Every day we report on the number of people who test positive for coronavirus and the number of people who die from it. Behind all of the numbers are personal stories. We talked with the families of Jazmond Dixon and Pete DaPrato. St. Louisan Jazmond Dixon, 31, was the first in the area to die from the coronavirus and Pete DaPrato, 72, of O'Fallon, Missouri, died last week.
On Tuesday's "St. Louis on the Air" host Sarah Fenske talked to two restaurant owners located in The Hill neighborhood. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, many restaurants had to change their dining models to curbside or delivery when they were forced to shut their doors to the public.
Chris Saracino, the president of the Hill 2000 Neighborhood Association and owner of four restaurants, including Chris' Pancake and Dining and Bartolino's Osteria, talked with Fenske about how his businesses are holding up following the pandemic.
Larry Fuse, a Hill resident and owner of restaurants Lorenzo's Trattoria and Gelato di Riso also joined the show.
Multiple nursing home residents in the St. Louis area have tested positive for COVID-19. Many homes are understaffed and are struggling to protect patients from infection. That battle comes as Missouri's governor prepares to extend social distancing measures and the state moves to waive some requirements for out-of-state doctors to treat coronavirus patients in Missouri.
Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Columbia Republican talked about how coronavirus upended the Missouri General Assembly’s legislative session.
Rowden represents Missouri’s 19th District, which takes in all of Boone and Cooper counties. As majority leader, Rowden is responsible for what the Senate debates — making him one of the more powerful and influential lawmakers in Jefferson City.
Medical ethicists are trained to confront ethical questions in medicine, and the novel coronavirus raises quite a few. For instance, in China and Italy, there have been reports of hospitals being forced to ration care for COVID-19 patients. This form of rationing care and prioritizing treatment is determined by a hospital’s crisis standards of care guidelines. According to Dr. Kimbell Kornu, an assistant professor of health care ethics and palliative medicine at St. Louis University, hospital administrators and clinical ethicists around the U.S. are preparing their guidelines now, looking back to protocols from the SARS outbreak of 2003 and care in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with Kornu about these and other ethical considerations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Host Sarah Fenske talked to Reginald Howard, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 788 about the safety procedures Metro Transit has implemented following the coronavirus outbreak. During the show included audio from Ron Klein, the executive director of the St. Louis Metropolitan Taxicab Commission, who talked about what the local taxi business is doing to ensure clean safety practices for riders. Also included were two callers who voiced their own questions and concerns about public transportation during the pandemic.
St. Louis is taking more precautions as the number of COVID-19 cases in the region continues to increase. Officials are shutting down more recreation facilities in city parks. The action comes as area residents have more concerns about coronavirus. We answer some of those questions as part of our Curious Louis series.
When Square co-founder Jim McKelvey went looking for role models, he found that entrepreneurs, unlike businessmen, are in short supply. In his new book, “The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time," McKelvey explores how people with big ideas and a lot of bravery can solve big problems and build new companies. In this conversation, McKelvey discusses his book with Sarah Fenske and shares his thoughts on how the coronavirus pandemic could change the status quo.
Host Sarah Fenske talks to Christina Weaver of The Women's Creative and Jordan Bauer of the Instagram account STLouisGram and St. Louis guide and coupon book Experience Booklet to discuss #314Together, a new group aimed to bring local business and customers together again.
Over the past few weeks, local sites of worship have had to recalibrate how they serve their congregations during a time when coming together can do more harm than good. So, many clergy have urged their members to practice their faith at home for the time being, and congregations are adapting to connecting virtually. In this conversation, Sarah Fenske talks with Rev. Matt Miofsky of the Gathering and Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Congregation about how they are approaching at-home services for their congregations.
While we’ve taken a more active role in developing property over the last five years, development facilitation is in our genes. In the proceeding decades, the origins of our CDC was a one person operation with limited funding. Our neighborhood stabilization work relied heavily on marketing vacant and abandoned properties to reputable developers by highlighting market strengths, attractive housing stock, people/community and location. We also educated developers on the cost to construct, sales prices/comps, tax abatement opportunities, and the State and Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit programs. While our assets, income, and staff has grown significantly in the past 5 years, "we don't need to own every building on the block," our Board President, Janice Drake, often says. 3719 Bamberger was long vacant and owned by an out of state ‘investor.’ We offered our traditional assistance but the owner didn't do anything over several years. After being discouraged by the lack of progress, TGNCDC bought the property. By that time, the building was in disrepair and our board was tasked with deciding between demo of the property over safety concerns or investing in the building to stabilize it. They choose to invest. We rebuilt 60% of the front facade and added a TPO roof with a cost of over $20,000.
Once we completed the improvements, TGNCDC marketed the property to investors who have successful developments in the immediate area. Jeff Sutton, from Bloomsdale Investments, LLC, took on the project and promised a beautiful renovation. While the project took longer than he expected, he delivered! The building is two 2 bedroom units with beautiful finishes. He invested over $165,000 in the renovation, after the 35,000 we invested (purchase and improvements), and his son did some of the work himself.
Historic buildings are expensive to renovate, require skilled labor and experienced developers then take months to complete. 3719 Bamberger is a successful, in part, because of our initial investment and the real estate market in the area justifying the additional investment to complete the rehab. No tax abatement was used and no historic preservation tax credits were available in this part of the neighborhood. Rents will be in the $800-900 range per unit. Below are some photos of the property before and after. Thanks for reading.
TGNCDC Board President, Janice Drake and Developer Jeff Sutton
President Donald Trump has approved disaster declarations for Missouri and Illinois amid the coronavirus outbreak. The declarations come as St. Louis County reports a second COVID-19 death and amid an increased focus on the different approaches to the pandemic.
St. Louis Alderwoman Heather Navarro is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the 28th Ward alderwoman talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum on how the city of St. Louis is handling coronavirus.
Navarro represents portions of the Central West End, Skinker-Debaliviere, Hi-Pointe and Wydown Skinker neighborhoods. She was first elected to the Board of Aldermen in a 2017 special election to succeed Lyda Krewson, who represented the ward before she was elected mayor.
A homework assignment turned into cash and national recognition for some area high schoolers. Clayton High senior Lila Taylor and Kirkwood High junior Zach Baynham were both among the top winners in C-SPAN’s 2020 StudentCam competition. Taylor’s documentary looked at adult sentences for juveniles in the U.S. prison system, while Baynham explored the contributions of people with intellectual disabilities in the workforce. They join host Sarah Fenske to talk about their projects and what it was like putting together a documentary for the first time.
This time of year typically marks the start of wedding season, with venues, vendors and engaged couples all gearing up for major gatherings. Now, many such celebrations have been cancelled or postponed in light of the ongoing spread of COVID-19, and those working in the event industry are reeling. But when the upheaval of coronavirus eventually settles down — and even in the midst of it all, in some cases — St. Louis remains a great city in which to get hitched. Just ask Carolyn Burke, whose small business aims to make St. Louis a destination for elopement. With courthouses currently closed to nuptials, she’s found a workaround by bringing her officiant credentials and related services straight to wherever couples are located. In this segment, host Sarah Fenske talks with Burke as well as two other locals who have a track record of helping people think outside the box about weddings and other events: Stuart Keating, co-owner of Earthbound Beer; and Rachel McCalla, event director at Third Degree Glass Factory. The conversation touches on local impacts of COVID-19 but especially focused on the creative thinking that was already underway among some local venues and vendors — and may be more attractive than ever as couples look toward what’s next. It also includes comments from Stuart Hultgren and Sara Hasz, a local engaged couple who had planned to get married in early May in Tower Grove Park.
The COVID-19 Regional Response Fund was started two weeks ago to help non-profits hit hard by the novel coronavirus. With backing by the Community Foundation, the fund quickly garnered some major donations. The aim is to help nonprofits dealing with vulnerable populations. It wasn’t long after that a second fund was established, also in tandem with the Community Foundation. The Gateway Resilience Fund was created to help the restaurant and retail industries. Together, the two funds have already raised $1.4 million. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with Roo Yawitz, co-creator and advisor to the Gateway Resilience Fund.
The Food and Drug Administration is clearing Washington University researchers to test a possible new coronavirus disease treatment involving a blood transfusion process. It comes as St. Louis County's executive says the worst of the outbreak might not hit the region for weeks. The uncertainty has several couples in the area adjusting wedding plans because of restrictions on social gatherings.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Julie O'Donoghue about his county's response to coronavirus. Page and O'Donoghue spoke remotely using the videoconferencing program Zoom.
Even before the outbreak of COVID-19 caused mass social distancing — keeping friends and family members apart for the sake of their health — many seniors felt isolated, particularly those living in nursing homes and assisted living communities. For those who were already lonely or isolated, things are likely to get worse in the months ahead, as caregivers find themselves overwhelmed and strained, and as social distancing recommendations continue. In this episode, we explore some things friends and family can do to make sure seniors are not only healthy, but also make sure they avoid falling into despair. We also highlight the Circle of Friends program that aims to connect seniors via weekly meetings. Circle of Friends is a collaboration between Community Health in Partnership (CHIPS) and the St. Louis Housing Authority.
How has the coronavirus upended the legal profession? What happens when your right to a speedy trial clashes with the government’s cancellation of jury trials? Can an employer require workers deemed non-essential to show up, or face termination? In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with a panel of legal experts about a variety of issues, including those triggered by the new coronavirus.
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