St. Louis Public Radio

HIV Remains Persistent Problem In Missouri — Especially In Rural Areas

The number of new HIV cases in Missouri is on the rise — and a disproportionately large number are in rural counties. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified Missouri as one of seven states with a “substantial rural burden” — noting that it has more than 75 cases and 10 percent or more of diagnoses in rural areas. Public health researchers say the concentration of cases likely is due to several factors, including lack of access to health care.

An active coal-ash pond at the Meramec Energy Center in St. Louis County in February 2018. — File Photo | Eli Chen | St. Louis Public Radio

EPA Says Missouri’s Plan To Regulate Coal Ash Ponds And Landfills Is Too Weak

Airman First Class Anthony Uelk, on the ladder, along with fellow 932nd Airlift Wing flight line crew chiefs, refuel a C-40 in preparation for a launch at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. — Christopher Parr | U.S. Air Force

Scott Air Force Base Project Could Be Cut To Pay For Border Wall Construction

The Pros - And Cons - Of Rising Property Values

By Jon Lewis • 2 hours ago

St. Louis County assessor Jake Zimmerman joined host Don Marsh to discuss rising property values in the county and the St. Louis region. March 22, 2019 — Lara Hamdan | St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis County homeowners were treated to some good news this week: County assessor Jake Zimmerman announced that the typical home value in the area increased by 15 percent since 2017.

Local Muslim Community Addresses Mental Health And Security Concerns After New Zealand Massacre

By Lara Hamdan • 2 hours ago

Dima Shabaneh (left) and Faizan Syed (right) recapped local events that have taken place in commemoration of the victims of the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, — Lara Hamdan and Evie Hemphill | St. Louis Public Radio

Although Christchurch, New Zealand is approximately 8,000 miles away from St. Louis, the terrorist attack on two mosques left many locals in total sense of disbelief, heartbreak and sadness.

On Friday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh talked with local members of the Muslim community about the aftermath of the tragedy. Joining the discussion were Dima Shabaneh, an intake referral counselor at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, and Faizan Syed, executive director of Missouri’s Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Ai Weiwei Exhibition To Open Expanded Kemper Art Museum In September

By Nancy Fowler • Mar 21, 2019

Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, 2015 is part of the Ai Weiwei: Bare Life exhibition. — Provided | Ai Weiwei Studio

St. Louis’ Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will reopen this fall with a big artistic bang: an exhibition by celebrated Chinese artist and political activist Ai Weiwei.

The Kemper closed last April for a $12 million renovation, part of $280 million campus project. The work significantly increases the museum’s display space.

The Sept. 28 opening will feature three dozen Ai Weiwei pieces, including some created for the exhibition and others never before seen in the United States.

The Musicians, Venues And Traditions That Make Up ‘St. Louis Sound’

By Lara Hamdan • Mar 21, 2019

Amanda Doyle (left) and Steve Pick (right) wrote "St. Louis Sound: An Illustrated Timeline," which tells the rich history of music out of St. Louis. — Tom Lampe

Alongside contributions to the world such as beer and baseball, St. Louis also has a rich history of generating great music. The region is not only home to bands of various genres such as jazz, rock, Americana and hip-hop — but also to world-class institutions such as the St. Louis Symphony and the Fox Theatre.

Many well-known — and not-so-known — performers are included in a brand-new pictorial history of St. Louis and its music titled “St. Louis Sound: An Illustrated Timeline.”

UMSL Chancellor Tom George To Retire In September

By Kae M. Petrin • Mar 21, 2019

University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor Tom George on Thursday announced he will retire in fall 2019. March 21, 2019 — Kae Petrin | St. Louis Public Radio

Updated March 21 with additional details from the announcement event — University of Missouri–St. Louis Chancellor Tom George will retire in September, he announced Thursday.

The university administration will name an interim chancellor and begin a national search for a permanent replacement.

Fort Leonard Wood Adds Staff And Increases Communication To Fix Base Housing Issues

By Jonathan Ahl • Mar 21, 2019

Soldiers and their families who live on base at Fort Leonard Wood will now have quarterly opportunities to express any concerns about their homes directly to the Garrison Commander.

And the staff that handles inspections and oversees repairs to the more than 1,800 homes at the base in the Ozarks will increase from three to five.

Those changes are the result of a national effort to review the quality of military housing and address concerns about delays in repairs.

On Chess: Collegiate Chess Players Exhibit Strong Talent At First National Rapid And Blitz Event

By Alejandro Ramirez • Mar 21, 2019

The St. Louis University chess team won the blitz competition in the U.S. Collegiate Rapid and Blitz Championships in March 2019. — Austin Fuller | St. Louis Chess Club

The college chess scene is booming, and it is easy to see why. The inclusion of so many strong chess programs and the explosion of rivalries between universities that give scholarships based on chess naturally lay the groundwork for more and more tournaments to be added into the circuit.

Traditionally, it is clear that the two most important events of the year for collegiate chess are the Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championships and the Final Four. However, there is plenty of room for growth, and last weekend, the inaugural U.S. Collegiate Rapid and Blitz Championships was held on St. Louis University's campus.

Getting To School Is A Long And Winding Road For A Homeless Student Like Angelina

By Ryan Delaney • Mar 21, 2019

There’s a late-winter chill in the house. A space heater is trying to do the work of a busted furnace. Angelina rubs the sleep out of her eyes as her mom gets her washed up and dressed.

It’s 8:45 in the morning. The 8-year-old is already late for school. She didn’t go to bed until after 2 a.m., because sleeping at her great-aunt’s home in the Walnut Park neighborhood in north St. Louis was not the plan. They couldn’t get into her mom’s sister’s apartment a few miles away. So it was back on the bus.

Looking To 2030, Gov. Parson And Tech Leaders Aim To Put Missouri On Top

By Andrea Y. Henderson • Mar 20, 2019

Gov. Mike Parson speaks about technology at the Missouri Chamber of Commerce in St. Louis on March 20, 2019. — Andrea Henderson | St. Louis Public Radio

Gov. Mike Parson set the bar high for the technology sector in the state during the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2030 Technology Conference on Wednesday.

According to the Missouri Chamber Foundation’s Technology 2030 report, technology is one of the greatest areas of opportunity for the state and is growing in a way that opens the door for Missouri to be recognized as a leader.

Missouri PSC Approves Controversial Multi-State Wind-Energy Transmission Line

By Eli Chen • Mar 20, 2019

Wind turbines and transmission towers in the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm in Benton County, Indiana. — Chris Light | Wikimedia Commons

The Missouri Public Service Commission gave the green light Wednesday to allow a 780-mile wind-energy transmission line to be built across Missouri.

The Grain Belt Express transmission line will deliver nearly 4,000 megawatts of power from wind farms in western Kansas to parts of Missouri, Illinois and some eastern states. The line would course through eight Missouri counties, including Caldwell, Randolph and Monroe.

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