Bhutto's life cut short Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a shooting and suicide bombing attack at the conclusion of a campaign rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Bhutto was a trailblazer as the first female leader of a Muslim country. [more]
A full life Hilda Rankin, 101, of Florissant has worked part time as a certified nurse assistant for 27 years at St. Sophia Health and Rehabilitation center in Florissant. Rankin gets dropped off to work five days a week at the center. When she's not checking up on her 103-year-old sister at St. Sophia, Rankin takes pride in caring for herself and her home. [more]
Honoring No. 28 The Rams retired Marshall Faulk's No. 28 during ceremonies Thursday night. [more]
Home for the holidays The USO gives the military a place to rest, eat and be entertained at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport as thousands of soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood travel through the airport to go home for the holidays. [more]
Lumiere opens with lights Fireworks light up the St. Louis skyline as Wednesday evening marks the opening of the Lumiere Place casino downtown. The fireworks display was followed by the lighting of the building and the official opening of the 75,000-square-foot casino. [more]
Tuba Christmas Holiday shoppers at the Galleria were treated to music Saturday. [more]
Loving from home Volunteers stuffed 10,000 care packages to be sent troops overseas for the holidays at the Jack Daniels "Toast To the Troops" Tuesday afternoon at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. [more]
Hard luck at Harpo's The Mizzou faithful packed shoulder to shoulder inside the Columbia landmark Harpo's, where they watched their top-ranked Tigers replay Oklahoma for the Big 12 crown and a shot at a national championship. [more]
Tigers prepare for San Antonio Hundreds of Mizzou fans gather at the foot of Jesse Hall on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia on Thursday night to send off the top-rated Mizzou football team in style for their game against Oklahoma in San Antonio. [more]
Giuliani visits St. Charles Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani visted with hundreds of Republicans at at a town hall meeting and Q & A session at the Columns Banquet Center in St. Charles. [more]
Missouri wilderness preservation Missouri Wilderness Coalition Spokesman Scott Merritt talks about Missouri's effort to designate land as federal wilderness areas. If approved, the land would be off-limits to vehicles, logging, mining or any activities that might damage the land. [more]
Character on the court The St. Louis Police Department hosts a basketball league for men over 18, but the basketball comes at a price. The players must also take classes from character education instructors. Skeptical at first, many of the players now trust the police department's efforts and are learning on and off the court. [more]
911 Memorial & Museum The National September 11 Memorial & Museum opened Saturday on the campus of Washington University. The two-day, traveling exhibition honors the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives. [more]
Elvis is leaving the building While Bill Beeny doesn't expect Elvis will swagger into his quirky roadside museum, he still believes "the King" is out there somewhere - alive and well. But, after 17 years, Beeny has decided to end his crusade of proving that Elvis never died. The 81-year-old Baptist minister has put his Elvis is Alive Museum collection up for bid on eBay in hopes that someone will carry on his mission. [more]
David Carson
October 2007
Feels like fall Relive the colors, sounds and feelings of fall in this esoteric look at the season. Marked by football, rain, the falling of the leaves, corn mazes and beautiful sunsets, Missouri's fall is distinct. [more]
New Interchange in Fenton A new interchange at Highway 30 and Summit Drive in Fenton is the first of its kind in Missouri. Its systems of left turns could be confusing to drivers using it for the first time. [more]
One man, 15 organs Watch Richard Iezzi plays his Moller and talks about his organ collection [more]
Mizzou 42, Iowa St. 28 The Tigers are now 7-1 (3-1 in the Big 12) after Saturday's win over the Cyclones. [more]
Illini 28, Ball St. 17 Illinois becomes bowl-eligible after defeating Ball St. for their sixth win of the season. [more]
Arch reunion Builders, visitors reflect on 42nd anniversary of its completion. [more]
Pumpkin Learn how to carve a simple jack-o'-lantern. [more]
La Russa is back The Cardinals gave Tony La Russa a two-year contract today. Hear his opening statement paired with photos from today and throughout La Russa's career in St. Louis. [more]
P-D staff
Dog fighting seizure Humane Society investigators rescue 26 dogs from organized dogfighting in southeast Missouri. [more]
A song for Sgt. Wallace Sgt. Brandon Wallace died in Iraq on April 14. His father, Rick Wallace, and step-mother Lisa wrote two songs in honor of him with. Listen to one of them, "Always Felt Your Love," and watch video Wallace shot in Iraq. [more]
Body Worlds 3 opens We join Kye Jackson, 13, of Park Hills as he experiences "Body Worlds 3: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies" on opening day at the St. Louis Science Center. [more]
Welcome the Nina The Nina, a replica of Christopher Columbus' favorite ship, arrives for a two-week stay in Alton on Tuesday, Oct. 15. It will dock at the Alton Marina. The ship opens for tours Wednesday morning. [more]
Austin Funky Texas town has bootscooting and bats. [more]
By Tom Uhlenbrock
Hawkeyes 10, Illinois 6 After two impressive wins over nationally-ranked Penn St. and Wisconsin, the Illini, themselves ranked No. 18 in the country, faltered against Iowa in Iowa City. [more]
A piece of paradise Five years ago Alan Blumhorst founded Rainbow Ranch Petting Farm in Nashville, Ill. New to the farm this year are camels and a zebra. Vistors get a chance to pet the animals and learn about how they live at the ranch. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Union gathers to see Devlin Devlin arrived at the Franklin County Courthouse Monday, Oct. 8 to plead guilty. Residents of Union gathered to get a glimpse of the man that has put their community in the spotlight. [more]
Blues 5, Kings 3 Four, third-period goals, including Erik Johnson's first career NHL goal, gave the Note their first win of the season. [more]
Mizzou 41, Nebraska 6 The Tigers earn a Big 12 North division win after crushing the 'Huskers at Faurot Field. [more]
Sitting dogs set record Fifty-five dogs set a new St. Louis record by sitting simultaneously for 2 minutes at the First Annual 2007 Show-Me Sit and Stroll Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007 in Soulard. But the record wasn't good enough for a Guinness World Record - the group's goal.The event was a fundraiser for C.H.A.M.P. Assistance Dogs, Inc. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Illini 31, Wisconsin 26 The Illinois Fighting Illini are a perfect 3-0 in Big Ten play with their second straight upset win over nationally-ranked oppnent with the Illini defeating the Badgers at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. [more]
Jocketty leaves the Cardinals Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt, Jr. joined team president Mark Lamping Oct. 3, 2007 at Busch Stadium to announce the departure of general manager Walt Jocketty. [more]
P-D staff
September 2007
Cowboys 35, Rams 7 Another Sunday and another loss for the winless Rams, this week against the Cowboys in Dallas. [more]
Out of the fire On March 29, 2006, Community Fire Protection District firefighter-paramedic Cindy Schuenke fell into a fiery basement while attempting, with other firefighters, to rescue a woman from a burning house in Vinita Terrace. Cindy, now 43, escaped but was severely burned in the process. The woman in the house, Geneva Rooks, died. In the past year and a half, Cindy has fought to recover physically and emotionally. Her hope is that one day she can return to her job. [more]
Karen Elshout
Illini 27, Penn St. 20 Illinois scores an upset win over the No. 21-ranked Nittany Lions at Memorial Stadium. [more]
Bull roundup Members of Longmeadow Rescue Ranch and the Missouri Emergency Response Service rescued cattle from an overturned tractor-trailer on Interstate 70 Sept. 27, 2007. By afternoon, 44 were saved, 17 died, and one remained at large in the city of St. Louis. [more]
Robert Cohen
Swingin' Jimmy Jimmy McCluskey credits his longevity to swing dancing, which he does weekly at the Concord Farmers Club Hall in South County. He turned 80 on Sept. 23. [more]
Robert Cohen
UAW strike at GM Wentzville Unable to reach a deal by a 10 a.m. deadline on Sept. 24, UAW members walked off the job in Wentzville and other plants across the country. [more]
Illinois family raises shrimp Brenda Lyons, of Lyons Fisheries in Sandoval, Ill., talks about her family's effort to raise shrimp on their farm. Most of the shrimp harvested will be for sale to the public during the Shrimp Round Up at the end of September in Sandoval. [more]
In support of the Jena Six About 200 demonstrators gathered on the steps of the Old Courthouse Thursday, Sept. 20 in support of six high school students from Jena, Louisiana who are facing attempted murder charges as a result of a racially tainted fight inside the school. [more]
Thrashers 3, Blues 1 Photos of the Blues preseason opener by Whitney Curtis of the Associated Press. [more]
Niners edge out win over Rams Photos by David Carson and Christian Gooden of the Post-Dispatch, audio commentary by STLtoday.com sports columnist Jeff Gordon. [more]
Stage 5: 2007 Tour of Missouri On the second to last day of the inaugural Tour of Missouri, the cyclists finish in St. Charles. Their final stage will be a seven-loop circuit that begins and ends at Union Station in St. Louis. [more]
Constitution Day Monday, Sept. 17 is Constitution Day. We celebrate with animations of the Articles and a student recitation of the Constitution. [more]
Final taps for bugler For Mary Weber, playing taps on her trumpet at the end of the funerals for veterans was much more than a job. It was an honor - which ended Friday at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery after federal budget cuts led to the silence of a live bugler. [more]
Rams 2007 home opener It's the season-opener for Rams fans too as the home kicked off their 2007 season Sunday, Sept. 9 against the Carolina Panthers. The Rams lost 27-13. [more]
Missouri Drive See corny Cardinals, Jim the Wonder Dog and a thespian farmer. [more]
Rick Ankiel at Sherman Elementary St. Louis Cardinal outfielder Rick Ankiel handed out more than 250 backpacks filled with school supplies to students at Sherman Elementary. Ankiel made a donation for the supplies to KidSmart, a local non-profit focused on providing free school supplies. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Lights, camera, smile Students showed up dressed to the nines and neatly groomed for Picture Day at Harris Elementary School in St. Charles, Mo. As one student boasted, "I always look this good." [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Bison man For drivers passing through Trenton, Ill., along Highway 50 the sight of more than 50 bison grazing in Jim Hayes' pasture might come as a surprise. [more]
Robert Cohen
Unknown future Sen. John Danforth and Mayor Slay revealed their hope to obtain part of the Gateway Arch grounds for a project to revamp the city's waterfront. We take a tour of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial with historian Bob Moore. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Gabby Greg and Amy Nicholas were living the life of social newlyweds in their mid-20s when a little girl named Gabby came into their lives. She was born blind with spina bifida to a teenage mother. Amy became her state-appointed physical therapist. And, after DFS got involved, became her mother. Gabby now lives with the couple and their two children. [more]
EPA revisits lead at St. Joe State Park Hundreds of OTC riders take to the sand flats every weekend. The EPA raised new concerns about human exposure to lead mine tailings that make up most of the riding area. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Recovery & salvation Fourty seven members of Chesterfield Presbyterian Church travel to Bay St. Louis, Miss., to help homeowners rebuild their lives. [more]
Robert Cohen
Connecticut Colonial towns, tall sailing ships and Mystic pizza. [more]
Augusta Wine Co. The Norton grape, hurt less by the spring freeze, may be a bumper crop. [more]
J.B. Forbes
Garment District Fashion Show Years ago Washington Avenue was the heart of the fashion district in St. Louis and thoughout the world. On Aug. 22, 2007, the street turned into a stage for a runway show highlighting local St. Louis artists kicking off the first Fashion Week in St. Louis. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Fashion on Washington in pictures As part of fashion week, local models, designers and musicians gathered to strut their stuff in the Garment District Fashion Show on Washington Avenue. [more]
Dawn Majors
Long way from home Vinicius Caixeta is an exchange student from Brazil who arrived in St. Louis August 11, 2007. Three days later, he started school at St. Charles West High School. [more]
Huy Richard Mach and Jessica Bock
Chargers 30, Rams 13 See more photos from the first Rams preseason game at the Edward Jones Dome in 2007, a 30-13 loss to San Diego. [more]
Rebuilding St. Alphonsus Rock Parishioners and the community from St. Alphonsus Liguori Rock Catholic Church in St Louis began the rebuilding process after a five alarm fire August 16, 2007. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Officer Norvelle Brown remembered The police department looked for evidence today in the 1600 block of Semple Avenue involving the death of Office Brown. Brown's aunt, Charlotta Stevens, of Spanish Lake gathered with family members at his house today to remember his accomplishments. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Pearl Burks will be cool tonight North St. Louis resident Pearl Burks was one of several families who received a surprise free air conditioner from Cool Down St. Louis Wednesday afternoon. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Hotter inside than out On August 14, St. Louis broke her 71-year-old heat record hitting 103 degrees just before 5 p.m. But for Bikram yoga students, who exercise daily in 105 degree heat indoors, it wasn't hot enough. [more]
Rams 13, Vikings 10 View more photos from the Rams' preseason-opening win over the Vikings in Minnesota [more]
Feeling the heat This is the busiest season for training soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood. No matter the temperature, training continues. But this is the Army, so even hydration is regulated. The soldiers drink on command and train on a strictly monitored schedule in the heat. [more]
Fishing in East St. Louis Dee Toombs runs an urban fishing program at Jones Lake for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in East St. Louis. A group of children from the Leslie Bates Davis Neighborhood house were learning the basics from Toombs and her cadre of volunteers Thursday, July 26. [more]
Home is where the art is In a quasi, in-home gallery, Charlie Houska displays a few St. Louis artists, plus, of course, his own eye-popping work. [more]
Marc Bulger shows up at Rams Camp Marc Bulger joins the team for the first day of practice at training camp. Bulger, his agent Tom Condon, President and General Manager Jay Zygmunt and head coach Scott Linehan address the media after practice on July 27. [more]
Bagpiping firefighters Clayton firefighter and paramedic Jason Hildebrandt and Brian Zinanni talk about bagpipes and their relation to their jobs at the Clayton Firehouse. [more]
Longmeadow Rescue Ranch Longmeadow Rescue Ranch is haven for hundreds of abused and neglected horses, cows, goats, pigs, ducks and other farm animals. According to the facilities' website, the ranch is one of the most comprehensive horse and farm animal care and rehabilitation centers in the country. In addition to animal care, ranch staff provide hands-on humane education experiences for both children and adults. [more]
Jerry Naunheim Jr.
Dot marks the spot Elmer "Red" Meng's house along High Street coincides with where Doe Roe Company wants to build a new fence. Rather than asking Meng to move, the company has decided to build the fence right up to his property line and let him live out his days in the home. He lived in the home with his wife Dorothy "Dot" for 53 years. The house is his connection to his late wife. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Pagan picnic at Tower Grove Park The 15th Annual St. Louis Pagan Picnic was sponsored by Yarrow Coven. The event is the oldest and largest free two-day Pagan event of its kind anywhere in the country. [more]
By Sarah Conard
Soccer king "I still sleep with my soccer ball," said Brandon Manzonelli, "So I can say I play soccer in my sleep." Manzonelli a 17-year-old who has been playing soccer overseas and becoming famous, in a sense, for his soccer tricks. [more]
Robert Cohen
Lady Bird Johnson: 1912 - 2007 A look back on the life of Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson, the former first lady who championed conservation and worked tenaciously for the political career of her husband, President Lyndon B. Johnson. Lady Bird died Wednesday, July 11 at age 94. [more]
Urban evening We take you back to the Whitaker Urban Evening Series at St. Louis Place Park on Thursday, June 21. The neighborhood festival is free and will continue through July with a wide variety of entertainment. [more]
Karen Elshout
Hands of stone Adam Marty has found his dream job restoring two historical log houses connected to frontiersman Daniel Boone. The homes are scheduled to open to the public early next year in Boonesfield Village in Defiance. [more]
Do the zumba This latest exercise craze takes the full-body flexing, squatting and twisting found in traditional aerobics and mixes them with a generous sprinkling of tango, merengue, salsa, calypso, flamenco and reggae. [more]
The ability to make a difference Max Starkloff will receive a national achievement award from the National Council on Independent Living in Washington, D.C., this week. [more]
June 2007
School 4 Santas A two-day workshop that teaches you everything you need to know about being Santa. [more]
One final bow? With a circus theme in hand, Jean and Pepi Knue prepare for their annual entry in the Webster Groves Fourth of July House Decorating Contest. For the couple, now in their mid-70s, this may be their last year. [more]
PrideFest Parade First came the rain. Then umbrellas closed. The sun shone. And the floats and marchers and dancers continued down Grand Boulevard to the cheers and applause of thousands of paradegoers. [more]
One last ride After three generations and over 40 years in business, Carousel International Corp. is going out of business with a weekend auction in which over a thousand carousels and rides with be auctioned off. [more]
Kevin Manning
Ankiel review Online sports columnist Jeff Gordon takes us through the highs and lows of Rick Ankiel's career. [more]
Writing from the heart of St. Louis Thirty nine students from College Bound became published authors with the release of their book on June 20. Three of these students - Ayriel Hadley, Dewain Meeks and Alexis Jamerison - share with us excerpts from their pieces and a bit about the experience. The pictures show all 39 students. [more]
New Roots Urban Farm New Roots Urban Farm in north St. Louis is an example of community supported agriculture. The farm also holds a city market that brings local produce to an area where it is otherwise hard to find. [more]
Laurie Skrivan
Barnyard movies Movie night at the Derek and Jenny Carr residence is no small affair. Family, friends, and neighbors gather to watch films projected onto the Carr's 120-year-old barn. [more]
Karen Elshout
Komen Race for the Cure More than 63,000 people descended upon downtown St. Louis in support of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. [more]
Robert Cohen
Latin tradition lives on See and hears the sights and sounds of a traditional Latin mass at St. Francis De Sales Oratory in St. Louis [more]
Dawn Majors
Pooches in the ballpark Many dogs met Cardinal players and had the opportunity to parade around the infield. One dog, Byntlee, even had the chance to eat a hot dog. [more]
Elie Gardner
Finding new family The sisters of a soldier who was killed in the Korean War meet their brother's daughter, Betty Ann Shaw, for the first time at his funeral Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery. The soldier, from Park Hills, was missing in action and just last year the military recovered his remains. [more]
Stephanie S. Cordle
Wentzville finds its idol Wentzville's search for its own “Wentzville Idol” ended June 3 when the top 10 out of 25 contestants auditioned to perform at the city's 4th of July celebration and two other summer festivals. [more]
Alison Fonte
Ken Griffey Jr. Ken Griffey Jr. shares his birth date and place with Cardinal great Stan Musial. Griffey ranks second among all National League outfielders in All-Star balloting and has been selected to 12 All Star games - the third most in history tied with Ozzie Smith. Griffey is number eight on the all-time home run leaders board with 575 home runs, eight shy of Mark McGwire's 583. Playing in his eighth season, Griffey is the longest tenured Reds player. [more]
Chris Lee
Tony Hawk at Six Flags Tony Hawk, one of the best skateboarders of all-time, is out of retirement and performing this weekend at Six Flags Tony Hawk's Boom Boom HuckJam Tour Six Flags Parks in Summer of 2006-2007. [more]
Robert Cohen and Laurie Skrivan
Pony Bird Pony Bird opened 30 years ago as a home for the severly disabled. Delores and Alfred Eckert moved their son, Tommy, to Pony Bird after caring for him for 51 years. [more]
Help for addiction Paula Lowry found herself on powerful narcotic pain killers after a fall from a ladder. She finally found the Assisted Recovery Centers of America and a medication called buprenorphine. Chrystal Parmentar grew up with alcoholic parents. By her early 20s she was also an alcoholic. The Assisted Recovery Centers of America has found a way to help her too. [more]
'Lackluster' After 41 games, the Cardinals are last in baseball's perceived worst division and at or near the bottom in most team statistics, including wins. So we check the pulse of Cardinal Nation for their take on the team's struggles. [more]
Three strong After 12 years of being in the voluntary transfer program, the Killingsworth triplets, of north St. Louis, are graduating from Lafayette High in Wildwood. [more]
The Autism Zone For parents like Charles and Angela Quigless of St. Louis, the Autism Zone is 45 seconds of pure sensory overload. The exercise was designed to give people a taste of autism, which the couple's 5-year-old son Charles has. [more]
Cubs v. Cards: The Rivalry They like the Cubs or the Cards, but they still like each other - friends, spouses and families. They all have different ways of living with the fact that they root for different teams. [more]
