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12 questions for longtime St. Louis County prosecutor as he leaves office – and his answers

6 years 4 months ago

Having first taken office in the early ’90s, Bob McCulloch has served as St. Louis County prosecutor ever since. But a stunning upset by Wesley Bell in this year's Democratic primary has McCulloch’s long tenure now coming to a close. Host Don Marsh and reporter Rachel Lippmann speak at length with McCulloch in this departing conversation, asking a wide variety of questions.

Sam Page and Hazel Erby

6 years 4 months ago

Councilman Sam Page and Councilwoman Hazel Erby join the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast to talk about the tumultuous year in St. Louis County government.

Page, D-Creve Coeur, and Erby, D-University City, are the chair and co chair of the St. Louis County Council. They’ve held those positions for two years amid tensions with St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger.

Since the beginning of 2017, Page and Erby have been part of a bipartisan coalition that’s clashed with Stenger on a multitude of issues. Earlier this week, the council passed a budget with roughly $35 million in cuts from what Stenger recommended. They also overrode his veto numerous times, including on removing a requirement that bidders for construction contracts be linked to apprenticeship programs.

'It happens everwhere all the time': WaPo analysis looks at domestic violence in St. Louis, beyond

6 years 4 months ago

On Friday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh went behind the headlines on a newly published investigation by the Washington Post. That report found that 48 of the 148 women killed in St. Louis from 2007 to 2017 were murdered by an intimate partner – and that one-third of those men were publicly known to be a potential threat before the attacks occurred.

Wash U prof sees lessons for today in experiences of black students who desegregated private schools

6 years 4 months ago

Wanda Ward. Jannard Wade. Malcolm Ryder. Those names probably don’t sound as familiar as Ruby Bridges or the “Little Rock Nine,” who are celebrated figures in the history of American civil rights. But during the same era in which Bridges and so many other black students were bravely challenging public school segregation in the South, some of their peers were also taking bold steps to integrate private institutions. That topic first piqued Michelle Purdy’s interest about 20 years ago, when she was an undergrad at Washington University exploring the history of education and particularly black education. Now a faculty member at her alma mater, she’s published a new book on the subject, and she joined Thursday’s St. Louis on the Air to discuss it with host Don Marsh.

‘Theater that feels a bit like a dare’: Metro’s ‘Wonderland’ sets Alice on even more unusual journey

6 years 4 months ago

Audiences are collectively pretty familiar with falling through a rabbit hole to accompany a young girl named Alice on a strange trip involving everything from a queen to a cat to a jury composed of animals. But Metro Theater Company has added even more elements to Lewis Carroll’s classic story – in this case keyboarders, guitar players, bass players, an accordion, trumpet players and a clarinet, among others.

Terry Kennedy

6 years 4 months ago

St. Louis Alderman Terry Kennedy is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann about his 30-year tenure on the Board of Aldermen.

Kennedy represents the 18th Ward, which takes in nine neighborhoods in central and north St. Louis — including the Central West End, Vandeventer and JeffVanderLou neighborhoods. He’s planning to resign in early January to become clerk of the Board of Aldermen.

A second generation alderman, Kennedy joined the board in 1989. He succeeded his father, Sam Kennedy, who served on the board for 21 years. During his time in office, Kennedy helped create the North Sarah development — a state, federal and private partnership that brought about new housing in his ward.

Kennedy was also the key backer of a Civilian Oversight Board for the St. Louis Police Department. That idea languished for years, until aldermen ended up passing legislation after Michael Brown’s shooting death in Ferguson. After the Jason Stockley protests, aldermen ended up giving that board subpoena power.

Forest ReLEAF of MO - 25 Years, 200,000 Trees!

6 years 4 months ago

In their super-service quarter-century, Forest ReLEAF of Missouri has moved over 200,000 native species trees from seedlings to nursery transplants to solid ground in communities around the Show-Me-State.

      

ReLEAF works with Seniors to Young Friends to community folks. This intrepid non-profit trains and supports volunteer powered efforts to grow, track and maintain healthy Urban Forests. Community Forester Tom Ebeling talks with Earthworms host Jean Ponzi (some of her best friends are Trees) about this work, in a conversation celebrating ReLEAF's 25th anniversary and the many benefits of urban trees

               

If this interview inspires you to check out ReLEAF volunteer opportunities, don't resist! The work will grow on you. 

THANKS to Anna Holland, Earthworms Engineer

Music: Magic 9 performed live at KDHX by Infamous Stringdusters

Related Earthworms Conversations: Urban Forests: A Natural History of Trees and People in the American Cityscape with Jill Jonnes (October 2016)