🌱 Bircher Closed As Road Drops + STL COVID Cases Triple

Good morning, St. Louis! Like many of you, the Patch team is taking some time off to celebrate the New Year, so there will not be a newsletter in your inbox tomorrow. We appreciate your understanding of this slight pause in our schedule, and I will be back on Monday with the next edition of the St. Louis Daily! Now, here's everything happening around town today.

First, today's weather:

Areas of fog in the morning. High: 61 Low: 45.

Here are the top 3 stories in St. Louis today:

1. Missouri Department of Transportation crews closed a segment of westbound Bircher Boulevard on Thursday after the road dropped unexpectedly. Traffic was diverted northbound while the street was closed, causing traffic backups on Interstate 70 and the side streets. Crews are still working on coming up with an appropriate fix. (KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis)
2. The St. Louis Department of Health announced that the number of COVID-19 cases in the city tripled in December. The seven-day case average is now at 150 cases per day, and St. Louis Health Director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis warned in a news release that actual numbers may be higher due to asymptomatic cases. The number of hospitalized patients has also continued to rise, with the number having more than doubled since mid-November. (Southeast Missourian)
3. A house fire in north St. Louis left one firefighter injured early Thursday morning. Officials say the blaze occurred in the basement and first floor of a home on Lotus Avenue. The injured crew member was transported to the hospital for evaluation for non-life-threatening injuries. (KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis)

Today's St. Louis Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in St. Louis!

Today in St. Louis:

• First Friday Black And White Party At Hollylou Entertainment (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The January, February, and March Children's Garden Club meetings at St. Louis County Parks have been canceled. (Facebook)
• St. Louis County Parks announced that the St. Louis Carousel is having an issue with its internet connection and will only be accepting cash payments until the system is back online. (Facebook)
• Early bird prices are still in effect for vendors who wish to register for Pride St. Louis in 2022. (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Ring In the New Year With 15 Percent Off Beautiful Blooms From FTD! (December 31)
• Add your event

Loving the St. Louis Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Get your local business listed in front of readers

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you soon.

— Helen Eckhard

About me: Helen Eckhard is a marketing assistant at Lightning Media Partners. She is a self-professed logophile who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in library science. Outside of work, you can find Helen constructing crossword puzzles, knitting, or devising increasingly crafty ways to kill off characters in her mystery novels.