Danny Wicentowski

Jan 11, 2025 | kcur.org | Danny Wicentowski

Two bald eagles treated at the World Bird Sanctuary are among the latest victims of lead poisoning in Missouri. Despite efforts to save their lives, both raptors were eventually euthanized after their organs began to shut down. “These two had no other physical injuries other than the fact that they were emaciated [and] had high levels of lead,” said Kira Klebee, the sanctuary’s rehabilitation director. Part of “nature’s cleanup crew,” bald eagles rely on scavenging for food.

Dec 16, 2024 | kcur.org | Danny Wicentowski

In the summer of 2020, about four years after cutting ties with her parents, Amanda Householder began telling her story of survival to a new audience. In videos uploaded to TikTok, she described patterns of starvation, humiliation, and physical and sexual abuse at the Circle of Hope Girls Ranch in Humansville, Missouri. The Christian reform school was operated by her parents, Boyd and Stephanie Householder. “You were starved as a punishment,” she said in one video.

Oct 7, 2024 | ourcommunitynow.com | Danny Wicentowski

his release from prison , Chris Dunn is still seeing the world with new eyes. For the 52-year-old, it’s a world of firsts: Visiting a farmer’s market. Gazing at the St. Louis skyline. Sitting down to an anniversary breakfast with his wife, Kira — their first anniversary outside the prison where, 10 years ago, they were wed within the walls that had confined him for most of his adult life.

Oct 6, 2024 | kcur.org | Danny Wicentowski

Two months removed from his release from prison, Chris Dunn is still seeing the world with new eyes. For the 52-year-old, it’s a world of firsts: Visiting a farmer’s market. Gazing at the St. Louis skyline. Sitting down to an anniversary breakfast with his wife, Kira — their first anniversary outside the prison where, 10 years ago, they were wed within the walls that had confined him for most of his adult life.

Jun 15, 2024 | kcur.org | Danny Wicentowski

The world of fungi is all around us, but it’s largely undocumented. Millions of species are still waiting to be identified. This year, as part of an ambitious project that’s seeking to identify every single mushroom in North America, Missouri mushroom hunters are being enlisted to join the effort by collecting samples of what they find in the wild. The effort is a partnership between the Missouri Mycological Society and Indiana-based MyCota Labs.