West Newsmagazine 2-7-24

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February 7, 2024
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
I NEWS I 15
NEWS BRIEFS, from page 9
Department. Along with being a field training
officer, Zeric also occasionally serves
as a Bosniak translator.
WILDWOOD
Research use at Fahr
Greenhouse denied
Residents in Wildwood were jubilant
when the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission
(P&Z) voted to deny land use
modifications that would have allowed
agricultural research and development
activities in a non-urban setting.
Solis Real Estate had proposed to use
the Fahr Greenhouse facility located at
18944 St. Albans Road for research and
development of agricultural products.
The 5-acre property is located on the
south side of St. Albans Road, west of
Hwy. 100. It had been a family business
for decades, growing flowers and plants.
Solis acquired the property in 2022 and
recently had hoped to conduct research
and development there to increase plant
yields, improve drought resistance,
encourage the use of less soil additives,
and promote goals relative to growth in
food production.
To that end, Solis needed the city to
approve modifications to the site’s current
land use regulations, as well as a
conditional use permit (CUP). However,
residents were adamantly opposed to
allowing R&D activities at this site, with
chemical runoff being a big concern.
Although the P&Z initially endorsed
modifications to the land use, Commissioner
Vicki Helfrey said she now
believes the scale of the project is too
large and that it leaves too many doors
open. The enabling legislation was denied
on its second reading.
Mayor Jim Bowlin said the wide expansion
of non-urban uses is not in the best
interest of the city or its residents.
ST. LOUS COUNTY
Volunteers sought to make
dreams come true
Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas is
asking for the public’s help to ensure the
wishes of local wish kids battling critical
illness come true. The nonprofit is seeking
volunteers to become Wish Granters
for the organization.
Wish Granters meet with Wish Kids
and their families to learn what the child
would like to receive for their one true
wish and help coordinate that experience
with the Make-A-Wish team. Currently,
there are over 650 children throughout
Missouri & Kansas who are waiting for
their wish to be granted and those wishes
rely on volunteer Wish Granters to help
make them come true. Some training is
required to become a volunteer Wish
Granter, but organizers say the impact it
Freezing weather is here!
makes on both the child’s life and the volunteers
is immeasurable.
“Wish Granters play a crucial role in
ensuring that children receive their one
true wish experience, and it’s an opportunity
that gives back in a lot of incredible
ways,” said Brian Miller, vice president of
marketing and communications at Make-
A-Wish Missouri & Kansas.
In addition to Wish Granters, volunteer
opportunities include being an event organizer
or an interpreter/translator.
Individuals interested in volunteering
can learn more and get started at wish.org/
mokan/volunteer.
MO PRESS DAY, from previous
beginning teacher’s salary in that district.
Rep. Justin Sparks (R-District 110),
representing Wildwood, is sponsoring Valentine’s
Law, a bill named for St. Louis
County Police Det. Tony Valentine, who
was killed by a suspect fleeing police. The
suspect crashed his car into Valentine’s
police vehicle, killing them both. Valentine’s
Law would make fleeing from police
in a vehicle a class D felony with a mandatory
one-year prison sentence. The offense
becomes a class B felony when, as a result
of the fleeing, the person causes physical
injury to another person. It becomes a class
A felony if the fleeing person causes death
to another person.
To learn more about these bills and others
sponsored by local legislators, visit house.
mo.gov and senate.mo.gov to look up these
and other elected officials.
Slips and falls affect us all.
Frost, ice and snow are particularly dangerous for our seniors.
If you slip, give us a call!
95% of our rehab residents return to home.
EXPERTS IN DEMENTIA CARE
gardenviewcarecenter.com
636-537-3333 | CHESTERFIELD
636-861-0500 | DOUGHERTY FERRY
636-240-2840 | O’FALLON