Funding Secured for New Transitional Housing Campus

Festus, MO · September 24, 2026

Gray skies and calm morning air make for easy walking along Main Street today. Between morning preschool storytime and afternoon tennis up on the hill, there is plenty of local life to catch.

The Lead

Plans to convert the former Sacred Heart School property into Caritas House are entering their final preparation phase ahead of a planned groundbreaking this fall. Backed by more than $2.3 million in secured funding, the project will repurpose the campus into a 15- to 20-bed transitional living center, offering short-term shelter, meals, and job-placement programs for unhoused adults across Jefferson County.

For the Twin Cities, the development fulfills a longstanding push for dedicated regional support services without altering the neighborhood’s residential scale. Project organizers are currently wrapping up site permits and reviewing final contractor bids, aiming to turn dirt before winter conditions set in.

Local Pulse

Public Hearing Set on Property Tax Levy City Hall Council members will take public feedback Monday at 5:50 PM before setting the city’s 2026 property tax rates.
School Meal Benefit Deadline Arrives Friday Schools Families must submit updated school meal applications by Friday afternoon to maintain federal program assistance without interruption.
Playground Surfacing Complete at Turtle Cove Parks Crews finished installing poured rubber surfacing at the inclusive playground while contractors prepare equipment for the adjacent splash pad.

Today's Outlook

High 68°F · Low 61°F — Overcast
- Grab a light layer this morning for a gray, comfortably cool walk outside.

What's On Around Town

Today

Preschool Storytime Festus Public Library (400 W Main St), 9:30–10:00 AM · Free Interactive picture books, songs, and rhymes designed for toddlers and early learners.
Tigers Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Windsor Festus High School (1515 Mid-Meadow Ln), 4:00–5:00 PM · Free Catch the varsity squad take on conference rivals on the home courts.
Festus Varsity Volleyball vs. Lindbergh Festus High School (1515 Mid-Meadow Ln), 7:00–8:00 PM Fast-paced non-conference action under the high school gymnasium lights tonight.

Tomorrow

Festus Tigers Varsity Football vs. Hillsboro Hillsboro High School (12 Hawk Dr), Hillsboro, 7:00–10:00 PM · Paid

Saturday

Library LEGO Club Festus Public Library (400 W Main St), 10:00 AM · Free
George Portz Traditional Music Festival Larry G. Crites Memorial Park, 10:00 AM–9:00 PM · $12

Spotlight & Story

Bailey Road Before it linked downtown Festus to Crystal City, this busy corridor ran through the farmland of John Martin Bailey. Born in 1821, Bailey saw the local 1870s railroad depot adopt his name long before paved traffic replaced wagon ruts.

Festus Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.

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