Our biggest issue of the year, August offers more stories than any other. The only downside is that with so many pages, something you want to read could get lost in the mix—to to simplify matters, here’s a sampling of must-reads.
“On the Green”: The whole world will be watching this month as the 100th PGA Championship comes to Bellerive, August 9–12. What they might not see is the man behind those picturesque fairways and pristine greens, course superintendent Carlos Arraya, who knows the stakes of hosting a major. As he puts it, “There is no margin for error.”
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“Downtown by Design”: Call it ironic, but there hasn’t been much marketing—yet—of the fact that downtown St. Louis is fast becoming a magnet for creative firms, with more than 130 design firms already present and others on their way. Now, some of the players are looking to rebrand the neighborhood. “St. Louis has had a lot of buzz and hype around biotech,” says PGAV president Mike Konzen, “but there’s also this quiet entrepreneurial revolution in all forms of creative design—and if it lives anywhere geographically, it’s downtown.”
“Take Care”: Speaking of the biotech scene, there’s good reason for all that buzz. St. Louis physicians and researchers are leading the charge against a wide range of diseases—HIV, cancer, Alzheimer’s, arthritis—and new facilities with thoughtful touches are sprouting up across the region. Discover the latest additions to St. Louis’ medical scene.
“The Long Journey Home”: Healthcare is just one way in which St. Louisans are looking to improve lives worldwide. Wash. U. recently hired a former Webster University dean, Nigeria-born Benjamin Ola Akande, to lead its Africa initiative. With colleagues at Wash. U., he’ll work to address such issues as public health, technology, and social dichotomies. Closer to home, he offers this advice to African-Americans in St. Louis: “Get engaged in organizations that will give you access to other people’s stories.”
“The Presumption of Guilt”: Private eye Charley Schneider can tell you some stories. One of the most compelling is the case of Bertha Owens, who was sentenced to life in prison at age 38 after a brutal assault on a 64-year-old man resulted in his death. At the time, the case drew little media coverage—but when the Midwest Innocence Project asked Schneider to look into her case, he found there was more to the story.
“The Best Doughnuts in St. Louis”: After you’ve read about crime and creative firms, medicine and majors, your brain will have burned enough calories for…a doughnut. Our dining team visited—er, revisited—some of St. Louis’ most beloved establishments. The result: around a baker’s dozen of pages filled with grease, sugar, and deliciousness. Just don’t tell your doctor we recommended it.
