St. Louis on the Air

Dilapidated and vacant buildings are more than eyesores for the community. They can lower property value and impact safety. But before starting up the bulldozers, Landmarks Illinois wants property owners and city governments to consider renovation and restoration. Their latest list of endangered historic places includes the Spivey Building in East St. Louis and various Meramec Caverns Barns including one in Madison County. Quinn Adamowski, regional manager of advocacy for Landmarks Illinois explains why renovation helps communities more than demolition and what successful rehabilitation looks like.

Just a year and a half after forming, the St. Louis-based improv team Some Black People took the championship belt in the Improv Shop’s 2024 Cagematch Tournament. Jessica Nicole, founder of Some Black People, shares what clinched it for them, and how far they’ve come in their goal to encourage more Black folks to get into improv as performers and fans.

In the new book “Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America,” Washington University professor Gerald Early traces the powerful impact of Black Americans on the game from the post-Civil War era to today. Written in collaboration with the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the book highlights pivotal figures, defining moments, and the lasting influence of Black players.

The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis highlighted the nation's triumphs but it also reveled in public exploitation of indigenous Filipinos, who were put on display to demonstrate the "savagery" of other cultures. In addition to the 47-acre "Philippine Village," the Philippine Constabulary Band was also a popular attraction. Piccolo player Pedro B. Navarro was a key member of the band. His great-granddaughter, Mary Lacanlale, an ethnomusicologist at California State University, shares insights about the band, the exploitation of Filipino people at the World's Fair and her ancestor's experience there. She also reflects on the recent dedication of a memorial to the Philippine Village in Clayton.

Robert Cohen recently retired after a 38-year career, the last 25 years spent at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Cohen was part of a team of Post photographers who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for their work covering the Ferguson protests. Cohen reflects on his famous photo of Edward ‘Skeeda’ Crawford throwing a tear gas canister during the protests, and other moments from his career in journalism.

Essence Anthony’s passion for art started when she was a kid, but she stopped painting as she grew older. She was recently diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, which brought her back to her love of painting. She shares what it’s like to live with the disorder, how she navigates her challenges through a creative outlet and how she uses her art to raise awareness about the disorder.

After losing reelection in April, former St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones says she wants to take a break from politics. It’s the first time in the last 20 years that she hasn’t held elected office. Talking with STLPR’s Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum, Jones reflects on her four years as mayor and the state of Black leadership in St. Louis and around the country.

The St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Catholic Church in north St. Louis received $500,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to restore its 120-year-old stained glass windows. Acting pastor Rev. Rodney Olive and longtime parishioner Monica Huddleston share what that grant funding means for the historic, predominantly Black church that’s endured more than its share of building damage — and why the preservation work is important for the community around the church.

After the Trump administration revoked thousands of student visas, including over 30 in the St. Louis area, some students prepared themselves for possible deportation and loss of their education. Now that the government has restored those visas, St. Louis immigration attorney Jim Hacking shares his insights from the recent whiplash in legal developments — and why lawsuits filed to defend international students aren’t going away.

Linda Lockhart, a longtime St. Louis journalist, with a more than 40-year career died Sunday. She was 72. Lockhart worked at several St. Louis journalism outlets including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and St. Louis Public Radio. In this episode, we listen back to an interview she did on this show in 2019 reflecting on her career. We also hear from others including her daughter, Rachel Seward, and STLPR afternoon newscaster Marissanne Lewis-Thompson.

In 2024, nearly 60 pedestrians in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County were killed — the deadliest year on record since Trailnet began issuing its annual Crash Report. We discuss the reasons behind these crashes, the effects of traffic violence on the people who experience it, and the solutions being put in place to make our streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

St. Louisan Henry “Mule” Townsend is a legend among blues lovers and music historians. Almost 19 years after his death, Townsend is being inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in Memphis, TN. Music manager and Townsend’s youngest son Alonzo, and Kathy Corley, producer of the documentary film “That’s The Way I Do It” which covers Townsend’s life and music career, share what Townsend’s induction to the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame means for his legacy, for blues music and culture, and for St. Louis.

After the city of Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces on April 30, 1975, Tram Anh Nguyen’s family was among the first Vietnamese refugees to make their new home in St. Louis. Nguyen talks about producing "The Fall of Saigon: 50 Years Later,” which explores the impact of the war in Vietnam — and its end — on St. Louis-area based refugees, sponsor families and U.S. veterans. The “Five on Your Side” KSDK special airs May 6 and will be available to stream on its 5+ app thereafter.

President Trump’s decision to appoint former Missouri lawyer Ed Martin as U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., sparked surprise, befuddlement and virulent opposition. ProPublica investigative reporter Jeremy Kohler discusses how Martin became a high-profile political figure in the Show Me State — in no small part due to his provocative public statements and pugnacious personality.

President Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office on April 30. St. Louis region residents, politicians and STLPR reporters share how Trump’s actions in office have made a mark on the region so far — including the effects of immigration raids, federal job losses, investment in a St. Louis-based Boeing manufacturing plant, and federal funding cuts to cancer and vaccine research.

In 2021, Frontenac native Tara Mahadevan decided to fill a longtime void in media coverage of St. Louis music, arts and lifestyle created by Black people or people of colour by founding the print magazine Search Party. Mahadevan, a Chicago-based music journalist who maintains strong ties to St. Louis, talks about the scope and focus of Search Party Magazine. She also shares why visual representation of St. Louis’ racial and ethnic diversity was prioritized in the magazine, especially with its second, music-focused issue. The culture-centered third issue of Search Party is in the works for the latter half of 2025.

After performing at various venues for its past two seasons, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is gearing up to return to Powell Hall. The $140 million expansion and renovation will include an education and learning center, rehearsal space and places for the community to gather before and after performances. Music director Stéphane Denève and President and CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard discuss the past two nomadic seasons and how they’re looking forward to returning to Powell Hall in September.

There was no announcement, but the word got out: Grand Bistro had opened. A line of customers snaking down South Grand became a common sight this month, and it harkened back to when its predecessor, Pho Grand, was open in the same location. STLPR’s Jessica Rogen and Abby Llorico discuss April's restaurant openings and closings.

A judge's sentence of five month’s probation in the high-profile case of a former cop who opened fire at a Halloween trunk-or-treat is an example of the challenges judges face every day. “Doing sentencing is the most difficult thing I think that trial judges do,” says former Judge Nannette Baker, who discussed the case on this month’s Legal Roundtable. Along with the controversial sentencing, Baker and attorneys Bill Freivogel and Sarah Swatosh analyze the latest updates on KDHX’s bankruptcy and revelations about interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin.

After being closed for renovations since 2020, the historic Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis will reopen to the public on Saturday. It’s the final phase of a $380 million decade-long project to enhance the Gateway Arch National Park grounds. The Old Courthouse is famous as the site where Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom in the mid-1800s, a case that ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court where slavery was upheld. Jeremy Sweat, superintendent of the Gateway Arch National Park, and Ryan McClure, executive director of the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, join the show — in addition to Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott, and artist Cbabi Bayoc.

Tina Pamintuan served 3½ years as CEO of St. Louis Public Radio. Now, she’s headed to an NPR member-station in Seattle, Washington. She reflects on her time at STLPR, and the future of public radio nationally.

When Emilio Hernandez and Patrick Lawrence started Occults, they had no intention of building a fanbase. The two best friends of nearly 25 years had a very simple goal — create music that they’ve loved as teens as an outlet during the global lockdowns at the start of the pandemic. Now, they are hitting the road and touring across the country with a stop in St. Louis — their hometown and where their friendship began.

Muhammad “Mvstermind” Austin, founder of Mvstercamp, joins producer Miya Norfleet for April’s new music show on St. Louis on the Air. They discuss some of their favorite new songs from St. Louis-area artists, including Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther” and “Kerosene” by Lani Rose.

Several St. Louis streets have given way to gaping holes in the past week, exposing a side of our city's built environment most of us have never seen. But are these sinkholes, or cave-ins? Historian Chris Naffziger goes beneath the surface of these definitions to share some of the stories hiding beneath our feet.

Missouri provided a spark to the abortion rights movement that’s warily monitoring a GOP-controlled federal government, Planned Parenthood President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said Wednesday at an event in Clayton. STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum discusses McGill Johnson’s visit.

Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88, was a trailblazer in many ways. He was the first Latin-American pontiff and the first non-European to lead the Roman Catholic Church in more than 1,000 years. He was also the first Jesuit ever elected pope, a detail that’s often overlooked. That Jesuit background is especially relevant in St. Louis, a city with deep religious and cultural ties to the Catholic Church. The Rev. Thomas Flowers, an assistant professor of Ignatian formation at St. Louis University, discusses how Jesuit traditions influenced Francis’ papacy.

Michael Politte spent 23 years in prison for the murder of his mother — a crime that evidence now suggests he did not commit. He won parole in 2022, but a juror who helped put him in prison won’t rest until his name is cleared. Politte shares what he’s been up to in the three years since his release, and we hear from the juror who’s fighting for his innocence.

Missouri Republican legislators are trying for a second time to prohibit local law enforcement from enforcing federal gun restrictions. Missouri Newsroom investigative reporter Kavahn Mansouri shares the latest development in the saga of the Second Amendment Preservation Act, and why police groups and officials say the law creates the same problems as its predecessor.

The Center for Bosnian Studies has a new home base. Two decades after its founding as the Bosnian Memory Project at Fontbonne University, the Center is in the process of moving artifacts to St. Louis University. The Center’s director Adna Karamahic-Oates, Bosnian Memory Project founder Benjamin Moore and Jennifer Nutefall, dean of libraries and museums at St. Louis University, share what this transfer means for the Center for Bosnian Studies, for SLU and for the legacy of St. Louis’ Bosnian population.

It’s been more than two years since Missouri voters approved the legalization of cannabis for adult recreational use. We explore the two sides of the growing industry — first by checking with several cannabis chefs competing for the approval of hundreds of weed-loving St. Louisans. Then, Missouri Independent cannabis reporter Rebecca Rivas takes us through the latest twists in the state’s embattled program for cannabis microbusiness licensees and a surprise recall of 6,000 products.

Tower Grove Farmers’ Market is now in its 20th season. Chris Geden, known as its Mayor, has been there since its first Saturday back in 2006. He and general manager Bess Kretsinger Heffernan discuss Tower Grove Farmers’ Market’s rich history and development.

St. Louis went through a major transition this week with the inauguration of Cara Spencer as mayor and Donna Baringer as comptroller. 14th Ward Alderman Rasheen Aldridge discusses the latest elections and what leadership change may mean for the city’s future.

For years, the agency that oversees Missouri’s foster care system and investigates instances of child abuse and neglect has struggled with high turnover, massive caseloads, and inconsistent rollouts of some key legislative initiatives. Missouri Children’s Division Director Sara Smith is in her first month leading the agency. She shares her plan to keep her department on the right track — especially with less funding than in previous years.

Tiny Desk Contest launched in 2014 to give unsigned artists a chance to compete for their very own concert at NPR headquarters — and some musicians have entered several years running. Rich Washington, aka Just Rich, and Jorge Valcárcel of Boxcar share their motivations behind entering in the Tiny Desk Contest seven and 11 years, respectively.

The 2025 NPR’S Tiny Desk Contest had 51 entries from musicians in the St. Louis area. Producer Miya Norfleet and STLPR’s Visuals Editor Brian Munoz discuss the local favorites and share their thoughts on the entries.

The Missouri Historical Society has flung open a vault of artifacts it’s been collecting since the 1860s. A new rotating exhibition at the Missouri History Museum gives visitors a chance to experience dozens of self-contained stories behind these objects — from a massive bird-hunting rifle to adorable kids' clothing from the last century. Museum tour manager Ryan Deloach shares his highlights from “Collected.” Also, the historical society’s president, Jody Sowell, reacts to the news of cancelled grants totaling $250,000 after cuts by the Trump Administration to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Historical, and cultural barriers have contributed to a disproportionate number of Black Americans’ not knowing how to swim. A 2024 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than a third of Black adults – compared to 15% of all adults – reported they could not swim; and only one in three Black adults said they’d ever taken a swimming lesson. Youth on the all-Black Makos Swim Team are learning to compete and pushing their parents to take lessons themselves. Coach Terea Goodwin, and Makos moms Randella Randell and Bradlin Jacob-Simms, discuss their personal experiences around swimming, loss or near-loss of loved ones to drowning, and advocacy work that aims to ensure more Black Americans can find joy safely in the water – and reap its health benefits.

When Michelle Dezember moved to St. Louis five years ago, she assumed that the region would have a significant affinity with the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, the two longest rivers in the U.S. She soon realized that many residents don’t engage with them at all despite their cultural and historical relevance. Dezember — who serves as the Director of Learning and Engagement at the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) — is the co-curator of “Make the River Present,” an exhibit at CAM that explores the relationship between Black Americans, and Native Americans, with the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Interdisciplinary artist Dail Chambers and writer Galen Gritts joined Dezember to share about their art and experiences with these rivers, too.

Amie Lepsky has always loved baking, but her passion for creating cupcake bouquets is what inspired her to start her own business. She shares the inspiration behind Bakery Blooms, the process of crafting the hyper-realistic flower cupcakes, and the enjoyment that baking for others brings her.

Ten years ago, an intrepid restaurant critic at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch decided to put a hefty meal on his food-writing plate: Listing, and ranking, the top 100 restaurants in St. Louis. That effort is still running a decade later. Food critic Ian Froeb discusses this year’s picks and shares his insight and reflections on the St. Louis food and restaurant industry in 2025.

St. Louis’ downtown has its share of well-documented challenges: large-scale vacancies, companies moving their offices and streets that can feel devoid of activity. The city has made progress on two prominent vacant buildings in its downtown the past year, but rebounding from what the Wall Street Journal has described as a “real estate nightmare” will take many more years. STLPR economic development reporter Eric Schmid talks about efforts to revitalize downtown and recent successes in bringing business and residency to the neighborhood.

The St. Louis Science Center is nationally recognized among museums and STEM institutions. Its new President and CEO physicist Ray Vandiver shared what he’s most excited for now that he’s at the helm of the Science Center in his hometown. He also reflects on a career dedicated to making science fun and accessible to all.

Over a four year period starting in 2021, St. Louis’ use of electronic monitoring for defendants awaiting trial more than doubled. Advocates say it’s a way to prevent overcrowding in jails and keep people from being imprisoned. But opponents say there have been technological mishaps, privacy concerns, and high costs — and that many people who are forced to wear the devices would have otherwise been out on cash bail. Taylor Tiamoyo Harris, a St. Louis-based journalist and investigative fellow for the New York Times, discusses her story on the topic which was co-published by the New York Times and STLPR.

<p>For renowned fiddle player Liz Knowles of Portland, Maine, St. Louis Tionól is a must attend event each year. “It really parallels events that we've been to in Ireland,” she says. Knowles reflects on the annual festival and St. Louis' Irish music scene in this bonus podcast episode. For more on tionól events happening this weekend, and for a deep dive into St. Louis’ Irish music scene, check out our other recent podcast episode: <a href="https://www.stlpr.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2025-04-09/st-louis-irish-music-culture" target="_blank">Why St. Louis is home to one of the nation’s best Irish music scenes</a>.</p>

Teachers and students have spent years clashing over the presence of cellphones in the classroom. This year, schools in the St. Louis region rolled out new bans that restrict how, when, and where students can use their devices during the school day. To learn how cellphones are impacting schools, we turn to the Edwardsville School District: Here student advisors like junior Josie Proctor and senior Amulya Girada helped superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton craft the district’s new policy — including the consequences for breaking it.

Cara Spencer will become St. Louis’ 48th mayor when she’s inaugurated next Tuesday. Spencer, currently the 8th Ward alderwoman, soundly defeated incumbent Mayor Tishaura Jones by 28 points. STLPR’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann talk about Tuesday’s election results — and Spencer called-in to discuss her victory and next steps.

Colson Whitehead, author of Pulitzer Prize-winning novels “The Underground Railroad” and “The Nickel Boys,” began his career as a journalist writing about television, books, and music. Whitehead is in St. Louis to accept the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award, presented annually by the St. Louis University Libraries. He discusses his work, its lasting resonance, and its adaptability to the screen.

St. Louis is a premiere destination for traditional Irish musicians from across the pond and throughout the U.S. We explore the people and institutions that have fostered the region’s Irish music scene since the 1970s and get a preview of this year’s St. Louis Tionól — an annual, four-day Irish arts and culture festival featuring music, dancing and community.

Two St. Louis chefs are finalists for James Beard awards. The recognition represents a milestone in two very different journeys: Vicia’s Jane Sacro Chatham, nominated for Emerging Chef, immigrated to St. Louis from the Philippines 17 years ago. Meanwhile, Balkan Treat Box's Loryn Nalic, nominated for Best Midwest Chef, started out working in a food truck. Chatham and Nalic discuss the significance of the award and their work at two of St. Louis’ top restaurants.

Sukanya Mani is a St. Louis-based, Indian-born interdisciplinary artist whose artwork reflects the struggles of immigrant and refugee women. Mani talks about her artistic approach behind installations that are being exhibited at the Gallery at the Kranzberg and being honored as the 2025 St. Louis Visionary Awards’ Community Impact Artist.