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   Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich says his audit of Brentwood city government revealed sloppy accounting and a lack of documentation at city hall.  Schweich says those factors were behind his rating the St. louis County suburb as "poor."

   The audit came about because of a citizen petition drive that began in 2011. Residents became concerned about the city's finances after former city administrator Chris Seemayer pleaded guilty to stealing $30,000 but continued to collect city benefits.

   Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich says his audit of Brentwood city government revealed sloppy accounting and a lack of documentation at city hall.  Schweich says those factors were behind his rating the St. louis County suburb as "poor."

   The audit came about because of a citizen petition drive that began in 2011. Residents became concerned about the city's finances after former city administrator Chris Seemayer pleaded guilty to stealing $30,000 but continued to collect city benefits.

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A new audit has found that a St. Louis agency that administers federal Head Start grants made nearly $340,000 in improper expenditures, mostly because of bad bookkeeping.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the audit by the Office of Inspector General recommends that the agency, YWCA of Metropolitan St. Louis, pay back the money.

Wrongdoing is not alleged. The discrepancies were within grant years 2008 and 2009.

YWCA CEO Adrian Bracy says in a letter to federal officials that discrepancies occurred after the agency's chief financial officer died suddenly.

The YWCA received more than $63 million in federal grants from 2007 to 2009 to create Head Start centers and slots for low-income preschoolers in independent child care centers and through subcontracts with the Urban League of St. Louis.

 

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. (AP) - The suburban St. Louis-based grocery store chain Schnucks says a November audit found it was in compliance with industry standards for data security.

Schnucks said last month that it was the victim of hackers that somehow gained access to credit card and debit card information of customers. The chain is working with police, attorneys general in Missouri and Illinois, the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Schnucks says a November audit showed it met standards required from companies that accept credit cards. The company says it has found and contained the breach, but advises customers to continue monitoring their accounts for fraudulent charges.

A Rockwood School board member has resigned after being targeted in a Missouri audit.

Steve Smith sent a letter last night announcing his resignation days after an audit was critical of district overspending on construction projects.

The audit claims Glenn Construction Co. was overpaid by more than $1.2 million over the last 10 years. That's the same company where Smith works. State Auditor Tom Schweich concluded that Smith failed to abstain from votes giving projects to Glenn Construction while he worked for the firm.

Smith says he is stepping aside so the focus can be on the children of the district.