👋 Good Morning, West County!

In today’s ⚡️West County Pulse newsletter:

🏌️ A Wildwood Golf Winner
🌊 Meramec River Cresting Today
🛒 Schnucks Philanthropy Honored

Let’s jump into today’s newsletter!

— Jared Michel

General News

🏌️ Wildwood Third-Grader Wins at Augusta

A Wildwood student has achieved national recognition in golf. Joshua Hooper, a 9-year-old from Babler Elementary, won the Drive, Chip & Putt competition at Augusta National Golf Club. He demonstrated solid skills across all three events, placing third in driving with a 197.7-yard drive, fourth in chipping, and second in putting to secure the overall championship by one point.

🌊 Meramec River Set to Crest Tuesday

The Meramec River is expected to crest at 28.5 feet today (Tuesday), exceeding major flood stage by a foot and a half. Parts of Highway W and Eureka High School fields are already underwater. MoDOT has closed Highway 141 at I-44. Watch the river crest and subside on NOAA’s website here.

The city of Wildwood also shared a predicted flood map of the Meramec River for today just east of Highway 109:

🔍 Prop B Survives Legal Challenge

Proposition B will appear on Tuesday's ballot as planned. A Missouri appeals court reversed a previous ruling that had removed the measure, which would allow the County Council to dismiss department leaders with five votes. The judges acknowledged concerns about the ballot language but determined they did not have the authority to prevent voters from weighing in on the matter.

🚌 Vote for New Bookmobile Design

The St. Louis County Library is adding a fourth bookmobile to its fleet this year. During National Library Week this week, residents can vote for their favorite design on Instagram or with paper ballots at local branches. The new vehicle will begin service later this year based on community votes.

Business

🛒 Schnucks Recognized for Community Work

Schnucks recently earned second place in the St. Louis Business Journal's Corporate Philanthropy Awards. The grocery company contributed more than $978,000 in cash and nearly $15.8 million in in-kind donations throughout 2024. Additionally, their partnership with Operation Food Search received an Innovators in Philanthropy recognition for their mobile farmers markets addressing food insecurity.

🎢 Six Flags Opens for 2025 Season

Six Flags St. Louis opened for the 2025 season on Sunday, after weather delayed Saturday's planned opening. The amusement park is now open on weekends through May and will switch to daily operations beginning May 23.

🎵 KDHX Frequency Switches to K-LOVE Tunes

KDHX's 88.1 FM frequency switched to K-LOVE Christian programming Saturday. The bankrupt community station filed to sell its license for $4.35 million, but the court hasn't approved the deal. Other potential buyers may emerge. The change follows months of turmoil after KDHX fired 10 volunteer DJs last September.

School District Highlights

🏆 Eureka's Goodman Wins Top Admin Honor

Sarah Goodman, Eureka High Associate Principal, has been named the 2024-2025 High School Assistant Principal of the Year by SASSP. The organization surprised her with the announcement on April 3 in front of students and staff. SASSP recognized Goodman for her support to teachers and students and her commitment to improving literacy and equity at the school.

Chesterfield

🚧 Central Park Trail Repairs Underway

A section of the Riparian Trail at Chesterfield's Central Park is currently closed. Repairs are underway, and the Parks team expects to complete work this week and will announce when the trail reopens.

🌆 Two Candidates Vie for Mayor's Office

Chesterfield voters are heading to the polls Tuesday to elect their first new mayor in 12 years. Longtime councilman Dan Hurt and former state representative Derek Grier are competing to lead the city through its next major transformation. The $2 billion redevelopment of Chesterfield Mall into a downtown district with apartments, offices and shops represents a significant change for the suburban community.

Ellisville

Detective Amanda Rhodes and Officer Jake Adams received Chief's Recognition Awards at last week's Ellisville city council meeting. Rhodes recovered money for an elderly victim of an online scam. Adams helped another agency locate a missing person who was experiencing a mental crisis and suffering from severe hypothermia.

Manchester

🌳 Manchester Earns Tree City Honor Again

For the seventh consecutive year, Manchester has been recognized as a Tree City USA. The city also received the Growth Award for the sixth time at an annual Arbor Day Luncheon.

🎪 Manchester Seeking Homecoming Volunteers

Manchester Parks and Recreation is searching for volunteers to join their 2025 Homecoming Committee. The department needs community members to help organize the annual carnival. Contact bjones@manchestermo.gov to learn more about this opportunity.

Upcoming Events

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 jared@westcountypulse.com

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