👋 Good Morning, West County!

In today’s ⚡️West County Pulse newsletter:

🌪️ Wildwood Tornado Recovery
🏡 Home Expo Weekend
🎉 Bundt Anniversary

Let’s jump into today’s newsletter!

— Jared Michel

General News

🌪️ Wildwood Forest Faces Long Recovery

Wildwood's forest landscape has been majorly altered after the recent tornado that tore through with 130 mph winds. City Arborist Michael Walsh confirmed that thousands of trees were either uprooted or snapped in half along the tornado's 13.6-mile path. The recovery for Wildwood's forests – which earned the city a "Tree City USA" designation – will take decades, though roads are now clear and power has been restored.

🏡 Home & Garden Expo Coming Saturday (3/29)

The second annual West County Home & Garden Expo returns this weekend. From 9am-2pm at Queeny Park's Greensfelder Complex in Manchester, this free event will connect residents with home improvement professionals. Attendees will receive a resource magazine featuring exhibitors specializing in roofing, landscaping, HVAC, and more, with each vendor offering prize drawings.

✈️ Lambert Releases 2024 Annual Report

St. Louis Lambert International Airport has officially released its 2024 annual report. The document presents detailed statistics showing nearly 16 million passengers used the airport last year—marking a 7.13% increase from 2023 and the best performance in two decades.

Business

🎉 Nothing Bundt Cakes Marks 10th Birthday

The Chesterfield location of Nothing Bundt Cakes is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a three-day event this week from March 27-29. The celebration begins with a Thursday ribbon-cutting at 3:30pm featuring three local chambers of commerce, followed by Friday's benefit day supporting St. Louis Children's Hospital and Saturday's family activities with entertainment.

🏙️ Wildwood Business in Lease Dispute

A financial dispute has emerged in Wildwood. Dierbergs has filed a lawsuit against Main Street Creamery, claiming over $36,000 in unpaid rent for their Taylor Road location. The owner of the creamery disputes the claim, stating they left behind $70,000 worth of equipment when terminating the lease in December, which he believed settled all outstanding obligations.

🏥 New Mercy Clinic Opens in Manchester

Mercy Hospital St. Louis has opened a new clinic. Located at 14377 Manchester Road, the primary care facility features two physicians, Drs. Timothi Beth and Rikki Koebler. Both doctors are accepting new patients.

🎙️ KMOX Expands to FM Band

St. Louis radio station KMOX is expanding its broadcasting capabilities. The station, which has transmitted on 1120 AM for almost 100 years, is now adding 98.7 FM while maintaining its original signal. This new dual-frequency approach will provide stronger sound quality for local listeners while the AM signal continues to reach distant areas across multiple states.

Ballwin

🏊 Blue Dolphin Training Starts Soon

Ballwin's Blue Dolphin Swim Team is offering preparation sessions for the upcoming summer season. The six-week program for ages 8-14 runs Monday evenings (March 31-May 5) and/or Wednesday evenings (April 2-May 7) from 6:30-7:30pm. Resident cost is $60, non-resident $70. Registration closes four days before sessions begin. Learn more / register here.

Chesterfield

🔍 Sachs Library Secures $6M For Expansion

The Samuel C. Sachs Library in Chesterfield will receive $6 million in TIF revenue for its upcoming renovation. The project will transform the current building into a 20,700-square-foot community resource with meeting spaces, study rooms, and separate areas for different age groups.

Creve Coeur

🌳 Venable Park Renovations Coming in 2025

Venable Park is scheduled for significant improvements in 2025. Recreation Director Jason Valvero presented plans at a recent Creve Coeur Council meeting for an accessible path around the park, a new children's playground, expanded parking from 44 to 56 spaces, and an octagon pavilion. The centerpiece will be a memorial plaza honoring the Venable family, who were forced from the area due to racial discrimination. The park will close this summer with reopening planned for October 2025.

Des Peres

📸 Des Peres Spring Photo Contest Returns

The Des Peres Parks & Recreation Department is hosting its annual Spring Photo Contest through April 21. Residents can email up to three photographs featuring city parks, conservation areas, or recreation events to [email protected]. Three winners selected by staff will receive special Des Peres stickers and two daily admission passes to The Lodge.

🥎 Des Peres Adult Softball Leagues Begin April 15

Registration is open for adult softball leagues at in Des Peres. Running from April 15 through July 10, options include women's 11" leagues on Tuesdays and co-rec 12" leagues on both Tuesdays and Thursdays. Teams play 10 regular-season games, with top performers advancing to tournaments where winners receive commemorative t-shirts. Learn more here.

Manchester

🎵 Manchester's Summer Concerts Return

Manchester Parks Department has announced their 2025 free concert schedule. The series at Schroeder Park Amphitheater will feature three performances: Dirty Muggs on June 6 at 7pm, Butch Wax and the Hollywoods on July 4 at 6pm, and Rockin' Chair on August 8 at 6pm.

Wildwood

🌿 Green Pines Trail Meeting March 27

A new shared-use path is being planned in Wildwood. The City plans to transform an unused road right-of-way into a connector trail, reducing travel distance from 1.3 miles to just 0.22 miles for Villages at Bright Leaf residents to Green Pines Park. Residents can learn more about this $267,000 project at the public meeting this Thursday (March 27th) from 5-7pm at City Hall.

Upcoming Events

THANKS!

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