⚡️ PIE's 40th, ARPA Delays, Sugarfire Honored

Author

Jared Michel
March 25, 2024

👋 Hello there, West County!

In today’s ⚡️ West County Pulse newsletter:

  • 🎂 PIE Turns 40

  • 💸 ARPA Funds Delayed

  • 🍖 Sugarfire Founder Honored

Let’s jump into today’s newsletter!

— Jared Michel

THE DIGEST

🎂 Rockwood’s PIE Turns 40

The Rockwood School District's Partners in Education (PIE) program is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Since its inception in the 1983-1984 school year, PIE has been collaborating with staff members, families, and community businesses to provide experiential learning opportunities for Rockwood students. During the 2022-2023 school year, PIE coordinated 5,863 presentations, 309 career shadowing opportunities, and 66 summer internships benefiting Rockwood K-12 students. Read Rockwood’s full announcement here.

💸 County Nonprofits Waiting on Promised ARPA Funds

In 2022, the St. Louis County Council allocated $13.4 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to local nonprofits. ARPA funds were designed to help communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, several nonprofits have yet to receive their promised funds. County Executive Sam Page put the funds on hold after the council reduced his proposed 2024 budget. The council is now seeking answers about the delay in releasing the funds to the nonprofits. The ARPA funds must be allocated by December 2024 and spent by December 2025, or they will need to be returned to the federal government. The council and the county executive's office will need to work together to resolve this issue and ensure the funds reach the intended recipients. Read more about this here.

📚 Check Out Pickleball Kits at County Library

The St. Louis County Library recently introduced Pickleball Kits for a 3-week lending period, each containing four graphite paddles, four balls, and a carrying case. You can request a kit at your local library branch here.

LOCAL BUSINESS

🍾 IV Nutrition Opens in Chesterfield Valley

IV Nutrition - Chesterfield celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce on Friday. The new clinic, located at 17277 Chesterfield Airport Road, offers customizable IV injections tailored to individual needs and lifestyles. Checkout the ribbon cutting video here.

🍖 Sugarfire founder named Small Business Owner of 2024

Charlie Downs, co-founder of Sugarfire Smokehouse, has been named Missouri's 2024 Small Business Owner of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Association. Downs, who started the BBQ restaurant in 2014 with his wife and business partner, has seen Sugarfire gain local and national recognition over the past decade. The restaurant group employs 170 people and supports local businesses by using locally sourced ingredients when possible. Read KMOV’s full report here.

💰 Chesterfield Firm Secures $180M in Funding

Chesterfield-based HyperFiber LLC has invested $30 million to develop fiber networks in Florida and Arkansas, securing its first 500 customers. The company, led by experienced telecommunications executives, has received $180 million in equity funding from Platform Investment Partners. HyperFiber plans to expand its services to 100,000 more locations in the next 12 months, targeting communities without existing fiber internet providers. Full story here.

CITY HIGHLIGHTS

Ballwin

⛳ New Reservation System for Ballwin Golfers

Starting April 1st, the Ballwin Golf Course will be partnering with GolfNow for all tee time reservations. You'll need to book through the GolfNow link on the Ballwin Golf Course website. To secure your spot, a credit card will be required, but don't worry—you'll only be charged if you fail to cancel at least 4 business hours before your tee time.

🎲 Recently Announced April Activities

  • 4/19 5th Annual Rock N Roll Bingo @ the Ballwin Golf Course from 6pm to 11pm. Learn more / register here.

  • 4/20 Bricks and Beyond: Star Wars Edition: An afternoon of LEGO building inspired by the legendary Star Wars saga @ The Pointe from 1pm to 2:30pm (Ages 5-12). Learn more / register here.

⚽ Kids 3v3 Soccer League to Kicks Off Soon

Ballwin Parks and Recreation’s 3v3 soccer league for kids ages 4-6, featuring 30-minute practice sessions and games starts soon. Learn more / sign up here.

Manchester

🚓 Manchester Police Receive Traffic Safety Grants

The Manchester Board of Aldermen has approved three grants totaling $17,500 to support traffic safety enforcement in the city. The grants will fund overtime hours for police to target hazardous moving violations, driving while intoxicated, and seatbelt violations. With speeding, aggressive driving, and substance-impaired driving being major contributors to traffic fatalities in Missouri, these grants aim to make Manchester's streets safer for all. Read the full story here.

🚸 Manchester Creates Safety Zone Near Schools

Last week the Manchester Board of Aldermen passed a new ordinance to create an Increased Safety Area around Wren Hollow Elementary and Southwest Middle schools. The area covers Wren Avenue and Canary Drive, where drivers caught committing certain traffic violations will face fines double the standard amount. The measure aims to enhance student safety in the vicinity of the schools. The city wrote an open letter to stakeholders you can read here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Tonight: Wildwood Mayor & City Council Candidate Forum @ City Hall from 6pm to 8pm. Submit questions here.

  • Wednesday: Parkway board candidate forum @ the Parkway Welcome Center from 7pm to 9pm. Learn more here.

  • Friday: Parkway South’s 3rd Annual Community Color Run @ Parkway South starting at 9am. Learn more here.

🥚 Egg-citing Easter Events in West County

Wednesday:

  • Manchester’s Middle School Flashlight Egg Hunt, Pizza & Games @ Schroeder Park (Ages 10-14, 7:30pm-9pm, Preregistration required) Learn more / register here.

Friday:

  • Farmers & Merchants Bank (Eureka)’s Meet the Easter Bunny + Petting Zoo @ Eureka Bank Location (10am-12pm). Announcement here.

Saturday:

  • Ballwin's Underwater Egg Hunt in the Pointe’s Indoor Pool (Ages 8-10, 12pm-2pm, Preregistration required). Register / learn more here.

  • Brookdale Farms' Easter Egg Hunt & Pancake Breakfast (Ages 0-12, 9:30am-4pm). Learn more / buy tickets here.

  • Twin Oaks’ Easter Egg Hunt @ Twin Oaks Park (Ages 1-12, 10am). 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!

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