State briefs 3/18/05

Workers sickened by vapors in mailroom

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. -- Six workers at a suburban St. Louis office building became ill Thursday after being exposed to a mysterious substance that apparently arrived in the mail, authorities said. The mail arrived just before 8 a.m. at the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, a student loan provider in west St. Louis County. Shortly after the mail arrived, five MOHELA workers and a vendor were in the mailroom when they became ill with headaches and eye, nose and throat irritation, authorities and MOHELA officials said. The workers were sprayed to get rid of possible contamination and three were taken to St. Luke's Hospital as a precaution.

Taxi drivers run circles around state Capitol

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Taxicabs repeatedly circled the state Capitol on Thursday in support of a bill that would overhaul St. Louis' regional taxicab commission. The legislation would prevent taxicab industry representatives from serving on the commission. Under current law, half of the eight members on the commission are industry representatives and the commission chairman can also be from the taxicab industry. The bill would also prevent a spouse of an industry representative or anyone with a financial interest in the taxicab business from serving on the commission.

Nixon pushes for renewal of tire disposal fee

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. -- Attorney General Jay Nixon said Thursday that fires could have been avoided at two tire dump sites in Missouri if the state's tire disposal program hadn't been allowed to lapse. Nixon made visits this week to both the burning dump sites. He said they were further proof of the need to reinstate a state tire disposal fee credited with cleaning up about 12 million tires between 1990 and 2004. Until Jan. 1, 2004, the state required tire dealers to collect a 50-cent surcharge on each new tire sold.