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

Winifred Crock, orchestra director at Parkway Central High, has been named the Art Educator of the Year by the Arts and Education Council. Presented since 1992, the St. Louis Arts Awards honors individuals who achieve a legacy of artistic excellence and organizations and businesses that enrich St. Louis’ arts and cultural community. Crock will be recognized at a benefit event on Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 at the Chase Park Plaza. In 2013, Crock was named the Educator of the Year by the Saint Louis Symphony. In addition, she was named the Teacher of the Year for Central High for the ...

The Fort Zumwalt School District made history in 2014 by raising more money for the American Heart Association than any other school district in Missouri. “This year the Fort Zumwalt School District raised $100,017,” said Barb Reyering, youth marketing director for the American Heart Association. She also noted that “almost all of these donations stay in our area for research, treatments, medicine, prevention and awareness of heart disease.” Twin Chimney Elementary was ranked No. 3 in the state, raising over $18,400. “I’m really proud that our students from throughout the district made a unified effort at serious community service,” said ...

For 10 points, name the Parkway high school that just took second place in a regional Scholar Bowl competition in Washington, Mo. If you answered South High, give yourself 10 points. The South High Scholar Bowl team recently ranked second in this Jeopardy-style academic challenge. To play, students answer questions from moderators on a wide range of subjects, using buzzers to signal they have the correct answer. Winning Parkway South High team members include Maya Mills, Aditya Patel, Erin Neely, Gregory James, Andy Mark, Sheldon Taylor, Priya Vangala and Blaine Hubert. Neely placed second and Patel placed fourth in All-District ...

The latest Gallup poll indicates that 14 percent of the people “moderately disapprove” of Barack Obama’s performance as president and 39 percent “strongly disapprove.” Since Obama won two presidential elections, chances are that some of those who now “strongly disapprove” of what he has done voted to put him in office. We all make mistakes, but the real question is whether we learn from them. With many people now acting as if it is time for “a woman” to become president, apparently they have learned absolutely nothing from the disastrous results of the irresponsible self-indulgence of choosing a President of ...

Rockwood’s Board of Education, on Aug. 21, approved one-time and ongoing costs totaling $96,142 for new cash receipts software from InTouch Receipting that will go into effect as a pilot program in five schools this school year and for all schools by the end of the 2015-2016 school year. Rockwood will be the first school district in the state to use InTouch, which is already used in about 1,000 other districts in the U.S. Tim Rooney, the district’s chief financial and legislative officer, said the purchase of this software addresses the only unresolved issue from the Missouri State audit of ...

When Villa Farotto debuted in Chesterfield Valley 10 years ago its chef was given a few restrictions from Jim Parrott, patriarch of the original Farotto’s on Manchester. “Don’t mess with my pizza; don’t mess with my sauce, dressing or dough. Anything else is fair game,” Proprietor and Executive Chef Gerard LaRuffa recalls his father-in-law saying – and he took that advice to heart. When LaRuffa, his wife, Lisa, and brother-in-law, Jeff Parrott, designed their Chesterfield restaurant, the concept was mortared in red sauce – and culinary creativity. “If you would lift our restaurant up its core foundation would be Manchester’s ...

Playing in front of huge crowds is old hat for Missouri basketball standout Ryan Rosburg but throwing off the mound at Busch Stadium is another matter. The 6-foot-10 forward, a Marquette graduate who will be a junior this season for the Tigers, threw out the first pitch at Mizzou Night at the ballpark before a recent game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres. “It was awesome. Oh my gosh, yes,” Rosburg said about the honor. “I’ve been going to Cardinals games for so long. You never think about getting to do something like that. I certainly ...

Wildwood’s Teddy Jones showed he had the right stuff by winning the area’s top amateur golf tournament. Jones began the final round of the 24th Metropolitan Amateur at Westwood Country Club six shots behind leader John Anderson. When the day ended, Jones captured the tournament with a playoff victory that will put his name on the prestigious Jim Tom Blair Trophy. Jones, a Eureka graduate who is a junior at the University of Central Missouri, shot a final round 4-under 67 to complete 54-holes at 1-under. He ended the 54 holes tied at 212 with Anderson and Pat Riordan. “This ...

The Special School District and Parkway are among school districts being encouraged to expand and improve the region’s focus on career and technical education. That recommendation came as the result of a SSD review committee. State law mandates a Public Review Committee be appointed every four years. Among its charges, the committee must conduct a thorough review of how effectively SSD is delivering services to students needing special education in cooperation with component districts like Parkway, said Bruce Major, a former Parkway board member and former board representative to SSD’s Governing Council who serves  on the SSD public review committee. ...

The First Student Bus Company has been awarded the Flag of Freedom Award through the Show-Me Heroes Program for its dedication to hiring veterans in the Rockwood School District. “The veterans we’ve hired have great work ethic, good attendance and are reliable,” said Mike Heyman, First Student location manager. In January 2010, Gov. Jay Nixon launched the Show-Me Heroes initiative to help Missouri’s Veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserve reconnect with meaningful careers and to showcase Missouri employers who have pledged to do so. Since the program’s inception in the Rockwood School District, more than 13 veterans ...