St. Louis on the Air

Latest Episodes:

Breaking down silos to curb violence and create safe spaces for young St. Louisans Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

St. Louis’ Office of Violence Prevention partners with several non-profits that tackle the systemic causes behind violence. Among other resources, organizations provide quality mental health services, supportive re-entry for former offenders and harm reduction. Director Wil Pinkney shares how St. Louisans can get involved.

How St. Louis maintains ‘sister city’ relationships across the world Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

St. Louis has 16 sister city relationships. The oldest was formed more than six decades ago with Stuttgart, Germany; the most recent, with Rosario, Argentina. We talk with the people who maintain St. Louis’ connection with Rosario and a city called St. Louis in Senegal, and discuss the umbrella organization that houses all 16 sister city relationships.

Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ lifts a St. Charles barbershop chorus to its 5th championship Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

On July 8, 113 costumed singers belted out the melody to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” in a choreographed, frenetic performance that ultimately won gold at the International Barbershop Harmony Society Convention — the fifth championship for the St. Charles-based Ambassadors of Harmony barbershop chorus. The chorus’ co-directors, Jim Henry and Jonny Moroni, recount how they planned and pulled together for the competition, and the enduring popularity of barbershop chorus.

Government downplayed risks of radioactive contamination in St. Louis for 75 years Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

Thousands of previously unreleased documents reveal the federal government knew about the dangers of radioactive waste in the St. Louis area but consistently downplayed them. Reporter Allison Kite talks about government negligence and advocate Dawn Chapman shares how the revelations could put needed pressure on federal agencies to finally clean up.

In ‘Wannabe,’ NPR’s Aisha Harris reckons with the pop culture that shapes us Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

In her new book, “Pop Culture Happy Hour” co-host Aisha Harris shares her experiences as a Black, suburban 90s-kid turned-30-something, city-dwelling journalist while digging into the shifting ways we interact with pop culture — and how it touches us in ways we may not even realize.

Evans Howard Place gets a memorial — in the Brentwood shopping center that replaced it Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

Before it was a shopping center, the area occupied by the Promenade at Brentwood was known as Evans Howard Place. On July 8, a new memorial was unveiled in the shopping center. Former resident Allison Reed shares her experience growing up there, and writer and researcher Beth Miller discusses the history of Evans Howard Place, and why a previous memorial was seen as an insufficient way to honor the neighborhood that had existed there for 90 years.

Sk8 Liborius leaders plan next steps after a devastating fire at the St. Louis skate park Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

In late June, a four-alarm fire destroyed the converted church that housed Sk8 Liborious, a beloved indoor skate park and gathering place in north St. Louis. The picture of long term recovery for Sk8 Liborius is still unclear. Its leaders had put together a nonprofit organization hoping to become a community center and provide opportunities for teens to gain technical career skills and discover artistic talent. Now Sk8 Liborious has to answer the question: What’s next?

The Cardinals are on track for their worst season in nearly a century. Can they turn it around? Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

At the All-Star break the St. Louis Cardinals are in last place in the NL Central and are on track for their worst finish in nearly a century. MLB.com columnist Will Leitch discusses the Cardinals’ woes and how the second half may unfold. Leitch is also a contributing editor for New York Magazine and the founding editor of Deadspin.

Lowering the voting age in Missouri will strengthen civic education, students say Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

Young students with Vote16MO are working to lower the voting age to 16 years in Missouri for local elections. They want a say in school board decisions that impact their lives.

Quality child care is hard to find — and it impacts families, the child, and economy Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

The need for child care is putting pressure on families, the economy, and care centers themselves. According to recent research by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, families are forced to make tough decisions between paying hundreds of dollars a month for a child care center — which often means a substantial portion of a family’s monthly income — or leaving the workforce all together to be with their children full-time. Senior economist at the St. Louis Fed Chuck Gascon and Shona Lamond, executive director of Downtown Children’s Center discuss the worrying trend with data, anecdotes, and ideas on fixing it.

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