The owner of the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum in St. Louis wants to rebuild following last month's fire that heavily damaged its home near the Compton Hill Reservoir Park.

Dr. David Karpeles said he is looking into fixing the windows and roof of the former church, but the interior walls will likely not be replaced. That would leave one large room in the back half of the building.

In an email conversation this week, Karpeles said full replacement value of the space is around $5 million.

Kerry Manderbach, the local museum director, expanded on those comments. He said a couple of options are being considered. One would renovate the building into essentially a big open room. The other would involve knocking down burned-out sections and putting up a new structure.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/after-fire-whats-next-karpeles-manuscript-library-museum

The Deacon Coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Belleville was arraigned Friday on criminal sexual assault charges.

A grand jury indicted Robert Lanter, of Swansea, on April 12. Lanter entered a plea of not guilty Friday.

The charges state the victim was a 29-year-old woman who could not give consent.

Monsignor John Myler said Lanter gave his resignation to Bishop Edward Braxton on Thursday.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/head-deacon-belleville-catholic-diocese-charged-sex-crime

Construction will soon begin on a 200-foot observation wheel that will loom large over Union Station and provide sweeping views of the city.

The St. Louis Wheel, with 42 enclosed gondolas, will be among the first attractions to open this fall at the $187 million family entertainment center being built by Lodging Hospitality Management in the historic train shed.

The development’s centerpiece — a two-story aquarium featuring sharks and other water species — will open by the end of the year, company president Steve O’Loughlin said.

“The observation wheel will start to take shape in May and June,’’ O’Loughlin said during a recent tour of the site. “I think by August you’re going to see it fully constructed.’’

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/giant-ferris-wheel-will-soon-rise-above-union-station

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri state representatives advanced a proposal on Tuesday to ask voters if they want to undo newly made changes to the state's redistricting process, among other changes.

The resolution sponsored by Rep. Dean Plocher, R-St. Louis, was approved on a vote of 100-49. Representatives need to vote to pass the proposal before it moves to the Senate.

If passed by both the legislature and Missouri voters, the resolution would eliminate the current $5 limit for lobbyist gifts to lawmakers and would repeal the redistricting process established by Constitutional Amendment 1, also known as Clean Missouri.

Amendment 1 created the $5 gift limit and a system for redistricting that included the appointment of a state demographer. Missouri voters approved the Clean Missouri amendment in November by 62%.

https://www.abc17news.com/news/missouri-house-advances-redistricting-overhaul-proposal/1071756570

The Missouri House and Senate have approved their versions of the $29 billion budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year. But there’s still work to be done ahead of the May 10 deadline to get it to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk, namely by the conference committee that’ll figure out how to square everyone’s desires.

“We’ll have a number of items that we’ll differ on and we’ll have the opportunity to visit about that and see where the General Assembly may land,” said Sen. Dan Hegeman, an Andrew County Republican who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Here’s a look at a few key areas where the budgets differ from one another and the governor’s recommendations.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/higher-ed-transportation-among-things-missouri-lawmakers-must-hash-out-pass-states-budget

In a change that lawmakers acknowledged was a long time coming, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen has voted to ban lobbyists from the floor of the chamber.

The ban was part of the board’s operating rules adopted Friday by a 22-2 vote, with one alderman voting present.

Aldermen had tried since 2016 to pass a bill that limited lobbyists to the hallways, side rooms or the upstairs gallery of the chamber. Opponents had always argued that a change to the rules was a better way to go.

After Friday, lobbyists will only be allowed on the floor if they are being presented with an official resolution, or if they are testifying in front of the full Board of Aldermen during a committee of the whole meeting, which are exceedingly rare.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/lobbyists-banned-st-louis-board-aldermen-chamber

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One, Jay Walder, visited the Missouri State Capitol Friday to meet with Gov. Mike Parson.

The meeting preceded a trip to Springfield, Missouri to meet with House Speaker Elijah Haahr, and succeeded a Thursday meeting in Columbia with UM System President Mun Choi.

The visits were all focused on the further development of plans for an ultra-high-speed hyperloop system across Missouri along the I-70 route between Kansas City and St. Louis.

Walder told ABC 17 News that one of the main attributes his company sees in the Show Me state is the cooperation of the government, the university and local businesses.

ttps://www.abc17news.com/news/hyperloop-ceo-meets-with-gov-parson-speaker-haahr-about-i-70-project/1072728034

ELDON, Mo. - State regulators are warning consumers to watch out for certain types of bottled wine from a local manufacturer that might explode.

The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control said bottles of Casa de Loco's Applesauced, Bellini Gold, Coming in Hot, Kona Lover Port, OCD and Peachy Thoughts should be handled with care and secured, according to a news release. The wines were never submitted for brand registration with state regulators, the release says.

The wines were distributed to retailers in Camdenton, Glasgow, Keytesville, Lebanon, Newburg, Osage Beach, Salisbury, St. Joseph, St. Robert, Stoutland, Sunrise Beach, Warsaw and Wright City, regulators said, and might have been sold directly to consumers as well.

Several explosions have been reported and a bottle exploded after it was confiscated by the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, the release said. The manufacturer is also being investigated for health and sanitation violations and regulators are in contact with federal authorities about the wines, the release said.

https://www.abc17news.com/news/state-regulators-issue-warnings-about-eldon-wine/1072490034

BOONVILLE, Mo. - An employee of Isle of Capri-Boonville sued the business Thursday, claiming employees are losing money on the business' timekeeping system.

According to the lawsuit, Isle of Capri’s time clock rounding policy, over a period of time, fails to compensate employees correctly for all time worked, including overtime hours.

The computerized system reportedly tracks the exact minute an hourly employee clocks in and out. However, Isle of Capri allegedly uses a rounding system while computing payroll, rounding to the closest 15-minute interval. The lawsuit said Isle of Capri's policies require staff to clock in approximately seven minutes before the start of a shift and employees could be disciplined if they clock in after the start of their shift.

The lawsuit says this forces employees to clock in at least seven minutes before their shift starts, but allows Isle of Capri to avoid paying them for that time due to the rounding system.

https://www.abc17news.com/news/employee-sues-isle-of-capri-over-time-keeping-system/1072507362

BOONVILLE, Mo. - An employee of Isle of Capri-Boonville sued the business Thursday, claiming employees are losing money on the business' timekeeping system.

According to the lawsuit, Isle of Capri’s time clock rounding policy, over a period of time, fails to compensate employees correctly for all time worked, including overtime hours.

The computerized system reportedly tracks the exact minute an hourly employee clocks in and out. However, Isle of Capri allegedly uses a rounding system while computing payroll, rounding to the closest 15-minute interval. The lawsuit said Isle of Capri's policies require staff to clock in approximately seven minutes before the start of a shift and employees could be disciplined if they clock in after the start of their shift.

The lawsuit says this forces employees to clock in at least seven minutes before their shift starts, but allows Isle of Capri to avoid paying them for that time due to the rounding system.

https://www.abc17news.com/news/employee-sues-isle-of-capri-over-time-keeping-system/1072507362