Missouri residents who the state says “keep the essential functions of society running” are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. That includes educators, child care providers and critical infrastructure workers. Also, more students are returning to schools today.

A Des Moines-based artist is returning to St. Louis with a new project that includes the Close the Workhouse campaign.

On the year anniversary of the WHO declaring a pandemic, Sarah Fentem talks to those who are still suffering months after being infected with the coronavirus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for backyard chickens and other birds. For hatcheries, getting newborn chicks to their owner is a race against time. Extreme weather, like the snow storm that hit Missouri in February, make that process more challenging.

Arts organizations, alumni, and Harris-Stowe State University are rallying to save historic Sumner High School. The St. Louis School board could vote this evening on whether to permanently close the oldest high school for African Americans west of the Mississippi.

Tourism is being hit hard during the pandemic. Many attractions throughout the region have gone through a huge drop in business but are planning to bounce back.

Teachers want to skip standardized state examinations for the second year and focus on getting students caught up and back in the classroom. Some administrators worry about how testing would work for those learning remotely. The state education department in Missouri insists exams are necessary to pinpoint learning loss.

Story Stitchers’ latest project examines everyday life in five St. Louis-area neighborhoods and municipalities: the Ville, West Side, University City & Delmar Loop, Walnut Park, and Ferguson. The initiative includes an album celebrating life in St. Louis, and a podcast about the city’s music scene hosted by rapper Ntegrity.

Environmental activists say the concern over demolishing a shuttered East Alton coal plant is only the beginning. They say there are few state or federal rules and more coal plants will go offline as demand continues to drop.

The director of the film “America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill” was concerned the lack of in-person festivals during the pandemic would hurt distribution. But Joseph Puleo says online streaming helped attract a wide range of viewers in cities like Chicago and New York.