Festus officials and data center developers held secret, illegal meetings, lawsuit says

Residents of Festus, Missouri, have initiated legal action to halt a proposed $6 billion data center development. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, seeks to block the project and accuses Festus officials and the data center developers of engaging in illegal, secret discussions surrounding the controversial development. The legal challenge emerges just a week after the Festus City Council officially approved the data center project. The suit further claims to possess unflattering text exchanges from city officials regarding the project's opponents. Zachary Murray, a vocal opponent, addressed the Festus City Council during a meeting at Festus High School earlier in March, underscoring the strong local opposition to the facility.