St. Louis on the Air

The year 2020 has taken plenty of well-deserved criticism, but its pumpkin harvest is actually looking pretty good. That’s according to Chris Eckert, president of Eckert’s, which operates pick-your-own operations in Belleville, Grafton and Millstadt, Illinois. The company's pumpkin picking season got going last weekend, with apple picking also well underway. And if you ask Chris Eckert, there’s “no better way to grocery shop” right now than going outside and choosing produce straight from the source.

The City of St. Louis has restricted playground access for months, even while bars and restaurants have reopened. The city's Department of Health director, Dr. Fredrick Echols, joins us to discuss what has driven the city’s playground policy.

“Black in the Middle: An Anthology of the Black Midwest" explores the experience of Black people in the Midwest. Editor Terrion L. Williamson and contributor Lyndsey Ellis discuss the book.

Lynne Jackson sometimes struggles to find her great-great-grandfather’s grave. Located in north St. Louis’ sprawling and historic Calvary Cemetery, the headstone is just two and a half feet high. A cemetery map helps, and on it, his grave is indicated in the key, with the number 19 beside his name: Dred Scott. It’s a modest memorial, and it’s also “the most asked-for grave out there,” according to Jackson, who last week launched a fundraiser in hopes of creating a nine-foot-tall educational memorial at the spot.

This month, the pop-up soup dinner that provides funding for good causes returns to St. Louis after a five-year hiatus. Anne McCullough explains what led her to bring back STL Sloup.

The new archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis shares his thoughts on racism, sexual abuse, and calls from activists to remove the statue of St. Louis the King atop of Art Hill.

We explore the latest Great Rivers Biennial exhibit at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis with Misa Jeffereis, the assistant curator at CAM who organized the show, and Rachel Youn, whose "Gather” gallery on display blends the lines between dance and worship.

Holden Thorp, who is now the editor-in-chief of Science, has found it necessary to speak out in recent months about what he terms “an extreme attack on science that’s acute and forceful and very much in the news.” He doesn't mince words in his latest editorial for the magazine.

Some companies are welcoming workers back to the office. That comes with risks because of the coronavirus pandemic but we talk with employers who are trying to do it the right way and making necessary accommodations. Architect Megan Ridgeway of Arcturis also explains how she's working with companies to accomplish these goals.

Benson Hill is considered a rising star in the ag-tech space. The company was established in 2012 and has garnered about $133 million in funding, including from the investor arm of Google, GV. Co-founder and CEO Matt Crisp joins the show to talk about creating better tasting and more sustainable food. He also explains why the company chose St. Louis to open a new $53 million headquarters.

Brock Seals talks about his “artivism,” a term coined to describe the intersection between art and activism, and his upcoming project called “The Artivist.”

Persistence Surveillance Systems originally developed its technology for military use and now hopes to bring it to St. Louis to lower the city's crime rate. The company has been running a pilot program in the city of Baltimore — in conjunction with the city's police department — since April. Baltimore journalist Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson discusses the results of the trial run and how residents feel about the new technology.

Some St. Louis residents have expressed concerns after demolition permits were issued for a group of historic buildings along the 1900 block of Olive Boulevard. The fate of another building, at 201 S. Jefferson, also has people speaking up. To city resident Catherine Hamacher, who works as an urban planner, both cases are a reminder that, oftentimes, “people have a hard time seeing the ‘what could be.’”

St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Fentem discusses finding safe ways to connect in yet another unprecedented season, what to keep in mind about the likelihood of significantly more indoor time, and how to approach the prospect of, well, being a bit cold at times in exchange for safer interactions.

In August, Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z released their music video “Entrepreneur” which features Black entrepreneurs from across the country. The video inspired St. Louis’ Jason Wilson, owner and CEO of Northwest Coffee Roasting Company, who collaborated with local director David Kirkman to create an edition of “Entrepreneur” that highlights Black-owned businesses in St. Louis.

Wellston's Trojan Park was recently named one of two winners of 2020's Urban Open Space Award. Landscape architect Chip Crawford joins us to discuss the park's surprising origin story and what makes a great park.

William H. Danforth II died on Wednesday. The former chancellor of Washington University transformed the institution into a top-tier school, and he was the founding chairman of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. We listen back to excerpts from his appearance on the show from February 2008.

“Crime Beat Girl” tells the story of Debbie Bradley, who leaves her journalism job in Washington, D.C., to be closer to family in her native St. Louis. Author Geri L. Dreiling joins us to discuss her new novel.

The co-director of St. Louis County’s public health department, Spring Schmidt, joins to talk about kids and COVID-19, youth sports restrictions, Halloween during a pandemic and the importance of flu shots.

We talk with St. Louis author Vivian Gibson. Her debut book written at the age of 71 is a memoir about growing up in St. Louis neighborhood that no longer exists, “The Last Children of Mill Creek.” This is an encore of an interview that aired in April 2020.

Defunding police departments is a major goal for many Black Lives Matter protesters. But for others, it’s a scary idea — and that’s true for many St. Louis residents. In this episode, we explore what it means to defund the police in a city that struggles with high rates of violent crime. University of Missouri-St. Louis criminologist Richard Rosenfeld joins the discussion. This is an encore of an interview that aired in July 2020.

As many athletes have returned to fields, courts and arenas during the coronavirus pandemic, so have sports protests. More and more professional athletes are kneeling during the national anthem, displaying Black Lives Matter messages on their gametime attire, and speaking out publicly about police brutality and systemic racism. “But there’s at least one place where protesting is still not allowed,” an op-ed piece in the New York Times featuring St. Louis-area native Gwen Berry noted earlier this month: an Olympic podium.

The Grand Avenue Water Tower has been a familiar sight for Brandon Bosley ever since he moved to St. Louis’ College Hill neighborhood at age 7 — until this past weekend, that is. Now the 3rd Ward alderman will need to get used to the tower’s bright new facade. On Saturday, a whole host of volunteers helped give the 149-year-old tower a long-overdue fresh coat of paint as part of the St. Louis community’s latest Operation Clean Sweep.

Belleville News Democrat reporter Megan Valley joins the program to talk about how the lack of coronavirus transparency is concerning parents in the Metro East.

Even one baseball game has plenty of innings — seven, nine, or, if there’s an especially stubbornly tied score, perhaps even 11 or 12 innings. But it all pales in comparison to the 39 innings Tom Sullivan and his teammates completed over the course of a single summer day (and night) in St. Louis 43 years ago.

For more than 40 years, Joe Yancey has worked to help those with mental illness receive the treatment and support they need to lead successful, fulfilling lives. The former CEO of Places for People retired last month.

WePower's Elevate/Elevar business accelerator aims to uplift and assist Black and Latino entrepreneurs in St. Louis. It's inaugural cohort finished last month, and companies in the program averaged a 350% increase in sales.

Artists who live in north St. Louis are painting murals on business and residential doors and fences. Vibrant homages depict jazz culture, African-inspired flowers, St. Louis greats such as Josephine Baker and more.

It’s been six long months since Wendy Lea has been able to play or perform with the group of musicians dearest to her heart — or put a paycheck in their pockets. But this weekend, that’s changing as masked members of the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis carefully gather on an outdoor stage alongside the Union Avenue Opera.

Republic Services general manager Brent Batliner talks about how the Hazelwood-based facility has adjusted to changes brought on by the pandemic and reiterates what to avoid tossing in the recycling bin.

Even as the COVID-19 crisis derailed many of Dance the Vote’s typical endeavors, St. Louisan Joan Lipkin and her collaborators knew that artists remained “an essential part of the conversation.” They decided to center the contributions of artists of color, and commissioned a series of videos highlighting the work of choreographers in St. Louis as well as beyond.

St. Louis Zoo resident Utamu is pregnant. The 18-year-old chimpanzee is expected to give birth this fall. In this interview, primate manager Helen Boostrom talks about how zookeepers are caring for Utamu during her pregnancy, what to expect during the birth, and how a new baby may alter the group dynamics of the facility’s nine chimpanzees.

Last week, supporters of a plan to privatize St. Louis Lambert International Airport announced they would withdraw the initiative set for city ballots this November. A week later, two of the major entities behind the privatization push announced they had decided to part ways just one day before the announcement on the airport initiative. In this episode, St. Louis Business Journal reporter Jacob Kirn talks about the end of the 14 year relationship between conservative billionaire Rex Sinquefield and political consultant Travis Brown.

Artist William Morris' latest video debuts at the Bruno David Gallery this Saturday. “The Protest Project" explores how the coronavirus pandemic collided with an equally devastating problem this spring — racism and police brutality.

First-time author Eric Von Schrader discusses “A Universe Less Traveled," a work of speculative fiction that toys with St. Louis history. He explains some of the real-life legends that inspired it.

The documentary “Papa Ray's Vintage Vinyl Roadshow" debuted on the Nine Network. Vintage Vinyl co-founder Tom Ray discusses the show's inspiration, his shop on Delmar and his lifelong love of music.

Ever since he was a kid, Kip Loui has been fascinated by Defiance, Missouri. Something about the name of the town captured his imagination, and once he became a musician, he told himself that someday he would write a song called “Defiance.” “Then the current guy was elected president,” Loui says. And soon that song was in the works — along with the 11 others that would eventually become “Show Me State,” the album that he and his wife, JJ Loui, released earlier this year.

Last week, just before St. Louis Public Schools kicked off a fall semester like no other, Jana Flynn’s masked colleagues surprised her with flowers, a plaque and signs — all in celebration of her being named the district’s 2020 Educator of the Year. SLPS cited the gifted specialist's “passion, dedication and desire to think outside of the box” in her work with students ranging from preschool to eighth grade.

St. Louis R&B legend Lamont Hadley Sr. recently died after a long battle with COVID-19. His longtime partner and son remember his life and music.

Many schools are now conducting classes 100% online. Navigating virtual education has many families scrambling to make it work, but likely none more so than families with special needs students. We explore how families with children with developmental disabilities are particularly challenged by schools moving to virtual learning.

Monty Cole's new play “Black Like Me,” grapples with John Howard Griffin’s seminal book. He explains how he adapted it for 21st century audiences, and how it found its way to the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

This summer, the Perseverance rover launched as part of the Mars 2020 mission. It’s scheduled to land on the Red Planet next February. Washington University's Raymond Arvidson will explain his lab’s role with the mission.

For more than 20 years, St. Louis native Leslie Gill has been focused on getting women what they need, whatever that may be. When she worked for Annie Malone Children & Family Services, that could mean shelter, clothing or food. Now, as president of the new nonprofit Rung for Women, it’s about providing what she terms “holistic self-sufficiency.”

The Missouri Senate earlier today passed legislation eliminating the residency requirement for St. Louis police officers. Yesterday, senators during their special session also advanced legislation through a committee that they say is tough on crime. Statehouse reporter Jaclyn Driscoll talks about the latest developments.

Jessica Murray built a St. Louis COVID Memorial website to memorialize the local lives lost to the virus. Murray researches obituaries, listens to family accounts and seeks out additional information online to craft each story — all with her pet cockatoos by her side.

Jack Coatar was worried about an exodus of residents and businesses from downtown St. Louis even before the area began seeing civil unrest and a surge in crime this summer. Now the 7th Ward alderman is hearing people express more and more concerns. In an area that used to bustle with concertgoers, diners and Cardinals fans on many nights, the pandemic-driven vacuum of activity has been filled with something else entirely.

“Thank you, frontline and essential workers. You are our heroes.” From yard signs to grocery store intercoms to stump speeches, such sentiments have become a fixture of American culture in 2020. But Dena Tranen, a mental health professional based in Clayton, knows that gratitude alone is insufficient.

Thom Wall is among the world’s most notable jugglers — and now he’s able to offer his tips and tricks to enthusiasts of all levels. The St. Louis native is coming out with a new book: “Juggling: What It Is and How to Do It."

Longtime Lumiere Place have dodged layoffs. Instead, they'll remain on a recall list that allows them to keep their seniority if the hotel/casino reopens their job stations before April. Kim Bartholomew of Unite Here Local 74 explains the good news.

For army trombonist Spc. Joseph Murrell, the military might just be destiny. According to his family research, almost every man in his paternal blood line — except for his father — served the military in some way. The legacy started when Murrell’s long-ago ancestor, Pvt. William Murrell, joined the Union Army in 1863. A runaway slave, Pvt. Murrell had fled to Ohio and served in the 109th United States Colored Troop.