Alex Heuer

In 2012, approximately 100 local professional theatrical productions were presented in the St. Louis area.

A new organization called the St. Louis Theater Circle, a group of area theater reviewers, seeks to recognize local professional theater with the inaugural Louie Awards.

The first Louie Awards presentation coincides with the suspension of the Kevin Kline Awards.  Earlier this year the Professional Theater Council of St. Louis decided not to hold a ceremony honoring 2012 theatrical productions, citing financial issues.

Earlier this week, prompted by the mass school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, President Barack Obama announced a series of measures aimed at curbing gun violence.

Among the proposals is increasing access to mental health care.

All too often access to mental health care is scarce.  Sometimes, the only place people can get care is if they are arrested and charged with a crime.

For the first time in a long time, no member of the Carnahan family is holding public office in Missouri.

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan left office earlier this week after deciding not to seek re-election last November.  Her brother, Congressman Russ Carnahan (MO – 3), served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.  After re-districting, he challenged Congressman Lacy Clay in the Democratic primary and was unsuccessful.

Leonard Slatkin has strong ties to St. Louis. His father, conductor and violinist Felix Slatkin, was born in St. Louis and joined the St. Louis Symphony when he was still a teen.  The younger Slatkin’s first conducting position with a major symphony orchestra came in 1968 when he was named Assistant Conductor of the St.

Sam Dotson is the new chief of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

He comes to the position after spending about twenty years with the Department.

Dotson joined host Don Marsh for a wide-ranging discussion.  They talked about taking the reins of the St. Louis Police Department as it prepares to transition to local control and about making the force one which is fully up to speed on 21st century policing practices.