🌱 School COVID Cases Surge + Lake STL Dog Shot In Attack

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

First, today's weather:

Mild with rain and a t-storm. High: 52 Low: 40.

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

1. St. Louis County Schools released new data showing that the number of students with COVID-19 has doubled and the number of infected staff has nearly tripled. Despite the surge in cases, many parents continue to protest mask mandates for their students. Lindbergh, Rockwood, Francis Howell, Parkway, and the Mehlville school districts have all adopted resolutions to make mask mandates optional. (St. Louis American)
2. A Lake St. Louis police officer shot a dog on Sunday following several attacks in Founders Park. At least one victim of the attacks was taken to the hospital by ambulance with bite marks and cuts on his hands and legs. Police then found the dog attacking a woman and attempted to intervene when the dog lunged at one of the officers and was shot. The dog’s condition is not known at this time. (KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis)
3. The new baby rockhopper penguin that hatched at the St. Louis Zoo last month is set to be moved behind the scenes at the Penguin & Puffin Coast exhibit. Zookeepers will be helping the new chick form bonds with the animal care team and work on rock-hopping skills. The chick will return to the penguin colony for public viewing when it learns how to swim. (KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis)

Today's St. Louis Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in St. Louis!

Today in St. Louis:

• Teen Activity Kits At Richmond Heights Memorial Library (9:00 AM)
• Teen Advisory Board At Richmond Heights Memorial Library (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Saint Louis Zoo celebrated the 29th birthday of Raja the elephant, the first Asian elephant calf born at the Zoo. (Facebook)
• St. Louis County Parks is collecting Christmas trees to recycle and reuse as fish habitats or mulch. Anyone wishing to donate a tree can drop it off at Bee Tree Park. (Facebook)
• This is the last week to explore the Winter Wonderland event at the St. Louis County Parks. (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Tuesday! 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.