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The Rundown: St. Louis' Past Lives And Current Dilemmas

Photo illustration of two women crossing the street at 6th and Locust, 74 years apart.
Left photo: Brian Villa | for St. Louis Public Radio; right photo: Richard Moore | provided by the Missouri History Museum
Take a trip down Memory Lane with St. Louis Then and Now.

We know that you listen to us on air and check our website for news and information about our region. We hope that you look at our website every day, but we know that's not always possible. So, once a week, on Friday, we will highlight some of the website's top stories of the week.

Down Memory Lane

It's always fun to take a photographic stroll down Memory Lane, especially when the photos show, as these do, dramatic shifts over time.

St. Louis In Photos: Then And Now

Some things change, and some things stay the same. Take a look at historical photos from St. Louis and present-day photos taken to match by photographer Brian Villa. Then try your hand at recreating a historical photo and let us know how it looks.

Mural Mystery Solved, But Fabled Clock Still Missing From St. Louis' Union Station

Beginning in 1942 and for around three decades – no one seems to know for sure – a massive mural depicting a flurry of commercial activity along the St. Louis riverfront peered down upon the ticket counter at Union Station. Thursday the media was introduced to the mural with dramatic fanfare.

Trash talk

In the midst of the heat of controversy, maybe we can shed a little light on an issue that goes back decades. 

Confused About The Bridgeton And West Lake Landfills? Here's What You Should Know

St. Louis has a legacy of nuclear waste. Some of it is in Bridgeton, at what's known as the West Lake Landfill. In the adjacent Bridgeton Landfill, an underground fire has been smoldering for more than three years. The situation has caused a lot of fear and confusion. St. Louis Public Radio has started this FAQ to help answer some of your questions. We'll add to it as we hear from you.

Sound of music

BluesFest and Taste of St. Louis are leaving for Chesterfield. Were they run out of St. Louis?

Despite Protests, Non-Compete Clause Likely To Remain In Bill For Downtown Music Festival

St. Louis aldermen have temporarily slowed the progress of a measure that would reserve Memorial and Labor Day weekends for a new music festival in downtown St. Louis for at least the next 10 years.

Dazed and confused

The St. Louis Heroin Epidemic: Who Is Addicted And Where Is It Coming From?

St. Louis has a heroin problem. And the problem is growing, especially among suburban youth. The number of deaths in Missouri caused by heroin has doubled in recent years, with 90 percent of those deaths occurring in St. Louis.

Campaign 2014

With candidate filing now underway, election season has officially opened, and politicians are jockeying for position.

As Dooley and Stenger Duke It Out, Zimmerman Seeks Quieter Re-Election Bid

County Assessor Jake Zimmerman is running for his first full term as assessor. It’s likely to be a more subdued campaign than 2011, especially in the context of a contentious Democratic primary for county executive.  But while running for assessor may be as sexy as, say, running for recorder of deeds, Zimmerman said he has plenty to talk about.

Ellisville Mayor Files For St. Louis County Council As Area Republicans Regroup

Ellisville Mayor Adam Paul, who was at the center of a high-profile effort last year to oust him from office, is now seeking to be elected to the St. Louis County Council. Paul is the second Ellisville official to file for a county office.  The city councilman who was his chief nemesis in last year’s fight – Matt Pirrello – filed last week as a Republican for St. Louis County executive. Some county Republicans are also urging former state Sen. Jane Cunningham to run for county executive.

School daze

This year has been one of big changes in Missouri's schools, ranging from changing the number of standardized tests students must take to how schools are accredited.

Lesson Plans: Lawmakers Work On Sweeping School Proposals

With the Missouri legislature approaching its spring break, the Senate has passed a sweeping education bill designed to deal with struggling schools and transfers from unaccredited districts, and a bill addressing similar issues is ready for debate in the House. We break down the two bills: What's alike? What's not? And how do these bills related to the proposal of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Missouri Reconsiders How Many Tests Students Must Take

Can schools cut back sharply on the number of tests that students have to take and still get a good idea of how well they are learning? The state of Missouri is about to find out.

Execution drugs

We continue our ongoing investigation into Missouri's execution protocol.

How Missouri Got Ahold Of Its Backup Execution Drug

When Missouri's execution drug supplier backed out after facing a lawsuit, the state found another pharmacy willing to sell it pentobarbital. But if that proved impossible, Missouri also had another option: It could use its controversial backup drug, midazolam.

Susan Hegger comes to St. Louis Public Radio and the Beacon as the politics and issues editor, a position she has held at the Beacon since it started in 2008.