St. Louis on the Air

In many cases, real estate transactions are a happy occasion. First-time homebuyers smile and hold up keys. Families move from one locale to another and begin exciting new chapters. But for others, selling or buying a home can be an enormous headache that’s just one part of a bigger mess: a divorce. And with the COVID-19 crisis, some lawyers have reported an increase in inquiries from people thinking about splitting up. St. Louis native Kathy Helbig has spent 25 years working in the region’s real estate industry. In that time, she’s helped many clients make these complex shifts as they try to work together — separately and as cordially as possible. And now, she’s Missouri’s first certified “divorce real estate specialist,” having recently undergone 40 hours of virtual training toward that end. In this segment, Helbig joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about what makes real estate transactions particularly tricky while divorcing. She also touches on the housing market trends she’s been observing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Protests against police brutality continue to fill the streets of St. Louis, its suburbs and even the small towns of rural Illinois and Missouri. On Sunday, thousands braved brutal temperatures to march at St. Louis City Hall. St. Louis Public Radio’s Kayla Drake joins Sarah Fenske to share the latest on the movement that began in Ferguson and now has the world on the march.

In the past week, protests against police brutality have filled the streets of St. Charles, O’Fallon, Kirkwood, Frontenac and more. In this episode, we explore the movement’s potential to lead to meaningful reform, as well as what will it take for all of St. Louis to affirm that black lives matter. Sarah Fenske talks with St. Louis Public Radio political editor, Fred Erlich, reporter Jonathan Ahl, and listeners who call in to share what’s on their minds at this moment in time.

Theater and restaurant workers have taken huge economic hits lately, and back before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Anna Blair was a busy member of both industries as an actor and bartender. Now theaters are closed, and restaurants and bars are seeing little traffic. But after experiencing some initial deep worry, Blair came up with an idea for how she wanted to spend her time during this crisis. She calls it Curbside Cabaret Cocktails. People looking for “a jolt of joy” can book her to serenade them karaoke-style — and mix them a drink while she’s at it. The other day, the St. Louis on the Air team stopped by one of Blair’s curbside performances in south St. Louis.

Vanessa Garry is passionate about preparing aspiring administrators to lead today’s schools. As an assistant professor of educator preparation and leadership at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, she often finds herself looking to the past for some of the most important lessons she teaches. That history is not always easy to grapple with, and Garry knows its ugliness better than most. The Missouri General Assembly’s 1847 passage of an act making it illegal to educate people of color is just one early example. Even after that changed in 1865, public schools were segregated by law. By the early 20th century, African American communities were leading the way in search of progress and reform. And one of those leaders was growing up in St. Louis’ Ville neighborhood: Ruth Harris. Described by Garry as a “reticent disrupter” in the Jim Crow era, Harris in 1940 became the first African American female president of Stowe Teachers College, which is now Harris-Stowe State University. This year marks the 80th anniversary of her appointment. Listen as Garry talks with host Sarah Fenske about Harris’ life and legacy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost everyone, but the epidemic poses unique challenges to children in foster care. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Rita Soronen, CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption,about the unique challenges facing kids in foster care right now. Also joining the conversation is t. Louis-based foster care recruiter Edna Green, who recently helped in the adoption of three St. Louis siblings. We also talk with their newly adoptive mother, Celeste Scott.

Jermar Perry and Bryant Antoine are social workers and friends. They graduated together from St. Louis University's Master of Social Work program in May 2019. Since then, the like-minded duo have launched an initiative aimed at what they say is their “life’s purpose” — helping men of color gain access to mental health resources. Perry and Antoine are the facilitators of the Village Healing and Writing Circle for Men of Color. The group's objective is to "heal from oppression, racism, toxic masculinity and the daily ills of life." It’s an effort to help black men, who are often dismissive of seeking mental health help, open up about their experiences and the world of therapy.

Seventeen-year-old Jalen Thompson and his friends Ryan Staples, Joseph Bartholomew and Ryan Fetsch had barely wrapped up their senior year at Fort Zumwalt West High School when protests against police brutality flared up across the country, sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Thompson and his friends wanted to seize the moment and find a way to galvanize their suburban community of O’Fallon, Missouri, which is largely white. They expected maybe a couple hundred people to show up at their June 1 demonstration — what they got was close to 2,000 people. In this episode of the talk show, Thompson joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about how he organized the first protest he’s ever even attended, the pushback he initially faced and how he’s already caught the attention of national media outlets — including MSNBC and the Today Show.

Last year, a report published in the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology surveying low-income women in St. Louis found that nearly two-thirds of them can’t always afford pads or tampons — often resorting to rags, diapers or paper towels. According to Laurel Segrist, program manager for the St. Louis Alliance for Period Supplies, such “period poverty” in the region is still as pressing of an issue than ever, perpetuated by the coronavirus pandemic.

When Heather Mitchell saw those viral Lake of the Ozarks images of not-so-socially-distanced partying over Memorial Day weekend, she felt concern and frustration — like many people. But she also saw the situation as a clear example of the various ways humans respond when new information conflicts with previously held beliefs. Mitchell is an associate professor of psychology at Webster University, and she specializes in cognitive dissonance. In the age of COVID-19, that means exploring how people deal with that psychological conflict — and the ways they rectify the uncomfortable disharmony between their beliefs and behaviors. In this episode of the talk show, Mitchell talks with host Sarah Fenske and responds to listener comments and questions about this topic.

St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum goes behind the headlines with Sarah Fenske on several of the biggest developments in the region over the past couple days. Callers join the conversation as well.

Last night, the city of Ferguson elected its first black mayor: Ella Jones. She is also the first woman to hold the position. She talks with host Sarah Fenske about her historic win as well as her concerns and hopes for the north St. Louis County municipality.

Long before protests against police brutality spread to cities across the country, they took place in Ferguson. In this episode, Ferguson activists leading the community in today's protests share their thoughts on the movement now sweeping the globe, and where things stand right here in St. Louis.

Four St. Louis police officers were shot late Monday night after official protests in the city ended over the killing of George Floyd. Two were shot in the leg, one in the arm and one in the foot, said Police Chief John Hayden. He was visibly frustrated as he gave an update on the shootings shortly before 2 a.m. Host Sarah Fenske talks with STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann about the events.

Protests against police brutality have now broken out around the world in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. That of course includes St. Louis, Clayton, University City and Ferguson. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss what happened over the weekend locally — and why so many St. Louisans are again taking to the streets.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson has announced a plan to distribute $64 million in federal aid intended to bolster the city’s response to the coronavirus. The plan, which Krewson said she’ll submit to the Board of Aldermen for revisions and approval, includes $2.5 million for contact tracing: to hire 25 people and invest in technology. In this episode of the talk show, host Sarah Fenske is joined by St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer, D-20th Ward, who chairs the city’s Health and Human Services Committee. Acting health department director Dr. Fred Echols also offers his perspective alongside Franda Thomas, the health department’s communicable disease bureau chief.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with Big Shark Bicycle Company owner Mike Weiss about why his shop is seeing an increase in bike sales during the COVID-19 crises and talk with Emma Klues of Great Rivers Greenway about her recommendations for specific biking trails and routes to explore while continuing to help limit the spread of the coronavirus

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.

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.

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.

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.