Take-out in a Backpack

Operation Food Search keeps needy students healthy and fed.

There are children throughout the St. Louis public school system who rely on free or reduced-cost meal programs in order to get by. Their families are facing hard times and rely on the support of others to make it. One organization that stands by them is Operation Food Search. A local St. Louis-area food bank, Operation Food Search was established in 1981. It has worked tirelessly to combat the spread of hunger, distributing food and goods to wherever needed. The food bank estimated that it feeds upwards of 120,000 people throughout Illinois and Missouri, half of which are children. In the spring of 2008, it partnered with Express Scripts, a St. Louis-based company that specializes in prescription drug plans and benefits, to launch …

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Mayor Robert Lowery Not Seeking Reelection

Mayor Lowery decides to retire after more than 50 years of public service.

After announcing last month his intentions to seek his third term, Florissant Mayor Robert Lowery has now decided to retire after more than 50 years of public service. Mayor Lowery said after discussion with his wife and family that he decided it would be best to not run in the April 2011 election. "The political system is evil," Lowery said. "It's more evil than it ever has been, and I don't know if I want to subject myself or my family to that." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch broke the news earlier Friday afternoon. Lowery won the mayoral seat of Florissant in 2001 in a special election — to replace the late Mayor James J. Eagen — and has served as mayor for the past nine years. Before serving as mayor, Lowery served as police chief for the…

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The New Hangout Spot for Teens

Teen Alley opens at Florissant Valley Library as the first of five new teen centers.

For teenagers who are looking for the next hottest hangout spot, they don't need to look any further than their own public library at Florissant Valley. On Thursday morning, the St. Louis County Library-Florissant Valley unveiled its "Teen Alley," the first of five teen centers throughout the St. Louis County Library system. "I wish when I was a teen there had been something in the library like this," said Dr. Lynn Beckwith Jr., a member of the library board of trustees who attended Thursday's event. Hosted in the back corner of the library, Teen Alley — named as a play off of the branch's Florissant Valley name — presents a comfortable area for teens to relax, study or read one of the several books in the teen book section. Teens also …

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Star Gazing

The End of the Semester Road

Finals serve as the biggest road block to high school’s winter break.

It's now down to the wire. Finals week at McCluer North has come, and students are feeling the heat. Christmas vacation is on the horizon, but final exams are the only thing standing in its way. I've heard students question why teachers decide to even give these final exams. Apparently, teachers in Missouri are required by law to give a final exam to students, so we're kind of stuck. Personally, I absolutely loathe taking finals, but they are a great boost to my grade if I prepare for them. The most challenging subject for me has always been mathematics, but I've realized that if I can find a way to make myself understand the equations and formulas, I'll do fine. As for other students, taking finals is not something they like doing. I've …

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City Council Holds Final Meeting of 2010

Council members and public debate new Dollar General in Plaza Madrid.

The final Florissant City Council meeting of this year didn't fall short of debates on bill discussions. The first came about for second reading on an ordinance that would allow for Dollar General to move into the Plaza Madrid structure at New Halls Ferry and Parker Road. "I have mixed emotions about this," said Ward 8 Councilman Mark Schmidt, who is the councilor of the affected ward with Plaza Madrid. "I would like to see the entire parking lot redone." For more than 20 minutes, leasing agent Jeff Eisenberg of Jeff Eisenberg & Associates, who's handling the leasing of the property on behalf of their client, and city council members discussed concerns regarding the 12,000-square-foot space at Plaza Madrid. According to several council …

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Florissant Police Blotter

A number of burglaries and a robbery throughout the area for the month.

Dec. 3 In the 1500 block of Vesper, police responded to a second-degree burglary. Electronics were taken from the residence, and police were unable to determine a point of entry. No suspects have been announced or arrested in the burglary. Dec. 8 A second-degree burglary took place in the 1400 block of Thoroughbread. Suspects entered the house from a rear kitchen window and took two televisions. No suspects have been arrested in connection to the burglary. Dec. 11 A robbery in the first-degree took place at the Bank of America in the 14300 block of New Halls Ferry in the morning. While no weapon was displayed, the suspect gave a note to the bank teller announcing a hold up. After receiving an unknown amount of money, the robber fled. The …

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