Mid Rivers Newsmagazine Your online news source for St. Charles County, Missouri

After finishing behind Timberland and Washington last season, Zumwalt North believes it is ready to challenge for its second conference championship at the 2019 Gateway Athletic Converence. Zumwalt North opens the season at St. Charles on Sept. 3 with a nonconference match.

In a heavily attended meeting last week, the St. Charles County Council once again addressed a multi-phased development proposed by NT Home Builders, headed by developer Greg Whittaker.

After waiting 12 years, residents along Emge Road and Shoen Morgan Drive still await the development of land that has become an eyesore, and the O'Fallon Planning & Zoning Commission just gave the developer another one-year extension. The O'Fallon City Council apparently is powerless to get this resolved.

A bill has been proposed in O'Fallon to reduce the R-4 Apartment House District code maximum density to 14 units per acre instead of 20. The bill also would establish density bonuses similar to what surrounding communities already have and, in theory, keep O’Fallon competitive with those communities.

The O’Fallon City Council has approved a rezoning request intended to enable the use of a portion of an existing building as a medical marijuana dispensary.

Missouri National Golf Links LP has withdrawn their application for rezoning and a plan to construct 182 high density rental units on 23.28 acres, named “Fairways at Turtle Creek,” on land where a golf practice facility is operated today.

A proposed O'Fallon bill would formally establish a lotto process for determining the order of candidate names appearing on the ballot, to replace the current "line-up" process. The bill is a slight variation of what had been discussed and planned in June.

Although the fall sports season is only three days old, there is a renewed sense of excitement on the field for the Francis Howell football team. Howell, like many Missouri teams, began fall practices this week on Monday. Aug. 12, and early looks show there is plenty of energy on the team of Vikings under second-year coach Brent Chojnacki.

The latest in senior health and lifestyle news.

Do you like history? Live music? Street food? Artisan crafts? If so, you need to head to the Festival of the Little Hills in historic Saint Charles. A summer staple since 1971, the annual Festival runs Friday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 18 but with one notable change. The Festival will be held on Riverside Drive, in the 300 to 500 blocks, between S. Main Street and Frontier Park, which remains closed as a result of earlier flooding.