starting with the drop in white men That means the admissions office’s attending college. Maybe white men will balancing act, which seeks diversity but see that it’s not immigrants from the globactually benefits white men, will come to al south, or Black Americans, or women a halt. that keep them down, but the power strucBut maybe that’s the point. ture that has consistently asked for their Consider Trump’s electoral base. trust, only to betray them.

According to a CNN exit poll from the It will take a lot to reverse the benefit 2024 election, Trump won 60% of the of the doubt white men have received for white male vote, and 69% of white men generations. Unfortunately for Black and without college degrees — his most supbrown folk, there’s not enough of that to portive demographic. In 2020, Trump received 70% of the vote from white men go around. Unfortunately for white men, there aren’t enough college acceptance without a college degree. In 2016, it was letters to go around.

71%.

In all three elections, white male voters Rann Miller is an educator, opinion represented a third of the total electorate. columnist and author or Resistance For perspective, voters of color represent Stories from Black History for Kids. slightly less than a third. Securing voters for the Trump Administration is more

By Rann Miller

police, firefighters and teachers.

The lesson is clear: A strong democracy gives working people space to thrive.

In our workplaces, in our communities When democracy is weakened, workers and in our government, the right to vote pay the price. is how working people make our voices In 2013, the Supreme Court issued its heard. The late U.S. Rep. John Lewis Shelby County v. Holder decision and of Georgia proclaimed, “Your vote is gutted the VRA, ruling that states with precious, almost sacred.” The Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing Texas to histories of racial discrimination no longer needed federal approval to change use a racially discriminatory congressional map threatens that precious right once voting laws. Almost immediately, a race to the bottom began. States wasted no again — and with it, the foundation of time closing polling places, shortening worker power itself.

A challenge out of Louisiana may soon early voting hours and passing restrictive make matters worse, threatening to further ID laws. The targets were clear: young people, shift workers and communities of limit the strength of the Voting Rights color — the same groups driving today’s Act (VRA) of 1965 — the nation’s most organizing momentum. In the years since powerful tool for correcting historical Shelby, wages for Black teachers, city racial discrimination in voting, including workers and health care aides have fallen, the violence and suppression once while corporate power has only used to keep Black voters from grown stronger. the polls.

The Texas congressional The VRA was brought to life map offers a glimpse of a future by courageous civil rights and without the VRA: diluted worklabor leaders who risked everying-class voices in a system that thing to end racial discrimination answers only to the wealthy few. at the ballot box. The law transThese attempts to roll back the formed American democracy by clock on racial progress should dramatically increasing Black sound an alarm. When politicians political participation, expanding Guest Columnist get a green light to manipulate representation at every level of Fred Redmond voting maps and take intentional government and giving working steps to block representation on people a real chance to shape the the basis of race, they can use that power decisions that affect their lives. to dismantle protections for union power, This fight is part of the labor movefair wages and retirement security. ment’s history too. In 1963, labor leaders Democracy depends on rules that keep were key architects of the March on it fair.

Those in power understand this — Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and and some are working overtime to erase labor unions mobilized 40,000 union the rules entirely. But America’s unions members and provided resources. We have never accepted a world where workoffered critical lobbying support and tesing people are silenced. We fought for the timony in support of the Civil Rights Act Voting Rights Act because this movement and the VRA — the passage of which in 1965 led to the filing of thousands of suc- knows our fight for fair pay, safe jobs and dignity at work is the same fight as the cessful cases against workplace discrimstruggle for the ballot box. ination and eliminated many of the racist Workers built this democracy, and we voting restrictions in the South. When Black voter turnout surged, so did worker will defend it. We will continue to push Congress to do its job and pass the John power, especially in the South, where the R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement VRA helped create a diverse coalition of Act to fully restore and permanently proworking-class voters. tect voting rights and ensure access to According to research from the free and fair elections.

University of California San Diego, the Voting rights are a labor issue — VRA narrowed the wage gap between because when democracy breaks down, Black and white workers by 5.5% worker power breaks down with it. between 1950 and 1980. Another study found that high-turnout communities saw Fred Redmond is the secretary-treasurmore paved roads and streetlights; better er of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest access to city and county resources; and easier entry into public sector jobs such as labor federation.

By Fred Redmond

Commentary

Better days are ahead The kind of store that feels like childhood made visible. Wooden toys. Books.

Games. Objects chosen with care. A place This week’s column was supposed to that invites wonder instead of noise. be a celebration of a wonderful little toy Jamie told us she was closing the store. store in a joyful Midwestern town. A store that, heartbreakingly, is scheduled to I asked why. I thought of the last time I took my son there. He loved it. Everyone close this week. But circumstances interdid. vened.

Jamie did not speak in abstractions.

Yellow Springs, Ohio, is the kind of She spoke plainly. Tariffs had raised place that makes you smile the moment costs. Online giants had tightened maryou step onto its main street. The kind gins. And then she said the thing that that, to my children’s generation, now feels less like a living place and more like mattered most. People just do not seem to have as much money this year. a memory: something America once built But what stayed with me was what she everywhere and now struggles to protect did not say. This was not suranywhere. render. This was not bitterness.

For decades, Yellow Springs Dave told her to stay in touch. resisted the fate that hollowed And it was clear she is an entreout so many towns like it. Its preneur who loves her town — downtown endured in large part someone closing one chapter, not because of Antioch College, the abandoning the story. Home still pathbreaking liberal arts school matters. And this is almost cerfounded by 19th-century educatainly not her last act. tion reformer Horace Mann. Mann That understanding traveled believed deeply in education. He with me.

Guest Columnist did not believe in endowments.

The NAACP and the National The result is a college that still Ben Urban League have warned that stands for bold ideas, even as it Jealous Black unemployment has surged has struggled financially in recent this year, now topping 8%. That years. matters. It always does. But it does not, The town itself has fared better. Not by itself, explain what is happening on by accident. In no small part because Main Streets — or at a factory in Florida.

Dave Chappelle invested in it — not just Something broader is moving beneath money, but belief. Belief that culture matthe surface. ters. That joy matters. That small towns It is hard not to feel we are standing are worth loving. Even as he mourns the near the edge of a recession. Families feel loss of a beloved local store, he continues to pour his presence, his resources and his it first. Small businesses feel it next. Wall Street always feels it last. faith into keeping the town alive.

Thank you, Jamie Sharp.

Recently, I was back in town to see Thank you to your store — for all Dave perform at his new club. My parthe smiles, the joy and the childhoods ents helped recruit his father to teach at it helped shape. And thank you to those Antioch in the late 1960s. So this place who choose to stay. has always felt personal. Rooted. Shared.

We were talking in a local coffee shop Ben Jealous is a professor of practice when Jamie Sharp walked in. She owns at the University of Pennsylvania and forthe Yellow Springs Toy Company — the mer national president of the NAACP. store that has probably generated more smiles than any other place on the block.

By Ben Jealous

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​“Ghana has effectively become a conveyor belt for U.S. deportations, acting as an instrument of the U.S. government in this regard.”

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News

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

Missouri among states seeing biggest utility rate increases

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American Utility rates are climbing across the country, and Missouri is seeing some of the largest increases.

According to a national study by the Center for American Progress (CAP), some Missouri households are seeing monthly electricity increases exceeding $45.

In April, the Missouri Public Service Commission approved Ameren Missouri’s request to raise residential rates. On June 1, rates increased by about 12%, or roughly $14 a month for the average household.

Other states are also experiencing steep jumps. Parts of Massachusetts, Florida and Arkansas face projected increases of more than $30 a month.

Even in Texas, customers are seeing increases of more than $20 depending on provider and region.

Federal figures show the pressure is accelerating. Electricity prices climbed nearly 7% from June 2024 to June 2025, and wholesale electricity costs rose about 40% in the past year as natural gas prices surged. CAP notes utilities across the country are citing rising fuel costs and expensive pipeline investments as reasons for rate increases.

“There are several reasons why utilities are raising rates so rapidly, including the need

to modernize the aging electric grid, which has been burdened by extreme weather events made more frequent and costly due to climate change and growing energy demand due to artificial intelligence data centers,” CAP researchers said.

“At the same time, higher natural gas costs and a policy assault on new clean energy generation from the Trump administration are driving energy costs even higher.”

CAP also attributes part of the rising costs to pressures inside the utility system itself. Many rate filings cited the growing demand of large data centers, particularly those tied to artificial intelligence.

A U.S. Department of Energy analysis cited by CAP found data centers used about 4.4% of U.S. electricity in 2023 and could consume between 6.7% and 12% by 2028, forcing utilities to expand or upgrade systems faster than planned.

A utility rate tracker from CAP and the Natural Resources Defense Council shows roughly two out of every three electric customers and more than six in 10 natural gas customers are facing higher bills, affecting more than 108 million electricity customers and nearly 49 million natural gas customers across 49 states and Washington, D.C., with total added costs projected to reach about $85.8 billion by 2028.

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Courtesy graphic

The cost of keeping the lights on in Missouri is rising faster than in many other states, according to a Center for American Progress study.

Average household electricity bills in 2025 are already running 9.6% higher than in 2024, rising faster than wages and overall inflation. CAP estimates that

approved or proposed increases will raise electricity bills by $67.7 billion and natural gas bills by $18.1 billion nationwide by the end of the decade.

Stacy M. Brown of Black Press USA contributed to this report.

Earl A Childress, II Chairman & CEO

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 – 7, 2025

Community News

Commentary

Do today’s students fear college?

of safety. It alters how young adults move through the world.

The loss of life at Brown I remember college as a stands on its own. Two students place of possibility.

We protested — yes — but were killed. Nine others were wounded. Nothing contextualizwe did so with sit-ins, with leaflets, with raised voices and es that pain.

Alongside that shared horror, locked arms. We marched and many Black families carry an we sang “We Shall Overcome additional, familiar burden — Someday.” We believed, perone that does not replace this haps naively, that collective grief, but sits beside it. courage and moral clarity Long before our could bend instituchildren step onto a tions toward justice, college campus, Black and that the struggle parents and grandparfor change did not ents are having the require the threat of talks. How to comport death. yourself. How to de-esI never once calate. How to survive feared that going to encounters others never class might cost me have to anticipate. How my life. to navigate a society Today, I watch a that too often reads very different realFrances threat where there is ity unfold — most Murphy Draper none. recently at Brown In moments like University, and at these, “thoughts and prayers” are campuses across this country often sincere. Too often, howev— from the vantage point of er, the shock fades before consomeone who has lived long ditions change. Students return enough to see what has been to classrooms carrying fear they lost. I write not only as a fordid not choose. mer college student, but as a Students are not asking for grandparent of three current perfection. They are asking for college students and one high school senior preparing to step protection. For honesty. For adults willing to move beyond onto a campus next year. condolences toward solutions — The violence at Brown is even when those solutions are not an isolated incident. It difficult. is part of a pattern that now Prevention must matter follows students from kinas much as response. Earlydergarten through college. warning systems, threat-assessLockdown drills. Emergency ment teams and sustained mental alerts. Calls that begin with, health resources should be stan“Are you safe?” Many are dard. Federal leadership must do hyperaware of exits and more than react. And when camescape routes. They are still reckoning with the aftereffects puses are targeted because of who they serve, those acts must of COVID-19 — years of isobe named plainly. lation, disrupted learning, loss This is not inevitable. It is and uncertainty. not acceptable. And it cannot be What is particularly sobernormalized. ing are reports that some Dr. Frances Murphy Draper Brown students had already is CEO and publisher of The lived through other school AFRO-American Newspapers. attacks. That kind of repetition reshapes a person’s sense

By Dr. Frances Murphy Draper

Photo courtesy of Old North Academy

Katrina Harmon, principal at Old North Academy, interacts with students during a recent book giveaway.

Book giveaway helps students keep reading during winter break

By Ashley Winters St. Louis American More than 500 students at Old North Academy began winter break with new additions to their home libraries after each selected at least six free books from thousands of donated titles.

The distribution was provided by Our Kids Read and supported by community volunteers.

Unlike traditional book giveaways, students chose books that reflect their interests and identities. Dr. Candice Carter-Oliver, CEO of Confluence Academies, said that choice helps drive excitement. When children see characters who look like them and stories that reflect their culture, she said, they are more likely to read for enjoyment and continue the habit outside school.

Keyon Watkins, founder and executive director of Black Men Read, said many North St. Louis families lack consistent access to reading materials at home.

He described the region as a “book desert,” where households often have few books or resources that connect to children’s lives and

languages. “Literacy is a family engagement; it’s important to start at home,” Watkins said.

Educators say the timing of the book giveaway matters. Research shows many students lose reading ground during school breaks, especially younger readers who are still mastering foundational skills. Teachers often spend the first weeks after winter break reteaching missed content and routines.

State and local data highlight continuing literacy challenges. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, about 26 to 27% of Missouri fourth- and eighth-grade students read at or above proficiency, while local numbers are lower. In St. Louis Public Schools, about 19% of students are considered proficient readers.

Carter-Oliver said sending students home with books can help preserve skills learned during the semester and keep families engaged in reading while school is out.

Volunteers from Black Men Read and Ready Readers helped organize the event.

Business

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JANUARY 1 – 7, 2025

PEOPLE On The Move

Armouti, Reed named BAMSL award recipients

Photo courtesy of Willie Jolley

Dr. Willie Jolley is an award-winning speaker and host of “Wealthy Ways” on Sirius XM radio. His newest book, “Rich is Good, Wealthy is Better!” explores how to make the right investments.

From fear to confidence Experts push education as path to investing

By Victoria Mejicanos The AFRO With economic uncertainty high, many are hesitant to take a risk with the money they do have by making investments. But that doesn’t mean one should shy away from the conversation altogether.

So why do people “invest in the stock market,” or purchase shares of a company?

According to information released by the U.S.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), “investors buy stocks for various reasons.” Including: • Capital appreciation, which occurs when a stock rises in price • Dividend payments, which come when the company distributes some of its earnings to stockholders • Ability to vote shares and influence the company The SEC also reports that “companies issue stock to get money for various

things,” such as: • Paying off debt • Launching new products • Expanding into new markets or regions • Enlarging facilities or building new ones The AFRO recently spoke with experts who say making any kind of investment is all about education, discipline and perspective.

J.R. Fenwick is founder and CEO of a stock market education program called

Blaine Reid receives MU master’s degree

FLip that Stock. He believes that the stock market is “America’s great equalizer.”

Fenwick saw that people of color were hesitant to invest, thinking it isn’t for them and viewing it as gambling. However, he realized that the stock market is how many CEO’s maintain their wealth and net worth.

“If all we do is just have ‘a job,’ we’re at maximum risk,” Fenwick said. “A stock is See INVESTING, A6

Record $80M SLDC award to fund projects in low-income neighborhoods

By Sylvester Brown, Jr. St. Louis American The St. Louis Development Corp. has been awarded $80 million — the largest allocation in its history — from a federal program that gives tax credits to investors who help fund projects in low-income Agency neighborhoods. officials The funding is offered through said the the U.S. Treasury newest Department’s New allocation Markets Tax Credit will help Program, which support offers tax breaks to local devel- private investors in exchange for helpopments. ing finance projects in distressed communities, often helping close funding gaps for developments that struggle to attract traditional financing.

“We are thankful for this award See SLDC, A6

The Honorable Veronica Armouti and attorney Jarred Reed are among recipients of inaugural Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) Illinois Region Legal Leaders Awards.

Judge Armouti, associate judge, 3rd Judicial Circuit, Madison and Bond Counties, will receive the Advocate Award for excellence in legal advocacy.

Included in her community supVeronica port is teaching Armouti “Disabilities in the Courthouse,” a required continuing legal education course for Illinois judges.

Reed, an attorney with Lewis Brisbois who says mentors were instrumental in his legal career, will receive the Mentorship Award, which honors attorneys who have mentored the next generation of legal Jarred Reed professionals.

Also receiving a Mentorship Award is Tom Keefe III of Keefe, Keefe & Unsell, P.C. Receiving BAMSL Justice Awards are Chief Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel (Chief Judge, Southern District of Illinois), and the Honorable Heinz Rudolf (Circuit Judge, 20th Judicial Circuit, St. Clair County).

The award ceremony is Thursday, January 8, 2026, at The Regency in O’Fallon, Ill.

Photo courtesy of SLDC

Tabernacle Community Development Corp.’s (TCDC) ground-breaking for its Hebert Homes Project which brings 26 affordable, for-sale housing units to the JeffVander-Lou neighborhood.

Blaine Reid graduated on December 19 with a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri School of Engineering.

Reid, a Kirkwood native, earned her undergraduate EE degree from Mizzou and conducted graduate research at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR), Blaine Reid focusing on thermal neutron transmutation and defect development in silicon carbide (SiC).

She also served as nuclear engineering intern with Black and Veatch in Overland Park, Kansas, and an electrical engineering intern at the Ameren Calloway nuclear facility.

Ofodile shares business savvy with FOX2 Britteney Ofodile is sharing business and technology information as a contributor to FOX2 news.

Ofodile, founder of Britteney & Co., has assisted many St. Louis area entrepreneurs in strengthening sales strategy and operations expansion.

She serves on the Britteney LEAD STL board, Ofodile and has partnered with organizations including Nordstrom for empowerment workshops On FOX2, she recently discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) can help both entrepreneurs and individuals work smarter and noted that AI tools can be accessible, even for people who are not tech-savvy.

Promotion, board appointment, new hire, award... please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to areid@stlamerican.com.

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 – 7, 2025

Investing

cousin told you about a hot stock,” said Jolley. “You must get the discipline to do your research and to learn how investments work and how money works.”

Jolley says there are eight different types, and

people need to safely invest: 1. Earned income: Money made from a job.

2. Profit income: Money generated by buying something and selling it at a profit.

3. Interest income:

Money earned from loaning money and collecting interest.

4. Dividend income: Money generated from stocks, bonds, or other assets that pay dividends.

5. Rental income: Money generated from

renting something to someone else.

6. Capital gains income: Profit from assets that increase in value, such as real estate.

7. Royalty income: Money from books, music, ideas, or other intellectual

property.

8. Residual income: Money that continues to come in after the initial work, such as insurance sales or network marketing.

Both Fenwick and Jolley say that common myths abound. But unlike what some may think, the decision to begin investing does not take a lot of time and money. People can open free investment accounts with places like Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and Robinhood. These companies will also often offer free advice when an account is opened.

Fenwick says when it comes to investing, people should start with what they know.

Companies that consumers are fond of are solid places to start.

“Stocks come in all different price ranges, right?” said Fenwick.

“If you have $50, $100, $1,000, you can get started. You can find a stock in any price range to fit your budget.”

As a new year approaches, experts say the biggest barrier to investing is hesitation.

Getting over initial hesitation and staying educated about one’s investments can pave the way to long term wealth.

credit covers 39% of a total investment and is paid out over seven years.

St. Louis Development Corp. applies each year for these credits. Over time, the agency has received $648 million and says it has “financed at least 117 real estate projects and created at least 7,350 jobs.” Past projects include Delmar Stage and Studios, Stock Legal and ArchCity Defenders.

Agency officials said the newest allocation will help support local developments including renovation in the Cortex innovation district and a new residential facility for Doorways, a nonprofit that serves people living with HIV. Some St. Louis Development Corp. beneficiaries since 2022 include: • Tabernacle Community Development Corp.’s Hebert Homes

Project — $7 million for 26 affordable for-sale housing units.

• Habitat for Humanity — $7 million to support affordable housing production.

• Ronald McDonald House — up to $6 million to build a new 72-room facility.

• St. Louis Symphony Orchestra — up to $7 million for its new Education & Learning Center.

• Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis — $10 million for redevelopment and expansion of its North Kingshighway headquarters.

• Doorways — $8 million to help fund housing services for people living with HIV/AIDS on Jefferson Avenue in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood.

SLDC spokesman Deion Broxton said $4

million from a previous allocation was approved for Module Building Systems to build homes in the Greater Ville area.

Future development proposals from the tornado zone are also welcome because it is “comprised of highly distressed tracts that qualify,” Broxton said.

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

Continued from A5 nothing but a slice of ownership in a company.”

With this in mind, he aimed to teach people about how to use the stock market to their advantage in a fun and engaging way.

Through his company, Flip That Stock, Fenwick works to reframe the act of investing in the stock market and educating people on how to do it safely.

“It’s just like going to the store, they have dollar items…all the way up to items that cost thousands,” Fenwick said.

The entrepreneur says that viewing stocks through a regular shopping lens can take away some of the fear of investing.

For Willie Jolley, award winning speaker and author of “Rich is Good, Wealthy is Better!,” investing all starts with a person’s mindset and discipline.

“Wealth starts in your mind, then it manifests in your bank account,” said Jolley. “If you’re going to create wealth before you invest, you have to have discipline. Discipline means that this isn’t something you do haphazardly.

“You don’t jump into something because your

SLDC Continued from A5 since there will be numerous programs and projects that we will be able to support now,” said Otis Williams, SLDC’s interim president and CEO. Congress created the New Markets Tax Credit Program in 2000. The

Courtesy photo

The entrepreneur says that viewing stocks through a regular shopping lens can take away some of the fear of investing.

HealthMatters your

‘Taking Care of You’ ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 – 7, 2025

A7

What’s up doc?

A winter skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.

More cosmetic brands — including several Black-owned companies — are being formulated with inclusive shade ranges, pigment-rich formulas, and moisturizers.

Appointments you should make in 2026 In our short guide, we spoke to experts and physicians about the top five health care appointments you can make in the new year.

By Anissa Durham

Curing that dry, cracking skin

Courtesy photo

As we look ahead to 2026, we need to continue to be proactive about our health care.

With an upcoming second Trump administration, some in the Black community are fearful of what that can mean for health care access. But there are some practical steps we can all take to continue to care for our health as experts of our bodies.

Preventive care screenings can reduce the risk of disease, disability, and death, according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The Healthy People 2030 action plan, a government-backed initiative, has a goal of increasing the percentage of Americans nationwide who get the recommended preventative health care screenings.

In 2015, just 8.5% of adults 35 years and older received all the recommended clinical preventive services. That See DOCTOR, A8

How to keep melanin-rich complexions glowing all winter

W

By Jennifer Porter Gore inter has a way of announcing itself before the calendar does. Cold, bitter winds, low humidity, and indoor heating quietly wreak havoc on skin, hair, and nails — especially for people with melanin-rich skin, where dryness, dullness, or hyperpigmentation can show up faster and linger longer.

The good news: A winter skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated

or expensive. More cosmetic brands — including several Black-owned companies — are being formulated with inclusive shade ranges, pigment-rich formulas, and moisturizers. With the right routine and a few budget-friendly products, it’s possible to protect your skin barrier, maintain your glow, and address dark spots without spending a fortune.

Many products cost under $25, making it easier to assemble a full routine without spending a fortune or sacrificing quality.

Social media influencers like Jackie Aina/Asamoah, Essence Gant, and Nyma Tangstress that budget-friendly skincare See SKIN, page A8

Advances in Alzheimer’s care and treatment

2025 brought increased understanding of brain health and progress in diagnosis and treatment (StatePoint) For the millions of Americans touched by Alzheimer’s disease, 2025 brought major advances in understanding of brain health and progress in diagnosis and treatment. Here are the year’s biggest advances, along with how you can take action with this knowledge in 2026: A structured plan can sharpen brain health In a major U.S. clinical trial of older adults at risk for cognitive decline, two healthy lifestyle plans in the Alzheimer’s Association’s U.S. POINTER study improved memory and thinking skills over two years. Both interventions included exercise, brain-healthy nutrition, cognitive training and heart health monitoring. However, participants in a highly structured program that also included regular coaching and peer support showed significantly greater brain health gains, demonstrating that when brain-healthy

Aim for 150 minutes of weekly exercise of at least moderate intensity, Mediterranean-style meals, 7–8 hours of sleep per night, and 2–3 short brain-training sessions each week.

habits are organized and supported, people stick with them and thinking skills benefit.

Next steps for families: Start small but structured: aim for 150 minutes of weekly exercise of at least moderate intensity, Mediterranean-style meals, 7–8 hours of sleep per night, and 2–3 short brain-training sessions each week. Put goals on a See ALZHEIMER’S, A8

Photo by DisobeyArt / iStock via Getty Images Plus

A recent Alzheimer’s Association national survey of adults 45 and older found most want to learn early if they have Alzheimer’s before symptoms impact their lives, and 9 out of 10 would take a simple test, if available, to clarify next steps.

HealthMatters your

‘Taking Care of You’

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 – 7, 2025

A8

Doctor Continued from A7 number dropped to 5.3% in 2020, which shows the most recent data available.

Here is a short guide of five different health care appointments you can schedule for the new year, based on expert recommendations.

Primary care visit Whether you have health insurance or not, it’s generally recommended to see a primary care physician at least once a year, and a new year is a good time to start. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, medical director at Urgent Care Clinics at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, says a doctor can be a trusted caregiver who sets the tone for a healthy year.

“A primary care clinician’s role in the overall health landscape is to be your advocate and help coordinate all other care with referrals, screenings, and prescriptions,” she

Alzheimer’s Continued from A7 shared calendar, find an exercise or brain-health buddy, and schedule regular check-ins with your clinician or healthcare professional.

Simple blood tests can help spot changes earlier In 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared two blood tests that detect Alzheimer’s-related brain

says. “They can help you plan or order any screenings that will be needed in the next year, including mammograms and colonoscopies, and help you keep an eye on important health information like your cholesterol and blood pressure.”

During this visit, it’s a good idea to request blood work, blood pressure screenings, and have metabolic lab work done. These tests help detect changes in cholesterol, blood sugar, Hemoglobin A1c, or other emerging or chronic health conditions.

Dental visit Often overlooked, oral health is a key indicator of overall health. Gum disease and tooth decay are directly linked to higher risks of chronic illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, dementia, hypertension, asthma, and more.

That’s why it’s important to schedule a dental visit for a professional cleaning and an oral checkup.

Melissa Burroughs, public policy director at

changes, offering a less invasive, less expensive option for those experiencing memory changes to support diagnosis and potentially reduce the need for PET scans or spinal taps. Blood tests are not stand-alone diagnostic tools, but their use can help guide next steps for testing, treatment and planning. The Alzheimer’s Association has developed clinical guidelines to help specialists determine when to use blood tests alongside established “gold standard” tests and clinical judgment.

Next step for families:

Courtesy photo

And nearly 6 in 10 Black adults have lost one or more permanent teeth due to decay or gum disease, compared to 46% of all adults.

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, says poor oral health can increase the chances of depression and mental health issues.

Moreover, Black adults are 68% more likely than

white adults to have an unmet dental need, according to CareQuest Institute research. And nearly 6 in 10 Black adults have lost one or more permanent teeth due to decay or gum

disease, compared to 46% of all adults.

Ask your health care team whether an Alzheimer’s blood test makes sense for you or a loved one, and how your results would affect lifestyle and health care plans. If they recommend testing, ask them to refer you to a specialist who can explain the results and next steps.

toms impact their lives, and 9 out of 10 would take a simple test, if available, to clarify next steps.

Nearly 3 in 5 respondents said they would accept a moderate or high level of risk to take medication that could slow the disease’s progression.

Early awareness unlocks time to live healthfully, organize support, consider treatment options, and plan finances and care preferences.

Next step for families: Bring your top concerns, what’s changed (memory, mood, function), and goals for the next three months

to your next appointment.

Skin

2. Use a lightweight hydrating serum Influencers frequently stress the power of humectant-rich serums for getting that “winter glow.” Look for a formula with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, beta-glucan, or other water-binding ingredients. They help plump the skin, soothe sensitivity, and prevent tightness under makeup.

Niacinamide, in particular, is beloved for winter because it supports oil balance while softening hyperpigmentation without irritating the skin.

Americans want to know and act sooner A recent Alzheimer’s Association national survey of adults 45 and older found most want to learn early if they have Alzheimer’s before symp-

Continued from A7 and makeup staples can deliver impressive results.

Why winter hits skin differently Winter air and heated indoor environments pull water from the skin, leaving melanated skin looking dull, grayish, or uneven. Winter is also when hyperpigmentation can worsen since dryness weakens the skin barrier, making it more vulnerable to irritation, breakouts, and slower healing. As Aina notes, “Whether you have oily, combination, dry, or normal skin, chances are whether it’s the wind, the snow, or the temperature the winter most likely will affect you.” This is why maintaining moisture and gently exfoliating matters just as much as using targeted treatments.

As with any skincare routine, people with chronic skin conditions or persistent irritation should consult a dermatologist for personalized guidance.

But here’s how to build a cost-conscious routine that stays aligned with principles these influencers return to season after season.

1. Start with a gentle, non-foaming cleanser During colder months, experts consistently recommend mild, creamy cleansers during colder months. These formulas clean without stripping the skin of its natural oils.

Using a gentle cleanser in the morning helps retain overnight moisture and preps the skin for protective products.

Update your immunizations With the Trump admin-

Treatment can be easier to take The August 2025 FDA approval of Leqembi for delivery via weekly subcutaneous injections may ease treatment for some patients. Those who complete initial infusion treatments as directed for 18 months can now receive their subsequent weekly treatment using at-home autoinjectors.

Fewer infusion clinic visits can mean less travel and lower caregiver burden, making it easier

3. Apply a rich but breathable moisturizer Winter is not the time for lightweight gels.

Opt for an affordable moisturizer that includes ceramides, shea butter, squalane, or glycerin.

These ingredients support the skin barrier, reduce flaking, and maintain elasticity.

4. Don’t skip sunscreen — no, not even in winter Dermatologists such as Kiyanna Williams, M.D., repeatedly push back on the myth that darker skin doesn’t need sunscreen in cold months.

The sun’s UV rays and visible light affect skin year-round. Choose a budget sunscreen that dries clear on deeper tones and doesn’t leave a gray cast. It could also serve as a protective moisture-locking layer beneath makeup.

5. Finish with complexion products designed for melanin-rich skin When it comes to cosmetics, influencers often highlight hydrating complexion products that complement winter dryness: creamy concealers, satin-finish foundations,

istration rolling back immunization recommendations for children and infants, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of vaccines. The American Academy of Pediatrics still recommends several immunizations for children and youth 18 and under.

And the new year falls right in the middle of cold and flu season, so now is the time to update immunizations for the flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV. The RSV shot is recommended for children eight months or younger and adults who are older than 50.

For adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting the two-dose shingles vaccine.

In a recent Pew Research Center survey, a mere 18% of Black Americans say they have already received their updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine, which is available in pharmacies and doctors’ offices right now.

to stick to treatments for eligible patients. Decisions depend on eligibility, monitoring requirements, side-effect profile, and your clinician’s judgment.

The Alzheimer’s Association encourages clinician participation in ALZ-NET, a nationwide program collecting realworld data on Alzheimer’s treatments.

Next step for families: If treatment is on the table, ask whether at-home injections might be an option after the initial phase, and what monitoring you’d still need.

and illuminating skin tints. A dewy finish helps counter dullness while still delivering coverage.

Powder should be used sparingly and only where needed to avoid highlighting dry areas.

A budget-friendly evening routine for restoration 1. Remove makeup with an oil or balm cleanser Use a double cleansing routine that begins with applying an affordable oil or balm to dissolve sunscreen and makeup without pulling on the skin. This step prevents clogged pores and protects the skin from drying surfactants.

2. Follow with a hydrating cleanser This second cleanse removes remaining impurities and allows the skin to absorb treatments more effectively. A creamy or milky cleanser is ideal for maintaining moisture levels.

3. Add a gentle darkspot treatment Winter is a strategic time to tackle hyperpigmentation because there is less intense sun exposure. Recommended products include those that have niacinamide, azelaic acid, lactic acid, or gentle botanical brighteners. These are less irritating than strong acids and safer for deeper tones. Apply only to dark spots to avoid lightening the surrounding skin.

4. Seal with a thick nighttime moisturizer For overnight repair, choose dense creams or balms fortified with fatty oils — crucial for waking up with supple, eventoned skin.

A9

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

messages allegedly from Rodriguez to Perry over the summer where he asks Perry for money so that he could seek medical attention.

In the texts, which were posted on TMZ.com, Rodriguez says he knows he promised not to ask Perry for anything. However, he goes on to say that he doesn’t have any insurance – and he is worried about getting sepsis and dying like his father.

Venus Williams marries Andrea Preti in lavish Palm Beach ceremony

Tyrese settles second divorce

Tennis star Venus Williams and Italian actor Andrea Preti tied the knot in a romantic wedding in Palm Beach. They exchanged vows on Saturday, December 20, after a five-day celebration with their friends and family members.

“It was just the happiest, most beautiful, sweetest day,” Williams told Vogue in a story published on Tuesday, December 23, which shared photos from the lavish week.

Williams revealed the couple actually had an unofficial wedding in Italy in September before the Florida nuptials.

“We had this dream to do our wedding in Italy,” Williams explained. “But we didn’t have enough time to do the paperwork —because I’m a foreigner, it can take about eight months. So we decided to have a second wedding.”

‘Boo! A Madea Halloween’ actor sues Tyler Perry for sexual harassment

Four years ago singer Tyrese’s second wife, Samantha Lee, filed for divorce after nearly four years of marriage and one child together.

The singer and actor took to social media to celebrate that the divorce is settled.

“Divorce is finally done done. This birthday and New Year’s Eve into 2026 are gonna hit different.

Legendary times loading,” Tyrese captioned on an Instagram image promoting his upcoming white party in Turks & Caicos. “ A testimony so life charging I refuse to keep it to myself. After 4½ years, nearly $2M+ in legal fees, surviving one of the most emotionally draining seasons of my life.”

Tyrese also proudly pointed out in the post that during the divorce process he released a studio album.

He also talked about the downside of the process playing out in public.

“Endured almost $50M worth s of public scrutiny, PR damage, and Venuiams reputational attacks tied to divorce and Will child support battles the whole world got to witness,” Tyrese said. “But if you know anything about life…Setbacks are just setups.”

Tyler Perry has been sued for sexual battery by an actor who appeared in “Boo! A Madea Halloween” and accuses the entertainment mogul of multiple instances of assault across several years at his Los Angeles home.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit was filed on Thursday, December 18. In the suit, Mario Rodriguez reportedly claims that Perry subjected him to unwanted advances, including one occasion in 2018 in which the filmmaker “tightly hugged” him and grabbed his private parts.

In a statement, Alex Spiro, a lawyer for Perry, denied the allegations. “Having recently failed in another matter against Mr. Perry, the very same lawyer has now made yet another demand from more than a decade ago which will also be a failed money grab,” Spiro told The Hollywood Reporter.

Rodriguez brings claims for sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He also filed a claim against Lionsgate for turning a blind eye to Perry’s alleged misconduct. He seeks at least $77 million.

On Monday, December 29, TMZ released text

New $10M suit filed against Damon Dash Damon Dash and The Dash Group is reportedly facing a $10 million lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court after filmmaker Josh Webber accused Dash of torpedoing a major movie deal by publicly branding him a criminal.

According to Allhiphop.com, the complaint alleges defamation, interference with business relations and false statements stemming from a long-running feud between the two men. At the heart of the case is Dash’s repeated claim that Webber was involved in racketeering, an accusation Webber says is entirely baseless and cost him a lucrative opportunity.

According to the lawsuit, Webber had secured a $10 million agreement in August 2025 to direct and produce a film titled TORN. But the deal unraveled just weeks later, after Dash’s public comments allegedly scared off investors.

Advertise in The St. Louis American Classified section!

For more info contact Angelita Houston, ahouston@ stlamerican.com or call 314-533-8000

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Vogue.com, Allhiphop.com, TMZ.com, Instagram.com

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Healthy Kids

EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION

PRESENT: PRESENT: PRESENT: PRESENT:

Planting Planting the Seeds for Success!

Planting the Seeds for Success!

Planting the Seeds for Success!

Planting the Seeds for Success!

The The weekly Healthy Kids page The weekly Healthy Kids page The weekly Healthy Kids page The weekly Healthy Kids page provides health tips on nutrition, provides health tips onon nutrition, provides provides health tips on nutrition, provides health tips nutrition, exercise exercise and more. exercise and more. exercise and more. exercise and more.

Healthcare Careers

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MARCH 6 - 12, 2025

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

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SCIENCE STARS SCIENCE SCIENCESTARS STARS African American Meterologist AFRICAN-AMERICAN MYCOLOGIST AND EDUCATOR: Dr. Nia“Bill” Imara: William Parker

FAMILY SPOTLIGHT

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Students Aariyah Students at At the St. Thompson andLouis The American’s American’s Savannah Fisher, in Summer Science Ms.Summer Stovall’s firstScience students Academy, grade class at Gateway Academy work conduct a worm MST Elementary in teams to study an activity areinlearning how School, discover theto

Jeanette Jones William (Bill) Parker grew up Painting the Universe

Jeanette Jones was born in New Orleans.

He graduated on September 19, 1950, in which from JFK High School, Fortfocused Valley, Georgia.

Jones on math, science, graduated from Fort Valley Dr. Nia Imara is both a Parker was and engineering.

State University in 1972 with brilliant astrophysicist and at interested in hurricanes a talented artist who shows a bachelor’s degree in biology a young age, but he became the education. world that science and In 1973, Jones interested the weather creativity goinhand in in receivedcan her master’s degree afterwas a high school statistics hand.

She born and raised botany and mycology (a branch class.

In this class, he learned in Oakland, California, where of biology that studies fungi) howup tosurrounded predict the chance shefrom grew by a of The Ohio State University. love forrain. learning art.toAs Parker and wanted attend In 1976, she received her a child, Nia loved painting, a historically black college/ doctorate (Ph.D.) degree. and swimming.

Her to university (HBCU), he math, choseofJackson State University She also studied at theso University Nevada, the University curiosity about how things meteorology.

He graduated withCenter his bachelor’s ofstudy California Medical thephysics National for Diseasedegree, worked led her School, to study and mathematics in 1994.

Control-Atlanta, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. at Kenyon College, where she also competed on

with Science and Art

coordinated by the construct amany series circuit. different Saint Louis Photo

by Ms. Stovall Science computer

Center’s Youth programming languages.

Exploring Science (YES) Program Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis leaders.

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the St. Louis NIE to nominate your class forAmerican’s a Classroom program and would like to Spotlight, please email: Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis nominate your class for a nie@stlamerican.com.

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SCIENCE CORNER SCIENCE CORNER

Hurricanes

Researchers grow stem cells in labs and alter them to be typeshours of cells, such Potential uses of A hurricane forms over tropical and Hurricanes canspecific last a few or several Stem cells as heart cells.

Stem cell transplants, also subtropical ocean water.

Warm water and days. Most hurricanes occur during the Stem cells are cells that Stroke Baldness known as bone marrow replace cool,have moist air combine to create strong fall months.

How cantransplants, you stay safe?

Have Traumatic brain injury the ability to selfcells damaged by chemotherapy or cancer.

Blindness Learning defects winds thatand can gust upinto to 200 miles per an evacuation plan and an emergency kit renew Fungi arechange organisms made of filaments Alzheimer's(called disease leaves, or roots.

Fungi use spores to Stem cellstems, research has helped scientists make Deafness hour!

These winds create waves that prepared.

Meteorologists can track these Parkinson's disease mature cells. are together. Unlike hyphe) thatThere are stacked reproduce.

One common type of fungus advances to treat Parkinson’s disease, spinalis Amyotrophic lateralbring the storm on do shore.

Hurricanes storms and keep you informed.

Missing two main types: adult plants, fungi not have chlorophyll, so teeth the mushrooms youdisease, find on your pizza. cord injuries, Alzheimer’s strokes, sclerosis are very destructive.

They can flip cars, cells which generate they cannot make their own Wound food. Some For more hurricane facts, Mold, yeasts, and mildew are also types healing arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.

Myocardial sinkreplacement boats, trees, demolish bone andand fungiuproot are parasites, which meanmarrow they live visit: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/ of fungus.

Bone infarction For more information, visit: http:// houses. transplantation off ofcells otherthat organisms. fungi feed muscle are lost Some sciencefacts/weather/hurricane.html.

Muscular For More Information, Go to: (currently established) science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellularoff ofto dead and decaying Fungibring are a lot of rain. through injury or normal dystrophy In addition powerful winds,matter. hurricanes https://kids.kiddle.co/Fungus Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main microscopic/stem-cell.htm. cord injury everywhere in the environment, wear, and embryonic cellsof Spinal Diabetes (Taiwan received 114 inches rain inincluding three days during a idea and supporting details.

Learning Standards: I can lakes, river and seas, air, and and flash floods. thatthe aresoil, starter cells that Osteoarthritis hurricane.)

These rains can cause landslides Multiple sites: Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction read nonfiction textsupporting to gain background plantsand andbecome animals. Fungi (plural ofarthritis Crohn's disease Cancers Rheumatoid text for main idea and details. I canon change information about fungi. fungus) organic matter to decay and release carbon and can make text-to-text connections. other typeshelp of cells. oxygen into the environment. Unlike plants, fungi do not have

SCIENCE CORNER

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

What Are Fungi?

swim She later attended University Inthe 1993, heteam. began to gain experience in the theJones field when After graduation, Alabama A&M University hired as an he of California, Berkeley, where she made history in a worked as a student meteorologist.

One year later, he assistant biology professor. In 1986, she served as an adjunctwas 2010 as the first African American woman to earn a meteorologist internofatPharmacy Shreveport.

In 1998, Parker became professor in the College and Pharmaceutical Ph.D. in astrophysics from that university.

Services Florida Agricultural Mechanical a general forecaster, and tenand later, aUniversity lead forecaster.

In heratscientific work, Dr. years Imara studies how stars and worked on a project with NASA. In 1991, Jones served as Inare 2012, he became a warning coordination meteorologist born. She focuses on giant clouds of gas and the first in female vice president of research andthis development (WCM).

There arecalled only 122 people with titlewhere in thenew United dust space, “stellar nurseries,” atStates, Alabama A&M University.

Shehelp alsoAfrican served as President Parker of and Parker was the only American. is stars begin to form.

To people understand Alabama Faculty 2001 tothe 2006. these A&M amazing places, sheSenate even from uses 3Datprinting to currently theUniversity’s meteorologist-in-charge (MIC) National InWeather 1992, she was appointed toathe U.S.ofArmy Science Board by create models of star-forming clouds, turning data Service, leading team 26 weather professionals. shapes thatWest. people hold and theand U.S.images Secretaryinto of the Army, Togo Sincecan 2004 Jones Parker also very active explore.

Her research helpsforscientists more has beenisthe director of the Center Biomedical,learn Behavioral, asabout aEnvironment volunteer in his and how galaxies stars A&M develop over She time. and Research at Alabama University.

Today, an professor of astronomy community. is aassistant member also workedshe as He aisconsultant with federal agencies to help them at the University of California, ofand theastrophysics Shreveport-Bossier develop training programs to attract women and minorities to Santa Cruz, where she continues studying the mysMayors’ Prayerand Breakfast STEM education careers. teries of the universe.

Executive Committee, La In But 1975,Dr. Jones was isn’t listed just in theaWorld’s Women’s Imara scientist she’sWho’s alsoWho an artMake Your Own Hurricane!

Cima Bilingual Leadership and sheHer waspaintings named an Outstanding Young Woman of America ist. are filled with bright colors and See your Chamber create a DNA watertight seal. Continue taping 1 to 2 inches above and inAcademy, powerful images that explore identity, 1978. BetaBossier Beta Beta National Biological Honorlight, Societyand

In this experiment, you’ll create a replica the seam.

Grow ing Mold! of a In hurricane and identify the forces this experiment, you how will get to below t Add one drop of dish liquid to the salt water. Stir gently. Try workwitness together tovery create hurricane. your owna DNA. tnot Hold the bottles by the middle and lift the jugs. bubbles. tto create For fiveany days, measure the square centimeters of mold In this experiment, you will learn how mold grows best.

Materials Needed: Materials Needed: Quickly, turn bottles overthrough so that the bag. water-filled bottle is eachthe piece bread Use afood grid, Mold is an important fungus that has several uses, including yy In aon separate cup,ofmix the alcoholthe and 3 drops Bottles 3 Paper Clips 20 oz.

Bottled water on top. Set the bottles on the table again.

• 2 •Soda • if possible, or a ruler. If mold covers more than half a breaking down dead organic material. Some purified molds are coloring.

3 Clear ¼ C. Cups Sand • 3 •Peanuts •Plastic • Funnelto treat illnesses. u Observe the water as it drains into theasbottle below.

The water square centimeter, it is counted one full centimeter. actually used as an antibiotic u Gently pour the alcohol and foodbottle. coloring mixture into or Glasses Duct Tape • Water • competes with the air from the empty Both substances If it is less, it is counted as 0 centimeters. This will give Materials Needed: the salt water cup.

Tilt the salt water cup as you pour, so the • Clear Liquid Dish Soap push to pass through the neck. you the area of mold on each slice of bread Procedure: 3 slices of bread Water 3 Ziploc bags • • • alcohol mixture forms a layer on top of the salt water.

• 1 Tbsp Table Salt i Turn bottles again. shake theor bottles a y the At the end over of a week (5This daystime, of measuring) longer,inuse 10x10with square • bottle • Ruler q Fill thecentimeter paperclips,grid peanuts • one 100 Ml Isopropyl i Wait for 2.5 minutes.

You should see white clumps and circular motion.

Be sure to keep the bottles vertical. your final results to say what percentage of the bread and sand.

These represent the debris and help Process: Alcohol forming.

The and strings are yourbottle.

DNA. covered inclumps mold.

Make ainto table ornext graph to make the movement of water easier to see. ostrings The water willwas form awhite vortex as it drains the • Blue q Food Wet Coloring one slice of bread enough to make display the information.

The water will flowyou along the outside neck, while moves Reflect: When gargle and spitofinthe a cup, some of air your w Place the funnel theplace mouth bottle it moistinand it of in the a bag.

Seal the Procedure: quickly through thethe center vortex. water will drain cheek up cells entered cup. of Thethe dish liquidThe breaks down Discussion Questions: How much and pour water into the bottle until it is 3/4 bag very tightly. faster.membranes, the cheek allowing DNA to Which enter the water.

Mixremove some bottled water with the salt in one of the cups. Stir much mold was on the bread? location full,q then the funnel. w Place the two other slices of dry Because DNA is not soluble in alcohol, it will form a solid where had the most mold?

Which had the least? until is dissolved.bottle upside Analyze: How did water and air create a hurricane? e Turn thesalt second bread empty in two separate bags and the salt water layers meet.

What conclusions can you draw about the downwand hold it3over firstsalt bottle Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to Transfer Tbspthe of seal them, asthe well. water into a separate cup. conditions which sequential mold grows? How can to so that the mouths of the bottle are Learning Standards: caninmake follow complete an experiment.

I Ican observationsdirections and draw e Gargle the salt water for 1 minute without swallowing it. food manufacturers owners e Place the bag with the wet slice of aligned. The bottles will look like complete an experiment. I can observeand andrestaurant analyze results. conclusions. use this information to help them? bread and one of the bags with a an hourglass. r Spit the water back into the cup. dry slice of bread in a dark place, Learning Standards: I can follow r Tape the seam, pressing such as a closed cabinet or closet. sequential directions to complete an experiment. the duct tape firmly to for Fun 1 I can display my results, make observations, and draw Ones r Place the third bag with a dry slice Math Games 10 conclusions. of bread the refrigerator.

Math games are aingreat way to spend time with your friends MAKE THE MOST OF IT:

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

MATH CONNECTION

ofcommunity.

Commerce Through herservice artwork, she celebrates awarded her theEducation distinguished award.

Jones also her culture and expresses her love forNASA bothSpace science Committee, Volunteers for Award received the Significant Service from the and humanity.

Imaraand also a nonprofit Youth Justice, andDr. a coach Life Sciences Training Program thestarted Extramural Associate organization Onaketa, free for Bossier Parkscalled andAward Research Development from the which Nationalprovides Institute of tutoring in science, technology, engineering, and Recreation. is also Health.

In 1990Parker and 2006, she was named Woman of the Year math (STEM) for Black and Brown youth. Her goal atan Alabama A&Mminister University and was given the Outstanding associate Elizabeth Baptist is to make sure all at young people haveChurch the chance to Leadership Award by the Faculty Senate.

The U.S. Army insee Benton, where he has been serving the congregation since themselves as scientists and creators. presented Jones the Commander’s Award for Outstanding 1997.

Dr. Nia Imara’s story teaches us that being curious Civilian Service as can a member of the Army Science Board. and creative change the world.

She shows that Parker believes in serving as a role model to the youth and to

you don’t Questions: have to choose between artmany andawards science, Discussion Dr. Jones recruiting African Americans in thereceived STEM field. Personally, he you can love both.

Her life inspires students to and honors.

How would you describe her achievements In and has hired three African-American meteorologists. addition, dream big, stay curious, and believe thathow their her contributions tominorities science?

Dr. is studying he has recruited forJones summer intern positions. unique gifts can help them reach the stars. fungi might be used as agents of war. What purpose do you Parker has also mentored an Airline High School student for

think fungi serve in modern warfare? Are fungi beneficial or ELA Questions his senior project. Parker’s advice to students interested in harmful?

meteorology is to take as many math and science classes

How does Dr. Nia Imara combine her to love Learning Standards: I can read aopportunities biography learn about as• possible.

Learn about summer in your of science and art in her career? ancommunity.

African American who has made contributions in science, If you are interested in meteorology, visit National math, technology, engineering.

Weather Service or offices and serve as a volunteer or intern, and

• What does Dr. Imara do to inspire and

find leaders in your community to serve as your personal role support young students models. interested in STEM?

MAP CORNER

Learning Standards: I can read about

a person who has made contributions Tens to the fields of science, technology, and family while sharpening your skills. Try these games and Use the newspaper Materials Needed: A Deck of Cards see what you think. to complete the 10 X has grown to have wind speeds of 48 $115,264 in damage, City B reported Enjoy these activities 1 100 Thousands following activities: A hurricane has moved 456 miles in Thousand Hundreds miles per hour.

How much faster will the $236,096 and City C reported $436,869 that help you get to HOW MANY NUMBERS CAN BE MADE: 6 hours. How many miles per hour is Types of News: know St.activities Enjoyyour these winds toresults become for Tropical Storm in damages. What was the total cost Materials Needed: Deck of Cards • Paper andhave Pencils Scientists often Ause tables and graphs to display the Discussion Questions: Which day had the most measured Use the front the hurricane traveling? ______ If it Louis American You will cards 1rounded to 9. Each alternates that help you get X to become Hurricane X? rainfall? ______ Which of use damages to player the nearest their research.

Looking at these you can day(s) had the least?

Looking at the bar graph, section of the Giveof each player a piece of paper and adisplays, pencil. Using thedraw cards newspaper. drawing one card at a time, trying to create the continues to travel at that speed, how to know your St. thousand?

If theinstate and what might you conclude about______ rain patterns March/April? fromconclusions.

1 to 9, deal four cards out with the numbers showing. newspaper to evaluate Upon landfall of a Category 4 largest 5-digit number possible.

As the cards are Louis American far will it travel in 10 hours? ______ Activities — federal government What other observations can you make? promised $500,000 Using cards spring and a choice of(and any combination of create a Asall wefour approach weather increased rain), types of news stories hurricane, local officials ordered an drawn, each player puts the cards down in their the newspaper.

Rules and in aid, how much would the local people addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, haveforeach bar graph that displays the amount of rain that falls several Learning Standards: I can use a bar graph to display presented: local, national, Hurricane Frederick is traveling at 86 and City A5has a population of “place” (ten thousands, thousands, hundreds, Consequences: an Activities —Find player see how many different a evacuation. person consecutive days or weeks. numbers (Day 1: 1.5 inches,can Dayget 2: 0ininches, have toinformation raise by themselves? ______ and and international.

Sort the information.

I can use the to make deductions tens, and ones) with the numbers showing. miles per hour. If the hurricane is 129 9,613, City B has a population of 5,013 example Who works where?

Find Day 3:Players 1.5 inches, etc.) minutes. get one point for each answer. For example, articles into the three categories and create a bar graph that inferences.

Once placed, a card cannot be moved.

The playerI with the miles from the coast, how many hours in in the newspaper Learning Standards: can add, and City C has a population of 3,972. ols ho Sc a picture of a building the suppose the cards drawn are 4, 8, 9, and 2.

What numbers dy displays the amount of coverage each type an rm No RAINFALL MEASURE largest 5-digit number wins. For example, if a 2 was drawn will it take until the hurricane reaches n of someone who did s call to baand How many can be made?

Whichpeople playerwere evacuated in all? subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a makenewspaper what kind oftell news story received. first, the player might place it in the ones’ place, but if es on not follow a school or ph the coast?5______ ll problem. ce came up______ with the most of jobs people who work in that building Mystery Story: Cut out several the number had been an 8, it might have been put in the government rule. Write out what 4 combinations? Which player could have. pictures from the newspaper without ten thousands’ place. For an added challenge, practice A tropical storm takes on a hurricane happened because the person did not After number? citizens returned to their had the highest 3 reading the caption.

Place the pictures rounding your number to the nearest ten thousands’ place, Problem Over a period status when the winds reach 74 miles per follow theand ruleSolution: and who was affected houses after evacuation, reports of Which player had the the lowest 2 inof a bag, andclip without looking, pick your weeks, articles from newspapers to the nearest thousand, etc. most. hour. After three days, Tropical Storm number?damage were totaled. City A reported mystery picture from the bag.

That’s 1 that deal with problems and issues Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, or Analyzing logos: Look through the your stimulus writing.

Construct a facing yourfor local or county government.

S M T W Th F to solveSa problem. divide newspaper and find three logos that graphic organizer to identify the 5Ws Discuss the reasons for these problems and County interest you.what, Whatwhen, appeals to you—the (who, where, and why)shape, of how the government hopes to solve them. ts cra Chinese have been using Demo the color, or something else?

What does theThen, logo say There are over your story by looking at your picture.

In December 2012, the millionth the bracket fungus in M writing Standards: 10,000 species of cept $2the accontinue about theLearning product process.or company? stem cell transplant occurred. their medicines for 4,500 mold, with 1,000 t I can use the newspaper to locate an gr ction Learning eleLearning Hurricane KatrinaFleming affected approximately 90,000 Hurricanes do not form If a hurricane is particularly Standards: I can use the newspaper to Standards: years. used a type of In 1976, of In those species stem cells were SinceAlexander 1968, bone marrow 1997, scientists information.

I can discuss problems and square mold milesfungus acrosstomultiple states.

It has been the within 300 miles of the damaging, the namecaterpillar will be fungus I can use the newspaper to locate information. can locate information.

I can write for aIspecific purpose create the drug Chinese found in the United discovered in human cord transplants have been using cloned a lamb from stem solutions. Iinformation. can identify types of jobs. I can costliest hurricane to date, in because there is permanentlyhas retired that is categorize and summarize been so used foritfatigue and audience.

I can makethat text-to-world connections. which is nowwith used$81.2 to billion Penicilllin mold equator States. blood. stempenicillin, cells to treat leukemia. cells. Her name was Dolly. make text-to-world connections. and cancer treatment. property damage and overall damage amounts of grows onno Coriolis Effect at the not used again.

Five hurricane commonly fruit treat illness.

MATH CONNECTION

z

Math Storms!

MATH CONNECTION Analyzing a Bar Graph

MAP CORNER MAP CORNER

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DID YOU KNOW? DIDDID YOUYOU KNOW? KNOW?

more than $100 billion.

This special Newspaper In Education initiative is made possible, and delivered to classrooms through the St. Louis American Foundation and its NIE Corporate Partners:

equator.

names were retired in 2005.

Content—Jennifer Wirthwein• Design—Beth Sharpe

x

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Thompson Continued from A1 get together. I didn’t even know he was sick,” Person recalled. “The last thing he said was ‘the doctor said I’m going to be great.’”

Person was headed out of town at the time and told Thompson he would call when he returned. The day he came back was the day he learned Thompson had died.

Born June 21, 1945, Thompson was one of eight children of Henry and Emma Lou Thompson.

His education began at Riddick Elementary School, and he graduated from Vashon High School before attending Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University). He later attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis and

Chiefs Continued from A1 Super Bowl champions announced the relocation Dec. 22 after Kansas lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly approved a package that would finance about 70% of the stadium through Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bonds.

The financing tool allows Kansas municipalities to issue bonds for major commercial, entertainment and tourism projects, repaid through sales tax revenue generated by the development.

Missouri’s effort fell short.

After failing to pass a stadium funding package during the 2025 legislative session that ended in May, Kehoe called lawmakers into a special session. A

Homes Continued from A1 modular construction.

The homes would be placed on city-owned land controlled by the Land Reutilization Authority and the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority.

City officials say the goal is straightforward: replace empty lots with

Wages Continued from A1 Missouri’s minimum wage increased to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, rising from the current $13.75 under Proposition A, a voter-approved measure passed in 2024. The change comes as the national job market

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 – 7, 2025 Saint Louis University. He also served in the United States Air Force, spending time overseas, including extended work in Saudi Arabia.

Thompson entered the radio business in 1982 as an account executive with Magic 108 FM. He later partnered with Robert Lawrence Salter (also known as Scotty Lawrence) and Al Hillman to found the Salter & Thompson Advertising Agency, described in his obituary as “St. Louis’ first minority owned advertising agency.”

Former St. Louis Public Radio personality Sheila Reed worked with Thompson and Salter during that period. She was with them when they launched “Saturday Morning Live,” a weekly program blending music, comedy and conversation on KBDY 89.9 FM, where Thompson also

served as general manager.

The show later evolved into “Good Morning St. Louis,” airing on KATZ and KXOK. “Hank was a jovial, funny and smart type of guy. He knew the radio business,” Reed recalled.

During the late 1980s and ’90s, Thompson was part of a diverse mix of Black radio voices — including the late Onion Horton and Lizz Brown — who energized the airwaves with opinionated and often controversial commentary. Person, who served as a political consultant for the late Alderman Freeman Bosley Sr. and later worked for his son, Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr., was a frequent guest on Thompson’s shows.

“He relished his community and often said, ‘man, we don’t have enough black voices out there. We need more Black

voices; we need Black media,’” Person recalled.

“He was always talking about messaging and making sure the Black community was informed.”

Thompson worked for The St. Louis American as a sportswriter, political columnist and account executive while continuing to produce and contribute to programming across multiple stations, including WGNU, KXLW, WXIN and WESL. He expanded into television in 2005, producing “Voices” for St. Louis Public Schools.

In 2008, he and his wife, Sandra, founded Thompson Home Health Team.

In 2018, Thompson returned to broadcasting through a partnership with KDHX FM and created “Tangazo,” a locally produced podcast he described as “a meeting place where ideas were shared to improve the

human condition and make life better.”

Robert Powell, founder and executive director of the Portfolio Gallery & Education Center, described Thompson’s journey in media as that of “an entrepreneur who did what he had to do.”

“Hank was a unique person who wanted the best for his community,” Powell said. “He tried to deliver what he thought was right on his radio and podcast programs as well as calling people out on their shortcomings.”

Being outspoken and willing to “call people out” did not always endear Thompson to everyone.

During his funeral, friends openly acknowledged that complexity.

“He was a helluva guy, but a different kind of guy, too,” Person said. Some who spoke at the service echoed his sentiment: “If Hank was your friend, you

knew there were challenges that came along with that.”

Thompson’s obituary notes that he leaves behind a “devoted wife, Sandra Thompson, children Christian Thompson and Susan Thompson; his beloved bonus sons Darrel Dixon and David Samples; his sister Beverley L. Thompson,” along with relatives, colleagues, friends and “listeners from St. Louis and beyond.”

The obituary concludes: “His voice, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to meaningful conversation leave an enduring imprint on the hearts of all who knew him, heard him and loved him. His life stands as a testament to the power of voice, community, and a life lived with intention.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

stadium financing plan was approved, but it covered only about 50% of the project — well below Kansas’ offer.

Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City, said Kehoe mishandled the state’s approach.

“Gov. Kehoe’s mishandling of efforts to keep the Chiefs in Missouri is a major reason the team is poised to relocate across the border,” Aune said.

Kehoe called the loss of the Chiefs a setback.

“It’s not fun to be at the top when something like this happens, but you certainly want to try to figure out what the lessons learned here are, and moving forward, we will obviously be doing a post mortem analysis,” the governor said.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver expressed

disappointment and warned the decision could reignite long-running competition between Missouri and Kansas over economic development incentives.

“I fear, comes the resumption of the economic border war between Missouri and Kansas, guaranteeing a race to the bottom that will lead to more subsidies for big businesses, paid for by fewer quality services for hardworking families and the communities we love,” he said.

Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas also pointed to earlier friction.

“I had my serious differences on this issue with former Jackson County (Missouri) Executive Frank White and wish the processes and obstacles (White presented) in 2023 and early 2024 could have proceeded differently,” Lucas said.

He added that local leaders “worked collaboratively and non-stop over the past year to provide a fair and robust offer for the teams.”

But momentum had shifted. Last year, Jackson County voters rejected the extension of the threeeighth-cent local sales tax that would have funded Arrowhead Stadium renovations and helped pay for a new Royals ballpark.

In Kansas, Watson said Wyandotte County is enthusiastic but cautious.

She said officials there are “working through the details at the local level, and asking the hard questions that matter to Wyandotte County.”

“Should an agreement be made at the local level, it has to be a real economic win for Wyandotte County,” she said. “It has to make sense long-term, protect taxpayers and

deliver measurable value for our residents.”

Back in Missouri, Democrats say broader state policy decisions could also affect future stadium negotiations and business retention efforts. “(The governor) has undermined the viability of that plan by calling for the elimination of state income taxes,” Aune said.

“Since the fate of the Royals remains in play, the governor must stop undercutting the value of Missouri’s stadium package and get a deal done.”

Democratic state Rep. Mark Sharp of Kansas City said former leaders share blame as well.

White, he said, “presided over a deeply dysfunctional and adversarial approach to our professional sports teams.” He also criticized former Republican Gov. Mike Parson for ignoring

Kansas stadium overtures and said Kehoe waited too long to act.

The Chiefs’ lease at Arrowhead Stadium expires after the 2030 season. The team will play out the agreement, then move its headquarters and stadium to Kansas.

Kelly, who won re-election in 2022 in a Republican-controlled state, celebrated the announcement.

On Monday she wrote on X: “Hey America — Kansas isn’t a fly-over state; We’re a touchdown state.”

Kelly said the deal will include a new Chiefs headquarters in Olathe, more than 20,000 construction jobs, a projected $4.4 billion economic impact and $1.06 billion annually once the stadium opens — “all with no new taxes or state budget dollars,” she said.

real houses — and do it faster and at a lower cost than traditional construction.

The project would be paid for with $3.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. If all goes as planned, construction would wrap up by the end of 2026.

Unlike mobile homes, modular houses are built in sections inside a factory and then assembled on

permanent foundations on site. Once installed, they are treated like any other house — subject to local building codes and not designed to be moved.

Module Building Systems says the finished homes look and function like traditionally built houses, using standard materials and construction methods. The difference, developers say, is speed.

Because much of the work

happens indoors, weather delays are reduced and homes can be completed in months instead of nearly a year.

SLDC estimates the houses would be built on 3 to 5 acres along the 4100 and 4200 blocks of Aldine Avenue, in the Ville and Greater Ville neighborhoods. Many of the surrounding blocks were hit hard by the May tornado, which tore roofs from

homes and deepened the area’s housing challenges.

City officials say the homes would be sold or rented to households earning less than 80% of area median income, a level often used to define workforce and moderate-income housing.

A public introduction to Module Building Systems is expected in February 2026, with additional meetings planned during

construction.

For neighbors who have watched block after block sit empty, the test will be whether the project delivers more than plans and promises — and whether it leads to lasting reinvestment in one of St. Louis’ most storied Black neighborhoods.

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

shows mixed signals, with steady employment figures alongside economic uncertainty tied to federal budget decisions and shifting trade policies.

Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.2% in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Average weekly earnings rose 3.9% over the same period to $1,243.

Economists caution that

recent federal job cuts and unpredictable tariffs have made it harder for companies to plan future hiring, renewing focus on wage stability — particularly for lower-paid workers.

Sims said wage increases at the bottom of the pay scale often affect expectations among more skilled employees. In the dental industry, she said additional training and credentials

typically come with higher responsibilities — and workers expect their compensation to reflect that.

“I’ve seen it affect higher-paid workers because they’re more skilled and find it unfair when someone with fewer credentials makes as much,” Sims said. “Dental assistants will often go back to school to become an Enhanced Functions Dental Assistant, or EFDA. They can physically and legally do more, so they expect more — and they aren’t shy about demanding it.”

The current $13.75 minimum wage was in effect throughout 2025 and applied to most nonexempt employers in Missouri. Tipped workers must be paid at least half the minimum — $6.88 an hour last year and $7.50 now — with employers required to make up the difference if tips do not bring total earnings to the minimum wage. Retail or service businesses earning less than $500,000 annually are exempt from the state requirement, though many employers remain subject to federal wage laws.

Missouri’s minimum wage has steadily climbed during the past decade, rising from $7.65 in 2015.

Lawmakers later repealed automatic future cost-ofliving adjustments that were originally expected

to resume after the wage reached that level.

Supporters of higher minimum wages argue that low-wage work has become increasingly unsustainable. A full-time worker earning the federal minimum $7.25 an hour remains below the poverty threshold, according to the Economic Policy Institute. As of 2025, 20 states were still at or below the federal minimum.

Supporters say raising wages helps reduce turnover and improves morale. Sims said paying well above the minimum wage has shaped a positive culture at Lindbergh Dental, where entry-level roles start around $20 an hour, depending on experience.

“That leads to our employees feeling appreciated,” Sims said. “We have a pretty low turnover rate, and I truly believe that’s because of how fair our wages are.”

Some business owners say the increase to $15 an hour will have little impact because they already pay above the minimum. Edwards, who owns businesses along the Delmar Loop, said the change is unlikely to affect his companies.

“It won’t affect anything I have,” Edwards said. “I pay my employees a good amount anyway.”

Proposition A, which passed with support from 58% of Missouri voters, also required employers to provide paid sick leave beginning May 1, 2025.

The Missouri Supreme Court upheld the measure in April following a legal challenge, with business owners from the Missouri Business for a Healthy Economy coalition filing an amicus brief in support.

However, key provisions of Proposition A were later rolled back after Gov. Mike Kehoe signed legislation on July 10 repealing mandatory paid sick leave and eliminating future cost-of-living wage adjustments. The paid sick leave requirement officially ended Aug. 28 after being in effect for nearly four months.

Business groups and some small employers have argued that higher mandated wages can increase labor costs, force price increases or reduce hiring flexibility, especially for smaller operations with thin margins.

Supporters counter that higher wages can improve retention, productivity and economic stability for families.

For Sims, the debate ultimately comes back to basic stability for workers.

“Everyone deserves to be able to pay their bills and afford food, no matter their education level,” she said.

Living It

“So Grateful for every1 who supported each album.”

- Missy Elliott on being the first female rapper with six straight platinum albums

B1 • ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

Best in show 2025 Patti LaBelle lit up the Music At The Intersection 2025 stage.

Photo by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American

This year’s high notes of arts, culture and entertainment in St. Louis

By Zaria Mac and Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American Once again, the region has affirmed its standing as a top-tier arts and culture destination, thanks to a rich tapestry of experiences. Music, theater, fashion and festivals all converged to showcase St. Louis as a cultural force with something to say. We’ve had the privilege of a front-row seat to what the region offered throughout 2025-and we’ve gathered a few of our favorites. The blessing and the curse of a scene this vibrant is that there’s far more greatness that we can fit within the pages of this section. But we’ve done our best.

Chris Brown delivered an unforgettable experience at The Dome at America’s Center with Breezy Bowl in September.

A few of Zaria’s favorite things

Photo by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American

From theaters to arenas, stadiums, festival stages and intimate venues, artists – and the producers to make these events possible – are pushing the St. Louis entertainment scene to new heights.

A prime example is Music at the Intersection (MATI). Thanks to title presenter the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC) and the Steward Family Foundation, St. Louis hosted a music festival that rivaled any destination-festival staple-while still centering homegrown and St. Louis-based talent. Alongside Weedie Braimah, Keyon Harrold, Marcus Baylor of The Baylor Project and others, national acts like Leon Thomas, Lucky Daye, Common Pete Roc and Patti LaBelle lit up the MATI 2025 stages.

Leon Thomas and Lucky Daye were among the standout national performers.

Thomas brought his psychedelic guitar and cuts from his “MUTT” album. He let the rawness show on “Dancing with Demons” and “Vibes Don’t Lie,” stirring the crowd with a fusion of rock, rap and R&B. Earlier in the festival, two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Lucky Day delivered a rousing performance despite technical difficulties. He moved effortlessly through favorites from his LP “Algorithm” and gave classic R&B energy with his Grammy-winning single “That’s You.” And while MATI showcased the breadth of St. Louis’ musical ecosystem, the city’s live-show momentum was evident on stages across the region.

Although an unfortunate incident brought her show to an early end, the production value and performance quality of Glorilla’s The Glorious Tour stop at The Factory in March left a lasting impression. Glorilla delivered a dynamSee BEST OF, B3

Muny’s 2026 lineup blends beloved classics with dazzling debuts

108th season promises joy, spectacle and two show-stopping premieres

By Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American

The Muny is ready to make summer 2026 one for the books. Fresh off its Regional Theatre Tony Award win, the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre has unveiled its 108th season—a lineup that Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson said is built on joy, spectacle, and community.

“It opened on Broadway in 2002 and it’s what I would call a modern classic,” Isaacson said of “Hairspray,” which will kick off the season. “It is loved by a generation of musical theater goers and it has gone out into the world. Hairspray gives us the ability to be spectacular on stage and do that Muny thing we know we can do.”

The season, announced last month at an invitation-only event in The Muny’s Emerson Studio and livestreamed worldwide, features seven productions: “Hairspray,” “Shrek The Musical,” “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific,” “Disney’s Newsies,” “Meet Me

Season tickets are now on sale for the Muny’s 108th season, which was announced at an invite-only event that was livestreamed from their Emerson Studio. Among the seven shows is the Muny premiere of ‘Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,’ which plays July 27 – August 2.

in St. Louis” and two Muny premieres— “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” and “Something Rotten!”

Muny President & CEO Kwofe Coleman said the theme of joy runs

throughout the lineup. “ ‘Hairspray’ kicks it off, but there is a lot of excitement and happiness to come in this season,” he said.

Isaacson described “Newsies” as “an underdog story, a powerful American story, the David and Goliath story—every-

thing we love in a hero’s journey.”

The premiere of “Ain’t Too Proud” is expected to be a highlight. “These See MUNY, B3

Living It content is produced in partnership with Regional Arts Commission.

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

St. Louis American Calendar

STL Sites & Sounds HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS Through Jan. 4, 11 a.m.

Weirdly Wonderful Holidays, City Museum, 750 N 16th Street, St. Louis, MO 63103.

For more information, visit https://citymuseum.org.

Sat., Jan. 3, doors 8 p.m. Fresh Produce STL Beat Battle Championship Battle, 4140 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://www. jamopresents.com.

Fri., Jan. 9 - 10, 8 p.m. A New Line Cabaret VII: Broadway Noir Deux!, Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit www.newlinetheatre.com.

Through Jan. 11, Gateway Arch Park Foundation’s Winterfest, Kiener Plaza, 500 Pine St, St. Louis, MO 63101.

Build your experience at www. archpark.org.

Sat., Jan. 10, 2 & 7 p.m. The Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour, Chaifetz Arena, 1 S Compton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit www.chaifetzarena.com.

Fri., Jan. 23 - Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m. Myth of the Ostrich, The Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard Dr, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https:// kranzbergartsfoundation.org/.

CONCERTS Sat., Jan. 10, 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Maysa’s Blue Velvet Soul Experience: The Milestones Tour, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://tickets.citywinery.com.

Sat., Jan, 17, 6 p.m. Chrisette Michele, City Winery St. Louis, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://tickets.citywinery.com.

Sun., Feb, 15, 7 p.m. The Queens! 4 Legends 1 Stage featuring Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight & Stephanie Mills, Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave, St Louis, Missouri 63103. For more information, visit www.enterprisecenter.com.

Sun., Feb. 22, doors 6 p.m.

Boys 4 Life Tour featuring B2K & Bow Wow, 1 S Compton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit www.chaifetzarena.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Thurs., Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m.

Maddie in the Morning Live with TS Madison, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110.

For more information, visit https://citywinery.com.

COMEDY Wed., Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m. Amber Wallin, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://citywinery.com.

ART

The Harlem Globetrotters will celebrate 100 years of show-stopping hoops and jaw-dropping trick shots at Chaifetz Arena with a one night, two-show event. See SPECIAL EVENTS for more information.

Wed., Jan. 14, 7:30 p.m. St. Louis’ own Joe Torry, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https:// citywinery.com.

Special Event: Sheryl Underwood, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St. Louis Galleria St, St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis. heliumcomedy.com.

Thur., Jan. 15 - 18, 7:30 p.m.

Warren B. Hall, St. Louis Funny Bone, 614 Westport Plaza Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63146. For more information, visit www.stlouisfunnybone. com.

ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

Fri., Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. Mark Curry, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://tickets.citywinery.com.

Fri., Jan. 16 - 18, 7 p.m.

Thurs., Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m.

Marquise Knox, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://citywinery.com.

Thurs. Jan. 15, 7: 30 p.m. Dee Jazz in Standards Outside The Box, Blue Strawberry, 364

N. Boyle Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit https://bluestrawberrystl. com.

Sat., Jan. 24, doors 7 p.m.

HOT IN HERRE: 2000’s Dance Party, The Sovereign, 3306 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://oldrockhouse.com.

THEATRE Jan. 7 – Jan 25, The Black Rep presents The Dance on Widow’s Row, Edison Theatre, 6465 Forsyth Blvd. For more information, visit www.theblackrep.org.

January 9 – February 14, 2026, Portfolio Inc. presents the All Colors Arts Invitation and Juried Exhibition, opening reception will take place on Saturday, January 9 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., The St. Louis Artist Guild, 12 North Jackson Ave, Clayton, MO 63105. For more information, visit www. portfoliogallerystl.org Through February 1, 2026, Jennie C. Jones: A Line When Broken Begins Again, Pulitzer Arts Foundation and Museum, 3716 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108.

For more information, visit https://pulitzerarts.org.

Through February 8, 2026, Teresa Baker: Somewhere Between Earth and Sky, Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108.

For more information visit, https://camstl.org.

Through June 2026, The Future Is Female, 21c Hotel and Museum Hotel St. Louis, 1528 Locust St, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://21cmuseumhotels. com.

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

BEST OF Continued from B1 ic set featuring hits like “LET HER COOK” and “HOLLON,” and she surprised the crowd by bringing out Chicago’s own Queen Key for “Hell Woods 2.” She managed to perform her verse on Tyler, the Creator’s “Sticky” and “HOW I LOOK” before a series of altercations cut the show short, stopping just before she could finish her signature track “WHATCHU KNOW ABOUT ME.” T-Pain turned things up at The Factory a few months later when he brought is TP20 Tour to town in October. The early-2000s nostalgia and his pristine showmanship made for a night to remember as he celebrated two decades of hits.

He wasn’t the only artist marking a 20-year milestone with St. Louis.

Chris Brown delivered an unforgettable experience at The Dome at America’s Center with Breezy Bowl in September. The entire Dome was screaming, chanting and singing as he sang and danced through two decades of chart-toppers. His confidence radiated through songs like “Sweet Love,” “Back to Sleep” and “New Flame.”

And he stunned the crowd with a sultry performance of his double-platinum hit “Take You Down.”

Brown’s Dome takeover came just a few months after Kendrick Lamar and St. Louis-born SZA brought the house down with their sold-out Grand National Tour stop in June.

Honorable mentions: Kash Doll at the Hawthorne, Clipse at The Factory and SLSO’s presentation of “A Celebration of Hip Hop.”

MUNY Continued from B1 guys had 42 top ten hits and 15 number one hits,” Isaacson said of The Temptations. “But they started at the bottom of the list at Motown and had to keep fighting for a place and for their story. The show is thrilling, and the song catalog is unbelievable.” Coleman admitted it’s his personal favorite of the season.

“I’m not supposed to have a favorite show,” Coleman said. “I say this every year, and every year I have a favorite show.

This year, this is my favorite show.”

The Muny will also debut “Something Rotten!”—a satirical romp that imagines Shakespeare’s rivals inventing the musical.

Kenya’s picks Since Zaria focused mostly on concerts, I will highlight other programming that served as a reminder of the culture richness of our region – Black culture in particular.

I will start where things ended for me this year, with the Jazz St. Louis and Saint Louis Dance Theatre presentation of “Gaslight Dreams.” The stunning artistic expansion of Duke Ellington and William Strayhorn’s jazz interpretation of “The Nutcracker” that premiered last year was even better the second time around.

Speaking of classical music, the grand re-opening of Powell Symphony Hall – as part of the all-new Jack C. Taylor Music Center – was among 2025’s biggest cultural highlights. After a two-year rehab and expansion, the new and improved space opened its doors in September. The breathtaking venue is one worthy of the Grammy Award-winning St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, which calls it home.

Another September highlight for 2025 was Frizzfest. As usual, the event turned Tower Grove Park into a celebration of Blackness. What started as a lovefest for textured hair has expanded and evolved into a can’t-miss St. Louis staple that celebrates Black culture through music, fashion and – of course – locs, coils, curls, ‘fros, braids, fades and twists.

The House of Soul shut Washington Avenue down with its Juneteenth Celebration Block Party.

The event felt equal parts family reunion, day party, music festival and fashion show.

Zaria gave a well-rounded recap of the 2025 concert scene, but I do want to men-

Isaacson said the full season offers “a true adventure,” adding, “If you take the whole journey, it adds up to something really beautiful.”

Coleman emphasized the community aspect of the theatre. “One of the proudest parts of being stewards of this place is that we are a place where community builds itself,” he said. “We hope this season invites you to do that.”

Current Muny subscribers will receive details about how to renew season tickets; the deadline is Jan. 12. New season subscriptions start at just $126.

“That’s $126 For seven shows of this caliber,” Isaacson said. “Seven shows of joy. There’s an opportunity to come and be a part of something special.”

Season 108 runs June 15 through Aug. 23, offering audiences a chance to

The House of Soul shut Washington Avenue down with its Juneteenth Celebration Block Party. The event felt equal parts family reunion, day party, music festival and fashion show.

Photo by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American

tion the sold-out STL stop of Jeezy’s TM 101 20th Anniversary Tour at Stifel Theatre. The rapper’s groundbreaking trap classic was upcycled with a full orchestra – and Black St. Louis hip hop heads came out dressed to the nines and created a vibe that nearly defies explanation. Black theatre productions had more than one moment in the sun for 2025. The Black Rep’s staging of August Wilson’s “Radio Golf” was a demonstration of their capacity to bring the genius of Wilson’s words to life like few other companies in the country – or around the world. Their take on the final work from Wilson’s century cycle presented the nuance of emotion and rhythm of language that warranted a certificate of authenticity, and offered a new appreciation for the least staged of Wilson’s acclaimed plays depicting Black life in each decade of the twenti-

experience musicals under the stars in Forest Park.

“Season 108 celebrates everything our audiences love about The Muny—the joy, the spectacle, and the sense of home it brings to St. Louis,” Coleman said.

“We can’t wait to welcome our community back for another unforgettable summer.”

Single-performance Muny tickets go on sale May 18.

“I came here almost three decades ago for a summer job and I never left, because I love what this place is and what it does,” Coleman said. “I welcome you to start your tradition with the Muny.”

For ticket information, gift cards, or audition details, visit muny.org or stop by the Muny Box Office in Forest Park. Box office hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

CHAIFETZ ARENA JAN 10 BUY TICKETS AT HARLEMGLOBETROTTERS.COM

eth century.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis also presented an impressive St. Louis premiere of “The Brothers Size” by Tarell Alvin McCraney as part of its Steve Woolf Studio Series.

Saint Louis Art Museum’s “Roaring: Art, Fashion and the Automobile in France, 1918-1939 gave an astonishing look at the cutting-edge technology and design elements of vehicles of the day – and made a moment within the exhibition for Josephine Baker, the St. Louis daughter who became a global icon and a national treasure in France.

The Missouri History Museum explored the origins of Baker and countless others with “Mill Creek: Black Metropolis.” The expansive 5,000-square-foot exhibition details the legacy of the historically Black community. The exhibition

In September Frizzfest turned Tower Grove Park into a celebration of Blackness.

Photo by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American

is on display through July 12, 2026.

Honorable mentions: Dance St. Louis’ presentation of Collage Dance Collective, “To STL With Love: Celebrating Hip Hop in St. Louis” present-

ed by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation and curated

by Kris Blackmon and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis world premiere of “This House” by Ruby Aiyo Gerber and Lynn Nottage with music by Ricky Ian Gordon.

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

In Memoriam 2025

Lives that shaped culture, community and legacy a successful career with the Milwaukee Bucks, he Doug Eason, 90, a built a restaurant empire pillar of St. Louis Black The region and the of more than radio. Known for his signation said 250 Wendy’s nature greeting—“Hiya, goodbye to a franchises and Baby!”—he spent over remarkable became co-owner 40 years on air, including cross section of Ebony and Jet leadership roles at KATZ of leaders, magazines. His and WESL. A veteran of artists, and business acumen Armed Forces Radio, he cultural icons and philanthromentored young broadcastthis year—each py made him a ers while hosting a daily leaving behind respected nation- show on WGNU. a legacy defined al figure. by service, Roberta creativity, or Roberta Flack, 88, Flack groundbreaking Carl Carlton, Grammy-winning singachievement.

72, Detroit-born er behind “Killing Me R&B and funk singer, best Softly With His Song” and “The First Time Ever Roy Ayers, 84, evolved known for “Everlasting Love” and I Saw Your from jazz vibraphonist the GrammyFace.” Her eleto global architect of the nominated gant vocal style funksoul sound. After ris“She’s a Bad and emotional ing to prominence in the Mama Jama.” depth made her 1970s with genredefining Starting as a celebrated hits and collaborations, he “Little Carl” voice for generbecame one of the most Carlton in the ations, includsampled musicians in ing her duets hiphop and a beloved tour- mid-1960s, with St. Louis’ ing icon for generations of he became a defining voice own Donny music lovers. of post-Motown Dr. Anita Hathaway.

Detroit soul.

Lyons Bond Dr. Anita Lyons Bond, George Foreman, 76, 95, pioneering educator Jimmy Cliff, 81, reggae two-time heavyweight Lynn Hamilton, 95, and civil rights advocate. pioneer known for “The actress best known as champion and Olympic She graduated Sumner Donna on St. Louis native gold medalist. He cementHigh School at 15 and was Harder They Come” and “Many Rivers to Cross.”

Redd Foxx’s beloved ed his place in boxing the first Black woman to sitcom “Sanford and history with his 1973 graduate with honors from His music helped introduce reggae to global Son.” Her career spanned knockout of Joe Frazier Saint Louis University. audiences and decades across stage and and 1994 comeback vicShe earned a influenced gener- tory at age 45. screen. master’s from ations of artists.

Beyond the Washington Cliff’s legacy ring, he became University and remains central Ananda a household fought for eduto the genre’s Lewis, 52, media name through cational equity, international rise. trailblazer who the George including a shaped a generForeman Grill. landmark 1965 ation of Black lawsuit reshapD’Angelo youth. Starting as ing Missouri’s (Michael Eugene a host on BET’s Irv Gotti, 54, Board of Archer), 51, “Teen Summit,” hip hop producDoug Education elecreshaped modern Ananda she became a er and Murder Eason tions. Bond later R&B and soul Lewis trusted voice for Inc. co-foundserved as presiand was a definyoung viewers. er. He shaped dent of the St. Louis Board ing force of the neosoul Later an MTV VJ on early 2000s R&B and rap of Education and lectured movement. He became a through artists like Ashanti “Total Request Live” and widely on Black Studies. touchstone for musicians “Hot Zone,” she and Ja Rule, leaving a sigacross R&B, hip hop, and blended music, nificant influence on hip alternative soul. He was politics, and hop production and label Junior Bridgeman, revered for his musicianidentity with culture.

71, transitioned from ship and uncompromising authenticity and NBA standout to billionartistry. unapologetic aire entrepreneur. After Blackness.

78, activist and former Black Panther. Living in political exile after asylum from Fidel Castro in 1984, she remained a symbol of Black liberation worldwide.

By American staff

Danielle Spencer, 60, actress who played Dee on “What’s Happening!,” a cultural touchstone for Black television audiences of the 1970s. She later worked as a veterinarian.

Angie Stone (Angela Laverne Brown), 63, Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and hip hop trailblazer. Co-founder of pioneering all-female rap group The Sequence, she became a voice of 2000s neo soul with hits like “Wish I Didn’t Miss You.”

D’Angelo

Sly Stone, 82, revolutionary bandleader and architect of modern funk.

As the creative force behind Sly and the Family Stone, he fused rock, soul, and psychedelic music into a defining sound. His innovations earned him a space within the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Patricia Ann “Ms. Pat” Penelton 74, devoted servant leader whose faith guided over four decades of comHank munity work.

Thompson, 80, She served veteran journalist at Centennial and radio host Christian whose sharp Church and commentary and held leaderdeep community ship roles with ties made him a the National trusted fixture for Convocation of decades. He used the Christian his platforms in Church Hank radio, television, (Disciples of Thompson and print to Christ), Phyllis amplify issues Wheatley affecting Black St. Louis.

YWCA, and Hylton Point Senior Living. A charter member of the St. Louis DJ Unk (Anthony Symphony Leonard Platt),43, Atlanta Orchestra’s DJ and rapper best known IN UNISON for the club hit “Walk It Chorus, she died Out.” His music helped as a result of the define the snap era of devastating tornado that touched Southern hip hop, with down in St. Louis dance-driven hits remainon May 16, 2025. ing staples of 2000s party culture.

Jellybean Johnson, 68, celebrated guiAssata Charles B. tarist, drummer, Malcolm Jamal Shakur Rangel, 94, and producer Warner, 54, Emmylongtime conwho helped define the nominated actor best gressman and civil rights Minneapolis Sound. A known as Theo Huxtable advocate.

As founding member of on “The Cosby a founding The Time, he shaped the Show.” He member of the funk-driven aesthetic that earned acclaim Congressional influenced Prince’s musifor roles in Black Caucus, cal universe and produced “Malcolm & he shaped hits across R&B and pop.

Eddie,” “Sons of national policy Anarchy” and for decades with “The Resident.” contributions to Sam Moore, 89, soarFor additional healthcare, tax ing tenor behind soul duo notable deaths reform, and vetSam & Dave, known for Malcolm Jamal specific to the erans’ rights. hits like “Soul Man” and Warner St. Louis region, “Hold On, I’m Comin’.” A visit The St. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Assata Shakur, Louis American’s 2025 inductee, he influenced (JoAnne Deborah Byron), Year In Review section. generations.

B5

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

End of the year with the AKAs. Now see, this is why I wait until the last minute. I called myself having my little 2025 recap in the books early so that I could rest up to beat these streets for New Year’s Eve. But then y’all’s cousins and aunties made me have to tear my best of list to pieces to make room for two events that took place at the eleventh hour of 2025 and snatched my soul to the point where I have to add them to the very top of my list. First off, if you’ve never been to an HBCU homecoming – shame on you if you haven’t because Harris-Stowe is right up the street from everywhere – The AKAs annual end of the year jam is the perfect example of what the vibe is on the night before 1 the game. You get together and represent hard for your crew, fellowship with everyone, eat and stroll like you are trying to reach your Fitbit step goals before midnight. That was exactly the moment that The Machinist Hall was serving up on the last Friday of 2025, and I was here for every bit of it! The thing that I love about this set is that it is multi-generational – and one of the few places outside of a Kappa party where you can catch the cane twirlers and the shoulder shimmy squad in the same stroll. The neophytes and the grown heads vibing together under a Black Greek groove.

Every year it feels like a “School Daze: Where Are They Now?” This year was no different and I love every moment.

Closing gala season with a blackout. And 2025 wouldn’t have been 2025 if the last week-

end of the year didn’t feature a gala of some sort. And The Legal Solution Group’s Black Out sent the gala season out with a big black bang. Wait, that sounds way too NSFP (not safe for Partyline) for the elegant affair that had the Ritz-Carlton looking like Black excellence personified. The folks understood the assignment and came dressed in all black like the omen and helped Jermaine Wooten celebrate his birthday in the place with style and grace.

Even though I’m clearly in a Lil Kim/Biggie lyrical mood, the best way to describe the vibe would be to borrow a line from OutKast, because the folks were so fresh and so clean.

As fun and jam-packed as this year’s gala season was, I’m breathing a sigh of relief that it is over, because my formal/cocktail attire reserve was utterly depleted. I was able to cobble together a cute little ensemble for The Blackout, but had there been one more gala I probably would have been denied entry for inappropriate attire because of what I had left in my stash.

I promise I would have had to step up in the place looking like a plus-size member of Vanity 6 with a tuxedo jacket and some hi-cut Cacique panties. What?

I’d dress it up with a pair of control top lace pantyhose and a mean little kitten heel.

2025 Gala rewind. Okay, now that last weekend is out of the way, I can go ahead and give the highs and lows – but mostly highs – of 2025, which will go down in nightlife history as The Year of the Gala! And since I’m already talking about them, let me give my favorite moments

3 I’m going to declare Bennie Gilliam-Williams my best dressed man of the 2025 galas.

2 1. Christmas was in the air at the Merry Little Holiday party last weekend Photo by Educate Self Cultivate Others 2. Quentin and Cassandra at The AKAs End of the Year Jam Friday night at the Machinist Hall 3. Shaki and Dallas at The Legal Solution Group’s Black Out Gala Saturday at the Ritz-Carlton

from the gala season that never seemed to end. I’m gonna start with the UBall, because U. City will accuse me of hating if they don’t get top billing. But for real, I know I gave y’all shade but a time was had – and it’s one of the few times where I didn’t regret risking it all on the roads during inclement weather. My favorite after party moment of the galas has to go to the Delux Power 100. Now I know what y’all are thinking, “She’s only saying that because Jami and ‘nem busted out the Pharaoh Donuts!” And you would be 100 percent correct. What?

That hunk of cinnamon roll that caught in my cleavage gave me my second wind on the dance floor. I’m convinced I wouldn’t have had a second wind enough to power through to the end of the Tamia slide without it.

I think my favorite look from the nights of 1,000 galas is this the 2025 Salute to Excellence in Education Stellar Performer honoree Mary Elizabeth Grimes. Only the people who didn’t see the slay she served will accuse me of picking her because it’s our event. My second favorite look is Nikole Shurn’s tribute to the best of totally 80s formal wear with that green gown with the gold belt at Power 100. My only wish was that it had some sky high shoulder pads. Jami Ballentine’s Power 100 beat was the mug of the millennium! And I would be a mess if I forgot to mention the great Jackie Joyner-Kersee topto-bottom slayage for her sneaker ball at The Four Seasons. As much as I want to give it to Will Henton for the risk he took with that light blue velvet, I think

Other 2025 moments of note. I’ve gone so hard on the galas that there is barely room for anything else, but I’m gonna do what I can with these last few little words to sum up 2025.

So it won’t seem like I’m only giving a good weather report, I want to let y’all know that when Glorilla came to town for her show at The Factory, she was expecting her greatest hits – not y’all’s. I’m so glad that she had a chance to spin the block back to St. Louis thanks to Sexyy Red’s sold-out show at Enterprise Center. I feel like that was a first for any female rapper, let alone one from right here in the STL. Oh, and let me give it up to Jeezy for how he had us looking all elegant as we rapped along to trap music backed by violins and violas!

House of Soul’s Juneteenth Block Party and Frizzfest had me as Black and proud as James Brown. And I know y’all are going to accuse me of playing favorites by giving them two mentions, but the step show at the AKAs Central Region was a vibe that needs to be recreated in the next Black cinema classic. And while I felt a type of way about that simulated hunch during “Take You Down,” I got my life from the R&B Energizer Bunny better known as Chris Brown when he wore his Gen Z audience out with his stamina at The Dome. If I’ve forgotten any of my faves from 2025, please know that I will be spinning the block and mentioning them next week!

B6

Sports

“James Cook, this offensive line – they’re elite…Best running back in the game right now.”

– Chris Simms on Buffalo Bills

JANUARY 1 – 7, 2025

Sports Eye With Alvin A. Reid

New year sprouts new opportunities in sports world

As January 1, 2026, been a while, ain’t it, Earl? rolls in, and an odd year May SLU benefactor rolls out, here are some and big-time NBA fan things I’d like to see hapRichard Chaifetz of pen in St. Louis and on the Chicago pull off his dream national sports scene. of landing a franchise in May St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis. Can you say outfielder Jordan Walker Memphis or New Orleans? jumpstart his career with May St. Louis Blues his first solid MLB season. owner Tom Stillman see He’ll need it if he is going his team somehow make to remain with this team. the NHL playoffs this seaMay Victor Scott II son. He’s the city’s best improve his offensive team owner and deserves skills to match more success. his outstanding May our own defensive ability in Jayson Tatum concenterfield. A big tinue his rehab from payday could be in a ruptured Achillies his future if he can without setback simply get on base and not return to more often. the court until he is May Missouri 100% healthy.

Alvin A. running back May STL Reid Ahmad Hardy native Bradley lose the scowl he wore on Beal figure out a way to his face during the Gator stay healthy for the entire Bowl, avoid injury next 2026-27 NBA season – season, and be a Heisman and then retire.

Trophy finalist.

May St. Louis SC May Missouri basketdefender Fallou Fall and ball coach Dennis Gates the beleaguered MLS fransurvive what looks to be chise find success in after a rough season, rebound a pair of dismal seasons in with one of the nation’s which the team failed to top recruiting classes in make the playoffs.

2026-27, and return to the May Detroit Lions NCAA Tournament. wide receiver Jameson May St. Louis native Williams avoid the injury and former Notre Dame bug, continue to mature, star Jeremiyah Love and grow into an NFL Allsomehow fall to the Pro player.

Kansas City Chiefs in the May Kansas City 2026 NFL Draft, giving Chiefs quarterback the Chiefs the running Patrick Mahomes avoid back they desperately rushing back from his knee need. injury, return in October, May Earl Austin Jr., and lead his team to the get a return trip to the playoffs.

NCAA Men’s Basketball May Chiefs wide Tournament as analyst for receiver Rashee Rice the SLU Billikens. It’s serve his 30 days for reck-

I’m hoping Kyren Williams’ new year includes a game-winning TD for the L.A. Rams in the Super Bowl.

Photo by Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images

less driving, settle his lawsuits, and return in 2026 as a new man and player Mahomes can count on.

May Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas find a way to keep the Royals from moving to Kansas and convince the team to build a downtown stadium.

May Khalian Mbappe lead France to a victory over Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium in his team’s first World Cup match.

May all the World Cup games in Kansas City run smoothly and safely – and

may some free tickets fall into my lap.

May Southern University football coach Marshall Faulk find success and face an HBCU opponent in St. Louis where he starred with the Rams and won a Super Bowl and MVP Award.

May Darryn Peterson, KU player and possible top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, overcome his mysterious leg cramps and lead KU to a pair of games in St. Louis in the NCAA Tournament.

May Colorado football coach Deion Sanders

remain cancer free and continue inspiring Black men to have screenings.

May Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones have an epiphany and step down as the team’s GM. May Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott make a run in the NFL playoffs in 2027 May quarterback Shedeur Sanders find a team other than Cleveland to play for as his career continues.

May Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin win against Baltimore on January 4 and make a deep

run in the playoffs. Both might be needed to remain as Pittsburgh coach.

May L.A. Rams running back Kyren Williams, a St. Louis guy, score the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl on February 8, 2026.

May St. Louisan Devin Williams find more success as a reliever for the New York Mets than he did with the New York Yankees.

May everyone in St. Louis and America pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again in 2026.

Inside Sports With Earl Austin Jr.

Sweet time to watch elite girls basketball For the ninth year, by 6’1” senior forward, the Sweet Hoops Girls a four-year starter who Basketball Showcase will has signed with SIUbring together some of Edwardsville. the area’s top players and teams.

Jefferson City vs.

Event director Chandra STEAM Academy, 2 p.m.

Palmer of Sweet - STEAM Academy Hoops has done features a talented a great job of senior trio of 5’11” showcasing girls’ Kayden Day, 5’11” basketball with this Tyesha Phillips and event for nearly a 5’5” point guard decade. Palmer is Bria Moore. All also the athletic three players are director at Lift for currently averEarl Life Academy. aging in double Austin Jr. The sixfigures. Jefferson game event will City comes in take place on Saturday from Mid-Missouri with at Harris-Stowe State a quality team. The Jays University. The opening have good size in 6’1” game will be a junior varsophomore Izzy Miller and sity contest between Lift 6’1” junior K’Lee Dubois. for Life and St. Teresa’s Sophomore Jill Moseley Academy from the Kansas and junior Zaria Jefferson City area. are athletic guards.

Here is a look at the five varsity games in the Lift for Life vs. St. showcase.

Teresa’s Academy, 3:30 p.m. - This is a battle Whitfield vs. St. Pius, between the two teams that 12:30 p.m. - Whitfield played each other for the is off to a fast start this Class 5 state championship season behind its very last season. Lift for Life talented freshman class. won that game last year The top player is guard and the state title. The Addison Odom, who is Hawks have been playing averaging 14 points a without top guards Amaya game. Other top freshManuel and Zha Harris, men include guards Rylii who are injured. They Franklin, Kristina Margraf are led by 5’8” senior and Amarlii Hart along Diamond Polk and 5’7” with 6’1” forward Ava junior Cara Manuel, along Nicastro. St. Pius is led with 5’9” junior forward

Photo by Earl Austin Jr. / St. Louis American

Sophomore guard Hailey Gray (with the ball) will be one of the top players to watch at the upcoming Sweet Hoops Girls Basketball Showcase, which will be held on Saturday at Harris-Stowe State University.

Rian Lenox. St. Teresa’s is led by 5’9” junior guard Jazlyn Rhodes, who is one of the top prospects in the state. STA also features 6’4” junior Mabel Bland in the post.

Belleville East vs.

Lutheran-St. Charles, 5 p.m. - Belleville East is the top team in the metro east area. The Lancers are coming off an impressive third-place finish in the Visitation Christmas Tournament. They are by talented sophomore point guard Hailey Gray, who

is averaging 16 points a game. Lutheran-St. Charles features a talented senior Inside-Outside duo in 6’2” forward Kennedy Stowers and 5’6” point guard Kyrii Franklin.

Stowers is an Illinois State recruit who is averaging 14 points and nine rebounds a game while Franklin is averaging 15 points a game.

Cardinal Ritter vs.

Legion Prep Academy (Texas), 6:45 p.m. Cardinal Ritter is one of the area’s top teams and a

prime contender in Class 4 this season. The Lions feature a group of talented guards led by junior Nylah Scales, sophomore Trinity Jackson and senior Alanah Howard. The frontcourt is led by 5’10” senior forward McKenzie McCann.

Legion Prep is coming in from the Dallas area with one of the top teams in the state of Texas. The top player is 6’2” senior forward Jacy Abii, a four-star prospect who has signed with Notre Dame. They also feature 5’6” senior guard Rieyan DeSouze, another four-star recruit who is headed to Texas A&M. Principia boys make national waves The Principia Panthers made quite a statement last week when they travelled to Fort Meyers, Florida to participate in the prestigious City of Palms Classic, which is one of the top holiday tournaments in the country.

Principia entered the tournament unranked and rather unknown nationally, but they came back to Missouri with a third-place trophy after three victories over nationally ranked teams. In the opening game, Principia defeated ninth-ranked Columbus

(Georgia) 74-62. The Panthers were led by senior guard Quentin Coleman with 30 points and junior guard Gassim Toure with 20 points.

In the quarterfinals, Principia defeated No. 4 ranked Marietta Wheeler 69-63 behind 34 points from Coleman, who is headed to Wake Forest. The Panthers appeared poised to take down national power Paul VI from Virginia in the semifinals, but a 31-point performance by five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. stopped the Panthers from getting to the championship game.

Principia bounced back in the third-place game to defeat another nationally ranked team in Bartlett, Tennessee. The Panthers had a balanced scoring attack in the last two games with 6’9” junior forward Sekou Cisse and 6’3” junior guard Wyatt Slay also contributing in a big way.

For their efforts, the Panthers went from unranked all the way up to No. 2 in the latest MaxPreps.com rankings.

Principia travelled back to Missouri where it is competing in the Central Bank Great 8 Classic in Jefferson City.

B7

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

2025 St. Louis American Year In Review

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

May 16 — “This is our Katrina.” A deadly tornado rips through the St. Louis area, leaving five people dead and an estimated $1.6 billion in damage.

Carlton, St. Louis. Honorees A tornado rips through St. Louis, are Larry Thomas, Lifetime Rodney Boyd, political chaos reigns in Jefferson City Achiever; Entrepreneur of the Year; Williams, Corporate and Washington, D.C., but the Black Jeremy Executive of the Year; Michelle D. Walker, Nonprofit Corporate community meets its challenges Executive of the Year; and Chris Krehmeyer, Excellence in and continues unprecedented Community Impact.

21 — Voletta Wallace, progress on many levels. mother of iconic rapper The JANUARY

the accident.

1 — A terrorist inspired by ISIS drives a Ford F-150 pickup into pedestrians on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people and injuring 57.

U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell is sworn in to represent Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.

6 — When Normandy Schools Collaborative students return from winter break, they are among the first in Missouri districts not allowed to use cellphones inside school buildings.

7 — Wildfires scorch the Los Angeles area, destroying thousands of homes and businesses.

The historic Black community of Altadena is among those devastated.

16 — Explore St. Louis announces that the Church of God in Christ Holy Convocation will return to St. Louis in 202628.

20 — As the nation celebrates the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, President Donald Trump is sworn in for his second term. Among his first executive actions is the elimination of DEI initiatives throughout the federal government.

29 — An American Airlines regional jet collides with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. In December, the U.S. government claims some responsibility for

FEBRUARY 2 — Beyoncé wins three Grammys. Her first album of the year award is historic, as she becomes the first Black woman to win a Grammy for best country album, for “Cowboy Carter.”

She extends her record to 35 total Grammys.

5 — Music executive Irv Gotti, who collaborated with artists including Ashanti and Ja Rule, dies. He was known for co-founding Murder Inc. Records under Def Jam Recordings.

9 — Two Black quarterbacks square off in the Super Bowl as Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles defeat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show is hailed as one of the Super Bowl’s strongest for its music, choreography and political relevance.

13 — Due to “diminished funds,” Annie Malone Children and Family Services announces that the 2025 Annie Malone May Day Parade would not be held on May 18. The decision is later reversed, but the parade is postponed in the aftermath of the May 16 tornado.

20 — The St. Louis American Foundation celebrates the 23rd Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Networking and Awards Luncheon at The Ritz-

Notorious B.I.G., dies at 78. She had recently entered hospice care.

24 — Roberta Flack, the legendary vocalist behind “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” dies at 88. She had been diagnosed with ALS and was unable to perform in her final years.

MARCH 1 — R&B singer Angie Stone dies at 63. The Associated Press reports she died from injuries sustained in a car crash.

2 — Zoe Saldaña wins the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mexican lawyer Rita Castro in “Emilia Pérez.”

4 — Alderwoman Cara Spencer handily tops Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and other candidates in the mayoral primary. As the top two vote-getters, Spencer and Jones will face off in the April 8 mayoral election.

U.S. Rep. Al Green of Texas heckles President Trump during the president’s address to Congress.

11 — The Missouri Legislature, ignoring the will of city residents and voters statewide, strips authority over the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department from the city and places it under Gov. Mike Kehoe. Mayor Jones calls the action “cowardly.”

20 — The St. Louis American reports that a three-bed facil-

ity controversially carrying the name “Homer G. Phillips Hospital” is officially closed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

21 — Boxing legend and entrepreneur George Foreman dies at 76.

24 — Great Rivers Greenway celebrates the groundbreaking of the north connector of the Brickline Greenway, which will create a paved path from Grand through north St. Louis near downtown.

APRIL 1 — George Nnanna begins his tenure as founding director of the University of Missouri–St. Louis School of Engineering.

The school will welcome its first class of engineering students in August. He previously served as the founding dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Texas Permian Basin.

4 — Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. opens its 91st Central Regional Conference in St. Louis. More than 4,000 AKAs from eight states attend the weekend conference.

5 — Hundreds of thousands of protesters, including thousands of St. Louis area residents, take to the streets to protest the Trump administration during the first “Hands Off” Day. U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell challenges St. Louisans to rise up and actively protest Trump during the “Resist to Exist” rally at St. Paul African Methodist Church.

7 — U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey begins his historic 25-hour rebuke of President Trump and his policies on the Senate floor.

8 — Alderwoman Cara Spencer wins 64% of just over 50,000 ballots cast to unseat incumbent Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. Only 25.7% of the city’s registered electorate voted in the election. “Together, we have accomplished so much,” Jones says after conceding defeat.

Donna Barringer defeats longtime Comptroller Darlene Green.

10 — The St. Louis American reports that David Steward, co-founder and chair of World Wide Technology, is listed at No. 213 on Forbes’ 2025 list of the world’s billionaires.

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

May 3 — The Old Courthouse celebrates its grand reopening after major renovations.

Photo Dawn Suggs I St. Louis American Photo courtesy of the AP

January 7 — Wildfires scorch the Los Angeles area, destroying thousands of homes and businesses. The historic Black community of Altadena is among those devastated.

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

February 25 — St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones being interviewed by St. Louis American reporter Sylvester Brown at her campaign headquarters in South St. Louis.

April 5 — Hundreds of thousands of protesters, including thousands of St. Louis area residents, take to the streets to protest the Trump administration during the first “Hands Off” Day.

B8

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

Fair goers stroll down Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in Wellston for the annual Black Wall Street Festival Sat. June 28, 2025.

According to Forbes, Steward’s net worth is $11.4 billion, up from $7.6 billion in 2024.

15 — Cara Spencer is sworn in as St. Louis mayor.

21 — Pope Francis, who had chastised the actions of President Trump and other world leaders, dies at 88.

29 — Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage is presented with the Washington University International Humanities Prize.

MAY 3 — The Old Courthouse, site of the first two trials of the Dred Scott case in 1847 and 1850, celebrates its grand reopening after major renovations.

8 — Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost becomes the first American pope. He chooses the papal name Leo XIV. 12 — St. Louis native Jayson Tatum ruptures his Achilles during an NBA playoff game against the New York Knicks.

The injury will likely cause the Boston Celtics star to miss the 2025-26 season.

16 — “This is our Katrina.”

A deadly tornado rips through the St. Louis area, leaving five people dead and an estimated $1.6 billion in damage. North St. Louis takes the worst brunt of the historic storm, which devastates neighborhoods including Fountain Park. Centennial Christian Church in Fountain Park is among the estimated 5,000 churches, schools, homes and buildings destroyed.

Damage from the storm remains untouched and trees remain toppled in North St. Louis as 2026 begins. Hundreds of businesses and homeowners have not received promised assistance from FEMA, and many are forced to abandon their properties.

18 — The Annie Malone Parade, which was postponed in February then rescheduled for May 18, is again postponed because of the tornado.

20 — The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis announces it is establishing a Humanitarian Fund and “will lead the charge in helping our

community recover,” says President and CEO Michael P. McMillan. The Urban League hosts large-scale food and supply giveaways throughout the summer and fall and helps an estimated 30,000 people.

22 — The St. Louis American Foundation honors 20 Black professionals under age 40 for career achievement and community dedication during the 14th Annual Salute to Young Leaders Networking and Awards Reception at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis.

Congress passes President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which strips millions of dollars from Missouri Medicaid and could leave thousands without access to health care. The bill also gives large tax breaks to the richest Americans.

JUNE 9 — Music icon Sly Stone, frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, dies at 82. As leader of the first interracial rock band to top the charts, Stone is credited with delivering one of the most celebrated performances at the 1969 Woodstock concert.

11 — Former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis dies at 52 following a years-long battle with breast cancer. Lewis previously revealed in 2019 that she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.

12 — The St. Louis American reports that the city can deduct 25% from a resident’s insurance claim following the May 16 tornado. The mayor’s office responds following coverage from the American and other media outlets.

Juneteenth events begin throughout the St. Louis area, including the Missouri History Museum Juneteenth celebration.

Many events running through June 19 center on storm relief.

13 — Following a four-month trial, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is sentenced to more than seven years in prison on corruption charges.

14 — Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her hus-

band are killed at their home in Brooklyn Park, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife are injured at their Champlin residence in politically motivated shootings.

15 — The “No Kings” marches and protests spanning the nation include St. Louis as public backlash against Trump administration policies continues.

17 — City residents Jamala Rogers, a St. Louis American columnist, and Mike Milton file suit challenging the state’s constitutional authority to seize control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

18 — The National NAACP makes history by not inviting a sitting president to its National Convention. The 116th convention is held in Charlotte, N.C., July 12-16.

19 — Local Tuskegee Airmen are honored at the Soldiers Memorial Museum downtown during the opening of the Tuskegee Airmen: Freedom Flyers exhibit, which runs through Nov. 2.

“Sanford and Son” and “The Waltons” actor Lynn Hamilton dies at 95. Her other acting credits include the historic soap opera “Generations” and the miniseries “Roots: The Next Generations.”

23 — During a press conference at St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, Sonya Jenkins-Gray, former city personnel director whose tenure ended in scandal and her termination, is introduced as a commissioner on the state police board. She is the lone Black commissioner among five, and there are no North St. Louis representatives.

24 — Ameren donates 900 air conditioners in support of Cooldown Charities.

29 — Gospel great BeBe Winans performs with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and IN UNISON Chorus at the Fox Theatre to benefit the tornado relief efforts of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

JULY

1 — The U.S. Agency for International Development is shut down by the Trump administration, ending more than 60 years of humanitarian relief to more than 100 nations.

4 — Twenty-seven campers and staff from Camp Mystic, a girls summer camp in south Texas, are among the 135 killed in massive flooding July 4-7.

9 — The first hearing in the state’s case to remove Sheriff Alfred Montgomery from office is held. Retired Judge David Mason, one of the attorneys representing Montgomery, slams the action as unlawful.

10 — The St. Louis American announces that veteran journalist Rod Hicks has been named executive editor.

The Urban League and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announce that $350,000 was raised during the June 29 Disaster Relief concert featuring gospel great BeBe Winans.

The James S. McDonnell Foundation announces it will invest $3 million to support tornado recovery and rebuilding efforts.

17 — The St. Louis County Court of Appeals upholds a September 2024 ruling that ends the Homer G. Phillips Nurses Alumni Association trademark infringement lawsuit against developer Paul McKee. 20 — “The Cosby Show” star and beloved actor MalcolmJamal Warner dies in a tragic accident at age 54. Warner was swimming near Playa Grande de Cocles in Limon, Costa Rica, when he “apparently was dragged by a current offshore,” according to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency.

22 — The SLPS board hears a plan from an architectural firm that, if adopted, would close 38 district schools. Teachers Local 420 says it was not informed of closures at that scale and vows to fight the proposal.

Mayor Cara Spencer announces the city has paused certification programs for

women- and minority-owned businesses over fears of Trump administration backlash.

26 — Sumner High School celebrates its 150th year during its annual alumni gathering.

30 — A new convention center lobby and entrance named for St. Louis American Publisher Donald M. Suggs is unveiled. Suggs was the first African American president of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of St. Louis, now Explore St. Louis.

AUGUST 5 — More than 3,000 Boeing defense workers in the St. Louis area reject the aerospace firm’s latest contract offer and begin a strike that lasts nearly two months.

11 — State Sen. Brian Williams announces he will run for the Democratic nomination for St. Louis County executive in August 2026, following his final legislative term ending May 2026.

National Guard troops from West Virginia and other states are ordered to Washington, D.C., by President Trump, who says the move is to fight crime, though the city’s crime rate is down.

29 — Gov. Mike Kehoe announces on a late Friday evening that Missouri will hold a special session to redraw congressional district maps at President Trump’s urging. The proposed new map would virtually eliminate the Kansas Cityarea district held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

SEPTEMBER 9 — Mayor Cara Spencer reverses her decision to pause minority- and women-owned business certification after critics say the programs should not have been suspended.

10 — Conservative activist Charlie Kirk is shot and killed at Utah Valley University.

12 — Following a House vote the previous week, the Missouri Senate passes a new congressional map and a pro-

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

August 5 — More than 3,000 Boeing defense workers in the St. Louis area reject the aerospace firm’s latest contract offer and begin a strike that lasts nearly two months.

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

July 30 — A new America’s Center lobby and entrance was named for St. Louis American Publisher Donald M. Suggs].

B9

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026 posal that could make it much harder to pass some constitutional amendments.

Several Republicans, including the Senate leader, join Democrats in voting against redistricting changes. Both actions, backed by Gov. Mike Kehoe, face immediate legal challenges, and a not-for-profit begins a petition campaign to allow voters to decide the map.

12/13 — The St. Louis American wins nine first-place awards in the Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest, and the late Kevin Jones, former American COO, is inducted into the MPA Hall of Fame during the association’s conference in Wildwood, Mo. 16 — The St. Louis County Council rejects a resolution by Councilman Mark Harder that would have honored the late Charlie Kirk.

24 — The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra begins welcoming audiences back to the renovated Powell Hall, unveiling the expanded Jack C. Taylor Music Center and $140 million in renovations.

OCTOBER 1 — The U.S. government officially shuts down as Democrats vow to fight to protect Americans from skyrocketing health care premiums tied to the Affordable Care Act. The stalemate with Senate Republicans leads to suspension of SNAP and WIC benefits for a period of time in early November.

3 — Sean Combs is sentenced to 50 months in prison after being convicted on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution for drug-fueled sex parties known as “freak-offs.”

Local police in Massillon, Ohio, pepper-spray Cardinal Ritter College Prep football players following a game with Washington High School. A video shows post-game altercations, then police rush onto the field and spray Cardinal Ritter players.

4 — Cori Bush announces on Instagram she will challenge U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell in the August 2026 Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District seat. Bell unseated Bush in the August 2024 Democratic primary and won the seat the following November.

6 — Advocates call for the Francis Howell School District to act “on a yearlong pattern of racism” after racist graffiti is found in a Francis Howell High School bathroom. A janitor is later exposed as the person who wrote the racist words.

10 — A cease-fire goes into effect in the Israel-Hamas war, which began following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing more than

Desember 22 — Superstar couple Nelly and Ashanti attend a Christmas party at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis MathewsDickey location and present new bicycles to club members in partnership with Raising Cane’s.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant I St. Louis American

region to recognize their lasting community impact.

21 — Jellybean Johnson, iconic drummer and guitarist for The Time and a central figure in the Minneapolis Sound, dies at 69.

29 — A historic “thundersnow” hits St. Louis. Lightning flashes over snow-covered I-270 as a winter storm dumps several inches of heavy, wet snow, knocking out power for thousands, many still living in tornado-damaged homes.

DECEMBER 1 — Sportsbook gambling becomes legal in Missouri. Studies show Black bettors are more likely to wager and suffer economic fallout.

1,000 people and taking several hundred hostages. Israeli attacks killed tens of thousands of Gazans and led to mass food and medical shortages.

14 — Sheriff Alfred Montgomery is ordered to jail by a federal judge who rules there is a “troubling pattern of deception and defiance” as the state attempts to remove him from office.

Montgomery vows to run his department from jail but is rebuked.

17 — During an emergency closed session meeting, the SLPS board terminates Superintendent Millicent Borishade “without cause.” The board will pay her $475,000 upon departure. Myra Berry, SLPS interim chief of human resources, is named interim superintendent.

18 — The late U.S. Rep. William “Bill” Clay Sr. is honored during a public memorial service at the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri–St. Louis campus. Clay died July 17.

23 — Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are indicted for alleged participation in Mafia-backed rigged poker games and for providing NBA internal information to gamblers.

30 — The St. Louis American reports that Washington University has rejected President Trump’s compact that would have limited diversity efforts in exchange for financial support.

NOVEMBER 1 — The St. Louis American Foundation celebrates the 38th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala at

America’s Center. Honored are Dr. Flint Fowler, Lifetime Achiever; Mary Elizabeth Grimes, Stellar Performer; and Bob Fox and Maxine Clark, Champions of Education. Excellence in Education honorees are Dr. Rhonda Key, Tamara Pendleton, Dr. Michael Peoples, Dr. Michael D. Triplett and Erica Williams.

4 — Democrats score major victories in Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia on election night, reenergizing the party one year before the November 2026 midterm elections. “Americans are fired up and ready to vote (Republicans) out,” says U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell.

9 — NBA legend and St. Louis native Lenny Wilkens dies at age 88. He was the first person to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame three times — as a player, coach and member of the “Dream Team.”

12 — The National Urban League unveils its $250 million Harlem headquarters. Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis President and CEO Michael P. McMillan attends and calls the event “a defining moment for our organization and for the entire movement.”

15 — The “Mill Creek: Black Metropolis” exhibit at the Missouri History Museum celebrates its grand opening. The exhibit, which runs through July 12, 2026, honors the historic Black community once home to more than 20,000 residents and dozens of Blackowned businesses.

16 — Six months after the May 16 tornado, large swaths of devastation remain throughout north St. Louis.

20 — The United Way hosts “An Evening of Thanks,” bringing together philanthropic leaders from across the

Former St. Louis Rams running back and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Marshall Faulk is introduced as Southern University head coach in Baton Rouge, La. 8 — U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, a St. Louis area native, announces she will seek the Democratic nomination for a Texas U.S. Senate seat in August 2026. She tells The St. Louis American, “My story starts in St. Louis.”

9 — People Over Politics delivers more than 300,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office — well above the number needed to force a statewide vote on redistricting.

18 — Sam Page announces he will not seek a third term as St. Louis county executive. He partially blames the political climate, saying it’s now dominated by “manufactured fake problems” that make it harder for public officials to address serious issues.

22 — Superstar couple Nelly and Ashanti attend a Christmas party at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis Mathews-Dickey location and present new bicycles to club members in partnership with Raising Cane’s.

Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announce that the NFL team would be moving from Missouri to a domed stadium in Kansas in 2031.

23 — A St. Louis Circuit Court judge removes Sheriff Alfred Montgomery from office, ruling that two incidents involving misuse of authority are serious enough to justify ouster. While the judge finds most allegations “unconvincing and insufficient,” he concludes that Montgomery’s actions in disarming a guard and handcuffing a city official amount to willful neglect of duty.

St. Louis says farewell to giants who shaped our city rock of his family, died April 7, just four offenders, and fought to restrict tobacco which he was jailed nearly four months. days after his beloved wife of more than advertising near children. “He was an 60 years, Betty Jean (Hayman) Purnell, eloquent orator whose voice was always a 32-year veteran of St. Louis on behalf of the people who are Ronald J. Harris St. Louis is home to many prominent Public Schools, who died April never heard,” said former Alderleaders in politics, faith and community 3. Both were 87. Purnell found man Mike Jones. “He was easily Veteran journalist Ron Harris died life. Each year, some of our brightest his calling in sales, first selling our James Brown, the hardest following a sailing accident after going lights fade, and it is The St. Louis Ameriinsurance, then working for working man in politics.” missing Aug. 25. His body was recovered can’s honor to remember several who left Sealtest Dairy before joining off Ossabaw Island in Georgia after a us in 2025. the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as multi-day search. Harris worked for sevAlice Roach an advertising executive. By eral major newspapers, including the Los retirement, he was one of the Angeles Times and St. Louis Post-DisDr. Alphonso Trottman Alice Roach, founding prinpaper’s most recognized sales patch. cipal of Carnahan High School leaders and a mentor to youngDr. Alphonso Trottman, the first Black Linda Lockhart of the Future and longtime er African Americans entering orthodontist in St. Louis, died Jan. 6, administrator for The the field.

Mrs. Mary surrounded by family after a Parsons Blewett Fund, recent illness. Born in St. Louis Ellen Anderson died July 11 at age 75. A former during segregation, Trottman classroom teacher who returned Linda Lockhart came of age when discrimiMrs. Mary Ellen Anderson repeatedly when called upon, nation limited opportunity for died Nov. 23 at Barnes-Jewish Roach eventually became SLPS Veteran journalist Linda Black residents. He became Hospital. She was 103. Born in chief of staff. She was honored Lockhart died May 4 at age 72. a devoted father of three, a St. Louis’ Ville neighborhood, with the Lifetime Achievement A product of Lutheran schools, former U.S. Air Force officer, she graduated from Sumner Award at the 2015 she became the first and a pioneering orthodontist High School at age 16 and HarSt. Louis American African American and dental professor who built ris-Stowe State University at 20.

Foundation Salute to graduate of Lutheran thriving practices and mentored She became an educator before Dr. Alphonso William “Bill” Excellence in EducaHigh School South in generations of professionals. marrying Dr. John Anderson, Trottman Clay Sr. tion Gala.

1970. Her journalism a psychiatrist and Washington career included work University faculty member. at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Carol Ann Clay Milwaukee Journal, St. Paul U.S. Rep. William Carol Ann Clay, matriarch of one of St. Pioneer Press, Wisconsin State “Bill” Clay Sr. Bishop A. John Journal, The Capital Times, St. Louis’ most prominent African American McCoy Sr. Louis Beacon and St. families, died Feb. 16 at her William “Bill” Freeman Louis Public Radio. home in suburban Washington, Clay Sr., trailblazing Bishop A. John McCoy Sr., a Bosley Sr. She retired in 2019 but D.C. A St. Louis native, she Missouri congressrevered faith leader whose minreturned in 2020 as attended Rosati-Kain Academy man and civil rights istry spanned more than seven interim managing editor of The and graduated from Sumner champion, died July 17 at his decades, died Oct. 27 at age 92, St. Louis American.

High School in 1953. That daughter’s home in Maryland. just hours after leading his final same year, she married WilHe was 94. Clay sponsored the Monday prayer call. Founding liam “Bill” Clay Sr. During Family and Medical Leave Act, pastor of Grace Apostolic Worthe height of the civil rights Freeman Bosley Sr. advocated for higher minimum ship Center in Florissant, McCoy movement, she stood beside her wages and secured increased was remembered as a humble, husband as he led the historFreeman Bosley Sr., one of federal funding for HBCUs. disciplined leader who nurtured Mary Carol Ann Clay ic Jefferson Bank protests in St. St. Louis’ longest-serving alder“He changed a community, he pastors across the region. Born Ellen Anderso n Louis. men and father of the city’s first changed a state, and he changed and raised in St. Louis, he overBlack mayor, died May 16 at age a nation,” said his son, William came early hardship — includ90. Elected in 1977, Bosley championed Lacy Clay. Clay became Missouri’s first ing the loss of a leg at age 3 — before Que Prince “Paul” Purnell safer neighborhoods and better infrastrucBlack congressman in 1968 and co-found- dedicating his life to ministry. and Betty Jean Purnell ture. He backed legislation penalizing ed the Congressional Black Caucus. brick thefts from abandoned buildings, Earlier, as an alderman, he was a leader in For more notable deaths from 2025, Que Prince (Paul) Purnell, the steadfast proposed harsh penalties for graffiti the 1963 Jefferson Bank protests, during see Page B4.

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

Career Center

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Provide case management services for children in foster care. Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work or related field. Minimum of one year of employment in child welfare field. Interested candidates forward letter of interest and resume to:vatkins@posimpacts. com, Attention: Valerie Atkins.

Employee will be employed by Positive Impacts, Inc. and contracted to Epworth Children & Family Services.

SOLICITING BIDS Millstone Weber, LLC is soliciting proposals for the removal and replacement of Greenwood & Pacific bridges, including demo, excavation, pavement markings, underdrains, electrical, asphalt and miscellaneous other work as indicated on the plans and specifications for the St. Louis County Greenwood & Pacific Project. Please phone 636-688-8794, fax 636949-3129 or email bob. stubbs@millstoneweber. com, quotes to bids@ millstoneweber.com by 12:00 PM CDT on 12/22/2025. Millstone Weber encourages qualified MBE/WBE subcontractors & vendors to bid this project. For Access to Plans and Specifications, please email bids@millstoneweber. com.

SOLICITING BID Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/WBE/DBE/ Veteran/SDVE for the following: CP231011 Bingham Hall – Update Courtyard Area Contact: Mike Murray ; mikem@reinhardtcon structionllc.com

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St. Louis american

JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities

Please be advised that on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Louis City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, the Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee of the Board of Aldermen of The City of St. Louis, Missouri (“City”) will hold a public hearing to consider a Petition to Amend and Restate the Petition to Establish 1100 Washington Avenue Community Improvement District by, among other things, Altering the Boundaries of the 1100 Washington Avenue Community Improvement District and Clarifying the Project (the “Amended Petition”) pursuant to the Community Improvement District Act, Sections 67.1401 to 67.1571 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, as amended (the “Act”).

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

REQUEST FOR BID The School District of University City is seeking sealed bids for University City High School, School Based Health Center. Bids are due by 2:00 PM on January 16, 2026. A prebid walkthrough will be held at 4:00 PM on January 8, 2026, at University City High School, located at 7401 Balson Ave, University City, MO 63130.

Notice to Proceed will be issued on January 23, 2026.

For more information and the complete bid package, please contact DeAna Carter at dcarter@ kwamebuildinggroup.com.

NOTICE OF VIRTUAL PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE St. Louis County will hold a virtual open house for the Trianon Lane Bridge Replacement, County Project No. CR-1903, Wednesday, January 28, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. You can access the virtual open house by following the link at the bottom of the page or scanning the QR code. You may also dial in from a mobile device by calling 1-408-418-9388, enter the access code: 26337456784, then the password: 12345678.

We will discuss the current replacement structure, project timeline for replacement, and project costs. Time will be provided for public comment/questions.

The project involves the replacement of an existing three-cell reinforced concrete culvert that is currently closed to vehicular traffic due to advanced deterioration.

For more information, follow the QR code below:

Phone: 573-682-5505

VISIT OUR WEBSIE AT www.stlamerican.com

FOSTER CARE CASE MANAGER

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

THETHE

SEALED BIDS Bids for Campground #4 Shower House Replacement, Bennett Spring State Park, Project No X2528-01, will be received

by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, February 3, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities The State of Missouri, OA-FMDC, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry or national origin in consideration for an award.

Federal Land and Water Conservation Funds are being used in this project, and all relevant federal, state and local requirements apply. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.

The Amended Petition was filed with the municipal clerk for the City (St. Louis City Register) and seeks to, among other things, (i) alter the boundaries of the existing 1100 Washington Avenue Community Improvement District (the “District”) by the addition of certain real property to the existing District (the District, as amended to include the additional property is referred to herein as the “Amended District”), (ii) add an additional project valued at $500,000, (iii) extend the term in connection with Section 67.1481 of the Act, (iv) clarify the existing blight determination, and (v) consent to the terms of the Board of Directors of the Amended District.

The boundaries of the Amended District generally consist of the following tax parcels and situs addresses: (i) 0836-9-050.000 (1100 Washington Avenue), (ii) 0836-9-040.000 (1110 Washington Avenue), (iii) 0836-9-031.007 (1122 Washington Avenue), (iv) 0179-9010.000 (1000 Washington Avenue), (v) 0178-9-090.000 (1021 Washington Avenue), (vi) 0836-9-011.096 (1132 Washington Avenue, Retail Unit A), (vii) 0836-9-011-097 (1132 Washington Avenue, Retail Unit B), (viii) 0178-9-020.001 (1013 Washington Avenue), (ix) 0178-9-021.002 (1015 Washington Avenue), (x) 0517-9-011.002 (1113 Washington Avenue, Unit 102), and (xi) 0517-9-011.003 (1113 Washington Avenue, Unit 103), all located in the City. The Amended District is generally bounded by St. Charles Street on the south, Tucker Boulevard on the west, Lucas Avenue on the north, and North 10 th Street on the east.

A map illustrating the boundaries of the District and the Amended District is provided herein.

The Amended Petition is available for review at the office of the municipal clerk for the City (St. Louis City Register) located at City Hall, Room 118, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103 during regular business hours on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

All interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing.

Procedures to Speak in Committee Meetings In Person A sign in sheet will be available for those who attend in person and wish to speak. This sheet will be near the Clerk of the meeting. All members of the public who wish to speak must sign this sheet. There is no preregistration to speak at this meeting. The Chair of the meeting will announce when the meeting is open for public comment. Rules related to this are below.

Procedures to Speak in Committee Meetings Virtually (if available) The Chair of the Committee will announce when the meeting will be open for public comment. If you wish to speak, click the “Raise Hand” icon and function in the Zoom Meeting Screen while in the meeting. This will place a raised hand next to your name.

Usually only people showing a raised hand will be called on to speak.

When the Chair is ready for you to speak you will be moved from the attendee list to the participant list by the meeting manager. You will be moved back to the attendee list once you are completed. Speakers from the public will be called to speak in order of appearance on the list. Committee members may have questions after your talk.

When you enter the meeting to speak the Chair will ask your name and may ask if you are for, against or have no position on the petition. The Chair may also ask other questions related to your relationship to the petition.

The Chair will determine the amount of time all speakers will have. The Chair may determine this after all those wishing to speak have raised their hands. The time usually allotted to speak is about three (3) minutes. The exact time will be announced by the Chair before the public comments begin.

Board of Aldermen Rule 34 - Public Hearing Procedures After the presentation of a bill, resolution, or topic for discussion by City Officials or invited guests at a Committee Meeting, the proponents and the opponents of said bill or resolution shall be heard alternately, and public comment on the topic for discussion shall be heard. If the hearing is set in person, all persons who wish to testify at a public hearing shall sign a list which shall be made available by the Chair of the Committee at least one-half hour before the announced time of the hearing. If the hearing is held via electronic communication, all persons who wish to testify may, but are not required to sign up in advance. Registered persons (if any) shall be called upon first, followed by participants who request to testify during the hearing.

The initial presentation of any witness shall be no longer than five minutes except with the permission of the Committee Chair, but any witness may respond to questions by members of the Committee for an additional period of time to be determined by the Committee Chair; and any witness may submit written testimony to the Committee at any time prior to the conclusion of the hearing on the bill.

Written Comments Written comments to be shared with members of the Board may be emailed to the Board of Aldermen Clerk - Mr. Terry Kennedy at: boameetings@stlouis-mo.gov . They may also be mailed through the US Postal Service or dropped off. They should be addressed to: Mr. Terry Kennedy, Clerk, St. Louis Board of Aldermen, St. Louis City Hall 1200 Market Street Room 230, St. Louis, Mo. 63103.

Those with Disabilities Individuals with disabilities, who may need sign language interpreters, written materials in alternative formats, or other accommodations should make a request to boameetings@ stlouis-mo.gov or call 314-589-6845 at least 48 hours before the meeting.

https://bit.ly/490kWQ6

As further explained in the Amended Petition, as to tax parcel 0836-9-011.096 (1132 Washington Avenue, Retail Unit A) and tax parcel 0836-9-011-097 (1132 Washington Avenue, Retail Unit B), only the portion of those aforementioned tax parcels from street level to 15 feet above street level shall be included within the District; the vertical portion of those tax parcels 15 feet, 1 inch and more above street level shall not be included within the boundaries of the District.

WE PUBLISH EVERY THURSDAY NEWSPAPER & ONLINE

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Bids & Public Notices ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

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St. Louis american THE

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JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

LETTING NO. 8792 TOWER GROVE CONNECTOR PHASE 2 FEDERAL PROJECT NO. CMAQ-9901(689) Electronic bids submitted through the Bid Express Online Portal will be received by the Board of Public Service until 1:45 PM, CT, on JANUARY 27, 2026, then publicly opened and read. Proposals must be submitted electronically using “Bid Express Online Portal” at https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/20618/home. The bidder must pay $40 to submit a bid through the Bid Express service. Monthly subscriptions are available.

Plans, Specifications, and the Agreement may be examined online through Bid Express at https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/20618/ home and may be downloaded for free.

A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held January 6, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. The pre-bid conference will be held in City Hall, 1200 Market Street, Room #301, St. Louis, Missouri 63103.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies).

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

CONFLUENCE ACADEMY SUMMARY STATEMENT Confluence Academy LEA recently received an unmodified opinion on an audit of the district’s Financial Statements for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2025. The areas covered under the audits, were accounting of financial statements, compliance with state law and compliance with laws governing federal programs.

An unmodified opinion is the best opinion organizations can receive. CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP performed the audit.

The report states, in part “in our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the organization as of June 30, 2025, and the changes in its net assets and its cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.”

Confluence Academy LEA uses three major funds to account for its financial activity — the general fund, teachers’ fund, and capital projects fund.

Among all three funds, the report states that Confluence Academy LEA had total revenue of $55,780,422 for the 2025 fiscal year compared to $57,109,235 in fiscal year 2024. 2025 revenues by fund were $31,330,495 for the general fund, $24.449,927 for the teachers’ fund and $0 for the capital projects fund.

The report shows that general revenues accounted for $48,525,561 in revenue or 87% of all revenues. Program specific revenues in the form of operating grants and contributions accounted for $7,254,861 or 13% of total revenues.

The LEA had $54,519,672 of expenditures in fiscal 2025 compared with $58,974,131 in fiscal 2024.

The auditors report showed that in total, net assets have increased by $1,260,750 for total net assets of $21,494,039 at fiscal year ended 2025.

The report shows balances for the general, teachers’ and capital projects funds totaled $14,885,721, $0, and $0 for a total governmental funds balance of $14,885,721 at fiscal year ended 2025.

The audit report can be viewed online by visiting www.confluenceacademy.org and clicking on the Information/ Financial Reports/Audit link.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\ status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.”

Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or email ahouston@stlamerican.com to place your ads today!

To Advertise Real Estate, Rentals, Cars, Garage Sale, Contact Angelita Houston at ahouston@ stlamerican.com 314-289-5430 ROOM FOR RENT Single Occupancy, $150 per week + Dep, All Utilities included, WiFi, W&D, Near Bus line.

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Religion B12

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026

Watch Night: How Black Americans welcomed freedom with prayer

By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word In Black On the night of Dec. 31, 1862, under cover of darkness and winter cold, groups of Americans of African descent — some free, others still enslaved — gathered quietly across the country. As the Civil War raged and their fate hung in the balance, Black men, women, and children came together to observe Watch Night, a religious tradition rooted in Christian worship and collective reflection.

But this night was different.

Instead of somber reflection on past sins and prayers to God for obedience and grace, however, the Black men, women, and children who huddled in dank cellars, in ramshackle slave quarters, or outdoors under the stars, waited anxiously as midnight slowly approached, when the Emancipation Proclamation would take effect — marking what they hoped would be freedom for themselves and their loved ones.

What Is Watch Night?

Most people in the Black community are familiar with Watch Night, one of the oldest cultural traditions of New Year’s

Eve. Marked with late-night worship services in church, the event is usually followed by a fellowship meal or a love feast.

The great demonstrations of faith do not hold to the remnants of superstition imported along with the ancestors. One is that a man had to walk through the entire house before any residents, especially women, to ward off any bad luck for the incoming year.

Another is the selection of particular foods to accentuate the meals: collard greens to assure the influx of money and blackeyed peas with rice — hoppin’ John— also for good luck.

Black people adopted Watch Night and made it their own.

But the history of Watch Night is one of contradictions.

The Roots of Watch Night Even in 1862, celebrated in secret, Watch Night was a time of celebration of the faithfulness of God, his goodness and his grace — a strange sentiment for people stolen from their homeland and held against their will in chattel slavery. Although some elements have been altered by time and necessity, the tradition prevails in the Black community, regardless of war or hard times.

Photo courtesy of Pexels.com

Watch Night or ‘Freedom’s Eve’ commemorates when African Americans watched and waited for the Emancipation Proclamation.

Modeled after the New Year’s Eve service begun by the Moravians, a 18th-century religious sect, and incorporated into Protestant worship by Methodist theologian Rev. John Wesley, Black people adopted Watch Night and made it their own. Along with religious gratitude, they transformed it into an expression of gratitude, overlaid with anticipation of freedom and high hopes for their future.

According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the first Watch Night took place during the height of the Civil War. “On the night of December 31, 1862, enslaved and free African Americans gathered, many in secret, to ring in the new year and await news that the Emancipation

Proclamation had taken effect,” according to the museum’s website.

“Just a few months earlier, on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the executive order that declared enslaved people in the rebelling Confederate States legally free.”

“However, the decree would not take effect until the clock struck midnight at the start of the new year,” according to the NMAAHC. “The occasion, known as Watch Night or ‘Freedom’s Eve,’ marks when African Americans across the country watched and waited for the news of freedom.”

The nature of Watch Night services hasn’t changed much except for the specified religious

The First 90 Days, Reimagined Most leadership transitions begin with urgency.

Everyone’s watching, waiting to see what you’ll do next.

The advice most new Chairman and CEO, leaders receive Midwest BankCentre is predictable: Author, Twice Over a Man Make your mark fast. Build momentum. Establish authority.

But here’s what I’ve learned: Leadership isn’t a sprint to prove your competence. It’s a walk to understand your context.

ORVIN T. KIMBROUGH

The Myth of Proving Yourself When I first stepped into a major leadership role, I felt the pressure to perform immediately. I thought I had to speak first, decide fast, and show everyone I was capable.

That approach gave me quick wins, but it also left blind spots. Because when you rush to act, you miss what matters most: the undercurrents. How people really work together. Where the real influence flows. What unspoken values shape decisions.

Every organization has a formal structure — the org chart — and an informal one — the trust chart. The first 90 days aren’t about changing either. They’re about learning both.

Leading by Listening Early in any transition, the best thing a leader can do is listen on purpose.

When you listen deeply, you learn how the culture breathes. You discover who holds quiet authority. You hear the stories that define the team’s identity.

When I onboard executives or advise new leaders, I encourage them to spend the first month not fixing, but learning. To sit with people at the top and those on the front line.

Ask questions that open hearts and reveal truths: • What’s working here?

• What frustrates you most?

• If you could change one thing, what would it be?

That kind of listening builds relational equity. It also sends a clear message: “I value what you know.” And people

litanies designated by various denominations. Safety concerns have influenced the timing of services; some are as early as noon on New Year’s Eve, while others take place at 9 p.m. or later.

As congregants bow in prayer minutes before midnight, someone sings, “Watchman, watchman, please tell me the hour of the night.”

The minister replies, counting down the time: “It is three minutes to midnight.”

“It is one minute before the new year.”

Then, finally, he calls out, “It is now midnight — freedom has come!”

The Next MOVE

who feel valued become partners, not just participants.

Slowing Down to Go Farther We live in a culture that worships speed. Leaders are rewarded for quick decisions and visible results. But wisdom often moves at a slower pace.

A wise leader observes the rhythms before trying to change the tempo.

A mentor said to me, “Don’t try to lead a system you haven’t taken time to understand.” That stayed with me, because understanding doesn’t delay impact; it multiplies it.

When you take time to see how people and processes truly function, your future decisions land cleaner and faster.

The Reimagined 90-Day Plan So what does this reimagined approach look like in practice?

It starts with three simple moves: 1. Observe Before You Orchestrate.

Spend your first 30 days simply seeing. Watch how meetings unfold, how teams interact, and what topics drain energy or spark life.

2. Ask Before You Act. In the next 30 days, begin asking questions that go beneath the surface: Why do we do it this way?

What have we tried before? What are we avoiding?

3. Align Before You Announce.

In your final 30 days, test your assumptions quietly. Run ideas by trusted people. Make sure your early direction fits the culture before you declare it publicly.

Why This Matters When leaders enter a new environment too fast, they often get labeled before they get known. But when you slow down, listen deeply, and act thoughtfully, people begin to trust your motives, and that trust gives you permission to lead change that lasts.

Remember: Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room.

It’s about being the most attuned.

Reflection Question Where in your current role do you need to pause and listen before acting?

For more, visit OrvinKimbrough.com or MidwestBankCentre.com.