1.Which part of America is more dangerous than the others? ...

2.What were the residents of St. Louis doing when the ranking was released? Celebrating Friday's ...

3.What was the reaction of Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quiton Press, to St. Louis topping the list? He was ...

A surge in violence made St. Louis the most dangerous city in the country,

leading a trend of violent crimes rising much faster in the Midwest than in

the rest of nation,according to an annual list.The city has long fared

poorly in the rankings of the safest and most dangerous American cities

compiled by Morgan Quitno Press. Violent crime surged nearly 20 percent in

St. Louis from 2004 to last year, when the rate of such crimes rose most

dramatically in the Midwest, according to FBI figures released in June.

"It's just sad the way this city is," resident Sam Dawsonsaid."On the news

you hear killings, someone's been shot." The ranking, being released

Monday, came as the city was still celebrating Fridays World Series victory

at the new Busch Stadium. St. Louis has been spending millions of dollars

on urban renewal even as the crime rate climbs.Mayor Francis Slay did not

return calls to his office seeking comment Sunday. Scott Morgan, president

of Morgan Quitno Press, a private research and publishing company

specializing in state and city reference books, said he was not surprised

to see St. Louis top the list,since it has been among the 10 most dangerous

cities for years.