The Gateway

Getting an education can reduce recidivism in prisoners. But many people in Illinois' prisons aren't able to get a high school diploma, associate's degree or learn a trade skill.

East St. Louis native and two-time Olympic medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson is gearing up to participate in the 2020 Olympics. She announced her retirement in 2018 to become a mother. Now, she’s picking up her cleats and hitting the track again.

A small group of volunteers is trying to help St. Louis children stay connected with their incarcerated parents. Let's Start provides free monthly transportation for children and their caregivers to the women's prison in Vandalia. For many families, the trips are the only way for them to stay connected with their relatives in prison.

There are a few Underground Railroad stops in the Metro East verified by the National Park Service. Other places are believed to have been part of the network that brought as many as 100,000 slaves to freedom. But there is no physical marker of their existence.

Five years ago ArchCity Defenders filed a series of federal lawsuits to pressure cities into changing their municipal court practices. Jennings settled almost immediately. Ferguson continues to fight.

Three medical marijuana dispensaries will open along or near Cherokee Street in St. Louis. Some leaders in the cannabis industry are referring to the strip as the city's new "green light district" because of the number of marijuana and CBD-related businesses, and advocacy organizations.

Mary Fox has been promoted from running the St. Louis public defender’s office to heading up the organization statewide. We ask her about the chronic shortage of public defenders and court reform.

How do two teenagers who've had siblings injured by bullets feel about guns? Normandy teenagers Cassidy Stokes and Claudia Graham share their experiences and thoughts about guns in their community.

The St. Louis BattleHawks of the new XFL play their first home game this weekend. For fans who have been following the team even before it hit the field, it will mark the end of a long wait for the return of professional football in St. Louis.

A play at the Black Rep is set in a St. Louis bar frequented by African American artists, who explore their experiences living and working in a racist society in a series of vignettes. “Spell #7” is written by Ntozake Shange who was a notable participant in the Black Arts Movement.

Researchers are examining how psychedelics including LSD and certain mushrooms might be used to treat people with major depression. Some St. Louis professionals agree. Others in the region say they have experienced benefits from the illegal substances.

Donald Hutson is one of hundreds of Missouri inmates who have overdosed in the past two years. He died in September 2018 at Missouri Eastern Correctional Center. According to an internal Missouri Department of Corrections investigation, Hutson was strapped face down to a medical backboard for 30-45 minutes while he was overdosing – which is not in accordance with standard operating procedures at the prison.

The 2020 census will have a wide-ranging impact on the Metro East. We examine the steps communities are taking to ensure an accurate count, especially in East St. Louis where many hard to reach areas have been identified.

The Benin native has made a career of exporting West African sounds. Her interpretation of the work of salsa star Celia Cruz earned her this year's Grammy Award for Best World Music Album. She’ll feature that material in a concert at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Local singer Katarra Parson had an eventful year with a new album, an award for best St. Louis R&B artist and a being selected to join the Kranzberg Music Artists in Residence program. Her Neo-Soul music has taken her across the country where she's worked with artists and activists to create socially conscious music.

State Representative Steve Lynch wants to give professional license reciprocity to military spouses. The Waynesville Republican says it's a hardship when a member of the armed services is deployed to Missouri and a spouse's professional license does not transfer from another state.

Patients need certification before they can receive medical cannabis in Missouri. Some St. Louis doctors are refusing to certify patients because of a lack of clinical trials and evidence-based studies. Other physicians say medical cannabis can help people who need treatment.

A new charter middle school with a unique model is finding its groove halfway through its first year. We examine the growing pains of Kairos Academies in St. Louis.

Draft horses are intertwined with the history of St. Louis … from the 1904 World's Fair to the first Budweiser Clydesdales. But nowadays, you're more likely to see these horses pulling carriages downtown. One listener asked our Curious Louis series about the lives of the city's carriage horses.

The National Park Service designated parts of Ste. Genevieve as a National Historic site in 2018. Now, it has its first superintendent who talks about the French vertical-style construction of several Colonial-era homes in the area.