St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page B003

PAGE: MISSOURI St. Louis Some still lack power after storms Just under 1,000 of St. Louis area customers remained without electrical service Wednesday evening as the utility continued to recover from last ice storm. All 55,000 customers of Cuivre River Electrical Cooperative have had their power restored, said spokeswoman Mary Jane Clark. Crews n- ished restoring power throughout Cuivre system Tuesday night, she said.

Cuivre River, based in Troy, serves parts of St. Charles, Lincoln, Pike, Warren and Montgomery counties. Local governments in many areas have designated places where people may drop off tree limbs felled by ice, and business is brisk. In St. Peters, for example, the recycling center is getting 1,000 cubic yards of debris a day.

The center normally receives that amount in a month, the spokeswoman said. Workers will grind the limbs into mulch. Tree of Lights campaign behind goal The Salvation Army said Tuesday that with just two weeks to go in its annual Tree of Lights campaign, it is more than $1 million behind its goal of $6.2 million. The organization said a drop-off in donations after the holiday season was normal but that this January drop was especially severe. cials also said the organization lost several days of kettle fundraising in December when it put resources into serving ice-storm victims.

is critical that we reach our goal so we can be prepared to respond to any future emergencies as well as continue our many year-round assistance Salvation Army City Commander Major Lonneal Richardson said in a statement. Donations from the campaign represent a quarter of the Salvation year- round operating budget. People may still donate by sending a check marked Tree of Lights to The Salvation Army, 1130 Hampton St. Louis, Mo. 63139, or online at www.stl-salvationarmy.org.

St. Louis County Frontenac changes pay for employees Newly hired city employees in Frontenac will not reach the maximum on the pay scale until their fth year of employment, instead of the two years it takes for current employees. Aldermen approved the change at a meeting Tuesday night. It was recommended by the Ways and Means Committee. The change does not effect current employees.

Pay raises concur with annual reviews from department supervisors, also a new addition to the ordinance. not giving the raises for just showing Mayor Lee Murray said. City Administrator Bob Shelton said the new policy is similar to those of other cities the same size. Murray noted the city has a low turnover. Crackdown on illegals debated VALLEY PARK A Valley Park resident is offering to try to collect up to $200,000 on a fee basis to support the crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Jim Gwinner, a consultant from Valley Park, told members of the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday that his typical cut from the money raised is 9 percent, plus 2 percent for expenses. The board decided it would start negotiations with Gwinner. The ordinance, enacted in July, declares English to be the cial language and says landlords could face a $500 ne for renting to illegal immigrants. Businesses hiring illegal immigrants could be denied business permits and city contracts. The American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations have challenged the ordinance as unconstitutional.

A St. Louis County judge has set aside March 1-2 to hear testimony and arguments over the validity of the ordinance, which remains on hold. Meanwhile, Mayor Jeffrey Whitteaker said a website seeking donations for the cause has generated about $1,500 since it was started a month ago. Webster seeks to develop area WEBSTER GROVES The city will soon issue a request for proposals to develop property north of the Union Railroad tracks, south of Kirkham Avenue and between Gore and Rock Hill. The site now is occupied by several small businesses, an AmerenUE substation, and vacant properties.

At a meeting Tuesday night, of- cials outlined criteria for the project including that it should: Strengthen and enhance the character of the Old Webster district. Be a mixed-use project with residential and commercial elements, but also in with the neighborhood. Enhance tax revenue for the city and the school district. Also, Mayor Gerry Welch said trash is being dumped in city parks, and she is requesting that the City Council pass an ordinance setting a steep ne for anyone apprehended. She suggested setting up a system of resident watchers who can call police when someone is seen dumping trash in parks or on private property.

2006 was busy for re department ROCK HILL The re department received a record 932 calls during 2006, Capt. Kevin Halloran told aldermen at a meeting Tuesday night. Halloran said the number included 312 calls for emergency medical service and 620 re-related calls. The city fought seven working res and helped with 25 mutual aid calls. He attributed the increased number of calls to an increase in population and businesses.

City Administrator George Liyeos said the city has issued a request for proposals for a police and re dispatching service, currently provided by Brentwood. Also, Al Hayden, director of parks and recreation, said the city had received a $170,000 grant from the Municipal Parks Grant Commission for improvements to Stroup Field. Metro digest NEWS FROM AROUND THE REGION B03PD1ME0118 1 THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2007 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH STLTODAY.COM B3 A group of conservative St. Louis lawyers is contemplating an effort aimed at reining in what they say is an increasingly activist Missouri court system.

seen, this past year, an unprecedented number of Missouri Supreme Court decisions throwing out legitimate acts of the said lawyer Bill Placke, president of the St. Louis chapter of the Federalist Society. In particular, Placke and other society members single out the state recent ruling that killed a state law that would have required all Missouri voters on Election Day to show a government- issued photo ID before they could cast a ballot. Placke also cited last state high court ruling that Planned Parenthood was eligible for state money under a now-defunct state family-planning program. On Wednesday, the society hosted events in St.

Louis and Jefferson City to underscore its point. At both, the headline speaker was national society executive vice president Leonard Leo, who has been traveling the country with the message that the public and politicians paying enough attention to the power wielded by state Supreme Courts. rubber really meets the road in state Leo said, citing rulings such as decision in favor of gay marriage, which he said has contributed to public concern about state courts. Judges on state Supreme Court and appellate courts, and in the Kansas City and St. Louis area, are generally selected under a nonpartisan system called the that has been in place for at least 65 years.

The sitting governor selects from a panel of nominees named by special commissions made up primarily of his appointees and lawyers elected by their peers. The judges then face retention votes from the public every six or 12 years, depending on the post. Some St. Louis Federalist Society members contend that the judicial nominees too often tend to be liberal-leaning allies of the Missouri Bar and that the public fails to adequately scrutinize their records for those retention votes. Missouri Bar executive Keith Birkes said the current setup made it a much less partisan ju- than states such as Illinois, where all judges compete in partisan campaigns.

The Missouri Bar has been running radio ads lately in defense of the current nonpartisan plan. The debate comes as the Legislature considers pay raises for judges. state courts also are about to take up two more le cases: public school funding and the new law tossing out the 12- year-old campaign-donation restrictions. Some defenders tie the current ap to politics. Gov.

Matt Blunt is a Republican, and the Legislature is under GOP control. But most of the Supreme Court judges were appointed by Democratic governors. Blunt chief of staff Ed Martin, past president of the St. Louis Federalist chapter, said he shared concern about the judges. Expect this ght to gure in next contest for Missouri governor.

DUELING ADDRESSES The 2008 battle for governor will get its cial kickoff Wednesday, when Blunt delivers his third prime time of the address. It will be immediately followed by a rebuttal speech, delivered by the only announced Democratic candidate for governor, Attorney General Jay Nixon. The state Republican Party contends that involvement is nothing more than self- and will improperly politicize a public policy event. State Democratic Party spokesman Jack Cardetti replied that his party has always delivered a response, since Gov. Blunt made this a TV after taking ce in 2005.

The GOP is afraid of a TV comparison, Cardetti added. As of yet, cials were unclear as to which stations will cover the dueling addresses. NO JANUARY CAMPAIGN REPORTS An unexpected feature of the new campaign nance law drops the requirement that ceholders and declared candidates who run in November le reports on Jan. 15 to document their fundraising and spending for the previous three months. As a result, it will be April 15 before the public learns how much Nixon or Blunt has raised or spent since Oct.

1 of last year. The same holds for all other statewide cials, except for auditor, and half of the state Senate. JO MANNIES Conservative lawyers speak out about court system E-mail: 314-340-8334 Barbara Hente of Granite City waits as Thom Miller of the American Rare Collectibles Association estimates the value of a ring she inherited from her family. Hente was attending the Attic Treasures Roadshow on Wednesday at the Ramada Inn Fairview Heights, 6900 North Illinois Street at Interstate 64. The association is looking to buy items including toys, dolls, trains, musical instruments, clocks and Fair souvenirs.

The event continues from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Friday. Dawn Majors Post-Dispatch Search the attic for treasures Woman faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter. By Susan Weich ST.

LOUIS POST-DISPATCH ST. CHARLES A 24-year-old motorist who struck a St. Charles man last summer after he stopped to help another driver has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Patricia L. Barry, of the 3400 block of Sun Lake Drive, to maintain a proper before her SUV struck Lee A.

Widaman, according to a grand jury indictment made public Wednesday. extremely remorseful about what happened, but this was an said attorney, Deborah J. Alessi. was not drinking, she was not on her cell phone, and she was driving under the speed Alessi said Barry would plead not guilty at her arraignment in St. Charles County Circuit Court this month.

She is free on $50,000 bond. Widaman, 44, was a construction worker and was well-known in the area for his work with the Moolah Shriners. He was president of the YOMO unit, the group that drives yellow minicars in area parades. He also was a member of the Gateway unit, which drives mini-Indy cars at events. According to St.

Charles police, Widaman stopped his pickup in the right lane of Zumbehl Road, just west of Highway 94, about 8:35 a.m. Aug. 22 after he saw a minivan ahead of him go into a ditch. The stretch of road lacks a shoulder and is about 200 feet from the entrance to Friedens United Church of Christ. Widaman activated the emergency ash- ers on his pickup and had walked to the rear of his truck when SUV struck him.

According to a police report submit- ted by cer Britt Duncan, who witnessed the crash, Barry did not brake before the impact. Alessi said it was unclear at what point Barry was able to see Widaman because Zumbehl Road has a curve and a slight grade near the accident site. dent that once before a jury and they take a look at all the facts, that even though this is very tragic, realize it was an Alessi said. She said Barry had suffered some injuries in the crash that had resulted in memory loss. Barry was not ticketed in the incident.

The minivan driver whom Widaman was trying to aid was not injured in the crash. However, she suffered a concussion and a broken back when she slipped as she was walking to get help, police said. Relatives of Widaman could not be reached Wednesday about the indictment. 636-255-7210 Driver is indicted in fatal crash Barry Plans to plead not guilty Widaman Was helping another motorist By Nicholas J.C. Pistor ST.

LOUIS POST-DISPATCH EAST ST. LOUIS Tina Winston claimed she had lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. In applications for federal aid, she said the disaster on the Gulf Coast in 2005 washed away all of her possessions and killed her children. None of those claims was true and on Wednesday a judge sentenced her to federal prison for her deceit. Winston, 34, of Belleville, was sentenced to a four-year term for schemes to defraud the federal government that went back 12 years and culminated when she began ling for Katrina disaster relief in 2005.

took advantage of the taxpayers of this country under very tragic U.S. District Judge William Stiehl said before delivering the sentence. Winston, who has no children, was described by her attorney as a mentally ill woman who was abused as a child. Prosecutors argued that Winston systematically ripped off taxpayers and has a history of deceit. At one point in her life, Winston was married to two men at the same time.

Federal cials have been prosecuting dozens of false Katrina claims since President George W. Bush declared the Gulf region a disaster area in August 2005. Winston, originally from Arkansas, was indicted in June after nine of the federal and state agencies that she had scammed over the years collaborated on the investigation. Winston pleaded guilty to the fraud over the Hurricane Katrina aid in October, in addition to other crimes including: Misuse of a Social Security number. Four counts of mail fraud.

Three counts of making false statements. Two counts of concealing information from the Social Security Administration. Winston tried to steal more than $44,500, but she was successful at getting only around $23,000. As part of the sentence, she is required to pay that money back. Woman caught in Katrina fraud gets 4 years in prison 3 3 21:52:37 21:52:37.