Should Rush Limbaugh Be in the Hall of Famous Missourians?

Rush Limbaugh was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians this week. An honor well deserved? Or a mistake on the part of Missouri lawmakers?

Rush Limbaugh, the controversial conservative commentator, was enshrined into the Hall of Famous Missourians this week, sparking controversy across the state and country on whether Limbaugh should be worth of such an honor. Limbaugh's name now sits amongst such famous Missourians as Mark Twain, Dred Scott, Jack Buck and Stan Musial. According to the St. Louis Beacon, Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice of the ceremony. From the Beacon: Tilley’s decision to honor Limbaugh, a Cape Girardeau native, has sparked opposition from Democrats and progressives because of Limbaugh’s often strong words when he talks about people with whom he disagrees. Limbaugh’s bust will be placed in the Capitol’s Hall …

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RDBet

7:22 pm on Saturday, May 19, 2012

Good grief, not sure who this Rush guy is, but he sure has a cult following.   more ›

Clayton's Tom Schweich Sought for Senate Race

Missouri Republicans are asking the Missouri auditor to run against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Missouri Republicans want state auditor and Clayton resident Tom Schweich to oppose Claire McCaskill for senate, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Thursday. Quoting from the Post-Dispatch report: "Up to now, Schweich, a St. Louisan elected to state office in 2010, has resisted entreaties to run. But in recent days he took the step of formally organizing a political committee to test the waters for a Senate race." Read about the open letter Republicans have written to him and learn about Schweich's background in the complete Post-Dispatch article.

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Missouri Primary Live Coverage

Scroll through our timeline to see what your neighbors are saying about today's doozy of an election.

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Married Minority? Census Shows Slowdown in Couples Tying the Knot

What does St. Louis say? The data reveals that married couples make up barely half of all American households.

The segment of the married U.S. population is about 51 percent, a decline of about six percent since the last census in 2000. In Missouri, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates about 54 percent of men and 50 percent of women are married. A societal snapshot As the Washington Post points out, the data reflects current conditions; meaning people who are unmarried today may not remain single over time. "(The data) are a byproduct of a steady increase in the median age when people first marry, now at an all-time high of older than 26 for women and almost 29 for men," says the Washington Post. According to an expert cited in The Huffington Post, the reason is twofold: "The fast-growing older population is more likely to be divorced or widowed later …

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Missouri Watchdog: What The S&P Downgrade Means For Local Municipalities

Taking stock after a wild week for financial markets.

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. Let’s all take a collective deep breath. While the worldwide financial markets are gyrating like mad following the downgrade of the U.S.’s long-term credit rating from AAA to AA+ last week on Friday by Standard & Poor’s, the world has not come to an end. After my wife made a crack about me being out on a ledge, I was planning on ranting and raving less this week. Some statements made by politicians …

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The Virtual Life

Have Webcast, Will Travel--Virtually, of Course

A virtual tour allowed Regional Editor Holly Edgell to visit the hub of all things AT&T and get an understanding on how AT&T gets people reconnected when disaster strikes.

AT&T really knows how to butter me up. How could I resist this? "You are one of only two invitations that we’re extending in St. Louis for this interactive webcast. It’s the first time that AT&T has used this live format to update reporters, and I thought you would you would be especially interested in the opportunity." A select few journalists around the country would get to hear from Bill Smith, president of AT&T Network Operations, ask him questions, and get a tour of the AT&T command center in New Jersey. I was hooked. Accordingly, I settled in front of my laptop at the appointed hour. There was Smith himself, seated like a reluctant news anchor on a fairly bare bones set. He was dressed casually, as befits a Friday afternoon meeting …

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July Hearing on Hadley Redevelopment Area is Planned

The decision came Thursday during a meeting of the Richmond Heights Tax Increment Financing Commission.

A public hearing about a proposal to shrink the size of the Hadley Township redevelopment area in Richmond Heights has been scheduled for 7 p.m. July 20 at The Heights community center. The city hopes that adjusting the boundaries will relieve some homeowners who don't want to be included in the redevelopment area, City Manager Amy Hamilton told the Richmond Heights Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Commission on Thursday at City Hall. Doing so would allow homeowners to make property upgrades without fear of a buyout from a developer. "Why not remove that cloud over them?" Hamilton said. Traditionally, a TIF is used to generate revenue for development in a specified area of a community, a 1997 report titled "Tax Increment Financing in the …

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Triplets Head Home from St. Mary's in Richmond Heights

Jessie and Christopher Clemonds' babies are nearly two months old.

Three triplets born at SSM St. Mary's Health Center in Richmond Heights were headed home Thursday, nearly two months after their delivery. The three Clemonds babies—Teegan Tyler, Chloe Aundrea and Hadley Lynn—arrived April 5 and spent some time in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit before going home in stages. Teegan got to leave first, followed by Chloe and, on Thursday, Hadley. "If I can handle these two crying, what's another one?" their mom, Jessie Clemonds, joked. She and her husband, Christopher, 34, live in Elsberry, MO. She arrived at the hospital Jan. 5 and spent three months on bed rest before her delivery. The couple conceived using in vitro fertilization. "I was shocked but excited," Jessie Clemonds said about learning…

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Weather Service: Flash Flooding Expected in Clayton, Richmond Heights

Meanwhile, the inclement weather led to canceled classes at The Heights community center in Richmond Heights.

Flash flooding is expected in Clayton and Richmond Heights following strong storms that came through the cities Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported on its website. Meanwhile, classes at The Heights community center have been canceled because of inclement weather. "Radar estimated that over an inch of rain had fallen over the area ... and more heavy rainfall will occur before the rain stops," the Weather Service stated in an update at about 5 p.m. A tornado watch is expected to continue until 9 p.m. Officials at The Heights canceled land- and water-based classes along with its child care services, an email sent at 5:21 p.m. states. "The Heights will reopen for use after all storm advisories have lifted and remain open until 9:…

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