St. Louis on the Air

The fine dining restaurant Tony’s, in Clayton, closed in February as did Mom’s Deli in southwest St. Louis. STLPR’s Jessica Rogen and Abby Llorico discuss notable closures of St. Louis area restaurants — and openings. Restaurant openings in February included four new spots at Energizer Park, Good Strangers on Cherokee Street and Side Project Pizza in Maplewood.

Ahead of the April 8 general election, St. Louis voters will go to the polls Tuesday for the primary election. There are four candidates for St. Louis mayor: Tishaura Jones, Cara Spencer, Michael Butler and Andrew Jones. Comptroller and two aldermanic races are also on the ballot. The top two finishers under the city’s approval voting system will go on to the general election. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann discusses.

Alexia Simone is admittedly a bashful person, but she pushes that all to the side with 808 beats and low-end R&B sound in her new project, “Multiply.” She takes host Elaine Cha behind the scenes of the album’s production which includes collaborations with local music producers and her InBloom partner, Slikk Darko.

February’s new music roundup showcases Black artists with ties to St. Louis. The various genres highlight the artists’ creativity and talent. Producer Miya Norfleet and WSIE host “Tracey J” Shanklin discuss their top picks.

A St. Louis County Girl Scout troop was told to stop fundraising for child war victims in Gaza. Instead, they created their own organization. Less than a year later, Salam Scouts has more than 200 members in 24 troops nationwide. Co-founder Nawal Abuhamdeh says she hopes Salam Scouts will empower young girls and boys not only to be confident leaders, “but compassionate, kind leaders who will always stand up for what's right — despite what other people are telling them to think or say.”

Between 2023 and 2024, the number of homeless Missourians increased by almost 10%. Regional coordinator for the Missouri Balance of State Continuum of Care April Redman, Director for the Department of Human Services Adam Pearson and NPR Midwest Newsroom’s investigative reporter Kavahn Mansouri discuss the challenges in providing an accurate count of homeless people in order to provide appropriate services across the region.

The Animal Protective Association cut ties with the St. Louis County animal shelter on Friday. The partnership’s dissolution comes at a time of anxiety and suspicion among shelter volunteers, who were told they would need to reapply in order to continue volunteering at the facility. Animal advocates are also concerned after a Missouri Sunshine Law request revealed a proposal suggesting the use of mass euthanasia to lower the shelter’s population. We talk about the shelter’s operations with Post Dispatch reporter Kelsey Landis and County Health Director Kanika Cunningham.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is defending his decision to reject sports betting emergency rules, saying there isn’t an urgent need and also he doesn’t want to short circuit public input. STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum talks with Hoskins. Later, Rosenbaum joins the show for context and analysis about the future of sports gambling in Missouri.

A former St. Louis sheriff’s deputy who was fired is suing Sheriff Alfred Montgomery for defamation. Janae Edmondson, the visiting volleyball player who lost both of her legs in a terrible car crash in downtown St. Louis in 2023, has settled a lawsuit against the city. Producers of Nelly’s “Country Grammar” are suing the famous St. Louis rapper for alleged unpaid royalties. And, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey says Starbucks’ hiring practices are discriminatory. Those were among the topics discussed by Legal Roundtable panelists Nicole Gorovsky, Arindam Kar and Bevis Schock.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and her daughter, poet and writer Ruby Aiyo Gerber, talk about co-writing the opera, “This House.” Taking place in a majestic Harlem brownstone, the opera explores themes of gentrification and losing Black histories. It also delves into what connects – and binds – people to history and to one another. “This House” will have its world premiere at Opera Theatre of St. Louis this May.