Ozark hellbender listed as an endangered species

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the Ozark hellbender as a federally endangered species that cannot be harmed, killed, or bought and sold as a pet. The new legal protections should improve the chances of survival for this unusual aquatic salamander.

The now officially endangered Ozark hellbender is found only in the streams of the White River system in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.

Ozark hellbender populations have dropped by 75 percent since the 1980s, with fewer than 600 remaining in the wild.

The main threats facing hellbenders are water pollution, habitat loss from mining, dams, and erosion, and collection for the pet trade.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also listed both the Ozark and eastern hellbenders as protected under CITES, an international agreement to prevent rare and endangered species from being commercially bought and sold.

At up to two feet in length, the hellbender is one of the largest salamanders in the world.

Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio

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John Brunner enters Senate race

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - The Republican race to challenge Senator Claire McCaskill in 2012 is officially a three-way contest.

John Brunner chairs the board of Vi-Jon, a St. Louis-based company that makes the hand sanitizer Germ-X.

He has a long track record of donating to Republican and conservative causes. But he’s never run for public office – which he says makes him the most qualified person to serve.

"Career politicians with political experience alone are just unable to restore the American dream. They have no because they have no real world experience to guide them," Brunner said.

A spokesman for Congressman Todd Akin welcomed Brunner into the race but said he remained confident Akin would win. The campaign of former state treasurer Sarah Steelman did not return a phone call for comment in time.

Brunner’s entry into the race affects Akin more, says University of Missouri St. Louis political science professor Dave Robertson.

"Brunner, as someone who has supported Akin in the past, who comes from the general area that Todd Akin comes from, really has a chance to split the vote that Akin would have gotten and so probably weakens Akin a little bit more," Robertson said.

Campaign finance records show Brunner and his wife donating five thousand dollars to Akin’s campaign as recently as March.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

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St. Louis Muslims remember 9-11

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Members of the Muslim community in St. Louis gathered at the grounds of the Gateway Arch Sunday to remember the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks with prayer and service.

Worshippers recited the Islamic afternoon prayer before many participated in the United Way’s day of service doing community clean-up in East St. Louis.

The executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations of St. Louis, Faizan Syed, helped organize the event.

He says ten years ago, members of his community were blamed for the attacks in Washington and New York even though they had nothing to do with them

"Ten years later we have come here and we have gathered under the shade of the Arch as a way of standing together in a united front, and a way of showing of our unity towards the people and the society that we live in," Syed said.

Other 9-11 ceremonies in the area included a traditional Mass at the Cathedral Basilica, and the display of three thousand flags on Art Hill to commemorate those killed.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

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McCaskill and Blunt sound off on Obama's jobs speech

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill says President Barack Obama will be in a challenging position tonight night as he presents his jobs plan to a joint session of Congress.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, McCaskill said most Missourians want Congress to cut spending, but it will be difficult for the federal government to embark on a giant jobs programs without spending money.

"I’m hopeful the president’s plan will be revenue neutral, in other words, not add in any way to the deficit," McCaskill said. "But be significant enough that it could help in a painfully slow recovery. It’s a recovery, but it’s a painfully slow recovery."

People familiar with the White House deliberations on the jobs package say Obama is considering a plan totaling about $300 billion in tax cuts and spending for 2012.

Two of the biggest measures are expected to be a one-year extension of a Social Security tax cut for workers and a continuation of unemployment benefits. Those items would total about $170 billion dollars.

Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt said neither measure would create a single job.

"The unemployment benefit extension eventually becomes another reason for employers to not create jobs because they have to pay into that fund that was never designed to be a never ending benefit," Blunt said.

Blunt says reducing Social Security taxes for workers only robs future social security recipients. But he says he might be able to support the measures if they are part of a bigger job creation package.

Julie Bierach, St. Louis Public Radio

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Missouri immunization rate improves

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Missouri is doing a better job of getting toddlers vaccinated for childhood diseases.

Results of the CDC’s National Immunization Survey show Missouri rose from last in the rankings in 2009 up to 39th last year.

About 68 percent of children under age 3 are getting all the required vaccinations. Neighboring Illinois remained at just above the national average, with 75 percent.

Missouri health department director Margaret Donnelly attributes the improvement to stricter legislation and increased efforts to help parents keep track of vaccination schedules.

And she says cost should not keep parents from getting their children vaccinated.

"Even if you do not have insurance that covers immunizations, there are programs available where your child can get the vaccine at little or no cost," Donnelly says.

Donnelly urges parents to contact their healthcare provider or local public health agency to schedule an immunization appointment.

Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio

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MICDS gets $21.5 million gift

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - A St. Louis County private school has received a $21.5 million donation from the James S. McDonnell family.

Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School, or MICDS, will use the money to build a new, 52,000 square-foot science and math facility.

MICDS head of school, Lisa Lyle, says the goal is to involve students in the process of scientific research.

"These new lab facilities – the normal classroom/lab environment which is large and well-equipped, as well as the two research spaces – will give every child in the school the opportunity to engage deeply with hands-on, inquiry-based learning," Lyle said.

Lyle says having a research facility on campus will allow students to work with St. Louis-area professionals on long-term research projects.

"It will give us a chance to partner with local bench scientists, and it will give our kids exposure to the kinds of thinking and the habits of mind required to do sustained research," Lyle said.

Lyle believes plant science and medical research will continue to play an important role in the St. Louis economy in the future and wants MICDS students to be prepared.

The school hopes to begin construction on its new facility in the summer of 2012.

The McDonnell family's donation is the largest in the school’s history and the second largest ever to any grade or high school in the region.

James S. McDonnell III graduated from St. Louis Country Day School in 1954. His wife, Elizabeth Hall McDonnell, graduated from Mary Institute in 1958.

James S. McDonnell III is the son of James S. McDonnell, Jr., founder of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.

Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio

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McCaskill says Joplin recovery funds are not in jeopardy

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill says federal funding for Joplin is not in jeopardy.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said last week that funding for some long-term projects in the tornado-ravaged town would be put on hold because of Hurricane Irene.

McCaskill said she was worried initially but says she got a better explanation over the weekend.

"I do now realize that the only proposed shift was in order to meet immediate emergency needs in areas that have been impacted given how much money is left in the disaster fund between now and the end of the year," McCaskill says.

That fund has less than one billion dollars with the fiscal year ending in just over a month.

McCaskill says the U.S. House has passed the appropriation for the disaster fund for next year’s budget and she expects the Senate will do the same.

The Missouri Democrat says she’ll be watching to make sure Joplin gets the money it’s been promised.

Maria Altman, St. Louis Public Radio

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Nixon defends withholds from 2012

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Governor Jay Nixon is defending his decision to withhold more than $170 million from Missouri’s 2012 budget, despite a state lawsuit challenging its constitutionality.

Before the start of the current budget year, the Democrat announced that his administration would withhold funds from more than 40 state programs, partially to help pay for disaster relief.

State auditor Tom Schweich, a Republican, filed suit, saying that the governor can only do so if revenue is coming in below projections.

Speaking after a ribbon cutting in north St. Louis County, Nixon called such withholdings a common practice.

"Spending your accounts to zero is not the way to start a fiscally prudent year," Nixon said. "In order to have the resources to meet the obligations we have, me and governors over the last 40 years have done the exact same thing."

Nixon said he reached the $170 million figure by cutting out revenue that lawmakers included but never passed legislation to collect.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

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Missouri Foundation for Health names new president and CEO

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - The Missouri Foundation for Health has named a new president and CEO.

Robert Hughes will assume his new post on November 1st, taking over from founding president James Kimmey who is retiring at the end of this year.

Hughes is an Illinois native but has spent the past 20 years in New Jersey. There, he worked for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest health philanthropy in the U.S.

He says his first priority will be getting to know Missouri.

"I really want to get out and understand what the health issues are across the region, and I think any subsequent decisions about where the Foundation goes will be influenced by what I learn, and the kind of feedback that I get from community leaders and health leaders across the area," Hughes says.

Hughes says under his leadership the Missouri Foundation for Health will continue to serve as a source of information on federal healthcare policy.

Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio

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Educators working with sponsor on fix for "Facebook" law

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - A group of educators led by the Missouri National Education Association says its confident it can strike a deal with lawmakers to settle confusion over a new state law governing how students and teachers interact using social media like Facebook.

The law, the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, blocks students and teachers from communicating privately on electronic media without a third party present. For example, an e-mail between a student and teacher would have to be copied to someone else as well.

Teachers have expressed concern that the law would prevent them from "friending" students on Facebook even after the students have left their classroom. Other say the laws would prevent teachers who are also parents from emailing or texting with their child if the child has ever also been their student.

The Missouri State Teachers Association has filed suit, claiming the law is too broad and infringes on the First Amendment rights of its members.

Kit Crancer, the chief of staff to the act's sponsor, Republican state Senator Jane Cunningham of Chesterfield, said the changes would be minimal.

"Frankly, we’re in favor of the provisions which are blocking private communication between an instructor and a student," Crancer said. "We want to clarify and at least provide guidelines for all the instructors in the state."

Crancer and Otto Fajen, the legislative director for the MNEA, met on Tuesday to start discussions about the changes. Both are confident a deal can be worked out to get the new language included in the special session that starts Sept. 6, but Fajen says teachers shouldn't panic if that doesn't happen.

"There’s no need, from our perspective, for teachers to try to independently decipher what this all means," Fajen said. "They can just kind of look to, 'what does my supervisor say is the policy?'"

A spokesman for Gov. Jay Nixon, who sets the agenda for a special session, would not say if the session would be expanded if a compromise could be reached.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

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Public meeting to discuss north St. Louis riverfront development

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - The St. Louis Development Corporation is holding a public meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss plans to develop the north St. Louis riverfront.

The engineering firm HNTB has been studying the 3,000-acre area for the city, to figure out what’s needed to turn it into a freight transportation hub. The city also wants to attract new businesses and jobs.

HNTB north riverfront project manager Brian Comer says the area has problems with storm water flooding, and lacks supporting businesses like restaurants.

It’s also difficult for trucks to get freight in and out of the port.

"There’s a number of areas right now...where the rail lines cross a number of the major streets, such as Hall Street," Comer said. "Trains actually block the road."

The HNTB study has been funded by a $600,000 grant from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, along with $200,000 in city funds.

Jennifer Allen of Trailnet, a local non-profit that promotes biking and walking, says her organization’s priority is for St. Louisans to be able to access the river.

"We think it’s important that we have people living there, that we have these recreational activities happening there, that it’s really a district, a destination, that can connect people to the river," Allen said. "And at the same time provide the jobs that everyone knows that we so need."

Both Allen and Comer say Tuesday’s meeting is an opportunity for people to ask questions and voice their priorities for the north riverfront area.

Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio

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Schweich sharply critical of budget withholdings for disasters

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - A new report from the Missouri state auditor says Gov. Jay Nixon did not follow the Missouri Constitution when he withheld $170 million from the current budget to help fund disaster relief.

Auditor Tom Schweich says withholdings can only be made if actual revenues come in below what’s estimated. That wasn’t possible in this case because the fiscal year hadn’t even started.

Schweich also said his office was "startled" by the fact that Nixon’s office could not demonstrate how it reached the 170 million number.

"We would have expected spreadsheets, estimates, projections, comparative scenarios of possible revenue," Schweich says. "We would have expected the typical things any auditor would expect."

Schweich says the governor should have worked with lawmakers instead of taking unilateral action.

"There’s a supplemental budget coming up, there are future fiscal years coming up, those budgets can account for Joplin," Schweich says. "And also there’s a rainy day fund with $500 million in it that’s never one time been tapped for disasters. Now if there was ever a rainy day, it’s what happened in Joplin."

In a statement, Nixon spokesman Scott Holste called the auditor’s letter “wrong,” and said the withholdings are a further example of Nixon’s fiscal responsibility.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

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EPA issues decision on Mo. water quality standards

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - The EPA today issued its decision on Missouri's water quality standards,approving how the state categorized 244 streams, rivers and lakes.

That decision means water bodies newly designated for high contact uses like swimming will need more protection.

Some sewage treatment plants, municipalities and others will need to start treating their wastewater discharges.

EPA water quality manager John DeLashmit says the agency didn't agree with the state's categorization of 23 waterways, including the lower River Des Peres near St. Louis.

"The state proposed protecting it only for boating, canoeing, and wading," DeLashmit said. "And because of the public comments that we've received and reviewed, we are disapproving that decision and asking the state to protect it at a higher level."

Those public comments said people are using the River Des Peres for swimming. The same is true for the Mississippi River near St. Louis.

DeLashmit says the EPA will work with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to set new, more protective standards for both rivers.

Véronique LaCapra, KRCU

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State workers to receive raise

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Missouri state workers will be getting a small bump in pay.

Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, known as AFSCME have negotiated a one-time, 2 percent pay increase for the upcoming fiscal year.

Jeff Mazur is a spokesman for the Union. He says even with the raise, Missouri ranks dead last in employee pay.

"Missouri state workers are actually the lowest paid of any state workers of any state in the nation," Mazur says. "In fact just this time last year some data from United States Census Bureau showed that they earn fully 34 percent less than the national average for a state worker."

Mazur says these employees in question work primarily in the Department of Mental Health, State Veterans Commission and Department of Corrections.

Adam Allington, St. Louis Public Radio

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St. Louis to host convention about conventions

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - The City of St. Louis is hosting what tourism officials are calling the “Super Bowl of Conventions" this weekend.

The members of American Society of Association Executives are responsible for booking some $60 billion in convention activity annually.

All told, some 5,000 hospitality industry reps and executives will be in St. Louis from Saturday to Tuesday.

The purpose of the convention is for those reps to try to convince 1,500 different associations to hold annual meetings in their city.

Brian Hall of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission says hosting the event gives St. Louis a huge advantage. Since roughly 20 percent of conference attendees will book their annual meeting in the host city over the next five years.

"And that results in about $186.5 million if we’re able to book one-in-five meetings for a future date here in St. Louis," Hall said. "Which is obviously a huge opportunity for us.”

The event will kick off with a free concert under the Gateway Arch at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Adam Allington, St. Louis Public Radio

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Public asked to comment on proposal to replace hundreds of trees near Gateway Arch

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - The National Park Service is bracing for the possible loss of more than 900 trees near the Gateway Arch. That’s what could happen if the emerald ash borer makes it to the St. Louis area.

The emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees since it was accidentally introduced to the U.S. in the early 1990s.

The small, bright green insect has already made its way to southeastern Missouri and northeastern Illinois.

Rob Lawrence, a forest entomologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, says it’s just a matter of time until the emerald ash borer spreads to St. Louis.

“It moves on its own slowly, but the problem is that emerald ash borer hitchhikes on firewood real easily so when folks are moving firewood around, it can jump several states in just a matter of a few days.”

The superintendent of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, Tom Bradley, says the Park Service is seeking public input on a proposal for replacing the ash trees on the arch grounds.

"Ultimately we’d like to chose the species or cultivar that’s the replacement tree, and then decide how we’re going to take this on — replacing these 900 trees," Bradley said. "Are we going to do it all at once, or break it into zones? That’s just a big question."

The public has until August 24th to provide comments.

Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio
Photo: An adult emerald ash borer. Photo by David Cappert, Michigan State University.

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Chuck Berry statue dedicated in U-City

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - A nearly two-year effort to raise money for a statue of St. Louis native Chuck Berry in the city came officially to a close Friday as dignitaries gathered with the man they call the father of rock and roll to dedicate the sculpture.

The eight-foot tall figure shows a younger Berry jamming away at his guitar. It sits right across from Blueberry Hill in the Loop, where the 84-year-old still performs once a month.

Harry Weber, another native, designed the sculpture. He called the project a great challenge and privilege.

"Chuck is a part of history that goes beyond music. He created a new means of expression through rock and roll that inspired generations of young people to find their voice," Weber said. "He has shown us all what it means to have a calling, always find joy in what he does, and sharing that joy with everyone who hears his music."

Private donations covered the $100 thousand cost.

The statue generated some controversy. Berry is a convicted felon, and University City residents protested the fact that it’s on city property, making the city responsible for lighting and maintenance.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

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SLU conference investigates criminal deaths, forensic science

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Saint Louis University is hosting a conference this week on advances in criminal death investigation and forensic science.

Conference organizer and SLU pathologist Dr. Mary Case is the chief medical examiner for St. Charles, Jefferson, and Franklin counties. Case says that this year, the biennial event has drawn about 200 participants from across the country.

She says they’re here to learn about the latest methods for investigating homicides and other suspicious deaths. “These are people primarily that work in medical examiner and coroner offices, as what we call death investigators. We have some doctors, we have some lawyers, we have some nurses…”

The four-day conference will cover how to carry out death investigations in a wide range of circumstances, including cases of child abuse, drug overdose, and battlefield fatalities.

Case says one popular conference speaker is poison expert John Trestrail. She says these days, cases are of criminal poisoning are rare, but they do happen.

“And he’s going to talk to us about what kinds of poisons are used, how those cases are detected, and how they’ve been handled in the court. Sometimes he actually brings along a little sample box that has a bunch of very deadly kinds of poisons and he kind of passes it around.”

Case adds that those poisons are safely contained in small, tightly-sealed vials.

Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio

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SLU to study effects of air pollution on pregnant women in China

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - The Saint Louis University School of Public Health is launching a study to look at the effects of urban air pollution on pregnant women in China.

SLU epidemiologist Zhengmin Qian says the research will track the pregnancies of 100,000 women in Wuhan, a city of nine million people in central China.

“We are going to look at the health effects at different pollution levels, from no pollution [to] high pollution,” Qian said.

The goal is to find out whether women exposed to high levels of ozone, particulate matter and other air pollutants during pregnancy are more likely to have babies born prematurely or underweight.

Qian says most research on the health effects of air pollution has been done in the U.S. or Europe, not in developing countries where urban air pollution levels are typically much higher.

The study is being funded by the Chinese government and by the Health Effects Institute, a U.S. non-profit.

Locally, SLU is also participating in the National Children’s Study, which is investigating the effects of pollution on the health of children in the United States.

Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio

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Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions announce merger

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - St. Louis-based Express Scripts is buying one of its rivals in the prescription benefit management world.

If approved by shareholders and regulators, the merger with New Jersey-based Medco Health Solutions would create the largest such company in the United States.

Express Scripts’ chief spokesman, Larry Zarin, says size would gives the new firm an edge on reducing health care costs, which he called a priority of the nation and the company.

“Where we are with health care costs, where we are with health care reform, the size of that challenge and the absolute call for new innovate solutions, both structurally and tactically, and we’re going to take on both,” Zarin said.

The companies say they have identified one billion in savings from the merger. Zarin refused to discuss the possibility of layoffs.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

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