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JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday named his pick for St. Louis County’s prosecuting attorney, another maneuver in the standoff between the state and county chiefs. Parson, a Republican, picked county assistant prosecuting attorney Melissa Price Smith, a Democrat, to complete the term of current top prosecutor Wesley Bell after he resigns next month to take his newly elected seat in Congress. “I am so grateful for this appointment, and I want to thank Gov. Parson for putting his faith in me,” Price Smith told the Post-Dispatch Thursday afternoon. “I so look forward to continuing the work I’ve been doing in partnership with law enforcement.” She would be the first woman to serve as county prosecuting attorney. The governor’s announcement comes just days after St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, a Democrat, announced his own replacement for Bell, who plans to step down Jan. 2. Price Smith, 56, has worked as a St. Louis County prosecutor since 2008, according to the Post-Dispatch’s public pay database . She leads the sexual assault and child abuse team. Parson and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, both Republicans, sued Page and the county late last month, asking a judge to stop the county executive from naming the county’s next top law enforcement official. Bailey argued the governor has the power to appoint prosecuting attorneys under the Missouri Constitution. St. Louis County lawyers disagreed. They argued the county charter allows Page to nominate a replacement. Missouri counties with their own charters, including St. Louis County, have such power under the state Constitution, the attorneys said. St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, a Republican, appointed Joseph McCulloch as prosecuting attorney last year after Tim Lohmar resigned. “The (St. Louis County) charter clearly states that the county executive is authorized to appoint the prosecuting attorney when a vacancy occurs,” said Page spokesman Doug Moore in a statement Thursday. “We are confident the courts will agree.” Last week, Page named former federal prosecutor Cort VanOstran, a Democrat, as his pick to fill the remainder of Bell’s term, which ends in January 2027. Price Smith said Thursday she applied and interviewed for the job with Page’s and Parson’s offices, both. “I am confident the law is on the governor’s side, and I’m confident the courts will make the right decision,” Price Smith said. Parson said St. Louis County needs an experienced prosecutor “who demands and upholds law and order.” “Melissa is committed to the rule of law, and we are confident that she will deliver, as demonstrated by her distinguished career putting criminals behind bars, including child abusers, perpetrators of sexual assault and violent offenders,” Parson said in a statement. Price Smith is the daughter of Margie and Herschel Price , a St. Louis businessman and Playboy Club owner. Margie Price was working as a Playboy bunny at a club on Lindell Boulevard when she met her husband in the 1960s. She later owned and operated a club on South Lindbergh Boulevard that closed in the mid-80s. Price Smith grew up in Creve Coeur, attended a strict ballet school, and said her parents raised her and her sister to be “very strong and independent.” She earned a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In her 20s, Price Smith put her ballet skills to work in Las Vegas as a dancer with her twin sister in the Siegfried and Roy show. Back at home, they became cheerleaders for the St. Louis Cardinals’ Team Fredbird. But Price Smith said she wanted to “make a difference.” She decided to go to law school, and earned her degree from St. Louis University. Price Smith’s first job was at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office under former Circuit Attorney Dee Joyce-Hayes. She then practiced civil litigation for seven years before going to work for St. Louis County. Until earlier this year, Smith’s sister, Teresa Price Bomkamp, was also an assistant prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County. Prior to Bomkamp retiring, the sisters worked together on sexual and child abuse crimes. Price Smith said the first thing she would do as prosecuting attorney is an internal audit to find ways to “make our trial teams more effective with the resources we have.” She wants to make sure police know they have a partner in the prosecuting attorney’s office. And she also wants to focus on recruitment and retention. She supports higher pay, but wants to recruit people “who want to do this kind of work.” “The people in this office never went into prosecution to make a lot of money,” Price Smith said. Price Smith made $110,000 last year as a senior attorney in Bell’s office. A hearing in Bailey’s case has been set for 9 a.m. Dec. 18 in St. Louis County Circuit Court. Joe Holleman of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
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Time Magazine names Donald Trump person of the year for 2nd timeIt has been more than three decades since the final episode of Bread aired It's been over 30 years since the cast of Carla Lane's Bread provided viewers with a unique glimpse into Liverpool life, a perspective only this city could offer. Set in Liverpool during the mid-'80s, the series centers around the devoutly Catholic Boswell family and first aired on May 1, 1986. It didn't take long for the show's iconic ceramic hen from the title sequence and the theme tune sung by the cast to become familiar to millions of viewers. The street featured in the show was Elswick Street in Dingle , and it ran for eight series until 1991. As one of the nation's favorite sitcoms, Bread was created by the late Carla Lane, who sadly passed away in 2016. Viewers will remember many unforgettable moments, including Rita Tushingham’s guest appearance as the neighbor Celia, Liverpool singer Sonia playing Adrian’s girlfriend Ellia, and the family’s holiday to Italy in the 1988 Christmas special, among others. But what have the stars of the show been up to since then? After Bread, the cast has participated in a variety of projects, including Hollywood films, theater tours, and soap operas. Unfortunately, some of the legendary actors are no longer with us. Here, we take a brief look back at what several of the characters have done since the show ended. Jean Boht - Nellie Boswell Jean Boht played Nellie, the matriarch of the family and "tough love" mum to the Boswell clan. Fearsomely protective of her children, Nellie was a fan favourite who demanded respect at the kitchen table from her sons. Wirral-born Jean’s career spanned the years from 1962, seeing her star in Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, Juliet Bravo in the mid-1980s, and Mothers And Daughters, in 2004. She has also visited soapland, with appearances in Casualty, Doctors, Holby City and The Bill. She also appeared on stage with Jeremy Irons in Embers in 2006 and starred in Chris Shepherd's award-winning short film Bad Night for the Blues in 2010.. In her personal life, Jean, now aged 90s, married American conductor Carl Davis in 1970 and together they have three daughters. Boht died aged 91 on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. Sharing the news in a statement, her family said: “Jean had been battling vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease with the indefatigable spirit for which she was both beloved and renowned. She was a resident at Denville Hall, the home for members of the theatrical profession.” Ronald Forfar - Freddie Boswell Nellie's adulterous husband Freddie Boswell was played by Ronald Forfar. Recognisable from his shock of untrained white hair and a cheeky comeback, Freddie's affair with Lilo Lil was a constant through. Forfar previously starred in an episode of ITV spy series The New Avengers in 1976 and in TV series Airport Chaplain the following year. And after finishing Bread, he continued to have a prestigious acting career as well as becoming a novelist. He went on to appear in the Chuckle Brother's Chucklevision several times between 1998 and 2002. Forfar lived in Normandy renovating a country cottage between 1996 and 2009, before moving to Paris and Kent in later years, but died aged 81 in September 2020. Eileen Pollock - Lilo Lill Despite not being a Boswell, Eillen Pollock's character Lilo Lill was one of the most recognisable characters on the show. Eileen brought to life Lilo Lil, who was the 'other woman' in Freddie Boswell's marriage to Nellie, between 1986 and 1991. The Belfast actress later appeared in the film version of Frank McCourt's book Angela's Ashes in 1999 and starred in Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman movie Far and Away in 1992, as landlady Molly. And in more recent years, Eileen turned her attention to the theatre, performing in a one-woman show Now I'm Sixty and in 2010 directed The Irish Wake of Paddy McGrath. She also delighted audiences with appearances in numerous pantomimes - which she said fulfilled a childhood dream of hers. But in 2020, her family announced she had sadly died at the age of 73. Jonathon Morris - Adrian Boswell Jonathon played Adrian Boswell, who stood out from his brothers as he looked to pursue a creative career. Best known for his role in Bread as Adrian Boswell, Boswell has continued to act. He presented CBBC game show The Movie Game from 1991 to 1993, replacing Phillip Schofield and made appearances on the popular '90s Channel 5 game show Night Fever. Prior to Bread, he had previously starred in the short-lived ITV sitcom That Beryl Marston! Born in Manchester in 1960, Morris also appeared in Beau Geste, Doctor Who, and The Prisoner of Zenda and in 2005 he competed in the third series of Channel 4 sports-based reality show The Games. In 2012, he revisited the setting of Bread on Elswick Street in Dingle ahead of his appearance in an ECHO Arena production of Sleeping Beauty. Peter Howitt - Joey Boswell Peter Howitt played the oldest of the Boswell children, Joey, until series five when Graham Bickley replaced him. The actor's first notable roles were in the long-running ITV series How We Use To Live and in Emmerdale in 1985. Peter has since gone on to write and direct romantic comedy and box office hit Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow in 1998, as well as Johnny English and Dangerous Parking. He now lives in Vancouver, Canada, with his wife and family. The writer and director recently paid tribute to Carla Lane's essential role in shaping the show . He said: "She wrote about five or six hit shows, consistently good, consistently funny. I flew all the way to Liverpool when she died. It was so important to pay my respects to someone who changed my life. It changed all of our lives." Victor McGuire - Jack Boswell Victor McGuire, from Tuebrook, played the loveable Jack Boswell in Bread and has since made notable appearances on both cinema and television screens. He later went on to play Ron Wheatcroft opposite Nicholas Lyndhurst in Goodnight Sweetheart and starred in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Woman in Black, Dalziel And Pascoe, Casualty and 2point4 Children. He has also appeared as security guard Ian in the Sky1 sitcom Trollied, Casualty, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens in 2015, and had a spell as Big Garth on Coronation Street in 2019. More recently, viewers will have spotted him in The Responder and Kate and Koji. In 2020 he appeared as a policeman in an advert for Haribo. He also starred in ITV sitcom Kate & Koji as a customer named Mr. Mulholland, which he later reprised in 2022. Gilly Coman - Aveline Boswell Gilly Coman played Nellie's daughter Aveline, who was rose among the thorns of her brothers in the Boswell family. At the centre of one of Bread's most memorable moments, more than 21m viewers watched her Catholic character marry Protestant vicar Oswald in 1988. The actress also starred in Brookside, Coronation Street and Inspector Morse. Tragically, the mother-of-three died in 2010, of a suspected heart attack, aged 54. Nick Conway - Billy Boswell Youngest son Billy Boswell was played by Nick Conway. In the show, the character seemed to have a battle on his hands just to achieve the most basic of tasks - though not always through any fault of his own. Nick also appeared in Starting Out, Thank You Mrs Clinkscales, When Saturday Comes, Keep On Running and Juliet Bravo. The actor, from Shrewsbury, has starred in episodes of The Bill, Doctors and Coronation Street as recently as 2010. He has featured in many theatre productions and currently runs a theatre school. He currently works as a DJ under the name Nick Campbell. Melanie Hill - Aveline Boswell Actress Melanie Hill replaced Gilly as Aveline on Bread and stayed with the show until it was brought to an end in 1991. In her career, she was had starring roles in The Syndicate, BBC drama Waterloo Road and in the film Stardust. She is known for playing Cathy Matthews in Coronation Street between 2015 and 2022. Nowadays, she can be seen on Casualty where she plays Siobhan McKenzie. What are your favourite memories of Bread? Let us know in the comments section below. Bryan Murray - Cousin Shifty Decades after Bread aired, some of the cast members spoke to the ECHO and reflected on making the programme, their most memorable moments and working with Carla Lane, one of the most celebrated TV writers of her generation. Bryan Murray, now in his seventies played The Boswells' cousin Shifty, a role for which he won a BBC TV Personality of the Year Award. He said: “When you meet Jean, the warmth she gives you is the equivalent of your mother. You’re being welcomed home. Jean was amazing." Bryan has since gone on to star in a variety of television programmes and films such as Fair City and Brookside, Silent Witness and The Tudors.
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(The Center Square) – Homeowners in the market for washers and dryers may have better-performing options to choose from in the near future due to a bill limiting the extent of energy efficiency mandates on laundry appliances passing the U.S. House. The Republican-led House Resolution 1612 , or Liberty in Laundry Act, would prohibit the Secretary of Energy from enforcing energy conservation standards for clothes washers or dryers that “are not cost-effective or technologically feasible.” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., who introduced the legislation, said the move is a response to the “slew of woke, ‘environmental’ nonsense rulemaking attempts” by the Biden administration and U.S. Department of Energy. “I have spent much of my time in Congress fighting back the federal government’s vast overreach into the lives of hardworking Americans,” Ogles announced after the bill’s passage Tuesday. “Americans should be able to do their laundry in peace without the input of Big Brother.” Earlier this year, the DOE finalized new updated standards for residential clothes washers and dryers which aim to cut costs and pollution. It estimates the regulations will reduce nearly 71 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions–equivalent to the combined annual emissions of nearly 9 million homes–and up to $39 billion on Americans’ energy and water bills over the next 30 years. House Democrats opposed the legislation's passage, saying "absolutely no one" stands to benefit from the law and accused Republicans of trying to curry favor with special interest groups. "H.R. 7673 guts popular energy efficiency standards for laundry machines – standards that save Americans money on their utility bills and reduce dangerous greenhouse gas pollution at the same time," said Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J. "These efficiency standards create certainty for manufacturers and they protect consumers from rising costs. And, in the case of these laundry machine standards, they also reduce water use – a benefit that could greatly aid drought-prone regions around the nation." But the less electricity and water laundry appliances use, the less effectively they tend to perform, according to an Oct. 2024 report by the Institute for Energy Research. “Historically, appliances meeting Energy Department standards have often underperformed and have higher costs,” the report stated. “The Biden-Harris administration is imposing a series of regulations that are raising appliance prices and compromising quality for homeowners.” Unless the bill is signed into law, laundry appliance makers have until March 2028 to comply with the new rules.(The Center Square) – Homeowners in the market for washers and dryers may have better-performing options to choose from in the near future due to a bill limiting the extent of energy efficiency mandates on laundry appliances passing the U.S. House. The Republican-led House Resolution 1612 , or Liberty in Laundry Act, would prohibit the Secretary of Energy from enforcing energy conservation standards for clothes washers or dryers that “are not cost-effective or technologically feasible.” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., who introduced the legislation, said the move is a response to the “slew of woke, ‘environmental’ nonsense rulemaking attempts” by the Biden administration and U.S. Department of Energy. “I have spent much of my time in Congress fighting back the federal government’s vast overreach into the lives of hardworking Americans,” Ogles announced after the bill’s passage Tuesday. “Americans should be able to do their laundry in peace without the input of Big Brother.” Earlier this year, the DOE finalized new updated standards for residential clothes washers and dryers which aim to cut costs and pollution. It estimates the regulations will reduce nearly 71 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions–equivalent to the combined annual emissions of nearly 9 million homes–and up to $39 billion on Americans’ energy and water bills over the next 30 years. House Democrats opposed the legislation's passage, saying "absolutely no one" stands to benefit from the law and accused Republicans of trying to curry favor with special interest groups. "H.R. 7673 guts popular energy efficiency standards for laundry machines – standards that save Americans money on their utility bills and reduce dangerous greenhouse gas pollution at the same time," said Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J. "These efficiency standards create certainty for manufacturers and they protect consumers from rising costs. And, in the case of these laundry machine standards, they also reduce water use – a benefit that could greatly aid drought-prone regions around the nation." But the less electricity and water laundry appliances use, the less effectively they tend to perform, according to an Oct. 2024 report by the Institute for Energy Research. “Historically, appliances meeting Energy Department standards have often underperformed and have higher costs,” the report stated. “The Biden-Harris administration is imposing a series of regulations that are raising appliance prices and compromising quality for homeowners.” Unless the bill is signed into law, laundry appliance makers have until March 2028 to comply with the new rules.
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