👋 Good Morning, West County!

Hold onto your coffee mugs everyone… the ⚡️ West County Pulse is back for 2025 🥳 First off, I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing end of 2024. Second, this year I am shifting the newsletter to Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings. Finally, I hope to improve on several elements of the newsletter as the year progresses.

Thanks for being here. As always, I love and appreciate the feedback and kind comments that have filled up my inbox since starting this project last year.

Now back to your prior programming…

In today’s ⚡️West County Pulse newsletter:

❄️ More Snow Coming
❄️ Record Snowfall Last Weekend
🏘️ A New Housing Project along Old State Rd

Let’s jump into today’s newsletter!

— Jared Michel

Top Stories

❄️ Winter's Not Done With Us Yet

Following last weekend's historic winter storm, everyone should prepare for additional snow. Although the upcoming system won't match last weekend's intensity, it could bring up to 2 inches of accumulation by Friday morning. Temperatures will also be in the single digits this morning. Brrrrr

❄️ Weekend Snow Totals Broke Records

The first snowstorm of 2025 left its mark on local history last weekend. The system's 24-hour snowfall totals ranged from 8.5 inches at Lambert to 12.7 inches in Weldon Spring, placing it among notable winter weather events of recent years. This was the largest accumulation event since January 2019's 11.4-inch storm.

👩‍⚖️ New County Prosecutor Takes Office

Melissa Price Smith has become St. Louis County's new prosecuting attorney. The long-time office veteran plans to establish dedicated violent crime and homicide units while working to rebuild relationships with law enforcement. She says she aims to strengthen communication with the Circuit Attorney's office.

📖 Library Launches Reading Mentorship

The St. Louis County Library is launching their Winter 2025 Book Buddies program, matching teen mentors with K-3rd grade students for weekly reading sessions. The six-week program aims to boost young readers' confidence through one-on-one practice. Applications are open through January 13th, with spots assigned by lottery.

Business

🏠 New Housing Coming to Old State Road

Ellisville's City Council has approved a significant new housing development. The Regal Pines project will bring 49 homes to Old State Road, including luxury homes with three-car garages on the west side and smaller homes with two-car garages on the east side.

🚗 Auto Shops Buried in Storm Aftermath

Local auto repair shops are experiencing unprecedented demand following the recent winter storm. West County Auto Body, as an example, operated with only three of their 24 employees on Monday, while facing dozens of repair requests. The situation is complicated by weather-related parts delivery delays and existing repair waitlists.

🐮 MOObile Truck Moooves to Brick & Mortar Location

The former Kohn's Kosher Deli building in Creve Coeur will soon have a new purpose. Kent Evans and Rachelle L'Ecuyer of Pierce Creek Cattle Company are developing a multi-use food complex featuring locally-sourced ingredients. The project will begin with breakfast and lunch service, followed by a phased opening of additional services including a butcher shop and market.

🏥 Mercy Fights Back in Construction Drama

A construction company's $9 million lawsuit against Mercy Health is heating up as the Chesterfield-based healthcare provider firmly denies allegations of retaliation. The dispute centers around Pitt Development Group's claims that Mercy cut ties with them after they reported potential misconduct by two former executives regarding architect payments.

School District Highlights

🗳️ Four Register to Vie for Two Parkway Board Seats

The April 8 election will determine two seats on the Parkway Board of Education. Four candidates have submitted their paperwork for the positions, with Jeffrey Spector seeking re-election as incumbent. Mia Robinson, John Kilper, and Allie Cicotte have also filed to serve on the board.

Chesterfield

🚶 Central Park Trail Taking a Brief Break

Construction crews are giving a section of Chesterfield's Central Park Lake Trail a quick makeover. The marked portion will be off-limits to pedestrians on today and tomorrow (1/9-1/10), with the Parks Department implementing temporary closures to ensure visitor safety during the work period.

Creve Coeur

🔌 Creve Coeur Powers Up EV Rules

Creve Coeur is taking steps to regulate where you can juice up your electric ride. The City Council is reviewing new legislation that would establish guidelines for EV charging stations in non-residential areas. The proposed rules would affect new developments and major property modifications, covering everything from basic home-style chargers to rapid charging stations.

Eureka

🚰 Timbers: Closed January 10

The Timbers of Eureka will be closed tomorrow (1/10) for facility maintenance. The recreation center announced the full-day closure is necessary to complete major plumbing repairs throughout the building. Regular operations are expected to resume on Saturday.

Wildwood

💰 Wildwood Sets 2025 Budget at $28M

Wildwood's City Council has approved a $28.8 million budget for 2025, focusing on infrastructure improvements and city services. The plan includes funding for Village Green phase 2, a new roundabout at Hwy. 109, and the Internet Access Project phase 2. Some council members expressed concerns about watershed project funding and reserve levels.

Upcoming Events

Will return for 2025 soonish 🥳 

THANKS!

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

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