Jim Merkel

southsidemerkel@gmail.com Born and raised in the St. Louis area, Jim Merkel covered communities throughout the area from 1991 to 2013 for the old Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis. He is the author of five books about the Gateway City published by Reedy Press. The latest is Growing Up St. Louis: Looking Back Through the Decades. He and his wife, Lorraine, live in the Bevo Mill neighborhood of south St. Louis with Miss Jenny the Cat. For more about Jim, visit www.jimmerkelthewriter.com.

Coronavirus

Jim MerkelAugust 7, 2021
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Estimate board approves $168 million COVID-19 relief package

CITY HALL – Mayor Tishaura Jones relented Friday in her opposition to a $168 million COVID-19 spending package and voted…
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News

Jim MerkelAugust 1, 2021
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Lawyer’s opinion backs Board of Aldermen’s COVID relief bill

CITY HALL – Debate continued Friday over a $168 million COVID-19 funding package, with a lawyer specializing in local government…
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News

Jim MerkelJuly 30, 2021
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Lack of workers forces cut in alley pickup of recyclables

CITY HALL – It’s suddenly become harder to do the right thing with recyclables, for an unexpected reason. The city…
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Coronavirus

Jim MerkelJuly 29, 2021
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Page keeps mask mandate despite county council rejection

CLAYTON – The St. Louis County Council notwithstanding, County Executive Dr. Sam Page says a new indoor mask mandate for St.…
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Coronavirus

Jim MerkelJuly 26, 2021
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Opposition arises to county, city mask mandates

CITY HALL – St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and County Executive Dr. Sam Page said Monday that they were reinstating…
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Art

Jim MerkelJuly 24, 2021
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Miniature Museum makes it big by thinking small

BEVO MILL – In one display, teensy people prepare for a little banquet at tiny, tiny tables set with bitsy…
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Coronavirus

Jim MerkelJuly 23, 2021
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Lab tests of sewer water help search for COVID-19

In a lab at the University of Missouri-Columbia, vials of chilled raw sewage from treatment plants throughout the state will…
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Education

Jim MerkelJuly 23, 2021
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Educational pioneer Dr. Henry Givens Jr. dies at 90

ST. LOUIS – When Dr. Henry Givens Jr. became president of Harris-Stowe Teachers College in 1979, many thought his main…
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Politics

Jim MerkelJuly 16, 2021
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$168 million for COVID-19 relief stalls over wording

CITY HALL – Two key city officials failed to reach agreement Friday on changes that would have allowed distribution of…
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Coronavirus

Jim MerkelJuly 16, 2021
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Officials warn of major surge in COVID-19 cases here

ST. LOUIS – With new cases of COVID-19 surging, an official of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force stressed…
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News

Jim MerkelJuly 14, 2021
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In marathon meeting, aldermen give preliminary OK for American Rescue Plan spending

CITY HALL – After a 10-hour slog, the Board of Aldermen gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a $168 million federally…
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Politics

Jim MerkelJuly 12, 2021
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Direct payments, homeless encampments spark controversy

CITY HALL – The issues of $5 million in direct payments to individuals and of encampments for the homeless brought…
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News

Jim MerkelJuly 11, 2021
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Screening service gives leeway on ‘iffy’ tenants

ST. LOUIS – To weed out problem tenants, landlords use services that screen them for such warning signs as criminal…
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Crime

Jim MerkelJuly 9, 2021
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Alderman wants to make checking successive car doors illegal

CITY HALL – A guy who goes from car to car in the middle of the night pulling the door…
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Politics

Jim MerkelJuly 8, 2021
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Panel rejects using $5 million of COVID relief for $500 payments to individuals

CITY HALL – An aldermanic committee dealt Mayor Tishaura Jones a defeat Wednesday, when it refused to reinstate $5 million…
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News

Jim MerkelJuly 2, 2021
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Official bills go missing in mayor’s office

CITY HALL – Two bills recently passed by the Board of Aldermen were delayed from going into effect after official…
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News

Jim MerkelJuly 2, 2021
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Workhouse closing went smoothly, Isom reports

CITY HALL – On the day St. Louis’ Medium Security Institution was officially without funding, interim Public Safety Director Dan…
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Politics

Jim MerkelJune 30, 2021
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Jones, Reed again bicker at board meeting

CITY HALL – Once again, Mayor Tishaura Jones and Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed spent much of a meeting…
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News

Jim MerkelJune 30, 2021
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Voting rally to feature dancing feet

DOWNTOWN – At most rallies for a cause, rousing speeches and maybe one or two songs are enough to stir…
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Art

Jim MerkelJune 27, 2021
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Modern-day Michaelangelos cover St. Louis with art

CARONDELET – One year, mural artist Ray Harvey heard an announcement on KMOX that civic leaders in Carondelet were holding…
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Politics

Jim MerkelJune 25, 2021
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Committee action settles new city budget

CITY HALL – A committee Thursday effectively settled sharp differences over how to cover a $5.7 million shortfall in the…
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Crime

Jim MerkelJune 24, 2021
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Police surveillance bill is put on hold

CITY HALL – A bill to regulate new police surveillance technology is on hold, after some Black aldermen expressed concern…
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Politics

Jim MerkelJune 22, 2021
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Mayor’s office kept out of committee meeting on COVID relief

CITY HALL – An aldermanic committee held on Tuesday the first of several meetings to discuss how to spend $80…
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News

Jim MerkelJune 22, 2021
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Justice Center capacity now at about 95 percent capacity, Isom says

CITY HALL – Now that St. Louis’ Medium Security Institution is officially empty, the City Justice Center is at about 95…
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News

Jim MerkelJune 18, 2021
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Black bookstore marks Juneteenth as special day for nation, own anniversary

UNIVERSITY CITY – Jeffrey and Pamela Blair have two reasons to celebrate on Juneteenth. It’s the day the last slaves…
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Politics

Jim MerkelJune 17, 2021
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Sparks fly over budget shortfall as city estimate board meets

CITY HALL – The three members of the city’s top budgeting board spent more than an hour Wednesday in a…
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Coronavirus

Jim MerkelJune 15, 2021
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Jones’ stimulus plan will face scrutiny from Board of Aldermen

CITY HALL – Mayor Tishaura Jones’ plan to spend $80 million in federal relief funds may encounter different ideas when…
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News

Jim MerkelJune 15, 2021
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Original LGBTQIA events are vivid in participants’ memories

ST. LOUIS – Back in 1973, Dan White didn’t like it when a friend told him he wanted to hold…
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Coronavirus

Jim MerkelJune 14, 2021
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Sharp drop in COVID-19 cases brings ‘new phase,’ end to task force briefings

ST. LOUIS – The tone at the last regular news briefing of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force was…
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Politics

Jim MerkelJune 13, 2021
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Reed demands list of cuts to balance short budget

CITY HALL – Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed is demanding that Mayor Tishaura Jones come up with ways to…
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