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   Transit workers in St. Louis appear poised to walk off the job as members of Local 788 of the Amalgamated Transit Workers Union continue a strike authorization vote Tuesday.  The union represents public transportation workers and any job action could effect Metrobus and Metrolink service.

   Nearly 600 of the 1,500 members cast ballots on Monday. Bus drivers, mechanics, Metrolink operators and clerical staff have all been working without a contract for two and a half years.

   Local 788 President Mike Breihan says he hopes it doesn't come down to a work stoppage.  "You know we really don't want to hurt the public," Breihan said.  "The people out here that ride the bus, they're like our family. And you know we don't want to hurt any of them, but we're going to have to do whatever we can do to protect our own."

   "This vote was just strictly to show that we are united and we're ready to move forward if we have to, to do whatever we need to do to get a contract," Breihan said. "You know we're not trying to rob the bank. All we're trying to do is make a decent living for our members and our families."       

   Breihan says no action will be taken until after a mediator, who is reviewing information submitted by both the Union and Metro, issues an opinion at the end of the month.

   A night of violence has left 16 people with gunshot wounds from four separate incidents in the city of St. Louis.  

   Police say all of the victims are expected to recover.  Police were called to Highland and Marcus in north St. Louis about 10:30 p.m. when five people were shot. Four of them were juveniles and one was an adult. 

   Then about 30-minutes later, three more people were shot about a mile from the first scene, in the 800 block of Aubert Avenue.  

   The third shooting was in south St. Louis.  About 11:30 p.m. two people were shot in the 3800 block of Hartford Avenue.  

   About 1 a.m, four people were injured in a drive-by shooting at Warren and 19th Streets. That shooting involved in AK-47. 

   It's not known if any of the shootings were related.  All of the victims are expected to recover.  

   Former KMOV news anchor Larry Conners want's the court to wave the no-compete clause in his contract.  

   Conners filed suit in St. Louis County Friday against his former TV station, claiming they violated his contract when they fired him last month.  The suit was filed in the county because KMOV lists a Clayton business address.

   Conners is arguing that it's not fair that he be prohibited for a year from working for a competing station since he was fired without cause.  

   KMOV management said in a statement that they had dismissed the 66 year old TV veteran last month because comments he had posted on Facebook created "an appearance of bias that is inconsistent with important journalistic standards." Conners had suggested that the IRS was pressuring him following his 2012 interview with President Obama. 

   Conners has worked in television in the St. Louis market for 37 years, 27 of them with KMOV.