The Big News Page

City man wounded with buckshot

2010-09-05 11:38:00 STLToday.com
A man was shot while sitting on a porch shortly after midnight Saturday on the 4400 block of Greer Avenue, St. Louis police said.  Read Full Story ...

Bad blowout preventer hauled up, on ship

2010-09-05 11:36:39 Globe-Democrat.com
The blowout preventer that triggered the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been brought to the surface and placed on a vessel, officials said. Read Full Story ...

Man shot to death in city

2010-09-05 11:08:00 STLToday.com
Eric Manion, 34, was shot to death late Saturday night in the 3400 block of Lexington Avenue, St. Louis police said. Read Full Story ...

Single shot kills man in north St. Louis

2010-09-05 10:38:32 kmov.com
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Work offers too good to be true

2010-09-05 10:22:57 ksdk.com
Work offers too good to be true Read Full Story ...

WashU Football Wins 2010 Season Opener Over Knox, 34-3

2010-09-05 10:15:12 Globe-Democrat.com
Senior Jim O?Brien rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown as the Washington University in St. Louis football team opened the 2010 season with a 34-3 victory over Knox College on Saturday night at Francis Field in St. Louis, Mo. Read Full Story ...

Fed-up flight attendant officially gone

2010-09-05 10:09:11 Globe-Democrat.com
The JetBlue flight attendant who made a dramatic departure from his flight via the emergency slide has left the payroll as well, an airline spokeswoman said. Read Full Story ...

Craigslist removes adult services section

2010-09-05 09:01:30 kmov.com
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Adam antics won't change Blago's fate

Dan Proft
2010-09-05 08:58:00 MadisonRecord.com







Proft

You know how I know I've been in Illinois politics too long?

The comedy troupe of Sam Adam Sr. and Jr. was starting to make some sense to me.

For example, during his post-verdict floor show, Sam Adam Sr. said that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald thinks Illinois is a banana republic.

Isn't it?

A banana republic is marked by a politically unstable government ruled by a small and corrupt elite who use the power of the state to collude with favored monopolies in order to line their pockets.

If the fruit fits...

Adam Sr. criticized Fitzgerald's prosecution of Scooter Libby where, as in the Blagojevich case, a conspiracy was alleged but none was proven. I share his view that the Libby prosecution was an overreach into the realm of criminalizing politics.

Both Adam boys constantly denigrated their client during the trial describing Blagojevich as both a terrible judge of character and dumb. Who could argue with those assessments?

But then I caught myself.

Skilled street hustlers are very good at identifying one or two glaring deficiencies of their adversary while admitting one or two of their own to get you nodding along in agreement. That's when they try and slip the fastballs by the jury.

And so came Sam Adam Sr. the fiscal hawk who doesn't want to see precious taxpayer dollars squandered on a retrial. And then Sam Adam Jr. presented himself as a Neighborhood Watch block captain to lament gang violence and, hey John Q. Public, don't you think the U.S. Attorney's Office should be concerning itself with prosecuting drug kingpins?

As if the only thing standing between us and safer neighborhoods is foregoing the retrial of Rod Blagojevich.

In Illinois when it is one branch of the government versus another branch of the government, it is sometimes difficult to figure out which side to trust the least.

However, whatever the failures of prosecutors in the first trial and whatever the cost to be incurred for the second trial, justice demands Blagojevich be re-tried.

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Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy is complex

2010-09-05 08:54:00 MadisonRecord.com


The 2005 Federal Bankruptcy Law changed the way in which a person is eligible to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Chapter 7, which is the most common form of bankruptcy, refers to the ability of the filer to "liquidate" or be relieved of most of their debts. The procedure is designed to help debtors essentially get a "fresh start."

Under the law, if the debtor's income does not exceed the state's median income, then he or she may be eligible to file for Chapter 7. Before filing for bankruptcy, the debtor must complete a credit counseling session from a provider approved by the court.

To be discharged from bankruptcy, the debtor must also complete a financial management class. Classes are operated by independent agencies and require additional costs. Listings of accredited credit counselors can be found at the U.S. Trustee's website, www.usdoj.gov/ust.

The first thing that happens in a Chapter 7 case is that the bankruptcy court issues an "automatic stay" to creditors, prohibiting them from proceeding with a collection outside of the bankruptcy case, unless the bankruptcy judge approves it. The automatic stay does not affect criminal proceedings.

When the case is filed, the bankruptcy court appoints a bankruptcy trustee to review a person's assets and financial affairs. The trustee has the power to liquidate assets which exceed the amount of the exemptions which the law allows.

In most cases, the trustee does not liquidate the assets but instead issues the debtor a bankruptcy discharge, relieving the debtor from liability for most of the unsecured debt.

Liens on a debtor's property itself are called "secured debts" and can be items such as a mortgage on your home or a lien on your car.

A discharge in bankruptcy, by itself, does not set aside liens on your property. In some cases, however, the bankruptcy court can set aside or reduce a lien on property.

Additionally, individuals who want to keep the property secured by a lien commonly enter into reaffirmation agreements with the secured creditor. A reaffirmation agreement is a voluntary written agreement to continue to pay a specific secured creditor despite the bankruptcy so that the individual can keep the property involved.

For further information about this and other law-related issues, contact an Illinois State Bar Association member-lawyer in your area or visit www.isbalawyers.com.
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Tips for parents of college freshmen

2010-09-05 08:49:21 kmov.com
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Navy Week in St. Louis

2010-09-05 08:36:43 ksdk.com
Navy Week in St. Louis Read Full Story ...

Gravel mine plan upsets Jefferson County neighbors

2010-09-05 00:20:00 STLToday.com
House Springs ? Residents along Byrnesville Road have nicknamed their corner of Jefferson County "Little Ladue." Homes sit on large lots and sell for upwards of $500,000. The Big River flows by, and Read Full Story ...

Open arms lead to boom

2010-09-05 00:15:00 STLToday.com
But stagnant economy has been hard on newcomers looking for a new life. Read Full Story ...

A statue returns to life

2010-09-05 00:10:00 STLToday.com
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS ? The chance at immortality came to Julie Wier when she was grappling with death. Read Full Story ...

Former teacher opens a store for creative types

2010-09-05 00:10:00 STLToday.com
Katie Shanahan, 30, owner of Paste, an arts and crafts supplies store at 1009 Russell Boulevard in Soulard. Read Full Story ...

Thousands enjoy taste of Japan at garden festival

2010-09-05 00:05:00 STLToday.com
ST. LOUIS ? The new president of the Missouri Botanical Garden brought a lovely gift from home when he arrived in St. Louis this week. Read Full Story ...

Downtown has a winning weekend with blues, football and baseball

2010-09-05 00:05:00 STLToday.com
ST. LOUIS ? Hotels nearly sold out. Sidewalks filled with fans. Parking lots bustling with tailgaters wearing black and gold ? or orange and blue ? with pride. Read Full Story ...

Missouri highways are rated No. 8 in the nation

2010-09-05 00:05:00 STLToday.com
Missouri highways have taken a turn for the better, a new study concluded. And that could prove costly. Read Full Story ...

Stephens College try ing to get a handle on its artwork

2010-09-05 00:00:00 STLToday.com
COLUMBIA, Mo. ? Philip Coleman pulled a framed print out of a stack of artwork, revealing a portrait of Pablo Picasso created by Salvador Dali. A number in the corner revealed that the print was the Read Full Story ...

Refugee from Iraq grateful to have work

2010-09-05 00:00:00 STLToday.com
Ahmed Mashshay, 40, a soft-spoken and unfailingly polite refugee from Iraq, measures his progress in St. Louis, his home for a year and a half now, in small steps. Otherwise, there would be none to me Read Full Story ...

About this project

2010-09-05 00:00:00 STLToday.com
Philip Dine, a Post-Dispatch reporter, columnist and editor from 1987 to 2008, examined the growing influx of immigrants and refugees to St. Louis in "An Invisible Population" in 1995. This year, he r Read Full Story ...

From dearth of immigrants, growth here now outpaces nation

2010-09-05 00:00:00 STLToday.com
One and a half centuries ago, St. Louis had the highest percentage of immigrants of any U.S. city. Fully half the 160,000 residents in 1860 were foreign-born. Read Full Story ...

KIRKWOOD > 22 forced out of homes by fire

2010-09-05 00:00:00 STLToday.com
A fire Friday evening at a Kirkwood apartment complex forced 22 people out of their homes and sent a firefighter and a resident to the hospital with minor injuries. Read Full Story ...

ST. LOUIS > Teen killed while crossing I-55

2010-09-05 00:00:00 STLToday.com
A teenager attempting to cross Interstate 55 south of Bates Street in south St. Louis with two of his friends was struck by a car and killed Saturday afternoon. Read Full Story ...

Gateway Arch grounds, slated for more buzz, had pastoral origins

2010-09-05 00:00:00 STLToday.com
st. louis ? The Gateway Arch was topped in high drama on a sparkling fall day in 1965. The sweeping landscape around it took shape over many years, its progress measured in sod squares and tree plan Read Full Story ...

Deaths elsewhere: Robert Schimmel and Paul Conrad

2010-09-05 00:00:00 STLToday.com
Robert Schimmel ? The standup comic who was a frequent guest on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and on Howard Stern's radio show died Friday after suffering serious injuries in a car accident. He wa Read Full Story ...

World digest

2010-09-05 00:00:00 STLToday.com
Failed blowout preventer is raised to gulf surface Read Full Story ...

Spagnuolo Names Bradford As Rams Starting QB

2010-09-05 00:00:00 fox2news.com
No. 1 overall draft pick Sam Bradford will start at quarterback in the regular-season opener at home against Arizona next weekend. Coach Steve Spagnuolo announced the decision Saturday, saying Bradford had earned the job. Read Full Story ...

Police Searching For Missing Chesterfield Man

2010-09-05 00:00:00 fox2news.com
Chesterfield Police are searching for a missing man who they say is in the early stages of dementia. Charlie Bremer, 87, was last seen around 8:30 p.m. Friday at this home on County Cork Drive. Police don't suspect foul play. Officers believe he's driving his car, a 2005 four door White Chevy Malibu with Missouri License Plates DB4-FOL. Read Full Story ...

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