2005

By Peter DownsNovember 22, 2005 –– Last Friday, David Welch, director of gifted education programs for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, gave representatives from metropolitan area school districts the news they had…

The Public Safety Committee of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen will be hearing public testimony regarding the need (or lack thereof) for establishing a civilian board to review allegations of misconduct against police officers…

[What you're missing. This story appeared in last week's print edition of PUB DEF Weekly. Subscribe today.]October 18, 2005 -- The editorial staff of The St. Louis Argus was furious with the paper’s publisher last…

November 9, 2005 -- Alderman Jennifer Florida (15th Ward) was the target of Elliot Davis' "You Paid For It" segment on Channel 2 Monday night.The southside alderman spent 58,000 taxpayer dollars to install some pretty…

December 1, 2005 -- Fifty years ago today, a 42-year-old Southern black woman made a decision to no longer be a party to her own disrespect. Rosa Parks said “no” to the question of her…

A common rap against St. Louis Public School parents is that they don't get involved. Somebody forgot to tell the parents at Dewey International Studies Elementary School.On the weekends of October 8 and October 15,…

Senator Kit Bond was one of only 6 senators to vote against an agreement to give up annual pay raises for U.S. senators. The agreement came out of the need to control the growing budget…

PUB DEF Weekly is pleased to announce it is now hosting a blog for Peter Down's informative St. Louis Schools Watch.The URL is http://slswatch.pubdef.net and it will be updated often, so check it regularly.This continues…

Our town is in for a treat this weekend as Brooklyn, Illinois native and world-renowned baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett performs on Saturday, November 26, in Soulard.Bluiett, a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet who…

I understand there is a controversy regarding Cleveland's Naval policy. Is that true? I want to go on record that after living through Larry Myers last year and the horrible condition he left the school,…