St. Louis Daily: Tornado Relief Funding, Campaign Lawsuit, and Road Work Zones
St. Louis, MO – March 5, 2026 – Tornado relief money advances in Jefferson City, a former mayor faces a $98K suit, and major work zones begin.
Top local headlines
Supplemental budget adds $86M more for tornado recovery
Missouri lawmakers approved a supplemental budget package totaling more than $3 billion, with an additional $86 million set aside for St. Louis tornado recovery. That new allocation comes on top of $100 million the legislature approved last year, and the bill now heads to Gov. Mike Kehoe.
City leaders have said the combined funding is structured to work alongside federal disaster reimbursement. A large share is expected to be reimbursed by FEMA at a 75% rate and routed toward private property assistance, while a smaller portion is intended for projects that do not qualify for FEMA reimbursement.
Former mayor sued over nearly $98K in campaign mail costs
A Seattle-based political direct-mail firm filed a lawsuit in St. Louis City Circuit Court alleging former mayor Tishaura Jones’ 2025 re-election campaign still owes $98,238.07 after partial payments. The suit was filed Wednesday, March 4.
For residents, it is the kind of post-election dispute that can quietly reshape local political relationships and vendor trust well after ballots are counted.
Heads-up: overnight ramp closures and lane shifts through March 11
Road crews are scheduling nightly work and ramp closures around the metro area through March 11. Drivers should watch for shifting traffic patterns on the Missouri River bridge on Route 370, along with overnight closures affecting ramps at Route 141 and Route 370 early Friday, March 6.
Inside the city, long-running I-55 lane and ramp closures remain in place through early 2026, and additional short-term lane closures are also listed for I-44 and Route 21 on Thursday.
Severe Weather Awareness Week wraps up with a storm spotter class
The city is marking Severe Weather Awareness Week (March 2–6) with daily safety themes and a National Weather Service storm spotter class Thursday evening, March 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the William J. Harrison Center on Cass Avenue. The previously scheduled statewide tornado drill on March 4 was canceled.
Officials are encouraging residents to keep multiple ways to receive alerts, including weather radios and the city’s NotifySTL system.
Sources
- https://www.krps.org/missouri-news/2026-03-05/missouri-legislature-passes-more-than-3b-supplemental-budget-includes-tornado-relief-for-st-louis
- https://www.stlmag.com/news/moxie-sues-tishaura-jones/
- https://www.modot.org/node/84421
- https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/news/severe-weather-awareness-2026.cfm
