St. Louis on the Air

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Facing ‘unsustainable’ costs, St. Louis County Library issues limits on Hoopla and Libby use Jan 23, 2025

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St. Louis County Library is spending more than half its collections budget on digital “eMedia” through subscriptions to services like Libby and Hoopla. The library told its patrons this month the cost would become “unsustainable” without changes. We hear from the library's director, Kristen Sorth, about the changing landscape for accessing books and other digital media, and the decisions facing libraries to maintain the public’s access.

What’s in a flag? How to represent the collective history and culture of a state Jan 23, 2025

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Between now and Feb. 14, Illinois residents can vote on whether to change their state flag — and if so, which resident-submitted design they'd like to see flying in the wind. We hear from two Illinois Flag Commission members who helped whittle down the selection from nearly 5,000 designs to the top ten. Flag design expert Ted Kaye also shares his suggestions for how those designs could be improved.

How a St. Louis-based tutoring program helps Black students achieve beyond systemic biases Jan 22, 2025

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A growing and significant body of research suggests that students benefit from having a teacher of the same race or ethnicity. Yet most teachers in the U.S. are white women. St. Louis entrepreneur Angelica Harris founded Top Tutors for Us to pair Black high school students with tutors who look like them. She shares how their services have led to improved test scores and higher college acceptance rates of their students.

How a firefighter’s frustration led to better technology to fight fires Jan 22, 2025

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About 15 years ago, Jason Cerrano was working for the Pattonville Fire Protection District when he conceptualized a way to make it more efficient for firefighters to put out fires. He wanted to automate how a fire truck selects its water source and pumps water, and allow pump operators to pay attention to other critical firefighting tasks. Cerrano, a graduate of Missouri S&T, discusses how he invented the SAM Control System that more than 120 fire departments employ. We also hear from Chief Hans Mueller of the Freeburg Fire Protection District in Illinois about his department’s use of the technology.

All-Black improv team performs for laughs, boosts diversity on stage and in the crowd Jan 21, 2025

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NASA mission that seeks to put an artificial star in space is named after Metro East scientist Jan 21, 2025

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A NASA mission that aims to launch a small satellite into Earth’s orbit in 2029 is named after Arlo Landolt, a renowned astronomer with roots in the Metro East. The goal of the Landolt Space Mission is to help scientists calibrate telescopes to more accurately measure the brightness of stars. We talk with Jennifer Boutte, the daughter of the late Arlo Landolt, about the honor. Peter Plavchan, the principal investigator of the mission, also discusses the mission’s goals.

Incarnate Word Academy basketball team continues to rack up wins – and their hold on a national record Jan 17, 2025

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The young ladies of Incarnate Word Academy’s varsity basketball team have managed to defeat every last one of their opponents for 141 games running. That makes them the national record holder for girls basketball consecutive wins. Guards Nevaeh Caffey and Addi Owen join their coach Dan Rolfes to discuss their schools 5-year winning streak and what the record means to them.

Arts organizations work in harmony to offer piano and violin lessons at St. Louis County jail Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

The sound of music took center stage at the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton this week. Two St. Louis Symphony Orchestra musicians visited the women’s residence to announce “Melodies of Hope,” a music education program for people incarcerated there. We talk with STLPR Arts and Culture reporter Jeremy Goodwin about his coverage of the new program. We also meet Dustin Politte-Bender, a music therapist overseeing the Maryville University students leading music exercises in the program.

From Belleville to the Chicago Bulls, E.J. Liddell never lost sight of his dreams Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

Chicago Bulls player E.J. Liddell talks about his journey from Belleville to becoming a professional basketball player in the NBA. Liddell shares what has helped him in pursuing his dreams. He goes into depth about the community he surrounds himself with and the steps it took for him to become the best version of himself. He also reminisces about life in the Metro East.

Residents sound off on St. Louis' response to snow storm Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

The latest snowstorm turned into an icy nightmare has unified people across the region. On this episode of St. Louis on the Air, listeners shared their grievances, hopes on how to make the next bout of winter weather easier on residents and the good they saw in neighbors helping each other out.

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