🌱 St. Louis Domestic Abuse 24/7 Textline + East St. Louis Clean-Ups

Good morning, neighbors! It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the St. Louis Daily. Here are all the things you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Periods of sun. High: 53 Low: 40.

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Here are the top three stories in St. Louis today:

1. A texting hotline for domestic abuse and sexual assault survivors is now open 24/7 in St. Louis. Safe Connections began a textline in 2021 to help people get in contact with them more easily, and the organization has been a great help to the St. Louis area for over 40 years. Those who text the number (314) 531-2003 can reach a highly-trained advocate, receive emergency transportation, receive safety planning, get referrals for shelters or aid, and even set up therapy. (Riverfront Times)
2. The woman suspected of shooting at St. Louis officers on Friday has been released without charges, though the case is still under investigation. Police were called after the woman had allegedly threatened to "shoot up" the Social Security Administration office. When officers arrived, she was inside a Toyota minivan that had racial slurs painted on it. She fired a gun at the officers, but after the exchange, the woman threw the gun out of the car and surrendered. (KSDK.com)
3. In East St. Louis, volunteers are working to clean up the community. JD Dixon, a Belleville activist, and others worked to clear piles of trash and overgrown vegetation on North 39th Street to get the attention of authorities, hoping they could investigate illegal dumping and environmental racism in the predominantly Black city. Dixon's group is also working on getting signatures from the U.S. Department of Justice's environmental arm to get help with the dumping and to get a piece of a bill passed in Congress that would give $100 million to help resolve environmental issues in struggling communities. (Subscription: St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Today in St. Louis:

• File Management At Oak Bend Branch Library (9:30 AM)
• Craft Hour: Custom Mugs At Oak Bend Branch Library (10:00 AM)
• Open Mic Comedy At Steve's Hot Dogs (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The St. Louis County Police Department released their 2023-2028 Strategic Plan yesterday. The plan is available to view online. (St. Louis County Police Department via Facebook)
• Tonight is opening night of "Les Miserables" at The Fabulous Fox Theatre. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and will run for a little under three hours with an intermission; tickets can be purchased at the link. (Fabulous Fox)
• St. Louis Funny Bone Comedy Club is hosting its weekly Open Mic night tonight at 7:30 p.m. Come see local, regional, and national comedians perform. (St. Louis Funny Bone)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Tuesday! See you all tomorrow for another update.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.