Here you will find all of the stories our Public Insight Network sources have contributed to. It's a great way to share what you know. So open up. Become part of the Public Insight Network.
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Posted 11:27 am Mon, 02.06.12
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was barn-storming Missouri on Friday, demonstrating that he believes a victory in the state's presidential primary Tuesday is worth fighting for -- even if, officially, it doesn't count. PIN sources raised several questions about Missouri's primary election and Jo Mannies, the Beacon's political reporter, used their insight in preparing this report.
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Posted 10:44 am Wed, 02.01.12
Black History Month has been observed annually in the United States and Canada since 1976. For some, February is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of people who were ignored in the history books of previous generations. Others, however, question whether the time for this form of separate recognition is over. The Beacon used the Public Insight Network to ask what Black History Month means in 2012.
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Posted 11:42 am Mon, 01.09.12
Consumers filled 88 million discounted prescriptions at Walgreens last year under the chain's agreement with Express Scripts, the pharmacy benefit company based in St. Louis. The arrangement gave Walgreens access to millions of additional customers while allowing Express Scripts to negotiate lower prices for company, government and union health plans. But some consumers have complained, blaming both sides for the inconvenience."I think it is terrible they could not work out the deal," says Scott Rhoades, 38, a resident of St. Charles. "It is inconvenient. Walgreens is my closest pharmacy. Now I have to go to another one that is farther away and in a grocery store." Rhoades was among several PIN sources who shared their insight on this issue with the Beacon.
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Posted 11:36 am Tue, 12.27.11
As this year comes to a close, the Beacon, with the help of the Public Insight Network, asked readers to share their assessments of 2011. We asked readers whether their personal economic conditions -- and that of the nation as a whole -- were better, worse or the same as last year. We also asked folks to tell us something specifically good that happened to them over the last 12 months.
Over all, those who volunteered to share their stories, while totally unscientific, were more positive than negative. Still, there are those who are still struggling financially and looking for better times in 2012.
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Posted 5:01 pm Tue, 12.20.11
When there's little left after buying groceries and paying bills, seeing a play or buying art or music may seem frivolous. But you can enjoy the arts even on the tightest budget. PIN source Ron Riess is a former stay-at-home dad whose children are grown. Riess and other PIN sources shared their cost saving/culture tips with Beacon arts reporer Nancy Fowler
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Posted 2:17 pm Mon, 12.19.11
There are no doctors in Pilot Grove, Mo., but the town's 825 residents have perhaps the best alternative source of health care, thanks to nurse practitioner Laurie A. Beach. Beacon reporter Robert Joiner interviewed Patricia Brennan, a former health-care financial analyst at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Brennan and other PIN sources shared why they value the work of nurse practitioners.
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Posted 2:53 pm Wed, 11.30.11
The St. Louis County 2012 budget proposal, which includes the closure of many parks, has become a magnet for controversy. We asked PIN sources what the St. Louis County parks are worth to them. We received many strong, insightful and emotional responses. Jason Rosenbaum, a freelance writer for the Beacon, answered one of the primary questions from PIN responders -- to lay out the details of the budget. He also used a sampling of responses from sources to share the reactions of park lovers.
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Posted 2:42 pm Tue, 11.22.11
Over this past year, the Beacon has been reporting on issues related to class. Through the Public Insight Network, the Beacon asked readers several questions related to this issue: how they define class, whether such distinctions matter as much now as they did in previous generations, and whether individuals can do anything to change their class status. Those who responded offered widely different answers. Here, in their own words, is how they identify their own class and what class means to them.
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Posted 4:53 pm Mon, 10.31.11
After Cardinals manager Tony La Russa announced his retirement, the Beacon used to PIN to seek fan reactions. Responses came in quickly, from near and far, and with great insight!
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Posted 3:25 pm Mon, 10.31.11
Beacon reporter Kristen Hare turned to the Public Insight Network for help in finding something different to tell about Halloween. PIN sources shared examples of special tradition, including the joke-for-candy approach that seems somewhat unique to the St. Louis area.
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Posted 12:48 pm Mon, 10.31.11
The St. Louis Cardinals just won their 11th World Series. Prior to the final game, the Beacon reached out to readers, including sources in the Public Insight Network, and asked them to comment on the season and the future of the team. Dick Elicker and Roger Power were among the long-time Cardinals fans/PIN sources who shared what the 2011 World Series meant to them.
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Posted 4:04 pm Tue, 10.18.11
Ebooks are pushing into two big book markets: Libraries and schools. With each of these areas comes specific needs, and ebooks can fill some of those features even better than real-world books -- and fall far short in others. Numerous PIN sources shared their experiences, which helped Beacon presentation editor Brent Jones prepare this report.
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Posted 10:53 am Mon, 10.03.11
According to the Census, "People who reported their race as both black and white more than doubled from about 785,000 in 2000 to 1.8 million in 2010."
On Thursday night, Tracy Overton took her two children to see "The Addams Family" at the Fox Theater in St. Louis. While there, she saw something she doesn't often see -- another biracial family. Overton and Daniel Jamtgaard, both PIN sources, shared their experiences with Beacon reporter Kristen Hare.
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Posted 1:47 pm Tue, 09.06.11
The power of art to change lives can be seen at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. But first, the artists have to reach the people who have yet to enter a museum, gallery or concert hall. Going after youth is one tried and true method of bringing more people in. Beacon arts reporter Nancy Fowler considered suggestions from numerous PIN sources as she wrote about the wealth of art opportunities available in the St. Louis area that can be had for low or no cost. (Part Two of two)
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Posted 2:57 pm Thu, 09.01.11
Is a velvet Elvis painting, art? What about a guitarist playing on the street for tips? Polling local performance and visual artists and patrons, the Beacon found a pretty good consensus: Art doesn't have to cost money or be vetted by an institution. Beacon reporter Nancy Larson considered the responses of the many PIN sources, including Stephanie DeChambeau, who shared their knowledge and experience about the arts and how they fit what they like into their budgets. "When you go to a community theater production, you get one level of quality and when you go to a professional theater and pay more for your ticket, you -- usually -- get a higher level of quality," DeChambeau said. (First of two parts)
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Posted 11:14 am Mon, 08.29.11
The site of the former Chrysler plant in Fenton has been nearly emptied, the iconic water tower and vehicle assembly factories razed by liquidators over the past two years, as they prepare these 295 acres for development. Last winter, Chris Paplanus, 54, who was one of more than 3,000 St. Louis autoworkers still working at Fenton in 2008 when the shutdowns began, found himself doing something he never thought he would do: He went to a Salvation Army food pantry for help. Paplanus is also a source in the Public Insight Network, and he shared his story with Beacon reporter Mary Delach Leonard. Second of two parts
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Posted 12:33 pm Wed, 08.24.11
The end came without fanfare for the familiar blue and white water tower that had stood watch over the old Chrysler plant in Fenton through good times and bad. The icon was felled on a hot Saturday afternoon -- and then hauled away like so much unwanted scrap. PIN source Chris Paplanus, 54, who worked for Chrysler for 26 years, shares with Beacon reporter Mary Delach Leonard what it meant to lose his job with the automaker.
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Posted 9:59 am Mon, 08.22.11
So, where did you go to high school?
That question seems to follow St. Louis people around like the neighborhood stray that nobody wants but everybody feeds. It's regarded both fondly, as a St. Louis thing, or as the seven words that sum up everything wrong with St. Louis. Sources in the Beacon's Public Insight Network pondered the question and shared what they know with Beacon reporter Kristen Hare.
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Posted 11:00 am Fri, 08.19.11
Discussion of classroom learning and social technology are hot button issues, made even more so by the passage of the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act in Missouri. Under that law, "Teachers cannot establish, maintain or use a work-related website unless it is available to school administrators and the child's legal custodian, physical custodian or legal guardian." PIN source Glenn Barnes is a social studies teacher at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy in St. Louis. He shared his insight on this issue, saying he believes technology use in the classroom is important in a digital age.
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Posted 11:32 am Wed, 08.17.11
He's designed high-rise hotels, Federal Reserve banks and apartment buildings. Richard Henmi also designed the space-ship shaped building on South Grand Boulevard. Originally finished in 1967, it first served as a Philips 66 gas station before becoming home to a now-closed Del Taco restaurant. Free-lance writer Alex Sciuto talked with Henmi, a source in the Public Insight Network, about his famous little building, and how he has helped to build so many well-known buildings in St. Louis.
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Posted 1:53 pm Tue, 08.16.11
The Del Taco building, whose future still remains very much in doubt, does not owe its distinctive shape and swooping, saucer-like roof to its recent taco-dealing tenants. More than 40 years ago, PIN source and architect Richard Henmi designed the building and its hyperbolic-parabaloid-shaped roof as a Phillips 66 gas station. The roof protected gas pumpers as they stood outside filling up cars. Only much more recently had the building, at Grand Boulevard and Forest Park Avenue, been re-purposed to dispense food instead of gas. Numerous other PIN sources also shared examples of creative reuse of old buildings.
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Posted 5:25 pm Fri, 08.05.11
When the debt debate was grinding on in Washington, and everyone was saying a resolution was needed to calm fears in the markets, investors weren't exactly overjoyed, but they didn't panic. PIN source Michael Tsiaklides of Tealbrook Financial in University City said investors shouldn't take the violent ups and downs too much to heart.
"Do not panic," he said when asked what advice he had for those worried about the volatility. "We have the bears and the bulls fighting all the time, but an investor having a well-diversified portfolio shouldn't be panicking when the markets panic."
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Posted 9:39 am Wed, 08.03.11
After both chambers of the U.S. Congress had voted in favor of raising the federal debt ceiling, Republican congressional candidate Ann Wagner still felt it was necessary to weigh in with a public statement opposing the deal.
Wagner's announcement differed little from her earlier comments decrying federal spending. But the fact that she felt the need to issue a public declaration against the debt ceiling increase -- after the vote -- underscored the political dynamics of the debt-ceiling deal, at least in Missouri.
PIN sources William Fogarty, a Democrat and retired physician from Webster Groves, and Ronald Riess, 68 and a political independent, both expressed concern about how Congress handled the situation.
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Posted 1:57 pm Thu, 07.21.11
When meeting Lois Conley, you quickly learn that the Griot Museum of Black History & Culture she founded has a specific purpose. As a child during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Conley wanted to develop an awareness of black culture in St. Louis. Conley decided to take action by building her own knowledge and studying how other museums researched and put together exhibits. PIN source Antonia Smith of Kirkwood has visited the museum and said she believes it is a good resource for students to learn about history.
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Posted 3:14 pm Wed, 07.06.11
Crown Candy Kitchen sits at the corner of St. Louis Avenue in Old North St. Louis. Inside, time feels like it's on pause, with old booths filled with families, a soda fountain and a glass display filled with freshly made candy. This the second PIN-informed article about the Old North neighborhood. PIN sources Sean Thomas, executive director of the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, and LaShawnda Jones, a newcomer to Old North, continue sharing their insight with Beacon reporter Kristen Hare.
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Posted 10:37 am Tue, 07.05.11
Everyone knows that teachers grade their students. But who should grade the teachers -- and how? The question is at the heart of a lot of education talk these days.
Reporter Dale Singer used insights shared by PIN sources in this report. Catherine Lux, a kindergarten teacher in the Ferguson-Florissant school district welcomes such visits from an administrator. Jeff Brown, the husband of a fourth-grade teacher and the parent of four children, said he believes parents should also be allowed to weigh in on teacher evaluations.
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Posted 12:40 pm Thu, 06.30.11
When people come to visit LaShawnda Jones at her new home in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood, they're usually shocked with what they find -- new homes, rehabbed older homes and shops. In this story about the revitalization of the neighborhood, Jones, a source in the Public Insight Network, shared with Beacon reporter Kristen Hare her insight and knowledge about what it's like to live in this special community.
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Posted 4:17 pm Fri, 06.24.11
This Sunday, the streets around Tower Grove Park will be packed with onlookers as the Pride Parade, one of the highpoints of the 31-year-old Pridefest, passes by.S cott Emanuel has marched in nearly every parade in the past 20 years, and his record of activism in the gay community goes back just as long. Emanuel, who leads a support group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth in St. Louis, will join his husband as the Grand Marshals of the Pride Parade.
PIN source Liz Nelson, a mother of two, plans to march with her family and church to support the gay community and to redefine the word "Christian."""I don't see St. Louis as the most progressive city, but when I see the thousands of people going and expressing themselves, it gives me hope for our city," Nelson said.
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Posted 1:43 pm Thu, 06.23.11
Beacon intern Jonathan Ernst used the PIN to help him report on Grand Center, one of St. Louis' major arts and entertainment districts. Grand Center is preparing for the next phase of revitalization and Jonathan was able to contact PIN sources who shared their experiences. Among them was Clayton resident Adrian Aquilino, who said he comes to Grand Center about every two months for art openings.
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Posted 10:56 am Fri, 06.10.11
For people who live in areas where cicadas are thriving, the noisy, flying creatures can be quite a nuisance, as a recent story in the Beacon indicated. People living in other areas, however, may be wondering what all the fuss is about. Here are some responses from several sources in the Beacon's Public Insight Network to the question, "Are cicadas bugging you?"
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Posted 12:10 pm Tue, 06.07.11
For better or for worse, the St. Louis area is witnessing one of nature's most bizarre phenomena, one that only comes around every decade or so. That's right, it's time to put in the earplugs and turn down the hearing aids. The cicadas are back.
"Being afraid of bugs, it's really bothering me," Trish Moore of Fenton said. "There are tons of them. It's like an alien invasion." Moore is a source in the Public Insight Network, and shared her tale of woe with the Beacon.
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Posted 11:13 am Tue, 05.24.11
"The Awakening" depicts a giant trying to free himself from underground. "I think this sculpture has a place in the universal subconscious," said artist Seward Johnson of Princeton, N.J. "He woke up, he's coming to, and God only knows what this means. ... It's his awakening. It's also yours. There might be something bigger than you happening that you've got to wake up to."
When the Beacon asked sources in the Public Insight Network to suggest their favorite work of public art in the St. Louis area, several chose "The Awakening."
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Posted 10:59 am Fri, 05.20.11
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., was the exception Thursday, with his swift mixed reaction to President Barack Obama's speech on the Middle East.
Most areas members of Congress, and even many regional Middle East experts, were withholding comment as they mulled over the content of the president's remarks.
But PIN source Sandra Tamari, a member of the St Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, also offered mixed reviews. "Obama condemned repression in Iran, Syrian and Libya, but had only muted criticism of 'friendly' states like Bahrain and Israel that are engaged in putting down nonviolent protests with extreme violence," she said. "And there was no mention at all of repression in Saudi Arabia. Is this really a change in policy or simply a reaction to events that are beyond the administration's control?"
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Posted 10:25 am Thu, 05.05.11
The living room in Lan Nguyen's apartment in south St. Louis County is dominated by a table holding a photograph of her father and a burning candle. She lights it daily as a way of dealing with the grief growing out of an inexplicable attack that claimed her father's life and injured her mother. On Saturday morning, April 16, Hoang Nguyen, 72, and his wife, Yen Nguyen, 59, were walking in an alley near their apartment at Spring and Chippewa, when police say they were assaulted by several people. One, Elex Murphy, 18, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, among other offenses. Other suspects are being sought.
Shortly after this incident, the Rev. Ben Martin, a source in the Public Insight Network, suggested that the Beacon follow up beyond the basic reporting of other news organizations. Beacon reporter Robert Joiner presented this report after Rev. Martin's suggestion.
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Posted 3:35 pm Tue, 05.03.11
In 1978, when Chuck Groth lived in Kansas City, he thought the idea of the artist Christo wrapping Loose Park in fabric was downright silly. But after walking among the more than two miles of bright yellow ribbons flowing through the park, the graphic arts designer and educator was enchanted.
"It was incredibly magical," Groth said. PIN sources Groth and Ericka Evans shared their experiences with public art with Beacon reporter Nancy Fowler.
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Posted 1:57 pm Tue, 05.03.11
On Friday, April 29, Fran Hoyt's morning will likely unfold as usual. Around 6:30, she'll wake up, eat a quick breakfast in her University City apartment and arrive at work by 7:30.
Mid-morning, Hoyt will take her daily tea break at her desk with a cup of mint tea and half an orange scone. She'll finish up a few press releases, update a website, eat a yogurt for lunch, then put in a few more hours. Hoyt is a source in the Public Insight Network, and shared her experiences with reporter Kristen Hare
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Posted 9:37 am Thu, 04.28.11
It may sound like a hokey sci-fi film. But it's a stark reality that inanimate objects in and outside your home or office can become killers -- when an earthquake strikes. Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent tragedy.
"Securing household objects eliminates one of the main sources of people getting hurt in their homes," said Phillip Gould, a professor of mechanical engineering at Washington University.
Pin sources Christine Garhart, Sasha Josipovic and Barbara Martin shared their insight with Beacon reporter Nancy Fowler on their readiness for an earthquake.
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Posted 11:30 am Tue, 04.26.11
Maybe lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, but apparently tornadoes aren't familiar with the same rule.
Griffith Elementary School in the Ferguson-Florissant School District will be closed for the remainder of the school year because of damage done by Friday night's tornado to its roof -- the same spot that was devastated by a tornado in 1967, the last time that officials say the St. Louis area was hit by a twister so strong.
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Posted 3:30 pm Mon, 04.25.11
Just ahead of last week's observance of Earth Day, the Beacon, through our Public Insight Network, asked readers about their environmental concerns and practices. We also asked them to describe why Earth Day matters to them.
The responses varied in their detail but focused on the common theme of valuing a special time to emphasize "green" living. Some want to see greater use of public transportation, while others stressed the need for more recycling. They also expressed concern for air and water safety and quality.
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Posted 1:44 pm Mon, 04.25.11
Richard Rosenfeld and his wife were enjoying a sidewalk meal at the now closed Riddles' restaurant in the Delmar Loop one evening last summer when an unsettling incident occurred. It began with the sights and sounds of dozens of noisy teenagerss running up and down Delmar Boulevard. While somewhat amused by this high-energy scene, Rosenfeld said he was worried about the reckless way the youngsters weaved in and out of street traffic.
But what really caused him to take note was a noxious smell that suddenly filled the air. Though reminding Rosenfeld (right) of tear gas, the odor apparently came from police officers using pepper spray on one or more unruly teens, he said, in a recent interview.
These incidents remain fresh in Rosenfeld's mind, partly because he's a criminology professor at the University of Missouri at St. Louis and partly because the issue of teens in the Loop is in the news again. And, once again, some Loop patrons and merchants are pushing for tougher measures -- such as a 6 p.m. curfew -- to control what they regard as rowdy teens. Several sources in the Beacon's Public Insight Network shared their experiences in the report.
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Posted 1:34 pm Mon, 04.25.11
Ernie Edelmann needs a job.
She's a licensed professional counselor, has worked for 25 years with victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and rape, and she's 75.
"It would be easier if I had a part-time job," she says. Between 1977 and 2007, the employment of people 65 and older increased by 101 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And with more and more baby boomers turning 65 this year, those numbers should erupt over the next 40 years. According to the Census Bureau, the population of the U.S. will grow by 42 percent by 2050, with one in five Americans 65 and older. PIN sources were among those who shared their experiences with the Beacon for this report.
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Posted 11:58 am Wed, 04.20.11
When St. Louis closed the Grand Boulevard bridge on March 14 for repairs, Barbara MacRobie thought she would run into traffic delays commuting from her home in Webster Groves to her job as communications manager for Dance St. Louis,in Grand Center. After testing detour routes, MacRobie said, however, "I've been amazed; it may even be faster than my previous commute." MacRobie and other PIN sources shared their experiences of coping with the closure of the Grand Boulevard bridge with Beacon intern Erika Miller.
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Posted 7:31 pm Sun, 03.13.11
Inside Casey Croy's kitchen, the cheery windows and a mid-century dinette stay true to the home's post-war 1940s period. But outside her front door, it's a new day in the neighborhood.
When her parents bought this compact two-bedroom with the "expandable attic" in south St. Louis in 1952, the families who lived on the street were all white. Most of them were either Catholic or Lutheran, says Croy, 68, who acquired the house after her mother died several years ago.
PIN source Stephanie DeChambeau, 39, and her husband are "newcomers" to St. Louis who moved to the city in 2000 so he could attend Covenant Seminary. She's originally from a small farming community in Michigan and he is from Seattle so the St. Louis Question doesn't apply.
In her response to the Beacon's PIN query about whether class distinctions matter today, DeChambeau said a lot depends on how "matter" is defined.
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Posted 9:32 am Tue, 03.08.11
When Tom and Catherine Wermert first saw their future home at 3140 Pennsylvania Ave. on the south side of St. Louis, they were impressed. The floor plan was just what they were looking for.
"We said this is how we live. We cook. We entertain," said Catherine, 50, gesturing proudly at the comfortable living area and the well-lighted, ultra-modern kitchen. "It's all open space. We love it."
Normally thought of as a green standard for commercial building, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) benchmark has a lesser-known companion program for residential construction. Launched in early 2008 after a multi-year pilot program, LEED for Homes is like its cousin an initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council; it has certified nearly 10,000 units of either single- or multi-family housing, most of them in the last year.
The Beacon offered this and other reports about LEED work in response to coverage suggestions from PIN sources.
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Posted 1:26 pm Wed, 03.02.11
After graduating from law school at Washington University in St. Louis in the spring of 2009, Jennifer Belmont Jennings owed the federal government $170,237.87 in student loan repayments. She borrowed $157,000 in student loans to pay for three years of law school and accrued an additional $13,000 in interest while in school.
When she first started calculating her repayment options, she said she "experienced the first feelings of what it may feel like if you're having a heart attack." Since graduation, Jennings has been able to repay $51,670.29 of her student loan debt. Her current balance is $135,308.60, and she's accumulated nearly $17,000 in additional interest since graduating.
Jennings is a PIN source who shared her experiences, which reflect the dilemma many recent college graduates face.
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Posted 5:45 pm Tue, 03.01.11
As her bed-and-breakfast guests enjoyed generous helpings of Belgian waffles and sausage, bananas and strawberries on Monday morning, innkeeper Kathy Marks-Petetit chatted away about how she hadn't been sure her dream-come-true business would take off and thrive in Lafayette Park.
"When we first bought this house (in 2002) and opened the business, we didn't know which way it would go," says Marks-Petetit, who owns the five-bedroom Park Avenue Mansion with her husband, Michael Petetit. The business, at 2007 Park Avenue, overlooks Lafayette Park. "It was a flip of the coin, but now we plan to live here until the day we die, mainly because it's a good neighborhood and it has a thriving business district."
Lafayette Square is also luring new residents, one of only a handful of city locations that experienced population growth, according to the 2010 U.S. Census figures. The overall numbers showed a continuing exodus of people from the city.
PIN source Sean Thomas, head of the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, says the census numbers don't reflect more than a dozen homes his group has developed since the population count. He credits housing and the farmers' market, among other developments, that are attracting more people to that part of the city.
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Posted 9:16 am Tue, 02.22.11
As Habitat for Humanity St. Louis prepared to celebrate its 25th anniversary, participants knew they wanted to have fun, but also to build the Habitat community.
As Director of Resources Courtney Simms said, "We're looking to expand our circle, which is why we're doing a lot of smaller events." The biggest of these events will start at 6:25 p.m., Fri., Feb. 25, when volunteers, administrators, donors and supporters are invited to Jive & Wail on Washington Avenue.
PIN source Martin Wohl describes his role with Habitat: "I just show up on Wednesdays, every Wednesday, all year long," said Wohl, a long-time, volunteer, crew member. "It changes over the year, and people age out, but there are guys who are 85 years old who are still in there working. There's a basic group of about 25 or 30 who I can recall having been there for about 10 years."
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Posted 1:10 pm Fri, 02.04.11
Despite the nation's still-sputtering economy, Markia Holt, 17, of St. Louis is busy making plans for her future and believes America is still the land of opportunity.
Holt, a senior at Christian Academy of Greater St. Louis, has applied to the University of Missouri Columbia, where she wants to major in journalism and media studies. She and other sources in the Beacon's Public Insight Network have shared their ideas about class for this report.
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Posted 10:58 am Wed, 02.02.11
When Joseph Higgs of St. Louis takes the stage to teach elementary school kids how to create slime or make toilet paper fly he is not only advancing their knowledge of scientific principles, he is living his current version of the American Dream.
The 37-year-old "mad scientist" in the white lab coat mixes one part science and one part theater to help young minds understand the complexities of chemistry and physics. Higgs has taken his "Nitro Joe's Science Show" to schools, libraries and private parties across much of the Midwest, and it is obvious that he enjoys his job.
Beacon readers, such as Higgs, who responded to the Beacon's inquiry about class through the Public Insight Network, also expressed concerns about the impact of the economic downturn on future social mobility.
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Posted 10:45 am Wed, 02.02.11
For some, the weather around St. Louis on Tuesday was crippling, shutting down interstate highways and shopping malls alike. For others, the dusting of tiny ice pellets left them wondering what all the fuss was about. When the Beacon asked sources in our Public Insight Network how they were coping with another round of school closings and limited mobility, we found they were taking it all in stride.
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Posted 6:27 am Fri, 01.14.11
St. Louis University Medical School is developing a new family medicine residency program that could address a critical element in recent health-reform legislation. The program -- a partnership between the medical school and St. Louis Family Health Care Centers -- would train more primary care doctors. It comes amid growing concern that a shortage of primary-care providers could undercut some medical services that are supposed to be offered through the health-reform legislation.
Over the past year, several sources in the Beacon's Public Insight Network raised questions or concerns about a need for primary-care physicians. This report was informed by the insight offered by these sources.
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Posted 9:35 am Tue, 01.11.11
The Beacon asked sources in our Public Insight Network to share how they solve political disagreements, in light of the shootings in Tucson, Ariz., of a U.S. representative, a federal judge and others. The written responses came in quickly and from people from diverse political perspectives.
Several raised questions about the mental health of Jared Lee Loughner, the suspected shooter, and suggested that more attention to be paid to his mental state rather than focusing on what role politics may or may not have had in this case.
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Posted 11:15 am Wed, 12.29.10
When the Beacon asked sources in our Public Insight Network to share their most memorable experiences of 2010, and their biggest hopes for 2011, the responses ranged from an unexpected marriage in middle age, to health concerns, to disappointment with actions -- and inactions -- by politicians.
But the leading issue from the responders was jobs: glad to have one, hoping to find a better one, starting a new one.
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Posted 4:41 pm Thu, 12.23.10
WASHINGTON - In the classic film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," a tired but ultimately triumphant U.S. senator played by Jimmy Stewart uses the power of the filibuster to postpone a vote on a rigged bill and prove his innocence on trumped-up charges engineered by a corrupt political machine.
Judging from responses to questions through the Beacon's Public Insight Network in November, the filibuster rule represents one of the major obstacles to progress in the minds of Missouri and Illinois readers. Six of the 15 respondents who listed needed reforms specifically cited the filibuster and called for new rules to allow a simple majority to approve legislation. Among them was William Fogarty, a retired physician from Webster Groves who volunteers at a local health clinic.
"The filibuster and 'secret hold' rules are counterproductive," Fogarty said. "They allow obstructionism and delays of important legislation."
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Posted 8:18 pm Sun, 12.12.10
For decades, Mae Duggan has worked to make tax money available for parents to be able to send their children to whatever school -- public, private or parochial -- that they think would be best for their children.
Educators have one point of view of the voucher question, and legislators may have another. To parents, the issues of quality education and accountability rise to the top of the list.
PIN sources Scott Stinson of Brentwood and Mike Clynch of Moscow Mills shared their insight in this report-- Stinson from a business perspective and Clynch as a retired public school teacher.
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Posted 7:46 pm Tue, 11.02.10
Around 9:15 a.m., Tim Hogan was close to the 300th person to vote at his Des Peres polling place. Despite the vitriol of the election ads, the robocalls and division over the issues, the actual voting experience was a pleasant one this morning.
Hogan was one of several PIN sources who responded to the Beacon's Election Day query to share their voting experiences.
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Posted 6:48 am Wed, 10.27.10
Who will it be, Illinois voters?
The incompetent incumbent or the lying extremist?
The machine candidate or the one who's anti-worker?
The tax cheater or the resume padder?
Would you like to poke that stick in your left eye or in your right eye?
During this first election after the Gov. Rod Blagojevich scandal, Illinois voters who overwhelmingly tell pollsters that they want state government reform have been inundated with the same-old, same-old: negative mailings, TV ads and billboards that offer few details about a candidate's philosophy or plan for digging the state out of its financial mud hole, but instead decry the unsavory traits -- real or imagined -- of his or her opponents.
Pin sources Bob Hormell of Glen Carbon and Nereida Avendano of Maryville shared their insight in this article with Beacon reporter Mary Delach Leonard.
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Posted 12:09 pm Tue, 10.26.10
With the election days away, President Barack Obama's national appeal to prospective women voters is aimed at women like Susan Kenny Mendelsohn, a retired nurse from Overland who now runs a flower shop.
Mendelsohn is a staunch Democrat who "really believes in the Democratic platform" and who "almost always votes." The president and his allies want to make sure that Nov. 2 is one of those times.
But the Democratic pitch to women also re-energizes conservative opponents such as PIN sourceAndrea Lukefahr, a real estate agent from Chesterfield who definitely plans to show up at the polls to register her opposition to what she sees as Democratic overspending in Washington.
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Posted 10:20 am Tue, 10.19.10
To underscore the political power of St. Louis' suburbs, consider this: Missouri's Republican and Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate both chose to locate their campaign headquarters in St. Louis County -- the state's largest bloc of votes.
But arguably stronger evidence of suburban clout hangs on the wall of GOP Senate nominee Roy Blunt's campaign headquarters in suburban Sunset Hills.
Behind all the talk of numbers are real voters, such as PIN sources Craig Workman and Carmel Calsyn, who shared their insight with Beacon political reporter Jo Mannies.
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Posted 10:45 am Wed, 10.06.10
In Missouri's affluent 24th Senate District, one issue is topping voters' and candidates' minds.
"It's the economy -- that's it," said Anne Borman, who runs a small business in Clayton.
Though this district in St. Louis County is one of the best-educated and wealthiest in the state, frustration over the economy is mounting here. Unemployment in the county is at 9.5 percent, and Borman said she continually hears about bankruptcies, lawsuits and layoffs from local business owners.
"It's awful. They're in a bloodbath," said Borman, who is a source in the Beacon's Public Insight Network, and serves on the steering committee for Small Business Week St. Louis.
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Posted 3:00 pm Tue, 10.05.10
In 2008, 51 percent of young people showed up to vote, according to the non-profit, non-partisan Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, or CIRCLE. Among them were Kurseaan Muhammad and Brett Dinkins, though both voted for different candidates. But their reasons for voting in their first election were similar -- they were 18 and there was a buzz in the air around the election.
Muhammad voted for Obama. Dinkins voted for McCain. Both remember what it was like.
"I felt like, just to be a part of it was kind of life-changing, you could say," Muhammad says.
Some of the young voters contacted by Beacon reporter Kristen Hare for this report are sources in the Beacon's PIN.
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Posted 7:40 pm Mon, 10.04.10
Republican and Democratic candidates in Missouri say doing something about health care is part of their pledge to Missouri voters.
The GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Stafford, says he will work to repeal it if he wins the election. His Democratic counterpart, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, says she wants to improve it should she win. Just as Blunt has embraced his party's repeal and replace slogan, Carnahan has talked about the issue on the campaign trail in the context of her battle against breast cancer.
In the contentious 3rd district congressional race, U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, has been upfront defending the plan while his Republican opponent, Ed Martin, is promising to work for its repeal.
PIN source B.J. McGough of St. Louis said she feels both sides need to take a breather because of the exaggerated claims, such as a government arresting people without health insurance, that tend to rise whenever the public attempts a rational discussion about health care. She shared her insight and experiences with Beacon reporter Robert Joiner.
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Posted 11:30 am Tue, 08.31.10
As President Barack Obama prepares to announce the official end of U.S. combat in Iraq, several St. Louis area residents expressed concerns about the cost, in both lives and dollars, of the effort to bring democracy to that Middle East country.
Here is what several St. Louisans, contacted through the Beacon's Public Insight Network, are saying about the situation.
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Posted 2:21 pm Wed, 08.04.10
Given that the St. Louis area has the highest number of bicycle-related accidents in Missouri and that St. Charles County is considering banning bicycles on certain highways, how can St. Louis be touted as a great destination for cyclists?
"Cyclists from other cities come here and can't believe how much nicer motorists are than those in other cities," said Patty Vinyard, executive director of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation. In response to questions posed through the Beacon's Public Insight Network, cyclists and motorists shared their experiences.
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Posted 10:22 am Tue, 08.03.10
"It's broken."
Despite differing viewpoints, nearly everyone the Beacon spoke with about our immigration system had that same answer. Their thoughts on reform differ in many ways, but agreements did crop up and often included the need to simplify the bureaucracy, to control our borders better and to impose some penalties on people who came here illegally or who are now here undocumented, without necessarily sending them home. PIN source Jalesia McQueen Gadberry deals with immigration with employers wanting to sponsor employees and shared her experiences.
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Posted 9:48 am Wed, 07.28.10
The federal health-reform train began rolling across America this summer, dropping off benefits at every stop along the way, offering coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, giving added protection to young people about to be removed from their parents' health plans, and setting up temporary high-risk pools for some unable to buy affordable insurance.
That's one view of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Another view is that this train is on an illegal run, set into motion by an overreaching federal government that is trying to force everyone to buy a product, health insurance, they might not want or need.
PIN sources Jen Amunategui and Nick Kasoff don't see eye to eye on this issue and shared with the Beacon their reasons why.
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Posted 9:57 am Tue, 07.27.10
Proposition C, which is on Missouri's Aug. 3 primary ballot, asks voters whether Missouri should be able to opt out of federal health-care reform, specifically the mandate for individuals to buy health insurance. The Beacon, through our Public Insight Network, asked readers how they are likely to vote on this measure. Here are excerpts from some of their responses.
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Posted 1:23 pm Wed, 07.21.10
Nearly a month into the restoration of Metro service, some Metro riders have jumped back aboard while others are still waiting for their bus.
The June 28 restoration, which Metro called a "soft launch," mainly increased frequency on MetroLink and the most crowded bus routes, said Jessica Mefford-Miller, Metro's chief of planning and system development.
For Alex Ihnen, who lives in St. Louis, and several other sources in the Public Insight Network shared their experiences with the Beacon. For Ihnen, the restoration means he'll use MetroLink more often again to get to and from Washington University's west campus in Clayton and to meetings on the main campus.
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Posted 12:10 pm Mon, 06.21.10
When HOK was having trouble attracting potential mid-level employees two years ago, the architecture firm didn't set up booths in job fairs or advertise in the classified section. Instead of using these more traditional recruiting tools, the company connected with job candidates through social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Several sources from the Beacon's Public Insight Network helped inform this report.
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Posted 9:50 am Mon, 05.31.10
With St. Charles County officials and his district solidly behind him, state Rep. Mark Parkinson says he definitely will resubmit a proposal to the Missouri Legislature next session patterned after Arizona's new illegal immigration law.
"It will be the first bill I file,'' said Parkinson, R-St. Peters.
Sources in our Public Insight Network also shared their knowledge on this issue.
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Posted 8:50 am Sun, 05.09.10
Previously, three women told the stories of how they balanced family and work coming up in highly competitive fields when women were just starting to the labor force in great numbers. Today, we talk with working mothers with children still in their homes.
These women, who came to the Beacon's attention through our Public Insight Network, work in a world where working mothers have become the norm. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three-quarters of moms are in the labor force, and among women with young children, a solid 60 percent still work.
Still some things haven't changed: Many of them still struggle to find good child care and to balance work and life. Like women of an earlier generation, they've adjusted, giving up some opportunities and hobbies to find time for everything else.
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Posted 10:37 am Thu, 04.29.10
If you live in St. Louis, chances are you've got an Arch story to tell.
The St. Louis Beacon asked readers through our Public Insight Network to tell us their stories about the Arch and to offer suggestions to the teams and planners working on reconnecting St. Louis' iconic gateway to the rest of downtown.
Dozens of PIN sources responded. Here are some of the answers we received.
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Posted 11:00 pm Sun, 04.04.10
At a time when the cost of higher education continues to rise and the job market for recent graduates is somewhat tenuous, thinking about paying off student loans can make a person queasy. The uphill battle facing those seeking to repay hefty loans isn't lost on policymakers, but recently passed legislation overhauling the federal student-loan program did relatively little to help borrowers. Three former students -- all sources in the Public Insight Network -- share what it's like to be a borrower during recessionary times.
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Posted 10:44 am Fri, 03.12.10
When St. Louis County voters go to the polls April 6, they will determine the future of public transit in St. Louis. If Proposition A, a half-cent sales tax for Metro, passes, officials promise to restore the transit system to what it was before massive cuts last year. If it fails, they say they have no choice but to cut service further -- possibly in half. Once dismantled to that point, the system would be very difficult to resurrect down the line.
St. Louis County voters have strong views on both sides of the issue. The Beacon talked with a number of voters, including several sources in our Public Insight Network, about their views.
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Posted 11:15 am Wed, 03.10.10
If Patricia Brennan had a chance to talk health-care reform with President Barack Obama Wednesday in St. Charles, her advice would be this: Keep it simple and keep it clean. A political independent and a health-care financial analyst, Brennan was turned off by the Democrats' backroom deals that had less to do with health insurance than with appeasing some lawmakers to win their votes.
Brennan's attitude changed when Obama stepped in with a "wonderful" alternative plan, one stripped of the deals, outlined to the public in less than a dozen pages and addressing many of her concerns. Brennan and several other sources in the Beacon's Public Insight Network shared their experience and knowledge in this report.
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Posted 3:53 pm Fri, 02.19.10
In the last month since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, a lot has changed -- and a lot hasn't.
"There is actually some good news," says Kuumba Nia, whose wife, Myriame Robinson, is Haitian. Both live in St. Louis. "Well," he says, "good and bad." Nia is a source in our Public Insight Network and responded through the Network to provide an update on is family's situation.
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Posted 5:18 pm Wed, 02.17.10
Stephen Robin of University City is a big fan of the Zoo and the Art Museum in Forest Park and considers paying taxes to keep them going a privilege.
Robin, a source in our Public Insight Network, also thinks the institutions should remain free to everyone, not just to people who live in St. Louis and St. Louis County, the Zoo-Museum District where property taxes for those institutions and others are levied.
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Posted 7:00 pm Sat, 02.06.10
In her recent search to find a wedding present for a friend, Stephanie Kessler decided on an Amazon gift card. Kessler knew that the groom-to-be liked the television series "Lost," but instead of picking which seasons to buy on DVD, she wanted to give him the option to own whatever season he wanted.
Therein lies the allure of the gift card, which has become a staple during the holidays and other gift-giving occasions. Kessler responded through out Public Insight Network to tell reporter Elia Powers about her gift card experience.
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Posted 12:44 pm Mon, 02.01.10
The conference center at St. Patrick Center was nearly filled with unemployed business professionals in suits and ties and "casual Friday" attire, listening to Kenneth Harrington of Washington University discuss the ups and downs of being your own boss.
The subject was entrepreneurship, and they took notes in binders -- some imprinted with their old company logos. In a way, it all seemed comfortably similar to any other business seminar held on a Tuesday morning, down to the ubiquitous PowerPoint presentation and the aroma of coffee drifting in from the continental breakfast available in the adjoining room.
The program, presented by the GO! Network, offers professional networking and speakers, workshops, job fairs and resources to help members with resumes and job applications in the plugged-in world. The Beacon learned about the program through our Public Insight Network.
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Posted 1:20 pm Fri, 01.29.10
Growing up in Selma, Ala., Pamela Jackson used to sing a song.
"If you're yellow, you mellow. If you're brown, hang around. If you're black, step back. If you're white, you're all right."
She knew what it meant, she always did. But understanding colorism, or the preference or prejudice showed to people of color depending on the lightness or darkness of their skin, is one thing. Talking about it is another. Jackson is a source in our Public Insight Network.
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Posted 4:50 pm Tue, 01.26.10
Right after Barack Obama was elected in November 2008, James Spies, a retired school principal in St. Louis, had a message for his fellow Americans: Give the new president time to tackle the tough problems ahead. Spies and several sources in the Public Insight Network shared their reflections on Obama's first year in office and what they would like to hear in his State of the Union address.
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Posted 6:00 pm Sun, 01.24.10
So how's the new Highway 40 (officially Interstate 64) working out for you?
It's been nearly two months since the highway reopened Dec. 7, but with "sight-seers," the holidays and a run of bad weather, it's only now that the traffic is adjusting to its new normal.
Not surprisingly, St. Louis area drivers, including sources in the Public Insight Network, have a range of opinions -- everything from "It's great" to "We spent a half-billion dollars for this?" Still, love it or hate it, St. Louisans are glad the two-year closure of the highway is behind them.
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Posted 10:02 am Thu, 01.21.10
Monday was no holiday for this 57-year-old St. Louisan who talked candidly about his life in underemployment limbo, as he walked the two miles between his day job and his night job.
He said he works about 50 hours a week to make a quarter of the six-figure salary he lost in the financial services industry more than a year ago -- and he'd work a third job, if someone would hire him. He has applied for the graveyard shift at a casino and a convenience store.This source responded through our Public Insight Network to share his experiences.
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Posted 2:54 pm Mon, 01.18.10
Kuumba Nia met Myriame Robinson years ago at a party in St. Louis. Then, on Christmas eve in 1996, the two married in Haiti, the home country of his new wife.
For their honeymoon, they stayed at the Hotel Montana in Petionville. Like so much of Haiti, the hotel's gone now. Just rubble remains.
That's true, too, of their family home, which crumbled with three tenants inside. Nia responded through the Public Insight Network to share what his family is experiencing.
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Posted 10:43 am Fri, 01.15.10
In an elementary school library, between "Junie B. Jones" and "Lemony Snicket," a group of parents and teachers sit in a large circle.
Billie Mayo, with Educational Equity Consultants, asks them for their names, their connection with Avery Elementary School in Webster Groves, and where they are on their social justice journey.
Each person shares. They want to be respectful. They want to see issues of race with both eyes open.
Several other parents, as sources through the Public Insight Network, also talked with Beacon reporter Kristen Hare about how they discuss race with their children.
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Posted 9:11 am Wed, 12.30.09
Holidays are usually about celebrating family and friends, sharing gifts, honoring a time that to many is filled with significance, both spiritual and personal. It isn't until after Christmas that we usually start looking ahead, and by then the new year has begun.
The St. Louis Beacon asked people around the St. Louis Metro area, including sources in our Public Insight Network, two questions about the New Year.
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Posted 9:49 am Tue, 12.29.09
Starting Jan. 1, it will become illegal in Illinois to write, send or read text messages, instant messages and e-mail, as well as to surf the web while driving. The law also prevents drivers from talking on their cell phones while driving through a highway construction zone or school zone. Several sources in our Public Insight Network shared their experiences with cell phones and driving.
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Posted 1:50 pm Mon, 12.28.09
What do you think of when you look back on 2009? Through our Public Insight Network, the Beacon asked our readers to share their top personal memories of 2009. Several mentioned the inauguaration of Barack Obama as a milestone in American history and a moment of which they were proud. Here is what they had to share.
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Posted 12:51 pm Tue, 12.22.09
About two dozen faith and community leaders from Missouri Health Care for All gathered at the St. Louis office of Sen. Claire McCaskill on Tuesday morning to deliver a special holiday card of thanks for her support of what many feel is a landmark health-reform bill.
Dr. William Fogarty, of Webster Groves, a source in our Public Insight Network, shared his reaction, and old the Beacon that he isn't as alarmed as some colleagues. The retired internist says the Senate's plan has the potential to cut costs, but he adds that "lots of things sound good on paper but can be extremely difficult to carry out in practice."
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Posted 10:02 am Thu, 12.10.09
In March 2007, KaSaundra Reynolds changed her morning routine -- a decision that forever changed her life. Her son's car, which she normally drove to work, wasn't available, so she planned to take the bus. That meant Reynolds had to walk her Shih Tzu earlier than usual. As she passed by the neighborhood basketball court in the 5 a.m. darkness, Reynolds, then 59, sensed someone behind her. Suddenly, from out of the shadows, a man emerged, grabbed her, threw her down on her back and tore her pants off.
Reynolds fought back and was able to escape before she was raped. A woman who'd heard Reynolds scream called the police, and after officers finished their work, Reynolds went by ambulance to the emergency room at SSM St. Mary's Health Center.
There, she found much more than the medical care she sought for cuts on her back, legs and hands. Thanks to a volunteer from the YWCA's St. Louis Regional Sexual Assault Center, Reynolds also received encouragement, a change of clothes and the promise of free counseling.
The role of the YWCA's Sexual Assault Center came to the Beacon's attention through a source in our Public Insight Network.
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Posted 10:13 am Mon, 12.07.09
On a recent Thursday just before noon, two Schnucks employees wearing elf hats and dressed entirely in black stood atop a granite counter in the services department of the company's new downtown Culinaria market. A female employee danced to "Eye of the Tiger" and "Celebration," her co-worker turned a broom into an air guitar and customers waiting in line smiled but mostly concentrated on paying their bills.
Several PIN sources shared their insights and experiences in with Beacon reporter Elia Powers for this report.
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Posted 10:22 am Thu, 11.26.09
In this second holiday season of the recession, Marc Carr, 28, says he has less money to spend on gifts for his family than last year -- but, all in all, he's feeling better about his future.
Beacon reporter Mary Delach Leonard included Marc Carr and other PIN sources in this article.
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Posted 10:47 am Thu, 11.19.09
When Brad Keller left his job at Pfizer in January, he brought two things with him: more than 20 years of laboratory work in pharmaceuticals and the notion that he could use that knowledge well by working for himself, not for someone else.
But moving from the lab bench to an entrepreneur's office isn't always the easiest journey, so he -- and many of the hundreds who will be laid off in Pfizer's latest job contraction -- could use a little help.
Beacon reporter Dale Singer included insights shared by several PIN sources in this report.
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Posted 12:58 pm Tue, 11.17.09
Ask small business owners about the U.S. House's health-reform legislation, and some will say it will take them a while to wade through the proposal. That's understandable because the bill is 2,000 pages long and filled with lots of jargon, such as "health-insurance exchange" and "bundling."
Several in sources shared information and ideas that helped Beacon reporter Robert Joiner as he worked on this article.
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Posted 9:14 pm Sun, 11.15.09
Four weeks and dozens of media interviews later, Regis Murayi, one of the six black Washington University students who were kept from entering a Chicago nightclub, has finally had a chance to catch his breath.
He has accepted an apology from Original Mother's, the club that's been under fire since students reported that a manager told them that their baggy pants violated its dress code. And he has spent significant time thinking about the value of dress codes, how they are worded and the ways in which they are enforced.
Stephen Eckelkamp, who says he was once turned away from a downtown restaurant because he wasn't wearing a suit with a shirt and tie, used to be part owner of a bar in St. Louis. It's an owner's prerogative to enforce a dress code, he says, though he doesn't remember having such a code at his establishment.
Eckelkamp and other PIN sources shared their insight with Beacon reporter Elia Powers as he worked on this article.
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Posted 11:17 am Thu, 11.05.09
Let's say you're going to Boston for the holidays. And let's say you haven't gotten your ticket yet.
That's becoming increasingly difficult because American Airlines is the only airline with a direct flight to Boston from St. Louis. And as of Nov. 17, it's cutting down to one flight a day, as well as stopping service to a few other markets, with more cuts to come next year.
Reporter Kristen Hare included several PIN sources in this story about how travelers are coping with American Airlines' service cuts.
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Posted 12:00 pm Tue, 10.27.09
St. Louis remains in the top 10 of the nation's most segregated cities, according to the Lewis Mumford Center.
Several sources from the Public Insight network shared their experiences in this report.
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Posted 1:00 am Fri, 10.09.09
To: Matt Holliday, Cardinals slugger and left fielder
From: Cardinal Nation
Dear Matt,
Today is the first day of the rest of your life, and you should know that Mary Catherine Reidy -- who wears Cardinals earrings the size of ping-pong balls - has not given up hope.
Several members of the Beacon's Public Insight Network also shared their thoughts in this "letter" to Matt Holliday.
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Posted 2:03 pm Mon, 09.28.09
Each month as a part of our Race, Frankly series, we've tried to tell the stories of regular people and their experiences. "The View From Here" continues this month, with a slightly different set of voices -- students. From an 11-year-old black boy being raised by white parents, to a young Iraqi woman, race continues playing a vital role in education, sometimes hindering, sometimes enriching, and sometimes simply making people very aware of who they are.
Beacon reporter Kristen Hare found some of her sources for this story through the Public Insight Network.
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Posted 4:11 pm Thu, 09.24.09
Business is booming for Brandon Dempsey, and he knows that's due in no small part to the coming fall flu season.
Dempsey works for a company called Suite Commute, which advices other businesses on how to set up remote work arrangements. As employers brace for what could be a prolonged period of workers infected with the seasonal flu or the H1N1 virus (commonly called swine flu), they are calling Dempsey to find out what it would take to allow ill employees to work from home.
Beacon reporter Elia Powers also interviewed PIN source
David Reddick, director of communications for Pandemic Prep.org, who said companies should expect to be short-staffed at some time during the flu season.
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Posted 3:00 pm Thu, 09.17.09
The moment that changed Carolyn Langston's life happened around a wide kitchen table, surrounded by her cousins, shuffling through old papers. First, they passed around the family tree. Then, they laughed over the old-fashioned names their ancestors had -- like Zorobable.
Langston, of Rock Hill, told the Public Insight Network about how she first learned that her ancestors had owne slaves.
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Posted 6:10 pm Wed, 09.16.09
In honor of Twitter co-founder and St. Louis native Jack Dorsey's hometown appearance on Friday, at 10 a.m. at Webster University's Loretto-Hilton Center, it seems fitting to look this week at the popular microblogging service from several different angles. Following a news roundup yesterday, here are three tales of how St. Louisans use Twitter for business and pleasure. There's an early adopter looking to engage an artistic audience, an actor looking to promote himself and a newcomer to the microblogging service who's still figuring out how her company can benefit.
Bill Chott, a St. Louis actor and comedian told us through the Public Insight Network about how he uses Twitter to promote his acting career and get the word out about his improv school in St. Louis.
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Posted 2:46 pm Sat, 09.12.09
One year after the U.S. economy started its messy slide down the melting financial mountainside, some economists believe the bottom is in sight.
On Wednesday, for example, economists at the Federal Reserve offered this glimmer of hope that the U.S. recession is nearing an end: All but one of its 12 regions described recent economic activity as "stable," showing "signs of stabilization" or "firmed." The exception, by the way, was the St. Louis district, which offered a more cautious viewpoint: Economic activity remains weak here, but the pace of decline is "moderating."
Several Public Insight Network sources shared their experiences in this report.
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Posted 5:33 pm Fri, 09.04.09
During the past 50 years, Labor Day has transformed from a day to observe labor unions and the accomplishments of the labor movement, such as 40-hour-work weeks and minimum wage, to a day when everyone gets a break, barbecues some burgers and celebrates the end of summer.
"It's become a national holiday even for people who don't consider themselves to be workers in the traditional sense of the word," says Henry Berger, professor emeritus of history at Washington University.
PIN sources Karen Duree and Dan Jaboor shared some of their insights.
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Posted 11:54 am Thu, 09.03.09
Suzanne Miller has always worked in food -- as a waitress, a hostess, she even worked in catering for a while. She got tired of that, though, and started working as a bartender 10 months ago.
With this slow summer season for restaurants, it hasn't been great timing. Thanks to the economy, people are eating out even less, she says, and tipping less, too. So, Miller's had to make some changes.
PIN source Jackson Foote, a development associate with the non-profit, Citizen's For Missouri's Children, also shared some of his insights.
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Posted 4:56 pm Mon, 08.24.09
Readers of the St. Louis Beacon share their own personal experiences with race and education -- and show how they learned more than just their ABCs and times tables. Their stories help demonstrate that things can look different, depending on where you stand.
All the sources came from our Public Insight Network, a group of people in the St. Louis area and beyond who have agreed to help us cover the news by sharing their observations, knowledge and expertise with us.
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Posted 11:40 am Mon, 08.24.09
On the rooftop terrace of the Moonrise Hotel, more than a dozen members of the Young Asian-American Professional Association (YAPA) watched the sun setting during a recent weeknight happy hour event.
Peter Chang, a banker and one of the founders of YAPA, met Beacon reporter Elia Powers through our Public Insight Network.
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Posted 3:30 pm Wed, 08.19.09
When it comes to health-care rationing, the discussions can be anything but rational.
In the current highly charged atmosphere over changes in health care, "rationing" is one of the hottest buttons around. Yet any debate over how medical resources can be used most wisely inevitably reaches the fact that because demand outstrips supply, patients can't ever get everything they want, so some form of allocation is needed. That's what rationing is all about.
PIN source Elizabeth de Laperouse shared her experience from living in France, Spain and England and coming from a family of doctors in Canada. Now living in the Ladue area, she has a perspective on the health-care systems in other countries that does not reflect well on what she sees here.
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Posted 11:44 am Tue, 08.04.09
Bus routes returned to the road Monday and riders and employees breathed a collective sigh of relief as Metro's partial-service restoration plan went into effect.
PIN source George Richardson of O'Fallon, Mo., was among the employees Metro called back to work on July 6 after being laid off, and told he the Beacon about his experience.
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Posted 11:53 pm Sun, 08.02.09
While some St. Louisans aspire to reach levels of cycling ability established by Tour de France racers, others take a more pragmatic approach, combining their motivations to ride with the daily need to get to work.
PIN source Carrie Zukoski, who lives in the Central West End, told Beacon intern Joe Milner about her experiences in commuting to work for more than 10 years.
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Posted 4:47 pm Fri, 07.24.09
When Vivian McBride ran for the Maplewood Richmond Heights Board of Education a decade ago, she found herself defending a decision made years earlier to pull her oldest daughter out of the district after seventh grade and send all four of her children to schools in Ladue, where her husband taught.
Lori Allen is a PIN source who moved with her family to Maplewood more than four years ago. She told reporter Elia Powers about how she as sold on Maplewood because of its "affordability, diversity of residents and neighborhood feel."
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Posted 4:10 pm Thu, 07.16.09
With a belief in the power of ideas and the backing of individuals who trusted their ability to uphold them, the owners of Left Bank Books have nurtured their Mecca of free thought for 40 years.
The St. Louis Beacon, through a source in our Public Insight Network, learned that the downtown Left Bank store the store in July was forced to layoff or cut back the hours of several employees. The source was responding to our PIN query, What does economic recovery look like to you?
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Posted 4:15 pm Wed, 07.15.09
For a long time, many people wanted to be color blind. But is that still true? For some, yes, but after seeing the response to a question about being colorblind from our PIN survey, we found that almost as many people wanted to see race as a way of understanding and appreciating where people are coming from.
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Posted 2:25 pm Tue, 07.14.09
When the Beacon sent out a query on our Public Insight Network asking about people's experiences with race, we got more than 100 responses from old and young, black, white, Hispanic, American Indian and foreign-born.
Here, we share some of those stories, from a black woman who saw a Middle Eastern man refused service, to an Iranian family business who found community support when they least expected it.
Part 2 of two parts.
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Posted 2:00 pm Mon, 07.13.09
Ever move seats in a classroom, in church or a coffee shop? Moving away from that usual spot seems simple enough, but it can a little disorienting.
When the Beacon sent out a query on our Public Insight Network asking about people's experiences with race, we got more than 100 responses from old and young, black, white, Hispanic, American Indian and foreign-born.
And with the stories they told, we got to move into seats all over the room.
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Posted 4:30 pm Thu, 07.02.09
You've seen the problem too many times in too many ways already.
Maybe you've encountered it in the doctor's office where you found yourself digging deeper into your wallet because the co-pay has doubled since your last visit. Perhaps it hit you when a catastrophic illness, such as cancer, made you lose your job and your employer-paid health insurance. Or maybe your eyes were opened after a divorce when you realized you not only had parted company with a spouse but with health benefits.
Cynthia Bauer, 55, of Florissant, is one of the 750,000 Missourians in that category. Bauer, a source through out Public Insight Network, told Beacon reporter Robert Joiner that she learned her lesson the hard way after a divorce a couple of years ago left her with no health insurance.
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Posted 4:30 pm Thu, 06.18.09
Don Wiegand's studio in Chesterfield survived the onslaught of Missouri River water in the great flood of 1993. He hopes it will be able to withstand efforts to protect Chesterfield Valley from future floods.
Supporters of the well-known sculptor are mobilizing in the face of what they say is a threat that the historic studio will be condemned and razed as part of plans to improve protection of the area, from a levee that currently provides 100-year flood protection to 500-year protection.
Beacon reporter Dale Singer wrote this story after we received a tip from a PIN source.
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Posted 11:45 am Wed, 06.17.09
The severe economic downturn has been particularly unnerving for Baby Boomers on the verge of retirement who have watched their investment accounts shrink and home prices plummet. What about its effect on their sons and daughters who are early in their earning years and forming investment strategies for the longer term?
Public Insight Network source Ashley Weber, 29, told Beacon reporter Elia Powers that she isn't noticing any hesitancy to invest among her friends.
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Posted 7:05 pm Sun, 06.07.09
The Rockwood and Hazelwood school districts have about the same number of students, similar budgets and a common experience -- having to cope with the loss of revenue from the permanent shutdown of automobile plants.
The jolt began in Hazelwood in 2002 when the Ford plant, then one of the region's key economic engines, began closing its doors, eventually depriving the school district of about $2.5 million in tax dollars and denying millions more to the city of Hazelwood. The school district has about 19,000 students and an operating budget of about $200 million.
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Posted 12:50 pm Tue, 05.19.09
At the end of its session last week, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill that prohibits under most circumstances anyone 21 or younger from sending or reading text messages while driving on the highway.
Since then, much of the debate has focused on whether the ban would be enforceable and where you draw the line trying to prevent people from using potentially dangerous technology in their cars. Then there's the question of whether the legislation is ageist.
Keaton Hanson, an avid cyclist, says he sees far too many drivers tapping on their cell phones. Hanson, a source in our Public Insight Network, supports the idea of an all-out ban on texting while driving.
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Posted 9:30 pm Sat, 05.02.09
One month after Metro's cuts, some riders face only minor inconveniences -- 10 or 15 minute longer wait. But for others, especially those who rely on the bus for most or all of their trips, the cuts the cuts have been painful: earlier starts, longer trips, missed connections.
Shawn Bullock and Perez Eric Maxwell, both Public Insight Network sources, shared their experience with Metro buses.
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Posted 5:24 pm Wed, 04.15.09
While Vice President Joe Biden is visiting the University of Missouri-St. Louis Friday, he might want to meet Tony Georges, director of financial aid, whose office oversees the distribution of about $100 million each year to more than 15,700 students pursuing degrees in such fields as business administration, nursing, education, the arts and sciences.
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Posted 10:00 am Fri, 04.10.09
Ever see St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay at a banquet or fundraiser with a glass of water in his hand? Here's why: He really likes water, and he doesn't want people feeling obligated to offer him soda or beer or any other drink that's loaded with calories.
While Slay rarely knows what food awaits him at political functions, he figures he can at least control what he drinks. And plus, he can always just say that the ice water is a vodka tonic.
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Posted 12:52 pm Wed, 03.04.09
Claire Berman is a self-described "foodie." The 25-year-old constantly conjures up new recipes in the kitchen of her University City apartment. Berman's recipes span the exotic to the ordinary but they all have one thing in common: They are all gluten-free.
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Posted 3:20 pm Thu, 02.26.09
The St. Louis Beacon, in partnership with KETC/Channel 9, is using a new tool for gathering information known as Public Insight Journalism. We solicit knowledge and insight from people who join our Public Insight Network. Dozens of people responded recently to our query about the St. Louis mayoral primary election, which will be held on March 3.
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Posted 2:40 pm Thu, 02.26.09
When it comes to running for mayor in the city of St. Louis, the third time isn't always the charm.
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Posted 10:15 am Tue, 02.17.09
Eight weeks into work on the eastern half of the Interstate 64/Highway 40 reconstruction, just as with work on the western section, "Carmaggedon" is a non-event.
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Posted 5:00 pm Thu, 02.05.09
We know the time, the place, the people killed and the person who did the killing on Feb. 7, 2008. Those moments remain in the minds of those present that night and those present for the retelling after. But what about the moments that followed? What's happened in Kirkwood and around St. Louis since Charles "Cookie" Thornton opened fire at a Kirkwood City Hall meeting, killed five and wounded the mayor, who died months later? Organizations have formed, essays have been written by school kids imagining a prejudice-free community, and remembrance ceremonies are planned.
But what have people learned? What's different now, inward and outward, since that night that we all know so well?
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Posted 7:21 pm Tue, 02.03.09
Those who watch KMOV - Channel 4 - have been seeing an announcement that the station boosted its broadcasting power tenfold this weekend. This change exemplifies all the problems and confusion surrounding the switch from analog to digital television.
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Posted 12:40 pm Tue, 02.03.09
A year after the City Hall murders of Feb. 7, 2008, important changes have come to Kirkwood, while other things have remained unchanged.
The new mayor, Art McDonnell, walks down from the dais and into the audience before council meetings to greet citizens and tell them how they can express their views. The city has called two town meetings to open the lines of communication further. More people have volunteered for city commissions than any time in recent history. And a group of several hundred citizens has been meeting regularly for the past year to talk about white privilege and race in a way it never had been talked about before in this idyllic railroad town turned comfortable suburb.
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Posted 1:00 pm Sun, 02.01.09
After nearly a decade working as an occupational therapist, Jeanne Hahn retired several years ago when she became eligible to receive Social Security. She sold her home, gave away most of her possessions and moved into a mobile home with her husband.
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Posted 7:30 am Mon, 01.19.09
The PIN helped the Beacon find people who John McCain and Hillary Clinton during the campaigns, to find out how they feel on the eve of the inauguration.
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Posted 2:00 pm Fri, 01.16.09
The Beacon used the PIN to look for opinions about what it means to be bi-racial in America today, and whether the election of Barack Obama changes those opinions.
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Posted 9:45 am Tue, 01.06.09
A Public Insight Network source suggested the Beacon look into this group, based on a general "What stories should we be covering?" query. Do you have a suggestion?
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Posted 4:40 pm Fri, 12.05.08
Multiple Public Insight Network sources told us how their commute was affected by the reopening of half of Highway 40 and the closure of the other half.
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Posted 7:32 pm Mon, 11.10.08
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants to talk to you about a new economic stimulus package, the Russian president wants to mend diplomatic fences and Patricia Schuba of St. Louis would like to take you along the next time she sees her doctor.
"You really don't know until you're there, just how bad it can be to lose good health-care insurance,'' explains Schuba, 44, who has chronic diabetes.
Schuba was among Beacon readers who either shared their priorities for the new president by joining the Public Insight Network or were interviewed on Election Day.
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Posted 1:00 am Wed, 11.05.08
Mary Sprague, 74, has lived -- and voted -- in the same ward for 22 years. That's why she never dreamed that she'd wind up casting a provisional ballot in today's election.
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Posted 7:00 pm Tue, 11.04.08
In the Beacon's running blog on election night, sources in the Public Insight Network talked about their experiences at the polls, why they voted and why, and why this election was important to them.
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