From left: Ryan Graham, St. Charles County Parks Director; Shane Creasy, Parks Natural Resource Supervisor; County Executive Steve Ehlmann; and St. Peters Mayor Len Pagano head out on the Dardenne Creek Blueway May 24.

1. Portion of Dardenne Creek Blueway Now Open

The completed first phase of the Dardenne Creek Blueway is now open! The first of several water trails planned for St. Charles County, this phase begins at 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters and ends at Riverside Landing in St. Charles – a 3.5-mile trip by kayak or canoe. St. Charles County Parks Department staff developed a long-term maintenance plan which includes creating habitat to protect wildlife and planting vegetation along the banks of the creek to filter water. Read County Executive Steve Ehlmann’s blog to learn more about this project and future plans for the blueway.

Watch video: Dardenne Creek Blueway Open at Riverside Landing Park

2. County Implementing Emergency Vehicle Prioritization

St. Charles County is introducing a new intersection light control system to make travel faster and safer for emergency vehicles and other drivers. In coordination with the County’s Gateway Green Light system, emergency vehicle priority technology is being deployed throughout the county to provide a green light priority to approaching emergency vehicles, when safe to do so. This allows first responders answering an emergency call to reach their destination more quickly and safely. This system is expected to reduce emergency vehicle travel time and provide a smoother traffic flow in emergencies. The project includes upgrades to 351 signals, 65 fire and rescue trucks, 60 ambulances and 75 County police vehicles.

St. Charles County is leading the way and is the first county in the state to provide countywide emergency vehicle priority. About 80 percent of the $800,000 cost of the project is provided by federal funds; the remaining amount is supplied by the County’s ½-cent Transportation Sales Tax.

3. County Government Military Veterans Hosting Flag Collection June 14

If you have a worn or damaged U.S. flag and don’t know where or how to dispose of it properly, the military veterans of St. Charles County Government are ready to help. The County’s Veterans Best Practices Working Group is hosting its annual Flag Collection for the public from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Flag Day, Tuesday, June 14. The event takes place at a drive-by collection site, located at the corner of Monroe and Second streets in St. Charles, between the County Administration and Corrections buildings. The flags are donated to the AMVETS, who retire the flags ceremoniously. ...MORE

Police officers with arrested individual

4. County Law Enforcement Forms Critical Incident Response Team

St. Charles County area law enforcement agencies have formed the St. Charles County Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), a multi-jurisdictional unit tasked with conducting thorough, objective, and transparent investigations of high-level and officer-involved critical incidents. ...MORE

5. IMPACT Report to the Community Available Online

As you may recall, our annual IMPACT report is mailed to your home this time of the year and then made available on our website. Due to paper shortages nationwide, we’re reversing our distribution methods. While we’re waiting patiently for our printer to receive paper for our printed version, we’re giving residents a chance to view the report online first.

Check it out, and then when it comes in the mail, review it again and then pass it on to a friend. There’s great news, information and updates you won’t want to miss!

New Exhibit Now Open at Heritage Museum
The new exhibit, “The American Revolutionary War in the West,” is now on display for the first time ever at the Heritage Museum. The exhibit features rare artifacts, original documents, uniforms, flags and interactive components that explore life in the Mississippi River Valley region during the American Revolutionary War and western contributions to the war. Museum admission is free!
County Drop Box Relocated
The drive-up drop box for Real Estate and Personal Property Tax payments, Personal Property Assessment forms and original permit bonds has been relocated to the north side of Monroe Street near the corner of Second Street in St. Charles. The secure box is a safe, convenient alternative to entering the County Administration building.
Mental Health, Special Needs of Inmates Top Priority for Corrections
Managing inmates with mental health issues and other special needs is a top priority for the St. Charles County Department of Corrections. The department recently hosted its third interagency training to educate area officers on how to handle such cases.

A Message From the County Executive

I had an opportunity to check out the new Dardenne Creek Blueway recently, and I recommend it to all kayakers and canoers out there! St. Peters Mayor Len Pagano and County Councilwoman Nancy Schneider joined me, and we toured this new water way. While it’s just a 3.5-mile jaunt, it connects the County’s Riverside Landing Park to the City of St. Peters’ 370 Lakeside Park where there are numerous activities for those who love to be outdoors. …MORE

Council Comments

Mike Elam, District 3

If you’re weary of all the bad news coming from the national and global front lately, take a moment to pause and think of all the encouraging and exciting reasons we have to be thankful we live in St. Charles County. We are once again the fastest growing county in Missouri with a population of more than 406,000 according to the 2020 census, and we’re growing by an average of 6,000 people per year. Our cities make national lists of the Best Places to Live on a regular basis. We are seeing new companies choosing to call St. Charles County home, while current companies are making large investments in their expansion. …MORE

What's New on SCCMO-TV

Heritage Museum Exhibit Timelapse: Catch a glimpse of the process of setting up the new exhibit at the Heritage Museum.
Dardenne Creek Blueway Journey: Get a peek at the views traveling the new Dardenne Creek Blueway!
Live Meeting Broadcasts: Watch public meetings of the County Council and Planning & Zoning Commission live on YouTube.

Calendar, Reminders and Directory

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