Monday, January 14, 2013
There's reportedly a push to make area casinos smoke-free and it could take a step closer to reality Tuesday.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis County Councilman Mike O’Mara plans to introduce legislation Tuesday to apply the St. Louis County smoking ban to county casinos. (Sign up here for the FREE Patch Newsletter, including Breaking News Alerts.) The article reports that O’Mara wants to remove all exemptions from the county's smoking ban, and that includes River City Casino and Hollywood Casino St. Louis. O'Mara cited the health issue of smoke and was also quoted making the following statement in the Post-Dispatch article. “My goal is to get this ordinance cleaned up so that everyone in the county is on a level playing field,” O’Mara, D-Florissant, said Friday. “I’ve heard from too many owners of bars and restaurants who have …
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Group will ask the St. Louis County Council to eliminate smoking ban exemptions.
Tobacco-Free St. Louis will push the St. Louis County Council to expand the current smoking ban in the county to eliminate exemptions to the 2011 Clean Air Act. Businesses eligible for smoking bans include casinos, Lambert International Airport and bars where food makes up a small percentage of sales. The airport later went smoke-free despite its exempt status. The group made the announcement during a press conference Thursday morning at Three Kings Public House in University City. The group said there are currently 145 exemptions to the ban with the majority of those (56) coming in the North County area. There are 20 exemptions in mid-County, 41 in South County and 29 in the West County area. County Councilman Steve Stenger (D-Affton) …
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The chairman of the St. Louis County Council said Tuesday in Clayton that he is open to extending the ban.
The chairman of the St. Louis County Council said Tuesday in Clayton that he doesn’t expect a move to expand a recently enacted smoking ban to formulate for several months. County Council Chairman Steve Stenger, a Democrat who represents District 6 (which includes Mehlville and Oakville) and lives in unincorporated St. Louis County, told reporters that he would be open to removing exemptions on the county’s smoking ban that went into effect in January. The ban doesn’t encompass certain bars that serve primarily alcohol, casinos or some private clubs. “I would be in favor of a ban certainly that had fewer exemptions,” Stenger said. “And I am very open to having a dialogue, and we’ve been having a dialogue among council members about which …
Friday, May 20, 2011
Participants at the Clayton meeting agreed to stay in touch and expressed interest in reaching out to other local governments on the issue.
The subject of ending casinos' exemptions from smoking bans in the St. Louis region drew the most conversation during a Tuesday meeting in Clayton. While representatives from four counties and St. Louis City were expected, only representatives from St. Louis and St. Charles were present for the 20-minute discussion. St. Louis County District 6 Councilman Steve Stenger participated in the meeting along with St. Charles District 1 Councilman Joe Cronin, St. Charles District 2 Councilman Joe Brazil and St. Charles District 7 Councilman John White. At the end of the conversation, participants agreed to stay in touch as the St. Charles County Council prepares to vote on a bill that would put a smoking ban proposal before that county's votersin…
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Also see highlights from last weekend's Maple Sugar Festival in Wildwood and meet Crestwood's cats up for adoption.
Aldermen Reject Smoking Ban Exemption; Commander Says Post Might Disband Leo Lang, first vice commander of the post, cites financial woes due to a loss in bar sales. From Maplewood-Brentwood Patch. Mehlville Teachers and Students Go Hair-Free for Cancer Nine students and teachers had their heads shaved Monday in an effort to raise money for cancer research. From Mehlville Patch. Tasting Pure Maple Sugar at Outdoor Winter Festival Each year, the Maple Sugar Festival is celebrated during the first Saturday of February at Rockwoods Reservation in Wildwood. From Eureka-Wildwood Patch. Tea Time and Wine Found in Old Town Fenton Transitioning from a line worker at Chrysler to successful restaurateur was been a dream come true for Tammy Morgan, …
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Several St. Louis County residents told the St. Louis County Council Tuesday that they want smoking ban exemptions tightened up or eliminated.
- GOVERNMENT
- Joe Scott
-
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Just weeks after the smoking ban went into effect, County Executive Charlie Dooley had announced that 110 businesses had received smoking ban exemptions, more than the county had anticipated. Businesses eligible for smoking bans include casinos, Lambert International Airport and bars where food makes up a small percentage of sales. The airport later went smoke-free despite its exempt status. “The basis for the smoking ban was clear,” said Kendra Israel, of Richmond Heights told the council during its Tuesday meeting. “It was about protecting the health of the St. Louis community. The exemptions compromise the health of everyone.” Charles Gatton, of Ballwin, told the council he was chairman for County Citizens for Cleaner Air, which worked…
At Tuesday's meeting, several residents spoke out against the ban's exemptions.
- GOVERNMENT
- Joe Scott
-
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Several St. Louis County residents told the St. Louis County Council Tuesday that they want smoking ban exemptions tightened up or eliminated. Just weeks after the smoking ban went into effect, County Executive Charlie Dooley had announced that 110 businesses had received smoking ban exemptions, more than the county had anticipated. Businesses eligible for smoking bans include casinos, Lambert International Airport and bars where food makes up a small percentage of sales. The airport later went smoke-free despite its exempt status. “The basis for the smoking ban was clear,” Kendra Israel told the council during its Tuesday meeting. “It was about protecting the health of the St. Louis community. The exemptions compromise the health of …
38.64972
-90.338327
41 S Central Ave, Saint Louis, MO
/articles/county-residents-express-concern-over-smoking-ban
/locations/3169218
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The Mehlville Fire Protection District is one of many places that are now smoke-free in the county.
Firefighters may be paid to push through the smoke of a burning building, but starting this week, firefighters at the Mehlville Fire Protection District will no longer be allowed to smoke in firehouses. Firefighters were allowed to smoke in firehouse engine bays until Jan. 2, when St. Louis County's ban on smoking in public places became law. Voters passed the ordinance by a large margin in November 2009. Mehlville Fire Chief Tim White says complying with the new law will not be a problem. "The engine bays are a common work area, and it does have public access," White said. "We want to make sure we are in full compliance, and any smoking will be at least 15 feet from an entrance." According to White, not many firefighters smoke. White …
38.513328
-90.316097
Mehlville Fire Protection District #1 House
3241 Lemay Ferry Rd, Saint Louis, MO
/articles/mehlville-fire-goes-smoke-free-to-comply-with-ban
1483221
/locations/2954559
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Four state laws and two county changes will affect Mehlville residents this year.
While most Missouri laws go into effect Aug. 28 of the year in which the legislation passed, four new laws went into effect on Jan. 1: HB 1311: Thanks to the House bill 1311, thousands of Missouri kids affected by autism will now be eligible for health insurance coverage for the treatments they need. All group health benefit plans are now required to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, and coverage will be limited to treatments ordered by qualified physicians that are considered medically necessary. The new law requires that health insurance plans cover up to $40,000 per year for each affected child, and it provides a new licensing requirement for behavior analysts who treat autism. HB1868: In an effort to save…
38.501734
-90.298162
3031 Telegraph Rd, Saint Louis, MO
/articles/missouri-legislative-changes-for-the-new-year
/locations/2949453
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The county has enlisted the help of county high schools to learn about tobacco prevention; 76 Mehlville high school students participated in the smoking survey.
With one in four Missouri adults identifying as a smoker, the state has one of the highest smoking rates in the country. On Jan. 2, Mehlville restaurants will become smoke free thanks to a county-wide smoking ban taking effect that day. The ban came after Kathleen Sebellius, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, met with county health officials in June 2010 to review their plans for the nearly $8 million federal grant it received. The grant paid for nine new health department employees who would implement a new program called "Changing Tobacco Norms in St. Louis County." The program is aimed at keeping young people from starting to smoke, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke for county residents and helping smokers …
BillHannegan
9:50 am on Thursday, August 4, 2011
Back in March, Tobacco Free St. Louis head Pat Lindsey assured everyone that the elimination of exemptions was such "a done deal" by County Executive Dooley and the Health Department that she didn't even need to lobby anymore, as if an exemption free ordinance had already been written. http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2011/03/county_smoking_ban_exemptions_st_louis.php New Tobacco Free St… more ›