MONDAY, DECEMBER 11. The Post-Dispatch reports that the once high-flying St. Louis developer Green Street is in trouble — it owes $800K in unpaid taxes and is getting hit with lawsuits from numerous contractors. Even the St. Louis Board of Aldermen is considering turning off the spigot for tax incentives. That’s how you know it’s dire! Speaking of tax incentives, remember Asprient/STL CityWide/Lux Living, which the city was happy to give tax breaks to even as tenants complained bitterly about living conditions? Residents of the Ely Walker Lofts downtown have blamed STL CityWide owners Vic Alston and Sid Chakraverty for buying up a majority of units, taking over the condo board and then running the place into the ground. Now the trustee appointed to take over operations in their stead tells a judge they can’t help out after all. Boo!
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12. After an uneven start, Craig Berube is out as the coach of the St. Louis Blues. Guess that Stanley Cup four short years ago wasn’t enough. City SC aside, it’s just not a good year for St. Louis sports. Meanwhile, the Saint Louis Zoo says Raja the Asian elephant will be shipped to Columbus, Ohio, poor guy. He was the first elephant born at the zoo 31 years ago and has already sired three li’l elephants. Poor Raja’s such a stud, they need to move him around the country to ensure the species’ survival. Imagine your sex life being that important!
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13. St. Louis Circuit Court judges want the ability to hire their own security staff, which would strip hiring power from Sheriff Vernon Betts. He calls the plan “malarkey,” which sounds Biden-esque in a not very good way. Meanwhile, St. Louis County is trying to figure out how to eliminate a $14 million budget deficit. Might they have to walk back the property tax freeze recently bestowed on seniors? But, but, seniors vote!
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14. State Representative Sarah Unsicker (D-Twitter) announces she’s dropping out of the race for Missouri attorney general — but not because she regrets libeling her Jewish opponents as potential “foreign agents.” No, the Shrewbury politician is doubling down on her nonsense, saying that one of her terminally online friends has filed a criminal complaint against Democratic opponent Elad Gross, and it would supposedly be a conflict of interest for her to stay in the race. Good riddance. Her press release quitting the Democratic primary calls for Gross to withdraw from the race and “public life.” Gross tells us he’s staying in the race — oh, and also, “I’m pretty sure I’m not working for the Israeli government here.”
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Virginia), who promised to make it “painful” if Congress’ defense spending bill did not include funding for St. Louisans exposed to radioactive contamination, fails in his quest, as the bill sails through both House and Senate without said funding. It’s a bummer to have such an impotent senator. Also, the Israeli military accidentally kills three hostages who apparently escaped their captors or were released, and approached their own military waving white flags — yet were wrongly seen as a threat. Heartbreaking. Also, Matthew Perry’s autopsy is complete and says he was in a ketamine stupor when he drowned. Dangerous stuff.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16. It’s a rainy Saturday, and the Teamsters vote to authorize a strike at A-B’s North American breweries, including the Soulard flagship. The union says 99 percent of membership voted yes, which could lead to walkouts. Meanwhile, a St. Louis woman now faces criminal charges for threatening to shoot a Lyft driver in the head after he insisted he couldn’t drive her kids without car seats. Unsurprisingly, KSDK reports, she already has a pending felony case in St. Louis County, this one for stealing from Kohl’s.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17. It’s finally a little bit cold in St. Louis but not bad for December, really. Also, just as all good St. Louisans are heading to bed, a 3.1 magnitude earthquake shakes Illinois — and you can feel the tremors as far west as South Grand. The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake was 10 miles underground in Mount Vernon, Illinois. Note to self: Do not Google “New Madrid disaster.”
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