Happy Wednesday Morning, West St. Louis County!

In today’s West County Pulse ⚡️ newsletter:

• Lafayette’s XC star honored

• A Parkway principal named MO Principal of the Year

• Rockwood debuts a new bus-tracking app

Let’s get going!

— Jared Michel

THE DIGEST

🏃‍♀️ Lafayette’s Natalie Barnard Named MO XC Player of the Year

Lafayette High School's senior cross country star Natalie Barnard has been named the 2023-24 Gatorade Missouri Girls Cross Country Player of the Year! Yesterday the West Newsmagazine highlighted this prestigious award, which recognizes Natalie's excellence as an athlete, student, and community member. Barnard broke records at the MSHSAA Class 5 XC Championships, clocking an impressive 17:12.70 and finishing more than a minute ahead of the competition. Off the race course, she dedicates her time to various community service initiatives. Click here to read the full press release from Gatorade.

🏫 Parkway’s Dr. Burch: MO’s #1 Principal in 2024

Parkway's own Dr. Nathan Burch, principal at Claymont Elementary, has been named the 2024 Missouri Principal of the Year by the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals! After winning the St. Louis regional award, Dr. Burch topped 10 other principals from across the state to earn this prestigious honor. He will now represent Missouri in the 2024 National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Distinguished Principals Program. Click here to check out Parkways’s announcement.

🚌 Here Comes the Bus App Debuts in Rockwood Schools

Rockwood School District recently launched a new app called "Here Comes the Bus" that allows parents to track their child's school bus in real-time using GPS technology. The app sends push notifications and emails when the bus is approaching the designated stop, helping families better plan their schedules. Parents who tested the app praised its ease of use and helpful features like customizable alerts and delay notifications. The app will be piloted on 14 buses starting March 25 before rolling out districtwide. Learn more about the app here.

LOCAL BUSINESS

🍕 Imo's Pizza Celebrates 60 Delicious Years!

Imo's Pizza, a St. Louis favorite, took to social media to announce its 60th birthday yesterday. The pizzeria, famous for its crispy thin crust and gooey provel cheese, has been a staple in the community since 1964. Imo's expressed gratitude to its loyal customers for their support over the past six decades. Click here to explore Imo's rich history and discover how this iconic pizzeria became a St. Louis tradition!

🐖 Salt + Smoke Brings the Heat to Ellisville

West County's barbecue scene just got a whole lot tastier with the opening of Salt + Smoke's fifth location in Ellisville. The sprawling space boasts a 150-seat dining room, massive party room, and a wraparound patio perfect for enjoying their legendary brisket, mac and cheese, and loaded beef fat fries. Don't miss out on the smoked wings with house-made Buffalove Me sauce – they're a crowd-pleaser! Click here to read more about Salt + Smoke’s new location.

WEEKEND PREVIEW

Thursday March 7:

• The City of Ellisville is hosting an electronic recycling event at Bluebird Park from 12:00pm until 5:00pm. More information is available here.

• The Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2024 Community and Lifestyle Expo at the Chesterfield Doubletree Hotel. Learn more here.

Saturday March 9:

• The Eureka Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 17th annual Chamber garage sale in the Six Flags parking lot from 7:00am to 3:00pm. This is the largest event of its kind in the midwest and not something you want to miss! Visit the event’s website here to get more details.

CITY NEWS

Ballwin

• Tickets for Ballwin’s Craft Beer Festival slated for September 7th are now available for sale here.

• Ballwin’s Coed Adult Kickball League is accepting registrations for a 9v9 season that will take place on Tuesdays at Vlasis Park starting March 26th. Sign up here.

Chesterfield

• The Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex announced fields at the complex have been shifted and re-numbered. Check out the complex’s latest map.

Eureka

• Bombshell Construction Services posted progress photos of the field renovations at Eureka’s Lion Park. Turf is now being installed on the fields.

• The City of Eureka announced a new community calendar to keep citizens in-the-know about the events happening around town. Check out the new calendar here.

Manchester

• The City of Manchester launched its new civic spirit initiative dubbed Civic Season. The program aims to promote community and good citizenship. The first event is slated for April 6. Read more here.

• Manchester Mayor Mike Clement will be hosting a Conversations with the Mayor event March 20 at 7:30am at the Manchester Justice Center to keep citizens updated. Read the full announcement here.

Valley Park

• After ~ a year of construction the City of Valley Park has a new home located at 55 Crescent Avenue. City hall is now open 8:00am to 4:30pm.

Wildwood

• Yesterday the West Newsmagazine featured an article highlighting Joe Garritano and Tony Salvatore that are both running for Wildwood Mayor.

WEATHER

Wednesday

🌡️ H: 62° L: 44° | 🌤️ 1% chance of rain | 💨 NE 8 mph

Thursday

🌡️ H: 63° L: 52° | 🌧️ 60% chance of rain | 💨 SE 8 mph

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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