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Wrong person identified in fatal hit-and-run; family questions investigation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A fatal hit-and-run crash last week left families confused about who died, and what police are doing about it.It happened in the early morning hours of Monday, May 22. A pick-up truck reportedly ran a red light on Highway 3 at 8th street and hit a Ford Escape. Justin Stewart suffered serious injuries. His sister, Nichole Kent, was killed.“She was really just a good, kind-hearted person,” Ashley Stewart, Nichole’s sister, said. “She didn’t deserve this at all.”Ashley and her mother, Cynthia Mobley, are numb.“Nichole was very special. She was unique. She was loyal,” Mobley said.Their grief is compounded by the suspect running off, and an unexpected response from authorities. They said the hospital told them a different family member had died; someone who was not even in the car. Guilty verdict for man who struck, killed woman with his truck They began to figure it out when they saw Nichole’s car on FOX 2 and could not reach her. Ashley described, “…running aro...

St. Louis County releases deadly Great Dane after killing woman’s dog

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A St. Louis County woman said her dog was mauled to death while on a walk, but animal control has released the killer dog back to its owner.Jane Fay adopted Lexy, a Shih Tzu, several years ago. It was a love-at-first-sight relationship."She was just a great little dog," Fay said. "She'd go boating with us."They loved to walk outside. On May 15, Lexy and Fay's walk took a drastic turn."All of a sudden, there was this Great Dane I'd never seen before, unleashed," she said. "It was running down the street toward me."St. Louis County records revealed the Great Dane's owner told authorities the dog ran out of the house. ‘Drought alert’ declared in Missouri, some relief possibly on way for St. Louis "I opened the door, Kaiser ran to the street (accidentally), and we heard a scream," the owner wrote.Fay said the dog went right for Lexy."When I saw Lexy, my little eight-pound dog, in this Great Dane's mouth being chewed to death," she said. "I mean, my God, I can't...

SSM Health plans to give away free gun locks after child dies to gunfire

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A day shy of Gun Violence Awareness Day, a 10-year-old died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It’s a problem local leaders and frontline workers are saying they’re seeing too much of.“We have like a two-minute warning that there's a child that's been shot, and then it's really all hands on deck at that point, everyone stops what they're doing," said Dr. Kate Forrester, a physician in the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Emergency Department.It’s a situation some frontline workers seen earlier on Thursday after a 10-year-old from the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood endured a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.“You never forget what the kid looks like, you never forget the sound of their mother screaming,” Forrester said. Guilty verdict for man who struck, killed woman with his truck The incident unfolded around 11:30 a.m. near Brantner Place. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died.“If you haven't experienced it for yourself, you can't...

Missouri hospital vacancy, turnover rates headed in right direction 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Hospital Association said there's been a decline in the vacancy turnover rates among nurses, but hospitals are still struggling to fund and retain staff. On the same day two major Missouri hospital systems announced a merger worth billions of dollars, a new report by the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) shows that while workforce issues have only slightly improved, they remain a major concern. "We don't know how long it will take to get back to the levels that we saw in 2019," vice president of public and media relations for MHA Dave Dillon said. "The truth is, yes, we have made progress since last year. Last year's data represented the worst and darkest days of the pandemic relative to the healthcare workforce." Guilty verdict for man who struck, killed woman with his truck It's good news and it's bad news. Missouri's healthcare industry is still feeling the effects of COVID-19, as the nursing turnover and vacant rates are nearly 20%.&n...

Local restaurant opens new location in Chesterfield

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. - Some small businesses are struggling to stay afloat with high inflation and staffing shortages, while others are expanding. Billy G's is opening a second location in Chesterfield, adding more than 100 jobs.“I’ve got goosebumps right now," said Allen Corzine, general manager at Billy G's.He said Thursday's soft opening is a day that has been in the works for three and a half years."Having this little pop-up thing today, it was not planned to do this," Corzine said. "Having this going on right now brings me joy to see my staff, my brand-new staff. Half my servers have never served before, but they’re picking it up so easy." ‘Drought alert’ declared in Missouri, some relief possibly on way for St. Louis The new location in Chesterfield has a different feel and menu than the original. Over in Chesterfield, breakfast is served all day.“We’re going to have great omelets, great pancakes, great waffles, fresh fruit. Some amazing coffee as well," said John Papapagianis,...

Nuggets-Heat NBA Finals Game 1 superlatives: A heaping dose of Aaron Gordon bully ball jump-starts Denver’s title quest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

HeroNuggets forward Aaron Gordon Number 50’s night started with an auspicious airball but he turned it around quickly thanks to a heaping dose of bully ball. Gabe Vincent couldn’t guard him. Jimmy Butler wasn’t going to slow him. Caleb Martin? No, sir. Gordon made six of his next seven buckets — all around the rim — as he powered around and through the Miami defense en route to 12 first-quarter points. He finished with 16 points and six rebounds in the Nuggets’ 104-93 victory.On a night when the Nuggets had several candidates for this distinction, Gordon gets the nod because he ensured, with authority, that Denver’s long layoff did not beget an early period of lethargic play. Just the opposite, in fact.ZeroMiami wing Caleb Martin Before the series started, Denver coach Michael Malone posited that Martin could have easily been named the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals. He wasn’t wrong. Martin averaged 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in a seven-game vanqu...

Nuggets seize Game 1 of NBA Finals behind Nikola Jokic’s triple-double

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

Nikola Jokic turned his back and went to work like he’d done a thousand times already this magical season. His buttery, turnaround jumper, within spitting distance of Miami’s bench, ended the drama late Thursday night.Denver seized Game 1 of the NBA Finals with an impressive, workmanlike effort against Miami. Its 104-93 victory was a product of staunch and stingy defense. Outside of a lackluster fourth quarter, where Miami made its final push, the Nuggets were dominant defensively.And they got more than enough from their stars, as Jokic recorded his ninth triple-double of the postseason. His 27-point, 14-assist, 10-rebound effort drew roars from the raucous crowd once the win was secured in the fourth quarter.“That’s the beauty of Nikola,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “… Nikola never forces it.”Jamal Murray finished with 26 points and 10 assists, and Michael Porter Jr., despite a rough 3-point shooting night, registered a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double. T...

Alum of Santa Ana police youth program graduates from Harvard

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

An alumnus of the Santa Ana Police Department’s Athletic and Activity League (PAAL), a community program focused on building bonds between kids and cops, returned to his old stomping groundings after recently graduating Harvard University.  Alexis Rodriguez Mejia, who grew up in the Santa Ana area, joined the PAAL program when he was around 10 years old. He said he knows what paths his life could’ve taken had he not been a part of the program.  “It was very kind of easy for me to go with the neighborhood kids and be steered...potentially in the wrong direction,” he said. “But due to this program and really having this opportunity kind of changed me.”  Not only is Mejia a graduate of one of the most prestigious universities in the country, he’s the first in his family to graduate from college.  Corporal John Holcomb, who runs the PAAL program and was happy to celebrate Mejia’s graduation, knows how hard it can be for kids in the neighborhood to avoid trouble.  “The are...

2 arrested for Riverside building fire, causing millions in damages

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

Two men were arrested for allegedly setting fire to a city-owned building in Riverside, causing millions of dollars in damages.The two suspects, believed to be transients, were identified as 41-year-old Isaac Gutierrez Avila and 40-year-old Pasha Sadavandi, by the Riverside Police Department.On May 16, firefighters responded to a three-alarm structure fire located at 3460 Orange Street around 4:46 a.m.Crews discovered an unoccupied two-story building engulfed in smoke with fire coming from the roof. The entire first floor was boarded up, so firefighters forced open the boarded areas and “initiated an aggressive fire attack.”Thirty-three firefighters, along with five engines, three ladder trucks, a rescue squad and more responded to battle the blaze.“Almost 6 million gallons of water were used to mitigate this fire utilizing rotating engine crews for 16 hours straight,” said Riverside Fire.Two men were arrested for allegedly setting fire to a city-owned building in Riverside, causing...

NorCal softball regionals: St. Francis endures nine-inning thriller to reach Division I final

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:05:36 GMT

MOUNTAIN VIEW – Two great pitchers loomed large over St. Francis and Central-Fresno’s extra-inning softball duel in Mountain View. With a trip to Hollister for the NorCal Division I championship on the line, Central’s Mia Nishikawa and the home team’s Kate Munnerlyn traded punchouts, popups and powerful fastballs while zeroes piled up on the scoreboard. Seven innings weren’t enough for the two powerhouses, the game stretching into the bottom of the ninth with the semifinal still scoreless. Silhouetted by golden hour light, Rebecca Quinn finally put an end to the pitcher’s duel as the third batter in the frame, her slap into right field driving Jaime Oakland across the plate and giving St. Francis a 1-0 victory.  “Wherever the ball was, I just had to get my bat on it and get solid contact so we could score,” Quinn said. “We knew it was going to be difficult.”MOUNTAIN VIEW – St. Francis player Jaime Oakland scores the winning run in the ninth inning before running to celeb...