Meet Me

Bonus: Tornado Open Mic Montage

More stories from the "Meet Me" open mic eleven months after an EF3 tornado ripped through St. Louis. Residents were invited to share experiences and reflections about the tornado almost a year later. This piece was produced for the STLPR series TORN [https://www.stlpr.org/torn] - about the struggle to recover from the tornado, the flailing government response, and the fight for north city. (1:26) - Brendalyn King, Xavier Phillips, Tabitha Hunt, Elmer Simril, Yolanda Owens, Sandra Blackshear-Miller, Clara Washington and Patricia Miller. Follow us on Instagram @MeetMeSTL [https://instagram.com/meetmestl] | Sign up for the Meet Me newsletter [https://www.stlpr.org/newsletters/meetme] Credits: This episode was written, hosted, produced and mixed by Luis Antonio Perez, with story editing by Alex Heuer and Brian Heffernan. The executive producer of “Meet Me” is Brian Heffernan. Paola Rodriguez is our engagement producer with editorial support from Lara Hamdan. Recording by Drew Yount. Podcast art by Cristina Fletes-Mach. Our theme music is by Kudda & Friends [https://www.instagram.com/kkuddamuzic/]. Special thanks to Cami Thomas, Alyssa Potter, Brittini Gray-Chiquillo, Leslie Davis, Maia WIlliams, Hiba Ahmad, Andrea Henderson, and the Black Healer’s Collective of InPower Institute and Freedom Community Center. Grant support comes from the James S. McDonnell foundation. Support this work at stlpr.org/donate [http://stlpr.org/donate]

Tornado Open Mic

Eleven months after a deadly tornado tore through St. Louis the “Meet Me” team organized a community open mic event. Residents were invited to share experiences and reflections about the tornado almost a year later. Their stories in their words. (1:20) - Herdosia Bentum (5:40) - Juanita Blackshear (12:57) - Kevin Blackshear (20:15) - Sherlyn Contreras Follow STLPR’s reporting on St. Louis’ recovery from the May 16, 2025 tornado at STLPR.org/tornado [http://stlpr.org/tornado] Follow us on Instagram @MeetMeSTL [https://instagram.com/meetmestl] | Sign up for the Meet Me newsletter [https://www.stlpr.org/newsletters/meetme] Credits: This episode was written, hosted, produced and mixed by Luis Antonio Perez, with story editing by Alex Heuer and Brian Heffernan. The executive producer of “Meet Me” is Brian Heffernan. Paola Rodriguez is our engagement producer with editorial support from Lara Hamdan. Recording by Drew Yount. Podcast art by Cristina Fletes-Mach. Our theme music is by Kudda & Friends [https://www.instagram.com/kkuddamuzic/]. Special thanks to Cami Thomas, Alyssa Potter, Brittini Gray-Chiquillo, Leslie Davis, Maia WIlliams, Hiba Ahmad, Andrea Henderson, and the Black Healer’s Collective of InPower Institute and Freedom Community Center for fostering healing and resilience in our communities. Grant support comes from the James S. McDonnell foundation. Support this work at stlpr.org/donate [http://stlpr.org/donate]

Pizza, family and the cheese that binds

The father-and-son team behind Dogtown Pizza, a family-owned frozen pizza business in St. Louis, sit down for a candid conversation. They discuss the early challenges of building the company and how, years later, they worked together to dramatically expand it. They also share a heart-to-heart about the son’s plans to step away from the business and pursue his own dreams. (0:00) \- Luis & Paola visit the frozen pizza aisle at Schnucks. (7:43) \- Rick G. Schaper (father) and Rick S. Schaper (son) discuss the origins and growth of Dogtown Pizza. (18:00) \- Father and son discuss leaving the business. Follow us on Instagram [@MeetMeSTL](https://instagram.com/meetmestl) | Sign up for the [Meet Me newsletter](https://www.stlpr.org/newsletters/meetme) *Credits: This episode was written, hosted, produced and mixed by Luis Antonio Perez, with story editing by Alex Heuer and Brian Heffernan. The executive producer of “Meet Me” is Brian Heffernan. Paola Rodriguez is our engagement producer with editorial support from Lara Hamdan. Podcast art by Cristina Fletes-Mach. Our theme music is by [Kudda & Friends](https://www.instagram.com/kkuddamuzic/). Additional music by [Holizna](https://holiznacc0.bandcamp.com/). Special thanks to Brian Munoz, Jeab Vardhanabhuti at the University of Missouri, Schnucks Markets and Dogtown Pizza.* Grant support comes from the James S. McDonnell foundation. [Support this work at stlpr.org/donate](http://stlpr.org/donate)

Update: Getting Back Together?

Are St. Louis city and county getting back together? During a surprise press conference on Thursday, March 12, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said the region’s residents should embark on a discussion about combining aspects of St. Louis and St. Louis County government — including the city reentering the county as a municipality. In a follow-up to our deep dive into the Great Divorce between the city and county, host Luis Antonio Perez talks with STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum [https://www.stlpr.org/people/jason-rosenbaum] about Page’s announcement and what it could mean for the region. Source - Sam Page wants St. Louis city and county to get back together amid budget challenges [https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-03-12/page-community-conversation-combining-st-louis-st-louis-county-services] More stories on St. Louis city-county merger at stlpr.org [http://stlpr.org] Follow us on Instagram @MeetMeSTL [https://www.instagram.com/meetmestl] | Sign up for the Meet Me newsletter [https://www.stlpr.org/newsletters/meetme] This episode was produced by Luis Antonio Perez and Alex Heuer. Engineered by Aaron Doerr. Mixed and mastered by Luis. Meet Me’s engagement producer is Paola Rodriguez and Brian Heffernan is the executive producer. Theme music by Kudda and Friends. Special thanks to Jason Rosenbaum, Rachel Lippmann, Fred Erlich, and Layla Halilbasic. Grant support comes from the James S. McDonnell Foundation. Support this work at stlpr.org/donate [http://stlpr.org/donate]

Better Together

What happens when a border becomes more than a line on a map? In this episode of “Meet Me,” residents living near the St. Louis city-county line describe what it means to live along a divide that shapes daily life. We also dive into one of the most ambitious attempts to reunite the city and county, the Better Together plan from 2019. Through interviews with civic leaders, elected officials and longtime political voices, host Luis Antonio Perez explores how the plan gained momentum, why it failed and what its collapse reveals about power, trust, race and regional identity in St. Louis. (0:00) - St. Louis Public Radio invites residents living along the city-county border for a listening session where they discuss life on the border. (3:29) - Next door neighbors, Miss Dee (city) and Mr. Larry (county), on Garesche Ave. share their stories and their views on the manmade barrier outside of their homes. (16:11) - Deep dive into the Better Together plan of 2019. The most well-funded and well-researched attempt to reunify St. Louis city and county in decades. How it was developed, why it failed, and what it reveals about power, trust, race, and regional identity. Follow us on Instagram @MeetMeSTL [https://www.instagram.com/meetmestl] | Sign up for the Meet Me newsletter [https://www.stlpr.org/newsletters/meetme] Credits: This episode was written, hosted and produced by Luis Antonio Perez, with story editing by Alex Heuer and Brian Heffernan. Meet Me’s executive producer is Brian Heffernan. Audio mixing by Greg Munteanu. Paola Rodriguez is our engagement producer. Art by Cristina Fletes-Mach. Our theme music is by Kudda & Friends. Special thanks to Jason Rosenbaum, Rachel Lippmann, Chad Davis, Fred Ehrlich, Lara Hamdan, Leslie Davis, Hiba Ahmed, Miya Norfleet and Miah Williams. Archival news clips from St. Louis Public Radio, KMOV, and KSDK. Grant support comes from the James S. McDonnell foundation. Support this work at stlpr.org/donate [https://www.stlpr.org/donate]