Update: Mercy Says OB/GYN's Facebook Comments 'Inappropriate'

Mercy says Dr. Amy Dunbar's reported comments on the social media site about a patient were "inappropriate and not in line with our values."

People love to vent on Facebook, but a Des Peres-based Mercy OB/GYN is under fire following comments she's made about a patient who was late for appointments. "So I have a patient who has either chosen to no-show or be late (sometimes hours) for all of her prenatal visits, ultrasounds, and NSTs. She is now 3 hours late for her induction," Amy Dunbar posted January 28. "May I show up late to her delivery?" she wrote. Dunbar's post suggests that the reason why she hadn't cancelled the appointment was because the mother had a previous stillbirth. People have been posting on Mercy's Moms To Be Facebook page calling for disciplinary action, concerned that enough information had been disclosed in the posts to violate patient privacy. KMOV …

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Ladue School Board Approves Measure To Comply With New "Facebook Law"

Board members approve new policy Monday but not without trepidation.

Back in late August a Ladue Middle School teacher filed a lawsuit over a new state law about to take effect which caused controversy in part because it raised the question of whether a teacher could be a Facebook friend with a student, even if the student was the teacher's own child. The uproar, which included multiple lawsuits statewide, led to passage of a revised bill which passed in last fall's special legislative session. The new legislation requires each school district to put into effect and promote a policy directed at the use of electronic communication between staff members and students by March 1.  Districts are expected to draft those policies in a way that will prevent "improper communications" between staff and students, …

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How To Post An Event On Creve Coeur Patch

You're only five steps from spreading the word!

So you want to let people know about your event coming up? We can help. Here’s how: Remember that when submitting an event, geography is crucial. If your event is in St. Louis City and you want to post it in a Patch, the online form might not recognize your event’s address. You can always add the address by typing it into the “Where” section and clicking the green “Add it!” buttons that come up. When you get started, be sure to Tweet/Facebook/Email/Pin/Stumble Upon/Whatever what you write. If you really want readers to see your posts, send them to your friends and family via email or share them on your social media networks.

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The Art of the Deal: So Many Offers, So Little Time

The proliferation of online deals through providers such as Groupon and Living Social has "Patch" Regional Editor Holly Edgell taking solace in clipping coupons.

Confessions of a digital journalist: First, I still get the newspaper delivered to my doorstep. Second, I clip coupons each Saturday morning. With regard to reading the paper version of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch each morning: With regard to clipping actual coupons: The art (and science) of the deal There's a method to the madness of group-buying online coupon websites. They harness the power of social networking with good old-fashioned buying in bulk.  And there's more! Pet peeves v. cashing in Critics of deal dealers point to a few pet peeves, which ring true for me: Still, if you have the flexibility, it's hard to pass up offers of up to 75 percent off of a classy meal, skydiving outing, spa day or dance lesson. Although I have yet to …

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Special Session: Compromise at Core of Revised Missouri School Social Media Bill

Wednesday Update: The bill passes the State Senate Senate. The House could take it up Thursday.

UPDATED: 1:00 p.m. Wednesday - The office of Sen. Jane Cunningham, (R-Chesterfield), told Patch Senate Bill 1 had its third reading Wednesday in the Missouri Senate and was voted on and passed 33-0. The bill is now headed to the House of Representatives. Original Story: Last month Creve Coeur Patch reported on the controversy and confusion surrounding Senate Bill 54, also known as the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act. It is sponsored by former Ladue school board member and Missouri State Senator Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, and designed to protect students. According to the law, a teacher cannot send an email, text message, or have any private interaction with a student, unless both school administrators and the student’s parents have…

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Teaching Moment: Social Media Law Holds Lessons for Students, Teachers and Parents

As school gets underway in Creve Coeur and around the state, class is in session for a debate of the role of social media and email in education.

Missouri’s students are in new classrooms for a new academic year. Meanwhile, many of their teachers have a lot more than lesson plans and grades to consider.   Near the end of August, the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) sued the state over a new Missouri social network law that prevents students and teachers from having electronic conversations that cannot be accessed by school administrators and parents. As Town and Country-Manchester Patch reported, “this also means (students and teachers) cannot be friends on Facebook.” Talk about a real civics lesson in the virtual life. Adding Up the Arguments Many Missouri teachers say connecting with their pupils via Facebook and email is an important part of reaching today’s students …

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Holly Edgell

9:33 am on Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Thanks for weighing in, Brian!   more ›

Reaction Pouring In As Teacher's Group Wins Court Injunction Over Social Media Law

Governor Jay Nixon has now added the controversial social media provisions in the Amy Hestir to the agenda of next month's special legislative session.

Update at 1:26 p.m. Kit Crancer, the Chief of Staff for State Senator Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield), author of the Amy Hestir legislation, said the news of the injunction and the Governor's call to include it in next month's special session doesn't impact her stated willingness to find compromise on what was a small portion of the larger bill meant to protect children. Crancer said they looked forward to "the opportunity to remove any ambiguity" from the bill. Also Friday, a spokeswoman for the Ladue School District, which was sued in Federal court over the bill, said attorneys on both sides have been in talks over what the day's developments mean for that lawsuit. Susan Dielmann told Patch she was "thriiled to see" the injunction in …

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Teacher's Group Files Suit Over Social Media Law

The law's author and sponsor, Creve Coeur area State Senator Jane Cunningham calls the suit "hypocritical".

Gov. Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster are defendants in the lawsuit. Town and Country-Manchester Patch originally reported otherwise. We are sorry for the error. The Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) filed suit against the state Friday to put the breaks on a portion of a law set to go into effect which critics say puts a cramp on how educators can use social media to communicate with students. Senate Bill 54, also known as the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, was sponsored by Missouri State Senator Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, who represents parts of Creve Coeur. A main thrust of the bill was to make the law more clear about a school district's responsibilities when dealing with teachers accused of sexual …

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The Virtual Life

Keeping The Social in Social Media, Part Three

In the last edition of a three part series, Creve Coeur Patch's Regional Editor looks at how area Chambers of Commerce have embraced social media tools.

It is the rare business of any size that lacks a website in this day and age. The same is becoming true of social media. From the home-based business to the local car dealership, using Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools to reach customers and engage with the community are now all in a day's work. The Creve Coeur-Olivette Chamber of Commerce recently launched a new Facebook page, and visitors to the Chamber's website who access the member directory can use a variety of social media tools to spread information around the web. Last month, the Chamber's guest speaker at a breakfast meeting was Rick Diamond, from Chesterfield-based Social Media Training, Inc. Diamond talked about the so-called 10-1 rule as it is described on …

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The Virtual Life

Keeping The Social In Social Media, Part Two

Creve Coeur Patch's Regional Editor talks to social media enthusiasts about best practices.

Celebrities do it. Politicians do it. Sport figures, too. Not to mention your neighbor, your high school sweetheart, and the owner of your favorite coffee shop. Social networking is part of our social fabric. Dictionary.com defines a social network as follows: “a website where one connects with those sharing personal or professional interests, place of origin, education at a particular school, etc.” Among my social network are hundreds of people I have never met in real life. When I do meet someone I first connected with via Twitter, for example, it’s kind of exciting. It feels something like running into a celebrity you’ve long admired. Many people describe the encounter as akin to reuniting with an old friend; you already know a lot …

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Gregg Palermo

7:59 pm on Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Thanks for the heads up....we've fixed the link.   more ›