Better Family Life’s 24/7 hotline helps callers facing the possibility of gun violence connect with people trained in de-escalation and mediation techniques. They also offer assistance with seeking counseling and medical supplies. In this episode, host Sarah Fenske talks with several mothers who called the hotline on behalf of their sons, and we learn how the Better Family Life de-escalation team is tackling one of the most complicated pieces of the gun violence epidemic.
Host Sarah Fenske discusses the highlights of St. Louis County Police Department Lieutenant Keith Wildhaber's first interview talking about his $10.25 million settlement case against St. Louis County. The gay police sergeant talked to St Louis Public Radio reporter Julie O’Donoghue, and said going forward, he’s intent on leading the department's newly formed Diversity and Inclusion Unit.
Composer Tobias Picker has five operas to his credit, with commissions from the LA Opera and the Metropolitan Opera, among others, and serious acclaim. But his sixth opera, which makes its world premiere at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis this June, will have particular personal resonance. The librettist writing the words to go with Picker’s music is his husband, Dr. Aryeh Lev Stollman. And while Stollman has written three novels, this is his first time writing an opera libretto. Still, he brings a particular expertise to the show, which is an adaptation of Dr. Oliver Sacks’ nonfiction medical drama “Awakenings.” Like Sacks, Stollman is a physician who studies the nervous system (Stollman is a neuroradiologist; Sacks was a neurologist).
Local singer Katarra Parson had an eventful year with a new album, an award for best St. Louis R&B artist and a being selected to join the Kranzberg Music Artists in Residence program. Her Neo-Soul music has taken her across the country where she's worked with artists and activists to create socially conscious music.
Increasingly more companies, organizations and governmental entities are establishing formal units focused on diversity and inclusion — the St. Louis County Police Department is one recent example in the bi-state region. But even as awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion grows, it can sometimes seem like something that all too often gets stuck at the level of lip service rather than leading to real change. Webster University is aiming to move the needle “From Conversation to Action” over the course of its four-day Diversity & Inclusion Conference set for Feb. 24 to 27. All of the sessions are free and open to the public, with journalist and former NPR host Michele Norris, founder of The Race Card Project, giving the keynote address.
For about a year, Darwin Aquino has been serving as conductor of the orchestras at both the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Washington University. And on Tuesday evening, the two groups under his direction rehearsed together for the first time ever. Final preparations are underway for their distinctive concert this Sunday, where they’ll combine musical forces to present music from several popular video games, films and more. “It’s the music that we hear every day, and especially our young people,” he said during Wednesday’s St. Louis on the Air. “They are hearing that music while they play the video games or they see a movie. So that’s why we decided for this very special event [to] put two university orchestras together … playing the music of today.” From “World of Warcraft” and “Zelda” to “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings,” Sunday’s program promises a wide range of beloved scores. There will also be visual highlights on a big screen accompanying each piece. The free performance at the 560 Music Center is billed as a family-friendly affair highlighting the talents of more than 100 young musicians.
Author Candacy Taylor’s stepfather grew up in the Jim Crow South. But it wasn’t until she began researching her new book, “Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America,” that she started to understand what he’d endured. Black travelers in the 20th-century U.S. might be stopped by police on any pretext — and face serious harassment. They might be turned away by hostile hoteliers or gas station attendants. And that’s not even mentioning “Sundown Towns,” all-white towns which sometimes even featured signs warning black people to stay out in the harshest of terms. Missouri and Illinois were among the five states having the most Sundown Towns, Taylor writes. And so black men like Taylor’s stepfather turned to the “Green Book.” Victor Green’s book highlighted businesses from coast to coast where black travelers could count on friendly reception — a respite from the racism and uncertainty that marred other spots on the roadways.
State Representative Steve Lynch wants to give professional license reciprocity to military spouses. The Waynesville Republican says it's a hardship when a member of the armed services is deployed to Missouri and a spouse's professional license does not transfer from another state.
Promoting growing and ethically gathering herbs, understanding these plants' healing properties, and appreciating Nature. These are the roots of learning and work of Tend & Flourish School of Botanicals.
Longtime organic farmer Crystal Moore Stevens and botanist Alex Queatham have joined friendly forces to teach others how to appreciate and use herbs. Their first (filled!) Herbal Apprenticeship class is working toward completion of study. Their programs at public venues bring their knowledgable love of herbaceous plants to an increasingly receptive audience.
As Crystal eloquently states, this work is Creating Cultivated Ecologies in the minds, hearts and practices of people exploring the potentials of herbs.
Music: Divertimento (k.131) - Kevin MacLeod from WA Mozart
THANKS to Sasha Hay and Jon Valley, our KDHX engineers
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, the Arch grounds aren’t getting the kinds of projected visitation numbers calculated before the $380 million redevelopment that wrapped up in 2018. It was projected that there would be a 25% to 33% increase in visitors to the monument in the first two years after completion. Host Sarah Fenske delves into reasons why that hasn’t been the case and what new initiatives are in store to help bring those visitation numbers up. Joining the discussion are Jacob Kirn, St. Louis Business Journal economic development editor, and Mike Ward, superintendent of the Gateway Arch National Park.
On Monday, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, announced plans to retire from the department this spring. Within hours, more department-related news broke: St. Louis County has reached a $10.25 million settlement with county police Lt. Keith Wildhaber, who sued the county and was awarded a nearly $20 million
in October after a jury agreed he had been passed over for promotions because of his sexual orientation.
Patients need certification before they can receive medical cannabis in Missouri. Some St. Louis doctors are refusing to certify patients because of a lack of clinical trials and evidence-based studies. Other physicians say medical cannabis can help people who need treatment.
In Missouri’s history, the state has seen more than 7,000 state legislators. Fewer than 140 of those have been black. Since 1989, the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus has helped African American lawmakers work together as a minority in the state capitol. In this interview, Sarah Fenske talks with State Representative Steve Roberts Jr. about the priorities of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus this year.
What would it take for you to be happy? Tim Bono has written a book on the subject. It’s called Happiness 101, and draws on what he’s learned in his nine years teaching The Science of Happiness course at Washington University. And he might suggest you’re asking the wrong question. It’s not about being happy. It’s about being happier. He explains the reasons for that shift in thinking to host Sarah Fenske.
Host Sarah Fenske talks with classical music critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sarah Bryan Miller. Several of the city’s music organizations came together to commission a major composer to write a piece in her honor.
A new charter middle school with a unique model is finding its groove halfway through its first year. We examine the growing pains of Kairos Academies in St. Louis.
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is in the midst of its first season with music director Stéphane Denève at the helm, but the organization is already looking ahead. Earlier this week, the symphony announced the lineup for Denève’s second season. It begins this fall, and it focuses on the theme of “music inspired by and written by women.”
Opera Theatre of St. Louis just got the biggest gift in the organization’s history -- $45 million. In this segment, Sarah Fenske talks about this very nice surprise with the general director of Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Andrew Jorgensen.
Every year, the St. Louis Theater Circle honors the best of local professional theater, voted on by local critics. In this segment, Calvin Wilson, theater critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Tina Farmer, theater reviewer for KDHX, join host Sarah Fenske to release the 2020 award nominees and discuss some of the highlights. St. Louis Theater Circle asserts that this year's nominations represent the most competitive field in the eight years of the awards.
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