Here’s what’s happening around St. Louis today, Wednesday, November 11, 2026 — from a big school board decision and a hospital deal to a new sports bar opening in Maplewood and a Veterans Day opening at the Holocaust Museum.
St. Louis Public Schools to close 9 campuses in “Future Ready” plan
The St. Louis Public Schools board approved major portions of its “Future Ready” restructuring plan on Tuesday night, reducing the district from 61 to 52 schools. Nine campuses — AESM at L’Ouverture, Ames, Ashland, Carver, Hamilton, Hickey, Meramec, Monroe and Walbridge — will close and be repurposed for the 2027-2028 school year. The plan drew pushback from the teachers’ union, parents and students who asked for more time, and most magnet schools will become neighborhood schools under the changes. A proposal to close McKinley High School was not approved.
Why it matters: This reshapes where thousands of St. Louis families send their kids — and which neighborhood schools survive.
BJC Health to acquire St. Luke’s
BJC Health announced Wednesday that the St. Luke’s hospital network has signed a letter of intent to join its health system. No integration date was given yet; officials will work toward a final agreement and complete a required regulatory review in the coming months. Officials said current patients would be unaffected and can keep seeing their providers and appointments as scheduled. The announcement comes just over a year after St. Luke’s closed its Des Peres Hospital after years of losses.
Why it matters: Two of the region’s biggest health systems joining forces will shape hospital care — and choices — across the St. Louis area.
Alaska Airlines permanently ends its St. Louis–Portland route
Alaska Airlines is permanently ending its St. Louis route to Portland, Oregon, cutting one of the region’s nonstop links to the West Coast. The move trims nonstop options out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport for travelers headed to the Pacific Northwest.
Why it matters: Fewer nonstops means longer trips or connections for St. Louis travelers headed west.
Blues snap skid with 3-2 win over Red Wings
Joel Hofer made 30 saves — 19 of them in the third period — as the St. Louis Blues ended a three-game slide with a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Enterprise Center on Tuesday night. Jimmy Snuggerud had a goal and an assist, and Pius Suter and Justin Barron also scored for the Blues, who improved to 8-8-2. The loss was Detroit’s fourth straight.
Read more: https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/detroit-red-wings-st-louis-blues-game-recap-november-10-2026-x5023
Why it matters: A needed home win to stop the slide — and the Blues head back on the road next, facing the Utah Mammoth on Thursday.
The Sports Bra opens in Maplewood on November 13
The Sports Bra — the sports bar devoted entirely to women’s competitions — opens its first St. Louis location on Friday, November 13, at 7344 Manchester in Maplewood, in the former Boogaloo space. The 2,950-square-foot spot seats 140 indoors with room for about 30 outside and 13 TV screens, all showing women’s sports. Founded in Portland in 2022, the bar is family-friendly and sources ingredients from local women-owned businesses, with a from-scratch menu that includes vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options.
Read more: https://www.stlmag.com/dining/the-sports-bra-st-louis/
Why it matters: Maplewood gets a first-of-its-kind gathering spot for women’s sports fans — just as local teams like the St. Louis SLAM and Arch Rival Roller Derby get a new home base.
Jewish Veterans Memorial Center opens today at the Holocaust Museum
The Jewish Veterans Memorial Center of St. Louis opens a new permanent exhibition today, Veterans Day, inside the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, highlighting more than three centuries of Jewish military service with a special focus on St. Louis veterans. A public opening ceremony runs from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., timed to recall the armistice that ended World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. The exhibition is free during regular museum hours, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Read more: https://stljewishlight.org/news/news-local/st-louis-jewish-veterans-museum/
Why it matters: A fitting way to spend Veterans Day — honoring local veterans whose stories have too often sat in boxes.
That’s St. Louis today. Check back tomorrow afternoon for the next roundup.
