🌱 Officer-Involved Shooting + Animated Show Aims To Improve Reading

Hey, St. Louis. I'm here in your inbox today to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, today's weather:

Milder in the afternoon. High: 47 Low: 36.

Business owners and marketers in St. Louis: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

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

1. Newly appointed St. Louis Police Commissioner Robert Tracy provided a briefing regarding an officer-involved shooting on Thursday night. During an attempted traffic stop of a vehicle that officers suspected of having been involved in a robbery, two St. Louis police officers and a suspect were shot during a shootout. The commissioner reported that one of the officers was in critical condition. (KOMU 8)
2. A new animated show called "Drawn In" is being promoted as a show featuring characters of color as the main characters to make reading and learning fun for Black and Brown children in St. Louis. The show is produced by St. Louis Nine PBS in partnership with Lion Forge Animation. Nine PBS vice president and chief impact officer Angela Carr said that Black and Brown kids are often left behind in literacy and reading rates, and the show aims to improve in those areas. (Subscription: St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
3. U.S. officials are tracking a large high-altitude balloon from China as it crosses over the United States. Officials anticipated that the balloon's flight path would bring it over the St. Louis area on Friday between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The estimated size of the balloon is about the equivalent of three greyhound buses. (KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis)

Today in St. Louis:

• Fires & Flannels Event At The Summit All Seasons Market At Kirkwood Farmers Market (10:00 AM)
• Cajun Cook-Off At Soulard Market Park (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• St. Louis has some fantastic young people who are sharp and on the ball! Check out a Circus Harmony youth circus show at the third-floor circus ring every weekend. You can view the shows for free with City Museum admission. (City Museum, St Louis, MO via Facebook)
• If you're a student musician, teacher, or string player, there's an excellent opportunity! Grammy Award-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti will conduct a free masterclass with three St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra violinists. The workshop will take place on Feb. 12 from 9-10:30 a.m. at Powell Hall. (St. Louis Symphony Orchestra via Facebook)
• Mark your calendars for an amazing upcoming live musical performance! Fifteen-time Grammy Award-winner Béla Fleck will be performing "My Bluegrass Heart" at Powell Hall on Mar. 31. (St. Louis Symphony Orchestra)
• You may have heard the tornado sirens yesterday morning around 7:30 a.m. Fortunately, there was no need to panic. The warning sirens accidentally went off yesterday during a test. (KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Fires & Flannels Event (February 4)
• Online webinar about our roofing services in St. Louis (February 17)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll be back in your inbox on Monday morning with a new update!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.