Latest news with #MeganGreen
BBC News
08-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Preachers prompt debate on limit of free speech in Leek
A business owner has claimed people are being deterred from visiting her town due to the presence of street preachers whose language, she said, "bordered on hate speech".Megan Green runs an online business, The Cosy Witch, from her house in Leek and said she had attended the same church as one of the preachers when she was a said she felt the town needed to be shown in a positive light, so goes out delivering compliments to passers-by on the high of the preachers, Johnathan, admitted his views, and the messages he preached, would not be appreciated by everyone. Ms Green has lived in Leek since she was a child and said she had recently noticed people becoming upset and businesses struggling on the days preachers were in the town."No one in Leek has a problem with street preaching, what we have a problem with is things that are hurtful and bordering hate speech," she said."I respect everyone's beliefs, but I don't like to be called a bad mother walking down the street."Ms Green said people stopped her in the street to thank her for what she had been doing."I'm in no way trying to stop the freedom of speech," she added. "It's just there's a very careful line between what is free speech and what is hate speech under the guise of religion."Preachers have been a feature in the town centre for many told the BBC last September they had faced homophobia in the town. One lesbian said she had been called a "sin of nature" and "against God's will".During the Pride in the Moorlands event ten days ago, one preacher said: "Sin isn't something to be celebrated or tolerated", adding that God had "made a way for us to be set free from the power of sin".He added: "Mankind... they like their lifestyle more than God, so they're unwilling to accept a message that is potentially telling them their lifestyle is wrong." Preacher Johnathan often preaches for between 30 to 45 minutes before moving on to a new location within the is in line with a code of conduct which asks performers and preachers to move on after 45 minutes in one location and to be aware of market traders or asked if his preaching amounted to hate speech, Johnathan said he thought the gospel was "intrinsically offensive", but pointed out that offence was not a crime and did not equate to hate speech."We don't preach hate, we don't incite hate, we preach a message of love," he in the town have grown upset with the regular preaching claiming it is reducing business in the town on the days the preachers are there. Daniel Salt, a barber, said he had noticed a drop in customers when the preachers were outside his shop."It's a nightmare because we have to listen to it all day then there people arguing outside all day", he felt fewer people were less likely to come into the shop as a result."I think, when it starts interfering with businesses and owners, it's not fair on anyone because everyone is just trying to make a living," he added. A spokesperson for Staffordshire Police said officers continued to liaise with people expressing religious views in Leek."Officers appreciate the community getting in touch with us on this matter and are working in partnership with the local council to address any concerns," they said. Councillor Bill Cawley, cabinet member for communities at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, said the authority's licensing team was working with the police in relation to the code of conduct and that increased enforcement would be discussed in the coming weeks. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jami Cox Antwi wins Ward 8 election with 55% of the vote
ST. LOUIS – Jami Cox Antwi, backed by Mayor Cara Spencer, won the Ward 8 election, securing 55% of the vote. The election saw a total of 1,935 voters, with Antwi receiving 1,070 votes. Five candidates competed for the position, including Shedrick Kelley, who was endorsed by Aldermanic President Megan Green; Jim Dallas, a retired insurance executive; Alecia Hoyt, a photography studio owner and Cam McCarty, the Libertarian Party nominee. Greater St. Louis, Inc. CEO Interim Dustin Allison released a statement, saying 'Our sole focus must be getting St. Louis growing again. We supported Jami Cox Antwi in this campaign because we believed she was the best candidate to act with focus and urgency to advance policies necessary to drive inclusive growth and move St. Louis forward. 'We are pleased to congratulate Jami Cox Antwi on her victory in today's special election,' his statement concluded. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Louis plans $30M, Missouri $100M for tornado relief. How will they spend it?
ST. LOUIS – Three weeks after a devastating tornado tore through St. Louis, destroying thousands of homes and buildings, urgency is growing to secure the financial support needed to recover and rebuild. It remains unclear when and how much federal aid may be available for St. Louis. However, on a local and state level, two plans are gaining momentum to help mobilize major funding for recovery efforts. Those plans – one from the City of St. Louis and one from the State of Missouri – aim to inject tens of millions of dollars, upwards of nine figures, into the recovery process. If both plan are ultimately approved, how will the money be used to aid St. Louis in tornado recovery? To extents, that's still to be determined, but the city's and state's new bills offer some early clues. Proposed through St. Louis Board Bill 31 (Primary sponsor: Megan Green) On Friday, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen formally introduced Board Bill 31, which calls to allocate $30 million from the the NFL Rams relocation settlement toward a 'tornado relief and recovery fund.' The fund would be maintained by the city treasurer and exclusively available toward services and resources considered part of the tornado recovery effort. 'Eligible uses' under the bill include: Providing services to 'prevent homelessness and displacement' for homeowners impacted by the tornado, such as home repairs, temporary housing, help with insurance deductibles and storage of personal belongings. Repairing tornado-damaged public infrastructure, such as streets, sidewalks, water systems, lighting and trees. Providing residents with financial and legal support through an 'Impacted Tenants Fund.' Matching funds for federal or state grants tie to infrastructure and housing recovery. Providing money to nonprofits for critical tornado-response gaps in staffing, shelter, technology and warehousing. Procuring goods and services eligible for FEMA reimbursement. Compensating city staff and administrative costs related to disaster response (capped at 5% of fund annually) The bill aims to prioritize underinsured or uninsured households. It also outlines 26 neighborhoods or landmarks as 'impacted areas' eligible for assistance through the relief fund, mainly in northside and westside neighborhoods. The bill expresses that the aid must be used to help impacted people, properties or public infrastructure and may not be used for personal expenses. Proposed through Missouri 2025 Special Session Senate Bill 1 (Primary sponsor: Lincoln Hough) At the state level, lawmakers have proposed $100 million for a Missouri 'disaster relief fund,' a key component to a broader $360 million emergency spending package (Senate Bill 1) passed by the Missouri Senate on Thursday amid the ongoing special legislative session. The bill authorizes the Missouri Department of Public Safety to distribute funds to 'any city not within a county' – a phrase that applies solely to the City of St. Louis – for disaster-related expenses. Though the bill doesn't outline exact uses, it ties funding to Gov. Mike Kehoe's request for a presidential disaster declaration. Kehoe's request includes FEMA individual assistance to support temporary housing, housing repairs, and replacement of damaged property and vehicles, among other things. With that in mind, it's possible the $100 million could cover the following such services or resources: Emergency response Cleanup and debris remobal Housing, shelter and storage assistance Infrastructure repairs Out-of-pocket expenses related to storm damage The funds would be available for use between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 and must comply with Missouri constitutional guidelines for emergency expenditures. The broader spending package would also authorize $25 million in emergency housing assistance, though that's not directly tied to the $100 million in tornado-specific funds. Both proposals – the city's and the state's – still need full approval. The St. Louis board bill would require a series or reviews and approvals from the Board of Aldermen and Mayor Cara Spencer. The Missouri special session bill still needs to clear the House before it could possibly be sent to Gov. Kehoe for review. With uncertainties on timing and dollars still looming with federal assistance, these local and state bills could represent some of the largest coordinated public investments in recovery since the May 16 St. Louis tornado. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Property Tax rebate approved for tornado victims
ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Board of Aldermen approved a bill to provide tornado victims with a property tax rebate. Friday morning, the board passed board bill 24 to help ensure that homeowners who lost their home in this month's tornado will get some property tax relief. Their taxes will be eligible for a pro-rated rate. Another bill, board bill 23, was on the agenda for final passage, but it will now be held until Tuesday after being amended earlier this week. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Board Bill 23 would provide rental assistance to tornado victims through the city's Impacted Tenant Fund. The board of aldermen has met three times this week to discuss this bill. 'Typically a board bill from start to finish takes about a month, but this board is showing how we are moving diligently, and we are moving quickly,' Ward 14 Alderman Rasheen Aldridge said. Even if passed, though, it is unknown how many people will benefit. The funding for the rental assistance program sits at $100,000 right now, with another $160,000 expected to be allocated in the coming weeks. 'We are working with the budget director and the administration to identify other potential funding sources we can pull from in order to get more money into that fund. I think everybody recognizes that $260,000 is not going to be enough,' Board of Aldermen president Megan Green said. Jacqueline Hines has owned her home on Page for 18 years. The back wall of the brick house collapsed in the tornado. She says she is grateful for all of the relief options being considered, but until she knows she qualifies, she is not waiting around. 'Until then, we still have to keep going. I still need stuff to be moved and I'm not waiting on nobody. So if anybody needs a job, I'm hiring because I'm not sitting on this porch for the sun. It already burned me,' she said. If Board Bill 23 is approved on Tuesday, the city still needs to implement an application process. It is unclear exactly when renters would be able to apply for relief. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Journals
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Journals
Federal judge issues scathing order in Green's police takeover suit
A federal judge issued a scathing order in Megan Green's police takeover suit filed against Missouri, writing that "first-year constitutional law students" are taught that states enjoy sovereign immunity under the U.S. Constitution's 11th Amendment.
