Don's Blog - Neighborhood Drama 12-7-21

Jan and I were having a chili dinner last night when we could no longer hear each other talk. There was a
loud rumbling sound like a locomotive over our head. And then it didn't stop and it went on for more than 10 or more minutes.
We knew what it was from the last time - a helicopter was circling right over us with the noise getting
louder and then slightly less loud and then louder again and it just kept on. The last time it happened was several years ago
and the police were searching for some perpetrators.

About this time we got a call from our friends on the other side of the County Park next door. They said they weren't sure what
was going on but there was the helicopter and multiple lights flashing in the park around the Frank Lloyd Wright House and the surrounding woods. They wanted to make sure we were all right and suggested we lock our doors. Jan called next door to let them know.
Our next door neighbor had been out in the freezing cold on his back patio smoking and having a glass of wine. A young girl came running by and disappeared into the park. He called the Kirkwood Police who responded immediately. He talked to them and found out that the girl was a 12 year old runaway. The helicopter continued to circle using its very bright searchlight as those on the ground combed the woods behind our house (using my paths) using bright flashlights.

Using searcher dogs the police were able to find the girl unharmed in a rest room of the nearby St. Gerard Church. Everyone was relieved. That's all we found out so far. Its interesting how quickly the situation in our heads changed from possible danger to us to concern for a young runway girl whose name we did not recognize. What a drama on Pearl Harbor Day.

Then we finished dinner as the neighborhood.