The Gateway

More cannabis dispensaries are popping up in the St. Louis region offering infused soda, cookies and chocolate bars. This comes as demand for edibles is booming in Missouri.

As part of the effort to improve conditions in on-base housing, Fort Leonard Wood is reestablishing its Mayor program, where each neighborhood elects a mayor to help solve problems and build a better sense of community. Some soldiers and their families believe in the program, others say it won't address long-running problems.

Shelters and nonprofits are focusing on the vaccination of people in the region without homes. Those efforts, combined with others getting the shots, could mean lifting many restrictions by the Fourth of July.

What started as a tense debate over whether Rockwood’s schools should reopen in person last fall has descended into schoolyard bullying among the adults.

It’s morel mushroom hunting season in much of the Midwest. Finding the hollow, sponge-like edible mushrooms can be somewhat lucrative. They sell for an average of $25 to $40 a pound and even more when the season ends.

The Missouri legislature seems to be intent on ignoring the will of the people when it comes to ballot issues. Lawmakers have either successfully challenged or are challenging minimum wage increases, Clean Missouri redistricting and Medicaid expansion. Their argument: voters have been duped by special interests.

St. Louis’ MLS team is holding tryouts for its new youth academy. It’s part of an effort to remove costs that have been barriers for some parents and young soccer talent.

Agriculture is among the largest contributors to the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone. Farmers up river are trying to change their agricultural practices to prevent further damage, but so far they are having little luck.

Many Black Americans continue to struggle with how George Floyd died, even though a Minneapolis jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder. Many are suffering from mental anguish after repeatedly watching the justice system allow police officers who kill Black people to escape accountability.

About half the veterans in the St. Louis VA system have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Many say the process has been effective because of strong relationships with VA doctors.

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is presenting an exhibition of a New York-based artist’s work, which is designed to be outside and encountered by people walking by. It involves signs bearing thought-provoking questions about human relationships.

A St. Louis chef is planning to reopen a high-profile eatery with a new concept. Tim Eagan is hoping to open the doors of the former Eat-Rite Diner south of downtown next month. He is bringing years of experience to the venture and a new name for the restaurant.

St. Louis Public Schools are underutilized. An analysis shows the city has the second-lowest occupancy level for major cities. But even as the district consolidates buildings, rightsizing is tough.

As the federal government starts shipping more doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Missouri, hospitals and health departments in the St. Louis region are relying more on volunteers to help administer the shots.

Six new members of the Rolla City Council will take the oath of office tonight. Five of them upset incumbents to win their seats. Those incumbents voted for mask mandates and shutdown ordinances during the pandemic.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson is spending her final few days in office reflecting on her legacy, regrets and what is ahead for the city once new leadership is in place. Krewson retires Tuesday.

Farmers along the Missouri River are suing after flooding-related property damage. They have fought for years over whether the government should prioritize the river’s endangered animals or human interests.

Scott Air Force Base swore in roughly 20 members of the new U.S. Space Force in February. The former Airmen are now called Guardians. They will remain at Scott for another 12-to-18 months before they transfer to an official Space Force installation.

Much of the green energy focus on transportation is on cars and trucks. But barge traffic along inland waterways is critical to shipping crops. More focus on climate change could lead to improvements in the industry or leave it behind.

Latinos are far less likely to receive the COVID vaccine. A reluctance to get the shot grounded in language, culture, and other factors piles onto the health care inequities that many Latinos already face. That could leave many meatpacking communities at risk.

St. Louis County is slated to receive about $190 million in federal coronavirus relief funding from the most recent stimulus package. Officials are still figuring how to spend the money. And with a majority of the council opposed to County Executive Sam Page, there could be a fight.

The Cardinals are ready for their second consecutive pandemic-influenced home opener. A limited number of fans will be allowed in Busch Stadium, unlike last year when they were not inside the ballpark because of COVID-concerns.

After more than two decades at the St. Louis Development Corporation, Executive Director Otis Williams is retiring. His exit comes as the organization shifts how it does business.

The day after inmates at the St. Louis Justice Center broke out of their cells, smashed windows and started a fire, city officials again blamed faulty locks in the downtown jail.

Lawmakers and advocates in Missouri are pushing to restore voting rights more quickly to formerly incarcerated people. Current state law delays them from being able to vote before completing parole or probation.