RFT 📰

Yes, and … Improv Shop owner and founder Kevin McKernan is set to expand his ever-growing improv business. Again.

A Democratic state representative running for Missouri Attorney General got a lot of attention on social media yesterday — but that attention seems unlikely to help her longshot campaign. State Representative Sarah Unsicker (D-Shrewsbury) tweeted a photo of herself sharing a "basil lemonade" with Charles Johnson, an alt-right political activist so radioactive, even Congressman Matt Gaetz has disavowed his beliefs. Among (many) other things, Johnson has denied the Holocaust and admitted to repeatedly using the n-word on Twitter (although he claimed it was to "study the site's algorithms," according to Politico).

A St. Louis woman is facing a felony murder charge after working to rob the person who’d repossessed her Jeep — a robbery that went badly awry.  On September 7, 44-year-old tow truck company owner Jesse Jones attempted to repossess the Jeep Grand Cherokee belonging to Cortrina Donaby in St.  Louis’ Hamilton Heights neighborhood.

“The expansion of this experiment needs to stop,” Gloria Nolan demanded at a press conference Monday morning in front of the Delmar Divine.  The press event protested the recent efforts by local nonprofit Opportunity Trust to establish 16 additional charter schools in St. Louis over the next five years, part of a larger effort recently awarded a $35.5 million federal grant.

A man attempted suicide while in St. Louis police custody on Wednesday, November 29 — and he is still in critical condition at an area hospital, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Public Safety tells the RFT. The suicide attempt occurred at the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Central Patrol Division, a station at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive near the Downtown West neighborhood. 

The New York Times has published its annual "Best Albums" list, and a few of the featured artists were definitely raised on a steady diet of toasted ravioli and pork steaks. Three artists from St. Louis — 100 gecs, SZA and Sexyy Red —received accolades from Times critics for producing work that "made an impact this year." 100 gecs, a hyperpop duo consisting of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, were the subject of a RFT cover story in April that detailed Brady and Les' success ascent from St. Louis County.

Two employees have purchased beloved neighborhood restaurant Retreat Gastropub (6 North Sarah Street, retreatgastropub.com) from founder Travis Howard, who is also co-owner of Yellow Belly and Lazy Tiger.  Jennifer Anderson and Sydney Caldwell are the new owners of the Central West End spot.

If the delights of 1954's White Christmas put you in the mood for a cozy lodge with a roaring fireplace and beautiful people singing tunes like "Sisters," "Snow" and of course the title track, you'd best head to Das Bevo (4749 Gravois Avenue, 314-832-2251) this Wednesday, December 6. During the White Christmas Sing-A-Long, the Busch family's old windmill ought to beautifully evoke the Vermont ski lodge commandeered by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye — and here, Vera-Ellen's legs will again get the big screen they deserve.

The largest menorah in the history of Missouri is about to start glowing downtown. Starting tomorrow, Chabad of Greater St. Louis will begin erecting the 29-foot tall menorah in Kiener Plaza (500 Chestnut Street), a few blocks from the Arch.

Community radio station KDHX is down another two DJs — both part of a cohort of DJs being required to undergo mediation to keep their volunteer roles. On November 28, Jeffrey Hallazgo, a.k.a Dr. Jeff of the Big Bang, resigned on air after accepting an online streaming position with WFMU in New York after 22 years with the station.

Last month was a relatively peaceful one by St. Louis standards. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department tells the RFT they recorded only seven homicides in November — a number significantly lower than recent Novembers in the city. 

St. Louis’ esteemed event venue the Caramel Room (1600 North Broadway) has been brought back to life after its closure in October 2022. Pure Catering, led by Timothy Eleby, Joseph Westbrook and Ashlee Freeman, reopened the beloved venue's doors late last month.

Last year, the City's Finest was Exhibit A in a ProPublica investigation into how St. Louisans are increasingly paying private policing firms to enforce the law within their neighborhoods. Now the City's Finest is itself accused of breaking the law. A lawsuit filed last week in federal court accuses the St. Louis-based private policing firm of failing to pay overtime in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Missouri's minimum wage law.

St. Louis has gone movie mad in recent weeks. After years without any major productions based here, actors including William H. Macy and John Corbett have been in the Gateway City for a production based on On Fire, the inspirational bestseller by John O’Leary. 

I ascended the flame-illuminated stairs to Russell Jackson’s limestone Portland Place mansion, where Place & Time Private Dining Experiences & Events was hosting one of their monthly dinner parties last month. Standing at a desk at the home's palatial entrance was Caitlin Franz, who welcomed guests and handed each one an envelope containing their seating assignment.

Another detainee died at St. Louis’ troubled city jail this morning, the Department of Public Safety said. The detainee, whose identity has not been released, was found in his cell at the City Justice Center unconscious from an apparent suicide attempt at approximately 6:09 a.m.

Get ready to stay up late on the Loop. Up Late (1904 South Vandeventer Avenue), the popular late-night eatery that opened last spring inside World's Fair Donuts, announced today it will be opening a second outpost on the Delmar Loop. The eatery said it would open at 6197 Delmar Boulevard, which was previously home to Chicken Out.

There’s something about golden milk that sounds so California, Gwyneth Paltrow, yoga and crunchy granola. But one sip of the beverage at Century Coffee Company (3730 Foundry Way, centurycoffee.com), and your preconceptions will come tumbling down around you.

A 37-year-old St. Louis County man was hit with 41 felony charges today after allegedly going on a month-long crime spree in which he repeatedly rammed stolen cars into businesses, which he then burglarized. The 41 charges appear to be in addition to the many felony offenses Romel S. Taylor was already facing.

First Run Theatre takes on the serious subjects of loneliness, depression and mental health with Leannán Sidhe, a sanguine exploration that manages to remain warm and hopeful despite the lead character’s current state of mind. A sympathetic cast and satisfying conclusion keep the short, three-part play from venturing too far into maudlin sentimentality or emotional excess.