■ That woman you saw in a recent movie or TV show throwing punches or hanging onto a speeding car just may have been Jefferson County native C.C. Ice. A professional stuntwoman with numerous credits, Ice was the stunt double for actress Elizabeth Olsen in the Marvel Comics superhero film “Avengers: Infinity War” released in 2018 and in “Avengers: Endgame,” set for release in April. Ice, 38, is based in Atlanta, Ga., which has become a major hub in the entertainment industry. She also is co-owner of a couple of gyms in the Atlanta area that cater to stunt performers, including one where “previs,” or previsualization of complex scenes, are shot. While Ice is rooted in Atlanta now, she grew up in Jefferson County, attending Jefferson R-7 schools and then finishing at Herculaneum High School, where she graduated in 1999. See Kevin Carbery’s story.
■ Two Jefferson County residents have died because of the flu, the county Health Department reported, as flu cases continue to rise. The two influenza-related deaths were the first reported so far this season, which began in October and will run through May. Dylan Steigerwald, the department’s epidemiologist, said the two deaths were both older adults, and noted that the county typically sees a few flu-related deaths every season. The last flu season was an anomaly, however, with a record 16 flu-related deaths. By this time in the 2017-2018 season, eight deaths had already been reported. See Katelyn Mary Skaggs’ story.
■ The state has finally handed out the report cards for Jefferson County’s 11 public school districts, and everyone got an A. Nine of the school districts showed gains over the previous year’s scores, and one, Sunrise R-9, maintained its perfect score, according to the Annual Performance Report (APR) issued by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for the 2017-2018 school year, Sunrise and Festus R-6, which tied for first among the county’s school districts on the APR, joined 84 other districts around the state that earned perfect scores. Only one district in the county, the Fox C-6 School District, had scores that fell from the previous year, with the district moving to ninth place among the county’s public schools after finishing a strong second the previous three years. See Steve Taylor’s story and graphic.
■ A Jefferson Countian is serving as the traffic cop in the Missouri House of Representatives again this year. Rob Vescovo (R-Arnold), who is in his third two-year term representing the 112th District in the House, was re-elected by members of the House Republican Caucus to serve as majority floor leader, considered the second-highest office in the chamber behind the speaker. Vescovo, 42, was first elected to the post in May 2018 to replace Mike Cierpiot of Kansas City, who won a state Senate seat in a special election. As the majority floor leader, Vescovo is charged with setting the pace of the House. See Steve Taylor’s story.
■ When Crystal City residents receive their February bills for water and sewer service over the next week or so, they will see higher rates. The water rate has increased from $16.22 per 1,000 gallons of water used to $16.78 per 1,000 gallons, a 3.45 percent increase. The sewer rate has risen from $4.49 per 1,000 gallons of water used to $4.64 per 1,000 gallons of water, a 3.34 percent increase. See Kevin Carbery’s story.
■ Comtrea has opened a dental care and behavioral health services center in the basement at Dunklin R-5 School District’s Senn-Thomas Middle School in Herculaneum. About 20 people turned out for a grand-opening ceremony held Feb. 1 at Senn Thomas, 200 Senn-Thomas Drive. The center opened in December. See Kevin Carbery’s story.
■ Sports editor Russell Korando writes about the challenges in dealing with the explosive popularity of the new statewide girls wrestling program, and lots of high school basketball.
■ The Editorial column this week is by Peggy Bess, about Valentine’s Day and grandchildren. The Jefferson County Leader made room for extra letters to the editor.
*** Let’s pray the groundhog was right. Enough with winter!