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40 South News

Maplewood City Council meets with new AV system installed in chamber; A business license is revoked

2 days 7 hours ago
The Maplewood City Council opened its meeting on Tuesday with City Manager Amber Withycombe introducing the workings of the new audio/visual system in the council chamber. Monitors are wall-mounted on either side of the council, and one facing the council. With the new system, meetings will be live streamed on YouTube, with the recording available […]
Doug Miner

Obituary for Thomas Edward Harman: Jay B. Smith Funeral Homes

4 days 17 hours ago
Jay B. Smith Funeral Homes reports that Thomas Edward Harman, 100, died peacefully on Saturday, January 4, 2025, surrounded by family in Maplewood, Missouri. According to Jay B, Smith, Harmon was a World War II veteran, serving in the United States Army. After military service he became a letter carrier. He was part of the […]
Doug Miner

AN UPDATE ON MAPLEWOOD’S DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT

1 week 5 days ago
At a time when there was anxiety in the Maplewood community about business closings, 40 South News published a piece on Aug. 20 that I wrote called “Is The Maplewood Business District’s Glass Half Empty Or Half Full?” in which I addressed the issues surrounding business vacancies in Downtown Maplewood’s commercial strip. Spoiler alert: My […]
Rob Birenbaum

Maplewood History: Warring Furniture Company

2 weeks 5 days ago
The Warring Furniture company must have been very successful for a long period of time.  After all, they occupied one of the very few three-story buildings that we have in Maplewood. The Warring Furniture Building, at 7422 Manchester, as it looked in 2018.  It has recently been used for audio/visual productions. This 1915 ad from […]
Doug Houser

Maplewood History: Minstrel Shows – Part Four

3 weeks 5 days ago
To better understand this post, you should have read Parts One, Two, and Three first.  If you haven’t, you can link to them here. Part One Part Two Part Three From the program titled: Maplewood Minstrels, Twelfth Annual Minstrel and Dance, February 3-4-5, 1944.  This is page 14. I have nothing to add about this […]
Doug Houser

Sandwich shop coming to former Boardwalk Waffles location: Sauce Magazine

4 weeks 1 day ago
The Japanese-inspired sandwich shop Sando Shack posted on Facebook, and then Sauce Magazine published, that the shop is moving from its location on Morgan Ford Road to 7376 Manchester Road — the former Boardwalk Waffles location. The owner says they’re hoping to opening in April. More in the news: Sauce Magazine — Sando Shack is […]
Doug Miner

Two new shops open on Sutton

4 weeks 2 days ago
Two new shops opened recently on Sutton Boulevard south of Manchester Road: Goldie’s Hair and Wardrobe, on Sutton just north of Marietta Avenue, and Reset Vintage Apparel, south of Marietta. Corrie Reitz is the owner of Goldie’s Hair and Wardrobe (2712 Sutton), with women’s clothing, jewelry, bags, gifts and paper products. She’s also been a […]
Doug Miner

New restaurant to open in former Benevolent King space in Maplewood

1 month ago
A press release announces a new Maplewood restaurant to be opened by an “internationally acclaimed chef” in February: Internationally Acclaimed Chef Alec Schingel to Open New St. Louis Restaurant, Robin, In February 2025 St. Louis (December 13, 2024) – Following two years of pop-ups and private dinners branded as “The Robin Project,” Chef Alec Schingel […]
Doug Miner

Maplewood History: More Ultra Rare Images from the Varilek Collection!!

1 month 2 weeks ago
More unbelievably rare images of early Maplewood come to light! Laura Varilek, a Sutton family descendant, sent more images by email a few days ago.  Regular readers of this blog may recall that some of the rarest images that I have ever uncovered came from Laura’s collection.  She’s sent eight more. I want to impress […]
Doug Houser

MRH, Side Project Brewing in the news

1 month 2 weeks ago
Maplewood Richmond Heights’ academic achievements are in the news, and Sauce magazine tries out Side Project Brewing’s new food offerings. KSMU — Missouri school districts show improvement in annual performance report Sauce Magazine — First Look: Side Project Brewing’s new food concept in Maplewood St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Old Newsboys edition — School-owned house offers high […]
Doug Miner

New store to open on Manchester Road

1 month 2 weeks ago
The small retail space at 7312 Manchester Road, empty since Sole Survivor moved out to take a larger one at 7358 Manchester, will soon have a new tenant, according to a sign on the front window. A QR code on the window goes to a Facebook page for Earthly Enigmas Natural Body Essentials and Oddities, […]
Doug Miner

Maplewood History: Minstrel Shows – Part Three

1 month 3 weeks ago
To better understand this post, you should have read Parts One and Two first.  If you haven’t, you can link to them here. Part One Part Two From the program titled: Maplewood Minstrels, Twelfth Annual Minstrel and Dance, February 3-4-5.  This is page 11. The Seliga shoe store can be seen in this image of […]
Doug Houser

Two From MRH: 1. District ranks in top 1% in state 2. Auditors give MRH highest level of assurance

1 month 3 weeks ago
Maplewood School district has announced news about its high ranking in the state’s Annual Performance Report, and also that auditors have given the District’s financial statements the highest level of assurance. 1. Maplewood Richmond Heights School District currently ranks among the top 1% of Missouri school districts, according to stats released on Nov. 25 by […]
Doug Miner

Reset Vintage Apparel to open pop-up location on Sutton

1 month 3 weeks ago
On Monday, Reset Vintage Apparel owner Bruce Schwerdt and employees were moving part of the shop’s inventory from their location at 2607 Bellevue Avenue into 2718 Sutton Boulevard for a pop-up spot, to run through the holiday season and into 2025.  Reset opened on Bellevue in 2017. At the time, owner Bruce Schwerdt described his […]
Doug Miner

Maplewood Christmas Tree Walk returns on December 6

2 months ago
From carolers to horse drawn carriage rides, the Maplewood Christmas Tree Walk radiates holiday spirit that is reminiscent of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol!” After the grand lighting of the tree and the arrival of Santa at 6:00 p.m., visitors can enjoy a carriage ride and sip hot chocolate while visiting merchant open houses throughout […]
Mid County Chamber of Commerce

Maplewood History: Minstrel Shows – Part Two

2 months 1 week ago
To better understand this post, you should have read Part One first.  If you haven’t, you can here. From the program titled, Maplewood Minstrels, Twelfth Annual Minstrel and Dance, February 3-4-5, 1944, this is page 6. The funeral home that once belonged to Jay B. Smith, the magician, is still in business – a few […]
Doug Houser

Maplewood History: Minstrel Shows – Part One

2 months 1 week ago
Now and then I am asked questions along the lines of, “Has Maplewood always been the very friendly, progressive community that it is today?”  I am happy to be asked these questions because I know that it hasn’t been.  It has taken a lot of effort by myself and many others to create this community […]
Doug Houser