Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-1-24

Vol. 21 No. 9 • May 1, 2024 

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STAR PARKER 

Mike Johnson 

is a hero 

Author Herman Wouk captured well 

how to understand heroism. 

“Heroes are not supermen; they are 

good men who embody – by the cast of 

destiny – the virtue of their whole people 

in a great hour,” observed Wouk. 

We have today an American hero by the 

name of House Speaker Mike Johnson. 

Anyone with eyes open knows the 

world today is a very dangerous place. 

Johnson, a conservative Republican and 

a devout Christian, knows that the way for 

it to become even more dangerous is for 

the leader of the free world to withdraw 

from its responsibilities as such. 

In the face of threats from some within 

his own party, in the face of the possibility 

of a purge like that which happened to 

his predecessor Kevin McCarthy, Johnson 

stepped up, rounded up 101 Republican 

votes in the House and, together with 

Democrats, passed a $95 billion military 

aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. 

As a Christian, Johnson understands 

that there is no understanding of what 

freedom is without appreciation that there 

is good and evil in this world. 

Our tendency in our country is to 

emphasize individual rights when we 

think about freedom. 

But the equal and opposite side of rights 

is responsibilities. Without responsibility, 

whether as individuals or as a nation, freedom 

is gone. 

As President Ronald Reagan famously 

observed, “Freedom is never more than 

one generation away from extinction. We 

didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. 

It must be fought for, protected 

and handed on for them to do the same, 

or one day we will spend our sunset years 

telling our children and our children’s 

children what it was once like in the 

United States where men were free.” 

Speaking to reporters after the vote, 

Johnson noted that this is a “critical time” 

and that “Xi (China) and Vladimir Putin 

and Iran really are an axis of evil.” 

This is not a matter of our nation aspiring 

to be the world’s policeman. 

It is a matter of knowing that the force 

of evil cannot be ignored and the price 

of believing that it can be ignored only 

grows and becomes increasingly more 

dangerous. 

Is this a matter of focusing abroad at the 

expense of what is happening at home? 

Certainly not. 

If a hero, in the words of Herman Wouk, 

embodies the “virtue” of his or her people, 

how do we define the virtue of the American 

people? 

It’s about the principles of a free nation 

under God. 

We also face great danger at home as we 

have departed from these principles. 

The $95 billion that will go in aid 

abroad is peanuts compared to what we 

waste at home in spending programs that 

do nothing. 

The Biden administration has appropriated 

$80 billion to the IRS to bolster tax 

collection. But at the same time, Biden 

has submitted a 2025 budget to Congress 

increasing federal spending by some $800 

billion. 

We are now trillions of dollars in the red 

as a result of bankrupt entitlement programs 

that are basically socialism. These 

programs are gushing red ink because 

they are not about, and never have been 

about, American principles of freedom 

and personal responsibility. 

We, of course, need to ensure that those 

that immigrate to our country come to 

embrace the principles that make our 

country great. 

But Republicans need to contend with 

a president and his party who have long 

abandoned those principles. 

Enough Democrats do seem to understand 

the importance of defending our 

principles abroad, and here Republicans 

and Democrats must work together. 

So it’s not a matter of either/or. 

Freedom is about knowing that we have 

choices, that there is good and evil, and 

we must fight evil everywhere by choosing 

the good. 

Johnson has done us all a favor through 

his principles and courage. We have great 

challenges at home, but we cannot ignore 

what’s happening around us. 

• • • 

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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May 1, 2024 

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I OPINION I 3 

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4 I 



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Law Matters 

I met Mike 

at a wedding in 

Illinois. We 

were both outsiders 

standing 

off to the side. 

Although it 

embarrasses 

my family, I'll 

often just strike up a conversation 

with strangers under those kinds of 

circumstances. It turns out Mike 

was a lawyer from Chicago. When I 

mentioned I was a lawyer in Saint 

Louis, he became interested. 

Their firm was trying to establish 

a foothold in Saint Louis, and he 

asked if we'd be interested in talking 

to them. I naively said yes. Our 

senior partner eventually identified 

them as a “merge-and-purge” firm. 

They would merge with a firm, 

dump the younger attorneys, and 

eventually steal the clients. I would 

have been one of the first ones to 

go. Fortunately, we dodged that 

bullet. But I digress. 

After that initial encounter, our 

firms struck up a conversation. 

Mike was our main contact. He was 

pretty slick. He made it all sound so 

wonderful. We had a lot of 

discussions trying to figure out if 

there was a fit. 

And then all of the sudden, Mike 

went silent. We tried to follow up 

with him, but we heard nothing, and 

no one else in the firm told us 

anything. 

After some time, we heard from 

another of their partners who asked 

if he could come down and talk to 

us. So next thing we know, we are 

(636) 537-7884 | fvilbig@lawmatters.llc | www.lawmatters.llc 

@MIDRIVERS_NEWS 


meeting with this burly attorney. 

He was not at all as smooth as 

Mike had been, but he told us that 

Mike had died. 

Evidently, Mike had been a 

workaholic. His partners forced 

him to take some time off. The 

stress was apparently too much. 

While “relaxing” on a beach in 

Florida, Mike had a heart attack 

and died. I don't understand how 

laying on a beach in Florida could 

stress anyone out, but there are all 

kinds of people on this earth. 

The point of my story is that 

things can happen when we least 

expect it … even on vacation. Life 

is fine one minute, and then, all of 

the sudden …. Without planning, 

things can go badly awry. If you 

don't plan your estate, the state has 

written a will for you. Depending 

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Fred L. Vilbig is an attorney with over 30 

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purposes only. Nothing herein should be 

treated as legal advice or as creating an 

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6 I OPINION I 





EDITORIAL 

Random thoughts 

With a tip of the hat to our old friend 

Thomas Sowell, we offer the following 

random thoughts on the passing scene: 

Let’s be real, the Cardinals are off to 

a bad start. We are in last place. Jordan 

Walker just got sent down to the minors. 

Paul Goldschmidt has just three extra 

base hits. Our lineup ranks 24th in onbase 

percentage, and that is our highest 

relative offensive ranking. The worst part, 

however, is that the team is just boring to 

watch. 

That being said, it is still disappointing 

to see how quickly the vibe around Busch 

Stadium has turned sour. John Mozeliak 

got booed on opening day. Last week, a 

very small but vocal home crowd booed 

the Redbirds incessantly during a loss to 

the Diamondbacks. Showing your displeasure 

by not buying tickets is one thing, but 

showing up and being vocally displeased 

in person is, well, very 2024 we suppose. 

On the plus side, Sonny Gray has been 

awesome. So has Masyn Winn. 

• • • 

Demonstrations on college campuses 

are spreading like wildfire. A bunch of 

people got arrested at Columbia University 

for protesting, so a bunch of campuses 

erupted in protest of the arrests. Not to 

be outdone, the University of Southern 

California shouted “hold my beer” and got 

their entire graduation ceremony canceled. 

It would be nice if things like academic 

achievement could spread as virally as 

these ridiculous protests. 

Certainly, we should not make light of 

a few things concerning these protests. 

Some of the protests have been blatantly 

antisemitic. Plus, a large portion of the 

people arrested in campus protests have 

not been students at the college where they 

were arrested. That’s frightening. 

One of the ideas that keeps getting 

floated during these protests is that you can 

be anti-Zionist without being anti-Jewish. 

We’re not sure how. 

• • • 

Joe Rogen’s interview of Tucker Carlson 

is bonkers. It’s just bonkers. Of course, it’s 

also three full hours of must-see entertainment, 

so maybe bonkers was the point? 

• • • 

ON THE COVER: Three generations of healthcare (from left) Sharla Emery, Paula Allen and Jessica Emery (BJC photo) 

In regard to the many trials of Donald 

Trump, we simply hope that the legal 

system en masse can look beyond any 

opinions of the ex-president, and focus 

instead on precedent and the presidency. 

There is a risk of laying some really bad 

road for future administrations to drive on. 

• • • 

The Missouri legislature made national 

headlines when it supported a legal 

shield for Bayer, owner of Roundup 

weed killer. Roundup has long been 

controversial because of claims that it is 

cancer-causing. The reality of whether 

Roundup is carcinogenic is complicated, 

but nothing brings out the sound bites 

like a good fight between lawyers and 

chemical companies. 

“If you vote for this bill, you are voting 

for cancer – and it will hurt my feelings, 

and I will not smile at you on the elevator,” 

said state Rep. LaDonna Appelbaum, who 

is undergoing treatment for cancer. 

In a statement, Bayer responded, “We 

are grateful that members of the Missouri 

House have supported farmers and science 

over the litigation industry.” 

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8 I NEWS I 





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Where will Millie be this week? St. Charles County Police’s therapy dog, 

Millie, travels during the school year with Officer Stephen Schue and 

spends her summer months visiting area hospital patients. Don’t miss the 

County Police’s Open House from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 11. 

NEWS 

BRIEFS 

O’FALLON 

New McDonald’s authorized 

for north Bryan Road area 

Residents of O’Fallon and Dardenne Prairie 

soon will be able to satisfy their McDonald’s 

cravings without driving a mile or two 

east to Hwy. K or west to Lake Saint Louis. 

The O’Fallon City Council has approved 

conditional use permits (CUPs) to enable 

construction and operation in the North 

Bryan commercial area of a Dutch Bros 

Coffee shop with a drive-thru, a Dobbs Tire 

& Auto store and a Heartland Dental building. 

At its April 25 meeting, the City Council 

voted 9-0 to approve a bill also authorizing 

a CUP for a new McDonald’s restaurant 

with a drive-thru on 1.93 acres at 962 

Bryan Road, also within the commercial 

area. Council member Dr. Jim Ottomeyer 

(Ward 4) was absent/excused. 

North Bryan Commercial is a development 

along the east side of Bryan Road, 

north of White Magnolia Drive, south of 

Veterans Memorial Parkway, and directly 

across Bryan Road from the O’Fallon Justice 

Center. 

The McDonald’s will have Heartland 

Dental adjacent to the north, Dobbs to the 

south, Columbia Meadows subdivision 

common ground to the east and Bryan 

Road to the west. 

One of the decisions remaining for future 

North Bryan Road Commercial plans is 

what to do about its new entrance/exit from/ 

to Bryan Road, directly across from the 

entrance/exit to the O’Fallon Justice Center. 

Those traffic turn-points are only a 

few hundred yards from the already busy 

intersection of Bryan Road with Veterans 

Memorial Parkway. The North Bryan 

Commercial intersection might eventually 

need a roundabout or a traffic signal. 

Council tables votes on Post 

Family subdivision bills 

At its April 25 meeting, the O’Fallon City 

Council originally planned to vote on voluntary 

annexation, rezoning and an area plan 

for a proposed and controversial Post Family 

subdivision. Planning and Zoning (P&Z) 

had unanimously recommended denial. 

Instead, at the applicant’s request, the 

council tabled the votes until its next meeting 

on May 9. The developer said some 

personnel are out of town, and given the 

amendments made to the bill, they want 

to be sure their full team is available to 

address everything accurately. 

Bill No. 7633 would approve a petition 

for voluntary annexation of 103.73 acres 

at 1065 E. Hwy. N. The land is currently in 

unincorporated St. Charles County, zoned 

agricultural and located across Hwy. N from 

the, 896-unit Harvest at Hopewell subdivision 

under construction in western O’Fallon. 

Bill No. 7634.1 would approve rezoning 

that property to R-1/Planned Unit Development 

(PUD) and would have approved an 

area plan for a 311-lot subdivision with various 

lot widths, the smallest being 42 feet. The 

original bill had 35 conditions listed, all of 

which must be completed by the developer. 

As agreed by the council at the prior meeting, 

revised Bill No. 7634.1 now is being 

considered. The revised bill adds two more 

conditions, bringing the total to 37. Suggested 

by council member Steve Koskela 

(Ward 3), the two additional conditions are: 

• Construction gates shall be required on 

Spirit and Knowledge Drive for the duration 

of the construction of Phase 1. 

• Provide traffic calming measures (dips, 

bottlenecks, medians) at Spirit and Knowledge 

Drive to ensure safe driving. 

In the prior council meeting, nearby 

residents and several council members had 

opposed the development because of concerns 

about the traffic study, traffic on Hwy. 

N, the impact on neighboring subdivisions, 

such as Dove Meadows, the turn into the 

Post development from Hwy. N and other 

worries. 

Even though the bills were being tabled, 

five people still spoke in opposition to the 

Post Family Subdivision during Citizen 

Comments on April 25. They each asked 

the council to vote “no” on the bills. 

Additional water well to 

be built for O’Fallon 

The city of O’Fallon currently has five 

wells supplying water to its water treatment 

plant on Firma Road. An engineering 

study completed in 2022 indicated another 

well is needed. 

At its April 11 meeting, the City Council 

unanimously approved a resolution authorizing 

a construction contract with Martin 

General Contractors for $1,495,950 to 

build Alluvial Well No. 6. 

An alluvial well is a well that is supplied 

or charged by surface water. It is drilled in 

an alluvial aquifer or an alluvial floodplain 

deposit, such as near a river. Most of these 

are shallow with water levels that tend to 

fluctuate with rainfall conditions. 

The five existing wells were constructed in 

the early 2000s, as was the city’s treatment 

plant. The wells have experienced typical 

degrading of capacity over time as the aquifer 

screen system ages, limiting capacity. 

The city’s water division has made 

several improvements to the existing alluvial 

wells to maintain capacity, including 

“regular chemical treatments, variable frequency 

drives, new submersible motors 

and level transducers.” 

To increase water supply, the city completed 

a test well at the treatment plant in 

2022 that proved successful. The city then 

hired Black & Veatch to prepare bid documents 

for a new alluvial well on the property 

near the test well location. 

Funds for this well were included in the 

city’s 2024 budget. 

ST. PETERS 

Poetry Out Loud 

winners recognized 

Timberland High junior Aiden Storms 

was honored at the Apr. 11 St. Peters Board 

of Aldermen meeting for winning the 

regional Poetry Out Loud championship. St. 

Peters has hosted the regional competition 

at the Cultural Arts Center in recent years, 

drawing special interest from city officials. 

Currently, Storms performs in drama 

productions, loves reading and plans to 

enter the Poetry Out Loud competition 

again next year. 

He aspires to attend the University of 

Missouri and enter its journalism program, 

with the goal of entering the political 

broadcast journalism field. 

Poetry Out Loud is a national high 

school event that encourages students to 

memorize famous poems and recite them 

to increase their public speaking skills and 

gain confidence. It has reached over 4 mil-





I NEWS I 9 

lion students across all states and offers a 

$20,000 grand prize to the national winner. 

ST. CHARLES COUNTY 

School transportation 

housing approved 

Work to develop a new transportation 

center for the Fort Zumwalt School District 

is proceeding. 

Laura Wagner, director of communications, 

said this project will bring all of the 

buses “under one modern roof.” 

District mechanics will then be moved 

to the new location. 

The district’s current transportation 

department operates from a 50-plus-yearold 

site off of Tom Ginnever Avenue and 

a temporary site on Homefield Boulevard. 

The new transportation center was 

approved by a $125 million bond issue 

(Proposition 4) passed in 2022. 

Engineering firm chosen for 

Hoff Road Phase 2 project 

From 2017-2019, Hoff Road Phase 1 

improvements were completed from north 

of the railroad tracks (north of West Terra 

Lane) to Progress Lane West. 

The purpose was to improve safety for 

vehicles traveling on Hoff Road by realigning 

and increasing the radius of the curve 

and by widening the pavement to provide 

two 12-foot lanes with two-foot shoulders 

with rumble strips. 

Phase 2 will improve Hoff Road, beginning 

north of Progress West Lane and ending 

north at the termination of the O’Fallon city 

limits. This will include re-alignment of 

the intersection of Hoff Road and Kemmar 

Court, and fully reconstructed pavement for 

the entire length of Phase 2. 

The existing pavement is narrow and 

has significant drop-offs at the edge of the 

roadway. Phase 2 will also include a sidewalk 

that workers in the adjacent industrial 

areas can use. 

At its April 11 meeting, the O’Fallon City 

Council unanimously passed a resolution, 

authorizing an agreement with HR Green 

Inc. to provide professional engineering 

services for Hoff Road Phase 2. The cost 

is not to exceed $299,994.89. 

Design funds are included in the city’s 

2024 Budget. Federal funding has been 

awarded for this project. City staff also 

submitted an application for additional 

funding from St. Charles County. 

MISSOURI 

Education reform 

package passes 

In mid-April, the Missouri General 

Assembly passed two education reform 

bills, Senate Bill 727 and House Bill 2278, 

aimed at enhancing elementary and secondary 

education. 

SB727 includes updates to the Missouri 

Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program, 

which was established by the General 

Assembly in 2021. That legislation established 

tax credits for contributions to nonprofit 

educational assistance organizations, 

approved by the state treasurer’s office, for 

the purpose of awarding scholarships to 

Missouri students with individual education 

plans and students living in low-income 

households. SB727 increases the maximum 

tax credits from $50 to $75 million. 

Additionally, SB727 adjusts the state’s 

minimum school term requirements and 

establishes the Elementary Literacy Fund to 

boost literacy among elementary students. 

Under SB727, school terms are to be a 

minimum of 169 school days, given a fiveday 

week. SB 727 and HB2287 also establish 

procedures around the average daily attendance 

of students enrolled in the Missouri 

Course Access and Virtual School Program. 

The Elementary Literacy Fund, through 

an annual appropriation not to exceed $5 

million, will provide grants through the 

Department of Elementary and Secondary 

Education to school districts and charter 

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schools for home reading programs for 

children in kindergarten to fifth grade. 

Teachers also benefit from provisions in 

SB727 that increase minimum wages from 

$25,000 to $40,000 for the 2025-26 school 

year. For teachers with a master’s degree and 

at least 10 years of experience, minimum 

salaries increase from $33,000 to $46,000 in 

2025-26 and by $1,000 each year until 2027- 

28, when the minimum shall be $48,000. 

Additionally, SB727 addresses teacher 

certification, school board vacancies and 

suicide prevention. 

To view SB727 in its entirety, use the 

“Bill Search” feature on senate.mo.gov. 

ctivity promotes physical, 

cognitive and emotional 

well-being 

hair yoga is just one of 

the physical activities 

we promote 

herapists are at all of our 

locations to monitor a 

resident’s mobility 

and movement 

ndividual care programs 

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exercise therapies 

itality 

is the key 

to happiness 

veryone 

is encouraged 

to be active


10 I NEWS I MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE 

Wentzville superintendent to receive nearly $1 million in separation agreement 



By JESSICA MARIE BAUMGARTNER 

Wentzville School District Superintendent 

Dr. Danielle Tormala has announced 

a sabbatical and her early retirement after 

serving only two years in the position. In 

addition, she is receiving a nearly $1 million 

total payout as part of a separation 

agreement. 

The announcement of Tormala’s retirement 

was sent in an email to district families 

on April 12. In the message, Tormala 

stated, “This role has challenged me and 

allowed me to grow both personally and 

professionally. While this decision comes 

with mixed emotions, I am confident it 

is the right choice for the district, for my 

family and for me personally.” 

Tormala did not explain the reason for 

her departure, but stated, “My decision 

was made collaboratively with the Board 

of Education, and this transition will allow 

for continued progress for the district.” 

This came after the Wentzville School 

Board held an “emergency meeting” on 

Apr. 11. The details of this session remain 

closed. 

Tormala’s separation agreement with the 

school district discloses the terms of her 

sabbatical leading into early retirement. 

Although she was under contract to work 

for the district through June 30, 2027, she 

started a sabbatical on April 12, and her 

retirement will now begin on June 30 of 

this year, according to the agreement. 

She will receive two $492,500 payments. 

The first is due by May 3, and the second 

is due by June 30. A third payment of 

$42,558.50 will also be remitted by June 

30 for unused vacation days. 

“The consideration provided by the district 

under this agreement shall be made in 

return for settlement of any and all claims 

that Dr. Tormala may have against the district, 

and its affiliates and subsidiaries,” the 

agreement states. 

The agreement prevents Tormala from 

taking legal action against the district and 

those related to it and also prevents the 

district and board members from filing suit 

against her. 

Tormala is now barred from seeking 

employment with the district in the future, 

and must cooperate with current pending 

lawsuits. 

In 2023, interactions between Tormala 

and newly elected school board members 

were alleged in a Change.org petition to 

have her removed. 

The petition accused her of holding 

“closed-door meetings with selected board 

members and the board attorney as a tactic 

to intimidate and single out each new 

board member.” This came as the school 

board was discussing the district’s biological 

sex bathroom policy. 

Missouri Attorney General Andrew 

Bailey filed a lawsuit in the fall alleging 

Sunshine Law violations, and then in February 

sent a letter to Tormala warning her 

of further alleged incidents. 

“I understand that the Wentzville School 

Board initiated an investigation into the 

three whistleblowers and, for the past 

several months, the district or the rest of 

the board has been taking steps to silence 

them,” Bailey said in the letter. 

It is not known if this lawsuit or other 

incidents affected the decision for Tormala 

to retire. 

In the meantime, Dr. Jeri LaBrot and 

Brian Bishop have stepped into the newly 

vacated role as co-interim superintendents. 

“As co-interims, we are committed to 

serving our community to ensure student 

learning and district operations continue 

without interruption,” they said in a joint 

statement. 

Wente’s Roadhouse coming soon to Defiance 

By JOHN TREMMEL 

The Defiance Roadhouse, known 

affectionately by locals for years as 

“the squirrel bar,” has been closed 

for about six months, but now has a 

new lease on life and is targeted to 

reopen as Wente’s Roadhouse sometime 

between May 19 and June 1. 

The actual opening date depends on 

how much time is needed to complete 

repairs and obtain the required 

permits. The Hoffmann Companies 

property in Defiance is now being 

leased-to-own by Marla Conn. 

Conn said the Defiance Roadhouse 

building “is from 1930, and, nobody’s 

fault, during this past winter when the 

restaurant was closed, water pipes 

burst and damaged every sink, every 

toilet, the walls and the floors. There 

were leaks and holes everywhere.” 

Conn said she has been working 

with Don Simon, chief operating officer 

for Hoffmann Companies’ Missouri operations, 

to get the repairs completed. While 

the Hoffmann Companies have received 

criticism regarding the economic development 

of Defiance and Augusta, Conn 

spoke highly of her interactions with the 

company. 

“They have been very cooperative and are 

working to fix the holes and other damage 

from the burst pipes,” Conn said. “Don has 

been great. I want to be clear: they are not 

bad people. I believe the Hoffmanns had 

good intentions but were just not equipped 

Wente’s Roadhouse under renovation and rehab, April 21, 2024. 

to run a restaurant such as the Roadhouse. 

Let’s just move on and move forward.” 

She signed the Roadhouse lease in early 

April. 

Conn has been at the Defiance Roadhouse 

while repairs are being done and has 

been working inside to set up the business. 

While she has been on-site, people have 

been stopping by to see what is going on. 

One of her visitors was the husband of 

the woman whose grandfather created the 

squirrels that have been part of the unusual 

decorations within the Roadhouse for 

years. Conn sent the husband home with 

(John Tremmel photo) 

one of the squirrels as a gift, bringing the 

memories along with it. Conn still has 

some of the stuffed squirrels and will continue 

to showcase them in the bar. 

Wente’s Roadhouse menu will include 

wings, pizza, specialty sandwiches, burgers, 

ribs, appetizers, salads and soft drinks. 

Billed as a “food shack and saloon,” it will 

have beer and adult beverages. Conn said 

it will be opening for breakfast as well. 

Conn also is the owner of the original 

Wente’s restaurant and bar at 18000 Chesterfield 

Airport Road in Chesterfield Valley. 

That landmark Wente’s is known as a “nofrills 

American restaurant serving burgers, 

sandwiches, wings and beer amid 

sports memorabilia.” The location is 

popular and frequently busy. 

She bought the business from Terry 

Wente in 2020, during the COVID-19 

pandemic. She added a temporary tent 

to accommodate outside and socialdistanced 

seating during the pandemic, 

then installed a permanent, canvaswalled 

and canvas-roofed structure for 

an outdoor patio 

Conn holds a Master of Science 

degree in elementary education and 

reading. She taught for 15 years in New 

York, has written dozens of children’s 

books, is a reading-literacy specialist 

and is an educational consultant. She 

continues to write and consult from her 

home in Wildwood, she said. 

Conn and her family moved to Chesterfield 

15 years ago after selling their 

book distribution company to a St. 

Louis-based company. While Conn’s husband 

does not have ownership in the bar, 

he is her best customer and very supportive, 

she said. He is building a warehouse 

for The Classroom Library Company in 

Chesterfield on Edison Road, close enough 

to golf cart over to Wente’s for lunch every 

day. 

“The original Wente’s will remain open, 

and we are excited to have a second location 

in a nearby community,” Conn said. 

“Both Wente’s and Wente’s Roadhouse are 

stand-alone businesses that cater to the 

community and bring people together.”





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12 I NEWS I 



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By ROBIN SEATON JEFFERSON 

A much-needed increase in available 

healthcare services is expected in the 

shape of a proposed a 75-bed, next-generation 

hospital in Wentzville. 

According to a press release issued on 

April 5, Mercy, the sixth largest Catholic 

healthcare system in the nation, has filed 

a letter of intent with the Missouri Department 

of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) 

to construct a hospital in order to “address 

the soaring population growth in the state’s 

tri-county area, encompassing St. Charles, 

Lincoln and Warren counties …” 

Mercy announced a projected investment 

of $650 million in a 483,000-squarefoot 

medical complex to be located on 

approximately 60 acres near the intersection 

of interstates 64 and 70. 

If approved, according to the release, 

the complex will be the state’s first acutecare 

hospital campus built since 2015 

when Mercy opened its hospital in Joplin 

following the 2011 tornado. 

Mercy began focusing on the tri-county 

region in 2010, when it developed a community 

master plan and sought out feedback 

from residents and local community 

leaders about needed services. 

City Administrator Douglas Lee said 

the Wentzville has provided a letter of 

support to DHSS for the project. 

“As a city of almost 50,000, there is a 

recognized need to provide healthcare to 

not only the existing residents, but also 

to plan for the future and be aware of the 

growth of the surrounding counties that 

utilize Wentzville as a regional destination,” 

Lee said in an email. 

“Mercy will be required to complete a 

traffic impact study that analyzes existing 

infrastructure and capacity as well as 

the potential impacts their project could 

generate. They will also evaluate what 

improvements will need to be accomplished 

for the project to be successful,” 

Lee said. “The project will coordinate 

with stakeholders, and will follow the 

city’s Thoroughfare Plan to provide project 

access and regional transportation 

improvements.” 

The Missouri Department of Transportation 

(MoDOT) announced last August 

that it would begin adding lanes to an 

18-mile stretch of I-70 from Wentzville 

to Warrenton in November of this year. 

MoDOT had already planned in 2021 to 

add a third lane in each direction on I-70 

under the railroad bridge in Wentzville to 

ease traffic on the current limited number 

of lanes between Hwy. Z and Wentzville 

Parkway. 



Mercy announces plans for 75-bed 

hospital in Wentzville 

Lee said the city has requested that 

Mercy contact MoDOT’s design team 

to better understand how the “Improve 

I-70” and adjacent interchange projects 

can coordinate with the Mercy project. 

He said the majority of responses regarding 

the project so far have been from 

residents seeking information about the 

specific location of the development. On 

the city’s post about the project, residents 

voiced support as well as concerns over 

the potential of added traffic congestion 

in the area. 

Lee said the project, if approved, will 

generate a significant number of jobs 

during construction, as well as a wide 

range of permanent employment opportunities 

upon the hospital’s completion. “As 

with many large employment centers, it 

should also create an opportunity for local 

dining and service-related businesses to 

fill a need,” he said. 

In the press release, Mercy president 

and CEO Steve Mackin said that the new 

hospital is a continuation of the healthcare 

provider’s ongoing commitment to 

offer more services to residents west of 

St. Louis. 

“We have grown our Mercy presence in 

the area over the past decade from three 

locations to nearly 40, providing adult and 

pediatric primary and specialty care as 

well as a critical access hospital in Troy,” 

Mackin said. “Now is the time to invest 

in the future and better serve our patients 

closer to home. Our data shows us many 

Mercy patients travel, sometimes more 

than an hour, from Lincoln and Warren 

counties into St. Louis County. The need 

for this facility, while significant today, 

will only increase as projected growth 

continues.” 

According to Mercy, there is a significant 

need. When tri-county residents are 

admitted to a hospital, some 18% travel 

for care at a Mercy hospital, the healthcare 

provider reported, adding that according 

to the U.S. Census Bureau, St. Charles, 

Lincoln and Warren counties are three of 

the top seven fastest growing counties in 

the state. Officials said by 2032, the population 

in the area is predicted to grow by 

approximately 9.5% to more than 500,000 

residents. 

Mercy officials said they will hold 

roundtable discussions that allow the 

public and community leaders an opportunity 

to provide feedback and ideas for 

the new hospital and expanding healthcare 

services in the region. Updates on 

the process will be posted on Mercy.net/ 

WentzvilleCampus as soon as they’re 

available.



LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER, LIKE GRANDMA 

Local family celebrates generational 

impact of caring for others 



I NEWS I 13 

By KATE UPTERGROVE 

“I love people.” 

Across multiple generations, those 

simple words have motivated the women 

of one local family to seek careers in 

healthcare. 

During the pandemic, Paula Allen came 

out of retirement and chose to begin a new 

career as a concierge/screener at Progress 

West and BJC St. Peters hospitals. In many 

ways, she was following in the footsteps 

of her grandmother, daughter and granddaughter. 

“What Paula won’t tell you, because she 

is so humble, is that during COVID she 

wanted to give back,” Sharla Emery said. 

“She took the role of concierge/screener so 

that she could be at the hospital and help in 

any way she could.” 

It was a bold decision, given that most 

people her age were being advised at that 

time to stay home and stay safe. 

“We had lived at the Lake of the Ozarks 

for about 20 years,” Paula said of her and 

her husband. “When we moved back I 

needed something to do and decided to 

get into the health field because of Sharla. 

Now, I am the first person everyone sees 

when they come to the hospital. I get to 

greet people and help them. I enjoy that.” 

In addition to being the director of 

patient care services at Progress West 

and BJC St. Peters, Sharla is also Paula’s 

daughter and one of her favorite people to 

see at work. Paula’s other favorite is her 

granddaughter, Jessica Emery, who works 

as a patient care technician (PCT) in the 

Progress West emergency department. 

“I got into healthcare because of my 

mama,” Jessica said of Sharla. “She has 

been working for BJC for as long as I can 

remember, probably longer than I have 

been alive.” 

She’s not wrong. Sharla has been a nurse 

since 1989 and with BJC HealthCare for 31 

years, though most of her career was spent 

in critical care and cardiothoracic surgery 

at Missouri Baptist Medical Center. 

“In April 2020, I made the decision 

to take a position in St. Charles County 

because we live in St. Charles County and 

there were some exciting things to me 

about its growth and where it was going 

and community needs for healthcare,” 

Sharla said. 

Two years ago, she moved into her current 

position, and spoke highly of Progress 

West and the role it plays in providing care 

to the community. 

Rachel Yann, with BJC media relations, 

said it’s “evident how strong these three 

ladies are together, how dedicated they 

are to caring for people, how they strive to 

inspire each other and how proud they are 

of each other.” 

“They want each other to grow and succeed,” 

Yann said. 

In that regard, Paula and Sharla are huge 

See LOCAL FAMILY, page 31 

Paula Allen, Sharla Emery and Jessica Emery 

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14 I NEWS I 





MoDOT unveils plans for massive Improve I-70 road project 

By JESSICA MARIE BAUMGARTNER 

Rep. Tricia Byrnes (R-District 63) hosted 

an open house meeting on Apr. 18 for St. 

Charles County elected officials and the 

public to learn about the new Improve I-70 

construction project that will update 200 

miles of road throughout Missouri. 

Byrnes brought in MoDOT workers to lay 

out preliminary plans and answer questions, 

mainly centered around the portion that 

reaches from Wentzville through Warrenton 

on I-70 and to Dardenne Prairie down I-64. 

“This is one of the biggest town halls 

MoDOT has seen,” Byrnes said. 

MoDOT Deputy Director Chris Kelly 

gave the presentation. He explained that the 

main goal of the St. Charles County piece 

of the project is to widen I-70 to three lanes 

between Wentzville and Warrenton, as well 

as on I-64 between I-70 and Hwy. K. 

The project will also realign the railroad 

bridge on I-70 between Wentzville Parkway 

and Route Z, and improve the interchanges 

at I-70 and I-64/Route 61. 

The railroad expansion was of high interest 

as it currently bottlenecks traffic down 

to two lanes. 

“Traffic volumes are much higher than 

what it was designed for,” Kelly stated. 

A large group turned out to attend the open house, despite thunderstorms on April 18. 

(Jessica Marie Baumgartner photo) 

Kelly noted the plan for the railway is 

to tear it down and build a new bridge that 

accommodates eight lanes of traffic, four in 

each direction, with room to add two more 

in the future. Kelly said once completed, the 

bridge should last another 100 years. 

Most of the plans for this project are 

already fully funded and in the works individually, 

but came together as one project 

to combine efforts and ensure that these 

updates are constructed as efficiently as 

possible, according to Kelly. 

With Gov. Mike Parsons’ road project 

advocacy and the gas tax increases from 

MO SB 262, funding has been acquired for 

the entire Improve I-70 road project, and 

the railroad will not have to pay anything 

for the bridge reconstruction. 

Contract bids for each portion of the project 

will be accepted and approved by the 

end of the year, with construction beginning 

as early as spring of 2025. 

Kelly also noted that the Improve I-70 

project will utilize a design-built engineering 

strategy, in which MoDOT allows 

contractors to complete their own designs 

within certain parameters. 

“We get a great value out of it,” he said. 

The project pieces will have individual 

processes and timelines, but by allowing the 

design and construction to overlap, contractors 

are afforded the freedom to pursue the 

project from every phase. 

While the Wentzville through Warrenton 

section of the Improve I-70 project is just 

one of six major road improvement portions 

planned to update 200 miles of road 

throughout the state, Kelly also noted that 

MoDOT plans to have that section completed 

by 2028, and the entire project finished 

in 2030. 

During the Q&A portion of the meeting, 

questions regarding overpasses, noise studies 

and concerns about design-built projects 

were raised. 

When addressing concerns about noise 

impact, Kelly confirmed that noise studies 

are an environmental requirement for this 

project and will be held at peak travel times. 

A concerned resident noted that testing at 

night while most people are sleeping may 

better measure the impact, but Kelly said 

testing has specific requirements and is 

solely focused on peak travel times during 

the day. 

Former Wentzville Mayor Meade Foster 

praised the work that is being done to handle 

Wentzville’s expansion but also questioned 

See MODOT, next page



General Store continues to serve 

Defiance, Katy Trail 

The Defiance General Store, opened in late 2023 


On September 16, 2023, local residents 

Victoria and Jim Meder opened the Defiance 

General Store in a building at 3002 

S. Hwy. 94 in Defiance. The Meder’s operated 

the General Store in space leased from 

the Hoffmann Companies. 

The Hoffmann Companies also owned 

and operated the Kickstand Katy Trail bike 

shop in the same building Don’s Place, a 

classic biker bar located around the corner 

on the same side of Hwy. 94. They also 

owned and operated the Defiance Roadhouse 

across the street. 

In November 2023, the Hoffmanns 

announced that they would focus on just 

their wineries and wine business, and 

would exit most, if not all, of their other 

businesses in the Augusta and Defiance 

areas. Consequently, they shuttered most 

businesses in Augusta and Defiance “for 

the winter,” then put numerous commercial 

properties up for sale. 

For Defiance, recent good news is that 

the Roadhouse now will be re-opened as 

Wente’s Roadhouse in May or June 2024, 

under a new lease-to-own arrangement 

between the Hoffmann Companies and 

Wente’s proprietor Marla Conn (see page 

(John Tremmel photo) 

10). 

In more good news for Defiance, the 

building that housed Kickstand Katy 

Trail (closed since November 2023) and 

still houses the fully operational Defiance 

General Store, has been sold Larry Winkler 

plans to open a meat market in the 

that building. 

Meanwhile, since last fall, the Defiance 

General Store has offered fresh brewed 

coffee, lattes, grab-and-go breakfast, pastries 

and freshly made sandwiches in addition 

to groceries, sports drinks, snacks, 

liquor, local wines by the glass, gourmet 

foods, ice cream, gifts and more. 

Victoria said she and her husband opened 

the General Store as a business needed 

in the Defiance community and to serve 

cyclists and hikers using the Katy Trail that 

runs adjacent to their building. 

“The nearest grocery store is over seven 

miles away in both directions, and there 

isn’t anywhere to stop on the trail with 

restrooms and refreshments between St. 

Charles and Jefferson City,” Victoria 

said. 

She said she loves the area. Her husband, 

Jim, grew up in Defiance. They were married 

25 years ago in the small church just 

up the hill on Defiance Road. 



I NEWS I 15 

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MODOT, from previous 

the design-built strategy. 

“Contractors are going to design what’s 

profitable to them,” Meade said. He noted 

previous experiences where this caused 

problems for him. 

Central Project Director Jeff Gander 

pointed out that MoDOT has found much 

success with this form of construction over 

the past 15 years and that contractors who 

are only seeking benefits for themselves 

will not win the bid. 

Byrnes closed out the Q&A by asking 

about keeping commuters safe during construction. 

“We’re worried about the people traveling 

through the work zone, we’re also really 

focused on the people doing the work,” 

MoDOT’s Improve I-70 program director 

Eric Kopinski said. “We’re working very 

closely with our elected officials and highway 

patrol at a statewide level to make sure, 

regardless of where you are on Interstate 70, 

that it will be safe for the traveling public 

and the workers doing the work.” 

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16 I NEWS I 





Streets of Caledonia today 


Six years after it was announced and 

despite bumps in the road, the Streets 

of Caledonia mixed-use development is 

clearly taking shape. 

The planned unit development (PUD) is 

primarily located northwest of the intersection 

of Interstate 64 and Hwy. DD, with 

a smaller parcel near the Missouri Rush 

Soccer Club fields. 

Residential development is about 80% 

complete, years ahead of schedule. 

In October 2017, Payne Family Homes 

announced a $400 million, mixed-use 

development to be built in O’Fallon, along 

Hwy. DD, across I-64 from the Winghaven 

development and Mastercard International. 

The developer then worked for about 17 

months with the city and its staff to flesh 

out and finalize rezoning requirements and 

an acceptable overall area plan. 

In March 2019, the O’Fallon City Council 

gave final approval to a request by 

Payne Family Homes for the rezoning of 

land along with an area plan for a 260-plusacre 

PUD named the Streets of Caledonia. 

In acreage, the development is about onefourth 

the size of the huge Winghaven 

development built between 1998 and 2005. 

The original Streets of Caledonia plan 

included 657 Payne single-family houses 

and townhomes on 153 acres. Ground 

was broken and construction started in 

May 2020, with sales starting in the fall of 

2020. Payne subsequently became Fischer 

Homes and was joined in the development 

by Lombardo Homes. 

The PUD was designed to have 30 acres 

of common ground, with lakes, fountains, 

walking trails, a community pool, a clubhouse, 

a playground, a bocce ball court and 

a pickleball court. 

However, in late March 2024, council 

member Nathan Bibb (Ward 3) said, “All 

residential amenities are done.” 

He predicted that the project should be 

sold out in 2025. 

The original plan included 93 acres of 

mixed-use retail development, entertainment, 

office space, medical and hospitality 

space. Some of that has started, with much 

more to come. 

Commercial businesses opened since 

2019 include the new Barron Swim School 

(indoor); Casa Tequilla Cantina & Grill 

(in the former Llewelyn’s restaurant and 

former Q64 restaurant location next to 

the Missouri Rush Soccer Club); a new 

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select 

Properties building; a new MotoMart gas 

station with a car wash and drive-through 

food service; and a new Exxon-Mobile 

On The Run gas station with car wash and 

drive-through food service. 

In addition, a two-story, 66,000-squarefoot 

SSM Outpatient Center at 301 Caledonia 

Parkway is scheduled to be completed 

in July and open in September 2024, creating 

about 125 jobs. 

A new 8,000-square-foot First Community 

Credit Union branch is also under 

construction at the corner of Caledonia 

Parkway and Hwy. DD. 

On March 7, O’Fallon Planning and 

Zoning approved a site plan for a dental 

building at 200 Rush Way, adjacent to 

the soccer fields and across Rush Way 

from the Exxon-Mobil gas station. Kraner 

Family Dentistry will occupy that building 

as soon as construction is completed. 

Bibb explained that Streets of Caledonia 

Commercial continues to market to medical, 

office, hospitality, technology and 

retail developers. The retail areas looked 

at are large-store sports, grocery, large 

discounters, large home improvement and 

membership wholesale clubs. 

Bibb said that commercial developers 

continues to take in fill dirt for the middle 

areas and is designing the distribution of 

storm sewer, sanitary sewer and electrical 

infrastructure throughout the planned commercial 

areas. 

Bibb said about $900,000 of work is left, 

including adding third lanes along Dalriada 

Boulevard and Longhaven Drive. 

The council and nearby residents had 

insisted on upgrades to the road network in 

the Streets of Caledonia area. 

In January 2020, the O’Fallon City 

Council approved plans and funding for 

improvements to Hwy. DD from the I-64 

interchange to the western boundary of the 

Streets of Caledonia, plus improvements 

to the I-64 interchange itself at Winghaven 

Boulevard and Hwy. DD. 

Construction started in late summer 2021 

and was completed by fall 2022, including 

additional lanes, widened lanes, more 

turn lanes, a new signalized intersection, a 

new roundabout, a new two-five lane road 

named Caledonia Parkway, a new two-lane 

Dalriada Boulevard and a new two-lane 

Longhaven Drive, all designed to accommodate 

the higher traffic volumes from, to 

and within the development. 

The $20 million cost of those road 

improvements was split, with 50% coming 

from the St. Charles County Road Board, 

25% from MoDOT, 12.5% from the developer 

and 12.5% from the city of O’Fallon. 

In addition, St. Charles County completed 

the connection of Caledonia Parkway’s 

western end with the I-64 South 

Outer Road, which in turn runs west to 

connect with Town Square Avenue/Hwy. 

N. If desired, westbound drivers can exit 

Streets of Caledonia “the back way” without 

getting on Hwy. DD.





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I 17 

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TheLandingOfOFallon.com

18 I SUMMER CAMPS I 



JULY 8TH - 11TH 

AGES 3 - 10 

GET READY FOR SOME 

TRAVELING FUN! 

LEARNING NEW DANCES, 

CREATING FESTIVE 

CRAFTS, AND MAKING 

NEW FRIENDS! 

REGISTER TODAY! 

www.inertiadance.com 



Camp Mathnasium 

7123 Mexico Road • St. Peters 

(636) 812-MATH (6284) • mathnasium.com/stpetersnorth 

Let your children enjoy fun, educational STEAM activities and catch up, 

keep up or get ahead with their math skills. Camp Mathnasium sessions, 

from June 9 to August 9, are three hours, with one hour for math skills 

and the rest for STEAM activities and strategy games. The math hour will 

feature our world-renowned custom approach where we work from each 

student’s custom learning plans and teach in a way that makes sense! 

Choose from dozens of activities including maze coding, game theory 

and slime. Early enrollees save $100. 

Grades 2 - 8 • June 9 - August 9 • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Now Enrolling! 

Mathnasium of St. Peters North 

(636) 812-MATH (6284) 

mathnasium.com/stpetersnorth 

Make it a Mathnasium Summer 

Inertia School of Dance 

1058 Wies Industrial Drive • Lake Saint Louis 

(636) 579-7331 • inertiadance.com 

This summer, Inertia School of Dance is traveling “Around The World” 

for a dance camp your child won’t forget. Campers will spend four days 

traveling “Around The World” learning fun dances, building festive 

crafts they can take home daily, playing interactive games and making 

new friends. There’s so much to see and do. We can’t wait to explore 

the globe with some fun dance grooves! Camp is July 8-11 for kids ages 

3 to 10 years. No dance experience necessary. To learn more and register, 

visit www.inertiadance.com. Let’s explore around the world! 

STAGES St. Louis 

1023 Chesterfield Parkway East • Chesterfield 

(636) 449-5775 • StagesStLouis.org 

STAGES Performing Arts Academy offers an exciting variety of musical 

theatre camps, workshops and productions for students of all ages and 

abilities. Act, dance and sing all summer long while learning new skills 

and techniques. Classes include Musical Minis, Improv, Act It Out, 

Musical Theatre Exploration, Ace Your Audition and more! And don’t 

miss out on the Broadway Performance Workshops of Disney’s “Frozen 

Kids,” “13: The Musical Jr.,” “Madagascar Jr.” and the new musical, 

“Between The Lines.” It’s all at STAGES Performing Arts Academy this 

summer. Register today at www.stagesstlouis.org/summer or call 636- 

449-5775. 

View Summer Camp Directories 

online at midriversnewsmagazine.com



Trades take center stage at Build My Future STL 



I 19 

By DEANNE LEBLANC 

The third annual Build My Future STL 

took place at the St. Charles Family Arena 

on April 24-25. The event featured handson 

exhibits and virtual reality simulations 

focusing on the building, trades and construction 

industries. Over 2,000 students 

from 70 high schools across 14 counties 

were expected to be in attendance. The 

event is co-chaired by representatives from 

the Home Builders Association of St. Louis 

& Eastern Missouri and the Francis Howell 

School District, who aim to address labor 

shortages in the industry. 

The concept for Build My Future came 

about in 2014 by industry professionals in 

Springfield, Missouri, to remedy the “dwindling 

pipeline of workers” and lack of interest 

in the skilled trades. Today, Build My 

Future is the largest event of its kind in the 

country, and takes place annually in 12 states. 

During Build My Future STL, students 

get the opportunity to explore trade jobs 

and meet local construction professionals 

while having unique hands-on experiences. 

In addition, there are virtual reality simulations, 

educational displays, equipment operations 

and learning labs in the areas of new 

construction, plumbing, masonry, welding, 

flooring, landscaping, roofing, siding, heavy 

equipment machinery operation, excavating 

and more. 

Hands-on activities are a big part of the 

event. 

(Photos courtesy of Jeanie Smith) 

Francis Howell College and Career Specialist 

Katie Vargas said the top benefit for 

students participating in the event is realworld, 

experiential learning across the participating 

industries. 

“Classroom learning is important, for sure, 

but students learn tremendously by doing,” 

Vargas said. “Trying on a variety of jobs in 

the trades at Build My Future allows students 

to affirm their strengths and interests in 

multiple skill areas, which in turn helps them 

better plan for their post-secondary future.” 

Companies benefit as well, getting the 

chance to engage with the workforce of the 

next generation. 

“As an educator, I feel like this generation 

of students doesn’t get enough credit 

for their innovation, creativity and selfawareness; 

this event affirms that the future 

is bright,” Vargas said. 

Matt Schindler, career shadowing facilitator 

at Rockwood School District, knows 

that not every student wants to go to college. 

“With student loan debt being what it is, 

we are starting to see a shift in mindset from 

many that college isn’t a must, especially 

if you have to borrow money to attend,” 

Schindler said. “This event exposes students 

to zero-debt career options in a way 

that schools are not able to do. From the 

heavy machinery to the non-stop hands-on 

activities, Build My Future is an invaluable 

resource for the Rockwood District to 

expose the students in our schools to a wide 

variety of options that don’t require college 

or college loans.” 

In 2023, 47 states passed 115 laws about 

career and technical education, which 

increased financing for job training programs 

and opportunities for work-based 

learning beyond conventional high school 

and college learning models. The goal of 

this initiative is to reverse a long-term trend 

away from vocational education that has 

resulted in a scarcity of competent laborers. 

The amount of shop courses offered 

in American high schools has decreased, 

and between 1982 and 2013, shop credits 

dropped by more than 26%. In addition, 

many school districts completely removed 

industrial tech workshops, like welding and 

metal shops, from the curriculum. 

There has been a stigma against trade jobs 

that has been hard to shake after decades of 

society prioritizing the four-year degree. 

“I think the lack of workers in trades was 

due to the mindset that college is a must,” 

Schindler said. “There was a point where 

‘for-profit’ schools were popping up all over 

the place and selling false hope to students 

who were probably questioning whether 

college was the right path.” 

Jason Hughes, president of T.R. Hughes 

Homes in St. Charles and the current president 

of the St. Louis Home Builders Association, 

agreed that college is not for everyone, 

and feels more investments should be made 

into industrial tech classes within schools. 

“In my opinion, more investments should be 

made in industrial tech classes in schools. 

College isn’t for everyone,” Hughes said. 

“You can make a very good wage in the 

trades.” 

The home building industry has seen 

wages for residential building workers rise 

significantly over the last several years. 

According to Build My Future, average 

hourly earnings for residential building 

Local students at the 2024 Build My Future STL. 

workers were $30.71 per hour in November 

2023, increasing 4% from $29.52 per hour a 

year ago. This was over 14% higher than the 

manufacturing’s average hourly earnings 

of $26.91 per hour and 8.9% higher than 

transportation and warehousing earnings of 

$28.19 per hour. 

Boosting the skilled trade workforce will 

be especially prioritized as more opportunities 

become available due to federal legislation 

like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 

a U.S. federal statute enacted by Congress 

and signed into law by President Joe Biden 

in 2021, and the CHIPS and Science Act, 

ratified in 2022. 

Hughes believes the reason for the lack 

of interest in the skilled trades of late is a 

combination of two factors coming together 

at once. 

“For a long time, parents and schools have 

been pushing students to get a four-year 

degree, but the trades also have an aging 

workforce,” Hughes said. “We are making 

great headway with the local high schools/ 

tech schools, to get the word out.” 

Vargas believes the shortage is caused 

by both the mass exodus of Baby Boomers 

from the workforce and a misleading 

message given to families for years that a 

four-year college is the only acceptable, 

successful path after high school graduation. 

“The remedy is to continue righting this 

message through the de-stigmatization of 

non-four-year college training opportunities,” 

Vargas said. 

Vargas and Schindler both agreed that 

through events like Build My Future STL, 

students and parents can see many successful 

career pathways previously hidden by 

mainstream pressures. 

“Many regional high school tech schools 

are out of real estate and seats. Money is 

tighter in public education now more than 

(Photos courtesy of Jeanie Smith) 

ever, so all the more reason to forge strong 

school-industry partnerships to solve these 

pain points,” Vargas said. 

The pendulum is starting to swing the 

other way, Schindler said. Discussing the 

event with students after the fact shows the 

message about other options is sinking in. 

“As far as being able to tell if Build My 

Future STL is making a difference, I think 

it’s unquestionably yes,” Schindler said. 

“Processing the experience with students 

who attend the event, you can see their faces 

light up when they talk about the options 

opened up to them post-high school.” 

Stefan Sigurdson, owner of Allen Roofing 

& Siding in Ellisville and HBA member 

exhibiting at Build My Future STL, said, 

“This event presents an opportunity for students 

to discuss a career path in the trades 

with representatives from different companies 

and to gain direct insight into what each 

position entails. I believe more investment 

into school trade programs will help more 

students to get excited about trade careers. 

Exposure in high school to different trade 

positions helps create familiarity as career 

options are considered. The community can 

help by creating more awareness around 

Build My Future STL as a resource for students 

evaluating different career paths and 

considering a position in the trades.” 

Since the showcase began, Allen Roofing 

& Siding has seen an increase in interest 

in trade jobs, with some translation to fulltime 

hires. 

Hughes says that his company can also 

tell a difference in student interest in trade 

work since Build My Future STL began. 

“We have actually had students hired right 

from the show floor. That is not the norm, 

but it has happened,” Hughes said. 

To learn more about Build My Future 

STL, visit buildmyfuturestl.com.

20 I SCHOOLS I 





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Academy students answer 

service call to action 

By BETHANY COAD 

Nestled in the heart of Saint Charles is 

the historic Academy of the Sacred Heart. 

Surrounded by history and imbued with 

traditions, those who walk through the 

halls are charged with the task of looking 

outward to the community around them. 

One of the school’s hallmark programs is 

its acts of service. 

Religion and social studies teacher 

Tammy Strother has been a faculty 

member of the Academy for 14 years and 

is in charge of the service-learning program. 

“Since one of the subjects I teach is religion, 

service learning goes hand in hand 

with our belief that each person should be 

valued and respected and that we are to 

live in communion with others,” Strother 

said. “Teaching allows me to interact 

with students and watch and encourage 

them to be independent thinkers, true to 

themselves and active in their community. 

Watching students experience service 

brings me great joy.” 

Academy middle school students have 

always participated in service to the community, 

but in 2020, when COVID hit, the 

program ground to a halt. Fast forward 

to the 2022-23 school year, the servicelearning 

program resumed at the sites 

where the students had previously worked 

so hard to establish a relationship. 

“That is when I started coordinating the 

program,” Strother said. “Our established 

sites were open and excited to hear about 

us returning and we also reached out to 

some new facilities to join our program.” 

Brimming with excitement to venture 

out into the community again, middle 

school students made plans to visit a specific 

service site each month from September 

to April. 

“This allows them to build relationships 

with the people they support,” Strother 

said. “Many residents and clients at 

the service sites look forward to these 

monthly visits.” 

The service-learning 

program has three components: 

learning about the 

needs of the community 

and how they can best support 

those needs, direct 

service while developing a 

receptacle relationship and 

making time to reflect on 

the experience of serving 

and the relationships that 

are built – an important 

pillar of the success of the 

program. 

“All the service sites are 

asked to meet with the students 

to share information 

about their clients and program,” 

Strother explained. 

“We want the students to 

have an idea of what they 

will be experiencing and 

ask any questions they may 

have.” 

Throughout the year, students visit 

13 off-campus service locations with 

each grade level focusing on a need in 

the community. Ranging from the needs 

of the elderly, families in crisis, people 

experiencing poverty, and those with 

physical and/or intellectual challenges, 

some facilities have been working with 

the Academy for years while others are 

new. 

“The most exciting thing is I get to see 

the residents every month and build on 

the relationships,” one Academy student 

shared. Another said it was exciting to 

“get to play games with the residents and 

make strong bonds with them so each 

time you come back they remember you 

and you remember them.” 

A longtime partner with the Academy is 

TheBridge STL, a foundation that offers 

“dignified” shopping experiences for individuals 

and families. 

“On our last visit, we sorted clothing by 

Academy students go off-campus to serve at community organizations such as TheBridge STL. 

(Source: Academy of the Sacred Heart) 

size and color, sorted through new donations 

to see what could be used or sent to 

other facilities, sorted shoes, helped put 

new inventory out on the boutique floor 

and even set up a new display,” Strother 

said. “The students love feeling their 

efforts make a difference.” 

Serving brings a kind of adventure with 

the impact that is being made. 

“What excites me whenever we go to 

TheBridge is putting things on the racks 

that I like so someone else can enjoy 

them,” shared one of the middle schoolers. 

Service learning is just one aspect of 

the plan to action. There also are sustainability 

and social justice clubs that meet 

weekly, and the sixth grade class focuses 

on poverty and collects donations to put 

together “blessing bags” for people who 

are experiencing homelessness or families 

who are experiencing want. 

“We want our students to become aware 

of the needs of others in our community,” 

Strother said. “Students (need) to understand 

their responsibility for being stewards 

of the earth which includes taking 

care of all people, and that we must 

preserve the earth’s resources for future 

generations. Everyone has value and is an 

important part of our society and that ultimately 

they can make a difference.” 

Strother said the greatest need for community 

service is finding individuals that 

will help, and encourages thinking about 

what kind of service appeals to each student. 

“I would also find out what way they 

would like to be involved and tell them, 

‘don’t be afraid to pursue your passion,’” 

Strother said. 

“Helping the community always makes 

me feel needed in the world,” a student 

said. “If someone wanted to help, I would 

tell them sure, because the community 

needs more helpers to make the community 

better.”





Timberland’s Tucker helps power Wolves to solid season start 

I SCHOOLS I 21 

By WARREN MAYES 

Timberland junior Gabby Tucker changed 

positions this spring for the Wolves and it 

helped lead the school’s soccer team to its 

best start ever. 

The Wolves started the season 12-0. 

Tucker scored 11 goals in those wins. She 

played center back last spring and earned 

first team all-conference honors in the GAC 

South. 

“I think as a coach, you always want to 

have high expectations for your players, and 

Gabby has done just that,” Timberland coach 

Paige Abert said. 

This spring, Tucker is playing as a forward. 

It’s a position she’s played before. 

“I have been playing forward since fifth 

grade,” Tucker said. “Coming into my high 

school season last year I was mainly a forward 

but had started playing defense with my 

club team that fall. Last year, I played mostly 

defense but a little forward. I love the change 

because I get to play a position that I also 

love and am successful in. 

“I like center back because I get a view of 

the whole field. I started playing center back 

for my club team about two years ago after 

not playing it for a long time. I honestly 

couldn’t say why I love it so much back there. 

Timberland junior Gabby Tucker scored 

11 goals for the Wolves, who started the 

season 12-0. (Photo courtesy of Gracie Rae Photography) 

But it’s definitely got something to do with 

the bond you have with the people you play 

with.” 

The position switch was made, Abert said, 

because she got a couple of players this year 

that could fill in those defensive roles. 

“Gabby has such a great vision of the field, 

crazy speed and just an eye for working off 

the ball offensively and defensively,” Abert 

said. “She wants to do whatever she can for 

the team. She has always had the ‘We before 

Me’ mentality.” 

So far this season, Tucker has scored two 

hat tricks. She also scored two goals in a 

win over Fort Zumwalt West that halted an 

eight-game losing streak in the series dating 

to 2018. 

“My season is really successful. The team 

is doing amazing as we had the best start to 

the season in school history,” Tucker said. 

“Eight goals in three games was a high point 

for me. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the 

season and postseason goes for us. 

“I am having so much fun this season. We 

are doing great and the chemistry that we all 

have with each other is amazing to be around. 

The relationships that I have made or built on 

this year are some of my favorites. I love all 

the girls so much.” 

Abert likes what she sees from Tucker. 

“(I’m) very pleased with the start of Gabby’s 

season,” Abert said. “She is such a team 

player and really gave our team confidence 

to work and grow together throughout the 

season. 

“I think in a game, the best thing is her work 

ethic. Yes, she is a forward, but she will track 

someone all the way back to win a ball, or 

cover a teammate who maybe made a run, 

and challenge any ball or player. She just has 

that grit to do her very best in every moment.” 

Tucker is a three-sport athlete for Timberland. 

She plays basketball in the winter. In 

the spring, she also competes on the track 

team. 

She has played all three sports all three 

years for the Wolves. 

The 5-foot-4 Tucker is a guard in basketball. 

She was the second leading scorer and 

rebounder on the team last winter. She averaged 

6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds a game. In 

track, she runs the 100-yard dash and is a 

member of the 4x100 relay team. 

“I feel like it has become more rare to have 

a three-sport athlete, but I think that shows 

you how much she loves the sports, the attitude 

and work ethic she has,” Abert said. “It 

shows just how involved she is in our school 

and their programs.” 

She tore her ACL playing summer basketball 

before her freshman year. Tucker wasn’t 

able to do contact until early May of her 

freshman year. 

Tucker explained she took a jump ball 

See TUCKER, page 30 

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22 I HEALTH I 





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Even for young women, having more than one drink per day carries significant 

cardiovascular risks, according to a new study. 

(Adobe Stock photo) 

HEALTH 

CAPSULES 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Siteman offers newly approved 

melanoma treatment 

May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer 

Awareness Month; and while skin cancers 

are the most common cancers diagnosed 

in Americans, melanoma is the deadliest 

of these cancers, claiming close to 10,000 

lives every year. In 2024 alone, well over 

100,000 Americans are expected to be 

diagnosed with melanoma. They will join 

more than a million U.S. adults already 

battling the disease. 

This year, certain patients with melanoma 

receiving treatment at Siteman 

Cancer Center will have early access to a 

promising new therapy. 

Siteman is one of the first cancer treatment 

centers nationwide to offer a newly 

approved cell-based immunotherapy that 

targets advanced melanoma. The therapy is 

for patients with metastatic melanoma that 

can’t be treated with surgery and that has 

continued to grow and spread after other 

approved treatments have failed. 

The immunotherapy drug, called lifileucel, 

received accelerated approval from 

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 

in February. To receive this type of fasttracked 

approval, treatments must be 

shown to have likely clinical benefits to 

patients, allowing them to access promising 

treatments quickly, even as further 

clinical trials are underway. 

Lifileucel is the first treatment for cancer 

that uses immune cells called tumor-infiltrating 

lymphocytes, or TILs. The therapy uses 

a patient’s own T cells – which are immune 

cells that have already found and infiltrated 

the tumor – in an attempt to kill the cancer. 

Washington University doctors and 

researchers were involved in clinical trials 

that led to the FDA’s fast-tracked approval. 

They also continue to participate in ongoing 

clinical trials investigating TIL therapy 

for patients with advanced lung and cervical 

cancers 

According to the results of an initial clinical 

trial reported in The Journal for ImmunoTherapy 

of Cancer, melanoma tumors 

shrank at least 30% in about a third of 

patients treated with lifileucel. About half of 

the patients whose tumors responded to the 

therapy experienced a remission of at least 

12 months following a single treatment. 

More than one drink a day 

raises women’s heart risks 

A recent large study suggests that even 

for younger women, averaging more than 

one alcoholic drink per day can significantly 

raise the risk of coronary heart disease. 

Scientists from Kaiser Permanente 

Northern California conducted the analysis 

of more than 430,000 adults between the 

ages of 18 and 65 over a four-year period, 

based on the participants’ self-reported 

average alcohol intake. For women, the 

cutoff line between moderate and heavy 

drinking was seven drinks per week; for 

men, that level was 14 per week. 

They also looked at “binge” drinking 

behavior, defined as three or more drinks 

on one day for women and four for men. 

Although heart disease risk was highest 

among adults who reported binge drinking 

– for both men and women – drinking 

even slightly above average significantly 

increased women’s risk in particular, said 

Jamal Rana, M.D., Ph.D, FACC, a cardiologist 

with the Permanente Medical Group. 

“For women, we find consistently higher 

risk even without binge drinking…I wasn’t 

expecting these results among women in 

this lower age group because we usually 

see increased risk for heart disease among 

older women. It was definitely surprising,” 

Rana said. 

Specifically, women who averaged over 

seven drinks per week had a 29% higher 

risk of heart disease compared with those 

who drank up to that amount; and a 45% 

higher risk compared to women who averaged 

two drinks or less per week. Female 

binge drinkers were 68% more likely to 

A recent analysis found that after several 

years, intermittent fasting for weight 

loss may increase the risk of death from 

cardiovascular causes. (Adobe Stock photo) 

develop heart disease compared with 

women who drank moderately. 

The study is among the largest and most 

comprehensive to date examining the 

links between alcohol and heart disease, 

which has been rising among younger 

Americans in recent years. At the same 

time, alcohol use and binge drinking have 

become more common among women, 

whose bodies process alcohol differently 

than men’s. 

“Women feel they’re protected against 

heart disease until they’re older, but this 

study shows that even when you’re young or 

middle aged, if you are a heavy alcohol user 

or binge drink, you are at risk,” Rana said. 

Long-term intermittent fasting 

could harm the heart 

Time-restricted eating, also called intermittent 

fasting, has become an extremely 

popular weight loss method over the past 

several years. About 10% of Americans 

over 18 have tried intermittent fasting 

for some period of time, according to the 

International Food Information Council. 

The simplicity of this diet method is part 

of its appeal. Intermittent fasting involves 

eating only during a shortened window 

of time each day, forcing the body into 

a quasi-fasting state where it burns more 

fat for fuel. The diet has been found to be 

effective for weight loss in many studies, 

while others have pointed to health benefits 

including lower cholesterol and blood 

pressure, improved insulin sensitivity and 

more. 

But the news about intermittent fasting 

is not all good. A recently published longterm 

analysis of more than 20,000 U.S. 

adults found that those who fasted for 16 

hours or more per day were more likely to 

die of cardiovascular disease than peers 

who ate normally over the course of 12-16 

hours per day. 

Key findings of the analysis, which 

spanned a period of between eight and 17 

years, included: 

• People who followed a pattern of eating 

all of their food across less than 8 hours per 

day had a 91% higher risk of death due to 

cardiovascular disease. 

• Among people with existing cardiovas-





I HEALTH I 23 

cular disease, an eating duration of 8-10 

hours per day was also associated with a 

66% higher risk of death from heart disease 

or stroke. 

• Time-restricted eating did not reduce 

the overall risk of death. 

“We were surprised to find that people 

who followed an 8-hour, time-restricted 

eating schedule were more likely to 

die from cardiovascular disease. Even 

though this type of diet has been popular 

due to its potential short-term benefits, 

our research clearly shows that, compared 

with a typical eating time range 

of 12-16 hours per day, a shorter eating 

duration was not associated with living 

longer,” said senior study author Victor 

Wenze Zhong, Ph.D. 

Zhong noted that, although the study 

noted a long-term relationship between 

intermittent fasting and cardiovascular 

death, this doesn’t mean that timerestricted 

eating was the cause. He said its 

findings should encourage a more cautious, 

personalized approach to dieting. 

Popular flea and tick meds 

dangerous for some cats 

Flea and tick season is already well 

underway … and that means most pet 

owners are treating their dogs and cats 

with one of many topical medications 

used to repel these pests. For cat owners 

in particular, though, a recent announcement 

from Washington State University 

scientists may be of interest. They found 

that cats with a particular genetic mutation 

could become seriously ill or even 

die after receiving certain popular flea and 

tick medications. 

More than half a million cats in the U.S. 

could be at risk of a severe or fatal neurological 

reaction to eprinomectin, the active 

ingredient in top-selling parasite preventatives 

including NexGard COMBO ® and 

Centragard , according to the WSU team. 

These cats have a genetic mutation called 

MDR1, causing them to lack a protective 

mechanism that prevents eprinomectin 

from entering the brain and causing serious 

neurological toxicity. 

“Almost every week we receive reports 

about someone’s pet cat having serious 

reactions to eprinomectin. This is not an 

issue with the drug itself – the problem lies 

in the genes of 1% of cats. That is a sizable 

number considering there are over 60 million 

pet cats in the U.S., and we’re trying 

to increase general awareness of these 

risks,” said Dr. Katrina Mealey, a WSU 

veterinarian and pharmacologist who led 

the research. 

“If this were happening in human patients, 

federal agencies would be issuing regulatory 

actions immediately,” Mealey said. 

Cats having adverse reactions to eprinomectin 

can display many symptoms, 

including loss of coordination, increased 

salivation, tremors, partial paralysis, 

dilated pupils, coma, seizures and death. 

Additionally, some cats in the study were 

unable to retract or use their tongue completely 

for days to weeks after eprinomectin 

application. Since the medications are 

applied topically, these symptoms may not 

appear for up to 12 hours. 

On the calendar 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital offers 

a Helmet Check event on Saturday, May 

4 from 9:30 a.m.-noon at Parkway Early 

Childhood Center, 14605 Clayton Road in 

Ballwin. Children may bring their own helmets 

to this check by a trained professional. 

Please register each child needing a fitting, 

for $10 each. Register for this free event at 

classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Good 

Sleep is a Possible Dream: Steps to 

Sounder Sleep on Thursday, May 9 from 

6:30-8 p.m. at the Desloge Outpatient 

Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive, in 

Classroom 3 of Building A. Attend this 

free class to learn more about sleep, and 

strategies you can use to sleep better. Register 

at slukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

BJC presents a Family and Friends 

CPR virtual course on Wednesday, May 

15 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., live via Teams 

Meeting. This class uses the American 

Heart Association curriculum to teach 

hands-on CPR skills (course does not 

include certification upon completion). 

The cost is $50 for two people. Register 

online by visiting bjc.org/cpr-class. 

• • • 

Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital 

offers a Bariatric Surgery Information 

Session on Monday, May 20 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 available at BJC for patients who 

meet certain criteria. To register, visit 

classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

Be Still to Chill: Basics of Meditation 

is on Wednesday, May 22 from noon-1 p.m. 

at St. Luke’s Hospital’s Desloge Outpatient 

Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive in 

Chesterfield, in Classroom 3 of Building A. 

Attend this free program to learn the basics 

of meditation and many tips to support your 

practice. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

A St. Luke’s Nutrition Class is on Thursday, 

May 23 from 2-3 p.m. at Schnucks Eatwell 

Market, 220 THF Blvd. in Chesterfield. 

A St. Luke’s Hospital dietitian will discuss 

how to find and make healthier choices at 

the grocery store. The registration cost is $5. 

Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

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24 I MATURE FOCUS I 





News & Notes 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Mature Focus 

Our special section featuring issues, 

events, products and services of 

interest to our 50-plus readers. 

COMING AGAIN June 5 

We’re redefining senior living 

with independence at the forefront. 

Senior living at Clarendale of St. Peters is anything but traditional. 

Why? We encourage and celebrate the independence of 

residents instead of focusing solely on their limitations. All are 

welcome to be themselves and make the most out of life. 

Discover an integrated environment between independent 

living and assisted living, where residents share amenities, lifeenriching 

experiences, and many laughs. It’s the perfect balance 

of freedom and support. 

To learn more or schedule a visit, call 636-242-6096 

or visit ClarendaleOfStPeters.com. 

INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE 

10 DuBray Drive | St. Peters, MO 63376 em ClarendaleOfStPetersLIFE@ClarendaleOfStPeters.com 

AI advancing ALS treatment 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), 

also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a 

frightening diagnosis. The fatal motor 

neuron disease, characterized by gradual 

degeneration of nerve cells in the spinal 

cord and brain, remains incurable. 

This May, as the U.S. marks ALS Awareness 

Month, development of a potential new 

weapon in the fight against this devastating 

disease is underway … one that exists 

thanks to artificial intelligence technology. 

A drug candidate currently known as 

FB1006 is being advanced as a potential 

new treatment for ALS. The Chinese 

company leading the drug’s development, 

4B Technologies, has already successfully 

completed patient enrollment in an initial 

clinical trial set to begin in August. 

AI technology was utilized in multiple 

stages of the drug’s discovery and development, 

including target identification, 

patient enrollment and efficacy assessment. 

The use of AI enabled the 4B Technologies 

team to significantly shorten the patient 

screening process and complete enrollment 

in less than one year, as well as maximize 

the use of the clinical data. Analysis of the 

trial’s results is expected in February of 

2025. 

Missed opportunities 

to save lives 

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) 

can be life-savers when someone has an outof-hospital 

cardiac arrest … an emergency 

which happens more than 1,000 times every 

day in the U.S. on average, and is fatal in 

about 90% of cases. When used together 

with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, however, 

an AED – which analyzes the heart’s 

rhythm and delivers electric shock if necessary 

– greatly increases the odds of survival. 

While AEDs are often located nearby 

when cardiac arrests happen, they are very 

seldom used, say University of Missouri – 

Kansas City researchers. And this may be 

because people don’t know where the nearest 

one is located. 

Their recent study analyzed data from 

about 1,800 cardiac arrests that occurred 

either in homes or public places around 

Kansas City from 2019-2022. Despite the 

fact that many of these out-of-hospital cardiac 

arrests occurred within a four-minute 

walk of a public AED, the devices were 

used in only 13 of the cases, or less than 1%. 

AED devices are often available close by 

when someone has an out-of-hospital 

cardiac arrest, but they’re almost never 

used – an outcome that can and should 

be changed, say University of Missouri – 

Kansas City researchers. (Adobe Stock photo) 

“Public AED availability is critical for 

people to be able to use them in the appropriate 

time and fashion. However, people 

need to know it’s there to be able to use it. 

It’s not sufficient just to have them in the 

right places,” said Mirza S. Khan, M.D., a 

physician and medical informatician at the 

university and the study’s lead author. 

The analysis found that a large majority 

(about 85%) of cardiac arrests occurred at 

home. While someone in the home administered 

CPR in 42% of these cases, an AED 

was never used. Researchers calculated 

that nearly one-quarter of at-home cardiac 

arrests occurred within a four-minute walk 

of a public AED. 

Among the remaining 15% of cardiac 

arrests that occurred in public places, a 

bystander administered CPR in about 40% 

of cases as well, using an AED in only 

7%. Nearly half of these cardiac arrests 

occurred within a four-minute walk of 

an AED. Even in the “optimal” scenario 

where someone administered CPR and an 

AED was accessible nearby, the devices 

were used only about a quarter of the time. 

According to Khan, the study’s findings 

should speed efforts to improve signage 

around AEDs, provide apps or mapping 

tools to help people locate them, and 

increase education and awareness about 

these life-saving devices. 

Better news about eggs 

Eggs are a perennial breakfast favorite, 

but concerns that they may raise cholesterol 

levels and threaten heart health cause 

many older adults to leave eggs off their 

morning menus. 

But results from a recent trial conducted 

at the Duke Clinical Research Institute 

offer better news for egg lovers. They 

showed that, after a four-month period, 

cholesterol levels were similar among participants 

who ate fortified eggs most days





I MATURE FOCUS I 25 

of the week compared to those who ate 

none or very few. 

While all eggs are a good source of 

protein and dietary cholesterol, this trial 

focused on fortified eggs, which contain 

less saturated fat than regular eggs and 

provide added vitamins and minerals. Popular 

fortified egg brands include Eggland’s 

Best, Organic Valley and Vital Farms along 

with many individual store brands. 

The trial’s goal was to measure the impact 

of eating eggs on both the HDL and LDL 

cholesterol levels of 140 patients over age 50. 

All had either been diagnosed with cardiovascular 

disease or were at high risk for heart 

issues. Some participants were randomly 

assigned to eat 12 or more fortified eggs a 

week, cooked however they chose, during the 

trial period; those in the “control” group ate 

two eggs or less (fortified or not) per week. 

Contrary to popular belief, eating fortified 

eggs on a daily basis doesn’t raise 

cholesterol levels or heart risk, a recent 

study found. 

(Adobe Stock photo) 

After four months, blood tests actually 

showed very slight decreases in both HDL 

“good” cholesterol and LDL “bad” cholesterol 

in those who ate a dozen eggs per 

week. While these decreases weren’t statistically 

significant, the researchers said their 

results suggest that eating 12 fortified eggs 

each week has no adverse effect on blood 

cholesterol. 

“…There’s been a lot of conflicting 

information about whether or not eggs are 

safe to eat, especially for people who have 

or are at risk for heart disease,” said Nina 

Nouhravesh, M.D., the study’s lead author. 

“This is a small study, but it gives us reassurance 

that eating fortified eggs is OK with 

regard to lipid effects over four months, 

even among a more high-risk population.” 

Nouhravesh added that one factor behind 

eggs’ bad reputation could be the less hearthealthy 

foods people are eating along with 

them – such as buttered toast and bacon. 

She said it’s a good idea for people with 

heart disease to talk with their doctors about 

the components of a heart-healthy diet. 

Hit by a boomerang 

As Americans over age 55 cruise toward 

retirement, millions are running into an 

unexpected financial roadblock: their adult 

children moving back into the family home. 

According to a 2023 Harris Poll, about 45% 

of young adults between the ages of 18 and 

29 now live with their parents, the highest 

percentage recorded since the 1940s. 

Known as the “boomerang” generation, 

these young adults find themselves facing 

extraordinarily high housing and living 

costs, a crushing amount of student debt, 

and not enough income to cover it all. As a 

result, they’re forced to move back in with 

mom and dad. 

In many cases, these boomerang kids 

are also forcing their parents to tap into 

retirement savings to support them financially. 

A survey conducted by the personal 

finance company Bankrate last year found 

that just over two-thirds of parents have 

made or are currently making financial 

sacrifices to help their adult children. 

Nearly 20% said they have used retirement 

savings to do so. 

Even when parents of boomerang kids 

are able to keep their retirement savings 

intact, many are staying in the workforce 

longer than they intended to help 

them pay for these unplanned expenses. 

A 2023 report from the National Bureau 

of Economic Research stated that while 

a “boomerang event” doesn’t generally 

impact parents’ long-term wealth, it does 

increase their probability of continuing 

to work full-time after age 65, especially 

for men. 

Luckily for parents, though, the data 

also shows that most of these return visits 

are temporary, allowing boomerang kids 

to get back on their feet and get ahead 

financially. For example, more than a 

quarter of boomerang kids who participated 

in Thrivent Financial’s second 

annual Boomerang Kids Survey, also conducted 

in 2023, said they are living with 

mom and dad in order to save money for 

their own home purchase. 

Interestingly, parents may also be contributing 

to a disconnect between themselves 

and their boomerang offspring by 

failing to communicate with them about 

money. More than three-fourths of parents 

participating in the Thrivent survey said 

they didn’t discuss money management or 

set financial expectations with their adult 

children … and 92% had not set a timeline 

for them to move back out. 

On the calendar 

St. Louis Oasis offers an 11-session Exer- 

Start course on Mondays and Thursdays, 

May 6- June 13, from 9-9:45 a.m. at the 

Chesterfield Community Center, 237 Chesterfield 

Mall (second floor inside the mall, 

next to Macy’s). ExerStart is a low-intensity 

exercise class that can help you add more 

activity to your life. The course fee is $66. 

Register at st-louis.oasiseverywhere.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital offers an Empowered 

Caregiver Series designed to help 

families living with dementia, beginning 

on Tuesday, May 7 from 6-7 p.m. 

presented online via Zoom. The threepart 

series will also include sessions on 

May 14 and May 21. In partnership with 

the Alzheimer’s Association, St. Luke’s 

experts will discuss how caregivers can 

navigate the responsibilities of caring for 

someone with dementia while also caring 

for their own well-being. This free class is 

intended for family and friends caring for a 

loved with memory loss; it is not appropriate 

for people living with memory loss or 

paid professionals or caregivers. Register 

at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

Join St. Louis Oasis for a group bicycle 

ride, the Chesterfield to Weldon Spring 

Interpretive Center Ride, on Friday, May 

10 beginning at 9:30 a.m. The ride will 

begin on the Monarch Levee Trail from 

the Chesterfield Athletic Center across the 

Missouri Greenway to the Katy Trail and 

Busch Greenway. The group will also visit 

the Weldon Sprint Site Interpretive Center. 

The length of the ride is approximately 18 

miles; there is no cost to participate. Register 

and find more information at st-louis. 

oasiseverywhere.org. 

• • • 

Senior Resource Expo and Health 

Fair hosted by Guide4SeniorLiving.com 

on Tuesday, May 14 from 9 a.m.-noon at 

the VFW Post #2866, 66 VFW Lane in 

St. Charles. Join us for a day of fun and 

discover senior resources in the community. 

Food, giveaways and raffles will be 

offered at this free event. The first 150 

people receive a free bag. For more info 

and vendor registration go to www.guide- 

4seniorliving.com/events/senior-resourceexpo-and-health-fair/ 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Coffee and 

Conversations on Wednesday, May 15 

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

Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive, in 

Building A, Conference Room 3. Join us 

monthly for a cup of joe and a conversation 

with St. Luke’s health professionals about 

health and wellness topics. This month’s 

topic is Happy Feet; join a board-certified 

podiatrist to learn more about taking care 

of your feet throughout your life. The program 

is free. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital offers 

Today’s Grandparents classes on Thursday, 

May 23 and Wednesday, June 5 from 

6-8:30 p.m. at the Missouri Baptist Medical 

Center Clinical Learning Institute, 3005 

N. Ballas Road. The course fee is $20 per 

person (each person attending must register 

separately). Registration is available 

online at classes-events.bjc.org. 

What keeps you 

up at night? 

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registered nurses 

assist you with 

solving your healthcare 

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info@yourelderlawyers.com • yourelderlawyers.com


26 I BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE 

Tips for setting and paying children’s allowances from Neighbors Credit Union 

A well-structured allowance 

can teach children and teens 

valuable money-management 

and decision-making skills, as 

well as the trade-offs for the 

decisions they make. An allowance 

also provides autonomy 

to children and teens – encouraging 

financial independence, 

rather than relying on parents or 

guardians for money. 

There are three types of 

allowance: 

• Fixed or unconditional 

allowance is a set amount at a 

set interval given regardless 

of circumstances (i.e.: $10 per week). 

The benefit of this allowance approach 

is that it provides children with a set 

amount of money, making it easier 

for them to budget and learn financial 

skills. Plus, it separates the allowance 

money from chores, teaching children 

that chores and responsibilities are just 

a part of life (and do not always come 

with financial rewards). 

• Rewards-based allowance rewards 

children for completing household 

chores such as cleaning the kitchen 

or walking the dog or achieving other 

objectives (earning a B+ average, for 

instance). The benefits of this approach can 

help teach children the importance of work 

ethic and the consequences of neglecting 

responsibilities. 

• Hybrid allowance combines aspects of 

a fixed and a rewards-based allowance. 

When should you begin giving an 

allowance? A general recommendation is 

to begin giving an allowance between the 

ages of 4 and 6. Of course, the right time 

to give an allowance is when the child 

is ready, as children develop at different 

rates, especially if they have siblings. It’s 

wise to start giving an allowance as soon 

as the child can grasp financial concepts, 

like counting. 

NEW LOCATION NOW OPEN! 

Is there an “ideal” allowance 

amount? A commonly used rule of 

thumb is giving children $1 to $2 

per week for each year of their age. 

An allowance should be enough 

that it is meaningful and useful but 

not so much that the child has more 

than needed. The amount will vary 

based on several factors, including 

the child/teen’s age, financial 

literacy level, what expenses the 

child/teen has and what their parents/guardians 

do not cover and 

the parents/guardians’ goals for 

providing an allowance. 

Allowance tips: 

• Set the amount and frequency upfront: 

Let your child/teen know how much you’ll 

give in allowance and when and be prepared 

to stick to that schedule. 

• Establish how (if anything) they will 

be expected to spend their money. While 

kids will learn the most by being able to 

decide how to spend their money, you’ll 

also likely still want to put some ground 

rules or expectations in place. 

• Consider digital options for teens with 

cell phones. Transferring their allowance 

to their account will get your teens used to 

checking their balance and managing their 

money digitally – a skill they’ll need as we 

(photo provided) 



become an increasingly cashless society, 

introducing new methods of sending and 

receiving money. When you pay an allowance 

digitally, you can set it up to happen 

automatically, so you never have to worry 

about remembering to make the transaction. 

• Allow your children to make mistakes 

with their money. Resist the urge to 

sweep in and “fix the mistake” by giving 

them extra money. When this occurs, talk 

through the decision, the consequences and 

ways to avoid this from happening again. 

• • • 

The Neighbors Credit Union SMART 

Program is designed to give young savers 

a great financial foundation at every stage 

of growing up through age 22. Visit neighborscu.org 

or call 314-892-5400 for complete 

details. Federally insured by NCUA. 

Neighbors Credit Union serves all those 

who live or work in St. Louis City, St. 

Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson 

County (MO) and Madison County, 

Monroe County and St. Clair County (IL). 

Neighbors Credit Union 

4745 Mexico Road • St. Peters 

314-892-5400 • Neighborscu.org 

Welcoming new patients 

• State-of-the-art office 

• Locally owned and operated 

• Relationship-focused dentistry 

• Don’t have dental insurance? 

Ask about our Dental Savings Plan. 

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The Pink Willow Café celebrates its grand opening with members of 

the Cottleville-Weldon Spring Chamber of Commerce. (Source: CWSCC) 

BUSINESS 

BRIEFS 

PEOPLE 

Heather McDorman, vice president 

for marketing, professional development 

and community relations 

(ret.) at St. Charles 

Community College, has 

received the D. Richard 

Petrizzo Award for Career 

Achievement from the 

National Council for 

Marketing & Public 

Relations (NCMPR). The 

Petrizzo Award honors a professional for 

career accomplishments in community college 

marketing and public relations. 

• • • 

Hi-Pointe Drive-In and Taco Buddha 

have joined forces as Gastronauts Food 

Group. The collaboration aims to build 

sustainable growth, streamline operations, 

and develop collaborative marketing 

while maintaining each brand’s character. 

Ben Hillman, operating partner of Lewis 

& Clark Capital, will serve as president 

of Gastronauts Food Group. Kurt Eller, 

founder and partner of Taco Buddha, and 

Mike Johnson, Hi-Pointe Drive-In chef 

and partner, will represent their respective 

brands within the new group. Johnson also 

will remain a partner and owner of Sugarfire 

Restaurant Group. 

PLACES 

McDorman 

The Salted Lime, a fast-casual Mexican 

restaurant has opened at Ameristar Casino 

Resort Spa St. Charles. Hours of operation 

are 5-9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. 

• • • 

The Pink Willow Café, owned by Terry 

and Allison Tonsing, opened at 5523 Oak 

St. in Cottleville. On April 17, members of 

the Cottleville-Weldon Spring Chamber of 

Commerce, elected officials and community 

leaders celebrated the new restaurant with a 

ribbon-cutting. The restaurant offers a breakfast, 

brunch and lunch menu, plus custom 

salads and sandwiches along with specialty 

teas, coffees and hand-crafted drinks. 

• • • 

Spectrum has announced the launch of 

Spectrum internet, mobile, TV and voice 

services to more than 1,500 homes and 

small businesses near the communities of 

Augusta, Defiance, Foristell, New Melle, 

Schluersburg and Wentzville. The buildout 

of the fiber-optic network was partly 

offset by $1.2 billion in the Federal Communications 

Commission funds. 

• • • 

The O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce 

& Industries joined WingHaven Country 

Club for a ribbon cutting celebrating the 

opening of Jack’s 18, a reception area that 

can accommodate up to 100 people for 

larger meetings or events. 

• • • 

DuMá Nail Studio is now open at 513 

Salt Lick Road in St. Peters. The studio 

offers offering current nail trends including 

more than 500 colors in matching gel, 

dip and regular lacquer as well as signature 

manicures and pedicures, Gel-X, dipping 

and character nail art. Appointments preferred 

at (636) 281-8272. 

EVENTS 

The St. Charles Regional Chamber 

of Commerce has named its 2024 Small 

Business of the Year Finalists: Exit 11 

Coffee, Fierce Creative Agency and Cozy 

Shop. For nearly 50 years, the chamber has 

celebrated National Small Business Month 

with an annual luncheon and award presentation. 

This year’s event is scheduled 

for Wednesday, May 15 at the St. Charles 

Convention Center. To learn more and register, 

visit stcharlesregionalchamber.com. 



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I BUSINESS I 27 

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28 I EVENTS I 

BE INFORMED, MEET ELECTED OFFICIALS 

May 3 | Peter Pfeifer, US Representative 

District 2 candidate 

May 10 | Michelle McBride, St. Charles County 

Collector of Revenue - Seniors Real Estate 

Property Tax Relief Program 

May 17 I Judge Matthew Thornhill, 

Circuit Judge Div. 4 candidate 

May 24 I NO MEETING 

May 31 I David Wasinger, Lt. Gov. candidate 

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LOCAL 

EVENTS 

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 

Ann Croghan - Light & Color II Art 

Exhibition is on display through Saturday, 

May 18 in the East Gallery at the 

Foundry Art Centre, 20 N. Main Center in 

St. Charles. For details, visit foundryartcentre.org. 

• • • 

St. Charles County Youth Orchestra 

Summer Concert is at 2 p.m. on Saturday, 

May 18 at Grace Baptist Church, 3601 

Ehlmann Road in St. Charles. Hear a selection 

of classical favorites from three youth 

ensembles. Tickets are $9 for adults and $5 

for children. Tickets are available at sccyotickets.org 

or at the door. To audition for 

the 2024-2025 season contact sccyomusic@gmail.com. 

 

• • • 

History in Harmony is from 1-4 p.m. 

on Sundays, May 19 and 26 and June 23 

and 30 on South Main Street in St. Charles. 

For details, visit discoverstcharles.com. 

• • • 

Self Portrait Art Exhibition is through 

Tuesday, May 28 at the Crossroads Arts 

Council, 310 West Pearce in Wentzville. 

Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For 

details, visit crossroadsartscouncil.org. 

• • • 

Calls for Art - The Color of Water 

Exhibition is from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, 

June 2 at Crossroads Arts Council, 310 

West Pearce in Wentzville. Artists will give 

an interesting view of any subject that has 

a relationship with water. Artist drop-off 

date is May 29 and the pick-up date is June 

25. Gallery hours are from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., 

Thursday-Sunday. Apply online at crossroadsartscouncil.org. 

• • • 

First Fridays are from 5-8 p.m. on the 

first Friday of every month at the Foundry 

Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center in St. 

Charles. Visitors can spend time in the galleries, 

meet resident studio artists, engage 

with the community and enjoy a wide array 

of art programming, entertainment and 

special events. There will be free activities 

and paid workshops hosted by local business 

owners. For details, visit foundryartcentre.org/first-fridays. 

• • • 

Hit the Bricks History Tours are on 

most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 

230 S. Main St. in St. Charles. Join history 

tour guides as they “Hit the Bricks” 

through St. Charles’ 25-plus years of history. 

Tours are $7 per person. Children 

under 10 are free. To book a tour, visit 

discoverstcharles.com/things-to-do/mainstreet/hit-the-bricks. 

• • • 

St. Charles Riverwalk Market is from 

7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday mornings 

through November 30 at the Foundry Art 

Centre Parking Lot, 520 N. Main Center in St. 

Charles, featuring fresh produce and crafts 

from local vendors, live music and more. For 

details, visit stcharlescitymo.gov/1132/The- 

St-Charles-Riverwalk-Market. 

• • • 

St. Charles Flea and Artisan Market 

is from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on the second Saturday 

of every month through December 

at Saint Charles City Hall (Upper Level 

of City Hall Parking Garage), 200 N. 

Second St. in St. Charles. For details, visit 

stcharlesflea.com. 

BENEFITS 

Rock n’ Roll Bingo is from 6-10 p.m. 

on Saturday, May 4 at the Boys and Girls 

Club of St. Charles, 1211 Lindenwood 

Ave. Round prizes, raffle items and a silent 

auction are featured. Admission includes 

water, soda and snacks. $25 per person. 

Benefits Seven More Cats Rescue and 

Shelter Friends, Inc. For tickets, call (314) 

750-7979. 

• • • 

Canines & Cars is from 6:30-9:30 

p.m. on Saturday, May 4 at Fast Lane 

Classic Cars, 427 Little Hills Industrial 

Blvd. in St. Charles. Check out some 

classic cars in the Fast Lane showroom, 

visit with adoptable pets, enjoy delicious 

food and drinks and bid on silent auction 

items. All proceeds will benefit the City 

of Saint Charles Animal Shelter. Tickets 

are available for $50 each and include 

food, wine, beer and soft drinks. A cash 

bar will be available. To purchase tickets, 

visit stcharlescitymo.gov/1176/Canines- 

Cars. 

• • • 

St. Louis LDA Scholarship Golf Tournament 

is from 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 

on Thursday, May 9 at Missouri Bluffs 

Golf Club, 18 Research Park Circle in St. 

Charles. Cost is $125 per player. Register 

at ldastl.org/golf-classic or call (314) 966- 

3088. 

• • • 

A Blood Drive is from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 

p.m. on Sunday, June 2 at Sts. Joachim & 

Ann Church School, 4112 McClay Road in 

St. Peters. Snacks & drinks provided. To 

register, call ImpactLife at (800) 747-5401. 

• • • 

St. Charles Optimist Club Golf Tournament 

is at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, June 

3 at the St. Peters Golf Club, 200 Salt 

Lick Road in St. Peters. Shotgun start is 

at 7:30 a.m. The four-person scramble is 



$500 per team, an individual is $125 each 

and includes the green fee, cart, breakfast, 

lunch and refreshments. The entry fee 

includes a Mulligan. Player reservations 

must be received by May 30. For details, 

call (314) 393-0706. 

CONCERTS/FESTIVALS 

Twilight Market is from 3-7 p.m. on the 

second Saturday of every month through 

November at 301 Main Street in St. Peters, 

featuring artists, makers, vendors, musicians, 

food and drink. Free event. For 

details, visit stpetersmo.net. 

• • • 

Fiesta in the Park is at 6 p.m. on 

Friday, May 3 in O’Day Park in O’Fallon. 

Mexican cuisine and a mariachi band are 

featured. Tickets start at $40 and are available 

at celebrationoflights.ticketspice.com/ 

fiesta. 

• • • 

Augusta Plein Air Art Festival is 

through May 4 in various locations 

throughout Defiance, New Melle and 

Augusta. The public is invited to observe 

art “paint-out” events of over 100 artists 

scattered through local wineries, historic 

sites and surrounding towns. Completed 

art will be on display and available for sale 

at the Augusta Harmonie-Verein Hall and 

on location at each event. For details visit 

augustapleinair.com. 

• • • 

The St. Louis Scottish Games are on 

Saturday, May 11 in Schroeder Park, 359 

Old Meramec Station Road in Manchester. 

Activities begin at 9 a.m. with the final 

Mudmen concert continuing into the evening. 

Tickets are $25 for adults over age 

18 and $10 for youth ages 13-17. Children 

age 12 and younger are free. For details on 

parking, shuttles, event times and tickets, 

visit stlouis-scottishgames.com, 

• • • 

A Food Truck Event is from 5-8 p.m. on 

Tuesday, May 14 at Blanchette Park, 1900 

W Randolph St. in St. Charles. Enjoy live 

entertainment and local food truck vendors. 

Some trucks may be cash only. Bring lawn 

chairs or blankets. No alcoholic beverages 

or glass during food truck events; no pets, 

except service animals. For details, visit 

discoverstcharles.com/event/food-truckevent. 

• • • 

Dardenne Prairie Summer Concerts are 

from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Fridays beginning 

May 17 at City Hall Park, 2032 Hanley 

Road. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. 

Concessions will be available for purchase. 

May 17 - Butch Wax and the Hollywoods. 

June 21 - Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band. 

July 19 - Trixie Delight. Aug. 16 - Dr. 

Zhivegas. For details, visit dardenneprairie. 

org/parks_and_recreation/events.





I EVENTS I 29 

• • • 

St. Peters’ Sunset Concert featuring 

Zydeco Crawdaddys is from 6:30-8:30 

p.m. on Friday, May 17 at 370 Lakeside 

Park. For a full concert schedule, visit stpetersmo.net/sunset. 

• • • 

Paint the Town: A Frenchtown 

Street Mural Art Festival is from 11 

a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, and 

from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 19 

on Second Street in Historic Frenchtown 

in St. Charles. Artists will paint designs 

directly onto the pavement on intersections 

in Frenchtown. This event will also 

feature vendors, crafts, music and more. 

Applications are open for artists interested 

in participating. For details, visit 

stcharlescitymo.gov. 

• • • 

Midwest Maifest is from 2-6 p.m. on 

Sunday, May 19 at the New Town Amphitheater 

in St. Charles. German entertainment, 

food, craft vendors and product 

samples are featured. Admission is free; 

a wristband for ages 21-plus is needed 

for tastings and souvenir cup. Food truck 

purchases are an additional cost. Details at 

midwestmaifest.org. 

• • • 

O’Fallon Jammin’ Concert Series is 

from 6:30-9 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning 

May 28 at the Civic Park Bandstand, 403 

Civic Park Drive in O’Fallon. Admission 

is free. Food trucks and concessions are 

available. Bring seating. For concert calendar, 

visit ofallon.mo.us/jammin. 

• • • 

Hot Summer Nights is from 6-10 p.m. 

on the second Saturday of the month from 

June through September on Second Street 

between Morgan Street and Decatur Street 

in Frenchtown. Food trucks, local breweries 

and live music. Food service begins at 

6 p.m. and live music starts at 7 p.m. For 

details, visit stcharlescitymo.gov. 

• • • 

Food Truck Frenzy is from 5:30-8:30 

p.m. on Friday, June 7 at Sports Park, 3589 

Hwy. K in O’Fallon, featuring a variety 

of popular local food trucks in a familyfriendly 

park setting. Bring a blanket or 

chair. Enjoy music from the DJ, dancing or 

bouncing on the inflatable obstacle course. 

Admission and parking are free. For details, 

visit ofallon.mo.us/foodtruck-frenzy. 

• • • 

A Food Truck Event is from 5-8 p.m. on 

Tuesday, June 11 at Frontier Park, 500 S. 

Riverside Drive in St. Charles. Enjoy live 

entertainment and local food truck vendors. 

Some trucks may be cash only. Bring lawn 

chairs or blankets. No alcoholic beverages 

or glass during food truck events. Do not 

bring pets, except service animals. For 

details, visit discoverstcharles.com/event/ 

food-truck-event. 

• • • 

St. Peters’ Sunset Saturday is at 4:30 

p.m. on Saturday, June 22 at 370 Lakeside 

Park in St. Peters, featuring Butch Wax 

& The Hollywoods, The Charles Glenn 

Group and fireworks. For details, visit 

stpetersmo.net/sunset. 

FAMILY & KIDS 

Kids Clay Workshop - Planters with 

Personality is from 11 a.m.-noon on Saturday, 

May 4 at The Foundry Art Centre, 520 

N. Main in St. Charles. Cost is $40, supplies 

included. For ages 5-12. For details, 

visit foundryartcentre.org/kids-classes. 

• • • 

Jr. Picasso’s Lines and Shapes Workshop 

is from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, May 

20 at the Renaud Center, 2650 Tri Sports 

Circle in O’Fallon. Participants will 

utilize the element of line and color to 

develop fantastical cityscapes. For ages 

6-13. Cost is $39 for residents; $44 for 

non-residents. Register at ofallon.mo.us/ 

parks&rec. 

• • • 

Ollie’s Sensory Trail opens at 3 p.m. on 

Thursday, May 23 at City Centre Park, 1 

St. Peters Centre Blvd. Be the first to experience 

the new, inclusive and accessible 

park and the one-of-a-kind nature route 

that will encourage and nurture growth 

for all minds and bodies. For details, visit 

stpetersmo.net/641/Sensory-Trail-at-City- 

Centre-Park. 

SPECIAL INTEREST 

The Dardenne Prairie Knights of Columbus 

Horseraces are at 6 p.m. on Saturday, 

May 4 at 2199 Post Road. Tickets are $20 

and include beer, set-ups and snacks. Wear 

a derby hat for a chance to win a prize. For 

tickets, call (636) 497-5480. 

• • • 

Community Garden Plots (10 by 12 

feet) are available for free at Holy Cross 

Lutheran Church, 8945 Veterans Memorial 

Parkway, across from Zumwalt Park in 

O’Fallon. For details, call (636) 578-1766 

or email daschlesselman@gmail.com. 

• • • 

The Rock Stars Triathlon is at 7 a.m. 

(swim warm up at 6:15 a.m.) on Sunday, 

May 5 at the St. Peters Rec-Plex, 5200 

Mexico Road. Swim 400 meters, bike 13.5 

miles and run 3.1 miles. New this year is 

a longer course with a 500-meter swim, a 

19.7-mile bike ride and a 5-mile run. Fees 

start at $75. Register at stpetersmo.net, 

search “triathlon.” 

• • • 

Black Cat Coffee Cafe Pop-Up is from 

9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at Messiah 

Lutheran Church, 5911 S Hwy. 94 in 

Weldon Spring. Support young workers 

with disabilities so they can gain valuable 

vocational experience. Enjoy complimentary 

coffee, tea, juice and breakfast foods. 

This is a tips-only event. Open to the public. 

For details, visit vitotracy@sbcglobal.net. 

• • • 

A Police Department Open House is 

from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at 

the St. Charles County Police Department, 

101 Sheriff Dierker Court in O’Fallon, featuring 

SWAT vehicle displays, the Bomb 

Unit, Metro Air Unit, CSI, Crime Lab, the 

Drone Unit, K9 demonstrations, Emergency 

Dispatch, refreshments, giveaways 

and more. For details, search “St. Charles 

County Police” on Facebook. 

• • • 

No Fuss Mother’s Day for Single 

Moms & Kids is from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, 

May 12 at 80-Twenty United Methodist 

Church, 2528 Hwy. K Suite 204 in 

O’Fallon. Bring the kids and get pampered. 

Drawings for door prizes. Free event. For 

details, visit 80TwentyChurch.org. 

• • • 

The 2024 Plant America Garden Expo, 

a free, family-friendly event, is from 10 

a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at the 

Weldon Springs Interpretive Center, 7295 

Hwy. 94 in St. Charles. 

• • • 

Whiskers & Wags Pet Adoption Drive 

is at 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday, May 19 

at Civic Park, 308 Civic Park Drive in 

O’Fallon. Adopt a new best friend from 

local agencies, pet product vendor booths, 

activities, food and more. Free event. For 

details, visit ofallon.mo.us/whiskers. 

• • • 

Historic Heald Home and Zumwalt’s 

Fort Tours are open from noon-3 p.m. 

on the second and fourth Sunday of each 

month beginning on May 26 and continuing 

through September 29 at Fort Zumwalt 

Park, 1000 Jessup Drive West in O’Fallon. 

Admission is $5 per person to see both 

attractions; children 10 and under are free. 

For private and group tours of 10 or more, 

call (636) 379-5574. For details, visit ofallon.mo.us/parks&rec. 

• • • 

Coca-Cola Collectors Swap Meet is 

from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, June 1 at 

Memorial Hall in Blanchette Park, (American 

Legion and VFW Rooms) 1900 West 

Randolph Street in St. Charles. Buy, sell 

or trade Coca-Cola items, old or new. For 

details about the show or getting a table, 

call (636) 544-4518. The deadline to 

reserve a table is May 25. 

• • • 

World Bird Sanctuary is at 6 p.m. 

on Thursday, June 13 at the City Hall 

Park Amphitheater, 2032 Hanley Road 

in Dardenne Prairie. Free event. Rain or 

shine. No pets are permitted. 

Got events? Want publicity? 

Send all the pertinent details to 

events@newsmagazinenetwork.com. 

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. 

Erio’s 

Ristorante 

Since 1971 

Fresh Fish Daily • Certified Angus Beef 

Veal • Pasta • Hand-tossed Pizza 

951 Jungermann Rd • St. Peters 

928-0112 

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! 

FRES

30 I 





TUCKER, from page 21 

and accidentally tipped it to the other team. 

The team missed a layup and Tucker got the 

rebound. 

“I dribbled all the way down the court for a 

layup of my own. I went up and when I came 

down, I heard the immediate ‘pop,’” Tucker 

said. “I knew from the second that it popped 

what happened because I’ve heard about it 

and seen it with so many people. 

“So, when it came to basketball and soccer 

I sat on the sidelines and was a part of the two 

programs in that way,” Tucker said. “Since 

track is a noncontact sport, I prioritized that 

come spring of my freshman year. Last year, 

was my first full year of sports.” 

The rehab for her knee is something she 

won’t forget. 

“Rehab was tough to say the least, longest 

nine months of my life,” Tucker said. “What 

most people don’t know is that one of the 

hardest parts in recovery is the mental part of 

it. Being away from something and not being 

able to do what you love is super hard. But 

for me it gave me the motivation to do what 

I needed to do to get back to where I was. I 

was so thankful that I had an amazing physical 

therapist, Brian Manning over at Excel 

Sports in O’Fallon.” 

She does have one sport she favors. 

“My favorite of the three is soccer. I have 

been playing it for as long as I can remember,” 

Tucker said. “I’ve always had a strong 

passion for it and want to continue that in 

college.” 

While she enjoys scoring the goals, Tucker 

points out she doesn’t score alone. She gets 

help and she spreads around the credit. 

“My teammates are the reason I have been 

scoring so much this season,” Tucker said. 

“They are always trying their best to get 

someone the ball to score. We work hard for 

one another and put others before us.” 

Abert agreed. 

“I think one thing is the teammates that 

surround her. They work super hard to give 

Gabby and other teammates the chances,” 

Abert said. “Gabby works off the ball very 

well and gets herself into good spots and situations. 

She is able to take someone on one on 

one, finish breakaways, and finish off a great 

pass or cross.” 

Add it all together, and Tucker said she is 

fortunate for everything that she is able to 

experience. 

“I am so thankful for the opportunities 

that Timberland has brought me. I love the 

coaches that have always believed in me 

and given me the best experiences,’ Tucker 

said. “My favorite part about Timberland 

will always be the relationships that I make 

from sports. Those relationships will be with 

me for a lifetime. The bus rides, before practice 

goofing around, pre-game hype sessions 

and most importantly the laughs and giggles. 

Those girls are some of my best friends, and 

I wouldn’t trade any of them for the world.” 

Abert believes the best is yet to come for 

Tucker. 

“I think the future is very bright for her, 

both athletically and in general,” Abert said. 

“Her work ethic and drive will take her far, 

and I know whatever she pursues she will 

give 100%. The one thing I love about 

coaching (is) getting to watch these players 

grow over the years here both at school and 

in sports. 

“Seeing the person they grow into and obviously 

how they grow within our team. She is 

a fun player to watch and I am excited to see 

what she does. She is a great student, leader, 

and representative of Timberland. Such a 

bright future for this young lady.” 

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MID RIVERS 

H O M E P A G E S



LOCAL FAMILY, from page 13 



I 31 

fans of Jessica, who is working on her 

associate’s degree in nursing at St. Charles 

Community College. When she graduates 

next year, she’ll become the third nurse in 

the family. 

“My great-grandmother was an LPN,” 

Sharla explained. That’s where it all 

started. “I have her little ‘Taber’s (medical) 

Dictionary,’ and it is so valuable to me.” 

While Sharla knew from age 18 that she 

wanted to pursue nursing, Jessica took a 

more circuitous route. 

“I’ve been all around healthcare over 

the past eight or nine years,” Jessica said. 

“I was a medical assistant. I was a PCT 

at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield. I 

was a traveling phlebotomist. Then, right 

around COVID, my mom was telling me 

about Progress West and how they had 

an opening in the ER and that it might 

be a good stepping stone to becoming a 

nurse.” 

Jessica enrolled at St. Charles Community 

College, applied at Progress West and 

the rest is history. 

“I absolutely love it. I’m spoiled now,” 

she said. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to 

work for another hospital system or even 

another department. I love the ER so much. 

“I do everything except administer medication. 

Everything a nurse needs help with 

Paula Allen and her husband, William, show off their family, including Sharla and Jessica Emery. 

can be delegated to me, and I’ll do what 

I can to keep it running smoothly. If a 

patient pushes a call button, I come running 

and do whatever I can to make them 

feel better.” 

She suspects another generation of 

healthcare providers could be waiting in 

the wings. 

“My 10-year-old daughter says she wants 

to become a veterinarian, which I love. I 

think I said the same thing at her age 

because I wanted to care for something but 

I wasn’t sure it was humans. Then as I got 

older, with the influence and help of my 

mom and my grandma, I was like ‘Wow, I 

love people!’” Jessica exclaimed. “I want 

to make people feel good. I want to make 

them smile.’” 

Like mother, like daughter – and, as 

Mother’s Day approaches, Jessica and 

Sharla were quick to share the secret of 

their success. 

“All of the women in the family are 

extraordinary,” Jessica said. “But in terms 

(Family photo) 

of grandma and mom, I would not be who 

I am, or where I am, or anything close to 

successful if I did not have them in my 

life.” 

Sharla also gave credit to her dad. 

“We’re 100% grounded in family,” she 

said. “My mother and father have been 

married for 56 years and every day they 

demonstrate to us what family looks 

like.” 

That sense of family, Sharla said, extends 

to the community they serve. 

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Best Landscaping Values in Town! 

-Mizzou Crew- 

Mulch, Shrub Trimming, 

Yard Cleanups, Power Washing, 

Moles, Small Walls & Paver Patios. 

Hauling Services, Demolition, 

Handyman Services 

& Rough Carpentry 

Call/Text Jeff 

314-520-5222 

or www.MizzouCrew.com 

-General Landscaping & Repair- 

Planting of shrubs, mulch, 

topsoil, fertilizing, grub control, 

and stone walls repaired 

& installed. 

Specializing in Water Issue 

Erosion Control. 

Call or Text 

636-358-8800 

PAINTING 

DEFINO’S 

PAINTING SERVICES 

EST. 2006 

Interior & Exterior Painting 

Deck Staining 

- Insured & Free Estimates - 

definospainting.com 

314-707-3094 

PAINTING 

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 

PLUMBING 

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 

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 

WEDDING SERVICES 

ANYTIME ANYWHERE 

- CEREMONIES - 

• Marriage Ceremonies 

• Vow Renewals • Baptisms 

• Pastoral & Graveside Visits 

Full Service Ministry 

(314) 703-7456

THE POWER OF PURPOSE 

M1 BANK RANKED 8TH BEST PERFORMING 

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IN THE NATION, 

2022 YEAR END 

- S&P GLOBAL MARKET INTELLIGENCE 

CERTIFICATE 

SPECIAL 

LIMITED TIME ONLY 

$1,000 MINIMUM 

TO OBTAIN APY 

10 

5.75 

MONTH CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT 

% 

APY* 

15 

5.50 

MONTH CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT 

% 

APY* 

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS COMING 2024 

DES PERES BRANCH | 11697 Manchester Road | Des Peres, MO 63131 | 314-626-6788 

CLAYTON BRANCH | 112 S. Hanley Road, Ste. 120 | Clayton, MO 63105 | 314-721-2265 

WWW.M1BANK.NET 

MEMBER FDIC 

A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Fees could reduce earnings on the account. Rates subject to change. Rates accurate as of April 22, 2024. 

*APY = Annual Percentage Yield.

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-1-24

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