St. Louis on the Air

St. Louisan Eric Strand just set a fastest known time with his run across the entire length of the Katy Trail, covering over 240 miles in just three days and 14 hours. Since announcing his plans and setting up a GoFundMe charity page just last week, the Drury Hotels chief operating officer has raised nearly $40,000. It will all go to a foundation fund to help frontline hospitality workers who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Strand about his experience running the trail and his response to the GoFundMe page.

Imagine orchestrating a virtual telethon in the middle of a pandemic. A host of St. Louis arts organizations led by Opera Theatre St. Louis did just that, with the Arts United STL benefit set to premiere online May 31. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Opera Theatre General Manager Andrew Jorgensen about the financial needs that inspired the event and the difficulties that go into producing such a large group undertaking in the age of social distancing.

Legal Roundtable: Can students sue their universities for not refunding tuition and fees after they were forced to study from home because of the pandemic? Can St. Louis County force the House of Pain gyms to close? What about churches? Legal experts Bill Freivogel, Nicole Gorovsky, and Dave Roland talk with host Sarah Fenske about these issues and more.

As a scholar who works with human remains, Anne Austin had long looked closely at bones. Her training is in osteology and Egyptology, and for many years she worked to expand the world’s knowledge about the health, medicine and disease of past civilizations. But in 2016, her focus suddenly turned from bones to ancient skin— and body art. “As I was doing my research, I accidentally came across this really heavily tattooed mummy — minimum 30 tattoos, on her arms, her shoulders and her back,” Austin recalls. “That discovery literally rewrote what we understand about tattooing in ancient Egypt. And since then I’ve been able to go back and find more tattoos at the site [where] I work.” The University of Missouri-St. Louis professor isn’t fascinated by these ancient tattoos merely for their own sake. She sees relevance for our understanding of contemporary body art as well — from the stories they tell, to the wide range of functions they serve, to the stigma that is sometimes associated with tattoos. Austin’s expertise came in especially handy while serving on the dissertation committee for Lacee Kaufmann, who just earned her PhD in nursing at UMSL. Kaufmann’s qualitative study probed the experiences that 12 participants — each of whom have tattoos covering at least 9% of their body — have had with health care providers.

It’s not just parents of young children trying to balance caregiving with other responsibilities during this pandemic. People whose loved ones suffer from dementia are also finding themselves under increased stress. Adult day centers are closed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Many therapists and other support staff no longer offer in-person visits. And people with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive impairments may not realize why masks are necessary, much less remember the explanation from hour to hour. Memory Care Home Solutions has been helping its “care partners” deal with those complications — and many more — throughout the months of the pandemic. Amy Sobrino, program services coordinator for the organization, says its services continue, albeit remotely. Clients like Gail Brown, whose mother lives with dementia, say that assistance has been a godsend.

Gateway Arch National Park Superintendent Mike Ward talks with host Sarah Fenske about his 37-year-long career with the National Park Service. He started working at the Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, when he was just a teenager. After eight years of experience, he took on a more supervising role at the Ulysses S. Grant Historic Site in St. Louis. His took his expertise with him to renovate the Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. But when the Gateway Arch underwent its $380 million renovation in 2016, Ward came back in St. Louis to lead the project. Ward talks with Fenske about those cherished sites and what it takes to keep them going.

Daily life in the age of the coronavirus is riddled with stressors and stress can lead to increased substance use — as well as the possibility of relapse for those working to stay sober. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Jenny Armbruster of NCADA and also hears from people in long-term recovery as they discuss substance use disorder, relapse and navigating tough conversations in the age of COVID-19.

The 18th Amendment of the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the U.S. Enforcement of the new law started on January 17, 1920. In this encore episode, our panelists dive into St. Louis' rich Prohibition-era history. They describe the time robbers siphoned off 3,000 barrels of whiskey from the Jack Daniels distillery, how Anheuser-Busch survived more than a decade of a nationwide ban on alcoholic beverages, and they recall the tale of a 1922 New Year’s Eve party at the Chase Hotel when an enforcement raid led to plates being thrown, shots being fired and pandemonium spilling out onto Lindell Boulevard.

These days, Zoom calls are more likely to inspire grousing than gratitude. Who wants to make uncomfortable eye contact with their boss or professor — and themselves? But Vikki Siddell of St. Charles recently joined a very different Zoom call, one where she got to talk — and perform — in front of celebrities including Daniel Radcliffe, Tina Fey and St. Louis’ own Ellie Kemper. Siddell joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about what it was like performing for some of her favorite actors.

St. Louis Public Library and St. Louis County Library locations closed to the public earlier this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, both local systems have begun to release some cautious and partial reopening plans. During the closures, the libraries have been quick to assure patrons that they needn’t worry about returning overdue items during the crisis — and will be given plenty of time to return items in the coming days as book drops soon begin operating again. Host Sarah Fenske talks with SLPL CEO Waller McGuire and SLCL Director Kristen Sorth about the wide-ranging roles that libraries have been playing lately — and what their immediate future holds.

Bring up Adam and Eve in contemporary conversation, and you’ll likely be met with either total skepticism or deep confidence, depending on one’s audience. Diametrically opposed views of the biblical origin story come with the territory of ongoing cultural battles between creationists and evolutionists and the typical right and left. But Washington University’s Dr. S. Joshua Swamidass, who describes himself as “a scientist in the Church and a Christian in science,” is hoping to shift the conversation. In this encore segment, host Sarah Fenske talks with Swamidass about his book “The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry.” Swamidass hopes to reach secular and religious readers alike. “What if the traditional account is somehow true, with the origins of Adam and Eve taking place alongside evolution?” he asks.

As day cares set to reopen in the coming weeks, host Sarah Fenske explores how some centers will navigate the ever-so-changing guidelines. Joining are a provider that has remained open to provide care for children of health care and essential workers, and a provider that is set to reopen soon.

As a nine-year-old, John O’Leary nearly died. He was playing in his garage in St. Louis when he accidentally set off an explosion. He was left with third-degree burns covering his entire body — and even had to have his fingers amputated. O’Leary recounted the story of his near-death and ultimate survival in his book “On Fire,” which became a national bestseller. And now he’s back with another book: “In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and Joy.” In this interview, O’Leary explains his thesis: that we start life with all the right tools for happiness, only to have childlike senses such as “wonder” and “expectancy” drilled out of us. He talks about how to reclaim these tools, and how to rediscover our belief that anything is possible.

A masked violinist has been making music while strolling the streets of Alton. There are rumors that she's a ghost from the Mississippi River and that she hasn’t been seen since the 1918 influenza. She calls herself the Fiddle Assassin, and says her only enemy is the coronavirus. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with the violinist about what it's been like to play for the empty streets of Alton during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 260,000 Missourians filed claims showing they were unemployed as of May 2. To Jeff Mazur, the executive director of the tech training nonprofit LaunchCode, the numbers are a wakeup call for workforce training programs, which he believes have failed to keep up with the realities of the modern workplace. Mazur and state Senator Brian Williams (D-Ferguson) will discuss some of the challenges likely to face St. Louis-area workers once the pandemic ends — and what it will take to meet them where they’re at in a changing world.

In addition to caring for their patients, nurses are often the glue that holds families together during a crisis. That level of care can sometimes lead to compassion fatigue, according to Cindy Lefton, a registered nurse and vice president of organizational consulting at Psychological Associates. As the coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on healthcare workers in the region, Lefton talks with host Sarah Fenske about the importance of nurse recognition and appreciation, as well as some practical ways nurses can stave off burnout and compassion fatigue

Before COVID-19 spread throughout the St. Louis region, many graduating college seniors had their eyes set on internships and prospective careers. Then the pandemic led many businesses to rescind offers or turn applicants away. Now, many young adults are facing a newly uncertain job market full of unexpected challenges and trends. Host Sarah Fenske talks with John Link, Webster’s director of career services, and hears from local grads about how they’re figuring out next steps.

After nearly eight weeks of coronavirus-related stay-at-home orders, St. Louis County officially begins to reopen on Monday, May 18 — with a few caveats. Some businesses, like gyms, swimming pools and bars that do not serve food, remain closed. But businesses such as restaurants and hair salons will open at limited capacity. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said reduced capacities, masks and barriers between customers and employees will be “our new normal.” Dr. Page talks with host Sarah Fenske about the reasoning behind certain restrictions and his expectations for this next phase.

Monday’s show (May 18) will include a focus on the unique challenges this coronavirus pandemic presents for college students. Graduating seniors are closing one chapter of life this spring and beginning a new one, during one of the most uncertain periods in all of our lifetimes. And as we look toward that segment next week, a project aimed at college students has caught our attention this week. On social media, a Zoom-style video making the rounds featured the music department at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. It’s their very own version of Carole King’s timeless song, “You’ve Got A Friend.” Instrumental and choral faculty alike lent their voices to different lines of the song. They also played violins and cellos and, in a few cases, shared some visual antics. Take a listen and hear the masterminds behind the project describe how they brought it all together as a gift for their students.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with NASA engineer Dajae Williams, a St. Louis Native, on how she’s using hip hop to make math and science more accessible to young people.

In 2018, voters approved the Clean Missouri constitutional amendment that included state redistricting and ethics changes. Now the Missouri House is backing an initiative to repeal the effort. In this interview, host Sarah Fenske talks with St. Louis Public Radio correspondent Jason Rosenbaum about his reporting on the ballot initiative aimed at repealing the Clean Missouri redistricting system.

St. Louis Fire Department employees are working on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic. Captain Garon Mosby talks with host Sarah Fenske about the ongoing COVID-19 toll and some of the challenges the department faces as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Also included are pre-recorded comments from Laura Keller, executive director of the St. Louis Fire Department Foundation, who herself battled COVID-19.

The local Muslim community are halfway through observing the holy month of Ramadan. But this year, they've had to navigate it differently in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With mosques closed, and social distancing recommended by city and county officials, many are having to observe the occasion without their friends and family. Joining host Sarah Fenske to talk about the changes are Dr. Mahrukh Khan and Donnell "Malik" Sims. They share how they're observing Ramadan while they treating and caring for patients infected with COVID-19 in underserved areas.

Back in March, the University of Missouri-St. Louis put out a university-wide call, asking those with 3D printers to print face masks in light of COVID-19. Glen Anderson, an associate professor at UMSL, sought to answer that call. After some research, Anderson soon found out that printing masks with these particular machines just wasn't feasible. Instead, he continued brainstorming and turned to manufacturing surgical mask ear savers. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Anderson about his grassroots operation aimed at making critical workers just a little more comfortable. The conversation also includes comments from two local respiratory therapists who are using the devices.

Musician Pokey LaFarge’s concerts scheduled for this weekend at Off Broadway are on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Leaving St. Louis for LA in 2018, LaFarge has gone through a self-described “fall from grace.” He’s now out with his eighth studio album and producer Alex Heuer talked with him.

Reading the headlines of 2020 can be pretty overwhelming. Between a pandemic, an economic crisis and even a much-hyped sighting of “murder hornets” in the Pacific Northwest, it can all leave one feeling pretty helpless about attempting to be a force for good in the world. But on an ecological level, at least one such attempt can take place right in one’s own backyard — and Nicole Miller-Struttmann and bee experts everywhere will be grateful for it. Miller-Struttmann and fellow biologists at Webster University and St. Louis University are launching Shutterbee, a collaborative project powered by citizen scientists. It requires only some sunshine, a camera and completion of a single virtual training session on May 20, 21 or 23. Shutterbee’s organizers are intent on reaching a real scientific goal: to discover how landscape features and land management decisions affect bee diversity and behavior. In this episode of the talk show, Miller-Struttmann joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about how Shutterbee works. She also delves into the critical roles bees play on Earth and some of the threats they face.

As Quincy, Illinois, gets ready to be that state’s first Virtual Railfan location, we talk with local train enthusiasts about their devotion to the activity, and explore the success Virtual Railfan has already seen on the other side of the Mississippi River, in both La Plata and Kansas City, Missouri. Host Sarah Fenske is joined by Bob Cox, a station manager of Virtual Railfan at La Plata, and well known in the railfan community — he even has a bobblehead made in his honor. Also joining the program is Richard Cain, a meteorologist at KHQA in Quincy, and a train enthusiast who helped bring Virtual Railfan to that city.

Attorney Dan Kolde sued the University of Missouri on behalf of the Beagle Freedom Project for violating the state's open records law. After he won at trial, the university has agreed to spend $175,000 to close out the case. Kolde discusses the lawsuit with host Sarah Fenske.

Rural hospitals in Missouri have stopped elective and non-emergency procedures and have opened up their beds to treat those with COVID-19. As a result, those hospitals have lost income. Reporter Jonathan Ahl talks with host Sarah Fenske about his latest feature on how hospitals in central Missouri are dealing with the coronavirus.

The documentary “Day One” follows a group of teenage refugees enrolled at a unique public school in St. Louis. The school only enrolls refugees and immigrants. The film is now playing on PBS stations around the country, including the Nine Network. In this interview, Sarah Fenske talks with the documentary’s producer and director, Lori Miller, about what she learned while filming these students.

Kirkwood native Joanna Serenko debuted to a national audience on NBC’s “The Voice” on Feb. 24. After the coronavirus upended live performances, the show went on a brief hiatus and returned with many performers singing at home — including Serenko. Serenko talks with host Sarah Fenske about her journey thus far on the singing competition — and her musical journey in St. Louis, which includes her training at Webster University’s School of Music and JazzU at the Bistro.

Walter Johnson’s new book tells the story of St. Louis’ history. In Johnson’s telling, it’s a messy, often ugly struggle where racism is paramount. The historian and Harvard University professor talks to host Sarah Fenske about his book “The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States" and what we can learn about America by examining St. Louis.

It comes as no surprise that older individuals are more at risk for COVID-19 and the crisis has revealed longstanding disparities regarding systematic racism and ageism in the St. Louis area. Nancy Morrow-Howell, the director of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at Washington University, hopes the revelation of the disparities will lead to improvements, such as a deeper understanding of older adults as the diverse individuals that they are. Morrow-Howell talks with host Sarah Fenske about both the challenges and opportunities she foresees in the months and years ahead.

Almost two months have passed since St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson declared the coronavirus pandemic a public health emergency. Following the declaration, Krewson ordered many venues, bars, and restaurants to close. Now Krewson says the city will ease public health restrictions starting May 18. In this interview, host Sarah Fenske talks to Krewson on about what reopening St. Louis will look like, the city’s decision to clear an encampment of homeless people downtown, and a digital program the city’s Department of Health is using to conduct COVID-19 contact tracing.

In March, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against Branson-based televangelist Jim Bakker, alleging Bakker had touted a product called “Silver Solution” as a treatment for the coronavirus. Consumers, Schmitt suggested, could be victimized by the false information. Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon argues that the lawsuit violates Bakker’s First Amendment rights. Nixon explains to host Sarah Fenske why he thinks the televangelist is getting shafted by the state’s attorney general.

Transgender and non-binary individuals have it hard. And it’s gotten worse since the coronavirus pandemic hit the St. Louis area. Some don’t have access to cars and some are homeless. Sayer Johnson, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Metro Trans Umbrella Group talks to host Sarah Fenske about the challenges trans and non-binary people face before and during the coronavirus pandemic. Ashe Valentine, who is non-binary, also joins the conversation to discuss the challenges they’re facing through this time.

Photographer Nate Burrell has captured musicians for more than a decade, shooting album art for St. Louis’ rising stars in the scene, including Pokey LaFarge and Kevin Bowers. But when the coronavirus shut down bars and music venues, Burrell turned his eye to a different series of images: Capturing the new normal that the coronavirus brought upon the city. Host Sarah Fenske talks to Burrell to discuss his two-week project, “Covid Days” and what he has observed in his journey throughout St. Louis.

Geoffrey Soyiantet, a Kenyan immigrant, founded Vitendo4Africa 10 years ago to support African immigrants in St. Louis. He joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss the organization's work, as well as its unique partnership with the St. Louis Zoo. Mike Fitzgerald, a veteran journalist who recently wrote a cover story for the RFT about the group, joins Fenske and Soyiantet to explain what native-born residents can learn from the African immigrants in this pandemic.

The story that Alana Woodson has devoted so much of her time over the past few years to telling is far from a simple one. After all, it’s about Kinloch, Missouri — a once-thriving suburb that has nearly disappeared. Her father’s childhood home there is no more. And what was once a community of 6,500 black St. Louisans has dwindled to less than 200 residents today. But Woodson, who goes by Alana Marie professionally, has stayed the course, interviewing dozens of people and gathering countless hours of footage for her ongoing documentary project “The Kinloch Doc.” A short version of the film was screened at festivals in 2018 and 2019, and is available to view online. The feature-length iteration is currently in its rough-cut stage, and Woodson has been crowdfunding to help cover post-production expenses. She and her team launched a Kickstarter campaign April 10, and with just a handful of days left to raise funds, they’ve now surpassed their goal of $20,000, drawing support from several hundred backers.

Host Sarah Fenske discusses the political and cultural significance of Afro-Latin music here in the Midwest with Pablo Sanhueza and Carmen Guynn. Sanhueza is known as the region’s premier salsa and Latin jazz percussionist and Guynn is a salsa instructor and the artistic director and owner of Almas Del Ritmo Dance Company. Ten years ago, she founded the St. Louis International Salsa Bachata Congress.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with Marcus Harrison to learn about how morticians are organizing funerals and treating people who have died during the pandemic. Harrison is the general manager and embalmer at Austin Layne in north St. Louis County and said the center has seen COVID-19 victims daily.

The St. Louis’ homeless population is no longer residing at the tent encampment near Market Street following an order from St. Louis Health Director Fredrick Echols. Echols ordered the camp to be cleared on April 29. In response, the nonprofit civil rights law firm ArchCity Defenders filed a federal lawsuit on May 1 that included a temporary restraining order against the city, but a federal judge rejected it. Another hearing, in that case, is scheduled for May 12. Host Sarah Fenske talks to Alex Cohen of grassroots collective #TentMissionSTL and with ArchCity about the City of St. Louis' attempt to clear the tent encampments downtown. We’ll also get the perspective of a homeless person who was a resident of the camp.

St. Charles County is open for business. Host Sarah Fenske talked with County Executive Steve Ehlmann about the decision that’s in line with Gov. Mike Parson’s plan for the state. STLPR reporter Jason Rosenbaum also joined the discussion to talk about how local governments are proceeding and the political ramifications of it all.

What started as a dare from his wife has blossomed into an 11-part book series for St. Louis attorney Michael Kahn. Kahn works as senior counsel at Capes Sokol law firm by day, and by night, he writes mystery novels. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with Kahn about the latest book in his Rachel Gold series, “Bad Trust.”

This week marks 50 years since the Kent State shootings and related Vietnam-era protests at colleges and universities across the country, including at Wash U. Host Sarah Fenske talks in depth with Mike Venso, the Missouri Historical Society's military and firearms curator at Soldiers Memorial downtown, who has recently been doing research on the subject for an upcoming exhibit. Also joining the conversation is Howard Mechanic, who was one of seven people who faced charges in the wake of protests at Wash U.

In mid-April, the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control suspended laws preventing St. Louis area restaurants from selling pre-batched cocktails. Now the restaurants are free to sell the to-go cocktails to customers who order them. Our friends at Sauce Magazine join host Sarah Fenske to talk about how area restaurants are faring with the changes and some of the best places to get curbside cocktails during this period.

From working at a comic book store to writing and drawing a nationally syndicated newspaper comic strip, St. Louis cartoonist Christina Stewart — who goes by the name of Steenz — has made a name for herself. Stewart now produces former creator Mark Tatulli’s daily comic strip “Heart of the City." She joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss what plans she has for the beloved comic and her overall passion for the craft.

Early in the coronavirus pandemic, doctors described COVID-19 as a virus with symptoms identical to the flu — coughing, shortness of breath and fever. But recovered patients say it’s much worse: a painful, unpredictable sickness causing a feeling akin to “drowning.” In this episode, St. Louis Public Radio reporter Sarah Fentem shares the stories of those who are recovering from COVID-19.

Dairy farmers are having a hard time after the coronavirus pandemic. With the closures of schools, workplaces and restaurants, some farmers are having trouble distributing their products. In response to the closure of businesses, these farmers are having to dump milk. Host Sarah Fenske touches base with Michael Turley of Rolling Lawns to check in on how his milk farm is doing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

As most of us are self-quarantining in the wake of COVID-19, some of us are spending a lot more time with a significant other. In Ernest Hemingway’s case, nearly a century ago, it was with significant others — plural. Hemingway wound up sequestered with both his wife and his lover after his son Bumby was diagnosed with a highly contagious respiratory illness. Host Sarah Fenske talks with acclaimed author Lesley Blume about the whole ordeal.