LATEST NEWS

Jefferson County has seen 14 COVID-19 deaths so far this respiratory season, which began Oct. 1 and runs through mid-May, the Jefferson County Health Department reported. During October, nine COVID-related deaths were reported. In November, an additional five deaths were reported, according to the Health Department. From Oct. 1 to...

It looks like voters across Jefferson County will be asked in April to approve a 3-percent sales tax to be charged on recreational marijuana purchases. The County Council voted 6-0 on Nov. 27 to give preliminary approval to placing the issue on the April 2 ballot. The council may take a final vote on Dec. 11.

Every spring, Alan Kirby’s classroom at Seckman High School in Jefferson County, Mo. shifts gears from its regular curriculum for one day. Kirby teaches German at the school, which is located about 30 miles south of St. Louis. During this special session, his students learn all about Judaism. That’s when Seckman’s class hosts a group of Jewish teenagers from the St. Louis area who talk about their faith.

The public will get its first chance to get a glimpse at the James Hardie Industries manufacturing plant project proposed for Crystal City – or at least, some of the roads that will lead to it – at a public meeting tomorrow. The Jefferson County Public Works Department...

A 59-year-old Arnold man was arrested for allegedly stealing two heated blankets from the Walmart department store, 2201 Michigan Ave. The blankets were worth $249.96, Arnold Police reported. Officers were called at about 9:10 p.m. Nov. 17 by an employee who allegedly believed the man was leaving the store without...

A colossal quandary showed up in my backyard this winter, so I'm reaching out to Leader readers for opinions. My unrelenting efforts against honeysuckle bushes are well documented, so I'll start with a confession. I have always suspected that an early leafing shrub just beyond my bird feeder had some...

The Jefferson County Library is celebrating the arts with its ongoing pARTy promotion that features a wide range of free activities for people of all ages. The promotion, which began Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 20, has two special events coming up. The first is an open house set...

Only one day is left to enter the Leader’s Family Holiday Album photo contest!. The Leader invites Jefferson County, Eureka and Wildwood-area readers to enter for a chance to win a $200 cash prize. Readers may send photos of themselves and their family members and friends celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas,...

I’ve watched Mizzou’s home football games on TV this season, but until I stepped out onto Faurot Field on Saturday, I hadn’t appreciated the immense size of the stadium. I’m used to walking the sidelines at high schools in Jefferson County and the surrounding area, where there might be 1,000 people for a good game. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing quite as exciting as being that close to the action, where you can hear the hits, coaches calling out plays and alignments and sometimes the agony of an injury.

Because of the help of some Jefferson County residents, children in a small war-torn village in Ukraine have a playground where they can enjoy and find a bit of normalcy. Kathy Kohlberg, a Festus High School graduate who lives in Barnhart, spearheaded the project, which has another Jefferson County connection.

A 44-year-old Fenton man is suspected of breaking into and stealing from the Winter Park Market, 1010 Old Hwy. 141, in the Jefferson County portion of Fenton. The man allegedly stole Lottery scratcher tickets, THC vapes, glass pipes, lighters and cigarettes, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported. The Sheriff’s...

Miranda Machalek recently became the first female from Festus to attain the rank of Eagle Scout in Scouts BSA, formerly the Boy Scouts of America. Machalek, 15, joined Troop 474G that meets at Simpson Elementary School in Arnold because there was no similar group closer to her home. She is a sophomore at Festus High School.

Instruction: Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding.

A man from Pevely, Missouri accused of recording his sexual abuse of a minor was arrested and appeared in federal court in St. Louis Tuesday. Matthew Gamel, 36, was indicted on November 8 on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receipt of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday.

(Jefferson County, MO) A Mineral Point man, 20 year old Holten B. Jarvis, is recovering from moderate injuries after he was hurt in a one vehicle accident involving a pick up truck Saturday night at 10:15 in Jefferson County. According to Highway Patrol reports Jarvis was driving south on Highway 21, south of Amvets Drive. The report shows JArvis was driving too fast for road conditions and his pickup ran off the left side of the highway and crashed into a ditch. Jarvis, who was not wearing a seat belt when the wreck took place, was taken to Mercy Hospital Jefferson.

(Jefferson County) The two shopping days for the children selected to participate in Jeffco Shop with a Cop will take place this week. The kids along with the 1st Responders will be at the DeSoto Walmart tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, and at the Twin City Walmart on Thursday morning. Captain Lewis Pippen with the Festus Police Department is the Vice-President of Jeffco Shop with a Cop. He says the day starts with busing the kids from their schools to the Walmarts.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of items from a construction company’s trailer that was in the 4900 block of Jeffco Boulevard south of Arnold. Tools, walk-boards and ladders were stolen, police reported. The Sheriff’s Office does not provide estimated values for stolen items.

The city of Arnold has hired former Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Forrest Wegge to serve as a Municipal Court judge. Wegge will only act as the judge when the city’s primary municipal judge, Stephen “Todd” Hamby, is not available. City Administrator Bryan Richison said Hamby is paid...

Those who intend to run for public office in the April 2 general election may begin filing on Tuesday, Dec. 5, and the filing period ends Tuesday, Dec. 26. Candidates on the April ballot will run for seats on boards or councils that govern cities, school districts and fire, ambulance, water, sewer and road districts.