St. Louis on the Air

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How St. Louis won the bid to host the 2028 U.S. Olympic marathon trials Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

St. Louis is set to host the 2028 U.S. Olympic marathon trials, bringing the nation’s top distance runners back to the city that hosted America’s first Olympics. We hear from St. Louis Sports Commission President Marc Schreiber, Go! St. Louis President Mona Vespa and St. Louis Run Club founder Ricky Hughes about the excitement around the marathon trials and what it’ll take to pull it off. We also listen back to a conversation with public historian Adam Kloppe of the Missouri Historical Society about the disastrous 1904 Olympic marathon.

Sapphic dating show ‘Closet Space’ sparks joy and connection in Missouri’s queer community Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

Created by St. Louisan Lindsey Goodhart, “Closet Space” is a sapphic blind dating show that fosters a welcoming space for the LGBTQ community through its live studio audience. Goodhart reflects on how the show has sparked genuine connections and the importance of establishing dedicated queer spaces in Missouri, both on and off the stage.

Dog attacks seem to be on the rise in St. Louis. Here’s why — and how to stay safe Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Multiple dog attacks in St. Louis have made local headlines and shown up on social media feeds this past week. The issue’s not new, but data shows a marked increase in dangerous animal complaints in St. Louis in recent years. For residents like Slayden Figg, who was attacked by three loose dogs last year, the issue is so pervasive that he’s decided to move out of the city. We talk with him about the attack and the physical, mental and financial hardships he endured from it. We also discuss the underlying causes behind these attacks, city enforcement of animal laws, irresponsible dog ownership, and how to stay safe during a dog attack with the medical director at the Center for Animal Rescue and Enrichment of St. Louis and an animal control supervisor with the City of St. Louis.

These Black St. Louis authors want to fire kids up about reading and writing their own stories Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

Encouraging a child’s love of books has benefits beyond reading. Ahead of a literacy event this Saturday, St. Louis authors Darian Wigfall and Pancho Rucker share what motivates their advocacy, and how encouraging youth to love books and write their own stories promotes confidence and self-worth. The writers are part of a free, all-ages June 13 “Reading is Fire” event, organized by Wigfall, that includes books, games, live music, and readings by several local Black authors.

The Missouri town that inspired ‘Tom Sawyer’ celebrates his 150th birthday Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" introduced readers to characters inspired by the childhood of its author Mark Twain. June 9 is the 150th anniversary of the book's publication in 1876. Multiple events are planned in Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, marking the book’s real-life setting and literary impact. Mark Schneider, development and marketing manager at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, talks about the history of Twain’s book, its unique place in American culture and history, and why its language, characters and lessons remain relevant today – and hotly debated.

Edwardsville author unearths the stories of the women who shaped Route 66 Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

Beyond aprons and roadside diners, women helped power and preserve Route 66. Edwardsville resident Cheryl Eicher Jett’s new book “Aprons Away: Women’s Work on Route 66” — which first premiered as a play — chronicles untold stories of more than 80 women who worked along the Mother Road’s 2,448-mile stretch. We talk with the author about some histories of the women who shaped the landmark, including some from the St. Louis area.

Here’s what St. Louis restaurants opened and closed in May 2026 Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

More than 20 new restaurants, bars and cafes came onto the St. Louis area food scene in May. We discuss a sampling of them — and a few places that closed — in our monthly new restaurants run-down.

How WashU moved to preserve and archive the shuttered Riverfront Times Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

When the Riverfront Times abruptly closed its newsroom and ceased print publication, it marked the end of an era for the alt-weekly that had chronicled St. Louis arts, culture and public affairs for decades. But the newspaper’s history lives on through the archival efforts led by Washington University Libraries. Miranda Rechtenwald, curator of local history in the Department of Special Collections at WashU, discusses how the partnership came together, the importance of preserving local publications and how the general public can engage with the collection.

Cultural institutions and family homes among ‘Most Enhanced’ renovation projects of 2025 Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Each year, the Landmarks Association of St. Louis recognizes projects for its "Most Enhanced Awards." This year, awardees include a former gas station-turned-piano-cafe, a classic shotgun-style brick home and a senior living facility in East St. Louis. Landmarks executive director Stuart Keating talks about why the renovations of those and other cultural institutions like Powell Hall and Uncle Bill’s made the cut for this year. We also meet an awardee, architect Max Bemberg. Keating and Bemberg share their insights into what “most enhanced” means in St. Louis and what these buildings can teach us.

‘Welcome to hell': Physical and sexual abuse allegations at Missouri treatment center Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

For more than 20 years, so-called “troubled” kids and teens from across the country have been sent to Change Academy at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Now, former students of the youth treatment center are suing, alleging physical assault by its staff, and sexual abuse by fellow residents. Midwest Newsroom reporter Luke Nozicka shares the details of his new investigation into those allegations, and what former students and staff say about years of abuse they witnessed.

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