West Insider

In the final episode of 2024, the hosts reflect on the year's events, including the cicada invasion and a partial solar eclipse. Key stories include the opening of a speakeasy in Wildwood and a microbrewery at the West County Feed and Supply site. The senior property tax freeze program in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties was highlighted, with registration open until June 2025. The transition from Governor Parsons to Mike Kehoe was discussed, with expectations of tax cuts. The controversy ov...

The Insider Podcast's Christmas special episode, hosted by Tim Weber, features practical holiday tips from various guests. Dan Fox shares a cautionary tale about receiving coal for not picking favorites between his aunts, advising against favoritism. Donna Deck suggests using the Target app to check prices and adjust in-store deals. Emily Rothermich recommends early Christmas decoration setup to prevent mishaps and starting new family traditions like pairing Advent devotionals with chocolate....

The Insider PodCast discussed the reintroduction of the Better Together bill by Ian Mackey, proposing a merger of St. Louis City and County. The 2019 attempt failed due to opposition from West County municipalities and legal challenges. The merger aims to consolidate 88 municipalities into one government, potentially saving $250 million annually. Key concerns include the impact on local identities, police training, and education reform. The panel debated the benefits of regional cooperation v...

Tim Weber, publisher of West and Mid Rivers News Magazine, interviews Donna Deck, the advertising graphic designer and co-chair of the party planning committee. They discuss several updates, including an audit of the tax increment financing for downtown Chesterfield's development, which has attracted $300 million. Donna expresses excitement about the new restaurants and entertainment spaces. They also discuss an E. coli outbreak linked to pre-packaged lettuce from Taylor Farms, affecting over...

The podcast hosts discuss the challenges facing public school teachers today, including teacher shortages, low pay, high stress, and lack of respect/support from parents and students.Data shows Missouri is facing a significant teacher shortage, with over 3,000 vacant or inappropriately certified teaching positions. This is driven by low pay, demanding working conditions, and teachers feeling undervalued.The hosts discuss how the teaching profession has become more challenging in recent years,...

The podcast discusses a local E. coli outbreak in the Rockwood School District, with over 100 confirmed cases and 13 students hospitalized. The outbreak is linked to events catered by Andre's Banquets and Catering.The podcast explains what E. coli is, how it can contaminate food, and provides prevention tips from the CDC like cleaning, separating, cooking, and chilling food properly.There is discussion around the lawsuits filed against Andre's Banquets and Catering, with concerns about rushin...

The conversation covers various topics, including a story on the "yips," a psychological barrier in sports performance, with insights from Quentin Murray and Rebecca Steins. The discussion then shifts to the development of downtown Chesterfield, with plans for a new parking garage and self-contained parking in residential and office spaces. The conversation also touches on the implementation of curb bump outs by MoDOT, with plans to survey local officials and study data for a year. Additional...

Local Election Results: - The close margin of Amendment 2 (sports betting) surprised the hosts, who discussed potential reasons like voter confusion and concerns about how the revenue would be allocated. - Prop C, which allows the county council to hire their own attorney, passed with 62% of the vote. The hosts discussed the potential budget implications of this. - The state senate race between David Gregory and Joe Peerless was very close, with Gregory win...