Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 2-7-24

Vol. 21 No. 3 • February 7, 2024 

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February 7, 2024 

MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE 

I OPINION I 3 

NEW LOCATION COMING SOON! 

Social Security: 

A broken socialist dinosaur 

It seems many still harbor, or want to 

perpetuate, the illusion that our Social 

Security system is not in trouble. 

Let me quote here from a press release 

from the Social Security Administration 

released March 31, 2023: 

“The Social Security Board of Trustees 

today released its annual report on the 

financial status of the Social Security Trust 

Funds. The combined asset reserves of 

the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and 

Disability Insurance (OASI and DI) Trust 

Funds are projected to become depleted in 

2034, one year earlier than projected last 

year, with 80% of benefits payable at that 

time.” 

In 2034, per the report, “if Congress 

does not act before then ... there would be 

sufficient income coming in to pay 80% of 

scheduled benefits.” 

It couldn’t be clearer. In 10 years, with 

no action from Congress, everyone will 

begin receiving 80% of what they are currently 

receiving, or promised, under the 

existing Social Security system. 

Can anyone imagine getting a notice 

from a private retirement provider saying 

that in 10 years all beneficiaries will begin 

receiving 80% of what they were promised? 

How did we get into this situation? It’s 

the wonders of government planning, of 

socialism. 

Social Security is not a pension program 

based on investments. It is a government 

tax and spend program. The stipends of 

current retirees are paid with the payroll 

tax of those currently working. 

Because life spans have increased and 

population growth has decreased, there 

are far fewer working now to support each 

retiree than was the case years ago. Socialism 

is always mugged by reality. 

The Committee to Unleash Prosperity 

estimates that over the last 40 years, the 

annual real return of Social Security for 

“the typical middle-class worker” has been 

about 1% per year. 

Today, 30-year government bonds yield 

over 4%. The historic long-term return on 

stocks is 6%. Inflation adjusted. 

The paltry returns on Social Security 

are going to turn out much worse. To 

close the 20% deficit between revenues 

and outlays 10 years from now, some 

combination of tax increases and benefit 

cuts will be necessary. This will make bad 

returns even worse. 

Aside from the terrible economics of 

Social Security, how about the terrible 

politics? 

Every young person entering the workforce 

today has no choice but pay the payroll 

tax into this bankrupt system. 

With all our rhetoric about freedom, 

democracy and social justice, shouldn’t 

young people entering the workforce be 

given a choice whether they want to participate 

in this system? Why shouldn’t 

they be given the option – the freedom – to 

join a private retirement plan rather than a 

socialist government system? 

How about the injustice this causes lowincome 

Americans under the guise that 

government socialism is good for them? 

For a low-income earner, the Social 

Security payroll tax takes the only funds 

that they have available to invest. 

Per the Federal Reserve Consumer 

Finance Survey, median wealth of Black 

families is 15% of the median wealth of 

white families. Wealth comes from investment, 

not income. The percentage of Black 

families owning stock is about 60% of 

white families. 

Shouldn’t low-income families be given 

the option of getting out of the government 

system and investing privately over a 

40-year working life and have the option to 

build wealth? Why should government be 

telling these free, private individuals how 

to manage their retirement savings? 

Beyond what this broken system does to 

individuals, it also hurts the nation in the 

larger fiscal scheme of things. Social Security 

accounts for 19% of federal spending. 

Social Security not only points to fiscal 

and economic bankruptcy but also to political 

bankruptcy, as politicians unwilling 

to tell the hard truths to citizens tell them 

everything is OK. 

It’s time for leadership and truth. And it 

is time to give American citizens freedom 

to control their own property and their own 

lives in our free country. 

• • • 

Star Parker is president of the Center for 

Urban Renewal and Education and host of 

the weekly television show “Cure America 

with Star Parker.” 

© 2024 Creators.com 

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An Unexpected Tenant 



I 5 

Law Matters 

The mother 

of a friend 

of ours 

died several 

months ago. 

Her mother 

had left 

her a house 

in Jefferson County by way of a 

beneficiary deed. A beneficiary deed 

is a real estate deed you sign during 

your life, but it isn’t effective until 

after you die. It’s a way to avoid 

probate. After the grantor dies, the 

recipient files an affidavit of death 

to make a record of the grantor’s 

death to complete the transfer. 

We prepared the affidavit, had the 

client sign it, and then recorded it. 

Our client also told us that a 

cousin had moved into the house. 

I asked why, and she didn’t know. 

The client talked to the cousin to 

tell her to leave, but the cousin 

refused, insisting that the house did 

not belong to our client’s mother 

in the first place. The grandparents 

had originally owned that house, 

and there were several children. We 

filed a petition to evict. 

After the petition was served on 

the cousin, I showed up in court 

hoping the defendant would fail 

to appear, and we would get a 

default judgement. No such luck. 

The cousin wanted a trial. She said 

she was going to hire an attorney 

(thank goodness). She also said that 

our client’s mother did not own 

the house alone but with the other 

siblings. Very curious. 

So, I asked my paralegal to see 

who had owned the house before 

our client’s mother. The problem 

was that the record was incomplete. 

So, we called the client to 

ask how her mother got title to 

the house. She said she wasn’t sure, 

but that the title company had 

prepared and filed the beneficiary 

deed. We normally check title 

before we prepare a beneficiary 

deed, but not here. 

The cousin has hired an attorney, 

and we have a trial date. I 

am worried that no one probated 

the grandparents’ estates. If that 

is the case, all of the children had 

an interest in the house. That just 

really complicates things. We’ll 

have to see where this ends up. I’m 

afraid we are going to have to do a 

determination of heirship petition. 

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Fred L. Vilbig is an attorney with over 30 

years of experience in the areas of wills 

and trusts, small businesses, and real 

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purposes only. Nothing herein should be 

treated as legal advice or as creating an 

attorney-client relationship. The choice 

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6 I OPINION I 



@MIDRIVERS_NEWS 


EDITORIAL 

Lessons from … a dog-cloning Argentinian? 

OK, so if you have only read the headlines about new Argentinian 

president Javier Milei you might come away thinking he 

is an odd duck. You would be 100%, unequivocally correct. 

Milei is a self-styled “anarcho-capitalist,” who sports a truly 

bizarre 1970’s drug kingpin haircut, and regularly communes 

with his dead pet mastiff. Oh, by the way, he had said mastiff 

cloned four times over and is routinely photographed with the 

herd of massive canines. So yes, Milei is pretty weird. 

He also might be the only guy who can save Argentina and 

maybe, just maybe, the entire Western world. The lessons he 

is teaching are stark, scary and hugely important. With that in 

mind, we are going to share some excerpts of the speech he 

gave at the World Economic Forum in Davos recently. 

But before that, let’s quickly recount where Argentina was 

when Milei took over a few months ago. Inflation stood at 

143% and the country owed some $43 billion in unpaid import 

bills. Forty percent of the country lived in poverty. The Argentine 

peso had lost 90% of its value. Despite all that, Milei had 

the courage to stand in front of the world’s wealthiest people 

and say things like: 

• Today I’m here to tell you that the Western world is in 

danger. And it is in danger because those who are supposed to 

have to defend the values of the West are co-opted by a vision 

of the world that inexorably leads to socialism and thereby to 

poverty. 

• When you look at per capita GDP since the year 1800 until 

today, what you will see is that after the Industrial Revolution, 

global per capita GDP multiplied by over 15 times, which 

meant a boom in growth that lifted 90% of the global population 

out of poverty. 

• Far from being the cause of our problems, free trade capitalism 

as an economic system is the only instrument we have 

to end hunger, poverty and extreme poverty across our planet. 

• Those who promote social justice start with the idea that 

the whole economy is a pie that can be shared differently. But 

that pie is not a given. 

• But if the state punishes capitalists when they’re successful 

and gets in the way of the discovery process, they will destroy 

their incentives, and the consequence is that they will produce 

less. The pie will be smaller, and this will harm society as a 

whole. 

• Countries that have more freedom are 12 times richer than 

those that are repressed. The lowest percentile in free countries 

is better off than 90% of the population in repressed countries. 

Poverty is 25 times lower and extreme poverty is 50 times 

lower. And citizens in free countries live 25% longer than citizens 

in repressed countries. 

• It should never be forgotten that socialism is always and 

everywhere an impoverishing phenomenon that has failed in 

all countries where it’s been tried out. It’s been a failure economically, 

socially, culturally and it also murdered over 100 

million human beings. 

• Do not be intimidated by the political caste or by parasites 

who live off the state. Do not surrender to a political class that 

only wants to stay in power and retain its privileges. You are 

social benefactors. You are heroes. You are the creators of the 

most extraordinary period of prosperity we’ve ever seen. 

Powerful words from a man who speaks to his deceased pet. 

The full speech is available at weforum.org, search “davos 

2024 milei.” 

Founder 

Publisher Emeritus 

Publisher 

Managing Editor 

Associate Editor 

Staff Writer 

Features Editor 

Business Manager 

Graphic Designer 

Graphic Designer 

Graphic Layout 

Advertising Account Executives 

Nancy Anderson 

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Robin S. Jefferson 

DeAnne LeBlanc 

John Tremmel 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

Responding to 

‘Going overboard’ 

To the Editor: 

Remember the good ole days when 

schools essentially taught reading, writing 

and arithmetic? When the focus in our 

schools was on education and not advancing 

social and political agendas such 

as Critical Race Theory, porn in school 

libraries, girls in boys restrooms and 

locker rooms, DEI and social-emotional 

learning. 

Alarmingly, radical ‘progressive-forward’ 

agendas are being introduced in our 

schools locally and at our school board 

meetings regularly, especially in the Francis 

Howell and Wentzville school districts. 

Social and political activists with the 

blessing of powerful political action committees, 

with candidates running for the 

school board and even with local teacher 

union members are encouraging and 

advancing such radical issues in our local 

schools. 

National organizations like the Southern 

Poverty Law Center have written 

“Social Justice Standards” (CRT) that 

have found their way into our schools’ 

curricula. Incredibly, a handful of parents 

have even threatened to sue our districts; 

thus, threatening the education of all students 

as well as the fiscal stability of the 

entire district. All so that biological girls 

can use boys’ restrooms and biological 

boys can use girls’ restrooms. 

Recently and sadly, local school board 

meetings have become a platform for 

whistleblowing, gaslighting progressives 

to advance their radical social culture war 

agendas and ideologies. 

Yes, we all long for days where mundane 

and boring education was taught in 

our schools and where common sense, 

back-to-the-basics teaching was the rule. 

Regrettably, a handful of political and 

social activists and want-to-be school 

board candidates want to impose their 

radical ideologies on our community and 

stir up political culture wars. 

Yes, let’s go back to the days when 

reading, writing, arithmetic, discipline, 

respect and decency are the norms and 

where academic excellence is for all! 

Let’s return to good old-fashioned education 

and leave politics at the door. 

Ken Gontarz, president 

FrancisHowellFamilies.org 

754 Spirit 40 Park Drive 

Chesterfield, MO 63005 

(636) 591-0010 

midriversnewsmagazine.com 

Please send 

Comments, Letters and Press Releases to: 

editor@newsmagazinenetwork.com 

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine is published 24 times per 

year by 21 Publishing LLC. 35,000 distribution (direct 

mailed and newsstands) in St. Charles County. Products 

and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed 

by Mid Rivers Newsmagazine and views expressed in 

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Newsmagazine. No part of Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 

may be reproduced in any form without prior written 

consent from Mid Rivers Newsmagazine. All letters 

addressed to Mid Rivers Newsmagazine or its editor are 

assumed to be intended for publication and are subject to 

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reserves the right to refuse any advertisement or editorial 

submission. © Copyright 2024. 

WANT TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINION? 

Submit your letter to: editor@newsmagazinenetwork.com • 636.591.0010

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8 I NEWS I 





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NEWS 

BRIEFS 

DARDENNE PRAIRIE 

Prairie Enore’s final 

plan approved 

The final plan for the Prairie 

Encore multi-use development 

passed at the Jan. 17 Dardenne 

Prairie Board of Aldermen 

meeting, along with the deposit 

agreement between the city and 

KaLeco LLC. This large development 

has drawn the attention 

of residents and officials 

from neighboring cities as it 

included road expansion agreements 

with the neighboring city 

of O’Fallon. 

Due to ongoing disagreements 

with residents over the Prairie 

Encore project, the city worked 

to form the Town Square Vision 

Steering Committee. The purpose 

of the committee is to ensure 

that the city and residents work 

together to preserve the values 

of Dardenne Prairie and prevent 

future disagreements. Regardless, 

the Prairie Encore development is 

moving forward. As planned, the 

complex will include a 190-unit 

apartment complex, a Circle K 

gas station, fast food restaurant, car wash 

and other potential businesses across multiple 

lots. 

According to the Final Planned Urban 

Development (PUD) Area Plan, a portion 

of the property falls within a flood zone 

and will see the installation of a retaining 

wall along the stream bank after clearing 

away some of the tree cover while leaving 

a portion of the remaining foliage undisturbed. 

The site will undergo a three-phase 

construction plan. 

However, exactly when the project is 

expected to break ground and what timeline 

it will follow to reach completion has 

yet to be disclosed. 

On Feb. 21, Dolly Parton’s Pet Gala will premiere 

on CBS and Paramount+, and local dog Moxie 

will be walking the pink carpet with companion 

Katie Harris. The dynamic duo are the driving 

force behind the nonprofit Moxie’s Mission. 

Learn more at adventureswithmoxie.com. The 

two-hour special will feature performances and 

appearances by Parton and other country artists. 

ST. PETERS 

Mowing program application 

window opens 

St. Peters residents who are 62 or older 

or who have disabilities could qualify to 

have their lawns mowed up to 10 times 

between April 1 and Oct. 1, through the 

city’s Lawn Mowing Assistance Program. 

Applications for the program are available 

online but must be submitted by 5 p.m. 

on Wednesday, Feb. 14. 

To qualify, homeowners must meet 

established guidelines and income levels. 

Everyone living in the home must be 

at least 62 years old or have severe disabilities. 

Applicants are required 

to provide proof of income. The 

maximum household income may 

not exceed the following levels: 

• One-person household 

($35,200) 

• Two-person household 

($40,200) 

• Three-person household 

($45,250) 

• Four-person household 

($50,250) 

To download an application and 

learn more, visit stpetersmo.net/ 

cdbg and select Lawn Mowing 

Assistance. 

New online car 

dealership approved 

A requested a zoning change 

to operate a new online car dealership 

in St. Peters off of Twill 

Valley Court near Jungermann 

Road has been approved. 

At the Jan. 25 St. Peters Board of 

Aldermen meeting, Grant Sheldon, 

co-owner of the Twill Valley LLC., 

noted that the property, zoned for 

general commercial use, would 

remain unchanged. Sheldon noted 

that his is a newer business model 

where he fixes up cars and sells 

them online but needed a space to 

store them inside. 

“You won’t see a big floppy man 

outside,” he said. 

While he sells to buyers from all 

over the country, he said, “I will not have 

dilapidated vehicles outside junking up the 

place.” 

According to Sheldon, no more than three 

or four cars would be in the parking lot and 

most of the vehicles would be inside. 

There are already three auto body shops 

nearby, displaying that his business fits the 

current area. His building has 16-foot high 

ceilings and is currently equipped with 

a garage door to allow the vehicles to be 

parked inside. 

Concerns about the property line had 

been brought up during the public hearing; 

however, Sheldon noted that there is 

a seven-foot elevation change behind the 

building as well as a privacy fence with 

trees separating the businesses from residential 

homes. 

“You wouldn’t know it was a car dealership 

unless you were going there to buy a 

car,” he told the board. 

The request was recommended by city 

staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission. 

The aldermen unanimously 

approved his request. 

WELDON SPRING 

New city administrator named 

After a month-long search, Mayor 

Don Licklider selected, and the Board of 

Aldermen unanimously approved, Donald 

Stolberg as the city’s new administrator. 

Stolberg replaced Michael Padella, who 

has accepted the role of city administrator 

for Cottleville. 

Stolberg has 17 years of experience in 

municipal government as a police officer, 

management analyst and city administrator. 

He also served in the Marine Corps for 

22 years. He has master’s and bachelor’s 

degrees in public policy administration 

from the University of Missouri- St. Louis 

and an associate degree in legal studies 

from St. Louis Community College. 

“Mr. Stolberg will do excellent in his new 

role,” Licklider said in presenting Stolberg 

to the board. “He has my full confidence 

and support. He will enrich our community, 

spur progress and make a lasting impact 

for this small town. 

At the Jan. 25 board meeting, Licklider 

recognized Padella for his 17 years of service 

to the city. 

“We are sad to see Mr. Padella leave 

us,” Licklider said, “but we are excited 

for his new opportunity. He will continue 

his excellent work for our neighbors in 

Cottleville.” 

ST. CHARLES COUNTY 

Habitat for Humanity opens 

application process 

Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles 

County is accepting new homeowner 

applications through Feb. 29.





I NEWS I 9 

A free, informational meeting on Habitat 

homeownership is scheduled at 6 p.m. on 

Feb. 21 at the St. Charles County Habitat 

affiliate office, 2041 Trade Center Drive 

in St. Peters. Members of the Homeowner 

Selection Committee and staff will be on 

hand to field questions about the program 

and application process. 

To RSVP, email Shana Eubanks at 

shana@habitatstcharles.org or call (6360 

978-5712, extension 118. To review the 

qualifications for Habitat homeownership, 

visit habitatstcharles.org. 

Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles 

County provides tools, resources and 

support for the potential path to homeownership. 

To help fund these efforts, 

the organization operates the Habitat St. 

Charles ReStore, a retail outlet at 186 

Mid Rivers Center in St. Peters that sells 

donated new and used building materials, 

appliances, furniture and select home 

goods items at fair prices. 

The organization also hosts an annual 

gala in November, a trivia night each 

spring and an annual Women Build movement 

to help families build better lives for 

themselves through hands-on learning. 

If typical process and timing are followed, 

all five bills will receive votes for passage at 

the next County Council meeting on Feb. 12. 

Bill No. 5260 would authorize an STBG 

agreement with MoDOT for up to $512,000 

to replace the Josephville Road bridge over 

a tributary of the Cuivre River. Total project 

cost would be $640,000. 

Bill No. 5261 would authorize a BRO 

agreement with MoDOT for up to $512,000, 

to replace the Dietrich Road bridge over a 

tributary of McCoy Creek. Total project cost 

would be $640,000. 

Bill No. 5262 would authorize a BRO 

agreement with MoDOT for up to $552,000, 

to replace the Howell Road bridge over a 

tributary to Femme Osage Creek. Total project 

cost would be $690,000. 


agreement with MoDOT to design and construct 

roadway improvements along the existing 

South Point Prairie Road corridor from 

approximately 0.4 miles north of Jackson 

Road to 0.1 miles north of Hwy. N, as part 

of the continued extension of David Hoekel 

Parkway. The project would include reconstruction 

and widening of shoulders. The 

improvements would cost approximately 

$4,410,000 of which $1,300,000 would be 

paid for by this reimbursement. 

Freezing weather is here! 


agreement with MoDOT to design and 

construct roadway improvements along 

Josephville Road from Kersting Road to 

approximately one mile north of Route 

A. This is a continuation of a previous 

improvement project along Josephville 

Road. The new project would include an 

overlay, widening to include shoulders, 

and curve improvements to improve the 

condition of the pavement and increase 

public safety. The improvements would 

cost approximately $3,240,000 of which 

$1,300,000 would be paid for by this 

reimbursement. 

County Council approves 

drone unit agreement 

At its Jan. 29 meeting, the County 

Council passed Bill No. 5256 by a vote 

of 5-0, authorizing the execution of a 

revised Regional SWAT Team Agreement 

to include a drone unit. Council members 

Joe Brazil (District 2) and Dave Hammond 

(District 4) were absent. 

County Police Chief Kurt Frisz had 

requested approval to revise the current 

Regional SWAT memorandum of understanding 

to include a drone unit. 

As of January 2024, the County has 17 

drones and 14 FAA-certified drone pilots 

supporting the St. Charles County Ambulance 

District and County Police. 

Roadwork ahead 

At its Jan. 31 meeting, the St. Charles 

County Council introduced five bills to help 

with funding for bridge replacement and 

road improvement projects. If approved, 

the bills would authorize the use of federal/ 

state reimbursements totaling $4.176 million 

(80%) toward projects totaling $5.22 million. 

The county would need to provide $1.044 

million (20%). 

The Federal Highway Administration 

provides funding to the state, which the 

Missouri Department of Transportation 

(MoDOT) then distributes to counties and 

cities through various defined programs. 

Two of those are the Surface Transportation 

Block Grant (STBG) program and 

the Off-System Bridge Replacement and 

Rehabilitation (BRO) program. 

Slips and falls affect us all. 

Frost, ice and snow are particularly dangerous for our seniors. 

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10 I NEWS I 



Missouri lawmakers look to repeal sales tax 

on food; municipalities prepare to fight 

By SHWETHA SUNDARRAJAN 

A new year means a renewed effort by 

Missouri’s politicians to push forward 

another bill to eliminate the sales tax on 

food items – the third such attempt in as 

many years. 

Missouri lawmakers have filed six 

House bills for the current legislative session 

of the General Assembly, which aim 

to eliminate the sales and use taxes on 

food, beginning in January 2025. Two bills 

also have been put forth by state senators. 

Those propose to eliminate the state sales 

on food, now at 1.225%, which supports 

the Missouri School District Trust Fund. 

Monies from the fund are distributed 

monthly to schools statewide to be used at 

their discretion. The distribution is determined 

using a weighted daily average 

attendance formula. 

The bills 

For the purpose of those bills, food 

includes only those products and types of 

food for which food stamps (SNAP benefits) 

may be redeemed. 

House Bill 2401, filed by Rep. Crystal 

Quade (D-District 132), differs from 

the other four House bills in that it would 

reduce state and local sales taxes and use 

taxes on food at 1.5% of the rate imposed in 

the base year of 2025 until those taxes reach 

zero. Quade represents Greene County. 

House Bill 1418 filed by Rep. Robert 

Sauls (D-021) and House Bill 1464 filed 

by Rep. Chris Sander (R-District 033) also 

seeks to eliminate the state sales or use tax, 

and local sales and use tax on the retail sale 

of food. 

Sauls and Sander represent districts 

within Jackson County, which is located in 

the western portion of the state and borders 

Kansas. 

In 2022, Kansas passed legislation to be 

enacted in three phases. Phase 1 began in 

January 2023, dropping the state sales tax 

on groceries from 6.5% to 4%. This year, 

the tax will drop an additional 2% on food, 

food ingredients and certain prepared 

foods. Phase 3 will see the tax reach zero 

on Jan. 1, 2025. 

St. Charles Rep. Adam Schnelting 

(R-District 69) says his bill (House Bill 

2174) differs from the other similar pieces 

of legislation in that it leaves the municipal 

taxes in place. 

“So my bill actually doesn’t address the 

municipality,” Schnelting explained. “It 

doesn’t repeal the sales tax for municipalities 

that they place on food, this is just the 

state portion.” 

That’s not the case for House Bills 2055 

and 2273 filed by Rep. Ben Keathley 

(R-District 101) and Rep. 

Chris Dinkins (R-District 

144), respectively, which 

would repeal local sales and 

use taxes on retail food purchases 

in equal increments 

over a period of four years, 

resulting in a zero food tax 

by Jan. 1, 2029. 

Keathley represents Chesterfield, 

while Dinkins represents 

the counties of Wayne, 

Shannon, Madison, Reynolds, 

Iron, Washington and 

Bollinger. 

Missouri senators Mary 

Elizabeth Coleman (R-District 

22) and Holly Thompson Rehder 

(R-District 27) also have filed bills that 

would eliminate the state food tax, beginning 

Jan. 1, 2025, and in four equal reductions, 

eliminate local sales and use taxes on 

food, culminating in zero on Jan. 1, 2029. 

Coleman represents Arnold and parts of 

Jefferson County, while Rehder represents 

the counties of Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, 

Iron, Madison, Perry, Reynolds and Scott. 

In 2023, a similar bill filed by Coleman 

went the furthest in the legislative 

process but still fell short of passage. In a 

Senate hearing in February 2023, Coleman 

declared food as a necessity. “And I find 



(Adobe Stock photo) 

taxes that are essential items are some of 

the most regressive, harming the poor, and 

not the way to fund our state government,” 

she said. 

Schnelting shares that concern. 

“The point of the legislation is to ensure 

that folks who really feel the pinch right 

now – and a lot of Americans, a lot of 

Missourians, do feel the pinch of inflation 

– that we can try and reduce that 

(and) put money back in their pockets,” 

Schnelting said. 

However, municipalities statewide have 

See FOOD TAX, next page 

Confused about caucuses? Here’s what you need to know 

By KATE UPTERGROVE 

It’s been a while since Missouri held a 

caucus to determine who will be on the 

August Primary ballot for president. In 

recent years, the first step in determining 

the state’s presidential nominee has been 

a Presidential Preference Primary held in 

March. Not so this year. 

Legislation passed in 2022 did away 

with the open primary, which allowed 

voters to cast a ballot without declaring a 

party affiliation, to a closed system that has 

Republicans voting for Republicans and 

Democrats voting for Democrats. 

The Republicans will conduct their 

caucus in person, at 10 a.m. on March 2 at 

locations across the state. The Democrats 

will collect their votes by mail. 

Locally, the Republicans will caucus by 

Congressional District at: 

• 2nd Congressional District – Gymnasium 

B, Francis Howell Central High School, 

5199 Hwy. N, Cottleville, MO 63304. 

• 3rd Congressional District – Gymnasium 

A, Francis Howell Central High School, 

5199 Hwy. N, Cottleville, MO 63304. 

For those interested in learning more 

about the Republican Caucus, Bob Eno, 

chairman of the St. Charles County Republican 

Central Committee, will be the St. 

Charles County Pachyderm Club guest 

speaker on Friday, Feb. 2. 

Eno will discuss the upcoming presidential 

caucus and why voter participation is 

so important. 

The St. Charles County Pachyderms 

meet at noon at B. Halls, 3782 Monticello 

Plaza in O’Fallon. Lunches are open to all; 

registration is not needed. 

The Democratic Party will hold an inperson, 

party-run presidential preference 

primary election in every county on March 

23. Votes may be cast in person from 8 

a.m.-noon; however, the party had yet to 

identify polling places by press time. 

Mail-in ballots will be made available 

to registered Democrats beginning Feb. 

12. They must be returned to the Missouri 

Democratic Party prior to March 23. 

Missouri residents can register to vote 

and check or declare their party affiliation 

on the Secretary of State’s website (sos. 

mo.gov). However, time is limited as party 

preference for Democrats must be declared 

prior to mid-February. 

Requests for mail-in ballots can be sent 

to the MDP (missouridems.org) from Feb. 

1 through March 12. 

In a Jan. 14 interview with Marshall 

Griffin, of Show Me Today, Secretary of 

State Jay Ashcroft said the main difference 

between caucuses and primaries is 

that “with an election, you walk in, prove 

your identity, get your ballot, fill it out and 

you’re done.” 

“With a caucus, it will be a longer process 

where you will be together with individuals 

at a caucus site,” Ashcroft said. 

“They will lock the doors at 10 a.m. and, 

as we used to say when we were out in the 

woods, the cussing and discussing starts. 

People actually have the opportunity to 

give speeches and say why Candidate A is 

better than Candidate B. 

“It’s a much more involved process of 

figuring out who’s best.” 

Ashcroft noted that the process, which 

he defined as “old-school democracy, civic 

participation,” can take a few hours up to a 

half-day, or more. 

Following the campaign terminations of 

Doug Burgum, Chris Christie, Tim Scott 

and Ron DeSantis, the remaining Republican 

candidates to be voted on at the caucus 

are Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and David 

Stuckenberg. 

While President Joe Biden is the expected 

presidential nominee; other candidates that 

could be on the presidential preference 

ballot are author Marianne Williamson 

in her second bid for the presidency and 

Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, 

Stephen P. Lyons, Armando Perez-Serrato 

and Jason Michael Palmer. 

The Missouri Libertarian party is hosting 

its caucus at its statewide conference 

on Feb. 24. The conference is at Holiday 

Inn Earth City and registration is open now 

on the party’s website (lmpo.org).



FOOD TAX, from previous 

voiced concern about local tax revenue 

losses and defeated the legislation in 2022 

and 2023. This year, local municipalities 

are speaking out again. 

The cost 

On Jan. 25, the St. Peters Board of 

Aldermen passed a resolution opposing 

all legislation related to the elimination of 

local sales and use taxes on food. 

According to Mayor Len Pagano, sales 

tax collected on food makes up 6% of the 

city’s budget, all of which goes toward city 

services. 

“(When someone) says we need to cut 

taxes, I want to do this and that, I always 

ask them, ‘What services are we going to 

cut?’ Or better yet, ‘If you want to cut this, 

do you have a solution to make up for that 

lost revenue?’ That’s the question that’s 

never posed to the legislators or the senators,” 

Pagano said. “They have no recourse 

on that. 

“I’m the mayor, I would love to have 

everything free, but it ain’t gonna happen.” 

Pagano said the city of St. Peters would 

lose $7.8 million in annual tax revenue if 

the elimination of the local food tax comes 

to pass. 

That he said would “really take amenities 

away from the quality of life and the 

person that’s in the state of Missouri … 

nothing is free.” 

Pagano said St. Peters has no current 

plan to recover the lost revenue. That will 

come if and when legislation passes. But 

he is encouraging residents to contact their 

representatives. 

“[I’ve been] asking all residents to 

contact their state legislator or senator 

and ask them, ‘Why are you defunding 

our amenities?’ Because that’s what it 

is. The words defunding, truthfully, I’ve 

been told time and time again, that upsets 

them, but it’s true,” Pagano said. “When 

you got that kind of money going out, it’s 

defunding everything that we have in this 

city, and so that’s what I would encourage 

(residents) to do.” 

In neighboring St. Louis County, Manchester 

Mayor Mike Clement said his city 

is teaming up with Crestwood and Brentwood 

to hire a lobbyist to work against 

the passage of any legislation that would 

repeal the local food tax. Clement said 

those cities are not alone in their efforts. 

“Nearly every municipality adamantly 

opposes such a law,” he said. He pointed to 

new data that he said indicated a statewide 

impact of $1.65 billion. 

“Every single municipality and county 

and city in the state of Missouri would be 

very negatively impacted by this,” Clement 

said. 



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12 I NEWS I 





Missouri General Assembly kicks 

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By LAURA BROWN 

The General Assembly is back in session, 

but given the fact that the Senate has 

already experienced a two-week filibuster 

that pitted members of the same party 

against each other, many 

would say its not off to a 

productive start. 

On Jan. 25, Sen. Cindy 

O’Laughlin (R-District 

18) told a group of 

reporters gathered for 

Missouri Press Association 

Day at the Capitol 

that she would hold a 

vote to remove Sen. Bill 

Eigel (R-District 23) 

from the Senate if she 

knew she had the votes. 

O’Laughlin, who represents 

Northeast Missouri, 

is the majority floor leader. Eigel, of 

Weldon Spring, is a vocal member of the 

state-level Freedom Caucus, which refused 

to do any work, including approving a slate 

of governor appointees, until movement 

on their initiative petition legislation took 

place. 

In its simplest terms, the current initiative 

petition process 

allows citizens to collect 

signatures on a petition 

to place a constitution 

amendment on a ballot, 

where a simple majority 

is needed for passage. 

Changes proposed by 

Republicans would add 

Eigel 

O’Laughlin 

Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin to 

Sen. Bill Eigel: 

“I don’t think at anytime, 

in this chamber, anyone 

has tied up the floor and 

stopped every Senator 

from advancing their bills 

more than you.” 

various requirements 

that would make it more 

difficult to amend the 

state Constitution. 

“I don’t think at anytime, 

in this chamber, 

anyone has tied up the floor and stopped 

every Senator from advancing their bills 

more than you,” O’Laughlin told Eigel on 

Jan. 25 on the Senate floor. 

The filibuster effectively ended on Jan. 

30 when the Senate approved Gov. Mike 

Parson’s appointees to state office. As of 

press time, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb 

Rowden (R-District 19) had assigned hundreds 

of bills to committees. Among that 

legislation were bills aimed at changing the 

initiative petition process. 

While in Jefferson City, Mid Rivers 

Newsmagazine met with several state representatives 

to discuss their priorities for 

the legislative session that runs through 

May 17. 

Rep. Dave Hinman (R-District 103), who 

represents parts of O’Fallon, is sponsoring 

a bill that will move municipal and board 

of education candidate filing forward by 

one week to avoid the end of filing time 

from falling during winter holidays when 

most school districts and municipal city 

halls are closed for business. This would 

prevent officials from having to open 

buildings for the sole purpose of accepting 

candidate applications. 

Rep. Phillip Oehlerking (R-District 100), 

who represents Ballwin, would require 

public schools to implement parental consent 

procedures for students with individualized 

education programs (IEP). Written 

parental consent would be required for initial 

placement, annual placement or other 

revisions or changes to a student’s IEP as 

outlined in the bill. The aim is to put more 

power into the hands of parents, Oehlerking 

said. 

Oehlerking is also sponsoring legislation 

that would place two more trustees on the 

Public School Retirement System Board, 

bringing the number of trustees to 13. The 

additional two trustees would be appointed 

by the Missouri Public Charter School 

Association, giving charter school teachers 

representation on the state board. 

Rep. Tricia Byrnes (R-District 63), who 

represents Wentzville, 

also is sponsoring a bill 

that gives parents more 

rights when it comes to 

IEPs. 

Additionally, she has 

sponsored an antibullying 

bill called the Missouri 

Childhood Hero 

Act. The bill would 

require the Department 

of Elementary and Secondary 

Education to 

develop a model policy 

that each school district 

must adopt to address bullying and school 

discipline. The policy includes a restriction 

on zero-tolerance disciplinary policies and 

mandatory training for district employees 

and volunteers. 

Rep. Ben Keathley (R-District 101), 

representing Chesterfield, introduced 

a bill that prohibits restraining a child 

during a juvenile court proceeding. Keathley 

also introduced a bill limiting the pay 

of public school district superintendents 

to five-and-a-half times the total compensation 

of a beginning teacher’s salary in 

that district. 

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.





I NEWS I 13 

County approves election services contract in spite of controversy 

By JOHN TREMMEL 

Voter trust in election results and in voting 

technology was discussed and debated at 

length during the St. Charles County Council 

meeting on Jan. 29 when the council 

unanimously voted to remove an election 

services contract item from the meeting’s 

consent agenda in order to discuss and vote 

on it separately. 

Passionate questions, answers and explanations 

consumed more than an hour of the 

one-and-a-half hour meeting. At the heart of 

the discussion was a $651,343 per-year contract 

with Henry M. Adkins & Son Inc., of 

Clinton, Missouri, to provide election services 

prior to and on election dates in 2024, 

with renewal options for 2025 and 2026. 

Election services include: 

• Prior to Election Day, printing ballots 

for each individual jurisdiction’s elections, 

providing operational support for and maintenance 

of voting equipment, assisting in 

testing and programming the software necessary 

to administer elections, and providing 

support for public testing. 

• On Election Day, assisting in the tabulation 

of ballots using voting equipment and 

tabulation flash drives, troubleshooting 

and providing remedies to voting equipment 

issues, providing election results and 

canvassing documentation for the Election 

Night Reporting website and Secretary of 

State reporting. 

During the meeting’s public comments, 

three speakers spoke against the current 

voting machines and system. 

The first speaker said he thought the previous 

method of using paper ballots “instead 

of technology” for voting and counting was 

better, more trusted and with fewer problems. 

The second speaker alleged that the 

Unisyn voting machines are not federal 

and state certified. She also said that having 

Adkins as the provider of the systems and 

the tester for certification is the equivalent 

of “the fox watching the hen house.” 

The county’s voting machines are manufactured 

and its software is written in San 

Diego by Unisyn. The machines and software 

are distributed, supported and certified 

by Unisyn with Henry M. Adkins & Sons 

Inc. as the exclusive authorized franchise 

representative for Missouri, Kansas and 

Iowa. Only a Unisyn Voting Solutions certified 

vendor can maintain and calibrate the 

voting machines under this certification. 

The third speaker told the council, “We 

have been telling you for two years now 

these machines are not properly certified, 

and nothing has been done about it. Here 

we are, only a few weeks before we have to 

print the ballots for the (municipal) election, 

and the council is just now voting on this. 

“Everything in this bill sounds like Kurt 

Bahr’s job. If we’re outsourcing this administration, 

why do we need Kurt?” 

She called for ending the use of vote tabulating 

machines and returning to manually 

counting ballots. 

“If you need more people to count the ballots, 

just call us, we will be there,” she said. 

As a physical therapist 

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Council member Matt Swanson (District 

1) asked Bahr to address the issues and 

questions raised by the speakers. 

Accordingly, Bahr said, “St. Charles 

County has had a contractual relationship 

with Henry M. Adkins & Sons Inc. since 

1984. For the last 40 years, this company 

has printed our ballots and programmed our 

election machines. What I am asking is to 

continue that relationship.” 

Previously, Bahr had been accused of not 

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14 I NEWS I 



St. Peters couple awarded for saving neighbor’s life 



By JESSICA MARIE BAUMGARTNER 

Nick and Stevonna Nesbit were awarded 

the St. Peters Random Acts of Kindness 

Award at the city’s Jan. 25 Board of Aldermen 

meeting for saving their neighbor’s life 

last fall. 

Terry Logsdon nominated them for jumping 

into action when his heart stopped on 

the evening of Halloween. He said he could 

never repay the couple for working together 

to save him. He noted that on Halloween, 

he visited the Nesbits to give their children 

full-sized candy bars. He had brought his 

dog along to play with their dog, but the 

pets got over-excited. He reached down to 

calm them, and his heart stopped. 

“I went down, and the next thing I know, 

I was talking to my wife at Barnes Jewish,” 

Logsdon said. 

Terry later learned that Nick and Stevi 

had jumped into action to save him. Stevi 

noted that it was actually Nick’s mother 

who first recognized something was wrong. 

She shouted for someone to help him. 

“Terri was lying face down in the driveway 

when I knelt beside him, calling his 

name, and noticed he was unresponsive and 

had no pulse,” Stevi said. “Our initial worries 

turned to fear as I yelled to call 911, and 

Nick ran to get the phone. 

“He immediately returned 

and ordered me to begin CPR 

while still trying to dial 911. I 

flipped Terri over on his back, 

tilted his head and started compressions. 

The second time I 

blew air into his lungs, Terri 

started to ‘snore,’ and we knew 

he was back.” 

Stevi performed CPR for 

about 10 minutes until emergency 

responders arrived on 

the scene. 

“I could feel God’s will 

working through me,” she said. 

Stevi learned CPR years 

ago when she was a nanny. 

She said she received free 

training offered at that time by the city of 

O’Fallon. During the award’s presentation, 

she thanked the city of O’Fallon for offering 

that free training service, without which 

Terry would not have survived. 

“We’re just so incredibly thankful that we 

were there,” she said. “And I’m so incredibly 

thankful that my husband was so quick 

to act and be in motion and tell me, ‘You 

know what to do, so start doing it.’” 

She called the whole situation a blessing. 

St. Peters Alderman Joyce Townsend (left to right) with Jeanne and Terry 

Logsdon, Stevi Nesbit with daughters Hinsley (standing) and Kindall (in 

Stevi’s arms), Nick Nesbit and Alderman Rocky Reitmeyer. 

(Source: City of St. Peters) 

“It brought us closer to Terri and Jeanne, 

as well,” she said. “We were friends and 

neighbors before, but now they feel more 

like family.” 

Stevi acknowledged the role her CPR 

training played in saving Terry’s life. 

“About 10 years ago, I was a nanny, 

taking care of other people’s children, so I 

didn’t make a lot of money and could not 

afford to pay for training classes,” Stevi 

said. “One day, I was driving down Bryan 

Road in O’Fallon when I 

saw the small sign offering 

free classes through the fire 

department. I immediately 

signed up.” 

Nick said the situation 

was scary but could not have 

turned out better. 

The Nesbits moved into 

St. Peters about five years 

ago and bonded with their 

neighbors over their dogs. 

They expressed gratitude for 

being at the right place at the 

right time. 

“We truly want to thank all 

of the first responders and 

the emergency dispatcher 

for all they did for us that 

day and all they do every day,” they said. 

Terry said he still cannot wrap his head 

around what happened. He was fine one 

minute, blacked out and then woke up in 

the hospital. 

“I’m really healthy and do health checks,” 

he said. 

He now calls himself the luckiest guy in 

the world. 

“Every day’s Saturday for me from now 

on,” he said. 

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I 15 

CITY SC 2024 Schedule 

Don’t miss all the excitement of home games, either in the stands at City Park or in the comfort of 

your home with Mid Rivers Newsmagazine’s online galleries. 

FEBRUARY 

Feb. 20 vs. Houston • 7 p.m.* 

Feb. 24 vs. Salt Lake • 7:30 p.m. 

Feb. 27 at Houston • 9:30 p.m.* 

MARCH 

March 2 vs. NYC • 7:30 p.m. 

March 9 at Austin • 7:30 p.m. 

March 16 at LA Galaxy • 9:30 p.m. 

March 23 vs. D.C. United • 7:30 p.m. 

March 30 vs. Salt Lake • 8:30 p.m. 

APRIL 

April 6 vs. Dallas • 7:30 p.m. 

April 14 vs. Austin • 3:30 p.m. 

April 20 at Kansas City • 7:30 p.m. 

MAY 

May 4 at Houston • 7:30 p.m. 

May 11 vs. Chicago • 7:30 p.m. 

May 15 vs. LAFC • 7:30 p.m. 

May 18 at Cincinnati • 6:30 p.m. 

May 25 vs. Seattle • 7:30 p.m. 

JUNE 

June 1 at Miami • 6:30 p.m. 

June 8 vs. Portland • 7:30 p.m. 

June 15 at Dallas • 7:30 p.m. 

June 19 vs. Colorado • 7:30 p.m. 

June 22 vs. Atlanta • 7:30 p.m. 

June 29 at Vancouver • 9:30 p.m. 

JULY 

July 3 vs. San Jose • 7:30 p.m. 

July 7 at Colorado • 8:30 p.m. 

July 13 vs. Vancouver • 7:30 p.m. 

July 17 at Seattle • 9:30 p.m. 

July 20 at Kansas City • 7:30 p.m. 

AUGUST 

Aug. 24 at Portland • 9:30 p.m. 

SEPTEMBER 

Sept. 1 vs. LA • 1:30 p.m. 

Sept. 7 at New England • 6:30 p.m. 

Sept. 14 vs. Minnesota • 7:30 p.m. 

Sept. 21 at San Jose • 9:30 p.m. 

Sept. 28 vs. Kansas City • 7:30 p.m. 

OCTOBER 

Oct. 2 at LAFC • 9:30 p.m. 

Oct. 5 vs. Houston • 7:30 p.m. 

Oct. 19 at Minnesota • 8 p.m. 

* Concacaf Champions Cup 

(Lyle Whitworth Photography)

16 I SCHOOLS I 





Hanging with the Pros: Local students shine at Foundry Art Centre 

By BETHANY COAD 

Students from Fort Zumwalt’s Westhoff, 

Ostmann and Dardenne elementary 

schools recently showcased their artwork 

alongside professionals at the Foundry 

Art Centre in St. Charles. 

“It was important for the kids to see 

professional artists presenting their work 

and to see that others, who you don’t even 

know, will see your work,” art teacher 

Becky Schaub, from Ostmann Elementary, 

said of the exhibition’s opening reception. 

For some, it was not a new experience. 

Art teacher Dion Allison, from Westhoff 

Elementary, has had the opportunity to 

enter students into several Foundry Art 

Centre shows. 

“I think it is a huge honor to be chosen, 

which is what I relayed to my selected 

students,” Allison said. 

The show’s broad criteria allowed the 

students to create either a two-dimensional 

or three-dimensional work, but the 

turnaround was quick. 

“Students had a brief two-day window 

NOTICE OF LIQUIDATION 

Preferred Standard Mutual Insurance Company 

Lindley-Myers v. Preferred Standard Mutual Insurance Company, 

Case No. 23AC-CC07085, Circuit Court of Cole County, Missouri 

To: Policyholders, Agents, and Creditors who may have claims against Preferred 

Standard Mutual Insurance Company (“Preferred Standard”): 

The Circuit Court of Cole County, Missouri (the “Court”) in Case No. 23AC- 

CC07085, has entered a Declaratory Judgment, Order Appointing Receiver, and Order 

of Liquidation (the “Liquidation Order”) against Preferred Standard. 

The Liquidation Order appointed Chlora Lindley-Myers, the Director of the Missouri 

Department of Commerce and Insurance, as Receiver of Preferred Standard. The Court 

directed the Receiver to take possession of the property, books, records and assets of 

Preferred Standard and to administer them under the supervision of the Court. The 

Court ordered that the Receiver take immediate possession, charge, and control of, and 

title to, Preferred Standard and all of its assets of Preferred Standard. A copy of the 

Liquidation Order can be found at: 

https://insurance.mo.gov/companies/receiv.php. 

Policy Cancellation 

Pursuant to the Liquidation Order and § 374.048, RSMo, all Fire, Burglary and 

Earthquake policies in effect at the time of issuance of an order of liquidation shall 

be cancelled the sooner of: (1) 30 days from the date of entry of the liquidation order; 

(2) the expiration of the policy coverage; (3) the date when the insured replaces 

the insurance coverage with equivalent insurance in another insurer or otherwise 

terminated the policy; (4) the Director has effected a transfer of the policy obligation 

to an assuming insurer; or (5) upon such other date as may be established by the Court. 

Claims Procedure 

If you believe that you have a claim against the Preferred Mutual liquidation estate, 

please file a Proof of Claim. The Proof of Claim form may be downloaded at https:// 

insurance.mo.gov/companies/receiv.php. A Proof of Claim for any policy or creditor 

must be filed by March 1, 2024, the deadline established in the Order of Liquidation. 

If you have any questions regarding this Notice, other matters related to Preferred 

Standard, or the liquidation proceeding, please submit your inquiries to: 

Preferred Standard Mutual Insurance Company in Liquidation 

Attn: Shelley L. Forrest, Counsel to the Receiver 

301 W. High Street, Room 530 

Jefferson City, MO 65101 

Phone Number: 800-726-7390 

Email: consumeraffairs@insurance.mo.gov 

to complete the project,” Dardenne Elementary 

art teacher Susan Thomas said. 

“There were just a few students from the 

school chosen for their superior work. 

This kind of recognition really helps the 

student’s self-esteem and impacts their 

confidence in all subjects.” 

McKayden Tinker, a fourth grader at 

Westhoff, turned in a mandala, which is a 

geometric configuration of symbols. 

“I like that you can just draw whatever 

you want sometimes,” Tinker said. “I 

wanted my mandala to be bright colors so 

it would stand out, and I liked gluing the 

sequins on (it).” She was excited to see 

her art hanging at the Foundry and said 

she hoped those who viewed it saw that 

she tried her hardest. 

Jouri Diab, from Dardenne Elementary, 

loves to paint and was excited to create a 

piece that highlighted emotion. 

“I made a lady who was angry,” Diab 

explained. “It was fun to paint an angry 

person, but the lipstick was the hardest.” 

According to Allison, art teaches problem-solving, 

critical thinking, cultural 

awareness, team building, self-expression, 

art history and community involvement, 

which is why it is so important. She suggested 

parents and others talk to children 

about their art by asking questions like: 

“What inspired them to create? How did 

they use the supplies? What was the process? 

What was their favorite?’ ” 

Timber McMullen, a second grader 

at Dardenne Elementary, would say the 

answer to that last question is that art is 

just really fun. 

“We got to use cardboard and bumpy 

paper, and I ripped the top of it off to 

create more texture. I glued down three 

rectangles crocodile style – but they 

weren’t the same size. The funnest part 

was painting over all of it,” McMullen 

said. 

Dardenne fifth grader Gibson McCormac 

was assigned to do a still life piece 

with shading, which proved to be the 

“most challenging part.” Ostmann fifth 

grader Kaley Moffett created a selfportrait 

that highlights how long she has 

loved art and the progress she has made 

over the years. Dardenne Elementary fifth 

grader Reed McMullen created a still-life 

picnic basket full of objects by first drawing 

what she saw, and then coloring it in 

using ink and black paint. While Kylie 

McConkey, also from Dardenne Elementary, 

explained that her method was more 

freeform. “I like my squiggles the best,” 

she said. 

For those who think they are not good 

enough to show their art, McConkey 

would put their fears to rest. “I would say, 

‘You are a good artist,’” she said. 

McKayden Tinker with her mandela at the 

Foundry Art Centre display. (FZSD photos) 

Kylie McConkey grins while posing with her 

freeform “squiggles.” 

Reed McMullen and her still life (top). 

Timber McMullen poses by her texture 

piece.

YOUR PASSION. 

YOUR POTENTIAL. 

YOUR PLACE. 

START WHEN YOU ARE READY 

Spring Accelerated Term #2 starts March 25 

May Mini Session starts May 15 

stchas.edu 

636-922-8000 

SCC is an equal opportunity employer/program.

CONNECTIONS. IMPACT. SUCCESS. 

StCharlesRegionalChamber.com 

Wendy Rackovan, IOM 

VP of Marketing & Communications 

St. Charles Regional Chamber 

5988 Mid Rivers Mall Drive • St. Charles 

(636) 946-0633 

Chloe Cohoon, Community Relations Dir. 

Villages of St. Peters Memory Care 

5300 Executive Centre Parkway • St. Peters 

(636) 477-6955 

nhccare.com/locations/villages-st-peters-memory-care/ 

Nicole Collora, COTA/L, Owner 

Forget Me Not Adult Day Services 

1225 Jungermann Road • St. Peters 

(636) 244-0291 

forgetmenotadultdayservices.com 

Jessica Cooke, Owner 

Yuppy Puppy Pet Spa 

2301 Technology • O’Fallon 

5289 Hwy N • Cottleville 

(636) 625-0030 • yuppypuppyspa.com 

Melissa Eaton, i3 Broadband 

Community Engagement Specialist 

230 Turner Blvd. • St. Peters 

(636) 208-2707 

melissa.eaton@i3broadband.net 

Rep. Wendy Hausman 

Missouri House of Representatives 

St. Charles County District 65 

wendyhausman.com 

Paid for by Hausman for Missouri - Molly Dempsey, Treasurer 

Jennifer Hutcheson, Agent 

American Family Insurance 

1000 Lake Saint Louis Blvd, Ste 206 

Lake Saint Louis • (636) 947-4080 

JHutches@amfam.com 

Terry Jenkerson 

Community Relations Director 

Assisted Living at the Meadowlands 

135 Meadowlands Estates Lane • O’Fallon 

(636) 978-3600 

Cathy Lenihan • Gateway Fiber 

Commercial Sales 

(636) 297-7355 

cathy.lenihan@gatewayfiber.com 

gatewayfiber.com 

Sandra M Lopez 

District Retail Manager 

Midland States Bank 

2341 Highway K • O’Fallon 

(314) 512-8832 • midlandsb.com 

Patty Maneke 

Anna Meurer, MBA, CFP®, BFA 

Independent Pampered Chef Consultant Sommer Investments, LLC 

(314) 852-6149 

1395 Triad Center Drive, Ste 4 • St Peters 

patty.maneke@gmail.com 

(636) 441-1700 

pamperedchef.com/pws/pattymaneke Anna@sommerinvestments.com 

Jannette Neely, Owner 

Nothing Bundt Cakes 

6123 Mid Rivers Mall Blvd. • St. Peters 

(314) 492-2325 

nothingbundtcakes.com 

Sharon Osborn , Senior Living Advisor 

Assisted Living Locators 

539 Fox Pointe Drive • St. Charles 

(636) 577-9543 

assistedlivinglocators.com/st.-charles 

Leslie Payne M.A., Director 

Little Guppy Child Development Center 

3151 Elm Point Industrial • St. Charles 

(636) 916-4280 

littleguppy.com 

Susan Sommer, CFS®, CFP® 

Sommer Investments, LLC 

1395 Triad Center Drive, Ste 4 • St Peters 

(636) 441-1700 

Susan@sommerinvestments.com 

Terri Violet 

Candidate for State Representative 

District 104 

(636) 734-1883 

violetformissouri.com 

Paid for by Violet for Missouri - Cynthia Priesmeyer, Treasurer



WOMEN 

IN 

BUSINESS 

A special section featuring 

St. Charles County’s best 

and brightest female 

entrepreneurs and 

professionals. 



Women in Business: Why it matters 

By KATE UPTERGROVE 

According to the Current Population 

Survey and Current Employment Statistics 

from the U.S. Labor Department’s 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, three-quarters 

of women between the ages 25 and 54 hold 

down a job today, compared with slightly 

more than two-thirds a decade ago. Women 

are also working longer hours. Today, 84% 

of those women work full time and many 

are entrepreneurs. 

Why does this matter? 

It matters because research supports that 

having women in the workplace improves 

the organizations for which they work for 

all employees. In a survey conducted by the 

Center for Creative Leadership, respondents 

noted that women in the workplace resulted in: 

• More job satisfaction. 

• More corporate dedication. 

• More meaningful work. 

• Less burnout. 

In simple terms, women get the job done 

– and women entrepreneurs create jobs along 

the way. 

Approximately 40% of women entrepreneurs 

hired one to five employees in their 

first year. Over 10% ultimately hired 20 or 

more employees, far above the global average 

of 3%.That’s according to Global Entrepreneurship 

Monitor’s 2021/2022 Women’s 

Entrepreneurship Report. 

Women are often better at communication, 

collaboration and creativity than their 

male counterpoints. Which is to say, they see 

things differently and as such bring a different 

skillset and approach to problem solving. 

A woman’s intuition may allow her to pick 

up on details that enhance collaboration and 

make co-workers feel appreciated and customers 

feel noticed. 

In its Trends in Entrepreneurship series, 

The Kauffman Foundation – based in 

Kansas City, Missouri, no less – notes 

that 39.9% of businesses started in 2021 

were created by women. Recruiting specialist 

Guidant Global’s 2022 Women in 

Business Trends report takes that statistic 

further by noting that most women who 

own an independent business started it 

from scratch (33%) instead of buying an 

existing company (23%). Of women who 

own franchises, roughly one-third (34%) 

bought their location instead of purchasing 

an existing franchise location (10%). 

This means new revenue and new business 

growth being brought into a community. 

In terms of community, those local businesses 

are typically the ones that support 

school programs, little leagues, Scouts, nonprofits 

and more. 

I WOMEN IN BUSINESS I 19 

Jenn Avery 

Community 

Outreach Director 

Jenn Avery is the Community Outreach 

Director at Quinn Estate & Elder 

Law. She brings with her a decade of 

experience with senior living spaces, 

serving in various roles, most notably 

as an executive director of an assisted 

living and memory care community. 

Her role at Quinn Estate & Elder Law 

is to be a resource for seniors and their 

families serving as the firm’s voice to 

inform and educate them about longterm 

care planning, Veterans’ benefits 

and Medicaid, and recommend local 

resources for seniors when appropriate. 

Jenn also runs Elder Care Advisors, 

a free elder care assistance program 

offered to all members of the community 

by Quinn Estate & Elder Law. 

(636) 394-7242 

javery@quinnestatelaw.com 

www.quinnestatelaw.com 

Kelly Gano 

Executive 

Director 

Kelly Gano, executive director of the 

new Hampton Manor of Wentzville, a 

senior assisted living and memory care 

community, is inviting seniors and their 

families to take a tour. 

Hampton Manor offers a warm and 

welcoming environment that is expressed 

in an all-inclusive, resort-style community. 

Amenities include a movie theater, beauty 

salon, outdoor patios, and two courtyards. 

“The courtyard has a beautiful fountain 

and a gazebo. Owner Shahid Imrian’s 

expectations of the food served are very 

high. He wants everything to be top of the 

line,” Kelly said. “He says it’s time to spoil 

our seniors and that is the motto we live 

by daily.” 

See what Hampton Manor has to offer. 

Schedule a tour today. 

(636) 538-6770 

21 Midland Park Drive • Wentzville 

www.wentzvilleassistedliving.com 

Spencer Argueta 

Vice President, Broker, Realtor 

Spencer Argueta, vice president, broker and 

Realtor at Elevate Realty knows that buying or 

selling a home is one of the most important 

transactions her clients will make. That is why she 

sees her role as an advocate to help her clients 

navigate complex transactions and provide 

smooth transitions from beginning to close. 

“I am committed to serving all the needs of my clients with knowledge, skill and care,” 

Spencer said. 

As for knowledge and skill, she is not only experienced but dedicated to continuing her 

education. 

“I want to make sure that I am not only up to date but ahead of the curve in the fast paced 

world of real estate,” she said. 

As for care, Spencer makes herself available to her clients and works hard to reach their 

goals. A wife and mother, she strives hard to do her best to serve families. 

“Clients choose to work with me because of my honesty, patience and the expertise that 

empowers them to make smart real estate decisions,” she said. 

That knowledge, skill and dedication have put her 

among the Top 1% of Realtors in St Louis, ranked her as 

Best of Zillow and featured her in Top Agent Magazine. 

Spencer, along with the Elevate Realty LLC Team, 

serves St. Louis County, Franklin County and Warren 

County. 

Put your trust in a realtor who has the real estate skills 

clients need and cares passionately for families. Call 

Spencer Argueta. 

12400 Olive Street Road #203 

Creve Coeur • (314) 947-3791 

spencer@stlhp.com 

www.explorestlouishomes.com 

Gina Korte 

Owner 

Gina Korte, owner of New Moon Studios 

School of Music, has been performing 

throughout the tri-state area for over 30 

years and continues to do so today. She 

also has earned her B.A. in Vocal/Choral 

Music, M.A. in Education, and has been 

teaching voice and piano lessons for 16 

years. 

“There is nothing better than being able 

to play a role in your students’ growth – in 

music and life. You become like family,” 

Gina said. 

Her goal is to provide quality education 

in a community atmosphere for people of 

all ages and skill levels. New Moon Studios 

offers lessons in voice, piano, violin, guitar, 

drums and more. Call to schedule your free 

trial lesson! 

115 Olympic Way • St. Peters 

(636) 795-5429 

www.newmoonstudiosstl.com

20 I DÉCOR & LIFESTYLES I 





SAVE 50% OFF 

THE COST OF NEW CABINETS 

The Perfect Solution 

for the Outdated Kitchen 

3444 N. Lindbergh • St. Louis, MO 63074 

314-739-1730 

Don’t Replace - Reface! 

Solid Wood Refacing • Custom Countertops • Tile Backsplash 

Free Consultation 

and Estimate 

Visit Our Website & Try Out 

THE KITCHEN VISUALIZER 

20% OFF 

Complete Kitchen 

Cabinet Refacing 

Expires 2/29/24 

www.ClassicKitchenRefacing.com 

Think Spring 

Beseda Flooring & More 

5773 Westwood Drive • St. Charles • (636) 926-9989 

www.besedaflooring.com 

Beseda Flooring & More is celebrating its 39th anniversary as a family owned and operated 

business. Featuring quality products, providing incredible customer service and having true trade 

craftsmen to install its flooring is what assures their clients of a first-class experience. When 

choosing a new floor for your home, Beseda Flooring assists its customers in finding the right 

product to meet their specific needs. Their experienced designers will assist you from concept 

to installation and everything in between. In-home estimates are always free. It is their hope that 

you will make Beseda Flooring & More “your one stop floor shop.” 

Classic Kitchen Refacing 

3444 North Lindbergh, Blvd. • St. Ann • (314) 739-1730 

www.classickitchenrefacing.com 

Classic Kitchen Refacing can create your dream kitchen for less. “We do cabinet refacing, custom 

countertops and tile backsplashes,” said owner Don Sheehan. Classic Kitchen Refacing leaves 

your cabinets in place and covers the sides and front and all exposed surfaces with quarter-inch 

solid wood. Then new doors are added in your choice of color and style. They also offer assets 

like new soft-close hinges, handles and hardware. Plus they have the latest quartz countertops. 

“It’ll look and act like a brand new kitchen for less than half the price of tearing everything out,” 

Don said. Financing options are also available. Call to get a free consultation. 

Johnson Heating & Cooling 

223 N. Callahan Road • Wentzville 

(636) 332-4141 

www.johnson-heatingandcooling.com 

Johnson Heating & Cooling installs dependable, high-quality furnaces, air handlers, air 

conditioners, heat pumps and geothermal systems, and its technicians perform service and 

maintenance on all brands. They also install air quality products such as humidifiers and electronic 

air cleaners. Clean-and-checks ensure homeowners’ heating and cooling systems are operating at 

peak performance. Family owned and operated, the business is run by Tracy and Shaun Johnson. 

Shaun has over 24 years in the industry and a Journeyman License in several counties. Tracy is 

vice president, handling all aspects of customer service. Both make it a goal to educate customers 

and provide the most comfortable and quality systems available, installed and serviced by trusted 

professionals. 

OPEN HOUSE • MARCH 1-3 

Enjoy snacks & mimosas while shopping new spring decor! 

Special store discounts all weekend long! 

@TheFoyerHomeDecor 

HOURS: 

Mon-Sat: 10 am - 5 pm | Sun: Noon - 4 pm 

Call us for a complimentary design consult if 

you need help with your space! 636-778-1400 

1649 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield (Same plaza as Trader Joe’s) | thefoyerhomedecor.com 

Schneider True Value Hardware 

9 Main Street • St. Peters 

(636) 278-4461 

www.stores.truevalue.com/mo/saint-peters/7054/ 

Schneider True Value Hardware and the Schneider family have been around awhile. After founding 

a hardware store in 1878 and joining True Value in 1961, well, knowing hardware just seems to 

run in the family. They have the right parts for projects and tools of all kinds. Stop in and get what 

you need for electrical or plumbing projects. And don’t forget the holidays are coming. It could be 

time for a fresh coat of paint on the rooms where your family gathers, or to clean the carpet with 

a machine from Schneider’s or find the perfect power tool for that holiday gift. Schneider’s True 

Value is a Stihl Dealer with all their new battery tools. They have answers for your do-it-yourself 

projects, holiday preparations and all things hardware.





I DÉCOR & LIFESTYLES I 21 

Mohawk | RevWood Laminate | SmartStrand Carpet 

Sale 

10% OFF 

SALE ENDS 2/29/24 

ALL IN STOCK 

CARPET 

ON SALE! 

5773 Westwood Drive | St. Charles | (636) 926-9989 | www.besedaflooring.com 

HOURS: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. | Saturday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Free In Home Estimates! 

• OVER 100 YEARS IN ST. CHARLES COUNTY • 

SPRUCE UP YOUR YARD 

WITH SPRING SAVINGS 

SAVE UP TO $350 ON BATTERY TOOLS 

SCHNEIDER 

HARDWARE 

TOOL SHARPENING & SCREEN REPAIR DONE HERE! 

9 Main Street • Old Town St. Peters, MO 63376 

www.truevalue.com/schneiders • 636-278-4461 • 636-397-2347 

STORE HOURS: Monday - Friday: 7AM - 5PM • Saturday: 8AM-4PM • Closed Sunday

22 I DÉCOR & LIFESTYLES I 



Squeak Free Floors & Stairs 



Squeak Stoppers 

(314) 341-9676 

www.squeakstoppers.com 

Annoying household squeaks and uneven floors can be eliminated with help from Squeak 

Stoppers. They have a vast knowledge of home construction and the friction that comes from 

flooring and other building materials. Squeak Stoppers can take the squeaks out of hardwood 

floors, carpet, vinyl and tile on the first or second floor of a home with a finished or unfinished 

basement using non-invasive techniques. They can repair uneven floors. They can also transform 

stairs with new treads and balusters or install a brand new hard surface floor. Call Squeak 

Stoppers today to set up a free consultation. 

BEFORE 

AFTER 

We also fix squeaky, sinking, sloping, sagging, uneven floors! 

$45 Off! 

Floor Squeak Removal 

Consultations are free 

314-341-9676 

www.SqueakStoppers.com 

Discount applies to set-up fees. Coupon only valid on jobs with 5 or more squeaks. 

The Foyer Furniture & Home Decor 

1649 Clarkson Road • Chesterfield • (636) 778-1400 

thefoyerhomedecor.com • carriekeipp@thefoyerhomedecor.com 

The Foyer is a new furniture and home decor store in the Chesterfield area that puts a unique 

spin on home decorating. Customers will find a mix of traditional, industrial, modern and boho 

styles. Their designer can also show you how to mix pieces to create your own style. The Foyer’s 

inventory will change often and its pieces will be limited. Complimentary design consultation is 

available. Log onto the website and get a taste of their beautiful décor items including furniture, 

lamps, greenery, candles, pillows and more, or stop by today to see their unique style in person. 

décor 

and lifestyles 

A SPECIAL SECTION COMING AGAIN 

4.17.24 

Call for 

a Free 

Estimate! 

Let Our Family 

Take Care of Your 

Family’s Heating 

and Cooling Needs. 

TO ADVERTISE CALL: 

636.591.0010 

• We service all brands 

• Friendly Neighborhood Service 

• On Time Arrival 

• Clean Technicians 

• 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed 

Call Us Today! 

636-332-4141 

www.johnson-heatingandcooling.com 

223 N. Callahan Road 

Wentzville, MO 63385 

MENTION THIS AD 

$20 OFF 

SERVICE CALL 

*Not Applicable With Trip & Diagnostic 

MENTION THIS AD 

$150 OFF 

REPLACEMENT OF 

FURNACE AND 

AIR CONDITIONER 

Present at time of Estimate. 

License #M5810B





I MATURE FOCUS I 23 

Eating disorders are more prevalent among older women than commonly believed, 

especially after menopause. 


News & Notes 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Eating disorders in 

older adults 

February is Eating Disorders Awareness 

Month, bringing attention to a problem 

that’s become epidemic in the U.S. According 

to the National Eating Disorders Association, 

nearly 30 million Americans will 

have some type of eating disorder, all of 

which are considered forms of mental illness, 

at some point during their lives. And 

while most people may think of eating 

disorders as mainly impacting adolescents 

and teens, they are increasingly prevalent 

among older adults…especially women. 

In 2023, researchers from the Yale 

School of Medicine reported that almost 

3% of women between the ages of 50 and 

64, and about 2% of women over 65, suffer 

from an eating disorder. These illnesses, 

which include anorexia nervosa, binge 

eating and bulimia, can quickly become 

very serious and even fatal in older people. 

In fact, research has shown that just over 

20% of older adults with an eating disorder 

eventually die from the condition. 

Why are older women in particular at 

risk? Studies have shown they commonly 

begin when an emotional “trigger” of some 

kind causes these behaviors. 

A study previously published in the Journal 

of Eating Disorders found that the transition 

to menopause can leave many women 

more vulnerable, as shifting hormones cause 

them to put on weight that’s harder to lose. 

Others may have recovered from eating disorders 

when they were younger, and relapse 

after menopause as their bodies go through 

normal age-related changes. Stress and 

anxiety caused by life events such as adjusting 

to an empty nest, divorce, retirement 

or widowhood can also leave women more 

susceptible to eating disorders. 

Whatever their cause, health experts 

agree it’s critical that eating disorders later 

in life be addressed as quickly as possible. 

If a friend or loved one displays any of the 

following symptoms, she may need help: 

• Rapid weight loss 

See MATURE FOCUS, page 24 

OUR MISSION: 

• to promote education, 

empowerment, and peace 

of mind 

• to assist individuals and 

families in estate planning for 

all stages and seasons of life 

• to help individuals and 

families navigate legal issues 

associated with aging or 

disability with an emphasis 

on dignity, respect, and 

compassion 

Katie Miles-Langford 

Miles Elder Law 

929 Fee Fee Rd, Ste 203 

Maryland Heights, 63043 

Phone 636-333-9400 

info@mileselderlaw.com 

mileselderlaw.com 

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and 

should not be based solely upon advertisements. 

LIKE 

US 

ON 

Facebook.com/midriversnewsmagazine 

Healthcare ‘Groundhog Day’ 

New data on Medicare beneficiaries 

shows that on average, Americans over 

age 65 now spend just under three weeks 

getting healthcare services outside their 

homes each year. 

Specifically, these older adults leave 

home for doctor’s appointments, tests, 

procedures and other medical services 

on an average of 20.7 days annually. 

For a significant 11% of seniors, the 

number of these “health care contact 

days” is 50 per year, more than double 

the national average. 

These numbers represent substantial 

amounts of time, effort and cost for 

older adults covered by Medicare and 

their families, say the Harvard-affiliated 

researchers who published the data in 

Annals of Internal Medicine. They show 

that efforts need to be made to optimize 

contact days – for example, by combining 

doctors’ office visits with lab and 

other testing appointments, which is 

usually not the case today. According 

to the authors, health care contact days 

should become a new patient-centered 

metric that can be used to evaluate care 

for older adults. 

Discover something novel in the next chapter of your life. 

At Clarendale of St. Peters, each day feels as cozy as curling 

up with a good book. Enjoy a comfortable lifestyle met with the 

same excitement that comes with turning to the next page in an 

enthralling story – only, the story is yours. 

Meet kind characters, feel support from caregiving heroes, and 

explore every exceptional amenity and service our brand-new 

community has to offer. 

Learn more today. ClarendaleOfStPeters.com | 636-242-6096 

INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE 

Clarendale of St. Peters | 10 DuBray Drive | St. Peters, MO 63376 web ClarendaleOfStPeters.com

24 I MATURE FOCUS I 





Melissa Q. Leavy 

Owner/Attorney 

ZOOM 

Meetings 

Available 

For Your 

Convenience 

PRACTICE AREAS: 

• Trusts, Wills and Powers of Attorney 

• Long-term Care Planning 

• Medicaid, Veterans Administration, 

and other government benefits 

• Special Needs Planning 

• Probate and Trust Administration 

• Guardianships and 

Conservatorships 

A caring approach to legal planning, 

representation and advocacy for 

older and disabled persons. 

220 Salt Lick Road • St. Peters 

(In the “Legal Center” Building) 

636-333-9160 or 83-ELDERLAW 

info@yourelderlawyers.com • yourelderlawyers.com 

MATURE FOCUS, from page 23 

• Eating by herself or acting secretive 

• Appearing to feel guilty about eating 

• Exercising excessively 

• Appearing emotionally upset or 

depressed 

• Sudden development of oral health 

problems like jaw pain. 

Parkinson’s-pollution link 

You may be more likely to develop Parkinson’s 

disease if you live in a city where 

levels of air pollution are higher, say scientists 

at Barrow Neurological Institute 

in Phoenix. Their recent study, published 

in Neurology, found that people living in 

regions with above-median levels of air 

pollution have a 56% greater risk of developing 

Parkinson’s compared to those living 

in regions with the lowest pollution levels. 

The researchers also found that the relationship 

between air pollution and Parkinson’s 

incidence is not the same in every part 

of the country – instead, it varies in strength 

by region. The St. Louis area is identified 

as a Parkinson’s “hotspot” according to the 

air quality map they developed, along with 

other cities in the Mississippi-Ohio River 

Valley, parts of Kansas, North Dakota, 

Texas and Michigan, and the tip of Florida. 

“This means that the pollution in these 

areas may contain more combustion particles 

from traffic and heavy metals from 

manufacturing, which have been linked to 

cell death in the part of the brain involved 

in Parkinson’s disease,” said study leader 

Brittany Krzyzanowski, Ph.D. 

The team’s conclusions were based on a 

Medicare dataset of nearly 22 million people, 

which identified nearly 90,000 Americans 

with Parkinson’s. They used geospatial 

analysis to confirm the associations between 

numbers of people with the disease and airborne 

fine particulate matter resulting from 

pollution in the regions where they live. 

“Despite years of research trying to identify 

the environmental risk factors of Parkinson’s 

disease, most efforts have focused on exposure 

to pesticides,” Krzyzanowski added. 

“This study suggests that we should also be 

looking at air pollution as a contributor in the 

development of Parkinson’s disease.” 

Forecasting pain 

Changes in the weather and worsening 

of chronic pain are linked for many people. 

For example, shifts in atmospheric pressure 

and humidity have been shown to induce 

migraines in those with the condition, as 

well as worsening of pain caused by arthritis 

or other persistent joint problems. 

In a recent survey conducted by the University 

of Georgia, about 70% of respon- 

In a recent survey, more than two-thirds 

of older adults with chronic pain said they 

would use a weather-related forecasting 

tool to help predict flare-ups. 


dents with chronic pain said they would 

actually alter their day-to-day plans based 

on weather-based pain “forecasts.” 

“We’re finding more consistent relationships 

between weather patterns and pain, 

so it seems more possible to make weatherbased 

pain forecasts This study was to 

survey and see what the audience was 

for this type of forecast,” said lead author 

Christopher Elcik, Ph.D. 

The survey included more than 4,600 

people, both with and without chronic pain. 

Among migraine sufferers who responded, 

89% identified weather as something that 

See MATURE FOCUS, page 26 

What Makes You Happy? 

From creative arts to cooking classes, fun excursions to fine cuisine, you choose how each day here unfolds. 

The Watermark at St. Peters is an intimate and welcoming resort-like community with a modern and comfortable vibe. 

Newly renovated, explore the incredible, chic space that is reminiscent of a modern farmhouse. 

Experience luxury living with an on-site lively lounge and bar, salon, swim club, theater, and so much more. 

Call 636-229-3106 to schedule your private tour and learn more about our exclusive offers today. 

363 Jungermann Road • St. Peters, MO 63376 

stpeters.watermarkcommunities.com 

INDEPENDENT LIVING • VILLA LIVING 

23-SPL-3825A

Passionately Designed 

Purposefully Social 

Profoundly Active 

55+ Active Adult Apartments 

& NOW LEASING! 

When you’re looking to elevate your next phase, Viva Bene St. 

Peters is the place to be. Immerse yourself in the lively and upbeat 

lifestyle of this active adult community. Pickleball. Yoga. An onsite 

wellness provider. You can’t ask for a better selection of social and 

recreational amenities to help keep your well-being in focus. Life is 

best lived at Viva Bene St. Peters. 

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Celebrate an active lifestyle with 

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Tranquil resort-style pool 

Opening 2024! 

Call Today to Learn More! 

636-245-2848 

VivaBeneStPeters.com 

101 Viva Bene Circle, St. Peters, MO 63376 

© 2023 Viva Bene, LLC. Models do not reflect racial preference. Amenities and services vary by location. Pricing and availability subject to change. Please ask your Viva Bene team member for full details.

26 I MATURE FOCUS I 



GET ON THE PATH TO FINANCIAL SERENITY 

Discover tax-efficient strategies 

to fund the quality of care you deserve 

and protect your assets in the process. 

Request this book by author Chris Cooper, CPA 

Financial Strategist & Long-Term Care Specialist 

VISIT SerenityLTC.COM 

TO GET YOUR FREE COPY TODAY 

www.SerenityWealthNow.com • (636) 333-9819 

Investment advisory services offered through OWLFI LLC, a SEC Registered Investment Advisor. 

Insurance & Education services offered through Serenity Wealth Management. 

Explore 

Ireland 

636-946-0633 

www.StCharlesRegionalChamber.com 

Travel with us: 

October 26 - 

November 4th 

MATURE FOCUS, from page 24 

impacts their pain level, and 79% saw 

weather as a trigger for pain. Among individuals 

with other conditions, 64% said weather 

patterns could trigger pain and 94% identified 

weather as a factor that impacts pain. 

Their interest in using a pain forecasting 

tool was also high, Elcik said, with 72% of 

those living with migraine and 66% with 

other pain-related conditions saying they 

would alter their behavior in response to 

information it could provide. 

“I see how much people can be affected 

by these types of pain, so if I can provide 

someone with insight into the level of risk 

for a day, maybe people can take steps to 

prevent the pain from happening,” Elcik 

said. “There are preventative measures 

people can take if risks are higher.” 

About half of those with pain conditions 

said they would be “extremely likely” to take 

those measures – which include taking medication, 

resting or avoiding other pain triggers 

– if they were using a forecasting tool. 

One a day 

The simple step of taking a multivitamin 

once a day appears to protect brain function 

in older adults, according to the latest 

of three separate but related studies which 

consistently point to the same conclusion. 

The new study was the most recent in 

a large randomized trial called COSMOS 

(COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin 

Outcomes Study) led by scientists at Mass 

General Brigham, the nation’s largest 

hospital-based research organization. They 

tested the effects of a daily multivitamin on 

cognitive changes over a two- to three-year 

period in 573 participants who visited their 

clinic in person, and who were over age 60. 

The researchers also conducted a metaanalysis 

that included over 5,000 different 

participants across the U.S. who participated 

in two other cognition studies within 

the COSMOS trial … one that had measured 

the cognitive effects of multivitamins 

in a phone-based format and another 

that did the same using the internet. 

Overall results showed statistically significant 

benefits among participants taking 

the multi-vitamin compared to placebo, both 

in global cognition and episodic memory. 

Overall, the authors estimated, a daily multivitamin 

may slow global cognitive aging by the 

equivalent of two years compared to a placebo. 

“Cognitive decline is among the top health 

concerns for most older adults, and a daily 

supplement of multivitamins has the potential 

as an appealing and accessible approach 

to slow cognitive aging,” said first author 

Chirag Vyas, MBBS, MPH. 

On the calendar 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Steps to 



Sounder Sleep on Thursday, Feb. 8 from 

noon-1 p.m. at the Desloge Outpatient 

Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive in 

Chesterfield, in Building A. Adequate 

sleep helps our mood and focus, reduces 

risk for diabetes and heart disease, reduces 

stress and more. At our free class, you’ll 

learn more about sleep along with strategies 

for sleeping better more often. Register 

at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital offers a 

Today’s Grandparents class on Monday, 

Feb. 12 from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Missouri 

Baptist Medical Center Clinical Learning 

Institute, 3005 N. Ballas Road. This 

hands-on class offers updates on current 

trends in infant care and feeding, and 

provides tips on local and long-distance 

grandparenting. The course fee is $20 per 

person (each person attending must register 

separately). Registration is available 

online at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents a Bone 

Builders class on Tuesday, Feb. 20 from 

1-2:30 p.m. at the Desloge Outpatient 

Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive in 

Chesterfield, in Room 3 of Building A. 

. Join us for this free class to learn more 

about reducing your risk through exercise, 

nutrition and medications for bone health. 

Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Des Peres Hospital sponsors 

a Medicare 101 course on Wednesday, 

Feb. 21 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Desloge 

Outpatient Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center 

Drive, in Conference Room 3 of Building 

A. Find information to help you choose the 

coverage options that best meet your needs. 

The free class is offered through the Missouri 

State Health Insurance Assistance 

Program (SHIP). Registration is available 

at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Coffee 

and Conversations on Wednesday, Feb. 

21 from 10-11 a.m. at the Desloge Outpatient 

Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive, 

in Building A, Conference Room 3. This 

month’s topic is Keep Your Keys; this presentation 

will cover staying medically and 

physically fit to drive, when and how to 

prepare for driving “retirement,” and tools 

and resources to help keep you safe on the 

road. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

Kick the Achiness of Arthritis, presented 

by St. Louis Oasis, is on Thursday, 

Feb. 22 from 10-11 a.m. at the Brentwood 

Community Center, 2505 S. Brentwood 

Blvd. This course, focusing on the lower 

body, is designed to help you learn the 

best ways to manage arthritis with exercise. 

The free course is sponsored by BJC 

Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Register 

at classes-events.bjc.org.



WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU 

CAN’T AFFORD TO LET MINOR 

ILLNESSES SLOW YOU DOWN. 



St. Luke's Urgent Care - O'Fallon 

5511 Winghaven Blvd. 

Suite 100 

O'Fallon, MO 63368 

I HEALTH I 27 

stlukes-stl.com/urgent-care 

314-695-2500 

LEARN MORE 

7-0159 

01/2024 

A recent survey explored what happens when couples with differing 

political views attempt to watch the news together. (Adobe Stock photo) 

HEALTH 

CAPSULES 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Cardiovascular deaths 

continue to rise post-COVID 

Each February marks American Heart 

Month; and in 2024, the U.S. unfortunately 

faces what public health experts recently 

called an “enduring setback” in the fight 

against heart disease. New research shows 

that a continued rise in fatal heart attacks 

and strokes since 2020 has erased a decade’s 

worth of progress the nation had previously 

made toward slowing down its No. 1 killer. 

A just-published study led by investigators 

from the U.S. Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed 

information about the deaths of more than 

10 million U.S. adults over age 35 between 

2010 and 2022. Trends from each of those 

years show that, in sharp contrast to a 

decline of 8.9% between 2010 and 2019, 

death rates from cardiovascular causes 

rose by 9.3% from 2020 through 2022. 

“We were concerned about the emerging 

evidence that (heart disease and stroke) outcomes 

worsened during the first two years 

of the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to 

understand whether the concerning trends 

were temporary or whether they continued 

through 2022,” said Rebecca C. Woodruff, 

Ph.D., MPH, of the CDC’s Division for 

Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. The 

analysis confirmed that there were 228,000 

more cardiovascular disease deaths than 

expected from 2020-2022; and they rose 

across all age, sex and ethnicity categories. 

Woodruff pointed to several possible 

explanations for the ongoing increases: 

• The pandemic prevented access to 

healthcare for many people, which may 

have led to delays in detecting and treating 

their chronic or acute heart disease. 

• Disruptions in daily life may have 

made it harder for people to do the things 

that prevent heart disease…which include 

managing high blood pressure, eating and 

sleeping well, being physically active, 

quitting tobacco, and controlling weight, 

cholesterol and blood sugar. 

• Evidence also suggests that people who 

have had COVID-19 are at higher risk for 

new or worsening heart disease, which 

may have contributed to the subsequent 

uptick in cardiovascular death rates. 

Political differences may 

challenge relationships 

In this election year, the current partisan 

political climate already has many people 

concerned whether Americans with differing 

views can continue to coexist. But what 

if you and your spouse or romantic partner 

are on different sides of the political aisle … 

which by some estimates includes as many 

as 30% of American couples? 

Communications researchers at the 

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

recently looked at this question in terms 

of couples’ media habits and their impact 

on relationships. They conducted in-depth 

interviews with about 35 couples whose 

political views differed, either from the 

outset of their relationships or after one 

partner changed political affiliation during 

the relationship. Either way, seemingly 

mundane decisions about news coverage 

and consumption became “especially difficult,” 

according to communications professor 

Emily Van Duyn. 

“They saw the news as inherently political, 

and their selection of a news outlet or the 

act of sharing an article or video meant they 

were intentionally pulling their partner into 

a recognition of their political differences,” 

Van Duyn said. “Their cross-cutting political 

views presented many challenges for 

these couples,” she added. “Deciding which 

media to consume and whether to do so 

together or separately was difficult because 

it presented them with a choice about recognizing 

their political differences and finding 

a way to navigate them.” 

Some couples decided on a media outlet 

they could view together, while others 

intentionally chose to consume news independently, 

whether in separate rooms or 

by scrolling their social media feeds on 

separate devices. Still others responded 

by watching their preferred news outlets 

secretly, when their partner wasn’t around. 

For most of the study couples, Van Duyn 

said, if the news began to take a negative 

toll on their relationships, they eventually 

decided to avoid it altogether or to quit 

sharing articles or videos with each other. 

On the calendar 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital presents 

a Staying Home Alone in-person 

class on Saturday, Feb. 17 from 10-11:30 

a.m. at the SLCH Specialty Care Center 

West County, 13001 N. Outer Forty Road 

in Town and Country, in the third-floor 

conference room. Parents and children 

attend the class together to ensure a child’s 

readiness to stay at home alone. The registration 

fee is $25 per family. To register, 

call (314) 454-5437. 

• • • 

BJC offers a Bariatric Surgery Information 

Session on Monday, Feb. 19 from 5:30- 

6:30 p.m., live via Zoom. Join a Washington 

University bariatric physician to learn more 

about surgical weight loss treatment options. 

To register, visit classes-events.bjc.org; to 

learn more about BJC’s bariatric surgery 

criteria for patients, call (314) 454-7224 and 

press Option 1. 

• • • 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital sponsors 

a Babysitting 101 virtual class on 

Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 6-8:30 p.m., live via 

Teams Meeting. This interactive class is a 

great introduction to the basics of babysitting 

and is recommended for ages 10 and 

above. The cost is $25 per child. Parents 

may sit in on the class at no additional cost. 

Register online at bjc.org/babysitting-class. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Be Still to 

Chill: Basics of Meditation on Wednesday, 

Feb. 28 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Desloge 

Outpatient Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center 

Drive in Chesterfield, in Building A. Come to 

this free in-person program to learn the basics 

of meditation as well as many tips to support 

your practice. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Let’s Cook!! 

Heart Healthy Cooking on Thursday, 

Feb. 29 from 2-3 p.m. at Schnucks Eatwell 

Market, 220 THF Blvd. in Chesterfield. The 

DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) 

diet is a flexible and balanced eating 

plan for everyone. Join a St. Luke’s dietitian 

to get the scoop on DASH, learn now to 

prepare sodium-free seasonings, and taste a 

delicious cranberry grain salad. The course is 

free. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

The first St. Luke’s Book Club event will 

be held on Tuesday, March 26 from 6:30-8 

p.m. at the hospital’s Institute for Health Education, 

232 S. Woods Mill Road in Chesterfield, 

in Conference Rooms 1 and 2. The cost 

to participate is $5. Those who register to 

attend in person will receive a copy of communication 

and leadership consultant Anne 

Grady’s book, “Strong Enough: Choosing 

Courage, Resilience, and Triumph.”

28 I EVENTS I 

LOCAL 

EVENTS 

A Valentine’s Hunt for Kisses is at 10 

a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Rau Garden 

in Blanchette Park, 1900 W. Randolph 

Street in St. Charles. Children will complete 

a scavenger hunt to receive chocolate 

kisses and a goodie bag. Crafts and 

a visit with Cupid are included in the $15 

per person cost. Register at stcharlesparks. 

com/programs. 

• • • 

A Mardi Gras Parade is at 11 a.m. with 

an after-party from noon-2 p.m. on Saturday, 

Feb. 10 in Historic Frenchtown in St. 

Charles. Enjoy a family-friendly Mardi 

Gras celebration followed by an afterparty 

featuring live music, food, vendors, 

kids activities and more in the Foundry Art 

Centre parking lot. Free event. For details, 

visit stcharlescitymo.gov. 

• • • 

The Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast is 

from 6-8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at the 

Memorial Hall in Blanchette Park, 1900 

W. Randolph Street in St. Charles. Details 

at stcharleskiwanis.com. 

• • • 

The Ancient Order of Hibernians’ St. 

Patrick’s Day Parade is at 4 p.m. on 

Sunday, March 17 on Main Street in St. 

Charles. Free event. Details at stcharlescitymo.gov. 

• • • 

A Youth Easter Egg Hunt is from 

10-11 a.m. on Saturday, March 23 at 

Memorial Hall & Rau Garden, 1900 W. 

Randolph Street in St. Charles. Children 

of all ages are welcome to bring a basket 

and join in the hunt. Crafts and visits with 

the Easter Bunny are included in the $15 

per person cost. Registration is required 

at stcharlesparks.com. 

• • • 

Easter Egg Hunt is from 10 a.m.- 

noon on Saturday, March 23 at Lake 

Saint Louis Founders Park, 7 Freymuth 

Road in Lake St. Louis, featuring bounce 

houses, face painting, a petting zoo and 

more. Children ages 10 and under are 

invited to participate. Free event. For 

details, visit lakesaintlouis.com/1217/ 

Easter-Egg-Hunt. 

• • • 

Easter Egg Dive is from 9-10:30 a.m. 

on Sunday, March 24 at the St. Peters Rec- 

Plex, 5200 Mexico Road. Participants 

will swim or dive to collect eggs floating 

or weighted, when their heat is over, they 

will trade their eggs in for candy. Children 

will also take photos with the Easter 

Bunny. Bags for collecting eggs will be 



provided but bring a basket for carrying 

candy home. Parents are permitted to get 

in the pool with small children. Cost is 

$10 for members and $12 for non-members. 

For ages 6 months-18 years. To register, 

visit st.petersmo.net. 

• • • 

Easter Egg Hunt is at 9 a.m. on Saturday, 

March 30 at Dardenne Prairie City 

Hall Park, 2032 Hanley Road. Hunts will 

be divided by age and begin with the 0-2 

age group. Ages 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8 will 

follow shortly after the previous hunt ends. 

The Easter Bunny will make an appearance. 

Inclusive hunt requires pre-registration 

by emailing your name, child’s name, 

child age, address, and phone number to 

nichole@dardenneprairie.org. Free event. 

• • • 

The Bunny Bolt 5K and 1-Mile Fun 

Run is at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 

23 at Boulevard Park, 2550 Lake Saint 

Louis Boulevard, featuring a 1-mile run 

through the park and a 5K through Lake 

Saint Louis that will precede the Lake 

Saint Louis Easter Egg Hunt. 5K Cost is 

$38 each or $45 after Feb. 14. Fun Run 

Cost is $15 or $20 after Feb. 14. All participants 

will receive a short-sleeve t-shirt. 

Registration ends March 20 or until full. 

To register, visit lakesaintlouis.com/2427/ 

Bunny-Bolt-5k-and-1-Mile-Fun-Run. 

• • • 

An Adult Easter Egg Hunt is at 7:30 

p.m. on Friday, March 29 at Wapelhorst 

Park, 1875 Muegge Road in St. Charles. 

Hunt for eggs, enjoy adult beverages and 

compete for prizes. Participants should 

bring flashlights and buckets. The $30 

per person cost includes admission and 

two drink tickets. For ages 21 and over. 

Register at stcharlesparks.com. 

Who, What, 

When, Where, 

Why and How – 

that’s what we want to know. 

Send your event details to 

events@newsmagazinenetwork.com 

and score free publicity. 

Event notices for print publication 

are due at least six weeks out from 

the date of the event. Events with 

advance registration should be 

submitted six weeks out from that 

deadline. 

All events will be listed online and 

in print when sent in with enough 

advance notice. 

Here is an alphabetical list of Friday 

Fish Fries that will take you all the way 

through Lent: Feb. 16 through March 22. 

Erio’s 

Ristorante 

Since 1971 

Fresh Fish Daily • Certified Angus Beef 

Veal • Pasta • Hand-tossed Pizza 

951 Jungermann Rd • St. Peters 

928-0112 



Looking for Lenten fish fries in St. Charles County? 

All-Saints Church Knights of 

Columbus, 7 McMenamy Road in St. 

Peters from 4-7 p.m. Fried cod, catfish 

and sides. Drive-thru and Dine-in. For 

details, visit allsaints-stpeters.org. 

• • • 

Immaculate Conception, 7701 Hwy. 

N in Dardenne Prairie from 4:30 p.m.-8 

p.m. Cod, catfish, shrimp, fish tacos, 

hushpuppies and more. Dine-in, carryout 

and drive-thru are available. For 

details, visit Facebook - “ICD Fish Fry” 

or email icdfishfryexec@gmail.com. 

• • • 

Knights of Columbus - Post 2269 

at Assumption Catholic Church, 403 

N. Main St. in O’Fallon, from 5-7 p.m. 

Cod, catfish, potato salad, cole slaw 

and spaghetti. Dine-in or carry-out. For 

details or visit, thecompass2269.com. 

• • • 

Knights of Columbus at St. Joseph 

Catholic Church. Fish fries are held at 

the Pezold Banquet and Meeting Center, 

5701 Hwy. N in St. Charles from 4-8 

p.m., Feb. 16-March 22; and from 4-7 

p.m. on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14) and 

Good Friday (March 29). Cod, catfish 

and shrimp. For details, email kurt. 

speckhals@sbcglobal.net. 

• • • 

St. Charles Borromeo, 601 N. 

Fourth Street in Saint Charles from 4-7 

p.m. Catfish, cod, fish tacos and pizza. 

Dine-in or carry-out. For details, call 

(636) 946-1893. 

• • • 

St. Cletus Church, 2721 Zumbehl 

Road in Saint Charles from 4-7 p.m., in 

the gym. Batter-fried cod or catfish, seasoned 

baked cod, fried or boiled shrimp, 

cheese pizza and sides. Dine-in or drivethru. 

For details, call (636) 946-6327 or 

visit saintcletus.org. 

• • • 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Knights 

of Columbus, 2 Seton Court in Saint 

Charles from 4-7 p.m. Fried and baked 

cod, catfish, cole slaw, french fries and 

quesadillas. Dine-in or carry-out. For 

details, call (636) 946-6717. 

• • • 

St. Joseph, 1410 Josephville Road in 

Wentzville from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Baked/ 

fried fish, sides and complimentary dessert. 

Dine-in or carry-out. 

• • • 

St. Patrick Knights of Columbus, 

405 S. Church Street in Wentzville 

from 4-7 p.m. Fried catfish, whitefish, 

cod, spaghetti, sides and drinks. Dine-in 

or carry-out. For details, call (314) 440- 

5510. 

• • • 

St. Peter’s Church, 201 First Capitol 

in Saint Charles from 4-7 p.m. Cod, 

catfish, shrimp, hushpuppies and more. 

Dine-in or carry-out. For details, call 

(636) 946-6641 or visit stpstc.org. 

• • • 

Sts. Joachim & Ann, 4112 McClay 

Road in Saint Charles from 4-7 p.m. 

Catfish, cod, shrimp, crab cakes, fish 

tacos, sides and more. Dine-in or carryout. 

EFor details, visit stsja.org. 

• • • 

St. Theodore Knights of Columbus, 

2061 Grothe Road in Flint Hill from 5-7 

p.m. Fresh catfish with coleslaw, potato 

salad, dessert and more. For details, 

visit uknight.org. 

• • • 

VFW Post 5077, 8500 Veterans 

Memorial Parkway in O’Fallon from 

4:30-7 p.m. Every Friday through Lent, 

including Good Friday. For details, call 

(636) 272-1945. 

The Best In Italian Cuisine 

Special Daily Features 

Chilean Sea Bass 

Sicilian Chops • Chicken Spedini 

Deep Fried Lobster Tails 

Includes Salad & Side Dish 

$ 

12 Tuesdays 

Large 1-Topping Pizza 

Carry Out Only • Limit 3 Pizzas 

Open Monday - Thursday 4 - 9 pm 

Friday and Saturday 11:30 am - 10 pm 

Closed Sunday 

RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED 

Ask about Catering! 

FRE



Find great food all day long at the Sweet Spot Café 

By SUZANNE CORBETT 

Sweet Spot Café isn’t your usual donut 

shop. It’s a spot where sweet meets savory. 

Along with Glazed Crullers and Chocolate 

Long Johns, customers can get 

falafels, gyros and burgers. 

“When people first come here, they 

don’t know what to think. Falafels aren’t 

what one expects to see in a donut shop,” 

said Sweet Spot Café owner Mario Badra. 

Badra learned how to make donuts in 

his parents’ donut shop. He also learned 

treasured family recipes for Falafels, 

Hummus Dip and Baba Ghanoush. He 

admits some people thought he was nuts 

when he started selling falafels and gyros 

in his donut shop. But the concept worked 

and customers love it. 

“When my parents started out with a 

donut shop in the late 1970s and early 

‘80s, a donut shop was just a donut shop. 

When I decided to open my shop (in St. 

Ann), I thought why not combine donuts 

with some of the Mediterranean foods I 

Sweet Spot Café 

9951 Winghaven Blvd. • O’Fallon • sweetspotstl.com 

Hours: 5:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Mondays; 5:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Tuesday-Friday; 

6 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturdays and 6 a.m.-4 p.m., Sundays 

grew up with and offer a café-style shop.” 

His decision has proved successful. 

Last July, he opened an O’Fallon location. 

Similar to the original, the O’Fallon 

Sweet Spot features display cases filled 

with freshly baked donuts, pastries and 

muffins, plus a cozy dining area with 

limited seating. When the weather warms, 

there’s also a patio. 

Above the counter is the menu board, 

which showcases the savory selections 

available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

“I didn’t want to be just opened in the 

morning. I wanted to be versatile, so I 

could be open throughout the day,” Badra 

said. “I also wanted to provide my customers 

with more – a one-stop shop where 

they could have their savory and their 

sweet. The café does that. You can stop 

for a donut and espresso; get a donut or 

carry out donuts by the dozen; or grab a 

gyro, a burger, or falafel – whatever you 

like. Then, get a donut for dessert.” 

On the donut side, you can get classic 

yeast-raised and cake donuts as well as pastries 

and 

the Fried 

Croissant, 

think of it 

as the love 

child of a 

puff pastry and a donut. It’s a flaky-on-theoutside 

and soft-on-the-inside decadent treat 

that is definitely worth the calories. 

Looking for something other than 

a donut for breakfast? How about a 

three-egg omelet, pancakes, breakfast 

burrito, or breakfast sandwich? Diners 

with heartier appetites can dig into the 

Country Fried Steak Platter or Biscuits 

and Gravy. 

“We’re heavy on the café side,” Badra 

said, noting that on the lunch and dinner 

side, sandwiches and burgers are standouts, 

especially the gyros. 

In addition to the traditional beef and 

lamb House Gyro, the café also offers 

Chicken and Vegetarian Gyros stuffed 

with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and 



I 29 

At Sweet Spot Café, you’ll find fresh baked donuts, even ones doubling as hamburger 

buns, and a variety of Mediterranean fare, including gyros. (Source: Sweet Spot Café) 

green peppers. 

There are a dozen different burgers to 

choose from, including a Turkey Burger 

and a Glazed Donut Cheese Burger, of 

course. 

“Our burgers use fresh beef and are 

dressed with veggies that are cut fresh 

every day. Nothing is frozen. And just like 

our donuts, our burgers and everything 

else are made fresh from scratch.” 

That includes the house-made Baba 

Ghanoush, which is available as a vegetarian 

main dish or a side. The fries and 

onion rings are great, but the baba ghanoush, 

with its smoked eggplant, tahini, 

olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, is the 

taste of the Mediterranean that makes 

Sweet Spot Café truly unique. 

BE INFORMED, MEET ELECTED OFFICIALS 

Feb. 2 | Bob Eno, Central Com. Chairman 

– Republican Caucus March 2 

Feb. 9 | Wentzville School District Candidates 

– Leigh Palitzsch and Cindy Reidy 

Feb. 16 I St. Charles City School District 

– Randy Beilsmith, Candidate, 

Brian O’Mara, Josh Wilcutt 

Feb. 23 I Judge Robert Cornejo – 

11th Judicial Circuit Court Update 

MEETING LOCATION: 

B. Hall’s Family Grill | 3782 Monticello Plaza Dr I O’Fallon 63304 

FRIDAY LUNCH MEETINGS AT NOON 

FOLLOW US 

St. Charles County 

Pachyderm Club 

@St.CharlesCountyPachydermClub 

DINING 

636.591.0010 

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30 I 





COUNTY, from page 13 

responding to District 2 council member 

Joe Brazil’s Sunshine Law request about 

elections questions. In response to that 

accusation, Bahr said, “I had responded to 

that request in full. But I had only sent that 

to the council member and did not make 

a public display about it, so it is possible 

others were not aware of that.” 

“Regarding comments about the election 

machines nor being certified that is also an 

untrue statement.” 

He held up a copy of a federal Election 

Assistance Commission (EAC) Certification 

and a copy of a Secretary of State Letter 

of Certification, both from 2021 certifying 

that the current Unisyn system version 2.2, 

is still valid. He said both have been posted 

on the County Elections Commission website 

for about a year. 

“Our election machines and system are 

certified,” Bahr said. 

Bahr clarified that EAC certification of 

the Unisyn hardware and software is not 

done by Unisyn or Adkins, but rather by 

one of two independent labs designated by 

the federal EAC. 

He said there had been some confusion 

caused by the federal EAC when they “did 

not do their paperwork from 2017-2019 to 

certify the labs that do the testing.” He said 

the EAC admitted this in a letter, which he 

held up. He added that the two labs “are still 

certified and nothing was uncertified.” 

According to Bahr, the EAC Testing 

and Certification Program assists state and 

local election officials by providing voting 

machine testing and certification. This program 

is a requirement of the Help America 

Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, legislation that 

created the EAC and mandated that the 

Commission provide certification, decertification 

and recertification of voting systems, 

as well as the accreditation of voting system 

testing laboratories. 

Asked about the timing, Bahr said Adkins 

had started programming for the Municipal 

Elections, because the ballots must be 

printed and available in time for the Feb. 20 

opening of absentee voting. However, the 

county’s finance department will not cut a 

check for payment until the election services 

contract is approved by the council. He said 

Adkins had started the work because of the 

long-standing relationship. 

When asked about obtaining other bids, 

Bahr said, “The elections space is a pretty 

small field with only about five firms who 

create voting machines and tabulators. If 

we reached out to the other four vendors, 

Dominion for example, would require a 

minimum of $1 million, probably more like 

$1.5 million, just to purchase new voting 

machines and tabulators.” 

Bahr said continuing with what the 

county has now is “the cheapest way to proceed 

(and) less expensive even than handcounting.” 

Council member Tim Baker (District 7) 

asked, “So we’re stuck with them. It’s either 

that or nobody?” To which Bahr replied, 

“It’s them or no elections.” 

Baker and Swanson both commented 

about the nationwide need to somehow 

reestablish trust in the election machines 

and process. Both said they were not saying 

there is anything being done wrong or 

nefariously in the county or by the Election 

Authority, but that public trust in elections 

is paramount. 

Swanson pushed for ways to increase 

voter confidence that individual voting 

machines and tabulators are working correctly. 

He said he would like St. Charles 

County to be at the forefront of that effort. 

Bahr outlined several procedures already 

used, including maintenance and calibration 

of each individual machine, running 

a ballot through a machine 40 times and 

verifying results, running a large test deck 

of ballots where the results are compared to 

what they should be, hand-count spot audits 

of precinct votes for certain elections designated 

by the Secretary of State, and a public 

test in advance of elections of randomly 

selected machines selected by a member of 

the public. 

Swanson asked if those tests could 

be made more visible, perhaps by livestreaming, 

and if the number of spotchecks 

and audits could be increased, 

with the intent of using transparency to 

increase public trust. 

Bahr said yes, in principle, although current 

tests are statistically valid, and a larger 

sample size would not change the outcome. 

Also, he said, “A group of people would not 

be satisfied unless the sample was 100%.” 

At the end of the discussions, County 

Executive Steve Ehlmann said he had 

placed the item on the consent agenda for 

Jan. 29 because he was told this must be 

addressed now and therefore tabling the 

item would not work. After a brief and 

tense staring and glaring exchange, Bahr 

acknowledged that he could have brought 

this agreement to the council in December 

but had thought, “If I did this now there 

would be sufficient time.” 

Ultimately, the item was approved by a 

vote of 4-1, with Baker (District 7) voting 

against it. Brazil and council member Dave 

Hammond (District 4) were absent. 

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TREE SERVICE 

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with other discounts. Exp: 2/29/24 

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Hangers & Tapers 

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MID RIVERS 

H O M E P A G E S 

636.591.0010





I BUSINESS I 31 

BUSINESS 

BRIEFS 

PLACES 

On behalf of the Home Builders Charitable 

Foundation, 2024 HBA President 

Jason Hughes of T.R. Hughes Homes 

presented a $16,630 donation to Youth 

In Need grants writer Emily Henson. The 

donation will go toward updating kitchen 

cabinets at the organization’s Transitional 

Living Program group home, a 10-bed 

residential home for youth ages 16-21. The 

update will help to ensure the youth have 

a safe home while in crisis, and provide 

vulnerable young adults with a space that is 

clean and comfortable. 

• • • 

Nex Generation Jewelry opened a new 

location at 1223 Jungermann Road in St. 

Peters. Nex Generation Jewelry prides itself 

on being woman-owned and run, specializing 

in crafting custom pieces. They are also 

introducing their line of permanent jewelry, 

featuring a range of necklaces, bracelets, 

anklets and more. New store hours are 

Jason Hughs and Emily Henson 

Tues.- Fri. from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays 

from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. For more information 

visit nexgenerationjewelry.com. 

• • • 

Government Finance Officers Association 

of the United States and Canada awarded the 

Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in 

Financial Reporting to the City of O’Fallon 

for its annual comprehensive financial report 

for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2022. The 

report has been judged by an impartial panel 

to meet the high standards of the program, 

which includes demonstrating a constructive 

spirit of full disclosure to clearly communicate 

its financial story and motivate potential 

users and user groups to read the report. The 

Certificate of Achievement is the highest 

form of recognition in the area of governmental 

accounting and financial reporting, 

and its attainment represents a significant 

accomplishment by a government and its 

management. 

• • • 

For the third consecutive year, St. 

Charles County has set a new record for 

major development projects of 20,000 

square-feet or higher. In 2023, the County 

saw 7.2 million square-feet of major developments 

that opened or were in some stage 

of construction, a 12% increase over the 

previous record of 6.4 million square-feet 

set in 2022 and a 40% increase over 4.8 million 

square-feet, which was a record in 2021. 

This past year saw tremendous activity in 

the warehouse sector, driven by the development 

of 1.6 million square-feet in the 

Lakeside Logistics Center as speculative 

warehouse space. Another major project of 

note included Trane Technologies’ 423,000 

square-foot distribution center in the Premier 

370 Business Park. 

• • • 

Dierbergs Markets is partnering with the 

Fig (Food is Good) mobile app. Fig helps 

people find foods they can eat based on their 

dietary restrictions and preferences. This 

new partnership offers customers a way to 

navigate Dierbergs’ product selection and 

find foods they can enjoy. Dierbergs shoppers 

can use the Fig app to create a profile 

with their unique dietary needs, choosing 

from over 2,800 diets, allergies and ingredients. 

Shoppers will then access personalized 

product recommendations and instantly 

search for or scan products in Dierbergs 

stores to learn if they match their needs. As 

part of the partnership, Dierbergs shoppers 

get a free month of Fig+, the paid tier of the 

Fig app. 

PEOPLE 

Bill Kaatman has 

been promoted to Director 

of Growth at Valley 

Insurance Agency Alliance, 

a family of more 

than 160 independent 

insurance agencies in 

Kaatman 

Missouri and Illinois. 

Along with leading the recruiting team, he 

will also assess potential new agency partnerships 

to ensure mutually beneficial partnerships. 

He brings 17 years of experience 

in the insurance industry. 

MID RIVERS CLASSIFIEDS • 636.591.0010 • CLASSIFIEDS@NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM 

AUCTIONS 

DECKS 

HAULING 

HOMECARE 

PLUMBING 

Steward Self Storage 

101 N. Service Rd. 

St. Peters, MO 63376 

Notice is hereby given that the 

contents of the following unit 

will be sold in compliance 

with Missouri state law 

via online auction at: 

www.storageauctions.com 

for non-payment of past rent. 

All items in theunits below will 

be released for sale. Auction date 

is on or after 2/15 at 10:00 a.m. 

10x8 Outside Non-Climate – 

This unit may contain dryers, 

swivel chairs, landscaping 

equipment, shelving, mattresses, 

box springs, bed frames, plastic 

containers, misc boxes, clothing, 

Sports gear, baby furniture, pet 

items, toys, and misc items 

10x16 Outside Non-Climate – 

This unit may contain medical 

supplies, construction supplies, 

dressers, nightstands, lamps, 

chairs, tables, décor, tv stands, 

plastic bags, totes, misc boxes, 

clothing, sports gear, laundry 

baskets, misc items, fishing poles, 

sewing machine 

10x24 Outside Non-Climate – 

This unit may contain toolbox, 

freezers/refrigerators, couches, 

shelving, dressers, tables, 

tv stands, misc boxes, suitcases, 

misc items 

COLLECTIBLES 

WANTED TO BUY 

• SPORTS MEMORABILIA • 

Baseball Cards, Sports Cards, 

Cardinals Souvenirs and 

Memorabilia. Pre-1975 Only. 

Private Collector: 

314-302-1785 

Deck Staining 

Brushed & Rolled Only 

No money up front/Warranty 

Free Estimates 

Insured/A+BBB 

EverythingDecks.net 

(636) 337-7733 

EDUCATION 

Traveling Fossil & Rock 

Presentations with a Biblical 

Perspective. Suitable for all grade 

levels. FREE Fossils for everyone. 

Can the Bible timeline 

be tested and trusted? Yes! 

The Rock’s Cry Out Ministry 

Contact Bill Barnes 314-608-2928 

ELECTRICAL 

ERIC'S ELECTRIC 

Licensed, Bonded and Insured: 

Service upgrades, fans, can lights, 

switches, outlets, basements, 

code violations fixed, we do it 

all. Emergency calls & back-up 

generators. No job too small. 

Competitively priced. 

Free Estimates. 

Just call 636-262-5840 

GARAGE DOORS 

DSI/Door Solutions, Inc. 

Garage Doors, Electric Openers. 

Fast Repairs. All makes & models. 

Same day service. Free Estimates. 

Custom Wood and Steel Doors. 

BBB Member • Angie's List 

Call 314-550-4071 

www.dsi-stl.com 

J & J HAULING 

WE HAUL IT ALL 

Service 7 days. Debris, furniture, 

appliances, household trash, yard 

debris, railroad ties, fencing, decks. 

Garage & Basement Clean-up 

Neat, courteous, affordable rates. 

Call: 636-379-8062 or 

email: jandjhaul@aol.com 

HOME IMPROVEMENT 

HAPPY HANDYMAN SERVICE 

"Don't Worry Get Happy" 

Complete home remodel/ 

repair kitchen & bath, plumbing, 

electrical, carpentry. 24HR 

Emergency Service. Commercial 

and Residential. Discount for 

Seniors/Veterans. 

636-541-9432 

AFFORDABLE CARPENTRY 

Kitchen Remodeling, Wainscoting, 

Cabinets, Crown Molding, Trim, 

Framing, Basement Finishing, 

Custom Decks, Doors, Windows. 

Free estimates! 

Anything inside & out! 

Call Joe 636-699-8316 

REMODEL & REPAIR 

Rotted wood, Painting, Tile, 

Drywall, Floors, Electrical, 

Carpentry, Plumbing, 

Power Washing. Insured. 

FREE ESTIMATES 

Tom Streckfuss 314-910-7458 

sbacontractingllc@gmail.com 

Don't overpay for Homecare 

• Our caregivers are carefully screened, bonded & covered under Workmans Comp 

• They will be matched to your individual needs & preferences 

• No contract required & short or long term care is available 

• Compare our affordable rates 

Senior Services, Unltd. 

142 Jungermann Road 

(Next to Barnes St. Peters Hospital) 

636-441-4944 

35 Years Serving Area Seniors 

PAINTING 

DEFINO’S 

PAINTING SERVICES 

EST. 2006 

Interior & Exterior Painting 

Deck Staining 

- Insured & Free Estimates - 

definospainting.com 

314-707-3094 

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS! 

PAINTER 

DAN VOLLMER 

• I AM INCORPORATED INC. • 

INTERIOR SPECIAL 2024 

$75 Per Avg. Rm Size 

(12’x12’ Walls 3 Room Minimum) 

FREE ESTIMATES: CALL DAN 

(636) 577-8960 

Exterior Painting! 

PET SERVICES 

Yucko’s 

Your Poop Scoop ‘n Service 

FREE Estimates 

314-291-7667 

www.yuckos.com 

ANYTHING IN PLUMBING 

Good Prices! Basement 

bathrooms, small repairs & code 

violations repaired. Fast Service. 

Certified, licensed plumber - MBC 

Plumbing - Call or text anytime: 

314-409-5051 

SOFTBALL LEAGUE 

Men’s 60+ Senior 

Softball League 

Slow pitch softball league for men 

60 and older to play 

in St. Charles County is accepting 

individual applications 

for the 2024 season. 

Doubleheaders 

on Wednesdays at 

4:30pm at Schneider-Kiwanis Park. 

If interested…email: 

herbieo.jr@gmail.com 

or call or text: Herb Olmsted 

314-960-2872 

TREE SERVICES 

Complete Tree Service for 

Residential & Commercial 

Tree Pruning & Removal 

Plant Health Care Program 

Deadwooding • Stump Grinding 

Deep Root Fertilization 

Cabling & Storm Clean Up 

ISA Certified Arborists 

Doug Beckmann MW-5255A 

Teresa Hessel MW-5754A • Brad Meyer MW-5286A 

Free Estimates • Fully Insured 

314-426-2911 

meyertreecare.com

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 2-7-24

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