■ The Jefferson County Council is expected Dec. 26 to choose a successor to District 5 Councilman Jim Kasten, who is resigning his seat on the council this month. After interviewing five candidates at its Monday meeting, the council whittled down the field to two finalists and will vote at its Dec. 26 meeting to appoint one of those to replace Kasten. The two finalists are Dan Darian, 46, of the De Soto area, and Kasten’s daughter, Erin Kasten, 42, of Pevely.
■ A wide variety of fundraising is underway to benefit the family of Arnold Police Officer Ryan O’Connor, who was shot in the head by a burglary suspect on Dec. 5. As of Saturday, O’Conner, who has undergone at least two surgeries at St. Anthony’s Medical Center in south St. Louis County, had begun to show some signs of “neurological improvement,” Arnold Police reported on its Facebook Page. Despite that improvement, O’Connor remained in critical, but stable condition on Monday. See the story by Kevin Carbery and Kim Robertson.
■ The Jefferson County Health Department plans to take some of its services on the road in a few weeks, in hopes of helping county residents get ahead of chronic disease through free screenings, health advice and a “warm hand-off” to treatment providers, said Kelley Vollmar, the department’s director. The department’s Board of Trustees voted 5-0 after its Nov. 30 meeting to spend $96,500 for a used mobile wellness van, a 2000 Airstream with 81,000 miles, to kick off a countywide mobile health program. See Peggy Bess’ story.
■ Through Saturday, Jefferson County’s tally of confirmed flu cases had climbed to more than eight times the number reported to the county Health Department by early December last year.
But not to worry, said Dylan Steigerwald, Health Department epidemiologist. “There’s nothing too alarming, so far,” Steigerwald said. “We had 30 confirmed cases (in the week that ended Dec. 2), the highest so far (this season). But it can be up into the 100s or 200s a week when we’re at the peak.” In the week that ended Dec. 9, only 15 cases were reported. See Peggy Bess’ story.
■ A new dog park is planned for FerdB. Lang Park at 1820 Old Lemay Ferry Road in Arnold and could open early in the new year. The new dog park would replace the flood-damaged Paw Park in Arnold City Park and the current Paw Park in Ferd B. Lang Park. See Tracey Bruce’s story.
■ Associate editor Gordon Bess takes on the national debt in the Editorial Section this week. He don’t like it.
■ The Hillsboro boys and Herculaneum girls won their won basketball tournaments and are both undefeated this season. Also, in The County Line, read about Leader Sports editor Russell Korando’s two-day, three-tournament journey.
*** Is it cold enough for Frosty?