Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Update: We revisit "Grace's Glendale Bus Stop," the story of a young lady who has gotten national attention for how her family has helped her overcome Down Syndrome to work a job.
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Tuesday, April 2
Another holiday has come and gone and with this one, came another visit by the Easter Bunny to Grace's Glendale Bus Stop—an informal landmark in the community that has drawn regional and national attention. For the uninitiated, Grace's Glendale Bus Stop is a Facebook page focusing on literally that: A bus stop dedicated to Grace Mehan, a Glendale resident with Down Syndrome who graduated from Kirkwood High School in May 2011. The bus stop and its Facebook page were part of Grace's parents' plans to help her learn how to navigate a bus route on her own to a job in Webster Groves. The Facebook page launched nearly a year ago, on April 9, and it's been adorned with photos of local celebrities, fans, friends and neighbors who have stopped by …
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Eureka's emergency responders recently recognized two Eureka residents for their heroic efforts to save a life.
Eureka residents Mike and Chris Seeley were eating breakfast at Dennys restaurant recently, when they noticed another customer having difficulty in breathing. They went to her aid, and discovered the woman was choking on food. Mike and Chris then briefly performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Eureka Fire Protection District paramedics and Eureka Police Department officers responded to the scene, and once they had arrived, the woman had her airway clear and was breathing again. Paramedics transported the victim to a local hospital where she was released within 48 hours, according to Eureka Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Randy Gabel. At a recent Eureka Fire Protection District board meeting, Eureka Fire Chief Greg Brown and …
Friday, May 11, 2012
SECRET FLASH: Maureen Smith, a first grade teacher at Fairway Elementary in Wildwood, right at this moment at 3 p.m. is being named at school as the Saint Louis Bread Co./Panera Top Teacher for 2012. Surprise, Maureen!
When more than 4,500 entries were received by Saint Louis Bread Co./Panera Top Teacher Contest organizers on April 30, Maureen Smith from Fairway Elementary School in Wildwood was one of them. Beating out those thousands of other locally nominated K-12 teachers, Rockwood School District's Maureen Smith is being surprised right now at Fairway at 3 p.m. in an assembly secretly planned by her school’s administrators and Panera Bread to officially honor her as the St. Louis area’s best educator. Smith launched the "Got Your Backpack" program, which helps feed needy K-12 students on weekends. Likewise, Panera actually donated $1 to a similar program, Operation Food Search’s Operation Backpack, for each local contest nomination. Smith will be …
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The middle school counselor of the year award for Rockwood School District went to a Wildwood-based professional.
Rockwood School District recognized three individuals as 2012 Counselors of the Year, and one of them is from a Wildwood-based school. Alice Patton, counselor at LaSalle Springs Middle School in Wildwood, was named the district's Middle School Counselor of the Year. “Rockwood has always had an exceptional counseling program and we are excited to recognize these individuals for their commitment and dedication to children and their contributions to their school communities,” said Shonda Ambers-Phillips, coordinator of Rockwood's Guidance and Prevention Services in a statement about this year's awardees. “These wonderful professionals are true models in the field of school counseling and we look forward to having them represent Rockwood in …
Monday, April 16, 2012
Innovative thinking prompted the formation of the search and rescue team anchored by the Eureka Fire Protection District, and creative problem-solving continues to make them the "go to" source for missing people emergencies.
Eureka's Search and Rescue Team, coordinated through the Eureka Fire Protection District, responded to 25 calls for service for lost persons in 2011. And most recently, on April 6, it was called into North St. Louis County to assist with finding a missing 11-year-old boy. Eureka Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Randy Gabel said the 35 to 40 members of the Search and Rescue Team train twice a month for three to four hours each time. Searches include locating downed aircraft, lost hunters and missing hikers or children. The team also assists with crime scene and evidence searches, as well as emergency or disaster situations. "They are everyday people with good hearts," Gabel said, of the volunteer search and rescue members. "Some are …
Sunday, March 25, 2012
A local teenager will work to displace myths and stereotypes often associated with the misunderstood and misdiagnosed disorder of Tourette Syndrome. Understanding and tolerance are the goals of the D.C.-based training he will receive.
Drew Guise, a 13-year-old from Eureka, will participate in the fifth annual Tourette Syndrome (TS) Youth Ambassador Training Program in Washington, D.C., on April 18 and 19. National Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc. (TSA) representatives will host the training for teens ages 13 to 17, with and without Tourette Syndrome. "I’m looking forward to being able to learn about the Youth Ambassador program, so I can share more with others about Tourette’s," said Guise. "Others have taught me about hope, and I want to be able to do the same." Marked by involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics, Tourette Syndrome is an inherited neurological condition that affects more than 200,000 Americans. TS is named for Georges Gilles de la …
Monday, March 12, 2012
Members of the Redefining Beautiful Club at Eureka High School on Saturday turned the atrium area outside the gyms into a salon through which people could donate their hair to make wigs for those battling cancer.
For people who lose their hair due to cancer treatments, receiving a free wig can be the key to renewed confidence and hope. To assist the American Cancer Society effort handled through the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program to provide free wigs to cancer patients, members of the Redefining Beautiful Club at Eureka High School hosted their first-ever cut-a-thon on Saturday at school. Twenty-plus donors on Saturday, including a few of the club's members, joined the cause by donating 8 inches of their own long hair. Area salonists from several studios provided the cutting and styling expertise: Hair Etc, Salon Jolie and Spa, Hair Color Experts and Hair Systems West. Lindsey Davis, a Eureka High senior, was the first to hop into a chair to …
Eileen Tyrrell
10:55 am on Sunday, May 6, 2012
Alice Patton is a humble and gracious person and well deserving of this award. She is the epitome of a true advocate for students at LaSalle Springs Middle School. Well deserved. more ›