The year of 2019 held many challenges and accomplishments for communities in Warren County. There were big changes to daily routines, some long-running stories that finally came to a resolution, and …
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The year of 2019 held many challenges and accomplishments for communities in Warren County. There were big changes to daily routines, some long-running stories that finally came to a resolution, and others that were only prolonged into next year. Here are some of the biggest stories in Warren County in 2019.
A once-in-a-lifetime spectacle was witnessed on the Missouri River in April as a demolition team imploded the old Highway 47 bridge to Washington. The 83-year-old bridge was dropped into the river by 750 explosive charges.
The implosion took six months of planning, and final demolition and removal of the bridge pieces took months more after the blast. The efforts were delayed by flooding on the river.
After a thrilling victory in the Stanley Cup finals, members of the St. Louis Blues made a surprise visit to Sidetracked Again Bar and Grill in Pendleton with the famed Cup in tow. Pat Maroon and teammate Ryan O’Reilly made the stop on their way to a family farm in the area.
The case of Ashley Hunter, the Foristell woman accused of murdering her husband in 2015, finally went to trial in January 2019. She was acquitted after her attorney successfully argued that Hunter shot her husband in self-defense.
Meanwhile, another case that has gripped the public’s attention was set back yet again. Shawn Kavanagh, of Bellflower, accused of a triple murder in 2014, won’t go to trial until May 2020. His case was postponed twice in 2019.
Starting in August 2019, Warren County R-III School District switched to a four-day school week. The new schedule includes slightly longer days and elimination of twice-monthly early release days.
The move was aimed primarily at improving teacher retention. Improved student attendance and a slight budget savings are also touted as benefits.
To accommodate working parents who rely on schools to care for their children on weekdays, the district implemented its “Care Day” program on Mondays.
Although not as severe as in 2017, flooding along the Missouri River over the last year was persistent, impacting roads in southern Warren County for months.
That led to one of the most positive stories of the year. After torrential rainfall in August, a driver in Marthasville was rescued from a flooded creek by five migrant workers living nearby. The employees of Happy Apples said they didn’t even think about it before jumping into the creek to rescue the stranded driver.
Wright City senior Donavan Holmes made it all the way to the championship match of the state wrestling tournament. Holmes took second place, despite the fact that it was her first year wrestling and the first year of Wright City High School’s girls wrestling program.
A number of public agencies came to the voters in 2019 looking for new revenue.
Voters in April approved a $1.75 million bond for the Marthasville Fire Protection District to rebuild its main station and purchase new equipment. The bond will be paid for by a 10-year tax increase.
The Wright City Fire Protection District turned out enough voters to pass a 17-cent tax levy increase in August. It was the district’s fourth attempt at passing the tax increase. The funding will be used to retain six firefighters previously hired on a federal grant.
The Warren County R-III School District was turned down by voters for a tax increase aimed at teacher salaries. It will propose the tax again in April 2020.
Voters also rejected a proposal from St. Charles Community College, twice. SCC sought to expand its taxing district into Warren County to build a technical school here.
Allan Dreyer, one of the Warrenton community’s most well-known educators, died unexpectedly in September. He was a former math teacher and multi-decade school principal in the Warren County R-III School District. He held a seat on the district’s school board at the time of his death.
A violent felon recently out of prison allegedly shot and disabled a Wright City police vehicle while being chased after a burglary in July. Elijah W. Moore was arrested in St. Charles County after a manhunt led to another chase and shootout with police outside Wentzville.
Moore was accused in at least three burglaries or robberies in Warren County over the summer, as well as assaulting police.
