Up to 60 billion cicadas are about to emerge from the ground in St. Louis for the first time in 13 years. Nicole Pruess, invertebrate keeper at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, talks about this extraordinary occurrence and how periodical cicadas are a nutritional boon to the region’s wildlife — and even its human residents.
Nearly a decade after community members installed a single basketball hoop on a corner lot along Cherokee St., Love Bank Park has been developed in a big way. “To see it actually happening was just pure magic,” said Eric "Prospect" White, a core leader of Love Bank Park’s redevelopment. The park, founded by neighborhood residents and business owners, “is more than just a space to play basketball,” said Pacia Elaine Anderson, a fellow leader of the park’s redevelopment. “It's something that could be a lifeline for people that need it.”
A new sober support group is aiming to help food and service professionals. Chef Max Bredenkoetter explores the challenges of addiction in the food industry, and discusses his pop-up event series "Temperance Kitchen.” Also, Sauce Magazine’s Meera Nagarajan delivers another order of new spots to eat and drink, including a new salad-centric restaurant that grows its own lettuce.
Research around adult sibling relationships shows the health of those bonds has a significant bearing on long-term psychological and emotional well-being. Megan Gilligan, professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, directs the Families in Later Life Lab at Mizzou. In this episode, she discusses what makes sibling relationships unique, how various stages and phases of adulthood affect sibling dynamics, and how future research can help us understand the roles adult siblings play in one another’s lives — especially as they care for aging parents and family members.
Although Missouri Democrats are in the minority in both the House and Senate, senators have more power to affect the flow of legislation thanks to the chamber’s tradition of a strong filibuster and divides between Senate Republicans. With the session winding down, Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, discusses what’s left to accomplish including passing a state budget and renewing a critical tax that pays for the state’s Medicaid program.
A campaign gathering signatures to legalize sports betting in Missouri is optimistic that voters will have the chance to approve it this November. Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for the campaign, discusses the initiative petition process and what legal sports gambling would look like in Missouri. We also hear why Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, is opposed to the measure.
A group of bipartisan legislators earlier this week voted down a report that would have recommended a formal letter of disapproval for Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher. Among other issues, the ethics committee was investigating how Plocher was reimbursed for travel expenses. The scuttled report also accused him of “absolute obstruction.” Missouri Independent Editor-in-Chief Jason Hancock discusses his reporting on this story.
One year after being sworn in as chief of the Ferguson Police Department, Troy Doyle reflects on what it takes to promote a cultural shift among officers and discusses his efforts to recast a department thrust into national and global spotlight after Michael Brown Jr.'s killing by a Ferguson police officer nearly 10 years ago.
The owners of the St. Louis Cardinals are preparing to make a big ask of its fans – a proposition that will likely amount to asking taxpayers to help fund renovations to Busch Stadium. Economists are skeptical that such investments benefit their communities. In this episode, we talk with freelance journalist Eric Berger about his story on the topic which was commissioned by the River City Journalism Fund.
The Madison County Board approved a measure on Wednesday evening that will put a symbolic referendum to voters in November — asking if the Metro East county should secede from Illinois and create a new state. In advance of that vote, STLPR Metro East reporter Will Bauer discussed his reporting on this story.
Chef Rob Connoley and Normandy High School senior Alex Belton are a dynamic culinary duo, aspiring toward major wins this June. The Bulrush chef-owner was named a Best Chef finalist for the 2024 James Beard Foundation Awards earlier this month, while Belton earned her spot in a national culinary competition after securing regional and state wins this year.
Nearly 650 people were injured or killed while walking or biking in St. Louis and St. Louis County in 2023. That statistic signifies a lot of trauma that stems from traffic violence, according to Trailnet CEO Cindy Mense. She shares information and stories from Trailnet’s 2023 Crash Report and suggests measures that regional leaders can take to protect all roadway users.
Missouri legalized recreational cannabis in December 2022, but stigma surrounding its use is especially isolating for mothers who use marijuana. Jessica Carroll and Kimberlee Kesterson, founders of STL Cannamoms, share the inspiration behind their online community, which has over 3,600 members, and how they support one another in ways that go beyond cannabis consumption.
A disturbing photo of a paralyzed detainee in the St. Louis City Justice Center has triggered calls for accountability and improvement in the city’s main jail. Now the attorney who took that photo says she’s facing retaliation. Sue McGraugh, director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at Saint Louis University, discusses becoming a whistleblower, facing the blowback from Sheriff Vernon Betts, and the impact of new jail policy banning phones.
Kristen Slaughter and Kiara Brown have an unconventional friendship. They’re 22 years apart in age and their relationship was only slated to last one year. Matched through a Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri mentorship program, the two have now been friends for more than 20 years. In this encore episode, we listen back to Slaughter and Brown talk about their enduring friendship. Last year, Slaughter was named CEO of the nonprofit organization, and Brown now has her own career and is the mother of two children.
What was once an empty strip mall in Dellwood reopened in September as a $20 million economic hub serving north St. Louis County. The R&R Marketplace came after more than a decade of work by married pastors Beverly and Ken Jenkins. Beverly and Ken tell the story of its creation, from praying at an empty parking lot, to the Ferguson protests, to seeing the grand opening.
It’s a familiar rule: people should not spend more than 30% of their income on housing. But for many who rent in St. Louis, that percentage has long been higher. And it’s moving very quickly in the wrong direction. In 2022, the local nonprofit Action St. Louis put out a survey to capture data on city renter experiences and created a report called “The Rental Landscape of St. Louis 2023,” and the picture it paints has much more shadow than light.
Pop rock band the Aerovons was formed in St. Louis in 1966 by 16-year-old Tom Hartman and his bandmates. Their work never made it to vinyl — until now. A remastered version of their album "Resurrection," recorded 55 years ago at EMI Recording Studios in London, will be released by Euclid Records on April 20. Band leader Tom Hartman recalls meeting Paul McCartney and George Harrison in 1969, the Aerovons’ decades-long road to this achievement and what it means to have their work recognized now.
Country music is in public discourse after international superstar Beyoncé released “Cowboy Carter.” The album also has listeners discovering unsung Black country artists, and the attention has brought attention to unsung Black country artists. Singer-songwriter Michael B. Whit shares his perspective as a Black man with rural roots and as a country musician, and reflects on the impact of Black musicians in the genre.
VineBrook homes spent the last few years buying thousands of homes in St. Louis and other cities. Instead of maintaining the homes, tenants say the company is turning to evictions and allowing the homes to fall into disrepair. There’s more: Facing debt, VineBrook is starting to sell its vast stock of properties. Midwest Newsroom investigative reporter Kavaugn Mansuri breaks down the evidence and explores what might happen if the company folds.
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