Area Breaking News

By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com Things seem to be moving in the right direction on the COVID-19 front. Jennifer Mueller, Ste. Genevieve County Health Department administrator, reported to the county commission last Thursday that there were 20 active cases. Even more comforting were the monthly figures Mueller shared. In August there were 248 positive cases on…

By ERIC X. VICCARO eviccaro@stegenherald.com Ste. Genevieve Board of Aldermen received an updated agenda last Wednesday, with the police department remodel added. “I did not re-budget for the proper amount for the police department remodel,” Ste. Genevieve city administrator Happy Welch said in a memorandum sent to the board members.  “So, I will need approval…

By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com Last Thursday night’s St. Mary Board of Aldermen meeting was relatively short, but fiery toward the end. The meeting went quickly, with no new or unfinished business. After the department reports, Mayor Carlton Wyatt asked if citizens wished to speak. Jody Odem then addressed concerns about individuals’ private information being broadcast…

By ERIC X. VICCARO eviccaro@stegenherald.com Ste. Genevieve County Levee District No. 3 board members received an update on what may be done with the “borrow site.” The “borrow site” is a mass of dirt located near the levee, which could be used during times of catastrophic flooding. Board member Tom Okenfuss asked what’s going on…

By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com T.J. Garbs of Cochran Engineering reported that plans for the city’s new 250,000-gallon water tank are about 60 percent done during the Oct. 13 Bloomsdale Board of Aldermen meeting. Garbs said they are still on track to meet the goal dates he and David Van Leer of Cochran had laid out…

By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com Nov. 4 is still the anticipated date  to install the new box culvert on Kocher Road.  At least the Ste. Genevieve County Commission is hoping to see the concrete culvert arrive on or around that day. A shortage of various materials and shipping delays – all blamed on COVID-19 – continue…

By ERIC X. VICCARO eviccaro@stegenherald.com The City of Ste. Genevieve Board of Aldermen decided to drop the mask mandate at its public buildings during last Thursday’s regular meeting. That’s despite COVID-19 (coronavirus) remaining a front-burner issue. “Last week, there were three or four new cases, and masks have now been made optional in the schools,”…

By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com Face masks and face shields will again become optional for students and staff at Ste. Genevieve R-II Schools. The R-II Board of Education voted 6-1 in a special meeting last Thursday night to lift its temporary mask mandate. The revised face-covering mandate took effect this Monday and will be reviewed at…

By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com Valle Catholic administrators do not regret the school’s decision to make face masks optional for students this school year. “We haven’t had any outbreaks,” high school principal Greg Miller said. “There haven’t been any problems.” Grade school principal Amanda Overmann also reported that there have been no outbreaks. Valle required face…

By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com Getting a head start on next year’s box culvert replacements could put Ste. Genevieve County in a better place. After delays had moved the Kocher Road box culvert’s anticipated delivery date back to Nov. 4 (after initially being planned for mid September), the county commission found that orders may need to…