St. Louis on the Air
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis on the Air creates a unique space where guests and listeners can share ideas and opinions with respect and honesty. Whether exploring issues and challenges confronting our region, discussing the latest innovations in science and technology, taking a closer look at our history or talking with authors, artists and musicians, St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 27, 2022 • 50min
Why did students' Lindenwood suit succeed where Wash U's failed? Separate online pricing
The Legal Roundtable discusses how two lawsuits over the pandemic-era switch to Zoom classes turned out very differently. Panelists also discuss a pair of big jury verdicts, Sunshine law litigation involving former Gov. Eric Greitens and former Attorney General Josh Hawley, and more.
May 26, 2022 • 21min
From death to the Delmar Divide, See STL Tours don’t flinch from showing St. Louis
The Missouri Historical Society’s two-year-old See STL Tour program offers two dozen walking and bus tours that go far beyond what you might expect. Tour guides Amanda Clark and Josiah Gundersen discuss what people take from the tours and how they each fell in love with the city’s more unusual stories, locations and characters.
May 26, 2022 • 20min
Prosecutor’s motion to vacate Mike Politte conviction could be a game changer
Washington County Prosecutor Josh Hedgecorth recently filed a motion to vacate the conviction of Michael Politte, who spent 23 years behind bars for allegedly murdering his mother. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who is the only prosecutor in Missouri to successfully deploy the state’s new wrongful conviction law, discusses what could happen next.
May 26, 2022 • 14min
School buses are failing to pick up Afghan refugees in St. Louis
Afghan refugee students are missing school because St. Louis Public School District doesn’t have enough drivers to fill their bus routes. Without a car, driver’s license or strong grasp of English, many parents are unable to get their children to school without a bus. Sue Scott, a volunteer with Welcome Neighbor, joins the show to talk about how missed bus routes affect the Afghan family she’s partnered with.
May 25, 2022 • 20min
After demolition, what’s next for Jamestown Mall?
Jamestown Mall has sat vacant in unincorporated St. Louis County for about just over a decade. Now that the St. Louis County Council has approved a plan for its demolition, urban planner and consultant Bob Lewis discusses what could happen next — and why the mall was doomed to fail. (Correction: The former Jamestown Mall is located in unincorporated St. Louis County, not Florissant, MO.)
May 25, 2022 • 33min
Here’s what St. Louis booksellers are reading this summer
Summer days can present an opportunity to explore fictitious worlds or delve into a gripping historical epic, and St. Louis’ local booksellers are on the case. Mark Pannebecker of Spine Bookstore and Cafe, Ymani Wince of Noir Bookshop and Joice Carrawell of Little Readers reveal their summer reading lists, including adult novels and children’s books.
May 25, 2022 • 15min
Missouri prisons are banning physical mail and replacing it with photocopies
Starting July 1, Missouri's inmates will no longer be able to receive personal mail. Instead, they'll get photocopies. St. Louis Public Radio reporter Shahla Farzan shares what she's learned about the new policy — including concerns from criminal justice advocates who worry the policy will only further isolate inmates from the outside world.
May 24, 2022 • 18min
Karviva beverage company aims to unite ‘ancient wisdom with modern innovation’
St. Louis-based Fulfill Food & Beverages recently notched $1 million in annual sales — largely due to the popularity of its Karviva (formerly Karuna) prebiotic smoothie and juice beverages. Founder and CEO Angela Zeng talks about the company and her entrepreneurial journey.
May 24, 2022 • 21min
Gabe Montesanti learned to ‘Brace for Impact’ — and found life in the roller derby arena
Gabe Montesanti came to St. Louis for grad school at Wash U, and quickly found herself sucked into the roller derby scene. She discusses her new memoir, her complicated family relationships and how she owes everything to a near-catastrophic injury.
May 23, 2022 • 19min
New film ‘Head Over Heels’ explores wrestling at the Chase Hotel
The new documentary “Head Over Heels: Remembering Wrestling from the Chase” explores St. Louis’ wrestling mid-century heyday. Film producer and local historian Ed Wheatley discusses the matches, the TV series and the documentary.
