Storms bring some relief to St. Louis
Strong thunderstorms that moved through the St. Louis area last night have brought some relief from the extreme heat that’s been pounding the region for the last two weeks.
The ten days of triple digit temperatures fell just three days short of the 1934 record, when high temperatures hit 100 degrees or more for 13 days straight. The summer of 2012 is only three weeks old, but eight record high temperatures have already fallen.
The storms killed one woman in Cuba, Mo., and knocked out power across the state. And the heat may be responsible for two more deaths in St. Louis city.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says authorities are investigating the death of an 8-year-old living in a bedroom with no air conditioning. Altamesa Dobson suffered from an underlying medical condition, and city health director Pamela Walker says that may have played a role in her death.
The medical examiner is also investigating the death of a 43-year-old man who was wearing jeans and a fleece sweater when he collapsed at a bus stop on Friday.
Authorities in Madison County, Ill. told KMOX Radio that the death of an 88-year-old woman from Troy was likely heat-related. An air conditioner in Dorothy Scott’s apartment had been turned from “cool” to “heat.”
Former governor, St. Louis attorney face sentencing for campaign contribution
A former Missouri governor and a St. Louis attorney will be sentenced today for misusing money to reimburse a campaign contribution.
Democrat Roger Wilson and attorney Edward Griesedieck pleaded guilty this spring to federal misdemeanor charges. They admitted to inflating the cost of contracts to reimburse a $5,000 donation Griesedieck’s law firm made to the state Democratic party in 2009. The firm was working with Missouri Employers Mutual Insurance Company, where Wilson was CEO.
Lambert to get expedited security screenings
Frequent fliers at Lambert Airport will soon have a shorter wait for security.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the airport is part of the next round to get permission for the TSA’s Pre-Check program. It should come online at Lambert later this summer.
Pre-Check directs low-risk passengers who are flying on participating airlines to a security line where they do not have to remove their shoes or outerwear, and can leave laptops and liquids in their carry-ons.
