The Gateway

As part of our Curious Louis series, we look into the hidden history of Castlewood State Park — including the clubs, dance halls, and speakeasies once tucked into its hills — and visit the ruins that remain.

After leaving Bosnia in the 90s, Nermana Huskic looked for a way to give back to St. Louis. She saw the growing need to care for the homeless population. Now she owns RukaNade, one of the largest Bosnian nonprofits in the city.

Every July and October, the Belleville nonprofit MindsEye sponsors unique baseball tournaments for St. Louis-area athletes who are legally blind. The games are played with beepballs that emit sounds and bases that buzz. Players with normal eyesight are welcome to play – blindfolded.

St. Louis artist and activist De Nichols will focus on the Griot Museum of Black History in her newly awarded Loeb Fellowship from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Through the one-year program which begins this fall, Nichols will create a plan for the north St. Louis institution to deepen and sustain its impact as a space for black arts and history.

About 6,000 school nutrition professionals from across the country have spent part of this week in St. Louis sampling food, testing equipment, and sharing best practices for meeting federal nutrition requirements for school cafeteria lunch options.

Some north St. Louis County teenagers are learning the basics of ecology and wildlife conservation this summer and passing that knowledge to the next generation. Also, a local non-profit is turning some vacant St. Louis lots into community gardens.

New laws are allowing farmers to grow hemp for the first time in decades. Millions of dollars could be made, but there are significant challenges that hemp farmers will face for years to come including seed fraud, weather and a lack of machinery.

If you have more time to read this summer, consider picking up a book written by St. Louisans or set in Missouri. Left Bank Books' Shane Mullen shares some of this year's biggest local releases that might interest readers of all ages.

A 16-year-old chess Phenom from Webster Groves is competing in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship that started this week at the St. Louis Chess Club.

A 16-year-old chess phenom from Webster Groves is competing in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at the St. Louis Chess Club. Thalia Cervantes started playing while her family was still living in Cuba. Her international success prompted her family to move to the U.S. five years ago.

Kim Massie never pursued her dream of becoming a professional singer until her 40s. She moved back to St. Louis and competed in karaoke contests. Massie had a weekly residency at the now-defunct Beale on Broadway for 15 years. She sings many styles, from the music of Aretha Franklin to tunes by Steely Dan.

Puerto Rican circus children visiting their counterparts in St. Louis are busy juggling, tumbling and catching up with old friends. They are working with Circus Harmony, a local organization that teaches acrobatics, juggling and life skills like perseverance and teamwork.

St. Louis native Merrique Jenson discusses her work nationally and in the Kansas City LGBTQ community, along with the start of her transition as a transgender woman.

When José moved his family to the U.S. from Mexico nearly two decades ago, he hoped to give his children a better life. Now, the Illinois resident worries about the future of his 21-year-old-son, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. José fears his son's mental illness could lead to deportation.

Unionized workers at St. Louis Lambert International are concerned about their futures as the city considers privatizing the airport. They've been told contracts would be honored, but there is no guarantee for wages and benefits to stay the same once those deals expire.

The view from I-64 in midtown St. Louis near IKEA is about to drastically change. Work continues on the multi-million dollar City Foundry mixed-use development. Crews are transforming the old Century Electric facility into a destination for food and entertainment.

A Washington University student is reflecting one year after being accused of leaving a Clayton Road restaurant without paying. The story of Teddy Washington and his family is at odds with how many portray St. Louis as a hotbed of racial strife. Washington says in many ways he feels privileged, a word he understands is generally applied to whites.

A group of undergrads at Harris-Stowe State University is studying how CBD, an oil derived from cannabis plants, affects fruit fly development. Also, Missouri is allowing students to take online physical education classes.

St. Louis police increased its presence and focus on crime in an area of north city known as Hayden's Rectangle. Named for Chief John Hayden, the strategy focuses on some of the city's most violent neighborhoods. But, is the approach working 18 months after it was launched?

A commercial cabinet maker in St. James has a unique hiring strategy: bring on employees with prison convictions and past drug addiction problems. The entrepreneur has built his business while giving people second chances, and it’s paying off.

This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of Pride St. Louis. Local photographer Scott Lokitz has captured nearly all four decades. His documentation ranges from a time when many were afraid to be seen at the event to the celebration becoming mainstream.

Missouri's population of alligator gar, a large prehistoric fish, is one of the lowest in the country. Conservationists have been working for more than a decade to raise the numbers, especially since the fish could help consume invasive Asian carp. However, state conservation officials have failed to pass regulations to help protect the species from overfishing.

This year's flooding has brought barge traffic on the Mississippi River to a standstill. But it could be an opportunity for Cairo, Illinois. Many in the community without a grocery store or gas station say a proposed port could revitalize the area's economy.

A program this month at the public library in Normandy involved hip-hop and architecture. The aim was to spark imaginations about how the combination could improve communities. Nearly 30 students, mostly teenagers, took part in the week-long camp.

Protesting in Ferguson after Michael Brown was killed thrust Brittany Ferrell into a national spotlight. Now, the former nurse is funneling her activism into a documentary called “You Lucky You Got a Mama,” about how racism is at the root of why more black women don’t survive childbirth.