St. Louis on the Air

A mob lynched a 24-year-old Black man named John Buckner in 1894. That's not disputed. But it's the location of Buckner's lynching that's creating controversy in Valley Park. Geoff Ward, a professor of African and African American Studies at Washington University and a member of the Reparative Justice Coalition, discusses the killing of John Buckner and how the record shows he was killed in Valley Park. Elizabeth Simons, community program manager for Great Rivers Greenway, describes the group’s plan to install a plaque on the Meramec Greenway.

More than 250 people are languishing in Missouri jails as they await mental health treatment. That's an improvement from this summer, when the wait was 11 months. Missouri Independent reporter Clara Bates discusses the state's long struggle to treat people who have entered the criminal justice system. She also provides an update on Missouri’s Medicaid program, and why 40,000 kids have been removed from the program this summer.

Life-long friendships are truly special. Growing up with someone who’s not blood-related but family just the same — someone who holds you accountable and supports you through good and bad — is a rare gift. And even rarer? Creating art together and navigating multiple career paths while becoming closer than ever. That’s the story of hip-hop duo Souls of Liberty. Tenelle Winmore and Ryan “Big Esco” Brown share their story and what inspired their latest album, “20,000 Hours Vol. 1: Return of the Gods.”

In addition to shelters being overcrowded, the number of stray dogs and cats on the streets continues to grow. Shelter leaders Weng Horak of CARE STL and Alisha Vianello of Gateway Pet Guardians share what animal shelters are going through and what you can do to help.

Washington University sophomore Julian Trejo was 15 years old when his mother helped him change his surname. He was ashamed to be the son of a felon, but now feels free. In this personal and sound-rich essay, Julian reflects on his upbringing and his quest to "not become a statistic — not just another brown kid with an absent dad who went down the wrong path.” Julian is a fellow with the River City Journalism Fund and a soccer journalist in St. Louis.

Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in the U.S. since 1988, but unlike Black History Month, the culturally commemorative month has never had a flag to fly. That is, until St. Louis-based artist Jose Garza was approached by the Regional Arts Commission to come up with a flag design.

A dramatic case of bounty hunters, bail, and body cameras concluded last week in a federal courtroom in St. Louis. After deliberating for less than two hours, a jury found Wayne Lozier, owner of Bayou Boyz Fugitive Recovery, guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy. Katie Kull, courts reporter for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, covered the trial from the courtroom. She discusses the bounty hunter industry, Lozier’s defense, and the trial’s dramatic verdict.

St. Louis officials attempted to clear a homeless encampment just outside St. Louis City Hall on Monday night. The city called off those plans after being met with resistance from residents, advocates and some city aldermen, but a spokesperson for Mayor Tishaura Jones said they would try again today. STLPR interim digital editor Brian Munoz explains what happened, why the city wants to remove the encampment, and what he heard from residents.

2534 North Grand has a reputation, and it’s not a good one. That’s the address of what was once the Grand Motel, a place notorious as a hotspot for crime, illicit drugs, and prostitution. And for decades, residents of surrounding neighborhoods have voiced their desire to see the nuisance property taken care of. Realtor Monique Buchanan shares her plans to transform the location into a center for survivors of domestic violence.

The gut microbiome you develop early in life can have a lasting effect on your health. Poor gut health leaves people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, severe asthma or other lung illnesses. Washington University researcher Liz Mallott digs into what we know about gut health and what we can do to shape its development.