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  • Wildwood Crash Leaves 3 Teens Dead: Sisters Lauren, Kathleen Oliver, Christopher Lenzen

    Wildwood Crash Leaves 3 Teens Dead: Sisters Lauren, Kathleen Oliver, Christopher Lenzen

    Rockwood School District

    Lauren Oliver.

    Three teenagers are dead after a tragic car crash in Wildwood, police and school officials are confirming this morning.

    A Rockwood School District spokesman tells Daily RFT that the deceased are: Lauren Oliver, an eighteen-year-old graduate of Eureka High School; her sister Kathleen Oliver, a seventeen-year-old senior at Eureka; and Christopher Lenzen, an eighteen-year-old graduate of Marquette High School. A fourth student, Olivia Dames, an eighteen-year-old graduate of Eureka High, was injured.

    Bryan Ludwig, St. Louis county police lieutenant, tells us that police got a call at around 9:40 p.m. yesterday for a crash at the 18000 block of Homestead Manor Drive in Wildwood. The accident was a single-vehicle incident involving a 2013 Infiniti G37S convertible with the top down, he says.

    Police believe Lenzen was the driver.

     

    Chris Lenzen. - Rockwood School District

    Rockwood School District

    Chris Lenzen.

    The vehicle left the roadway while traveling southbound and struck the side of a residence backyard deck. The vehicle, Ludwig says, came to rest in a wooded area behind the house.

    The accident is still under investigation. Ludwig says he believes the sisters were pronounced dead on the scene and the male was transported and later pronounced deceased.

     

    Kathleen Oliver. - Rockwood School District

    Rockwood School District

    Kathleen Oliver.

    “Our hearts are breaking for the families of these young people,” Kim Cranston, chief communications officer with the Rockwood School District, tells Daily RFT. “Today, many people in the Rockwood School District are grieving. These were outstanding young women and a young man, and we are so sorry for the loss of their lives.”

    Lenzen, she says, was an “outstanding athlete” who played varsity basketball for four years and varsity baseball for three years.

     

    Olivia Dames, who was injured in the crash. - Rockwood School District

    Rockwood School District

    Olivia Dames, who was injured in the crash.

    “Both of the young women who died in the crash were also very involved in their school,” she continues, citing cheerleading, cross country and show choir as some of their many activities.

    “Our focus is on supporting our students and staff as they process this tragedy,” Cranston says, noting that they have additional counselors available working with students.

    “Right now,” she says, “it’s really absorbing the shock.”

    The students, she says, were role models and involved in a variety of teams. “Those teams are like second families, lots of very close and deep relationships.”

    She adds, “We’re supporting each other and grieving.”

    Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin.

  • Albert Pujols Accused of Steroid Use: “I Know for A Fact He Was,” Says Jack Clark

    Albert Pujols Accused of Steroid Use: “I Know for A Fact He Was,” Says Jack Clark

    via Wikimedia Commons

    Albert Pujols in 2006.

    See also: – Why Is Jack Clark Now Accusing Albert Pujols? Recall 2006 Chris Mihlfeld Steroid Rumors

    Albert Pujols definitely used performance-enhancing drugs.

    So says former Cardinals slugger Jack Clark, now radio co-host with Kevin Slaten at WGNU (920 AM).

    After Slaten said on-air that he long believed Pujols “has been a juicer,” Clark replied: “I know for a fact he was. The trainer that worked with him, threw him batting practice from Kansas City, that worked him out every day, basically told me that’s what he did.”

    Chris Mihlfeld, once Pujols’ personal trainer, directly admitted it to him more than a decade ago, Clark said.

    Mihlfeld “had told me what he was doing with ‘Poolie’ — threw him batting practice, worked him out, shot him up, all that stuff,” Clark said on his show, the Post-Dispatch reports, noting that Pujols’ agent this week declined comment.

     

    Slaten and Clark. - via

    via

    Slaten and Clark.

    Mihlfeld, however, is denying these latest accusations altogether.

    See also:
    – Albert Pujols Is “Bitter” About The Way Cardinals Handled His Departure
    – Cardinals Security Kicks Out Fan on Star Wars Night… For Having Stormtrooper Mask?

    Via NBC Sports, Mihlfeld offered this strongly worded statement:

    I haven’t even talked to Jack Clark in close to 10 years. His statements are simply not true. I have known Albert Pujols since he was 18 years old and he would never use illegal drugs in any way. I would bet my life on it and probably drop dead on the spot if I found out he has. As before once again both Albert and myself have been accused of doing something we didn’t do.

    Why, then, is Clark making these comments?

    “I have no idea. Alls I can say is that it is absolutely not true,” Mihlfeld responded. “I never said those things to Jack Clark or anyone else because they never happened. That’s all I need to say.”

     

    Albert Pujols in 2011. - via Wikimedia Commons

    via Wikimedia Commons

    Albert Pujols in 2011.

    Clark apparently made these accusations last Friday (audio here) and again on Monday (audio here).

    As the P-D notes, it has never been reported that Pujols failed an MLB performance-enhancing substance test or is under investigation.

    In 2006, Pujols responded to the accusations, saying:

    Why would I do something like that to my family? Why would I do something like that to God? Why would I do something like that to my team? Just to try to gain some small extra? It’s part of what I believe: What you do in the dark will come into the light. I have nothing to fear. I’m just tired of hearing about it.

    Clark this week told the P-D in an interview that he and Mihlfeld spent a lot of time together in 2000 when they were with the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying, “I had asked him about conditioning and working me out, what he would do for me, and he asked me whether I had ever thought of taking some steroids…. He just told me that he wanted me to get started on steroids and he had some other guys that were doing it. He told me that’s how he’s conditioning this guy that he met out of high school and college and he looked like he was going to be a star, keep an eye on him.”

    Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin.

  • My Girlfriend’s Breasts Are Too Small. Help!

    My Girlfriend’s Breasts Are Too Small. Help!

    Welcome to Ask Willie D, where the Geto Boys MC answers reader questions about matters, in his own words, “funny, serious or unpredictable.” Something on your mind? Ask Willie D!

     

    Photo courtesy of Peter Beste

    Photo courtesy of Peter Beste

    TWO SIDES TO A FRIENDSHIP
    Dear Willie D:

    The other day I decided to call an old friend to catch up. From the moment she said hello she went on a diatribe about how I don’t call her or come to her house anymore since I married my husband. Granted, I don’t call as much and have only been to her house once in the past year, but the coin she’s flipping has two sides. I told her that she didn’t have to wait on my call. If she wanted to talk she could have called me first. And why do I have to be the one driving across town?

    Just thinking about it has my mind going all the way back to the beginning of our friendship. I’ve always been the one to make the first move. Whenever we went anywhere we usually took my car and I drove. If we were shopping and she was short on cash or didn’t have money, I was the one who pitched in. We have 15 years of history and she is the sweetest person, but I’m starting to think she’s a user; at the least she’s taking me for granted. How do I address this issue and remain friends with her?

    Two Sides:

    When people claim to be your friend and the only time you get to speak to them is when you call them first or they need something, that’s code for, “I don’t value your friendship the way you value mine.” It’s also a sign of selfishness. You already addressed the issue when you told her she could have called you first and when you put her on blast about having to drive across town. Now whether she wants to remain friends or not, that’s on her.

    GIRLFRIEND’S BREASTS TOO SMALL

     

    Dear Willie D:

    My girlfriend is beautiful, smart and fun to be around. But if she had bigger boobs she would be perfect. I told her a few times that I think she should have her breasts augmented but she is afraid of surgery and the possible side effects.

    I told her she has nothing to worry about and that I would even pay for the surgery but she won’t budge. To get back at her I might not call her or answer my phone for three or four days. Then I’ll finally pick up and halfheartedly kick it with her for a few days and start the cycle all over again.

    I really want her to get the surgery. What can I tell her to convince her that she has nothing to be afraid of? Help a brother out, Willie!

    Boobs Man:

    I don’t know what some men’s fascination is with boobs. They don’t do anything. I understand how important they are for women cosmetic-wise and if a woman wants them fondled during foreplay and intercourse because it arouses her, I get that. But implants take the sensation out of breasts so I really don’t see the point in augmentation. That’s like cutting off your hair to wear a wig.

    Kill the sixth-grader games of going days without calling your girl because she won’t let you pressure her into doing something she doesn’t want to do. If you can’t accept her for who she is you’re not seeing the real her. You should be proud to have a girlfriend who refuses to let society dictate her image.

    She sounds like my type: beautiful, smart and fun to be around. Keep playing and the next time you go without calling her for three-four days I might answer her phone while she’s lying next to me… in her birthday suit… exhausted.

  • Ask a Mexican: What does “Viva la Raza” mean?

    Dear Mexican: I’m curious as to the meaning of the term “Viva la Raza” that I have often heard expressed by my friends and family. I know what it translates to, but I don’t know why we say it. I happen to be what some call a “half-breed,” and therein lies my dilemma. “Viva La Raza” implies that the person who says this saying or their audience is of a certain “race.” My mother’s family is from the state of Georgia and of French, Scottish and English decent, whereas my father’s family hails from New Mexico and has been in the northern part of that great state since 1627; if you count my indio ancestors (that are undoubtedly in my lineage ’cause my grand mother is short and brown), my family has been in the Santa Fe area prior to European settlement in the Americas. This makes me and my fathers people mestizos. In addition, my family may also be Jewish. It has come to light that many of the old Hispanic families of Northern New Mexico are descendants of the “hidden” Sephardim Jews that pretended to be Catholic and moved to the New World in order to escape the Spanish Inquisition. In addition, aren’t most Hispanos (that hail from north of the border) and Mexicans (from south of the border) mestizos, and didn’t most of the Indians get killed by the Spaniards and Anglos? If so, “raza” or “race” seems to be artificial and really doesn’t mean anything. Furthermore, I think this is true the world over with all of the so-called “races.” It seems to me that we are all half-breeds, mestizo, metis, mulattos or what ever you want to call us. It is my understanding that the human race is the only race, and that we all came “out of Africa.”

    With this in mind, shouldn’t we do away with “Viva La Raza” and come up with something new….perhaps “Viva La Herencia!” or “Viva La Gente!”
    NuMexiHillbilly

    Dear Wab: So many questions, so little time! I’ll just concentrate on the viva part, since the rest of your pregunta rumbles along like a Big Jim chile in a gabacho’s panza. No one is going to rally under slogans that translate as “Long live the heritage” or “Up with people” — they’re too fresa. And while I’m with you on the whole chinga tu madre toward racial classifications, “Viva la Raza” will never be dropped, nor should it. It ties anyone who says it back to the Chicano Movement, from where the term originated (the earliest citation I can find was in a 1966 Los Angeles Times article that quoted legendary activist Bert Corona as exclaiming during a fundraising dinner in LA. “Viva la causa, viva la raza, y viva la unidad — “Long live the cause, long live la raza, and long live unity”). The raza part connects the slogan to the idea of la raza cósmica — the Cosmic Race, the idea put forth by Vasconcelos of a day where humanity trumps the antiquated razas of the Enlightenment. The viva part is a direct descendent of the Grito de Dolores, the proclamation issued by Miguel Hidalgo ushering in Mexico’s War of Independence. It might seem strange to have non-Mexis shout “Viva la Raza!” in this egalitarian society, but Mexicans don’t find it racist or exclusionary, because it isn’t — after all, we all have enough female cousins who have married gabachos and bedded enough gabachitas to make us like y’all enough.

    A QUICK NOTE ON MEXICANS BEING THE FATTEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD: Some of ustedes have sent me reports stating that Americans are no longer the fattest people in the world; Mexicans are. My reaction: who says Mexicans don’t assimilate?

    Ask the Mexican at [email protected], be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @gustavoarellano or ask him a video question at youtube.com/askamexicano!

  • Inside St. Louis’ Abandoned Railway Exchange: Bored Suburban Kids

    Inside St. Louis’ Abandoned Railway Exchange: Bored Suburban Kids

    The Railway Exchange building in Downtown St. Louis was once where teenagers went to shop, cause trouble and awkwardly stand around. It used to be Famous-Barr’s flagship store. But in 2013, Macy’s closed its doors; last year the city condemned the building. Today, it is a nuisance property where young county teenagers go to experience the blight and decay of the City of St. Louis. Last week, I joined some of them. The building and its surrounding blocks had been featured in a damning Wall Street Journal story on the “doom loop” of Downtown St. Louis. The article caught a lot of hostile feedback on X and other social media platforms. As I stood nearby, camera held up to my face, a man in his late teens or early twenties called out to me, “Hey, have you ever taken pictures in this building?” He meant the Railway Exchange. “Want to go with us? We are going to the roof for the sunset.” I reluctantly said no as I had abandoned my mediocre urban exploring dreams long ago. Then my vagabond counterparts — residents of Brentwood and Creve Coeur, respectively — reminded me that we are in St. Louis city and you could almost guarantee that no legal action would be brought against us for our delinquency. I decided to come along. To stop people from entering the Railway Exchange building, the city erected steel plates facing Locust Street. They were touted as an upgrade from the shoddy wooden boards that once attempted to keep out shitheads, scrappers and squatters, but in no time people were back in the building. Without giving away details, I’ll just say it wasn’t hard to get in. We were soon hiking up the 21-story building towards the roof. Inside was a scene straight from John Carpenter’s 1981 film Escape From New York, famously filmed in St. Louis. Complete chaos. The place was pitch black, its glass panels smashed, with holes in every wall, collapsed ceilings, stairs falling apart, amateur graffiti on the walls and the remnants of wannabe arsonists trying to start fires. Our long journey to the roof would soon be interrupted by our first group of so-called UrbExers — a group of six teenagers stomping on shattered glass. We would see two more groups of teens on our quest. In our hour-long journey inside through the 20th-century masterpiece there were no signs of squatters, just bored young adults wandering through the building. As we made our way through the labyrinth of staircases and empty offices, it was abundantly clear that the code of urban exploring had not been upheld: do not disclose your location and leave everything as it is. The view from the roof was wonderful, perhaps the most stunning sunset I’ve seen in St. Louis city. But the Railway Exchange building is a problem. In March of 2023, a dog with the St. Louis Fire Department’s search and rescue team died in the building. It is only a matter of time before someone else is seriously injured or dies. The city is attempting to use eminent domain to seize the building from its Florida-based owner. It can’t happen soon enough. Until then, the bored suburban kids coming into the city, certain that they’re never going to get in trouble, should proceed with caution. Scroll down for photos from my visit.

    Scroll down to view images
    A pedestrian crosses the street at the intersection of Olive and N. Seventh streets on April 12, 2024. The Railway Exchange is just one block away.

    ZACHARY LINHARES
    A pedestrian crosses the street at the intersection of Olive and N. Seventh streets on April 12, 2024. The Railway Exchange is just one block away.
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    A clock is illuminated by the setting sun on the Railway Exchange Building.

    ZACHARY LINHARES
    A clock is illuminated by the setting sun on the Railway Exchange Building.
    3 of 10
    The building's exterior has lovely details.

    ZACHARY LINHARES
    The building’s exterior has lovely details.
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    The city's steel plates are meant to block trespassers.

    ZACHARY LINHARES
    The city’s steel plates are meant to block trespassers.
    5 of 10
    A plaintive message is scrawled on one plate.

    ZACHARY LINHARES
    A plaintive message is scrawled on one plate.
    6 of 10
    The building that once housed Famous-Barr is a post-apocalyptic scene.

    ZACHARY LINHARES
    The building that once housed Famous-Barr is a post-apocalyptic scene.
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    Sunlight streams down on traffic on Olive Street as viewed from the Railway Exchange building.

    ZACHARY LINHARES
    Sunlight streams down on traffic on Olive Street as viewed from the Railway Exchange building.
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    Urban explorers watch the sun set from the roof of the Railway Exchange Building in downtown St. Louis.

    ZACHARY LINHARES
    Urban explorers watch the sun set from the roof of the Railway Exchange Building in downtown St. Louis.
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    The sunset was beautiful.

    ZACHARY LINHARES
    The sunset was beautiful.
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  • Missouri’s Former Slave Auction Site at Center of Fight to Rename I-70 in Montgomery County

    Missouri’s Former Slave Auction Site at Center of Fight to Rename I-70 in Montgomery County

    via Wikimedia Commons

    About 80 miles west of St. Louis on I-70 sits “Slave Rock” visible in the median of the interstate, with a name tied to the slave auctions that once occurred at the site.

    And it is because of the “shameful scenes of human bondage” that the name represents that Governor Jay Nixon announced today he does not support a plan to rename a part of the interstate there — arguing that it would erase the slave name and gloss over this dark history of the site.

    State lawmakers had widely supported legislation that included renaming a Montgomery County portion of I-70 “Graham’s Picnic Rock Highway,” — sending the proposal along to the governor — who announced today he is vetoing the measure.

    “This designation would have elevated one history of the site above all others, thereby defining this landmark and its historical significance for generations to come,” Nixon says in a statement. “This attempt to erase the name ‘Slave Rock’ from this site, without any public debate, cannot become law.”

     

    "Slave Rock" in Montgomery County. - via

    via

    “Slave Rock” in Montgomery County.

    The Graham Picnic name is a reference to Dr. Robert Graham, the former owner of the farm where the rock is located. It was apparently popular in the 1880s to drive with horse and buggy over the old Boone’s Lick Road to the Mineola Spring and Graham Cave for a picnic there.

    Census records from the mid-19th century, the governor’s office says, show that he was once a slave owner in Montgomery County.

     

    Governor Jay Nixon. - via

    via

    Governor Jay Nixon.

    Still, Nixon argues that the new name is problematic. His veto message says:

    [I]n sharp contrast to the idyllic images of picnicking travelers conjured by the name “Graham’s Picnic Rock” are the shameful scenes of human bondage represented by the rock’s other name–“Slave Rock.” The rock’s name as “Slave Rock” comes from the widely held belief that slave auctions occurred at the site, perhaps related to Graham’s slave ownership prior to abolition.

    A renaming like this, he says, requires a “robust public debate so that all interested parties’ voices can be heard.”

    The provision, however, was added as a floor amendment and thus never discussed at a public hearing, he points out.

    Here’s his full veto message.

    SB43 Veto

    Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin.

  • Cops: Anthony Clark Killed By Masked Suspect With Assault Rifle In Broad Daylight (UPDATE)

    Cops: Anthony Clark Killed By Masked Suspect With Assault Rifle In Broad Daylight (UPDATE)

    Update: St. Louis metro police officials have released new information on the suspect involved in the deadly shooting in broad daylight on Monday late morning. Our original coverage is below. Anthony Clark, 28, was killed outside of his home at the 5000 block of Cote Brilliante Avenue in the Ville neighborhood in north St. Louis — when a masked gunman fired shots into a car where the victim was sitting in the passenger seat, police sa.Below are photos of the vehicle wanted in connection with the homicide (the 46th this year in the city of St. Louis). The car is a newer model, dark green, four-door Audi A-6 with heavily tinted windows and with a U.S. government license plate #G122335K.

    Police say it was stolen from St. Louis city.

    An unknown black male exited the vehicle with a white bandana concealing his face — and opened fire with a black assault rifle, hitting Clark multiple times. He died at a hospital a short while later.

    Anyone with information is urged to asked to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).

    Here are the photos of the suspect vehicle followed by our original post on the deadly shooting.

     

    Cops: Anthony Clark Killed By Masked Suspect With Assault Rifle In Broad Daylight (UPDATE)

    All courtesy of SLMPD

     

    Cops: Anthony Clark Killed By Masked Suspect With Assault Rifle In Broad Daylight (UPDATE)

     

    Cops: Anthony Clark Killed By Masked Suspect With Assault Rifle In Broad Daylight (UPDATE)

     

    Cops: Anthony Clark Killed By Masked Suspect With Assault Rifle In Broad Daylight (UPDATE)

    Original post: Wednesday, June 26, 8 a.m.: Around 11:30 a.m. yesterday, a masked gunman in St. Louis approached a vehicle and fired shots from a rifle at a man sitting in the passenger seat.

    The victim, whom police identified as 28-year-old Anthony Clark, was hit multiple times and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead less than two hours later.

    Meanwhile, the suspect remains unknown and at large after fleeing from the murder scene in a blue Audi A6.

    The shooting happened on the block where Clark lived, police say.

    The incident took place at the 5000 block of Cote Brilliante Avenue in the Ville neighborhood in north St. Louis.

    Officials are urging anyone with information about this incident to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS.

    Cops have no further details about the shooter other than the fact that he was masked and fled after firing bullets into the car.

     

    Cops: Anthony Clark Killed By Masked Suspect With Assault Rifle In Broad Daylight (UPDATE)

    via Google Maps

    Clark is the 46th homicide victim in the city of St. Louis in 2013.

    Here’s the full incident report from SLMPD.

    Incident: Homicide
    Location: 5000 block of Cote Brilliante
    Date/Time: 06/25/13 @ 11:25 -11:30
    Victim: Anthony Clark, 28-year old black male of the 5000 block of Cote Brilliante
    Suspect: Unknown
    The victim was shot as he sat in the passenger seat of a vehicle in the 5000 block of Cote Brilliante. A masked gunman approached the vehicle and shot the victim multiple times with a rifle. The gunman fled the scene in a blue Audi A6. The victim was transported to an area hospital where he was listed in critical/unstable condition and later pronounced deceased. The investigation is ongoing.

    Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin.

  • Homicide No. 31: Terrance Morgan, 41, Shot Several Times in Head, Found in Alley, Cops Say

    Homicide No. 31: Terrance Morgan, 41, Shot Several Times in Head, Found in Alley, Cops Say

    Terrance Morgan, 41, is the 31st homicide victim in the city of St. Louis in 2013.Morgan, who lived on Stoddard Street in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood of north St. Louis, was found on the ground in a rear alley at around 5 p.m. yesterday, police say.

    Witnesses told police that they heard gunshots and then observed a black man fleeing the scene in a vehicle.

    So far, police have few details in the shooting and are searching for a suspect.

    The shooting took place on the 2500 block of Ohio Avenue.

     

    Homicide No. 31: Terrance Morgan, 41, Shot Several Times in Head, Found in Alley, Cops Say

    via Google Maps

    Police say that the victim was found with several gunshot wounds to the head and was pronounced dead on the scene soon after.

    Here’s the full alert from SLMPD.

    Incident: Homicide
    Location: 2500 block of Ohio
    Dates/Times: 5/2/13 @ 16:53
    Victim(s): Terrance Morgan, 41-year old black male of the 2800 block of Stoddard
    Suspect(s): unknown black male
    Officer responded to several calls for “shots fired” and responded to the rear alley of the above address and located the victim on the ground with several gunshot wounds to his head. The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene a short time after. Upon investigation, witnesses reported hearing several gunshots then observing a black male fleeing the scene in a vehicle. The investigation is ongoing.

    See also:
    – Homicide No. 29: Julius Caldwell, 34, Found Lifeless in Car, Shot Multiple Times
    – Glenda Jackson: Men Rob Victims, Kill Woman as She Tries to Retrieve Property
    – Terence Anderson Allegedly Kills Girlfriend, Shoots Her Daughter, Then is Killed

    Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin.

  • UPS KILLED MY DOG: Bizarre Sign Pops Up in North County [UPDATE]

    UPS KILLED MY DOG: Bizarre Sign Pops Up in North County [UPDATE]

    The view from North Hanley Road.  
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    click to enlarge

    The view from North Hanley Road.

    The view from North Hanley Road.

    Update: A reader alerts us that we weren’t the only ones who saw the sign. And it opened up their mind.

    Sometimes, stories are difficult to unearth and require insider sources and knowledge. Other times, they present themselves in screaming red and yellow letters on somebody’s front lawn.

    Daily RFT was taking a jaunt through north county when, just on the outskirts of University City, we happened upon the sign you see in the picture at right. It was strung up on a clothesline with letters as large as five feet tall: “UPS KILLED MY DOG.”

    What else could we do but pull over and attempt to learn more?

    First of all, let’s see that upclose:

      
    Jessica Lussenhop” class=”uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle”>

    "UPS KILLED MY DOG": Bizarre Sign Pops Up in North County [UPDATE]

    Jessica Lussenhop

    Now here’s a person to give a sense of scale:

    [image-3]

    We attempted to knock on the front door of the house, but were held back by a chained gate and a “NO TRESSPASSING” sign. After hearing movement and barking dogs inside, we yelled, “HELLO. WE UNDERSTAND UPS KILLED YOUR DOG.”

    No dice.

    We left a note and a business card, and vowed not to give up.

    We contacted all the surrounding police precincts to ask if there’d been any calls for service in regard to a homicidal UPS truck — a spokesperson for St. Louis County Police says there’s been no calls from that address in recent history. We even called UPS corporate headquarters. Surely, they must track incidents of canineicide…right?

    “I have no idea what’s going on with this one,” confessed Dan McMackin, a spokesperson for UPS out of Atlanta.

    But he was able to sketch out UPS’ general response to unfortunate incidents of premature doggy deaths.

    “If they’re off the leash, then that’s basically considered the fault of the owner,” McMackin explained, whereas if the dog was killed on its owner’s property, “we tend to have some sort of settlement with the dog owner. It’s obviously a very unfortunate thing, and very often dogs aren’t seen…they run under tires.”

    McMackin vowed to make some calls and get back to us once he knew more. We’ve yet to hear back.

    Which leaves us with maddeningly little information other than that which was presented on the gigantic sign, which — at last check — is still up. There was once a dog. He was killed.

    If anyone out there knows more, please throw us a bone.

    Update: The ever-helpful @stljv had this to share:

    While we found a reporter’s conundrum in the screaming sign, others were able to find higher meaning. Here’s an excerpt from Deborah C. Davis at the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church:

    A relative and I were on our way to Wednesday night Bible study when we saw a most-surprising sight in a yard on a main thoroughfare. The resident(s) of the home had placed giant black lettering over different colored background on material over 6 feet tall in the yard. The highlighted message, “UPS KILLED MY DOG”, made me wonder why the resident(s) had taken their grief to this excessive level. They were surely suffering and could not figure out another way to voice their grief. I questioned whether the dog had a soul and would be able to meet its resident in heaven?

    Click here to read Ms. Davis’ conclusion on the fate of our mystery dog’s soul.

    Follow Jessica Lussenhop on Twitter at @Lussenpop. E-mail the author at [email protected].

  • Slyman v. Slyman: Appliance Store Family Sues Each Other Over Trademark

    Slyman v. Slyman: Appliance Store Family Sues Each Other Over Trademark

    Company founders Bob and Harry Slyman in an early TV ad.

    Updated with comment from Tony Slyman of Appliance Discounters.

    Slyman. The name has been synonymous with household appliances in St. Louis ever since brothers Bob and Harry Slyman aired a commercial of themselves seated on top of the Gateway Arch.

    “Thanks for making us tops in town,” the jovial brothers crowed in the 1972 advertisement that took liberal use of the then cutting-edge, green-screen technology.

    Four decades later the Slyman Brothers appliance stores continue to operate with three St. Louis locations, though the family-owned business recently got some unexpected competition from within its own clan.

    In a lawsuit filed this year in St. Louis Circuit Court, Slyman Brothers alleges that the local chain Appliance Discounters is infringing on its trademark by using the name Slyman in advertisements and store signage.

    Appliance Discounters opened in 2009 and, according to its website, now has locations in Webster Groves, St. Charles, Ballwin and Arnold. Its owners are Anthony Slyman and his sister, Denise Bradley. Both are children of Slyman Brothers’ founder, Bob Slyman, and worked for the family business prior to venturing out on their own.

    In the lawsuit, Slyman Brothers accuses Appliance Discounters of affiliating itself with “Slyman Brothers” in radio advertisements and its website and using the name Slyman in other marketing.

    Per the petition: “Plaintiffs receive regular and repeated contacts from the relevant purchasing public depicting the confusion created by the references and uses defendant has made of the Slyman trademarks, directly inquiring into the affiliation or relationship between Slyman Brothers and Appliance Discounters, believing that Slyman Brothers has opened a new ‘discount’ store.”

    The suit seeks a permanent injunction that would prohibit Appliance Discounters from advertising, associating or referencing the term Slyman or Slyman Brothers.

    In a statement e-mailed to Daily RFT, the plaintiffs state:

    “Slyman Brothers has been in business for more than 45 years, and we have worked very hard to establish our business name, our reputation, and our client base. Our family has made many sacrifices to get to where we are now. We only want to protect our clients and our business. The name “Slyman” is associated with great appliances, great customer service, and Slyman Brothers Appliances. We are proud of our business, and do not want our customers to be confused any longer about who they are buying appliances from.”

    Appliance Discounters declined comment to Daily RFT and has yet to respond in court to the initial complaint. However, it appears the company has removed mention of Slyman Brothers from its website, as mentioned in the lawsuit.

    Update: Tony Slyman reached out to Riverfront Times a few days after this article was published to clear up what he thought was a confusing headline and to tell his side of the story. Below is his response in its entirety:

    For the record, Appliance Discounters is not suing Slyman Brothers as reported earlier in the RFT nor has any intention of doing so. We find it shameful and embarrassing that any brother and sister would do so to one another. In reference to the so-called trademark infringements Slyman Brothers is referring to, it is me Tony Slyman using my personal name in ads and on the front door of my business. We have never used Slyman Brothers in any ads. We also post my sister’s name, Denise Bradley, proudly in our ads and on our front door. Denise and I both feel blessed that our business has grown from two to thirty employees and is the fastest growing independent appliance retailer in the Midwest. We once stated in our bio on our website that we once co-owned Slyman Brothers which is true. It was removed long before the lawsuit when we changed our website. We feel there is plenty of business in St. Louis for all to prosper and are happy for their success. We only wish they felt the same for us. After speaking with our parents, Robert and Jerry Slyman who are the original owners of Slyman Brothers, they are adamantly against this baseless lawsuit and are upset that it has made its way to the media. It also states on Slyman Brothers website that my brothers and sister bought Slyman Brothers from our father. The fact is it was given to all five of us that were involved in the family business. My sister Denise and I gave back our stock at no cost when we broke off to go our own way.
    Respectfully,
    Tony Slyman

    Continue on to view television ads from Appliance Discounter (mentioning the owners’ names) as well as some classic Slyman Brothers’ commercials.

  • King Arthur Has Blue Balls (Flour Recalled)

    King Arthur Has Blue Balls (Flour Recalled)

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    Let the record show that we made it till Wednesday of this week before receiving word of yet another recall occasioned by the possible presence of foreign objects in your food.

    King Arthur Flour has issued a voluntary recall of certain bags of its flour because of the risk that the bags might contain — and we’re just going to quote from the press release here because we wouldn’t even know how to paraphrase this properly — “the possible presence of small (7-9 mm) blue polyurethane balls that are used in the sifting process”.

    The balls “have a smooth surface and no sharp edges,” as ball are wont to do.

    See Also:
    – Metal Mesh in the Biscuits, Plastic in the Sausage
    – Kellogg’s Recalls Special K for Possible Glass Fragments

     

    King Arthur Has Blue Balls (Flour Recalled)

    Image via

    King Arthur reports that not only have there been any injuries or illnesses related to this recall, but no consumers have actually found any of these blue balls in their bags of flour.

    Specifically, the company is recalling five pound bags of its King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour with the UPC code 0-71012-01050-9 and one of nine specific combinations of best-used-by date and lot code. It is also recalling five pound bags of its King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour with the UPC code 0-71012-04105-3 and one of nine specific combinations of best-used-by date and lot code.

    You can view the complete list of best-used and lot-code combinations at the FDA website.

  • The Six Best Songs About Murdering A Significant Other

    The Six Best Songs About Murdering A Significant Other

    Ha! You got that song from Psycho stuck in your head now, don’t you?

    Valentine’s Day is upon us, a time to celebrate relationships or hate those celebrating. But for those relationships that don’t end well, here are the six best songs about murdering a significant other. Let us know your favorites in the comments, but we suggest using a public computer with an untraceable IP address.

    6. Wilco – “Via Chicago”

    Jeff Tweedy can make a line like “I dreamed about killing you again last night and it felt alright to me” sound tender. The opening lines of “Via Chicago” outline a murder fantasy, complete with a plan to dispose the body (“Buried you alive in a fireworks display”). This song would probably top this list if it song stayed in premeditation for its entire running time. But as is, it morphs into an ode to homesickness, and that feels alright to me.

    5. The Paper Chase – “A Little Place Called Trust”

    In 2002, The Paper Chase released an album of menacing indie rock entitled Hide The Kitchen Knives, which sounds like the interior monologue of a serial killer. I can’t pick an exact line from “A Little Place Called Trust” that speaks of killing a ladyfriend, but there is plenty of implication from the introductory beat made from knife sharpening sounds and the threatening lyrics (examples: “What do you take me for you motherfucker?” and “You deserve whatever you get because you are not the innocent”). The Paper Chase’s frontman John Congleton is a masterful producer whose credits include Strange Mercy by St. Vincent and Take Care, Take Care, Take Care by Explosions In The Sky, and you can hear his hyperfocusing attention to detail come to the forefront on his own band’s record.

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