January 5, 2016

It's official: The St. Louis Rams want to move to Los Angeles

After months of speculation, intrigue and public policy contortions, the St. Louis Rams have officially filed to move to the Los Angeles area.

It’s been nearly a year since St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke revealed plans to build a new stadium in Inglewood, Calif., primarily with private dollars. And even though St. Louis and Missouri policymakers put forth a plan to build a new stadium on St. Louis’ riverfront, the Rams were one of three NFL teams that filed the paperwork on Monday to relocate to LA.

In a brief unsigned statement on the team’s website, the Rams declared: “The St. Louis Rams informed the National Football League today that the Rams propose to relocate to the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. The relocation would be effective for the 2016 NFL League Year.”

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed that the Rams, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers had applied for relocation.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/its-official-st-louis-rams-want-move-los-angeles

January 5, 2016

Daily Holidays - January 5

National Whipped Cream Day Whipped cream has been around for ages. But it was in 1946, when the aerosol can was first invented by Aaron Lapin, that sales and popularity of this dessert delight really took off. Whipped cream has continued to transform desserts and hot drinks from the merely ordinary to something truly special. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/whipped-cream-day/

Bird Day The health of the global bird population is a reflection of and early warning system for our wider ecological health, and current research indicates that up to 12% of all species of birds may be at risk of becoming extinct in the next century. Bird Day aims to raise awareness of the plights faced by common and rare birds, from disease and environmental factors to illegal trade and welfare in captivity. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/bird-day/

Weigh-In Day So, Christmas is officially over, and so are both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. You’ve slept off any hangover you may have had, relaxed, and now you’re ready to face the new year ahead of you and all of the challenges and opportunities it will bring. Unfortunately, due to the amount of food and drink consumed during the holiday season, chances are you may have gained a bit of weight during the holidays, so Weigh-In Day is a great time to set your first new year goal: start eating better and exercising more regularly so you can not only shed that weight, but improve your overall health. After all, what could be more important than your health? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/weigh-in-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january5.html

January 4, 2016

Daily Holidays - January 4

National Spaghetti Day One of the world’s favorite dishes, spaghetti is more than deserving of its own little holiday. And because it is both simple and delicious, spaghetti is the perfect dish to make to bring out your inner chef, even if you don’t have all that much cooking experience! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/spaghetti-day/

Pop Music Chart Day When was the last time you checked the pop charts? Pop Music Chart Day is a great excuse to see who’s at number one, and to discover new artists and music. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pop-music-chart-day/

Trivia Day All those facts you picked up through daytime game shows can finally be put to good use when you astound your friends with your general knowledge! Trivia day is the perfect day to share all of those silly little facts that almost nobody knows, making this day a fun and interesting one to spend with friends or family. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/trivia-day/

World Braille Day Louis Braille, the inventor of braille, was born in France on January 4th, 1809. Blinded in both eyes in an accident as a child, Braille nevertheless managed to master his disability while still a child. Despite not being able to see at all, he excelled in his education and received scholarship to France’s Royal Institute for Blind Youth. During his studies, inspired by the military cryptography of Charles Barbier of the French Army, he developed a system of tactile code that could allow the blind to read and write quickly and efficiently. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-braille-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january4.html

January 3, 2016

Daily Holidays - January 3

Chocolate Covered Cherry Day Just in case you haven’t indulged enough over the festive and new year periods, Chocolate Covered Cherry Day is an excuse to break open another box of cherry liqueurs and dig right in! The idea behind chocolate-covered cherries is incredible simple: chocolate is delicious. So are cherries. So one day someone said, “Why not combine the two and make something even better?” and the chocolate-covered cherry was born! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/chocolate-covered-cherry-day/

Drinking Straw Day Can you imagine drinking a milkshake without a straw? Or how anyone would manage a juice box? How many soft drinks would you have spilled on yourself in dark movie theaters if it weren’t for straws? I think we can all agree drinking straws have changed our lives for the better enough to deserve their own holiday, and that’s exactly what Drinking Straw day is about: celebrating the invention and patenting of the (paraffin-covered) paper drinking straw! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/drinking-straw-day/


Fruitcake Toss Day Let’s be honest: nobody really likes fruitcake, and nobody ever really eats it, either. Heavy, flavorless and always too sweet, fruitcake is one of our century’s biggest holiday jokes. So when Christmas is over, and you’ve taken the tinsel down, and thrown out the tree, what should you do with that old fruitcake that you’ve been using to prop open the door/to replace a missing limb/as a headrest? Fruitcake Toss Day has a “fruitful” answer (see what we did there?). The event, which is reported as having originated in Manitou Springs, Colorado, was created in order to help people get rid of unwanted fruitcake after Christmas. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/fruitcake-toss-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january3.html

January 2, 2016

Daily Holidays - January 2

National Cream Puff Day Although many of us may be unaware, cream puffs actually have their own special celebratory day. Yes, you have heard this correctly. Each and every year, these delectable pastries that we all adore are honoured by those who hold such delights in high esteem. So, what exactly are cream puffs and how have they come to be so popular in modern culture? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/cream-puff-day/

55-MPH Speed Limit Day Maybe the speed limit id not 55 mph anymore, and that’s likely a good thing, as reducing it to this amount did not really do anyone a particular amount of good. Still, though, this could be the right day day to make a commitment that you will not exceed the speed limit, no matter the situation. The truth is that the speed limit is how much it is for a reason: driving faster could pose serious danger to both you and other drivers on the road. Also, take the time to educate your family and friends about the dangers of not paying attention to safety issues in the car. Make sure your children understand just how much a seat belt could help them in the case of an accident; that a seat belt could, in fact, save their life. Never let anyone who is even the least bit intoxicated drive, even if they’ve “only had one beer”. Make sure your close ones know that driving when physically tired is as dangerous as driving drunk, and that falling to sleep behind the wheel causes thousands of deaths per year. Also, make sure to emphasize how important it is to make sure your car is checked and services regularly and that all of the functions and devices in it responsible for your safety in case of an accident are working properly. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/55-mph-speed-limit-day/

Happy Mew Year for Cats Day Any cat owner will tell you that cats consider themselves to be far, far superior to us mere mortals. They most certainly feel entitled and deserving of all that life has to offer, so why not have a Happy Mew Year Day For Cats Day just for them? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/happy-mew-year-day-for-cats/

National Motivation and Inspiration Day It’s January 2nd, the beginning of a whole new year, and you’ve just gotten over your hangover—what time could possible be better to be motivated and inspired? You have a whole 365 days ahead of you, and now is the time to start making them count! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/motivation-and-inspiration-day/


http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january2.html

January 1, 2016

Daily Holidays - January 1

Bloody Mary Day Bloody Mary Day celebrates the drinking of the Bloody Mary cocktail, which is described by some as the perfect hangover cure despite containing the very thing that made you hung over in the first place: alcohol! The Bloody Mary is most often made with vodka, tomato juice and some spices, served on the rocks with a celery stalk or a dill pickle. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/bloody-mary-day/

Copyright Law Day Let’s face it: copyright law doesn’t seem to be the most exciting thing to talk about. But it is much more necessary than some of us may realize: without it, we’d end up fighting and squabbling over who owns what, what constitutes fair usage, and spend all our time trying to defend our ideas and intellectual property. There are people who worked really hard to create all of things we enjoy in life, from the music we listen to, the books and magazines we read, to everything we watch on TV, to the computer programs our computers would be useless without, and it is our responsibility to give credit where credit is due. Copyright law is something we probably take for granted a lot of the time, or even pay no attention to at all, so Copyright Law Day is a good time to take a moment to consider what the world would be like if the law didn’t protect our rights to your ideas and things you produce. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/copyright-law-day/

Z Day People whose first or last name start with the letter Z must have it pretty rough—most processes, systems and organizations use alphabetical sorting as standard, meaning they are always last, not matter what the place or occasion. Could get a bit annoying after years and years, don’t you think?

New Years Day Probably one of the most recognized holidays around the world, New Year’s Day is observed January 1.

Celebrations will begin in the Pacific Ocean with Samoa celebrating the New Year before the rest of the world. The latest stroke of midnight will occur in the middle of the Pacific Ocean near Baker Island which is half way between Hawaii and Australia. http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/latest-posts/

Polar Bear Plunge or Swim Day Strip down to your bathing suit, take a few steps over the snow and ice covering the ground, and hurl your body into ice-cold water. Sound like fun? Well, there are plenty of people who think it does, and these people get together to to this every year! Sometimes it’s for charity and sometimes it’s just for a challenge, but either way, thousands of people worldwide take to the icy winter waters every year. These swims are understandably called “Polar Bear Swims”, and they usually take place in the sea. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/polar-bear-swim-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january1.html

December 31, 2015

SWIFT WATER RESCUE: Alton Fire Department's specially trained crew, Jersey, QEM teams, bring 10 to s

SPANKEY - Rescuers had their hands full Monday in the Spankey area along Macoupin Creek in Jersey County, but they successfully brought 10 people and several dogs to safety.

Jersey County and QEM both put out mutual aid emergency assist calls at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

Alton Fire Department Chief Bernie Sebold and his specially trained rescue team responded and were asked to perform a swift water rescue in the Spankey area, he said.

Spankey is an unincorporated community in Jersey County, located about two miles east of the Illinois River.

http://www.riverbender.com/articles/details/swift-water-rescue-alton-fire-departments-specially-trained-rescuers-jersey-qem-teams-bring-10-to-safety-10576.cfm#at_pco=cfd-1.0&at_ab=-&at_pos=2&at_tot=10&at_si=56853c0730fa4617

December 31, 2015

List of (St. Louis, MO) area roads closed due to high water

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/list-of-area-roads-closed-due-to-high-water/article_e6723125-5ef8-5e50-9094-d88875edb6eb.html

UPDATED at 5:30 p.m. with Jefferson County road closures from the Missouri Department of Transportation

Hundreds of roads across the state due to flooding, including roughly 40 in the St. Louis area, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Floodwaters from the Meramec River forced the shutdown of all lanes of Interstate 44 for a 24-mile stretch early Wednesday. The closure could last through Friday.

Ten miles of the interstate were closed at about 1:15 a.m. Wednesday between Bowles Avenue in Fenton to Highway 109 in Eureka. Then, before 9 a.m., the shutdown doubled to 20 miles, extending from from Bowles to Highway 100 in Gray Summit. Less than an hour later, it was extended east to Interstate 270.

December 31, 2015

U.S. grain prices soar as floods shut waterways, threaten crops

CHICAGO • U.S. grain farmers scrambled to find shelter for their crops and handlers hunted for alternative transportation routes, as widespread floods shut waterways from Illinois to Missouri and spurred a surge in physical prices of corn and soybeans.

The sudden jump in prices could complicate a months-long stand-off between farmers who are unwilling to sell their bumper crop at low prices and buyers who have refused to budge on their cash offers amid plentiful supplies.

It could also further curb export demand, with U.S. traders struggling to compete with their cheaper Latin American rivals.

Cash premiums for soybeans in the U.S. barge market, jumped to as high as 70 cents per bushel on Wednesday, their loftiest since mid-November as the rapidly rising waters forced the Coast Guard to shut a five-mile section of the Mississippi River, including the harbor at St. Louis, traders told Reuters.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/u-s-grain-prices-soar-as-floods-shut-waterways-threaten/article_c9985b7c-b3ec-52f4-8399-a866c86ccc51.html

December 31, 2015

Spectra Energy shuts Platte pipeline to Wood River Refinery because of flooding

HOUSTON • Spectra Energy has shut its Platte pipeline which connects to the Wood River Refinery in the Metro East due to flooding along the Mississippi River, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The 932-mile Platte Pipeline transports up to 164,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from Casper, Wyo., to Guernsey, Wyo., and 145,000 bpd from Guernsey to llinois.

Spectra did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The pipeline is the second crude system delivering into the Wood River Refinery to shut as a result of flooding following severe weather throughout parts of the Midwest. Phillips 66 operates the 306,000 barrel-per-day refinery, which is located in Roxana.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/spectra-energy-shuts-platte-pipeline-to-wood-river-refinery-because/article_9856ab25-f47f-5e23-81e5-9bd6a6d4343a.html