News

St. Louis Community College officials spent weeks preparing for a potential reaction to the Michael Brown grand jury decision but ended up closing its campuses instead. Classes were called off Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 25 and 26, giving students, faculty and staff four days off for the Thanksgiving holiday. STLCC’s decision to close was made during a conference call with campus presidents, the chancellor, three vice chancellors, Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management Mark Potratz, Chief Legal Officer Mary Nelson and Director of Public Information Dan Kimack. […]

Florissant Valley physics professor Rihab Sawah recalls the Syria where she grew up as a happy and peaceful place. Family gatherings happened on a daily basis, she said in an interview. “People don’t need to call each other and make appointments,” she said. “They just show up at your door, and if you have somewhere else you are going to, you’ll cancel that.” On weekends — which are Fridays and Saturdays in Syria — people would roll out rugs under trees and have picnics, even in the middle of the city, where everyone driving by could see them. “They wouldn’t do that for just a few hours,” Sawah said. “They would do that until 3 or 4 in the morning and then get up and go to work.” […]

St. Louisans don’t know what to expect after the Michael Brown grand jury decision is handed down, and Forest Park officials are no exception. But the St. Louis Community College district is preparing for possible reaction on its campuses. “I know the (grand jury decision) is going to elicit a lot of emotion throughout the region,” said Forest Park Interim President Roderick Nunn. “We can only hope the Forest Park community responds with respect, civility and calm.” […]

Forest Park police and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are investigating an alleged rape on campus Sept. 22. An 18-year-old female student filed a complaint on Oct. 27, accusing another student of raping her in an elevator, according to Dan Kimack, public information and marketing director for St. Louis Community College. “Within an hour of the hearing the complaint, campus police had the accused in for questioning,” he said. […]