🌱 Soulcial Kitchen Serves Meals To Needy + Mayor Reduces Wards

Good morning, St. Louis! Like many of you, the Patch team is taking some time off to enjoy the holidays, 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:

Breezy with periods of sun. High: 67 Low: 58.

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

1. As part of a “Love Thy Neighbor” initiative started by Soulcial Kitchen, the organization is headed to East St. Louis to serve 100 hot meals to those in need. A Soulcial Kitchen-branded food truck will head to East St. Louis City Hall in order to pass out the meals. Individuals can pick up their meals at noon. (Riverfront Times)
2. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones' office on Thursday said she'd sign bills reducing the city's number of wards by half and extending downtown's taxing district. The Board of Aldermen earlier this month gave final approval to a new 14-ward map via Board Bill 101, with ward reduction set to kick in after the April 2023 election. The city currently has 28 wards. (KSDK.com)
3. The city and St. Patrick Center are moving forward with a new “intentional” homeless encampment project north of downtown to replace the former “Camp Cole,” which officials said was largely successful but shut down in early November after running out of funding.
   The St. Louis Board of Estimate and Apportionment, the city’s top fiscal body, last week approved a $905,000 contract with St. Patrick Center for a “homeless intentional encampment project.” The city’s Department of Human Services requested the approval of the contract, which will be paid for using American Rescue Plan Act funds. (STLtoday.com)

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Today in St. Louis:

• Holiday Magic At The Magic House (9:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• The James Webb Space Telescope is set to launch on the morning of Dec. 25! Learn a little bit more about this amazing scientific tool from our solar system ambassador Chris. Visit NASA's website to read further about the telescope. (Facebook)

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That's it for today. I'll see you around!

— 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.