...with the CBS-EBU's. See you later on 48 hours. Good night.
...CBS News...
You've seen the reports, sex scandals, thousands of resignations, the Catholic priesthoods in trouble, deep trouble.
I think it's very difficult at times, as I said, I felt like the cruise director on the Titanic.
Can the church attract new priests to a field with so many problems? Good question.
Eye on America, tomorrow on the CBS Evening News.
The people of CBS News. Dan Rather, Connie Chung, Ed Bradley, Mike Wallace, Leslie Stahl, Morley Safer, Steve Kroff, Andy Rooney, and Charles Kural.
Experience. CBS News.
This is CBS.
Next, on News 4, live at 6.
Gangs, drugs, guns. Some say it could be the beginning of a long, hot summer.
And?
Former Missouri Attorney General Bill Webster is caught in the midst of a lot of rumors. What's fact? What's fiction?
Blood.
A new riverboat casino set to roll up the river, but some wonder if it will sink in its new location.
Big story coverage, straight ahead.
This is News 4, live at 6.
Good evening and thank you for joining us. Gangs, drugs, and guns mixed for a violent past 24 hours on the streets of St. Louis.
Seven victims were wounded in drive-by shootings.
Steve Jankowski reports police fear this might be the beginning of a violent summer.
Eight people were sitting on this porch in the 4000 block of Page around midnight.
A car pulled up, shots were fired, and four people were hit, one of them in the head.
The 22-year-old man is now in serious condition.
Then about 1230 this afternoon, a car pulled by this house in the 2900 block of Bailey.
At least one man inside the car opened fire. Three people were hit in the buttocks and legs.
The car sped off with people from the neighborhood in pursuit.
Several blocks away, the car struck a pole and the gunman fled on foot.
This is not the first time these two rival groups have exchanged gunfire, and police fear it won't be the last.
Summer's here. This is only the beginning.
It's going to be a hot summer, guaranteed.
Officers patrolled the area with the help of the K-9 squad and thought they had found their suspect in a house near where the car was abandoned.
But that lead didn't work out.
Police say that rival gangs and crack cocaine are behind a lot of the shootings that take place on city streets, many involving innocent victims.
And one officer that I talked with today about this shooting indicates that more people would die if these guys were better shots.
They're trying to shoot at the biggest part, and then when they shoot, their hands drop and then they just hit the leg.
But they don't know what they're doing. So you can tell it's all teenagers that's mainly involved in all this.
Other officers say shooting in the legs is just a warning or an attention getter, that when the matter is really serious, larger, more powerful weapons will be used and the results will be more deadly.
People who live under the gun say the end result is the same.
It don't make no sense. Don't relate to gang related. It's not thinking. There's no way.
Those residents add it may take the death of the rivals to bring the violence to an end.
I'm Steve Jankowski, Names 4.
Now today's shootings are tied to rival gangs. Police are not sure of the motive for the shooting last night on page.
While the rumor mill is working overtime tonight concerning former Missouri Attorney General Bill Webster,
one local television station reported incorrectly that an indictment against Webster would be issued today.
But the federal grand jury meeting in Springfield recessed and it did not indict Webster.
Jeff Frankfurt is here to update us on what he's learned.
Well, then there are still some developments coming, but they did not come today. The rumors were everywhere today.
One report handed that the U.S. attorney in Springfield would make an announcement about an indictment at 2.30 this afternoon
and the television station reported that Webster would plead no contest to 23 counts. Neither of those is true.
But here is what we can tell you. The Springfield grand jury that has been investigating Webster is wrapping up its work.
We are told it wants to hear from at least one more witness.
Sources familiar with the investigation say the grand jury will hand up an indictment against the former attorney general
unless Webster and prosecutors work out a plea bargain first.
The indictment sources say it would involve Webster's handling of the second injury fund,
family land deal and some other relatively minor allegations.
An indictment would not be a great surprise.
Webster has been implicated in the indictments of two other men.
Former assistant attorney general Bill Rusan, seen here, who pled guilty to charges he and Webster conspired to loot the second injury fund,
and Springfield developer Stephen Redford, seen here, who pled guilty to charges he tried to bribe Webster.
Both Rusan and Redford are cooperating with prosecutors.
The witness says prosecutors should not believe either man. During a news conference earlier this month, he called the grand jury investigation a witch hunt.
Both individuals apparently offered reductions in jail time, were offered reductions in jail time, in exchange for what is untruthful testimony about me.
I tried to reach Bill Webster on the telephone today. I couldn't, but I did talk to him on the telephone yesterday.
I asked him if he had worked out a plea agreement with prosecutors. He said he has not.
He also said he has no idea what the Springfield grand jury is going to do, but one source tells us that the next developments could come as soon as next week.
Stay tuned.
We will continue to watch it. Thanks for keeping us posted. Jeff Rainford.
Thank you, Jeff. In other news, Joseph Pulitzer, Jr., former publisher of the Post-Dispatch is dead this evening.
He died of cancer this afternoon at his central West End home.
One of the most prestigious names in journalism, Pulitzer followed his father and grandfather into the business.
After graduating from Harvard, his work at the Post-Dispatch began in 1936.
Under his guidance, the Pulitzer publishing empire grew from a St. Louis company into a multimedia operation with three newspapers, seven television stations, and two radio stations.
Pulitzer will also be remembered as a patron of the arts, and for 31 years he served as chairman of the board of the Pulitzer Prizes established by his grandfather.
Funeral arrangements are still being made. Pulitzer was 80 years old.
Coming up, riverboat gambling right in the shadow of the Gateway Arch.
Just a couple of weeks away, too. A Florida casino will start up the river soon, and in just a moment we'll take you on board for a tour.
But bi-state gamblers might face some security concerns getting to that boat.
We'll have some answers on that and some more about the concern coming up in tonight's big tour.
Julius Hunter, Larry Connors, meteorologist Trish Brown, and sports with Doug Braun.
This is News 4, live at 6.
Kelly Bundy on the ideal man.
He is a god, a janitor at our school.
So obviously all the girls want him.
Coming up next on Channel 4.
For those who take life way too seriously, may we suggest an attitude adjustment?
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You're looking swell, darling, I can tell.
Darling, you're still growing, you're still glowing, you're still strong and strong.
This is what healthcare is meant to be, principal healthcare of St. Louis.
Remember the principles that enter the room.
Healthcare is an important family issue.
At St. Mary's Health Center and Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital,
we're working together to make sure you have the kind of healthcare services your family needs.
That's why we've joined Channel 4 in sponsoring family work.
Throughout the year we'll be bringing you programs that address today's family issues.
And we'll provide information to help you strengthen your family.
Because at St. Mary's and Cardinal Glennon we believe the family works.
Hundreds of miles from St. Louis, a new riverboat casino,
now just days away from beginning its trip to East St. Louis,
but you don't have to wait to get a closer look.
The early June arrival of the casino queen has caused for new hope for East St. Louis.
And at the same time there is talk of some old fears.
We will examine these issues in tonight's big story coverage
with a tour of the new floating casino now docked in Pensacola, Florida.
We're going to show you exactly how to get to the casino once it does arrive on the riverfront,
plus some answers to the questions about safety and security surrounding the location.
We begin our coverage now with a look at what will be the first casino in the downtown St. Louis area.
News 4's Peter Bernard is just back from Florida
and he joins us live now from the East St. Louis riverfront with a look at the boat.
Peter?
Yeah, about a month from now this place here will be the starting point for six three hour cruises every day.
Now to get a sneak peek at the casino queen,
we were flown by private jet down to Pensacola, Florida by the casino boat's owner
and there we found a boat that was just about ready to make its way up the Mississippi
to its home port here in East St. Louis.
You can see her from quite a distance.
As a matter of fact, this is what she'll probably look like from the St. Louis side of the river.
Construction on this paddle wheel replica began in November of 91.
Its build is the largest floating riverboat in North America.
It's 450 feet long, 70 feet high, has four decks,
and come June 21st they say it'll be ready for action in East St. Louis.
Soon the sound of workmen will be replaced with the sound of gaming.
On board it looks like a regular Las Vegas casino,
but this one has three huge 1500 horsepower engines
controlled by a captain, four decks above the mighty Mississippi.
Promises by the boat owners to hire East St. Louis residents are apparently being fulfilled.
Twelve city residents are in Florida now.
Dwayne Barfield uses experience on the Navy and on fishing boats
to land a job as a casino queen deckhand.
I guess when people see that the boat is working outside,
people will come and they'll build and I think East St. Louis will be put back on the map once again.
The 3,000 guests coming aboard will first see a four-story chandelier-let atrium called the Grand Lobby.
It's here and throughout the ship that you'll find hand-painted foam marbling.
Card tables, roulette, and back wrap will fill center parts of decks one and three with slots throughout.
Studies have shown that gamblers really like the slot machines, so the casino queen has plenty of them.
As a matter of fact, there are 850 of these one-armed bandits stationed throughout the ship.
If someone gets too rowdy, they may find themselves here in the brig, its existence required by law.
Project manager James Abraham says his queen is the finest in the world.
All of the things are going to make it a magnificent vessel. I think we've accomplished that.
Supposed to leave Pensacola June 1st. It'll be making its way up to Mississippi.
The trip will take about seven to eight days stopping for fuel.
And by the way, one of the partners in this boat is owner of the casino queen and the Barbary Coast.
The Barbary Coast and the Gold Coast, that's out in Las Vegas.
So they have experience with gambling operations.
By the way, one fact I didn't get in the story, it's kind of interesting.
On board there will be 17 tons of coins on board.
Lots of coins. The first cruise set for June 21st. See you then.
A lot of coins. Thank you. Peter Bernard reporting live from the East St. Louis Riverfront.
Well, no matter how well outfitted nor attractive the casino queen may be,
it will not succeed if people don't come out to gamble.
Larry Connors continues our big story with more on that.
That of course raises some concerns about safety and security.
We'll get to that in just a moment.
Before we do though, you might need to know exactly where the casino queen will be located
and of course how you will be able to get there.
The casino is going to dock just south of the Eads Bridge,
directly across the river from the Admiral.
Now to get there, one way of course, across the Poplar Street Bridge.
If you're coming from the Missouri side, exit at 4th Street,
you take that to Broadway, which by the way will be renamed River Park Drive.
And then you turn left.
And then Broadway, or River Park Drive, with a new name anyway,
will be taking you to Front Street, turn left, and then in seconds you'll be at the casino property.
There is concern, spoken and unspoken, that it might not be safe to drive through East St. Louis to get to the casino.
Eric Thomas standing by on that story.
And Eric, whether or not this is true, this is going to be a big public relations issue for the casino property to deal with.
Well Larry, there is no doubt that East St. Louis has a reputation and it is not the most positive one.
What you see behind me is the 4th Street exit you mentioned off the Poplar Street Bridge onto Broadway.
This is Broadway.
Basically, it's the path down to the Casino Queen.
And rightly or wrongly, some potential customers are going to wonder if this will be a journey for fun or one of fear.
As you cross the Poplar Street Bridge for your rendezvous with the Casino Queen,
the management hopes you travel with visions of money, not visions of murder.
They know all about East St. Louis' rough and ready reputation, a reputation they're trying to overcome.
Well lit parking. We have twice the candle power of Busch Stadium.
And it's a well maintained area. There will be top flight security guards, 24 hours a day.
The Casino Queen's dockside facilities will feature a 125 person security force,
about twice as big as the entire East St. Louis Police Department.
And woven patrols down Broadway will try to make up where the East St. Louis PD leaves off.
You don't have an easy job at it, do you?
No, sir, I don't.
The actual law enforcement duties of making arrests and transporting prisoners will fall to an ill-equipped,
undermanned and underfunded police department.
But the chief says they'll make do.
What we expect is to be out of more overtime to increase the manpower on the street
until we're able at some point to hire enough police officers
to the point where we feel that the entire city is secure.
Rank and file officers, though, disagree.
These picketers are members of the paternal order of police.
They say morale is low. Many officers haven't had a raise since the late 70s.
And they say the riverboat is yet another burden to bear.
If it happens that way and there are no new people hired, then you can expect police services to be cut to the community.
East St. Louis Police are trying to negotiate a new contract and things are not going very well.
That's why you saw the informational pickets there.
Everyone agrees that the Casino Queen complex, when it's up and running,
will probably be one of the safest places in town.
The question in many people's minds will be the stretch of the city
patrolled by the East St. Louis Police Department.
And the Casino Queen people say that if they didn't think it was safe,
they wouldn't be sinking $35 million into this project.
Larry, Julius, back to you.
Thank you, Eric. I'm not sure the word sinking is what they want, but we understand what you meant.
It is going to be, to use our own phraseology, a big gamble for them, either way,
especially after the riverfront opens on the Missouri side.
The Casino Queen is scheduled to arrive at East St. Louis sometime between June 7th and June 11th, by the way.
The first voyage scheduled for June 21st. That's the schedule.
By the way, you'll be able to bet all you want because there are no limits in Illinois.
Now, in Missouri, under the current law, there is a $500 limit on losses.
You can bet and win all you want, but you can't lose more than $500.
Some say that's a good idea. The casinos would like to see that lifted entirely, of course, at some point.
That is my view.
Barbecues, picnics, and a big holiday weekend still ahead.
Many of our viewers are making their weekend plans.
Let's see if we can go to Trish to help out.
Well, you want to check in and see what the weather's going to be like.
There is a threat for some thunderstorms, but when will that be moving in?
I'll tell you all about that. Plus, I'll have the answer to tonight's weather school question.
St. Elmo's fire is either the orange glow of the sun at sunset,
a blue glow indicating a lightning strike will soon follow, or a movie.
The answer coming up after the forecast.
When you got a job to do, it's HQ to the rescue.
Rescue me, don't take me in your arms, rescue me. I want you to take a chance, cause I'm a lunatic and I'm blue. I need you, I need you, come on and rescue me. HQ to the rescue.
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Save 30 to 50 percent on pictures and accessories. Don't miss our spring home decorating sale. Hurry, sale ends Memorial Day at 6 p.m. The Sylvan chair company.
The Casino Queen coming soon to the St. Louis area. Call now for reservations 800-777-0777.
Hey, you got off the fence and got the Bonneville, huh? Yeah, got it with Pontiac's three year smart drive. Smart drive? Yeah, $2.99 a month for 36 months of worry free drive. Really?
Yeah, for three years I get a no deductible warranty, free 24 hour roadside assistance, either courtesy of transportation if I need it. Pontiac Bonneville, huh? $2.99 a month. For 36 months? Worry free.
Smart drive? Smart drive. How did you swing a deal like that? Hey, it's not who you know. It's where you go. See your local Gateway Pontiac dealer today.
Before you choose a shop to paint your car, ask a few questions. What about their work? Can they deliver a quality factory finish for only $159? Or is it just another repaint? When it's time to paint your car, make it easy, make it right, make it Mako.
After 57 years, Carafiles is going out of business. It's the countdown on the final Memorial Day sale. Save 50% on Century, Bernhardt & Thomasville. Carafiles, both stories.
This is getting to be something wonderful. Another beautiful day. I tell you, just keep adding them on. I think Lawrence Welk said it best. A wonderful Wednesday. Ah, wonderful a wonderful is what he said.
Very good impression there. Yes, absolutely wonderful out there. Hardly a cloud in the sky. You can see that from our weather window. Temperatures this afternoon have been right at normal for this time of year.
We check out our weather watcher temperatures for today. 82 in De Soto, 79 in Arnold, the cool spot 73 in Carlisle, and in Bowling Green with lots of sunshine. We had a high temperature today of 76 degrees.
Here in St. Louis we topped off at 77 with a cool morning low of 51 and of course no precipitation. Can't get rainfall if you don't have any clouds, right?
Well we do continue to have sunny skies out there. Temperatures 75 degrees. Winds will be out of the southeast at 9 miles per hour. They are now and they will continue to be.
And that's going to keep temperatures at least fairly mild and holding in the 70s throughout most of the evening hours.
Now on our radar picture tonight we have high pressure that's set up over the Bi-State area and what that is doing is setting up a buffer from any kind of moisture that would be moving in at all.
In fact we do have some thunderstorms over western sections of Nebraska and Colorado. Some of these possibly even becoming severe later on this evening.
But we are not worried about this and the reason for it again is high pressure keeping everything shoved off to the west and also to the north.
And that means the sunshine is going to continue right here in the Bi-State region at least for the next 24 hours.
We do have low pressure and a couple of cold fronts just to the northwest. Those will be converging on the area but again as I mentioned high pressure will still stick in the midsection of the country.
And that means a fair amount of sunshine right on through the weekend. Only slight chances for thunderstorms and that will occur Friday.
Most of the activity though will be staying to the north. So here's a forecast for this evening. Mostly clear skies and as I mentioned temperatures will be holding in the 70s.
As our winds stay out of the southeast they will be fairly light this evening. And then tomorrow they'll be switching to the south and that means temperatures will be warming up nicely.
85 for a high temperature tomorrow afternoon with lots of sunshine. A few more clouds Friday. Maybe an isolated thunderstorm. That will be it.
Our high temperature a warm 87. Turn on air conditioners for that. And then Saturday and Sunday temperatures moderate into the low to mid 80s with partly sunny skies lasting.
Isolated thunderstorms maybe for Monday but they will be scattered. Let's check out the weather school question once again.
St. Elmo's Fire is meteorologically speaking the orange glow of the sun at sunset. A blue glow indicating a lightning strike will soon follow or a movie.
I thought St. Elmo's Fire was the name of a moonshine in the county in Texas where Larry grew up but I guess it isn't.
Well it is but she didn't have that on there. How did you know that? And it is also a movie but I guess you want B.
Yes the answer is B. You act like we're surprised. Well I'm surprised you get it right actually.
It's a discharge of a positive charge that will come off any metallic object. So beware if you see that blue glow.
Don't underestimate us. Never. Extensive knowledge that it is.
Looking for money reporter Mike Brown's easy money names coming up in this next commercial break.
Then in sports an upset at the French Open and more gouging by the NFL owners but does Jimmy Northwine have something up his sleeve?
Sports and Doug Vaughn coming up next. But first on Wall Street the Dow going up again twenty three and a half points.
Weather School is brought to you by Schnucks the friendliest stores in town.
This week at Schnucks you'll find real hot buys for your holiday barbecue. Schnucks your savings store.
I'm Mike Brown with more names now from our easy money list. Unclaimed property being held in Missouri and Illinois.
There's five hundred three dollars in there belonging to Turley Smith more than six hundred dollars on hold for Stella Helm.
Who else is on our list? Well Harry Abraham and Richard Wood have close to four hundred dollars apiece.
And the state is holding more than five hundred dollars for Mildred Ferguson.
Now to see if you are on this list in Missouri write to unclaimed property PO Box twelve seventy two Jeff City six five one oh two.
Send them your name and address. Tell them to check it out for you.
In Illinois it's unclaimed property PO Box one nine four nine five in Springfield six two seven nine four.
More easy money names tonight at ten o'clock.
Now let country pride give you a chicken BLT ASAP. Just pick up fresh country fried boneless chicken breasts.
Roll them in ranch dressing mix. Wrap them in bacon. Sizzle them up.
And in less than 20 minutes you've got yourself a country fried chicken BLT. There's always time for country pride.
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At this price there's never been a better time to buy country pride.
You probably think this is a tire. Actually it's part of a muffler system.
Its special design helps keep noise down and it's also part of a performance steering system that allows the rear wheels to actually pivot to hug a corner better.
It's also an integral part of a suspension system that's precisely tuned to the way you want the road to feel.
Where can you buy a tire this different? Just buy one of these. Intrepid. This changes everything.
I looked in the mirror and I just went oh my gosh I look like a different person. I was huge.
I went to Jenny Craig because I needed someone to help me the whole way through. I had a lot of bad habits.
Deborah helped me change them one at a time and I could call her anytime I needed her.
I got the help and I wanted to tell people you don't be afraid to reach out and get that help.
Get personal weight management at Jenny Craig. Pay as you go. Just six dollars a week. Call 1-800-92-JENNY.
For the past two nights on News 4 Live at 10, health reporter Al Wyman has been reporting an unusual story.
The story of his own battle with cancer and tonight Al concludes that special report.
One of the reasons I wanted to do this story was to dispel some of the myths about prostate cancer.
Fact, it's the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men.
Myth, it only affects men in their 60s and 70s.
It can strike much earlier. In fact, the American Cancer Society recommends men over 40 have a yearly examination for prostate cancer,
which includes a digital rectal exam and a PSA blood test.
That blood test saved my life and my wrap up report I'll tell you how and where you can get a free PSA blood test for prostate cancer.
My story tonight on News 4 Live at 10.
A riveting story and not just because it's Al but very touching story.
It's generated a lot of calls. All right, in the sports, here's Doug.
A source in Boston tells me today that James Northwine has had a significant number of meetings with a new potential buyer up there.
So that could add to this whole expansion thing.
The St. Louis NFL partners have to come up with $70 million in cash up front to qualify for an expansion team.
Jerry Clinton says that's the hard part, coming up with all that money for a down payment.
It's no wonder the other owners were laughing at the meetings yesterday.
Probably can't believe they're about to get $200 million total for each of the two new teams to be awarded in October.
Meanwhile, James Northwine may be close to selling the New England Patriots to Hollywood film producer Jeffrey Lurie.
Northwine would like to sell the paths to devote all his resources to the St. Louis effort.
We'll see how that all falls down. Cardinals face an old friend tonight in Montreal, Kin Hill.
Soon as they traded him, he turned into one of the best pitchers in the league.
Hill is 5-0. Joe McGrain goes tonight for the Redbirds.
Last night the cards were done in by St. Louis and Lou Frazier out of Jennings High School in North County.
Frazier's eighth inning double down the line and into the corner,
drove in the go-ahead run and the Expos went on to win it 4-2.
This afternoon at Wrigley Field, Barry Bonds of the Giants hit a monstrous home run,
well over the bleachers, way out into the street, 12th of the year for Bonds,
but Cubbies still won that game 4-2 over the Giants.
Boris Becker has been one of the top players in tennis for several years,
but continues to struggle any time he gets on clay.
Today at the French Open, Becker's seeded fourth, upset by Rodolphe Gilbert of France.
Gilbert ranked 92nd in the world, but he made short work of Boom Boom Becker, beat him in straight sets today.
Jim Currier, Jennifer Capriotti, and Stephie Graff were among the winners.
Reports out of Detroit say Brian Murray is out as coach of the Red Wings, but will remain as general manager.
The knock against Murray is that he can't win in the playoffs despite having one of the more talented teams in the NHL.
One of the more frustrating things about golf is losing a ball, especially a new ball.
Sometimes you're just barely off the fairway, but you still can't find it in the grass.
A man in Georgia has found a solution. He trained his dog to sniff out golf balls. It's saving him big bucks.
She just loves to do that for the reason that I do it.
She'll do it. She'll try to do anything I do, if I go get a wrench off a two bucks,
if I don't spruce him up, she'll have a wrench.
Does good work. He says other golfers have offered to buy the dog right there on the spot on the course.
So far he's not accepting any offers for that. Saving him too much money as it is.
Oh, the dog needs a litter. You know? Sure, you can breed dogs like that, I suppose. Incredible.
Alright, that's it for now. Thank you for getting in the news. This is your 24-hour news story.
Married with children coming up next on Channel 4.
I know what it's like to...