🌱 Church Converted To Creative Space + Early Education Center

Happy Monday, neighbors! Here's everything you need to know today in St. Louis.

First, today's weather:

More clouds than sun. High: 50 Low: 39.

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

1. The pews that once lined the halls of St. Liborius church in North St. Louis have been replaced by ramps, rails, and one very large half pipe. Dave Blum, the man who bought the church 10 years ago, was focused on offering children a place to let their creativity run wild, exposing them to art, music, carpentry, and, of course, a little skateboarding too. Liborius Urban Art Studios partner Bryan Bedwell thinks promoting this kind of positive change through skateboarding will help alter misconceptions about the sport as well. (KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis)
2. A new $3.2 million dollar early childhood education center opened on Sunday in St. Louis. The Good Shepherd Preschool & Infant-Toddler Center is designed to host 100 children, with a 7,031 square foot state-of-the-art facility that will include a robust natural playground with outdoor classrooms, an indoor teaching kitchen, and a lactation room to support mothers who are breastfeeding. It will also host a private room dedicated to occupational therapy, language therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral therapy. (KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis)
3. A 23-year-old woman, Alena Simpson, in the St. Louis area understands all too well what's happening in Ukraine: her family lives there. Now, she's undertaking a huge mission to get much-needed supplies to refugees fleeing the war. She has organized a supply drive for refugees, which is collecting: baby items, pet food, tea and coffee, high-calorie non-perishable foods, socks and underwear, women's toiletries, cardboard boxes and tape, and over-the-counter medication and medical supplies. Find out how you can support the efforts at the link. (KSDK.com)

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Today in St. Louis:

• Spark Golf St. Louis - Fun & Social Golf (5:30 PM)
• Council Study Session - Winter Weather Operations (6:00 PM)
• City Council Meeting - University City Meetings (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Join the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as it celebrates Chorus Director Amy Kaiser's final concert leading the Chorus, Apr. 30 to May 1. Tickets start at $15. (Facebook)
• How did the "St. Louis Blues" come to be? Stop by the Missouri History Museum's STLSound Exhibit for more popular music history, or take one of the SeeSTL tours to explore St. Louis history where it happened. (Facebook)
• The Trailnet list of community bike rides is out! Explore St. Louis and its history with guided group bike rides like Murals of the Lou, Architectural History, Juneteenth, and Women's History coming up on Apr. 16. (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Online Webinar with St. Louis roofers on roof replacement (April 8)
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Alrighty, you're all good 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.