St. Louis on the Air

In March 2022, community advocates said St. Louis' 211 hotline fails homeless people and leaves volunteers to pick up the slack. Nearly a year later, they report that things are even worse. STL Winter Outreach volunteers sit down with St. Louis Department of Human Services Director Dr. Yusef Scoggin to discuss how the system is working and the city’s role in making sure that vulnerable residents have access to shelter.

Will Jordan, executive director of the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, and Nate Johnson, the president of the organization’s board of directors, discuss the role realtors play in increasing Black homeownership in St. Louis.

The Catholic community in the St. Louis region is at a crossroads. A sweeping plan from the Archdiocese, known as the All Things New initiative, is considering how to close schools and consolidate parishes. Among those preparing for the change is Fr. Andrew Auer, an associate pastor at St. Clare of Assisi in Ellisville. Fr. Auer discusses the reaction to All Things New, why St. Louis’ Catholic community may be “over-planted,” and the impending announcement May 28, on Pentecost, of the final model for parish consolidation.

St. Louis animal rights activist Sasha Zemmel made headlines when a recent disruptive protest at a Moolah Shriners meeting ended in her arrest — and her alleging that members of the group physically assaulted her as she tried to exit. Two weeks later, the Moolah Shriners announced they would retire their elephants from their circus. Zemmel discusses the confrontation with the Moolah Shriners and how she considers their decision to retire the elephants a victory for animal rights groups.

Black Americans are more likely to start menopause early and gain less treatment to manage symptoms — that’s according to a recent review of menopause literature. Dr. Makeba Williams, an associate professor and vice chair of professional development and wellness in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University, encourages more doctors to recognize that the menopause experience is not universal and more care should be taken when treating patients of color, especially Black Americans.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, has some 13 million items in its collection. Now, 100 of them are featured in an online gallery of 3D images that can be enlarged, turned upside down or spun around. Museum director Christina Shutt explains the 3D imaging project and talks about the history of some of the artifacts.

The Missouri History Museum's "St. Louis Sound" exhibit was designed like an album, with both the greatest hits of St. Louis music and some deep cuts from more obscure favorites. The museum's Andrew Wanko discusses the region's impact on popular music. The last day to view the exhibit is Sunday, January 22.

Would you talk to a fifth grader about cannabis? Nichole Dawsey is the executive director of Prevent Ed, and she says that, if done appropriately, around age 10 is a great time to start having conversations with children about cannabis use. Now that Missouri has legalized recreational marijuana and advertisements are going up for where to buy cannabis goods, parents and educators are preparing to have tough conversations with young people about cannabis — but is the conversation tough, or are adults just afraid of being awkward? (Spoiler alert: It’s the latter.)

St. Louis chefs like MJ Stewart and Brandon Panosh have embraced the “pop-up” concept, creating smaller-scale offerings focused around a particular dish, cuisine or atmosphere. Stewart discusses her unique take on a dessert-only menu with “DNFT,” while Panosh dishes about his custom dinner series “Table with Dinner at the Loft.” We also check in about the growth of the pop-up trend with Meera Nagarajan, executive editor of Sauce Magazine.

Aurora Bihler is a union ironworker in St. Louis. She’s working to bring more women and minorities into the skilled labor force as director of the “Building Union Diversity” program, which has graduated some 300 students since its founding in 2014. Bihler discusses her path to the skilled trades, and AFL-CIO Missouri president Jake Hummel provides insight into the ongoing labor shortage.