Good Friday Tornado Recovery

Tragedy to Triumph for Farmer Family

Pattonville football player on-hand with Rams in New York to call fourth round draft pick.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Jesse Farmer was in the backyard cleaning up pieces of his home that was crushed during the horrid tornado that hit Bridgeton, Missouri on April 22 when two representatives from the St. Louis Rams walked up. A week later Farmer and his family went from the depths of a terrible nightmare turned reality to New York City where Jesse helped the organization call their fourth pick in this year’s NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall. “It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Farmer, who played football at Pattonville High School. “I’ve watched the draft for the past six years and never thought I’d be doing this.” Members of the Rams’ front office saw a segment on a local news station showing Farmer and his Pattonville teammates …

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After the Storm

Pattonville School District Declares an Emergency Day

Classes are canceled for students, but staff members are still required to come in.

Pattonville School District has declared Monday an emergency day, according to district superintendent Dr. Mike Fulton. Schools are closed for students, Fulton said, but staff members will still report to work. Bus drivers, however, will not be required to come in, Fulton said. Only one school in Pattonville School District sustained damage from Friday's storm. Bridgeway Elementary School in Bridgeton sustained slight damage, Fulton said. Bridgeway Elementary and Rose Acres Elementary in Maryland Heights are the only Pattonville schools that do not have power. Fulton said a number of neighboring school districts have offered assistance to Pattonville. He also commended emergency relief teams who responded during the storm, saying they did …

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After the Storm

Metro St. Louis Sees Most Powerful Tornado in 44 Years

Governor Jay Nixon and other officials talked about the destruction they saw across St. Louis County at a press conference late Saturday afternoon.

As Maryland Heights residents worked to come to terms with damage to their homes and neighborhood, comes the conclusion that the tornado that ripped through St. Louis County on Good Friday was the most powerful since 1967.  St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said as much at a Saturday afternoon press conference. Slay was joined by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, and the trio discussed the tornado's destruction at a Lambert St. Louis International Airport press conference. The airport will be open for arrivals as early as Saturday night, according to Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge at the press conference. Southwest, Delta and Air Tran will have arrivals Saturday. She added that departures will …

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Daily PatchCast: Storm Causes Damage Throughout St. Louis, Gary Busey to Give 'Apprentice' Funds to Maryland Heights Group and More

A roundup of St. Louis news headlines for Monday.

Here are the top stories from Patch sites in your area:

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Severe Weather: Sights Of The Storm And An Update On Conditions

Authorities say Creve Coeur has been a ghost town, and that's a good thing.

As Creve Coeur gets battered as part of a winter storm that Tuesday afternoon was still waiting to transition from freezing precipitation to heavy snow, which could still dump a sizeable amount of snow in some areas, authorities say residents have largely heeded the calls from emergency managers asking people to stay off the road. The Creve Coeur Fire Protection District reported only two calls for medical service as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, no fire-related calls, and that the streets looked something like a ghost town. According to the city's website, the Creve Coeur Government Center closed at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. A statement said city public works crews were waiting for the sleet to end before sending plows out to work. Trash service will be …

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Creve Coeur Keeps Wary Eye On Weather

City's Public Works director lays out game plan for tackling snow.

The National Weather Service now says Creve Coeur and the greater St. Louis area may not see the full brunt of what could have been December's first large bout with snow, but there is still a chance of snow on both Saturday and Sunday. Public Works crews in Creve Coeur have been doubly busy, getting equipment ready for the possibility of inclement weather while also using much of the fleet to wrap up the city's leaf collection program over the next few weeks. Public Works Director Jim Heines tells Creve Coeur Patch that he and his team have been getting twice-daily updates on weather conditions and can get them every 15 minutes if necessary. The city-owned salt dome is still nearly full of 2500 cubic yards of salt, ready to be spread. …

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