St. Louis on the Air

St. Louis food writer and trained chef Holly Fann talks about what inspired her TEDxStLouis talk about the illusion of “authentic” ethnic food, and how candid conversation about it can make us better, more informed diners.

More than 44,000 marijuana cases, including over 10,000 felony convictions, were expunged in Missouri before a June 8 deadline. However, many remain unresolved. Attorney Dan Viets, Missouri coordinator for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and public defender Matt Schmidt discuss where that effort has fallen short.

With St. Louis’ population in decline and property being affordable, neglected land parcels are desirable to developers. Some might see the attention as a positive — addressing blight which would ideally lead to decreased crime and higher property values. West End residents April Walker and Lisa Potts along with their neighbors and support from Invest STL led by executive director Dara Eskridge created a neighborhood plan that was approved by the city of St. Louis.

For lovers of dogs, nature and music, St. Louis musician Mikey Wehling’s forthcoming album, Camp Scout Vol. 2, captures the sounds of summer. Wehling discusses how the album traces his adventures with his dog, Scout, to the Cumberland River in Tennessee and the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, both of which inspired the instrumental album.

Construction workers have nearly twice the rate of substance abuse as the national average, and the rate of suicide for men working in construction is about four times higher than the general population. A newly formed St. Louis-based peer support system aims to improve outcomes for St. Louis construction workers who struggle with addiction and/or mental health issues.

The status of being publicly queer or trans has become increasingly fraught in Missouri in 2023. Historian Steven Louis Brawely and artist Steve Willits reflect on commemorating Pride month, and LGBTQ history, at a time when events are playing out, as Brawley says, in “real time.”

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen could vote as soon as this week to raise water rates by 40% over the next 2 ½ years. Future increases would be tied to the cost of inflation. Curt Skouby, Director of the City of St. Louis’ Department of Public Utilities and Water Commissioner, explains ongoing issues with rising prices and aging infrastructure, as well as why he supports the rate increase.

It wasn’t a single destination that spurred Jack Snelling to spend 10 days driving more than 4,300 miles around Missouri. His route, inspired by Missouri’s original highway system, led to 115 historic courthouses. Along the way, he learned to appreciate the state’s many communities, as well as the legacy of a now little-known highway system.

Tyler Small, a 27-year-old self-taught photographer and queer Black dad in St. Louis, is commemorating Father’s Day in a special way. He’s taking pictures of fellow Black fathers for a local nonprofit’s event that raises funds for free mental health services and he’s sharing his own story of becoming a father.

In St. Louis’ food scene, the current star of the show is the humble bagel. New shops, and long lines, have led Sauce Magazine’s Meera Nagarajan to declare it a veritable “bagel boom.” Ted Wilson, co-owner of Bagel Union in Webster Groves, describes the years of work to turn his boiled-and-baked dreams into reality, and Jackie Polcyn, the shop’s head baker and production manager, tells us what it takes to make the perfect bagel.