St. Louis on the Air

Missouri greenlit several dispensaries to sell recreational cannabis last Friday. St. Louis Public Radio’s Metro East reporter Will Bauer shares what he heard from customers on that first day of recreational sales, the tax breakdown on both sides of the Mississippi River, and how Missouri and Illinois may be competing for consumers.

On January 20, Bob Kramer’s Marrionnettes went up in flames. The fire claimed the 125-seat theater, a workshop, gift shop and residence and, most significantly, Bob Kramer’s life. Firefighters rescued his longtime partner, Dug Feltch, who spent four days in the hospital unconscious. Dug Feltch joins the show to remember his partner and to listen back to an excerpt of a 2015 conversation with Kramer.

Kate Grumke updates St. Louis on the Air about the newly appointed superintendent for St. Louis Public Schools: Keisha Scarlett from Seattle.

Felia Davenport’s new exhibition “Torn Mixology” addresses how motherhood changed her perspective on racism and generational trauma as a person of mixed-race. The exhibition tells her personal story through detailed hand-stitched clothing on life-sized mannequins.

Metro Theater Company’s latest production, “Spells of the Sea,” tells the story of a 15-year-old fisherwoman and a grumpy lighthouse keeper who encounter mermaids, monsters and pirates in their quest to find the elixir of life. Metro Theater Company Artistic Director Julia Flood and cast member and choreographer Tyler White preview the musical and its use of scent design.

Workplaces across many industries struggle to attract employees of color.. One solution is the practice of “cluster hiring,” in which companies hire groups of individuals with similar identities. In the documentary film “Clusterluck,” Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville professor and first time film producer Candace Hall chronicles her personal experience in a cluster hire in the university’s School of Education.

Monster trucks roared and tumbled in St. Louis last month at Monster Jam, but, it turns out that the St. Louis region has a distinct connection to the culture of massive motocross vehicles. That connection includes Rich Inman and Concussion Motorsports, in Ellis Grove, Illinois, which manufactures monster trucks. Its work is stamped on some of the most famous monster trucks in the world, including the local legend, Bigfoot. Rich Inman discusses how to build a monster truck that can jump, flip and smash, while also ensuring the driver can walk away after the show is done.

Black maternal mortality rates in Missouri are among some of the highest in the United States. And with the near-total ban on abortions in Missouri, the demand for full spectrum doulas and midwives is increasing. STLPR reporter Andrea Henderson discusses how Black women are seeking out Black doulas to improve their birth outcomes.

Typically, bands and music groups make stars of the lead singer: the “front man” and spokesperson who gets all the eyes and attention. So most fans do not consider the team of people working behind the scenes to make the music radio-ready — especially those who produce, mix, and master the audio. Music producers are integral to the music-making process. Producer Miya Norfleet explores the Fresh Produce Champions Battle and sits down with emcees, judges, and participants of the competition.

The events of September 17, 2017 were expensive for the city of St. Louis. In the years since police used a “kettle” to mass-arrest dozens of people downtown, the city has settled with protesters and bystanders caught in the cordon. Now, with the $4.9 million settlement reached this week in a class-action lawsuit, the bill has hit a total of roughly $10 million. Attorneys Bill Freivogel, Eric Banks and Jennifer Joyce analyze the settlement and provide an update on the viral story about how GEICO paid a Missouri woman $5.2 million after she had sex in a car and contracted HPV.