[Wally_Kalbacken]

There's a Federal Court in East St. Louis? Or is that where the AP guy lives? Or where he drinks?

I had the displeasure of doing a cross country bike ride in 1984 - and went though East St. Louis. At that time, 17 years after race riots, there were still fenced, boarded up, burned out hotels with literal trees growing up through the asphalt. More square miles of chan link fence with barbed wire than anywhere on earth. I think it was one of the only Municipalities to go bankrupt pre 1990, and may hold the record for serial bankruptcies under Chapter 9. I hope things have turned up there.

[skinkinthegrass]

..and went though East St. Louis. At that time, 17 years after race riots, there were still fenced, boarded up, burned out hotels with literal trees growing up through the asphalt.

..can't add much, in '79 coming from Lambert Field ESL, IL to SL, MO....a really scary city. felt much safer in Ciudad Juarez/El Paso.