⚡️ Digging Into Digital Archives & AI Shopping

Author

Jared Michel
March 13, 2024

🌄 Good day, dreamers and doers of West County!

In today’s West County Pulse ⚡️ newsletter:

  • 📚️ Digital History

  • 🛒 AI Shopping

  • ⚖️ A Legal Learning Experience

Let’s get going!

— Jared Michel

THE DIGEST

📚️ SLCL Unveils Digital Archives Project

This week the St. Louis County Library gave a sneak peek of their new Digital Archives site. Although still under construction, the site already boasts hundreds of digitized local historical records, from local newsletters and old yearbooks to directories, maps, and atlases. As the site is built out, the SLCL plans to continually expand the collection so be sure to check back often and watch this exciting project grow!

🛒 AI Carts Roll Into Schnucks Twin Oaks Store

Get ready to roll with Schnucks' new AI-powered "Caper Carts"! These brainy baskets have been cruising the Twin Oaks store, automatically recognizing and weighing items while keeping a running total of your spend. Schnucks is putting these carts to the test, aiming to make your shopping experience a breeze. If these smart sidekicks prove their worth, you can expect to see them rolling into other area stores soon:

⚖️ Students Get Front Row Seat to MO Justice

A few weeks ago, something extraordinary happened at Parkway North High School. The gymnasium transformed into a legitimate courtroom for a day as the Missouri Eastern District Court of Appeals held a special hearing for students. Nearly 200 juniors and seniors had the unique opportunity to witness the state's justice system in action during oral arguments for a real criminal appeal case. The goal? To demystify the court process and inspire the next generation of legal minds. Checkout the full story and captivating photos from STL NPR's coverage here.

LOCAL BUSINESS

🤫 Big Chief Brings Back Prohibition Vibes

Get ready to step back in time at Big Chief Roadhouse's new speakeasy, opening March 28 in Wildwood. The historic Route 66 restaurant, which has been serving travelers since 1929, is adding a hidden cocktail lounge on its second floor. Guests will enter through a vintage phone booth and be greeted by Prohibition-era ambiance, classic drinks, and retro music. The speakeasy promises to be a exciting addition to the area's dining and nightlife scene.

🧒 St. Louis Mag Picks Top West Co. Kids Programs

St. Louis Magazine recently featured several excellent drop-off programs for kids in the West County area, spotlighting fun locations in Chesterfield and Ellisville. Bounce U in Chesterfield and Olympia Gymnastics, with locations in both Chesterfield and Ellisville, made the magazine's list of top drop-off options. The article highlights how these programs give West County parents a chance to enjoy some well-deserved downtime while their kids have a blast with activities like bouncing and gymnastics.

🚒 Metro West Offers $2k Scholarship For Seniors

Metro West Firefighters Community Outreach announced their annual $2,000 scholarship for high school seniors living in the Metro West Fire Protection District. The scholarship can be used at any accredited college, university, or technical school. Interested students must submit an application, acceptance letter, and essay by April 15, 2024:

CITY HIGHLIGHTS

Ballwin

🚨 Old PD Station to be Demolished Soonish

At the March 11 Board of Aldermen meeting, it was revealed that the old Ballwin police station is headed for demolition. But before the walls come tumbling down, some environmental clean-up is in order. The city is currently accepting bids from contractors willing to tackle the remediation work. Once that's taken care of, it'll be time to bid farewell to the old cop shop once and for all.

🛝 Vlasis Park Playground to Get Makeover

Ballwin is accepting bids for site work at the Vlasis Park playground, with plans to award a contract in early April. Families should prepare for the playground to close down in April for demolition. The new and improved playground will be worth the wait, but it'll be out of commission for a few months during construction.

Eureka

⚾️ Turf Fields are Nearing Completion

This week Bombshell Construction Services posted updated drone photos of the progress at Eureka’s turf field renovations. See all the images here.

Manchester

🛝 New Playground Coming to Schroeder Park

At the most recent Manchester City Council meeting last week, officials discussed progress of the much-anticipated Schroeder Park playground renovation. The city has released a bid packet for the project's key components and plans to secure additional funding and construction management services to ensure the project meets grant requirements and stays on schedule. If all goes smoothly, local kids could be enjoying the epic new playground by late fall.

Wildwood

🚧 2024 Projects: Bye-Bye, Potholes!

Wildwood recently unveiled its ambitious 2024 to-do list, and it's packed with goodies. Here are a few:

  • The city's giving the intersection of Routes 109 and BA a spiffy new roundabout to keep traffic moving and everyone safer.

  • Taylor Road's getting some much-needed TLC between Route 100 and Manchester.

  • The Town Center's Phase One of Village Green construction will being, complete with a rebuilt historic log cabin and new pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts.

  • Various stormwater mitigation and restoration projects

HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND

  • Tomorrow: Manchester’s Toddler Book Bingo from 10-10:45pm., with games, snacks, and drinks. Learn more / sign up here.

  • Tomorrow: Manchester’s St. Patrick’s Family Bingo from 6-7:30 pm. Learn more / sign up here.

  • Friday: Tot Time (for children 0-5) at the Chesterfield Community Center from 9-11 am. Learn more / sign up here.

  • Friday: Nerf Wars (for children 8-12) at the Ballwin Pointe from 5-7pm. Learn more / sign up here.

  • Saturday: Chesterfield’s Shamrock 5k/10k & Leprechaun Fun Run at the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex starting at 8:30am. Learn more / sign up here.

  • Saturday: Manchester’s Electronics Recycling Event at Schroeder Park from 8-11am. Learn more here.

THANKS!

Thanks for reading this edition of the ⚡️ West County Pulse newsletter. If you found something useful, please share it with a friend!

Did I miss something? Let me know at [email protected]

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