Good morning! Here are a couple of the stories we've followed this morning to get you started:
Relatives of teen killed by police want answers
Relatives of a 15-year-old boy shot and killed by St. Louis County police are disputing police claims that the teen had a gun when he was shot. The shooting happened Tuesday night in the Glasgow Village area of north St. Louis County.
Police were called to a home amid reports of gunshots and say Lavon Peete pointed a sawed-off rifle at a county police officer and ignored an order to drop it. St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says it appears the shooting was justified but information has been turned over to Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch for review. But relatives of Peete say other witnesses are expected to come forward to dispute claims that Peete had a gun. They are asking for an FBI investigation.
Surveillance cameras coming to Delmar Loop
Surveillance cameras will soon be going up in the Delmar Loop area that links St. Louis and University City. TheSt. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the cameras could be installed as early as June. It's part of the effort to monitor large crowds of young people that gather at the Loop, especially on weekends.
Officials say the cameras have been in the works for more than a year, and their installation is unrelated to a pair of shootings on Saturday night that raised concerns about safety in the Loop. Authorities from both St. Louis and University City say the shootings were isolated incidents and the Loop is safe.
Mo. Senate panel delays action on blind pensions
Budget writers in the Missouri Senate have delayed making any changes to pensions for the blind. Money that funds the program was shifted to Higher Educationby the Missouri Houselast month, to reverse part of a $66 million cut being sought byGovernor Jay Nixon(D). Senate Appropriations Chairman Kurt Schaefer(R, Columbia) says he’s exploring the Governor’s proposal to use newly-found federal Medicaid dollars to restore some of the pension’s funds.
“We are looking at all options," Schaefer said. "(I) had a good discussion with the Governor last week about the $18 million that (he) proposes to put into that fund…there’s some concern on whether or not those funds can be used in that capacity, and we’re looking into that.”
Cardinals beat Marlins 4-1 in season opener in Miami
Kyle Lohse took a no-hitter into the seventh inning last night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 in the regular season opener. Lohse allowed just two hits and one run for the reigning World Series champs. David Freese hit a two-run single in the first to give Lohse the cushion he needed.