Matt Woods

1 week ago | firstalert4.com | Matt Woods

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) -- This week’s guest on Backstory STL is John Perkins. He got a scholarship to play football at Lincoln University of Missouri. But shortly after graduating from Sumner High School in St. Louis, his mother died from cancer. His father had not been a big part of his life. Perkins’ dreams of continuing his football career were halted. He struggled with crack use for decades and found himself in a dark place. But through his lows, he found a light.

2 weeks ago | firstalert4.com | Matt Woods

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) -- A leaked budget draft for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed plans to cut a federal grant that gave Missouri first responders increased access to Narcan and training to better respond to people with substance use disorders. Greg Boal, the first responder training coordinator for the program run by the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, argued two major benefits of the program: fewer overdose deaths and less burden on the public.

2 weeks ago | firstalert4.com | Matt Woods

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) -- This week’s guest on Backstory STL is Ralph Zuke. He left Monday on a 2,200-mile bike ride from St. Louis to Calgary, Canada. He’s doing it to raise awareness for the eradication of polio. Zuke has done two similar rides to Toronto and Houston. This one will be his longest yet, and it’s part of his service with a local chapter of Rotary International. Zuke will be trailed by an eye-catching rickshaw attached to his bike for the whole ride.

3 weeks ago | firstalert4.com | Matt Woods

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) -- This week’s guest on Backstory STL is Julie Smith. She is a communications professor at Webster University and author of “Master the Media: How Teaching Media Literacy Can Save Our Plugged-In World.”She testified in front of Missouri lawmakers earlier this year for a bill that would start pilot programs for teaching media literacy in the state.

4 weeks ago | firstalert4.com | Matt Woods |David Amelotti

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) -- Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick opened an investigation this week after First Alert 4 Investigates reported the City of Kirkwood spent $30,000 meant for remediation of the opioid crisis on a snowplow truck. The money came from opioid settlement funds as part of Missouri’s lawsuit against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies. Kirkwood is projected to receive about $450,000 over the 16 years of payouts.