Thursday, December 20, 2012
The Kirkwood City Council will vote tonight on a bill that prohibits picketing within 300 feet of a memorial service.
The Kirkwood City Council will take its first vote tonight on a bill that outlaws funeral protests within 300 feet of a memorial service. The bill is going before the council in light of an appellate court ruling that upheld a similar ordinance in Manchester. SEE: Manchester Reacts to Court's Ruling in Westboro Funeral Protest Case "According to the courts, it's a legitimate restriction on first amendment rights. I certainly agree with it, because I feel that this is a grieving time for many families," Mayor Art McDonnell said. McDonnell said that Kirkwood was waiting for the ruling in the Manchester case before pursuing its own bill. "I'm glad the courts upheld Manchester's law. It protects the rights of people who are grieving but also …
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
The Kirkwood City Council has expressed its support of a ordinance that will protect residents from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Members of the Kirkwood City Council agreed to place an ordinance that would protect residents from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation on the next city council agenda after a heartfelt presentation from a member of the Kirkwood Human Rights Commission. Maggie Duwe, vice-chair of the Human Rights Commission, read a letter to city councilors during a work session last week in which she spoke to the importance of protecting Kirkwood's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trangender (LGBT) community and noted discrimination she has faced in Kirkwood as a gay resident. In the letter, Duwe says: I have had more than one experience of being afraid in Kirkwood...because there aren't the protections for me, or for my partner, or …
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
The Kirkwood Human Rights Commission is consulting with the city's attorney on an ordinance that would protect residents from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Kirkwood law does not protect residents from discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation, but the Kirkwood Human Rights Commission is determined to recitfy that. The Commission is working with Kirkwood City Attorney John Hessel to craft an ordinance that would prohibit this type of discrimination relating to employment, housing and public spaces, according to Maggie Duwe, vice-chair of the Human Rights Commission. "Right now there are no protections," Duwe said. If adopted, Kirkwood would join Creve Coeur, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City, Clayton and the city of St. Louis as municipalities with laws protecting members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) community from discrimination. The …
Sunday, July 15, 2012
According to one organization, a child can die from heat stroke on a 72-degree day if left unattended in a car.
Each summer, the same old story comes up—irresponsible parents and pet owners leaving their children or pets in the car during times of extreme heat. The result can be devestating. According to the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, more than 500 children have died because of being left in a hot car since 1998—11 have been reported thus far in 2012. Most of the time, parents or pet owners tragically forget about their kids or pets. But the incident rarely finds sympathy amongst the public. According to SafeKids.org, a child can die from heat stroke on a 72-degree day. That's because their bodies aren’t the same as adults and a child’s body can heat up five times faster than an adult’s. And according to the Weather…
Friday, December 31, 2010
Jill Puertas says Missouri's new autism insurance law is a good start, but more work remains to be done before all children are covered.
On Jan. 1, Missouri's new autism insurance law takes effect. It makes certain health insurance companies pay for certain autism-related therapies for certain kids. But amidst this list of "certains" lies considerable uncertainty. Not all insurance policies are subject to the law, and, and as a result, not all children with autism are covered. Even so, for Jill Puertas of Kirkwood, it's a start. "There's still lots of work to be done," said Puertas, whose son Jude, 8, has autism. Puertas is a longtime Kirkwood resident and has a family-law practice in Webster Groves. She typifies a new generation of parents of children with autism, Web saavy individuals, hungry for information. These parents enroll their children in clinical studies and do…
Gary
12:29 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
As a member of PGR I support the effort to allow families the space and privacy to greve. The Kirkwood community is no stranger to grief. I support the leadership of one of our oldest and respected townships in the St Louis area hope other communities ( like mine in WG ) follwo that excellent example. more ›