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St. Louis American The
SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
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Vol. 98 No. 23 COMPLIMENTARY
Ferguson data center plan returns
Tempers flare during contentious meeting By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American Temperatures are rising again in Ferguson over the reintroduction of a $1.8 billion technology hub and data center proposal that council members rejected four months ago. The council deadlocked
3-3 in May, with one abstention, leaving the tax abatement package without enough votes for approval. But last month, Councilman Nick Kasoff proposed legislation to revive tax incentives for the project at the former Emerson campus and introduced the new mea-
The former Emerson Electric campus in Ferguson is the proposed site of a $1.8 billion technology hub and data center development.
Photo by Kate Grumke / St. Louis Public Radio
sure with Councilwoman LaMika Covington.
During the Sept. 9 Ferguson City Council
meeting, which served as the first reading of the
Hoskins renews map fight as he faces lawsuits
Class-action lawsuit could potentially total $80 million
Missouri voting advocates are trying to reach more than 41,000 people whose voting rights were restored under a new state law — including some who may not realize they are eligible to cast ballots Nov. 3. The outreach was timed around
From struggling student to school leader
By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American
Courtesy photo / Democracy Docket
Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is at the center of renewed legal battles over the state’s congressional map while also facing a proposed class action lawsuit that could seek about $80 million in damages. totaling about $80 million. The lawsuit relies on a Missouri law dating to 1945 that allows an aggrieved person to recover $100 to $500 through
a civil action if the secretary of state “neglect[s] or refuse[s] to perform any
See Hoskins, A10
Voter education session highlights new Missouri election laws
By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American
See Data Center, A11
Dr. Demetrius Adams brings the high expectations that changed his life to his students
By Sylvester Brown Jr. and Na’Porsha Williams. St. Louis American Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is asking a federal appeals court to revive the state’s disputed 2025 congressional map and remove a referendum challenging it from the November ballot, reopening a fight that had appeared to be nearing an end. A three-judge panel A threeof the 8th U.S. Circuit judge panel Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear of the 8th arguments Thursday. U.S. Circuit In a filing Tuesday, Court of state Solicitor General Lou Capozzi, writing Appeals is on Hoskins’ behalf, scheduled argued that using to hear different congresarguments sional maps for the August primary and Thursday. Nov. 3 general election violates the U.S. Constitution. He also argued that allowing a referendum to suspend a congressional map violates the Constitution’s Elections Clause. The latest turn comes as Hoskins faces a lawsuit filed Friday by five St. Louis-area voters over his handling of the referendum. The proposed class-action lawsuit seeks up to $500 for each of about 162,000 voters whose petition signatures were verified — potentially
updated proposal, insults were flung, accusations of betrayal were hurled and threats of recall were more than insinuated. “It was a contentious meeting,” said longtime resident Mildred Clines. “The majority of the residents were angry about this bill they’re trying to push through again. We’ve had the vote and now they’re bringing it back. It seems like they’re
National Voter Registration Day, observed Tuesday. The new law was among the issues discussed Monday during a voter education session hosted by the Deaconess Foundation in partnership with the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition. “There are people who have been off probation and parole for years who still think they can’t vote,”
BUSINESS
Long before Dr. Demetrius Adams became the principal of Hazelwood West High School, he was a student struggling to read and wondering whether he could keep up with his classmates. Adams had an individualized education plan and said St. Louis Public Schools educators described his academic challenges as a “severe learning disability.” But after entering the voluntary desegregation program at Lindbergh High School, teachers began pushing him beyond what he thought he could do. “I found out that I’m not a slow learner,” Adams said. “I’m
See Adams, A11 Dr. Demetrius Adams
said Denise Lieberman, director and general counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition. Lieberman recalled recently registering a man who believed his felony conviction prevented him from voting despite completing probation 25 years earlier.
See Election, A10 LIVING IT
North St. Louis rebuilding gains momentum
Murphy Lee shines during music festival that centers 2000s-era rap
A new map plotting current and future developments in areas of North St. Louis hit by last year’s tornado shows at least $337 million worth of projects under construction or in the design stage.
Murphy Lee hit the stage with Kyjuan and Slo Down of the St. Lunatics. They opened with a taste of “Batter Up” before Murphy Lee jumped into his signature lyrical style over Waka Flocka Flame’s “No Hands.”
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Editorial / Commentary
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Editorial
Missouri voters get final say on map
Guest Commentary
A personal memory of Gloria Steinem and increased dependency on Western nations. She asked what I thought. I was struck by her candor and humil“Decisions are best made by the peoity. She seemed willing to be challenged. ple affected by them.” — Gloria Steinem, I sympathized with her struggle over My Life on the Road accepting an award alongside someone whose work she viewed as harmful. The world lost pioneering feminist, The debate over GMOs and pesticides journalist and human rights activist remains contested globally and legislaGloria Steinem on Sept. 2 at age 92. tively here in Missouri. Over the decades, Steinem made several In 2011, Time magazine asked stops in St. Louis, in the early 1970s, Steinem how she’d spend her time if she late 1980s and early 2000s. Her final knew she didn’t have much longer to visit came in 2012, when Washington live. She said she’d spend it with friends University awarded her an honorary docand her “chosen family.” “And writing tor of humane letters. about what I believe, which is that As a guest of another honoree things are a circle, not a hierarchy: — my father, Donald M. Suggs, the women’s movement and the retired oral surgeon and publishantiracist movement and the gay er of The St. Louis American, movement and the environmental who also received an honorary movement are all linked.” doctor of humane letters — I had In addition to co-founding Ms. the opportunity to meet her. magazine in 1972 and the National Other honorees were Richard Women’s Political Caucus in Mahoney, retired chair and CEO Columnist 1971 with Shirley Chisholm, of Monsanto; Dr. C. Ronald Kahn, chief academic officer Dawn Suggs Betty Friedan and Bella Abzug, Steinem built a global record of of the Joslin Diabetes Center; activism. She was arrested proMike Peters, the 1981 Pulitzer testing apartheid in South Africa. Steinem Prize winner for editorial cartooning and spoke out against domestic violence, creator of the “Mother Goose & Grimm” child abuse and female genital mutilation. cartoon strip; and attorney David Becker, She helped launch Equality Now in 1992 professor emeritus and associate dean for to fight violence and discrimiexternal relations at Washington nation against women and girls. University’s School of Law. She was also an early supporter During the reception and dinI was struck of lesbian, gay and bisexual ner, Steinem gravitated toward rights and later transgender my family, the only African by her canrights. Americans in the group. dor and Steinem championed Shirley What I remember most is humility. Chisholm’s historic run for how unpretentious and easy to president and supported Vice talk to she was. She didn’t miss She seemed President Kamala Harris’ bid willing to be a beat intellectually. Even in decades later. Black feminist her late 70s, she looked just as challenged. thinkers such as bell hooks she did in the photos: stylish, praised her anti-racist comwearing pants and sporting her mitments. Leaders like Rep. signature long brown hair with Barbara Lee spoke openly about lighter highlights in front. the value of her mentorship and Angela She seemed most comfortable speakDavis during her recent speaking engageing with my sister Dina and me, the only ment at WashU commented, “Steinem two Black women at the reception. We was great about making Women Studies were surprised she wasn’t focused on the more expansive.” dignitaries. Her openness stood out in a Steinem and I exchanged corresponcity where people often make assumpdence after she left St. Louis. tions based on race, class, gender, sexuShe wanted to follow up on her comality and, of course, where you went to ments, be accountable and perhaps ease high school. any awkwardness from our conversation She asked about St. Louis, local at WashU, which I assured her wasn’t human rights work and how people were necessary. In letters, she exhibited the organizing. While glasses clinked and same integrity she was known for pubhors d’oeuvres circulated, she admitlicly. ted her discomfort sharing a stage with Through our interactions, she showed Mahoney, given Monsanto’s role in the me a woman practicing her values. She spread of genetically modified foods and wasn’t doing so for cameras, microtheir impact on farmers and global agriphones or an audience. It was a heartfelt cultural economies. gesture from a person committed to truth. Her mind was clearly at work in the wood-paneled halls of WashU. She Dawn Suggs is digital director at The was tracking the implications of GMOs St. Louis American. in the U.S. and abroad, including the erosion of traditional farming practices
Missouri voters should not have to erwise.” wonder, weeks before a general election, The ruling also ensured that Missouri which congressional district they live in. voters — not the secretary of state — Yet that is where the state finds itself. would decide the fate of the 2025 boundVoters nominated congressional canaries through Proposition A. didates in August under one map. On Because the valid petition was filed Nov. 3, they will vote under another — before the redistricting law could take the 2022 map that the Missouri Supreme effect, the court concluded that the 2025 Court says was legally in effect all along. map never became law. The 2022 disThey also will decide Proposition A, tricts remained in force. a referendum on the Republican-drawn The problem was that Missouri had 2025 map at the center of this monthsalready conducted an election using the long legal and electoral mess. A yes vote wrong map. would approve the new boundaries; a no Conflicting state and federal court vote would leave the 2022 map in place. orders followed. At one point, the The choice gives Missourians the final Missouri Supreme Court said the 2022 word on a redistricting fight that should map was the only lawful map while a never have produced this much uncerfederal judge ordered use of the 2025 tainty. map. Hoskins directed local election Missouri Republicans already conofficials to follow the newer boundaries trolled six of the state’s eight congressioand was found in contempt by the state nal seats when they decided at Supreme Court. He was able the behest of the Trump White to avoid punishment after he House in 2025 to redraw the recanted and instructed election map approved after the 2020 officials to use the old map. The choice census. The goal was no secret: The U.S. Supreme Court gives improve their chances of winultimately blocked the federMissourians al order, clearing the way for ning a seventh seat, primarily the final by remaking the Kansas CityMissouri to return to the 2022 based 5th District represented districts in November. word on a by a Black Democrat, Emanuel The legal path was compliredistricting cated. Cleaver. The effect on voters is fight that Consider the numbers. In not. should never 2024, Republican congressio“This is confusing for nal candidates received about people who are running for have pro58.5% of the statewide U.S. office and for the voters,” duced this House vote. Yet Republicans Carolyn McDowell, a longmuch uncer- time Republican activist in won 75% of Missouri’s containty. gressional seats. The new map Jefferson City who opposed the sought to increase that share to mid-decade redraw, told The 87.5%. Associated Press. Republicans already held She is right. three-fourths of Missouri’s congressional Voters approaching an election should delegation. They went back to the map know something as fundamental as which looking for another seat. congressional district they live in and Cleaver’s district absorbed the most which candidates are seeking to represent dramatic changes. Only about 2 in 5 them. voters from the old 5th remained in the And Missouri’s experience points to new district. The boundaries split heavily a problem larger than one election. If the Black Kansas City neighborhoods and party in power can reopen congressional combined parts of the city with Whiter, maps whenever another seat appears more rural communities. within reach, redistricting stops being St. Louis’ 1st District, represented a once-a-decade response to population by Democrat Wesley Bell, was largechanges and becomes an ongoing instruly left intact. But Republican officials ment of partisan advantage. have already put its future on the table. While the U.S. Supreme Court has Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin has settled which map Missouri will use in said he is “all for getting as many seats November, it has not settled the future of as we possibly can.” That gives St. Louis the 2025 map. every reason to pay attention to what That decision now belongs where the happens next. Missouri Supreme Court said it belongs Missouri voters, meanwhile, exer— with Missouri voters, who will decide cised their own power over the 2025 Proposition A in November. If the voters map. Opponents collected hundreds of say yes, the rigged Republican map could thousands of signatures seeking a statebe used in 2028 and beyond. wide referendum and submitted them in Congressional districts are more than December. colored shapes on a map. Their boundMissouri Secretary of State Denny aries determine which communities Hoskins rejected that effort on Aug. 4 — vote together, whose political voices are the same day Missourians voted in constrengthened or diluted and who gets gressional primaries under the disputed the opportunity to represent them in map. He maintained that congressional Washington. redistricting could not be challenged The people who live within those through Missouri’s referendum process. districts deserve an electoral system in The Missouri Supreme Court unaniwhich the rules are established before mously disagreed. they vote, not rewritten while an election “The referendum petition was legal, is already underway. sufficient, and timely,” the court ruled, Voters should say NO to Proposition and Hoskins “incorrectly concluded othA.
By Dawn Suggs
St. Louis American
By Janice Ellis
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Commentary
Missouri voters will still have a final say
farmer or living somewhere in between, are you pleased with where our economy is and where it seems headed? After enduring the many judicial filHow are you dealing with the increasings and appeals about which congressioing cost of living, from feed and fertilizer nal district map is legal, Missourians must to groceries and gasoline, housing and seize the opportunity this chaotic morass health care? And where are we heading has presented. as a nation when it comes to tariffs, wars Vote for the person, not the party, no and our role and standing on the world matter which congressional disstage? trict you are in. Now is not the time to be a On Nov. 3, Missouri voters rabid, card-carrying, forever-loyal can have a final say. Don’t let Democrat or Republican when anything stop you from voting. both parties are struggling to Amid all the congressional reclaim their traditional identities. map shenanigans, we must focus The midterm elections are only on candidates who will best repweeks away. We will be voting not resent and fight for the well-beonly for who goes to Congress but Columnist ing of our families, communities also whom we send to Jefferson and state — not a national, Janice Ellis City and local offices. Those self-serving political or personal elections will help define life agenda. in Missouri for the next two years and How can we trust someone who supbeyond, depending on the policies and ports defying the Missouri Constitution, actions that follow. the laws that have governed our elections We have seen how the policies and and the rulings of the Missouri Supreme actions of one governing party or the Court and the U.S. Supreme Court? other can change the trajectory of our A fading or selective memory or being state and nation. We all must honestly seduced by false promises will not serve answer the question: Do we like and Missouri well. approve of what we see and are experiA stroll down memory lane proves encing? instructive. We need not backtrack far — Our power, our ability to have the last just the past 11 months. say, is determined by our ongoing vigDuring that brief period, from Gov. ilance and by holding those we send to Mike Kehoe to the Republican supermajority in the state legislature and Secretary Washington, Jefferson City, city hall and the county seat accountable. of State Denny Hoskins, there have been In the current congressional district concerted efforts to undermine, marginalmorass, that is more important than ever. ize and even render invalid the voices of Even more reason we should not cast tens of thousands of Missourians. The goal was to make it more difficult, our votes with blinders on. Janice Ellis is a Missouri Independent if not impossible, to exercise their rights columnist, where this commentary was in our state’s democratic process. originally published. Whether you are a city dweller, a rural
“I know my daughter, and she did not do this to herself.” — Christy Spivey, whose Black daughter, Tasia Fortune, was found hanging from a tree in Mississippi on Aug. 3. Police charged a man with murder last week.
News
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SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Angela Davis calls students to action Davis said the experience unfolded during a political climate when people could face conseMore than five decades quences because of their after Angela Davis faced political affiliations or preefforts to remove her from sumed beliefs. One effect, a university teaching posishe said, was fear. tion because of her politi“The other thing that cal beliefs, the activist told I think about a lot is that a Washington University many people who were not audience that some presaffiliated with communist sures confronting higher education today feel unset- formations were led to be so fearful,” Davis tlingly familiar. said. “On the one During the hand, all of this question-and-anfeels so familBefore a swer portion, a iar,” Davis said. packed student asked “But at the same how campus time, it feels like WashU audiorganizers can there’s no prece- ence, Davis continue mobident for what we urged stulizing when fear are experiencing dents not of retaliation disnow.” to let fear courages students Davis spoke silence them. from protesting. Sept. 10 at Davis warned Graham Chapel against allowing at WashU fear to discourduring a semiage collective nar examining action. Black studies, academic “When they react by freedom and the future of not doing it because they the American university. think that that will make The event was presented them vulnerable, they are by the university’s Center actually accomplishing for the Humanities and Department of African and the opposite of what they set out to do,” Davis said. African American Studies. “They are making themThe longtime activist, selves more vulnerable.” philosopher and author “The only way to make drew on her experience to yourself less vulnerable is examine political expresto become larger and largsion on college campuses er and larger,” she added. and student movements. She encouraged stuDavis was hired in 1969 dents to build coalitions to teach philosophy at UCLA, but her Communist beyond demonstrations, seeking support from other Party membership became students, faculty and unithe center of a public conversity administrators. troversy. The University “You not only do the of California Board of action, but you organize Regents sought to dismiss her, launching an academic to make sure you have support among those who freedom dispute. By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Longtime activist, philosopher and author Angela Davis drew on her experiences when speaking to students at Graham Chapel at WashU on Sept. 10. are not involved in the action,” Davis said. Jaden Jones-Crawford, a WashU junior, said Davis’ message about collective organizing resonated with him. “As just a singular student, you don’t really feel like you have much power,” Jones-Crawford said. But seeing others with similar goals can change that feeling. “You look around and you see all of these people who have like-minded goals,” Jones-Crawford
said. “It just gives you the push to try to make a difference.” Davis traced the emergence of Black studies to the Black liberation movement, pointing to the 1968 student strike at San Francisco State and the development of one of the country’s earliest Black studies programs. “Knowledge is not only generated in places like this,” Davis said, arguing that knowledge also is produced through community organizing and social movements.
Davis reflected on how her understanding of social change has evolved. In her 20s, she said, activists believed revolution was “right around the corner” and that they could dismantle capitalism and racism. She now acknowledges that movements of the period did not adequately account for issues including gender and sexuality. “We really didn’t know enough in order to make the kind of revolution that would have benefited everyone,” Davis said. She also discussed
Palestine, saying it was largely excluded from conversations about racism, academic freedom and social justice on college campuses decades ago despite organizing by Palestinian and Muslim students. Davis said today’s international solidarity with Palestinians reflects “decades and decades of organizing and struggle.” Davis maintained that universities remain worth defending because of what the people within them can create. She described higher education as a place where students can devote time to reading, thinking and “learning how to be critical.” “We have to fight for these places,” Davis said. “The university has never been, as an institution, a radical institution, but it has been made radical by those who populate it — by the students and the faculty.” Leslie Hughes, a community member who grew up learning about Davis, said the discussion demonstrated how much work remains and what previous generations made possible. Hughes said she left thinking that “life is repeating itself” and that many struggles Davis confronted remain relevant. But she also left inspired. “The people before us put in a lot of work to make this world a better place for us,” Hughes said, “and we can do the same.”
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
News Briefs
Proposed changes to ease jail crowding
The St. Louis City NAACP is calling for expanded pretrial services and diversion programs as the City Justice Center approaches its 860-person capacity. The jail reported 852 people confined Wednesday. The NAACP, in a report submitted Monday to the U.S. Department of Justice, argues that supervised release, mental health and substance-use diversion and other alternatives could reduce the jail population
and the need for additional space. Mayor Cara Spencer said this week that the city lacks money for a new jail. Corrections Commissioner Nate Hayward said the city is hiring someone to work with judges to identify detainees who could qualify for pretrial release. The NAACP also recommends expanded medical, recreational and educational space.
Supreme Court blocks mail ballot restrictions The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration’s effort to impose new mail-ballot restrictions ahead of the November midterm elections, leaving a lower court order blocking the changes in place. The administration had sought to
enforce new Postal Service requirements for mail ballots. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. President Donald Trump criticized the decision Tuesday, calling it a “big loss for Republicans.”
Tyus remark goes viral, draws investigation A video of St. Louis Alderwoman Sharon Tyus saying she would “put a bullet” in Alderman Rasheen Aldridge’s head went viral after a Monday meeting about the Homer G. Phillips Senior Apartments. Tyus made the remark while explaining why she would not work with
Aldridge, who had offered to advance legislation involving the city-owned building in Tyus’ ward. Tyus said she was repeating a wartime analogy and never threatened him. Aldridge said he took the remark as a threat. Police are investigating. Tyus has refused to apologize.
United Way launches annual campaign United Way of Greater St. Louis launched its annual Community Campaign on Tuesday, seeking donations and volunteers to support programs across its 16-county service area in Missouri and Illinois. The organization says nearly 40% of households in the region struggle to cover basic monthly expenses, includ-
ing food, transportation, health care and utilities. United Way supports more than 150 nonprofits and services including its 211 referral line. Ryan Davis of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and Chris Zimmerman of the St. Louis Blues are co-chairing this year’s campaign.
Commentary
A Dolly Parton few really knew
lion for pediatric infectious-disease research. A Black journalist said Dolly We’ve lost a lot of people who did made a choice to be a humanitarian and true Christian. She never backed away work we didn’t know about. In the from putting clarity to the fact that last few days, we lost Dolly Parton. Black people are human beings. How many knew about the great Beyoncé said Dolly was things she did? We knew she allowed an artist whose generosity she Whitney Houston to give us her verpraised and said her individuality made sion of “I Will Always Love You.” her “truly one of one.” Only after Dolly’s passing did the She went on to call Parton “the world know what she did with her barometer” and “the North royalties from Whitney’s Star.” version. She gave the royBeyoncé and Dolly collabalties to honor Whitney by orated on “Cowboy Carter,” investing in the Black comwhere Beyoncé explored munity. With her royalties country music’s Black roots. from Whitney’s recording of Despite achieving global Dolly’s song, she invested superstardom, accumulating a them in a predominantly vast fortune and reaching largBlack neighborhood in er-than-life status in an indusNashville. She acknowltry that struggles with diversiedged that a Black woman’s ty, Dolly was embraced by the extraordinary voice had creBlack community. When her E. Faye ated enormous wealth from family announced her death, Williams her song, and that some of a wide range of Black icons that wealth should return to noted her passing. the Black community. They included President Barack Dolly also used money from Obama, who honored her by saying, Whitney’s recording for a Nashville “Born in a one-room cabin, she earned commercial complex she had devel11 Grammys and an Emmy, built a oped in the 1990s and later called business empire and helped millions of “The House that Whitney Built.” She kids learn to read.” publicly told the story in 2021. So many White people are trying Much of Dolly’s efforts reached to erase us from history, but Dolly poor Black families and other communities of color. Her gifts addressed embraced Black artists, spoke plainly the inequities that follow people from against racism, distributed millions of books that helped countless Black chilthe cradle and beyond. Her philandren read. She treated Black people and thropy is only now becoming widely culture not as something outside her known. She paid for band uniforms world, but as part of it. and other needs at Tennessee high Dolly said, following the murder of schools. George Floyd, “Of course Black lives Her foundation awarded college matter. Do we think our little white scholarships, and an early initiative promised seventh- and eighth-graders asses are the only ones that matter?” Her generosity is worth repeat$500 if they completed high school. ing. She paid for band uniforms and The dropout rate fell from 35% to 6%. When some were being critical of other needs at Tennessee high schools. Black Lives Matter, it was Dolly who Her foundation awarded college scholarships and promised seventh- and offered one of the clearest statements eighth-graders $500 if they completed about Black Lives Matter made by high school. Many who might not have any White entertainer — especially the country music industry. She made otherwise done so, were successful. Thank you, Dolly. it clear that to her Black Lives Matter. She donated to COVID challenges E. Faye Williams is president of the that disproportionately killed Black Dick Gregory Society. Americans and later gave $1 milBy E. Faye Williams
Business SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
North St. Louis rebuilding gains momentum
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PEOPLE On The Move
Ampadu named American Academy of Nursing fellow Jerrica V. Ampadu, associate professor and assistant dean for community engagement and academic innovation at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing, has been named to the American Academy of Nursing’s 2026 Class of Fellows. Ampadu, who Jerrica V. has worked in nursAmpadu ing for 28 years and higher education for 24 years, has focused on health equity, access and opportunities for students and communities. She will be inducted in October.
Jada farmer launches adult day care business Jada Farmer recently left her position as a licensed practical nurse at Monarch Springs Health and Wellness to launch Preservation Adult Daycare in Vinita Terrace. The business proJada Farmer vides adult day care services, including opportunities for clients to socialize and participate in activities while maintaining their independence. Farmer said she started the business to create a setting where adults can receive care while remaining active and connected with others.
Photo by Kate Grumke / St. Louis Public Radio
Tarps line tornado-damaged homes on Feb. 27 in North St. Louis.
$337 million worth of projects in the design stage or under contruction By Kavahn Mansouri St. Louis Public Radio A new map plotting current and future developments in areas of North St. Louis hit by last year’s tornado shows at least $337 million worth of projects under construction or in the design stage. The city’s development arm, St. Louis Development Corporation, created the map to identify ongoing and potential developments in the recovery area. Last year, a massive tornado ripped through the
St. Louis American staff
The city’s development arm, St. Louis Development Corporation, created the map to identify ongoing and potential developments in the recovery area.
city’s north side, destroying or damaging thousands of properties and killing several people. Questions about the area’s future have persisted as recovery efforts have
chugged along for more than a year since the tornado touched down. In the wake of the storm, Mayor Cara Spencer said success will depend on how many North City residents can
stay or return to the area. She said the new maps come from a partnership among SLDC, the city’s tornado recovery office and its urban design agency to focus on development opportunities within the tornado zone. “Our goal is to ensure every neighborhood has a plan and a future,” she said of the maps. “We are still in the early phases, but we look forward to working with residents to shape the future of their neighborhoods and drive investment.” See Rebuilding, A6
St. Louis tightens data center rules
St. Louis has approved new regulations for data centers, setting limits on where the massive facilities can be built and requirements aimed at reducing their impact on energy, water and surrounding neighborhoods. The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved Board Bill 49 on Friday, sending it to Mayor Cara Spencer, who has supported the effort to regulate the rapidly growing industry. But the $3 billion Armory Innovation District — the major data center project that helped ignite the debate — won’t have to follow the new zoning rules. The planned 120-megawatt data center near the
See Data Centers, A6
Arnold Donald, a Washington University trustee and alumnus, has been named to the 13-member committee searching for the next dean of the university’s McKelvey School of Engineering. Donald, former CEO of Carnival Corp., spent 23 years at Monsanto, where his roles included president of its nutrition and consumer sectors Arnold and senior vice Donald president of the parent company. He became Carnival CEO in 2013 and later served as a consultant through February 2025. Donald earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from McKelvey. He was honored with a St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Business Award in 2023.
Weeks presents research at Norway conference Edythe Weeks, an adjunct professor in Webster University’s Department of History, Politics and International Relations, delivered two keynote addresses and presented two posters at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Open Science Conference in Norway in August. Edythe Weeks Her presentations examined equity and inclusion in Antarctic research, power imbalances in polar science and social and political forces shaping the region’s future. Her poster presentations focused on governance risks and ways communication and education can improve public understanding of Antarctica.
The planned 120-megawatt data center near the Armory in Midtown was approved under the city’s existing process, allowing it to move forward under separate conditions already imposed by the city.
Armory in Midtown was approved under the city’s existing process, allowing it to move forward under
Donald named to dean search committee
Courtesy photo
The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved Board Bill 49 on Friday, sending it to Mayor Cara Spencer, who has supported the effort to regulate the rapidly growing industry.
Please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to areid@stlamerican.com.
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
KAI, Urban Sprouts celebrate deeper roots in community By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American KAI, an African American-owned firm headquartered in the St. Louis area, served as construction manager and general contractor for a $2.3 million expansion of Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in University City. The project at 6757 Olive Boulevard included converting a former gas station into Café O’ Play, a retail café, and renovating a second vacant building for support offices. KAI also provided mechanical, electrical and plumbing design-build management. Urban Sprouts, an early-childhood education center founded in 2009, says it has a waiting list of more than 450 families. Its ongoing campus expansion is intended to increase the number of early-childhood education seats it offers by 40%. KAI previously constructed an addition connecting the center to an adjacent building, which was renovated to include classrooms, art space, program and administrative
Data Centers Continued from A5 separate conditions already imposed by the city. Those requirements include measures to limit noise and heat, conserve water through a closedloop cooling system and obtain at least 50% of the facility’s electricity from
Rebuilding Continued from A5 The corporation’s CEO, Stephen Westbrooks, sees a large part of that role as identifying funding gaps for possible development
Michael B. Kennedy of KAI, Urban Sprouts founder Ellicia Lanier, Alison Ferring, University City Mayor Terry Crow and Kelly Pollock celebrate the opening of Café O’ Play during an Aug. 27 ribbon cutting in University City. KAI served as construction manager and general contractor for the $2.3 million Urban Sprouts expansion.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
JPMorgan CEO, wife give $12 million to HBCUs The 12 institutions were selected based on Twelve historically their leadership and govBlack colleges and uniernance and their record versities will receive $1 of preparing teachers, million each to strengthnurses and other health en their permanent care professionals, endowments through according to UNCF. a $12 million Recipients gift from the include foundation Benedict of JPMorgan College, Dillard Chase Chairman University, and CEO Jamie Edward Waters Dimon and his University, wife, Judy. HustonUNCF said Tillotson the James and University, Judith K. Dimon Jarvis Christian Foundation gift University, Jamie Dimon will establish Johnson the Dimon Fund C. Smith to Advance Economic University, Miles Opportunity as part of College, Oakwood the organization’s $1.5 University, Shaw billion capital campaign. University, Stillman The endowment fundCollege, Tuskegee ing is intended to help University and Voorhees the schools strengthen University. their finances and plan Jamie Dimon previfor long-term academic, ously served on UNCF’s research and infrastrucboard of directors. ture needs. St. Louis American staff
areas and an outdoor play area. That project created space for 60 children ages 3 to 5. Urban Sprouts founder Ellicia Lanier credited community support during an Aug. 27 ceremony. “There is no version of this day that happens because of one person, one gift, one organization or
one idea,” Lanier said. “This is what happens when things become possible, when a community decides that children and families deserve something extraordinary and rolls up its sleeves to do it.” Michael B. Kennedy, CEO of KAI, said the project extends beyond
the child development center. “What makes this project especially meaningful is the way Urban Sprouts is thinking beyond the traditional boundaries of childcare and creating a place that serves entire families and the broader community,” Kennedy said.
renewable sources within five years. Future data centers would face the new rules, which classify the facilities by size, restrict where they can be built and establish standards for renewable energy, noise, lighting and other environmental effects. The legislation follows months of public hearings and debate over whether
the economic benefits promised by data centers outweigh concerns about their enormous demand for electricity and water and their potential effects on nearby neighborhoods. Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, who sponsored the bill, told St. Louis Public Radio that the final version was a compromise. “It does do a lot to protect the city of St. Louis
from data centers while still allowing data centers to exist,” Schweitzer said. But she acknowledged something the zoning rules cannot control: what residents pay for electricity. “It doesn’t protect ratepayers from the increases in their utility bills that we should expect by data centers and other large energy users proliferating in our society and in our state,”
Schweitzer told STLPR. Until now, St. Louis had no zoning classification specifically for data centers, which generally were treated as offices or warehouses. The St. Louis NAACP has pushed for safeguards, arguing that Black communities should share in the economic benefits generated by artificial intelligence and data
centers without bearing a disproportionate share of environmental and infrastructure costs. The debate isn’t finished. Separate legislation before the Board of Aldermen would address tax incentives for data centers and the existing tax increment financing district covering the Armory property.
and finding ways to bridge those funding divides. SLDC works with developers to attract investment to St. Louis, particularly in areas that need redevelopment. “One of the roles that we’re trying to play is that of an intermediary. How
do we pair and match these potential projects up with the funding that they need?” Westbrooks said. “[It] allows us to really play that intermediary role in trying to find ways to get the resources that these projects and developments need to keep moving for-
ward.” The map aims to identify areas where SLDC can offer more support to businesses, housing and other developments and areas where they may want to attract more developers. He said the map also helps SLDC track small
businesses that continue to operate in the tornado zone by identifying the financial resources they may need to keep going. The map covers 25 neighborhoods, including the Ville, Fountain Park, Academy and other areas heavily damaged during the storm. It identifies different developments and businesses through color coding, labeling them as in design, started, under construction or as developments with a funding gap. SLDC identified about 17 projects already under construction and 16 projects in the design phase, which together are worth an estimated $337 million. Russell Halliday, a contractor hired by St. Louis Development Corporation, led the effort to create the map. He said it gives the city an up-to-date look at the area from a development and business perspective. “We needed to understand — across all of the folks that are involved — what is actually happening in the tornado area,” Halliday said. “What this represents [is] all of the developments that have come to SLDC at kind of varying degrees of requests — from ‘we want to do something in this location, but we don’t have a site secured, and we don’t have funding secured’ — all the way through to construction.” Halliday said he gathered information through several community meetings held by SLDC with businesses in the neighborhoods hit by the tornado. SLDC hired Halliday and his firm, Kea Point Solutions, under a roughly $1 million, two-year contract to aid the city with short-, medium- and longterm recovery on the business and economic front. He said SLDC will also use the map to identify areas where development is already happening in an effort to “double down” on development.
“If we have a number of developments occurring in any location, we should be targeting those locations as well,” Halliday said. The map also identifies about 19 projects worth roughly $252 million that have funding gaps, meaning they aren’t certain to come to fruition. He said that while finding funding for those sorts of projects remains a challenge, identifying the gaps is a step in the right direction. “We’re not quite there yet in terms of how to fund all these things and how to do all that — all that stuff is going to take a little while,” he added. In the past, SLDC has used American Rescue Plan funds to help bridge those gaps through the North City Grant Program, Westbrooks said. That one-time funding is set to expire at the end of the year, meaning the city will need to find new ways to support development in the area. Some funds could come from a recent bill that allocated the city’s $255 million portion of settlement funds from a lawsuit against Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke. The bill sets aside $120 million for North St. Louis, including $31 million to help neighborhoods north of Delmar implement strategic redevelopment plans. “We’ve just got to make sure we use all those funds as best we can in terms of getting the best outcomes for the community,” Halliday said. Halliday said that while recovery and future developments take a long time, the map can help plan out what long-term recovery looks like with input. “If we need to be ambitious in terms of what true recovery looks like — not to bring back to what it was pre‑tornado, but to lean forward on that. So we can make North St. Louis what it wants to be,” he said.
HealthMatters your
‘Taking Care of You’ SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
A7
Still rolling at 67
SNAP decline squeezes St. Louis
St. Louis American staff
University City High School when his sight deteriorated so badly he transferred to the Missouri School for the Blind. By 19, he had lost his sight. Glaucoma, a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve, can cause permanent vision loss and blindness. The most common form often has no early symptoms, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that half of people with glaucoma do not know they have it. The disease disproportionately affects Black Americans, who the CDC says are six to eight times more
Nearly 50,000 fewer Missourians are receiving food assistance than a year ago, even as St. Louis-area food pantries report growing demand. Now, declining enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could have another consequence: putting pressure on federal funding that helps schools provide free meals. Missouri had 613,127 SNAP recipients in June, down from 662,806 in July 2025, according to the Missouri Department of Social Services. That’s a decline of 49,679 people, or about 7.5%. The connection to SNAP parschool meals is particularly important in ticipation helps deter- St. Louis. Saint Louis mine federal Public Schools has reimburseparticipated in the ment under federal Community the program Eligibility Provision since the 2014-15 because school year. The students program allows elireceiving gible schools serving benefits can high-poverty communities to provide be autofree meals to every matically student without identified as requiring families to apply individually. eligible for SNAP participafree meals. tion helps determine federal reimbursement under the program because students receiving benefits can be automatically identified as eligible for free meals. As SNAP enrollment falls, schools could receive less federal reimbursement. “Cuts to SNAP are not going to stop at the grocery store,” Clarissa Hayes, deputy director of child nutrition programs and policy at the Food Research & Action Center, told Stateline. “They really are going to threaten children’s access to school meals.” The potential pressure on school meals comes as St. Louis food providers say more families are seeking help. St. Anthony’s Food Pantry in Dutchtown served 32,000 guests in 2024 and 46,000 last year. Director
See Wright, A8
See SNAP, A8
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Robert Wright approaches the lane using a guide rail while bowling at Tropicana Lanes in Clayton.
Glaucoma took Robert Wright’s sight, but not his drive to stay active By Chris King and Lauren Marisol Preston For The St. Louis American Two men were assembling a handrail aligned with the left gutter of a bowling lane at Tropicana Lanes in Clayton. One wore dark sunglasses. When that man went to bowl, he held the guardrail in his left hand as he strode toward the line, holding a bowling ball in his right. Robert Wright, 67, of University City, has done many remarkable things without seeing. He has skied downhill in Colorado. He has competed internationally as a track athlete. He has
He has run sound and played bass guitar for gospel bands. Now he bowls competitively.
managed a convenience store. He has run sound and played bass guitar for gospel bands. Now he bowls competitively. Wright was diagnosed with second-stage glaucoma at age 12. He had completed two years as an athlete at
Fighting barriers to health care
$1.5M targets St. Louis breast cancer screening gaps By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American A $1.5 million grant will help Gateway to Hope expand efforts to reach St. Louis-area women who are missing potentially lifesaving breast cancer screenings, with a particular focus on communities where barriers to care are greatest. The multiyear grant from the Crawford Taylor Foundation will help the nonprofit serve more than 1,000 women annually across the 16-county St. Louis region. Gateway to Hope CEO Katie Manga said many of the communities where the organi-
The multiyear grant from the Crawford Taylor Foundation will help the nonprofit serve more than 1,000 women annually across the 16-county St. Louis region.
zation plans to intensify its work are in North St. Louis County. The funding comes after a regional study
found that St. Louis has ample mammography equipment and expertise, but women in predominantly Black and lower-income communities are much less likely to be screened and more likely to have breast cancer detected later. “There are likely a number of reasons for this, which are often described as ‘social determinants of health’ in the medical community,” Manga told The St. Louis American. Transportation is a major obstacle in some predominantly Black North County communiSee Breast cancer, A8
Photo by iStock
Gateway to Hope is expanding efforts to connect more St. Louis-area women with breast cancer screenings and other care, particularly in communities where barriers to access remain high.
HealthMatters your
‘Taking Care of You’
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
A8
SNAP Continued from A7 Rob Telthorst told St. Louis Magazine the pantry is on pace to serve 48,000 this year. Asked what has changed for people coming to the pantry, Telthorst said some give a straightforward answer: “Got knocked off food stamps.” Operation Food Search also has seen a sharp
Wright Continued from A7 likely than white people to develop glaucoma. An estimated 829,000 Black Americans had glaucoma in 2022. Research highlighted by the National Eye Institute also found Black patients newly diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma were more likely than white patients to already have advanced vision loss. The CDC recommends comprehensive dilated eye exams for Black people over 40 and others at high risk. Though his mother, Frances Bailey, was a track coach at Vashon High School, Wright preferred contact sports when he could see. He resorted to running as he began to go blind. “I didn’t think it was a sport, just running for no reason,” he said. Dr. Jennifer Lauer, director of adult services at the St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually
increase. President and CEO Kristen Wild told St. Louis Magazine that shoppers using its MetroMarket program increased from 4,536 during the first half of 2025 to 13,982 during the same period this year. Wild cautioned that the comparison is imperfect because the program changes periodically. The St. Louis Area Foodbank has reported serving 6% to 10% more people each month
Impaired, said one of the most common misconceptions is that losing vision means giving up meaningful activities. “The biggest misconception is that things have to be given up — that you have to stop doing an activity,” Lauer said. “When, in reality, it’s sometimes learning to do it a different way or in a slightly modified way.” After graduating from the Missouri School for the Blind, Wright enrolled at the University of Missouri. A 1979 snowstorm obliterated the familiar markers he used to navigate campus. After a stranger found him wandering lost in a snowy field, Wright decided he needed to go somewhere it didn’t snow. He transferred to Texas Southern University in Houston. After graduation, Wright went to Colorado, where he learned to ski alongside a sighted skier who called out obstacles ahead. Once, after picking up too much speed, he ran
in 2026. Spokesperson Ericka Kinkead also told St. Louis Magazine that freight costs jumped 10.9% during a twomonth period this year and the price the organization pays for milk has increased 20.3% since 2024. “If we’re seeing this — and we’re buying in bulk — then we know our neighbors are absolutely feeling that at the grocery store,” Kinkead told the magazine.
The Foodbank says 1 in 7 people in the 26-county Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois region it serves faces hunger. Nationally, more than 5.6 million people lost SNAP coverage between May 2025 and May 2026, according to federal data cited by Stateline. About 36.6 million people were receiving benefits in May. Students who lose automatic eligibility through SNAP do not necessarily
lose access to free school meals. Some can qualify through other means, and schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision do not immediately stop providing free meals when SNAP enrollment declines. School nutrition experts told Stateline that the highest-poverty schools are expected to remain protected in the near term. Schools serving a more economically mixed population could face
Photo by Chris King
Robert Wright gets ready to bowl with his cousin, Robert Ed Ogilvie, at Tropicana Lanes in Clayton. Wright lost his sight at age 19 because of glaucoma. into a tree. The collision knocked off his hat, glass-
es and one glove. After competing internationally as a runner, Wright moved to Denver in 1986 and spent four years touring with a gospel band after a live tape he produced convinced the group to make him its sound man. He later ran a convenience store at the Denver Federal Center. Wright and his wife, Janet, who also is blind, moved to University City in June 2025 after his younger brother was diagnosed with stage
four colon cancer. They remained after his brother died in March. These days, Wright stays busy with church and online projects — and bowling. Before losing his sight, he had bowled only twice. “I didn’t see bowling as a sport,” Wright said. “I saw it as something families did for recreation.” But bowling provides physical activity through repeated walking, lifting and swinging, while also requiring balance and
Breast cancer
to die from the disease. Manga said the $1.5 million will allow Gateway to Hope to expand efforts to reach women who aren’t regularly being screened. “Our goal is to ensure every woman who needs a mammogram is able to access one easily and affordably,” Manga said. “And, if you are diagnosed with breast cancer, Gateway to Hope will continue to be a support to you with both financial assistance and 1:1 trustworthy and skilled navigation support.” Gateway to Hope uses public health data and local partnerships to identify neighborhoods where women face barriers to care. Manga said the grant will allow the organization to focus more heavily on those communities. That means finding women outside doctors’ offices and hospitals. Gateway to Hope works with faith communities, food banks, community centers, school districts and local physicians. It also plans localized marketing, community canvassing and word-ofmouth campaigns. “Too often, women have to prioritize their families above their own health, so we know it is important to reach women in those places, not just in the traditional medical setting,” Manga said. For women who receive an abnormal screening or a cancer diagnosis, Gateway to Hope navigators can help them obtain follow-up
Continued from A7 ties, she said. Medical mistrust stemming from historical medical trauma and racism also plays a role. “Most importantly, Gateway to Hope believes that we need to continue to ask the women in these communities this very question and respond with our services in ways that demonstrate they have been heard,” Manga said. Gateway to Hope’s study found breast cancer screening rates ranging from 60% to 84% in affluent, predominantly white ZIP codes in St. Louis city and county. In low-income, predominantly Black communities, rates fall as low as 30% to 39%. In some areas, as many as 44% of breast cancers are diagnosed at later stages. Black women also experience higher rates of delayed treatment after diagnosis. The disparities exist even though the region has 64 accredited mammography units using advanced 3D technology and is using only about half of its available screening capacity. Black women in St. Louis and St. Louis County also die from breast cancer at higher rates than white women even though the disease occurs at similar rates. Among women ages 35 to 44, Black women are nearly four times more likely
greater financial pressure if declining SNAP participation reduces federal reimbursement. For now, SLPS continues to provide free meals districtwide through the Community Eligibility Provision. But Hayes said the broader effects of declining SNAP enrollment on school meals are only beginning to emerge. “We are really only starting to see the beginning,” she told Stateline.
coordination. Lauer said adaptations can include guide rails to help blind bowlers maintain a straight approach and sighted spotters who identify which pins remain standing. Wright now competes in Pin Splitters, a league of blind and sighted bowlers that meets Tuesday evenings at Sunset Lanes in Marlborough. On a good night recently, he rolled games of 146, 147 and 139. Wright’s friend Paul Trujillo, who also is blind, was a few lanes away when Wright bowled his first 200 game. “I heard him getting mark after mark, and I’m like, ‘He’s going to have a good game going here,’” Trujillo said. “He was excited when he did it. ‘I got my first 200.’ It was good to see.” Marlon Lopez, who is partially sighted and met Wright in a Denver bowling league in 2022, said Wright competes less against other bowlers than against himself. “He wants to beat his competitors, don’t get me wrong, but he’s mainly worried about improving himself,” Lopez said. These days, Wright is battling what he calls his “nemesis,” a natural right-to-left hook that throws off his roll. “I struggle with the beast that fights all athletes,” Wright said: “consistency.”
care and overcome barriers such as transportation and costs. The organization also provides financial assistance for co-pays and screening and diagnostic expenses. The $1.5 million award builds on a longstanding relationship between Gateway to Hope and the Crawford Taylor Foundation. The foundation gave the nonprofit $500,000 in 2025 and has supported Gateway to Hope for years. “This gift reflects our family’s long-standing commitment to improving healthcare and quality of life in the St. Louis region,” Crawford Taylor Foundation President Jo Ann Taylor Kindle said. Gateway to Hope was founded in 2005 and provides breast health services ranging from prevention and early detection through diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. But even with the additional money, Manga said the scale of the region’s screening gap extends far beyond the women Gateway to Hope can reach on its own. More than 300,000 women in the St. Louis region need annual mammograms, she said. “If all 300,000+ St. Louis women who need an annual mammogram get an annual mammogram, it is entirely possible that we would see a significant reduction in the number of women dying from breast cancer,” Manga said.
A9
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Gladys Knight hints at farewell, In a bittersweet Instagram post, 82-year-old Gladys Knight updated fans after announcing a break from performing in August 2026. “After heartfelt discussions with my team, I recognize that no matter how much I love lifting spirits in song, it’s time for the midnight train to make just a few more stops,” she wrote. Knight said she plans to finish the year strong before shifting to new ventures in 2027, adding her gratitude for decades of support. Fans raised concerns last month after Knight appeared confused on stage and briefly forgot lyrics during a performance. She later shared that she would be stepping back to focus on being a grandmother. Now, it appears her remaining dates may serve as a farewell tour. But Gladys Knight her son, Shanga Hankerson, says he’s worried about her health — and accused Knight’s husband, William McDowell, of pushing her to keep performing. “My belief and fear is that he intends to literally try to work her until she passes away,” Hankerson told the Detroit News. Knight’s final show is Nov. 14 in Highland, Calif.
Lil Durk cleared in murder-for-hire plot
Lil Durk
Federal jurors have acquitted Lil Durk in the murderfor-hire case accusing him of financing a deadly plot to kill rapper Quando Rondo. The verdict came Friday, Sept. 11, on the jury’s third day of deliberations in U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald’s courtroom. Durk, born Durk Devontay Banks, was found not guilty on all counts. Co-defendants Deandre “DeDe” Wilson and David “Browneyez” Lindsey were convicted of stalking and stalking conspiracy but cleared of the two murder-for-hire charges. Each man originally faced five federal counts, including conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking Tyquian “Quando Rondo” Bowman with a dangerous weapon, and stalking Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson resulting in death. They were also charged with conspiracy to use interstate facilities in a murder-for-hire resulting in death. Prosecutors alleged Durk financed the operation as retaliation for the 2020 killing of Dayvon “King Von” Bennett. The case was centered on August 19, 2022 ambush near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. Quando Rondo survived, but his 24-year-old cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was killed when gunmen fired 18 rounds.
Boosie says he was played for $600K in pardon hustle
Rapper Boosie says he was scammed by a legal firm that claimed it could secure him a presidential pardon — and he detailed the ordeal in a sitdown with 60 Minutes. In the interview, Boosie told correspondent Lesley Stahl that the Pardons and Clemency Group convinced him he could buy a Donald Trump pardon if he paid upfront. “This is what I was led to believe: ‘If you come up with this money, you will get a pardon,’” Boosie said. When Stahl asked how Boosie much he paid, he responded, “$600K.” Stahl read text messages allegedly sent by the firm, including one claiming Trump executive assistant Natalie Harp would personally deliver Boosie’s application to the president. “I just thought, ‘This is the way it is done,’” Boosie said. “I’m paying these guys, and they’re gonna make it happen.” “It didn’t happen,” Stahl replied. Boosie’s contract stated he would receive a refund if no pardon was granted. The firm now claims the contract is invalid — and denies sending the texts.
Timothy ‘Buc Wild’ Joseph dies at 47 Timothy “Buc Wild” Joseph, the former HOT 97 personality best known as cohost of the “Star & Buc Wild” radio show, has died. He was 47. His longtime friend and former co-host Star announced Joseph’s death during a YouTube livestream Wednesday. Star, born Troi Torain, said he died on Sunday, September 6 at the Pink Houses apartment complex in Brooklyn. A cause of death has not been confirmed. During the livestream, Star mentioned fentanyl Timothy ‘Buc as a possible factor but stressed he had no verWild’ Joseph ification. “Timothy Joseph, aka Buc Wild, was loved,” Star said. “He had a support system.” Joseph rose to prominence as part of “Star & Buc Wild,” where his chemistry with Star helped make the show a defining piece of New York hiphop radio during its run from 2000-2003.
Hot Sheet Sources:
CBS.com, Detroit News, TMZ.com, YouTube.com
A10
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Arrhelda B. Williams reviews voter information during a voter rights session at the Deaconess Center in St. Louis on Sept. 14. The session provided guidance on voting rights, recent election changes and voter protections ahead of the November election.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Election Continued from A1 “You could have been voting this whole time,” Lieberman recalled telling him. “And the emotion in this man’s face … was incredibly powerful.” Under the new state law, which took effect Aug. 28, people on probation or parole for many felony convictions can register and vote after being released from incarceration. Previously, people serving felony probation or parole generally had to complete their supervision before regaining voting rights. People on probation or parole for certain offenses, including murder, some serious assaults, first-degree burglary and sexual offenses, remain ineligible until they complete their supervision. The Missouri Voter Protection Coalition has developed educational materials and is working with criminal justice reform and reentry organizations to reach people who may now be eligible. Anthony Taylor, founder of Amp Connections, a nonprofit supporting youth affected by trauma and gun violence, said reaching
Hoskins Continued from A1 of the duties enjoined on him by law.” The lawsuit points to actions Hoskins took during the months-long legal battle over the congressional map Republican lawmakers passed during a 2025 special legislative session. Last year, President Donald Trump pushed Republican-led states to conduct mid-decade redistricting to gain a partisan advantage. Missouri lawmakers approved a map making the Kansas Citybased 5th District represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver more favorable to Republicans. The GOP already holds six of Missouri’s eight congressional seats. In response, People Not Politicians gathered more than 300,000 signatures seeking a statewide referendum on the map. Hoskins rejected the referendum Aug. 4, saying congressional redistricting was not subject to referendum. The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously disagreed Sept. 3, ruling that
underserved communities with accurate information was one reason he attended Monday’s session. “I’m always trying to educate, always trying to get the information to the community,” Taylor said. “Especially in a community that is underserved, to make sure they know that they have a voice.” The session also covered voter registration, early voting, identification requirements, voting rights for people with disabilities and other election procedures. DeMarco Davidson, executive director of Metropolitan Congregations United, said changing election laws and court decisions can leave voters confused. “We continue to see how challenging all the new laws, or even the new things that are happening within the Missouri Supreme Court [and] with the Missouri Legislature — it’s confusing,” Davidson said. “It usually leads people to feeling like nothing matters or even being disenfranchised.” Davidson said expanded voting eligibility for people on probation or parole was particularly significant because MCU began advocating for the issue several years ago. Missouri’s voter reg-
the referendum was “legal, sufficient, and timely.” It determined that the petition suspended the 2025 map before it took effect and ordered Missouri to use the 2022 map in November. The class-action lawsuit alleges Hoskins violated his statutory duties by refusing to certify the referendum and later directing local election officials to use the 2025 map despite the state Supreme Court’s order. Joe D. Jacobson, an attorney representing plaintiffs Fernando Bermudez, Gregory Fletcher, Cara Mengwasser, John Payne and Joseph Welling, called Hoskins’ actions “inexcusable.” “To be so flagrantly partisan and to knowingly not perform his duty in office in order to advance the goals of their political master is appalling,” Jacobson said. “How can the government run if people are intentionally not doing the job they’re ordered to do?” If his firm wins, Jacobson hopes the case will deter other elected officials from disregarding their duties.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Denise Lieberman speaks to community members during a voter rights session at the Deaconess Center in St. Louis on Sept. 14. The event focused on recent redistricting decisions, expanded voting eligibility, election misinformation and voter protections ahead of the November election. tion reflects their current address. Lieberman noted that St. Louis city and St. Louis County are separate election jurisdictions, meaning voters who move
from one to the other may need to update their registration. No-excuse absentee voting begins Oct. 20 and continues through 5 p.m. Nov. 2. Missouri
“This case that spanks opponents of the 2025 map the official for his actions, expressed confidence that I think, is in the interest the battle was effectively of the public,” Jacobson over. said. “If we are able to The federal effort to hit them pretty hard here, restore the 2025 map stood then hopefully some statea “zero chance” of sucwide elected ceeding, forofficials, next mer Missouri time, won’t Supreme Court abuse their The class-action Judge Michael power.” Wolff told lawsuit alleges Hoskins the Missouri Hoskins violated Independent declined to his statutory comment last week. through “The duties by refusspokeswoman Supreme Court ing to certify the Anne Marie of Missouri referendum and is the final Moy. later directing The map authority on fight appeared what Missouri local election to be winding law is,” Wolff officials to use down after the said, “and the the 2025 map U.S. Supreme court has said Court on Sept. despite the state that (the 2025 Supreme Court’s map) is not the 10 blocked a federal law and never order. judge’s order was, because requiring use it has not been of the 2025 approved by a map. Hoskins returned vote of the people.” to the 2022 map after For the Republican the Missouri Supreme plaintiffs to prevail, Wolff Court found him in civil added, the 8th Circuit contempt for violating effectively would have to its order. The state court order Missouri to conduct said he had remedied the an election using districts contempt and imposed no the state’s highest court penalty. determined were not legalWith the 2022 map ly in effect. back in place and the refRichard von Glahn, erendum headed to voters, executive director of
People Not Politicians, agreed. “At this point the law is the law, the gerrymandered map is properly suspended, it’s not in effect and we (voters) will make the final decisions when we vote in November,” von Glahn told The American. As for Hoskins intervening in the electoral process again, von Glahn said, “Now that we’re here, I’m not concerned about Denny Hoskins anymore.” But the legal fight was not over. Hoskins is now asking the 8th Circuit to restore the 2025 map and find that allowing voters to suspend a congressional map through a referendum violates the U.S. Constitution’s Elections Clause. The appeal comes as election officials face a Friday deadline to mail ballots to military and overseas voters. County clerks have warned the court that another map change could disrupt election preparations. Hoskins also faces a whistleblower lawsuit filed Monday by Nicholas La Strada, his
istration deadline for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 7. New voters must register by the deadline, while registered voters who have moved should make sure their registra-
also allows voters who meet certain requirements to cast absentee ballots earlier. On Election Day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. is allowed to vote. Missouri requires voters casting ballots in person to present an acceptable Missouri or federal photo ID, such as a Missouri driver’s or nondriver license, U.S. passport or military ID. Registered voters without an acceptable photo ID may cast a provisional ballot, which can be counted if they return with acceptable identification or election officials determine their signature matches the one in their voter registration record. “Don’t leave the poll without voting,” Lieberman said. Voters with limited mobility may be able to vote curbside, while those who need assistance reading or completing their ballots have the right to receive help. The Missouri Voter Protection Coalition plans to provide assistance during early voting and on Election Day. Voters with questions or problems at the polls can call the Election Protection hotline at 866-687-8683.
former director of election integrity, who alleges he was fired in retaliation for reporting what he believed was misconduct. La Strada alleges he raised concerns about public funds used for an anti-Proposition B mailer, the office’s handling of a certified election in Marshall and discussions about creating a false whistleblower complaint involving Missouri’s voter registration system for use in a federal proceeding. La Strada alleges he reported his concerns to Hoskins and other senior officials and was fired days after testifying in the federal proceeding. He is seeking damages, attorneys’ fees and other relief under Missouri’s whistleblower protection law. Hoskins also declined to comment on La Strada’s lawsuit. Asked whether the Missouri Supreme Court’s contempt finding will help build the class-action case, Jacobson responded curtly. “I don’t see how it could hurt.” Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
A11
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026 university rejected him because of his low ACT score. After enrolling at Harris-Stowe State Continued from A1 University, UMSL offered him provisional admission with specific academic a learner that needed to be requirements. Adams challenged and I needed transferred but struggled people to believe in me and ultimately stepped and have faith in me.” away from college the folAdams will be recoglowing semester. nized as an Excellence in He later improved his Education honoree during ACT score, returned to the St. Louis American UMSL and earned his Foundation’s 39th annual bachelor’s degree in eleSalute to Excellence in mentary and early childEducation Scholarship hood education in 1999. & Awards Gala on Oct. Adams taught in St. 17 at the St. Louis Union Louis Public Schools Station Hotel. before joining the A St. Louis native, Hazelwood School Adams grew up on St. District in 2004, where Louis Avenue, where he met fellow Arrowpoint he and his siblings were Elementary teacher Anya raised by his great-grandKing. When mother and Adams told King great-aunt he wanted to purafter his sue administragreat-grandAdams contintion, she agreed mother fought ued his own to take his first to gain cuseducation administration tody of them while building course with him. from the his career, ulti“I’m here to foster care encourage him,” system. mately earnKing recalled At ing a Doctor telling their proLindbergh, of Education fessor. Linda Farney degree from Adams conmet Adams tinued his own in her reading Missouri education while strategies Baptist building his class and University in career, ultimately remembers 2014. earning a Doctor him as hardof Education working and degree from willing to Missouri Baptist learn. University in 2014. “He was exactly the He also spent years kind of student a teachteaching at the coler loves to have in their lege level, including at class,” Farney said. St. Louis Community As Adams’ reading College’s Meramec and improved, Farney pushed Florissant Valley locations him further. By the end of and, more recently, Harrishis sophomore year, she Stowe State University. encouraged him to take His leadership career more advanced classes. took him to Lindbergh and “He kind of became Ferguson-Florissant before what I think every teacher he returned to Hazelwood hopes for,” Farney said of in 2018 as principal of watching Adams’ progHazelwood Central Middle ress. “He was as good for School — where King was me as I was for him. He’s now one of his teachers. a teacher’s dream.” Three years later, Looking back, Adams Adams moved to credits the desegregation Hazelwood West High program and the eduSchool as an assistant princators who challenged cipal. When the principal and believed in him with position opened, he was changing his life. encouraged to apply. “The deseg program “If you get this posisaved my life,” Adams tion, you are going to said. make history,” King said. He graduated from In 2022, Adams became Lindbergh High School in the first Black male prin1993, but college presentcipal to lead Hazelwood ed another challenge. West, according to Adams The University of and King. Missouri-St. Louis was Adams measures his his first choice, but the
Adams
Data Center Continued from A1 just ignoring us.” New Ferguson resident Brenda Hayes agreed. “People were angry, pissed off and really upset with the mayor and the entire council,” Hayes said. “It just baffles me that we’re revisiting this after we already turned it down.” The new plan is largely like the previous one, with tax incentives for redeveloping the 217-acre former Emerson Electric campus. The project, publicly described as a $1.8 billion investment, would include data centers along with energy, advanced manufacturing, office and research uses. Next Revolution Technologies, headed by attorney Jim Onder, owns the site. The proposal also would allow Ferguson to issue up to $22 billion in industrial revenue bonds over the life of the project — up to $1 billion for real estate and improvements and $21 billion for equipment. The $22 billion is not the project’s price tag but allows for potential equipment purchases and replacements over decades. The bonds would not be repaid with city tax revenue. The developer and future tenants generally would receive 75% property tax abatements for specified periods while making payments in lieu of some taxes. Supporters say the
incentives could transform a largely vacant corporate campus into a major development producing jobs and revenue for a city struggling financially. Critics question whether the tax breaks are too generous and the protections for residents strong enough. Next Revolution must invest at least $175 million by the end of 2029 and meet minimum employment requirements to retain the abatements. City documents project hundreds of construction jobs and more than 350 permanent jobs, but those figures are projections, not contractual requirements. The new proposal also requires an initial $700,000 payment to Ferguson to mitigate community impacts and fund emergency services, followed by $700,000 annually beginning in 2028 while any part of the project receives a tax exemption. The developer also has committed $7.5 million over 10 years to the nonprofit Ferguson Neighborhood Improvement Program. All this, Ferguson Advocates for Civic Transparency leader Henry Iwenofu insists, is nonsensical. “The city is only getting $700,000 — which is much less than what it needs — while a private organization that city council members are affiliated with gets $7.5 million,” Iwenofu said. “That makes no sense!” Environmental protections remain another point of contention.
Dr. Demetrius Adams will be recognized as an Excellence in Education honoree during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Oct. 17.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
success by whether students are succeeding. He points to the school’s Annual Performance Report, which factors in attendance, assessments and college and career readiness, as one measure of its progress during his tenure. The school earned 77.7% of its possible APR points in 2025, according to Hazelwood School District data. “I have such high expectations for my students here because of what somebody had for me,” Adams said. Cody Crawford, a junior at Hazelwood West, has experienced those high expectations firsthand. “He’s always … mak-
ing sure I’m learning right at school and just making sure I’m on top of my work,” Crawford said. “He always checks on me throughout the hallways whenever he sees me.” Crawford began his high school career at West and said he has built a good relationship with Adams, although it started out rocky. “My freshman year was kind of rough because I stayed in and out of trouble, and he didn’t like that,” Crawford said. “But that’s just being like a good role model, someone who cared for me.” For Adams, preparing students for life beyond Hazelwood West means
exposing them to multiple pathways — universities, community colleges, technical training, trades, the military and the workforce — with the goal of every student leaving with a plan. Some students Adams worked with during his K-12 career have since found themselves in his Harris-Stowe courses preparing to become educators. Adams will soon be eligible for retirement, but he says his work isn’t done. “I still have a lot of passion and fire in me,” Adams said. “Retirement is just an age and it’s just a number. When I am fulfilled with my entire
career, then I’m going to retire.” He said receiving the Excellence in Education honor has given him an opportunity to reflect on his career and recognize the impact others have already seen in his work. “Somebody noticed it,” Adams said. “Somebody believed in me. Somebody knew what I was doing.” That belief is what Adams hopes to pass on to his students. “Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t be anything,” Adams said. “It doesn’t matter about a test score. It doesn’t matter about what people think of you.”
Hayes, who lives near the proposed development, said the bill “lacks protective measures for residents and the community.” “There’s nothing in black and white that states what those protective measures are,” Hayes said. The agreement does spell out several protections. It creates a $250,000 environmental mitigation fund that could be used for air quality, noise and heat monitoring and requires water-conserving cooling technology for new data center operations with high cooling demands. It also requires compliance with city noise regulations. Edgar Martin, a 16-year Ferguson resident, said he’s not “anti-tech” but is against a tax-supported proposal that he believes lacks sufficient accountability and transparency. “I don’t see caps on water usage; I don’t see a third party that annually reviews important things,” Martin said. The agreement requires water-conserving technology but does not set a numerical cap on water consumption or require the annual independent review Martin described. “I’m not anti-technology; I’m just practical,” Martin said. The case for reviving the project emerged during an Aug. 11 council meeting, when Kasoff opposed putting a quarter-cent fire department sales tax increase before voters, arguing that Ferguson needed economic development rather than higher taxes.
Councilman David Williams argued that redevelopment of the Emerson campus offered sustainable revenue and an opportunity to negotiate environmental protections and community benefits. After the tax proposal failed 3-4, Williams urged the council to reopen negotiations over the Emerson development. After the Sept. 9 council meeting, some residents began pushing a door-todoor recall effort aimed at Kasoff, Covington and Williams. Chris Sudlik has been among those canvassing
neighborhoods to gauge residents’ feelings about the proposal. “We knocked on about 2,000 doors and in all of that, we only found two people who supported the data center,” Sudlik said. That doesn’t mean all Ferguson residents are against the proposal, Kasoff said. “To be clear, there are a lot of people in this city who support this development. I hear from them every day,” Kasoff told KSDK. “They don’t come to council meetings because they’re afraid
of the angry, screaming mob.” The recall effort is being led largely by FACT, a grassroots coalition of Ferguson residents. Clines said organizers are seeking about 600 signatures. No decision was made Sept. 9. The Ferguson City Council is scheduled to meet again Sept. 22, when the agreement could return for a second reading and final vote. Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Living It
“I would say my best decision I ever made was to pursue my dream and give it my all.” -Zendaya
SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Cast members bring ‘The Color Purple’ to life during The Black Rep’s Season 50 opener at Washington University’s Edison Theatre on Tuesday, Sept. 8 — marking the company’s milestone premiere of the beloved musical.
The Black Rep is 50 Institution’s legacy lives on through the artists it raised
By Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American In 2025, St. Louis Black Repertory Company Founder and Producing Director Ron Himes was ready to sit down with The St. Louis American to discuss the Season 48 finale, August Wilson’s Radio
Golf. Before the interview started, he got word of the federal arts funding cuts that dealt a financial blow to the institution. “One hundred thousand dollars. Gone. Just like that,” Himes said with a laugh. It wasn’t a laugh in response to anything funny. It was one of those
“laughs to keep from crying” reactions that have carried Black people through from “can’t” to “must.” And the cut wasn’t just $100,000 flat. It was annual. “What are y’all gonna do?” this reporter asked — also an instinctive reaction
to the news. “The Black Rep is going to do what it has always done,” Himes said. “We will carry on.” For arts organizations like The Black Rep, and so many others, losing $100,000 a year can be the See Black Rep, B4
Tacos, tequila and throwback hiphop heat
Murphy Lee shines during music festival that centers 2000s-era rap
See Murphy Lee, B3
10th Ward Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard presents The St. Louis Black Repertory Company Founder and Producing Director Ron Himes with a proclamation recognizing the company’s 50th anniversary during a preview performance of The Color Purple Wednesday night at Edison Theatre.
Couture for a cause
Runway to Raceway honors NASCAR pioneer during Enjoy Illinois 300 weekend
Murphy Lee delivers a showstealing performance during the Tacos and Tequila Festival at CarShield Field on Saturday, Sept. 12.
By Lawrence Bryant and Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American Aside from the brief R&B interlude from Ginuwine, the St. Louis stop of Social House’s Tacos and Tequila Music Festival felt like a live version of a goto throwback hiphop mixtape. Bubba Sparxxx, St. Louis’ own Murphy Lee, Xzibit, Yung Joc, Ginuwine, Rick Ross and Fat Joe took the stage at O’Fallon’s CarShield Field and delivered 1990s and early-2000s hiphop — with a taste of R&B — to the fullest. The Tacos The Tacos and Tequila concert and Tequila series has become a national draw concert series on the summer festival circuit. It has become a lands in select cities with lineups built around 2000s hiphop artists national draw on the summer and pairs those performances with a atmosphere, giving fans festival circuit. festivalstyle a chance to tap into a touring brand that celebrates the soundtrack of the early millennium. The St. Louis stop lived up to the brand’s intention. Standing midfield with no cloud cover and temperatures holding steady in the upper 90s until sundown offered a new appreciation for athletes — and for artists who power through for their fans. The same goes for the music lovers who soldier through the elements in the name of a good show.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American When some of St. Louis’ most fashionable tastemakers gathered Friday night as part of the Runway to Raceway Enjoy Illinois 300 kickoff festivities, they were doing more than getting an exclusive preview — and opportunity to purchase — items from Oscar de la Renta’s Pre-Spring 2027 collection. Each step down the runway poured Each step down the into the legacy of runway poured into the first African the legacy of the first American driver and African American drivteam owner to comer and team owner to pete — and win — compete — and win — across NASCAR’s top divisions. across NASCAR’s top “We are proud divisions. to be part of this incredible weekend alongside World Wide Technology Raceway, the Wendell Scott Foundation, NASCAR and the Confluence Music Festival to celebrate the energy and spirit of St. Louis,” said Daniel Kramer, vice president and general manager of Neiman Marcus at Plaza Frontenac. A portion of the proceeds from sales made over the race weekend will benefit the foundation established in Scott’s honor. The foundation provides scholarships and resources for young people. “I am so proud to be here, honored to be here and thankful to be here,” said See Runway, B3
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
St. Louis American Calendar
CONCERTS Wed., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., Shaboozey Outlaws Never Die Tour, The Factory at The District. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com. Sat., Sept. 18, 8 p.m., Pitbull with special guest Lil Jon, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. For more information, visit www.livenation.com. Sat., Sept. 18, 8 p.m., Dax, Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com. Wed., Sept. 23, 8 p.m., Teddy Swims: The Ugly Tour. Enterprise Center. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com. Sat., Sept. 26, 8 p.m., Begging for Sax starring Chris Mitchell, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit thepageant.com. Sat., Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m., Bryson Tiller presents The NeoSoul Trap Tour, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. For more information, visit www. livenation.com. SPECIAL EVENTS Sat., Sept. 19, 12 noon, Frizzy By Nature presents the 9th Annual Frizz Fest, Tower Grove Park. For more information, visit www.frizzybynature. com. Sat., Sept. 19, 2:30 p.m., St. Louis County Library presents Common Sense Teen Finance Workshop,
Clark Family Branch Information Services and Small Business Center, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. For more information, visit www.slcl.org.
Bryson Tiller is bringing The NeoSoul Trap Tour to Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, blending R&B, trap and neosoul for one of the summer’s standout shows. See CONCERTS for details.
Fri., Sept. 25, 7 p.m., Disney On Ice, Chaifetz Arena. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com Sat., Sept. 26, 10 a.m., St. Louis County Library Little Readers Festival, Florissant Branch Library. 195 S. New Florissant Rd. For more information, visit www.slcl.org. Thurs., Oct. 15, 7 p.m., The St. Louis County Library Foundation presents D.L. Hughley, The Pageant. 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com. Sat., October 17, St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala, Cardinal Ritter President Tamiko Armstead will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, Jennings School District Superintendent Dr. Paula Knight will receive the Stellar Performer Award and Richard “Rich” McClure will receive the Champion in Education Award. St. Louis Union Station Hotel. For more information, call 314.533.8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com. COMEDY Sept. 18 – Sept. 23, Marcus D. Wiley, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria Street, St Louis MO 63117. For
p.m., The 11th Annual Tennessee Williams Festival presents Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Catherine B. Berges Theatre, COCA. For more information, visit www.twstl.org. Through Sept. 27, The Black Rep opens their 50th Anniversary Season with The Color Purple, Washington University’s Edison Theatre. For more information, visit www. theblackrep.org. Through September 27, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Little Women, The Loretto-Hilton, 130 Edgar Rd, Webster Groves, MO 63119. For more information, visit www.repstl.org. ART
more information, visit https://st-louis.heliumcomedy.com/ Sept. 25 – Sept. 27, Tommy Davidson, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria Street, St Louis MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis. heliumcomedy.com/ Sat., Sept. 26, 8 p.m. Martin Lawrence’s Y’all Still Know What It Is Tour, Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market. For tickets or more information, visit www.stifeltheatre.com.
Sun., Oct. 11. 7:30 p.m., Grief Sucks: A One-Man Show by KevOnStage, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com. ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT Thurs., Sept. 17, 6 p.m., Twilight Thursdays presents Queens of Neo Soul featuring Drea Vocalz, Missouri History Museum. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.
Thurs., Sept. 24, 6 p.m., Twilight Thursdays presents Blues Bash featuring Skeet Rodgers and Andrea Taylor, Missouri History Museum. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org. Thurs., Oct. 1, 6 p.m., Twilight Thursdays presents The Music of The O’Jays, Missouri History Museum. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org. THEATRE Sept. 17- Sept. 27, 7
Through November 8, A Hum Beneath the Surface by Lillian Stephen, on display through November 8. The Kranzberg Gallery, 501 N. Grand Blvd. For more information, visit kranzbergartsfoundation.org Through February 7, 2027, Ayana Evans: Nobody’s Gonna Love You the Way I Do, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit camstl.org. Through Dec. 12, Counterpublic 2026: Coyote Time, various locations. For more information, visit counterpublic.org.
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
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Runway Continued from B1 Warrick Scott, CEO of the Wendell Scott Foundation. “Mr. Steward has championed my grandfather’s legacy from the moment we met. And because of his generous support, we have been able to save lives. We’ve been able to provide scholarship dollars for youth — critical dollars for what we do. We all know that the children are the best investment.” After brief remarks, the second floor of Neiman Marcus became a runway for a first-hand look at what the fashion house will serve up for 2027. Highlights from the collection included a structured floral mini dress with embroidered appliqué, defined shoulders and a sharp waist that holds its shape from daytime to evening. A satin column gown featured a straight, floor-length silhouette and a neckline that sits just above the collarbone. The audience let out a collective gasp as an olive-green ensemble came down the runway. A metallic strapless cocktail dress with a structured bodice and controlled shine, along with the fashion house’s embroidered bridal gown in a soft shade of ivory, were also crowd pleasers. Warrick Scott said his grandfather would have appreciated the evening — especially the diversity among the models. “One thing about him
Hanno Riak walks the runway in Oscar de la Renta’s Pre-Spring 2027 collection during the Runway to Raceway fashion show Friday at Neiman Marcus St. Louis.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
is that he had style — he was so stylish,” Warrick said. “And he and Oscar de la Renta were both trailblazers in their fields. They both have connections with what they had to do as far as creativity and ingenuity.” Nearly 35 years ago, de la Renta became the first Dominican to design for a French couture house with his haute couture collection for Balmain. Warrick pointed out the
your dreams similarities are or what between race you want to car drivers Warrick Scott said do — and and fashion his grandfather be met with designers. would have appre- skepticism. “You And you have to be ciated the evening have to have creative. You — especially the the confimust be able diversity among dence to to work with the models. pursue it.” your hands, Warrick and you have called the to believe in late Wendell yourself,” Scott a vanguard in the Warrick said. “Often, sport. you’ll tell people what
“He knew that he was one of a kind,” Warrick said. “And he knew what he was doing and that it would pave the way for so many others.” Warrick sees World Wide Technology Raceway and the Steward Family Foundation’s eagerness to generate energy around his grandfather’s legacy and what he did for the sport —and what his foundation continues to do in his honor—
as a blessing. “I wish I had a way to describe the Steward family’s contribution to our foundation and to honoring the legacy of my grandfather,” Warrick said. “But it has been paradigm shifting, and it has been heaven sent. No other institution, entity or foundation of this stature has done this on behalf of my grandfather as far as recognizing his legacy.”
Murphy Lee Continued from B1 The heat during the early portion of the concert was a prime example. Gates opened at 2 p.m. with a hype set from DJ Ashton Martin that paid tribute to early-2000s St. Louis hiphop — without crossing into Murphy Lee’s set later in the afternoon. By the time Bubba Sparxxx began at 3:30 p.m., he was wishing a speedy recovery to a woman who needed medical attention. But the heat didn’t slow the performers — or deter thousands of fans. By evening’s end, the field was full, with hundreds more in the bleachers where O’Fallon Hoots fans usually watch baseball. Sparxxx opened with his feature on Archie Eversole’s “We Ready,” then jumped into his verse from the Purple Ribbon AllStars’ “Kryptonite.” The crowd was already energized thanks to DJ Ashton Martin, but “Kryptonite” took them to the max. Sparxxx kept the momentum going with “Ugly,” “Hillbilly,” “Deliverance” and “Heat It Up,” closing with “Ms. New Booty.” DJ Ashton Martin picked up where Sparxxx left off, mixing southern and St. Louis hiphop until hometown hero Murphy Lee hit the stage with Kyjuan and Slo Down of the St. Lunatics. They opened with a taste of “Batter Up” before Murphy Lee jumped into his signature lyrical style over Waka Flocka Flame’s “No Hands.” He reminded the crowd why he was a go-to for early-2000s remixes with “Welcome to Atlanta,” “Throw Some D’s” and “Roc the Mic.” Murphy Lee and the crew represented St. Louis to the fullest with classics like “Air Force Ones,” “Luv Me Baby” and his track-stealing verse on Big Tuck’s “Not a Stain on Me.” He moved across the stage unfazed by the heat from start to finish, closing with “What the Hook Gon’ Be.” He earned “best in show” honors for the
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Ginuwine gives the crowd a dose of R&B with hits including “So Anxious,” “In Those Jeans” and “Pony” during Social House’s Tacos and Tequila Music Festival at CarShield Field in O’Fallon. St. Louis leg of Tacos and Tequila. He’ll join fellow St. Louisan Chingy at the Cincinnati stop next Saturday. Yung Joc earned the silver medal — not just because he called St. Louis his “home away from home,” but because his energy matched the club bangers that made him famous. He hyped the crowd and even came out to connect with them. Fans went wild as he delivered “Buy U a Drank,” “I Know You See It” and “It’s Goin’ Down.” West Coast representative Xzibit kept the crowd entertained with “X” and “Mean Muggin’.” One fan even shouted for him to pimp their ride. “I don’t have my tools with me,” Xzibit joked before continuing his set. Houston icon Paul Wall hit the stage dripping in bling. The crowd sang along to “Sittin’ Sideways” and “Break You Off,” but erupted when the intro to “Grillz” came through the speakers. Wall shouted out Nelly as fans recited every word. The energy didn’t dip until he closed with
“Still Tippin’.” Ginuwine’s R&B contribution came as the sun went down, drawing most of the crowd from the bleachers to the field. His set was brief — which he noted on the mic — but he powered through “In Them Jeans,” “Same Ol’ G,” “So Anxious” and closed with “Pony.” DJ Ashton Martin earned the bronze medal for keeping the crowd engaged between acts with perfectly curated mixes. Night had fallen by the time Rick Ross took the stage. The crowd was enthusiastic, but his energy didn’t quite match theirs. Fans still enjoyed themselves, rapping along to “John,” “Magnificent,” “God Did,” “Aston Martin Music” and “B.M.F.” He nodded to Nelly with “Here I Am.” Mostly radio edits played for the acts and profanity was kept to a minimum for most of the show. Until a slip by DJ Ashton Martin opened the door for Ross’ DJ, DJ Sam Sneak, to go fully explicit until Ross closed with “Hustlin’.” Headliner Fat Joe
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Murphy Lee, Kyjuan and Slo Down of the St. Lunatics perform during Social House’s Tacos and Tequila Music Festival at CarShield Field in O’Fallon.
Fat Joe performs hits including “What’s Luv,” “Lean Back” and “Make It Rain” as he closes Social House’s Tacos and Tequila Music Festival at CarShield Field in O’Fallon.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
picked up where Sneak left off. His set was highimpact compared to Ross, but the artists who performed through the heat earlier in the day had the strongest stage shows. Joe added the expletives his tracks left off while giving the crowd a fashion moment with his blushcolored Balenciaga bomber jacket. He ran through
“What’s Luv,” “Lean Back” and “Make It Rain.” He surprised the crowd with an appearance from Busta Rhymes, who Joe said popped into his dressing room unexpectedly. Rhymes was in town headlining the Confluence Music Festival at the Enjoy Illinois 300. Rhymes literally dropped the mic after he recited
his classic “Look At Me Now” verse. The pace that felt even faster than lightning speed version that appears on Chris Brown’s original track. Joe closed the show with “All the Way Up,” sending fans home satisfied with a full-day well spent in the name of millennium era hip hop.
B4
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Photos by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American 30 days until Salute. That’s right…in the words of early 21st century scholar Bubba Sparxxx (who we will discuss a bit later), we only have one month to “get it right, get it tight.” The St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala is going down on Saturday, October 17 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. I don’t know about y’all, but I made some serious gains with operation, “get into this dress.” After being cooked down to the gristle at the Northside Trap Run and Tacos and Tequila – which I will also get into a bit later – I’m feeling hopeful that my mission will be successful. In the meantime, I want to take a moment to shout out the 2026 honorees. Tamiko Armstead, Dr. Paula Knight, Richard McClure, Dr. Samantha March, Dr. Demetrius Adams and Dr. Cierra Wourman, y’all did the thing! I can’t wait to see all of you get your flowers. Be sure to get your tickets at www.stlamerican.com. The analogs can call 314.533.8000. Speed meets style. I was ready to do an overhaul of my whole look after popping over to Neiman Marcus for the Runway to Raceway fashion extravaganza Friday night that geared us all up for the Enjoy Illinois 300 and Confluence Music Festival over at World Wide Technology Raceway. And my feelings began even before those Oscar de la Renta ensembles hit the runway. The ladies who serve looks on the daily set the tone as they mixed and mingled. Lee Haynes, girl, that off-white dress and the chocolate shoe was serving. I normally don’t check for an asymmetrical hemline, but I stand corrected after seeing it on you. And don’t even get me started on the likes of Gisele Marcus, Janet Williams, Gail Holmes, Arica Harris and Leah Harris. I might as well accept that they are just gonna be baddies forever. Oh, and I almost forgot about Yolonda Lankford gagging us with her Kiki Shepherd 2.0 look. But let me get to the actual runway. The late, great Oscar de la Renta would have been over the moon by how those looks slayed. Turning up and burning up. Listen, the last thing I expected when I made the road trip to CarShield Field for the (allegedly) St. Louis leg of Tacos and Tequila was to get turned into a quesadilla! I’m talking hot and melted with crispy cheese on the edges. I had such a time that it was almost worth getting cooked. Social House showed all types of hospitality – even before we arrived on site. Y’all, why were they serving up complimentary Tequila to the folks riding shuttles to the show. I was already on the verge of heat exhaustion when I showed up. And when Bubba Sparxxx sent well wishes to a woman who fell out, I was like, “Who told him about me?” Even before Bubba got started, DJ Ashton Martin let us know that we were going to get our turn-of-the-millennium hip hop life with his top-tier turntable action. I forgot about how many bops Bubba has. But what had me on ten the whole night was how Murph Dirty and (most of) The St. Lunatics tore that stage up for the home team! And why did second place go to somebody not even on the bill? Yes, Busta Rhymes this sentence is about you! I was delightfully shocked that he came out during Fat Joe’s set. I thought I had sacrificed seeing him at Confluence Music Festival by coming to Tacos and Tequila. His two-song sip was exactly what I needed. Just about everybody got it all the way in on that hot plate of a stage. I’m so thrilled that Yung Joc went back to his natural hair, because his conk wouldn’t have made it through that high energy set. Paul Wall gave me
Rebecca, Alicia and Kourtney kicked the at the OTO AKAs HBCU House Party Friday night at The Machinist Hall.
Dorothy and Marcus were among the sold-out crowd to hit up NASCAR’s 5th Annual Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday
Byron holding it down at the VIP tent for Tacos and Tequila Saturday afternoon at CarShield Field
life more abundantly. And while I couldn’t tell you the title of two of Xzibit’s songs, I enjoyed him too. Was I the only one who saw Ginuwine on the jumbotron and thought it was Cash Cohnes? His little set was cute enough despite his complaints about only having a sip of stage time. Rick Ross was giving “It’s hot as a mug. I’mma give y’all these hits, but don’t expect me to get musty while doing it.” I wasn’t mad, but I wasn’t overly impressed either. Fat Joe picked the energy back up until it was time to go. HBCUS and AKAs. After I left Frontenac, I made my way back to North County to kick it with the OTO chapter of AKAs for their annual HBCU House Party at the Machinist Hall. This set is the perfect pre-game for HBCU homecoming season. And like HBCU homecomings, it should be attended at least once – preferably once a year. I saw some of my most beloved pink and green baddies in the place to be. Micha Brown, I’m officially sick of you being snatched from head to toe. She wasn’t the only one. But every time I see her, she makes me feel like I need to go to the gym, or the doctor. I had a ball as usual. My only note is to suggest that the ladies of OTO host a Tamia Slide tutorial ahead of next year’s party. Because some of the girls were stumbling and struggling.
Black Rep Continued from B1 difference between staying open and closing shop. But they did exactly that – carried on. Nearly eighteen months later, The Black Rep is celebrating a milestone with the opening of its 50th anniversary season. The company premiere of The Color Purple opened Friday, September 11, and continues through September 27 at WashU’s Edison Theatre. It’s a fitting venue — since Washington University St. Louis is where it all began. The Black Rep started two years before Himes received his undergraduate degree from there in 1978. He was a business major who gravitated toward the Black creatives on campus. He heard his drama student friends complain about not being able to get cast in the university productions. “If you were Black, you couldn’t pay nobody to put you on stage back then,” poet, actress, educator and fellow WashU alum Marsha Cann once said. “Imagine going to a school to learn how to act. Then have that same school turn around and not let you practice what you were paying them to teach you.” Himes helped Black drama students and actors meet that need when he launched the Phoenix Theatre Troupe in 1976. “Most people thought it was deep, like a Phoenix rising,” Himes said. “I thought it sounded like we were from out of town and would make people want to book us while we were here.” A few years later Phoenix became the St. Louis Black Repertory Company Friday night was evidence of Himes’ determi-
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
The cast of The Color Purple shares the stage during The Black Rep’s Season 50 opening production — the company premiere of the musical – at Washington University’s Edison Theatre. The show runs through Sept. 27. nation and the support of countless supporters. The milestone season opener will be bittersweet for The Black Rep. Cann, who was part of The Black Rep family from the very beginning, died Wednesday night. “I’m glad she’s no longer suffering,” Himes said of Cann, who faced a series of health issues over the past few years. She was 72. “We lost our third ‘Colored Girl,’” said Tracy D. Holliway-Wiggins. A former actress and The Black Rep’s stage manager for more than 30 years. Holliway-Wiggins shook her head as she conveyed the news. She then headed back to the boards to run the Thursday night pre-
she served as Audience view show. Services Director for The Cann shared the stage Black Rep in the early with Holliway-Wiggins 2000s. as part of the “I used to cast of St. be on stage Louis native when I was Ntozake The milestone fresh and Shange’s For young and Colored Girls season opener will be bitter22,” BeaversWho Have Wright said. Considered sweet for The “Now I’m Suicide When Black Rep. Cann, 42 and it’s the Rainbow who was part of ‘Jennifer is Enuf in the The Black Rep who?’” 1980s. family from the BeaversLinda Wright passed Kennedy very beginning, away fifteen and Jennifer died Wednesday years ago. She Beaversnight. was 54. Wright were Kennedy the other two was deemed “Colored by many, Girls” who including Himes, to be preceded Cann in death. “The Black Rep’s Leading Beavers-Wright had Lady.” a catchphrase when
“Her first season with The Black Rep was in 1981,” Himes said at the time of her death in 2019 at 67 from breast cancer. “I honestly don’t know where the company would have been or what we would have achieved without her.” Kennedy had been in so many productions over the years that for one show — Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel — she played the damsel in one staging and the wise woman of a certain age in another years later. The same year Kennedy joined the company, they made the former sanctuary of the Greely Presbyterian Church in north St. Louis City their home. They renamed it the 23rd Street
Theatre — with the endearing tag line “the miracle on 23rd street.” They relocated to Grand Center in 1992 and called The Grandel Theatre home until 2013. The Black Rep has carried on — and come full circle. The stage that Black Washington University students couldn’t buy their way onto has been a staple venue for The Black Rep for more than 20 years. Himes is part of the WashU faculty, where he teaches Black theater and is the Henry E. Hampton Artist-In-Residence. For this milestone season, they will return to their former home, The Grandel Theatre, for two productions — one of them a 50th anniversary staging of For Colored Girls. In the meantime, the heart and soul that Beavers-Wright, Cann and Kennedy poured into The Black Rep is apparent through its latest production. Olajuwon Davis, a member of the ensemble for The Color Purple, was still in high school when Cann discovered his talent through her 40 Corners street theater initiative. Tyler White, who plays Squeak, was a tween participant when Linda Kennedy oversaw The Black Rep’s summer camp. And the standards set by BeaversWright — along with countless artists whose talent was shaped and stamped with the company’s signature level of excellence — carry on. The Black Rep’s 50th anniversary season opens with ‘The Color Purple,’ Which continues through September 27 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre. For more information, visit www. theblackrep.org or call 314.534.3807.
“It shows the strength of our federation, and really the strength of our players. In the biggest moments, they continue to play their best.” — U.S. women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson, after the Americans won the FIBA World Cup
Sports
B5
SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Inside Sports With Earl Austin Jr.
Ladue Rams’ offense fuels fast start
finals, when she posted 19 The Ladue Rams have points and seven rebounds been one of the area’s in a 108-56 victory over most consistent winning Hungary. She was named programs in recent years. Player of the Game. It Ladue is off to another was her third gold medal impressive start with a 3-0 as a member of the USA record after big victories Senior team. She previover MICDS, Vianney ously won Olympic gold and Riverview Gardens. medals in 2020 and 2024. The Rams’ potent offense This was her first gold is averaging 45 points in medal at the FIBA World those three games. Cup. Ladue’s marquee player is Sebastian Bolden senior defensive commits to back Evan Via, a Lindenwood four-star recruit who has already Clayton High committed to basketball standout Stanford. Senior Sebastian Bolden quarterback Earl has committed Emmett McIntosh to Lindenwood directs the offense. Austin Jr. University. A He has thrown 6-foot-4 senior guard, eight touchdown passes with only one interception. Bolden is one of the top returning players in McIntosh’s targets Missouri. Last season, he include receivers Trevor led the Greyhounds to a Walker and Trirease second-place finish in the Edwards, who have comClass 4 state tournament. bined to score five touchIt was Clayton’s first downs. Running backs Kody Anderson and Marco appearance in the Final Four in 51 years. As a Tipton have also scored junior, Bolden averaged a combined five touch25.7 points, 6.3 rebounds downs. and 3.8 assists while makLadue will host Fox on ing 94 3-pointers. Friday night at 7 p.m. Napheesa Collier brings home gold
Standout football performances from last week
Congratulations to St. Louisan Napheesa Collier on winning another gold medal as a member of the USA Women’s Senior National Basketball Team. Team USA defeated France 97-79 last Sunday to win the gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in Berlin. Collier, a former Incarnate Word Academy All-American, had six points and seven rebounds in the championship game. The 6-foot-1 Collier had her best game of the tournament in the quarter-
Daylon Austin-Harvey (CBC): The junior quarterback rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 207 yards and three touchdowns in the Cadets’ 59-48 victory over De Smet. Arness Webb (CBC): The senior wide receiver had four receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the Cadets’ 59-48 victory over De Smet. Kolden Richards
Ladue senior defensive back Evan Via fights through a block during the Rams’ victory over Riverview Gardens. The four star Stanford commit has helped lead Ladue to an undefeated start.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
(Marquette): The senior quarterback completed 16 of 26 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns in the Mustangs’ 42-0 victory over Ritenour. Breyon Shines (Pattonville): The junior defensive back had two interceptions in the Pirates’ 26-21 victory over Lafayette. Teddy Stephens (University City): The junior quarterback completed 15 of 28 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns in the Lions’ 18-12 victory over Northwest
Cedar Hill. Noah Menneke (MICDS): The senior quarterback completed nine of 13 passes for 270 yards and five touchdowns in the Rams’ 64-16 victory over Lutheran South. Dominique Bolden (University City): The senior wide receiver had six receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions’ 18-12 victory over Northwest Cedar Hill. Robert Eatherton (Vianney): The senior running back rushed for
189 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns in the Golden Griffins’ 78-6 victory over Lutheran-St. Charles. Ronnie Gomiller (East St. Louis): The senior rushed for 185 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Flyers’ 64-6 victory over O’Fallon. Dawon Moore (MICDS): The senior wide receiver had four receptions for 108 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams’ 64-16 victory over Lutheran South.
What’s on tap this weekend Chaminade at De Smet, Friday, 6 p.m. University City at Jennings, Friday, 6 p.m. Seckman at Pattonville, Friday, 7 p.m. Eureka at Summit, Friday, 7 p.m. Marquette at Kirkwood, Friday, 7 p.m. SLUH at St. Dominic, Friday, 7 p.m. St. Mary’s at Jackson, Friday, 7 p.m. MICDS at Westminster, Saturday, 1 p.m. Oakville at McCluer North, Saturday, 1 p.m.
Sports Eye With Alvin A. Reid
Black NFL QBs snap into action
With Patrick Mahomes yards with three TD passes returning from a knee and an interception. injury to start the Monday Night Football clash C.J. Stroud, Houston between his Kansas City Texans – Stroud turned Chiefs and the Denver down a $50 million-a-year Broncos, 15 teams are set deal, and for now it seems to feature Black starting foolhardy. While he passed quarterbacks during the for 274 yards and comfirst week of the NFL pleted 26-of-38 passes in season. a 36-31 loss to Buffalo, he Some soared lost two costly fumwhile others strugbles and was sacked gled, but the fact in the game’s wanthat almost 47% ing moments. of the league’s Week 1 starters are Lamar Jackson, African American Baltimore Ravens illuminates the – Jackson is without historic change the the contract extenNFL has undergone Alvin A. sion he wants, and Reid in the last decade. the two-time MVP put on a dazzling Caleb Williams, show in a 41-23 win over Chicago Bears – Williams Indianapolis. Jackson was created Most Valuable 17-of-25 for 324 yards Player talk with a and a touchdown. He also four-touchdown perforrushed for 40 yards and a mance, two passing and TD. two rushing, in his team’s 59-37 win over Carolina. Deshaun Watson, Williams was 21-of-29 Cleveland Browns – passing with no intercepThe controversial QB tions and rushed for 65 wasn’t awful, but look for yards. Shedeur Sanders, another Black quarterback, to take Bryce Young, over soon. Watson was Carolina Panthers 16-of-22 for 205 yards – Young dueled with with a TD and an interWilliams throughout their ception. He rushed for 38 record-setting opening yards and fumbled twice, game offensive output. He though Cleveland recovfinished 23-of-37 for 361 ered both.
Jacoby Brissett, one of 15 Black quarterbacks set to start in the NFL’s opening week, guided the Arizona Cardinals to an upset win over the L.A. Chargers.
Photo by Jeremy Chen / Arizona Cardinals
Geno Smith, New York Jets – After a dismal 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Smith joined the Jets and led them to a 23-10 road win over the Tennessee Titans. Smith was an efficient 19-of-24 passing for 215 yards and committed no turnovers. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans – The rumbles that Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, will be a bust grew louder after he looked confused, was sacked three
times, and completed just 19-of-32 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals – The 33-year-old Brissett outplayed L.A. Chargers golden boy Justin Herbert in an impressive 26-14 road victory. Brissett was 27-of37 for 277 yards and a TD without any turnovers. He was one of the brightest stories of the week. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins – It will be difficult to judge Willis’ season
because he plays on the NFL’s worst team. With few offensive weapons to help him, Willis completed 15 of his 27 passes for 220 yards. He was sacked five times and threw an interception. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers – A seemingly winning effort turned to disaster for Love in a devastating 39-22 loss to Minnesota. He completed just 50% of his passes (21for-42) with two TDs and an interception. He was sacked five times and lost two fumbles, one at his 1-yard line. Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings – His Vikings debut ended abruptly in the first quarter when he suffered a concussion. He was 3-of-5 passing for 18 yards with an interception. He ran the ball twice for nine yards, with the second attempt ending with his injury.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles – Hurts was impressive in a 24-22 slugfest win over the Washington Commanders. He was 14-of-25 passing for just 203 yards, but he did have three TD passes. Hurts also rushed for
46 yards including a key fourth-quarter scramble that led to a TD. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders – Daniels almost delivered a major upset over the Eagles. His team’s two-point try, an ill-conceived shovel pass to John Bates, would have tied the game 24-24. Daniels was 18-of-34 for 164 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Add 31 rushing yards, too. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys – Both he and his team were bitter disappointments in a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants. He threw for 175 yards and two TDs, but his firsthalf interception led to a Giants touchdown and changed the game. The Reid Roundup The roster of starting Black quarterbacks will likely increase when Michael Penix Jr. returns from last year’s knee injury to take over in Atlanta. Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury that led to journeyman backup Cooper Rush starting for Atlanta in a loss to Pittsburgh.
B6
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
B7
B8
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS HPP MEDICAL RESPONSE & SURGE EXERCISE FOR BIOTERRORISM HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Eliot Unitarian Universalist Chapel has an opening for a Director of Business Administration. The position provides leadership and oversight for the financial, administrative, human resources, facilities, technology, and business operations of Eliot Chapel. To apply, please go to: https://tinyurl.com/ eliotdba
East-West Gateway Council of Governments is seeking submittals from consultants to plan, design, facilitate, evaluate, and document the St. Louis Regional Healthcare Coalition’s annual Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program Medical Response and Surge Exercise, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Submittals are due no later than 1:00 p.m. on October 1, 2026. D/S/W/ MBEs are encouraged to submit proposals. Find submittal details at www.ewgateway.org.als. Find submittal details at www.ewgateway.org.
We reach over 150,000 People per Week PARKING AND REVENUE CONTROL SYSTEM REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS www.stltreasurer.org/ request-for-proposals/ stlouis-mo.gov/govern ment/procurement/
PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids, Proposals and Single Source Procurements are posted on-line for public download. Please navigate to: > www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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B9
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Great Rivers Greenway is seeking East-West Gateway requests for qualifiCouncil of Governments is cations for multiple seeking submittals Pre-Construction from community-based organizations to and Construction support the Save Lives Management Now Initiative’s implementation of Services. Go to Rewire Cognitive Behavioral Theory greatriversgreen with adults aged 18 way.org/bids for years or older at the highest risk of gun details and submit by violence in the City October 8, 2026. of St. Louis, MO.
Great Rivers Greenway is requesting qualifications for firms not currently on the 2026-2028 Prequalification List for Planning, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Engineering and Surveying Services. Go to greatriversgre enway.org/vendors for details and submit by October 19, 2026.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RESIDENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the County of St. Louis (“LCRA”) requests proposals to purchase and complete a redevelopment of the property located at 11816 Larimore Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63138. Further information, including the complete RFP and informational packet, is available at https://stlpartner
ship.com/rfp-rfq/.
PUBLIC NOTICE Select Physical Therapy Holdings, Inc. with its primary Medicare location at 155 Siemers Drive, suite 8, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703 will close its operations and will no longer participate in the Medicare Program (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act) effective October 1, 2026. The agreement between Select Physical Therapy Holdings, Inc. and the Secretary of Health and Human Services will be terminated on the above date in accordance with the provisions of the Social Security Act. Patients may access their medical records by contacting the following: Attn: Central Business Office Select Medical 4714 Gettysburg Road Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 (717) 972-1100
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Religion
B10
SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2026
Remembering Sarah beyond 9/11
By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word In Black On Sept. 11, 2001, Sarah Miller Clark, a Washington, D.C., middle school teacher, left for Dulles International Airport to catch a flight to Los Angeles. Her fiancé, John Wesley, thought about going with her. Clark was headed to an educational event in Santa Barbara, California, with 11-year-old student Asia Cotton. It was Wesley’s first day working on the HBO series “The Wire” as deputy communications director for Baltimore’s public housing agency. Clark encouraged him to stay behind. She’d come home early. “I don’t feel too good about this anyway,” she told him. “I’ll see you on Saturday.” National tragedy, personal heartbreak Clark and Asia boarded American Airlines Flight 77. Clark made the trip because National Geographic, the event’s sponsor, promised computers for her students. They never reached California. Hijackers crashed the plane into the Pentagon, killing all 64 people aboard and 125 inside. Wesley was sent home from work after the attacks. He arrived at his Columbia, Maryland,
home around 1 p.m. Soon afterward, a woman who had accompanied Clark to the airport called. “She asked [if] I had talked to American Airlines,” Wesley recalled. “I said, ‘No, why?’ She said, ‘John, I think the plane that’s in the Pentagon was the flight Sarah was on.’” Wesley called the airline. A representative began asking specific questions. “Are you John Milton Wesley? You live in Columbia, Maryland, on Tamar Drive?” the representative asked before placing him on hold. “At that moment is where I knew,” Wesley said. He walked into the bathroom and picked up Clark’s toothbrush to see whether it was still wet. “Fortunately, it was,” he said. “So I just sat there. I mean, I just sat there trying to grapple with this in my head.” Courtship and commitment The couple had known each other for years through church. Clark sometimes accompanied Wesley on piano when he sang at weddings. Eventually they became a couple. They planned to marry April 4, 2002, but after several friends died unexpectedly, Clark decided they should not wait. They
John Wesley has worked to keep his fiancée’s memory alive.
One favorite involved their aquarium. When Wesley fed the fish, they ate and continued swimming. When Clark fed them, they gathered at the glass. Her secret? She knelt and placed her face close to the aquarium so the fish could see her eyes. It was a small act, Wesley says, but it captured her gift for making contact — with students, with Wesley and apparently even with fish. ‘You rely on prayer’
Photo courtesy of John Wesley
moved the wedding to Dec. 22, 2001. Instead of preparing for a wedding, Wesley had to prepare for her memorial. Days before the attacks, Clark told him that when her time came, she wanted music, a brief ceremony by her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters and a service lasting no more than an hour. “I remember saying to her, ‘Well, Sarah, let’s just get past the wedding first,’” Wesley said. Eleven days later, he was searching for an urn for her remains.
Clark had taught school for nearly 30 years, and her final journey was made on behalf of her students. National Geographic provided the promised computers after her death. She also poured energy into Wesley’s writing career, researching what literary managers did and advocating for him. She urged him to submit a piece about Emmett Till to The Washington Post. Wesley grew up in Rosedale, Mississippi, across the street from the white men who murdered Till in 1955.
“John, send the letter to The Washington Post,” Clark insisted. The newspaper bought international rights to the expanded article. For five years after Clark’s death, Wesley left the house largely as she had it. Her clothing remained where she had placed it. Her belongings stayed on tables. When reporters called, Wesley shared positive stories about Clark — pieces of the woman beyond an airline passenger manifest and casualty count.
After her death, Wesley returned to music and eventually released a recording of original songs. “Once you have gone through the experience, you rely on prayer,” Wesley said. “If you have faith, once the moment has passed, God has you.” Twenty-five years after 9/11, Clark is remembered among the nearly 3,000 people killed that day. She was a teacher who boarded a plane so her students could receive computers. She was a musician, a mentor, an advocate and a woman preparing to become a bride. The wedding never happened. But the life Clark and Wesley shared did not disappear inside the Pentagon. It lives in his music, in the career she helped nurture and in every tender story he still tells.