Dear loyal Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch reader: It is with mixed emotions that I inform you I will be leaving Patch on Oct. 10 to begin a new journey. I have accepted a position with Farm Journal Media in Mexico, MO, where my focus will be social media and reporting with an emphasis on machinery. If you've met me, it probably comes as no surprise that I do not come from an agriculture background. Nonetheless, I'm excited to put on a new kind of reporter's hat and dive headfirst into this new field. My wife, Julie, grew up in unincorporated St. Charles County, spent a lot of time in 4-H and …

At Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch, I'm always looking to add interesting voices to our mix of online content.That's why I'm looking for restaurant owners and managers who operate businesses right here in Clayton and Richmond Heights. We've got a ton of great offerings. I want to learn about your history in our cities, meet your staff, find out about special events, learn insider cooking tips and maybe discover a great recipe every now and then. Blogging is a great way to share your restaurant knowledge and raise awareness of your restaurant because: Your blogs are shared with an established …

We love hearing feedback. So when a Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch reader emailed this week to ask about a feature of some St. Louis ambulances, we decided to investigate. The reader wrote: "I have worked in Clayton in a parking garage and have wondered why the Clayton ambulances have chains hanging under them. I noticed this about Richmond Heights also. Can you tell me what these are for? Thank you." We asked Chief Kerry Hogan of the Richmond Heights Fire Department and Chief Mark Thorp of the Clayton Fire Department to weigh in. Here's what they said in email responses to the question."…

We're excited to inaugurate a new series for Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch readers called "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream." Every day, the national media are full of stories about how American families, businesses, and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times. There are so many changes happening so fast that it's dizzying: national debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities. At Patch, we want to explore that conversation on a daily basis so we can better …

Shelving books, organizing CDs and arranging DVDs requires a meticulous eye and a strong back. Those are lessons I learned Dec. 16, when I had the privilege of volunteering at the Richmond Heights Memorial Library. With the outstanding and gracious instruction of children's librarian Betsy Simmons, children's library assistant Kim Royer and library director Jeanette Piquet—thank you so much, to each of you—I spent time sorting picture books for kids, and fiction and mysteries for adults.I even got to sit in on the afternoon children's reading program and read out loud a book titled, The …