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Ferguson fallout reaches race for county executive

By WTOP Staff

ALAN SCHER ZAGIER
Associated Press

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — The two winning primary candidates for St. Louis County executive anticipated a general election campaign heavy on the nuts and bolts of local government: taxes, roads, parks and schools.

Then came Ferguson.

Sparking a national debate over race relations and police killings, the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black, by a white municipal police officer in early August also transformed a local election that typically draws little attention outside of St. Louis.

Brown was killed by Ferguson officer Darren Wilson just four days after Democratic County Councilman Steve Stenger defeated 11-year incumbent Charlie Dooley, and conservative state lawmaker Rick Stream won a two-man Republican primary.

Stenger has become a primary target of Ferguson protesters for his steadfast support of county prosecutor Bob McCulloch — and his refusal to join their calls for McCulloch to recuse himself from the case over concerns about his family ties to law enforcement. In early October, a group of more than 30 local elected black leaders publicly endorsed Stream, citing a “total absence of any political consideration for the African-American community” among county Democrats.

“This thing with Ferguson was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Councilwoman Hazel Erby, a Dooley ally and leader of the Fannie Lou Hamer coalition, which is named for a late Mississippi civil rights activist. “We’re trying to send a clear message to them that our vote does count.”

With a St. Louis County grand jury expected to soon release its decision on whether to indict Wilson on criminal charges, Brown’s death and the subsequent months of protests across the region figure prominently in the campaign for county executive, an office that oversees a $620 million annual budget for 300,000 residents who live in unincorporated parts of the county.

Stenger, a 42-year-old attorney who lives in south St. Louis County, which is predominantly white, dismisses the coalition as a “splinter” group that doesn’t truly represent the county’s black voters. He pointed to his endorsement by longtime U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. of St. Louis, the scion of a powerful political black family who appears in a new Stenger campaign ad along with former state Rep. Betty Thompson, who is also black.

“That is not the general sentiment of the community,” Stenger said, noting that several top Dooley aides are assisting Stream and the coalition of black Democrats. “What you’re seeing is a lot of political theater.”

Stream has expressed gratitude for the cross-party defection fueled by McCulloch’s appearance in a Stenger primary campaign ad. McCulloch, a Democrat who won an August primary but faces no opposition Nov. 4, also stood next to Stenger when the six-year incumbent announced his primary victory.

Both candidates say their outreach efforts to voters and elected leaders in the primarily black neighborhoods of north St. Louis County began in earnest long before Ferguson.

Asked about both the initial round of violent protests after Brown’s death and the prospect of further unrest should the grand jury not indict Wilson, Stenger blamed a local “leadership vacuum” for not responding more forcefully and said the county should be prepared to declare a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, Stream, a 65-year-old retired budget manager for the U.S. Department of Defense, is calling for a state law to appoint special prosecutors in all fatal police shootings. Stream said he wouldn’t ask McCulloch to recuse himself but said “he should have taken (those calls to step down) into consideration.”

The post-Ferguson fallout has also generated a write-in campaign by community activist and protest leader Zaki Baruti, whose platform includes calling for McCulloch to be replaced with a special prosecutor and Wilson to be charged with murder.

Other protesters want voters to choose a more symbolic write-in candidate: Michael Brown.

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Follow Alan Scher Zagier on Twitter at http://twitter.com/azagier

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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