Christmas Tree Fire Safety Tips Offered by FEMA

Decorating homes and businesses is a long-standing tradition around the holiday season. Unfortunately, these same decorations may increase your chances of fire, reminds U.S. Fire Administration officials.

Following a few, simple fire safety tips can keep electric lights, candles and the ever popular Christmas tree from creating a tragedy, states U.S. Fire Administration officials. USFA is an entity of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). For more tips on how to prevent a holiday fire and what to do in case a fire starts in your home, click here.

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Understanding the Disaster Relief Equation

Both Missouri and the federal government have pledged to give resources as cleanup efforts continue in Joplin following a devastating tornado.

Patch is pleased to partner with Brian R. Hook, editor and investigative reporter for Missouri Watchdog, a news website dedicated to investigative journalism about local, state and federal government across Missouri. We've invited Hook to contribute a weekly column that describes what he's watching and why it's important for Missouri taxpayers. As the recovery process gets underway following the deadly tornado that left behind a four-mile path of destruction in Joplin on Sunday, asking who pays for a natural disaster may seem upsetting. The death toll in Joplin is still rising. Hundreds are listed as unaccounted for. The stories and images of death and survival coming from southwest Missouri are gut wrenching. How could anyone ask about …

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St. Louis Fire Officials Talk Earthquake Preparedness

The New Madrid fault earthquakes happened 200 years ago.

Fire officials in Clayton and Richmond Heights weighed in this week about how their cities have prepared for earthquakes. Meanwhile, thousands of students and medical workers in Missouri participated Thursday in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, an emergency preparedness drill held in conjunction with the 200th anniversary of the New Madrid fault earthquakes. The Richmond Heights earthquake plan pertains primarily to city employees and buildings, Chief Kerry Hogan of the city's fire department stated in an email. "Our disaster plan for the city would work in conjunction with the St. Louis County disaster plan," he stated. Clayton has a comprehensive disaster plan that addresses earthquakes, Chief Mark Thorp of the city's fire department …

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Good Friday Tornadoes & Aftermath

Apparent Tornado Rips Though Lambert Airport Causing Major Damage, Injuries; Airport Closed

A powerful storm pounded St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Friday evening.

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is closed until further notice, after an apparent tornado caused major damage and injuries on Friday evening. At a news conference at the airport on Friday night, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said the airport was hit by a severe storm with heavy winds and that there was a sighting of a tornado, but that had not been confirmed. "That storm caused significant damage to the airport, specifically to Terminal One,  where most of the damage occurred," Slay said.  Power was out to the airport Friday night and four people were transferred to the hospital with minor injuries, the mayor said. Lambert Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said Concourse C experienced extensive damage. She said most of the windows in …

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James Baer

7:20 am on Saturday, April 23, 2011

Tremendous spontaneous coverage by photo-journalist Fritz Faerber. He was on the coverage just as quickly as tornadoes and storms blew through St. Louis last night.   more ›

U-Turns Now OK at Night for Parts of Downtown Clayton

They're still not permitted on Brentwood Boulevard and Hanley Road.

Drivers in downtown Clayton may make U-turns during some overnight hours following a unanimous vote by the city's Board of Aldermen on Jan. 11. The action is now permissible from 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., on Saturdays and Sundays, and on legal holidays in that part of the city. U-turns are still prohibited at intersections where traffic signals are in place, and on Brentwood Boulevard and Hanley Road. A copy of the ordinance is attached to this article. Ward II Alderman Cynthia Garnholz told the aldermen that the issue came up after receiving a recent e-mail from a friend, a former Clayton resident, who stated that he had been pulled over for making a U-turn downtown. He asked whether the aldermen could review the city's policy. "He responded …

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McAlister's Deli Looks to Benefit Storm Victims

Proceeds from some Jan. 6 sales at the Clayton restaurant will be donated to charity.

Guests at McAlister's Deli in Clayton on Jan. 6 will have the opportunity to give back to victims of the tornadoes that hit last week in Sunset Hills, Crestwood and other parts of St. Louis. The fundraiser to benefit the American Red Cross will happen at McAlister's seven St. Louis locations, said Nicci Lowrey, catering manager at the company's Creve Coeur franchise. McAlister's had already planned a fundraiser, and the Red Cross' response to the Dec. 31 tornadoes underscored the company's desire to help the group. To ensure that proceeds benefit the Red Cross, patrons must print and bring in an event flier. A flier copy of the flier is attached to this article, and it also may be downloaded by clicking this link. Fifteen percent of sales …

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