City Hall

Today is the first day of summer and that means it’s the start of the busy season for Lise Bernstein. As the president of Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice, Bernstein is working her organization’s campaign to distribute free gun locks all summer.

Since the Lock It For Love program began in the spring of 2015, more than 1,800 gun locks have been handed out across St. Louis and St. Louis County. Organizers try to pass out gun locks in St. Louis zip codes where the risk for youth violence is high. That’s according the St. Louis Regional Youth Violence Prevention Task Force Community Plan,  which was released in 2013.

This is a developing story and will be updated. (Last updated 12:56 p.m.)

Several suspicious packages were found at St. Louis City Hall in downtown St. Louis Tuesday morning.

Around 11 a.m. St. Louis Metropolitan Police said the devices had all been secured:

The suspicious devices have been secured and officers are working to ensure the area around City Hall is safe. The investigation continues.

About 50 protesters who marched to St. Louis City Hall Wednesday were greeted with locked metal grilles barring the doors.  For approximately two hours, employees were unable to go in or out, and residents hoping to pick up paperwork were turned away.  

Protesters briefly blocked traffic at the intersection of Tucker Blvd. and Market St., before they were ordered to the sidewalk by police. Then, about 25 laid down in front of City Hall for a ‘die in,’ while others sat nearby.

St. Louis will no longer require job candidates to disclose previous felony convictions on their applications.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay announced the shift in hiring policy during a press conference at City Hall Tuesday.

“We’re really not changing our approach to who we hire. It’s just how we do it,” he said.

The change means potential employees will not have to check a box on their applications if they have a felony conviction.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and other local leaders are endorsing Susan Montee in her campaign for Lieutenant Governor. None of the four Democrats in the race for the office are from St. Louis -- Missouri's largest voting bloc. Thus, Montee's endorsement from St. Louis city officials gives her a strong lead as she seeks the nomination.

Montee, the former state auditor, kicked off her campaign at St. Louis City Hall Tuesday saying she knows how to fight for veterans and seniors.

Another incumbent alderman has lost his seat at City Hall.

Fred Heitert, a 32-year members of the Board of Aldermen and for many years its only Republican, lost his re-election bid by 48 votes to Democrat Larry Arnowitz, a longtime city employee.

Updated at 12:30 p.m. Wed. with correct percentages

Updated with final unofficial results at 10:30 p.m.

A former St. Louis alderman who was recalled from office in 2005 over his support for controversial development projects in his south city ward seems poised to take his old seat back in April.