Ryan Ferguson’s story featured in documentary
Ferguson was released in 2013 after an appeals court ruling
Suspected South City Arsonist Arrested
St. Louis, MO Â (KTRS) Â Federal agents say security cameras helped lead to the arrest of an accused serial arsonist in south St. Louis. Forty-seven-year-old Michael Naro is facing four felony counts of second-degree arson. Police say Naro used road flares to set garages and trash bins on fire in his neighborhood. Security cameras set up…
200 job cut from Southern Illinois coal fire.
ST. LOUIS (AP) – The owner of two southern Illinois coal mines says it’s cutting more than 200 jobs at those locations as well as additional positions at a Kentucky mine. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (bit.ly/1QlAzzV ) reports that Alliance Resource Partners LP announced the layoffs at its Hamilton and White County coal mines on…
School funding overhaul again faces long odds in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Efforts to overhaul Illinois’ school funding formula again face long odds in the spring legislative session, despite calls to address the matter urgently. Many lawmakers say it will be tough to get support to fix the formula because current proposals call for some districts to lose money. They also point out…
After suicide attempt, Missouri lawmaker speaks out
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri state Rep. Genise Montecillo is talking about her suicide attempt in hopes of helping others dealing with suicidal thoughts and depression. Montecillo tried to kill herself in June 2015. She said childhood abuse and subsequent depression led to her attempt. The St. Louis Democrat says she hopes her story…
Rock Hill police officer hospitalized in ‘hit and run’
( KTRS ) A St. Louis police officer has been hospitalized after being hit by a car. Rock Hill city administrator, Jennifer Yackley, says that the officer was stable at a hospital, suffering from a head injury after being hit by a car earlier Sunday. Yackley says the officer had been investigating a report of…
Missouri considers easing adoptee birth certificate access
( KTRS ) Missouri is among the majority of states the restrict access to original birth certificates for people who were adopted. Legislation scheduled for House committee vote Tuesday would change that. The Missouri Adoptee Rights Act would allow adoptees to access their birth certificates when they turn 18. Current law only allows adoptees to…
Amtrak, Illinois reach deal to maintain service
( KTRS ) Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation say they have reached an agreement to maintain existing service on state-supported routes while reducing costs. IDOT says the deal will maintain service through the end of the fiscal year on June 30, at a cost of $38.3 million to the state. The department paid…
Missouri lawmaker says colleague’s move was political
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri lawmaker says he’s pleased that a colleague dropped a restraining order against him, but says the man was trying to hurt his reputation. Representative Courtney Allen Curtis confirmed Friday he dropped the restraining order against Representative Michael Butler. Curtis and Butler are St. Louis-area Democrats. Curtis says Butler…
Missouri Democrat proposes gun ban for domestic abusers
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A proposal to keep firearms out of the hands of domestic abusers appears to have little chance in Missouri. More than a dozen states have strengthened laws over the past two years on gun ownership for convicted domestic abusers, a rare area of consensus in the national gun debate. St.…