Thursday, March 23, 2023

Play

A proposed flavored tobacco ban is back on the table in Minnesota, Trump attorney Evan Corcoran must testify in the documents probe, and a "clean slate" bill in Missouri would make "expungement" automatic.

Play

The Fed raises interest rates and reassures the banking system is sound, Norfolk Southern reaffirms a commitment to the people of East Palestine, and TikTok creators gather at the Capitol to support free expression.

Play

Finding childcare is a struggle everywhere, prompting North Carolina's Transylvania County to try a new approach. Maine is slowly building-out broadband access, but disagreements remain over whether local versus national companies should get the contracts, and specialty apps like "Farmers Dating" help those in small communities connect online.

New Effort Aims to De-Escalate Violence

Play

Tuesday, September 15, 2020   

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- A new boots-on-the-ground initiative is under way to reduce violence and create new opportunities in St. Louis communities plagued by crime.

As part of the "Serving Our Streets" program, urban engagement specialists will be in three neighborhoods building relationships with young men and women on the streets and helping to de-escalate conflict.

Wendell Kimbrough, CEO at Area Resources for Community and Human Services, or ARCHS, said many of these outreach workers have risen above their own troubled past, and understand the systemic challenges these communities face.

"These young people who historically have not seen a way out of poverty or out of crime, we're going to be able to provide them with opportunities to learn a trade, to find jobs, to find access to resources from a social services standpoint, an educational standpoint and a health standpoint," Kimbrough said.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis will provide the specialists for the program who have specialized training in conflict resolution and violence reduction. And ARCHS, which is part of the Missouri Family and Community Trust, will be providing evaluation and objective assessment of the program to justify the need for future funding and possible expansion.

Kimbrough said Gov. Mike Parson has been instrumental in securing $1 million in federal funding to get the program going.

"With the high numbers, sadly, of murders that occurred last year and high numbers this year, I think that with his law-enforcement background, from a positive standpoint, he realized that there needed to be some additional resources in these communities," Kimbrough said.

He added that Serving Our Streets is the perfect bookend to the new Neighborhood Healing Network, which focuses on reducing trauma experienced by witnesses and victims of crime.


get more stories like this via email

In 2020, 35% of Idaho mothers had Medicaid at the time of their child's birth. (WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

With concerning trends emerging for pregnant and postpartum women, frustration is growing that Idaho lawmakers could end the session without …


Health and Wellness

Health advocates are promoting a package of bills this legislative session to make health care easier to get - and more affordable. The Care 4 All …

Social Issues

A new study from the University of New Hampshire found New England's LGBTQ+ residents experience higher rates of food insufficiency, the measure of …


Businesses would have to pay up to $1,000 if they delay releasing their employees' personnel files longer than four weeks. (JRB/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

A person's work personnel file can be important to review, but some Washingtonians are finding them hard to obtain. A bill in Olympia would ensure …

Environment

The U.S. Farm Bill is up for reauthorization, and Congress faces calls to avoid any delays so certain programs can keep helping farmers and consumers …

Smoking prevention groups said because there are thousands of flavored tobacco products on the market, teens are gravitating toward them and picking up health risks along the way. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

Youth advocates continue to sound the alarm over the impact flavored tobacco products have on teenagers, and hope Minnesota lawmakers take another …

Environment

As wildfire seasons in Colorado and across the American West become longer, less predictable and increasingly destructive, a new report aims to …

Environment

New research shows the demand for native seed supply across the Western United States, including Nevada, has increased, but the supply simply is not …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021