Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Will your SSM doctor still take UnitedHealthcare in January?

And check out Zachary Leeker on the St. Louis Patch calendar

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Friday January 2nd Patch AM
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What's up St. Louis! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Will your SSM doctor still take UnitedHealthcare in January?
  • What St. Louis homebuyers should expect from prices through 2026.
  • How North St. Louis tornado survivors are rebuilding lives in 2026

Also on today's calendar: Zachary Leeker and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in O'Fallonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: I quit my job as a banker. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in O'Fallonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high of 37 and low of 28 degrees.
  • Saturday: Partly sunny, temps: high: 41, low: 27.
  • Sunday: Increasing cloudiness, with a high of 40 and low of 31 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. SSM Health, UnitedHealthcare announce update in contract dispute (firstalert4.com) — St. Louis-area patients using SSM Health doctors and UnitedHealthcare insurance can keep their providers, thanks to a last-minute 30‑day contract extension between the two organizations. The temporary deal lets both sides keep negotiating a multi‑year agreement, and SSM Health is urging anyone who canceled or delayed appointments to reschedule through MyChart or by calling their doctor’s office.
   

2. St. Louis Housing Market: Trends and Forecast 2026-2027 (noradarealestate.com) — If you’re buying or selling in St. Louis, expect a tight but stable housing market, with single-family home prices rising and condos slightly softening. Local data from St. Louis Realtors and Zillow’s forecasts point to modest price growth through 2026, not a crash, meaning realistic pricing and careful neighborhood research will matter more than market timing.
   

3. As new year begins, some North St. Louis tornado victims ready to look to the future and move on from devastation (firstalert4.com) — North St. Louis families are still grappling with destroyed homes eight months after an EF-3 tornado, as the city prepares a long-term rebuilding and demolition push in 2026. Residents like Gale Davis, whose generational home in The Greater Ville was ruined and denied FEMA aid, are reluctantly letting go of damaged properties while Mayor Cara Spencer promises a focused year of recovery.
   

4. Best in show 2025 (stlamerican.com) — St. Louis’ 2025 arts calendar was packed, from Music at the Intersection and Frizzfest in Tower Grove Park to a revamped Powell Symphony Hall reopening for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Local venues hosted major tours by Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar with St. Louis-born SZA, and Jeezy, while institutions like the Missouri History Museum and Saint Louis Art Museum spotlighted Black history and culture through major exhibitions.
   

5. Northern Village Apartments residents report heating problems for over a month (firstalert4.com) — Residents at Northern Village Apartments on Lucas and Hunt Road in St. Louis say they’ve endured more than a month without reliable heat or hot water during frigid weather. Tenants describe cold radiators, collapsed ceilings, and fears of retaliation if they complain, despite a promised management improvement in 2024. Many are resorting to unsafe workarounds just to bathe and stay warm.
   

📸 Around St. Louis

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🗓 Upcoming Events in St. Louis

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

📣 St. Louis Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

    Monday January 5
  • Green Space Advisory Commission - Meeting
    City of Webster Groves Calendar , Benny Gordon Recreation Complex - Cafe 33 E Glendale , Webster Groves
    5:00 pm
  • Public Hearing
    Jennings, MO Calendar
    5:30 pm
  • Board of Aldermen Meeting
    Brentwood Calendar , 2348 S. Brentwood Blvd City Hall Council Chambers , Brentwood
    6:00 pm
  • FMPLD: Board Game Night
    Ferguson Municipal Public Library , 35 N Florissant Rd , Ferguson
    6:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making St. Louis PatchAM possible:

  • Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
    Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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🪧 Patch Classifieds

  • Nominate an Outstanding Volunteer to be a 2026 Woman of Achievement
    It’s the final days of Women of Achievement’s call for nominations for the 2026 Women of Achievement. Please nominate an outstanding volunteer... (More info)

Ok St. Louis! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I just lost interest.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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