- Sleet and freezing rain is causing numerous accidents this morning, including one involving multiple vehicles. The ice storm began just before 5 a.m. and caused accidents throughout the region. The worst was on Interstate 64 near downtown St. Louis, where more than 20 cars and a couple of semis slid on ice. Ambulances and fire trucks responding to the scene were involved in the accident. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reportsthat Fire Capt. Dan Sutter says 21 people were injured in the accident, one critically. Missouri State Highway PatrolCpl. Jeff Wilson said troopers responded to up to 60 accidents in St. Charles, Lincoln and St. Louis counties. Officials with the Missouri Department of Transportationsays the icy conditions caught them a bit off guard. Assistant district engineer Tom Blair says crews were out patching potholes when they received word that freezing rain could be moving into the area.
- The Missouri Department of Natural Resourcesis receiving about $216,000 from the federal government to study the condition of old, closed landfills in rural communities. The agency says many older landfills did not have to meet modern environmental standards, and many were not closed properly. The Department of Natural Resources says it will use the findings to train cities on how to maintain the closed dumps or buy and sell properties with landfills on them. The department wants to make sure the landfills don't pollute nearby water resources or otherwise harm the environment.
- According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. and three others will face off April 5 in the general election after last night's mayoral primary. Parks received 47 percent of the vote. Councilman Delbert Marion was second with 25 percent and former Mayor Carl Edward Officer finished third with 24 percent. The Post-Dispatch reports that voter turnout was about 25 percent. The election comes as layoffs burden the city's police and the murder rate continues to rise.
Missouri headlines: Unexpected freezing rain wreaks havoc on St. Louis roads, Mo. Dept. of Natural Resources receives grant to study old landfills, ESL Mayor and two others to face off April 5
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Workers attempt to clear debris and wrecked cars where freezing rain caused an accident involving 20 cars resulting in a pileup on Highway 64/40 during rush hour in St. Louis on Feb. 23, 2011.
(UPI/Bill Greenblatt)
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A screen capture from the campaign website of East St. Louis mayor Alvin Parks Jr. Parks and three others will face off April 5 in the general election after last night's mayoral primary.
(alvinparks.com screen capture)
