RFT Reviews the Week: September 25 to October 1

Nurses and DJs strike, city police can't be found and Wainwright wins in every sense

Oct 2, 2023 at 4:29 pm

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Courtesy St. Louis Cardinals

Adam Wainwright had quite a week.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. Nurses at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital strike for 24 hours over workplace violence and short staffing. Volunteer DJs at KDHX are also striking — though station leadership would likely say they quit. Weird how the less you’re paid, the fewer rights you seem to have. Meanwhile, at a rally in front of the troubled City Justice Center, Alderman Rasheen Aldridge calls for Corrections Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah to be fired. Expect the city to let that call go to voicemail.

Alderman Calls for St. Louis Corrections Commissioner to Be Fired: Rasheen Aldridge spoke at a protest outside the troubled City Justice Center

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26. The U.S. sues Amazon for anti-trust violations because duh. Back in St. Louis, Adam Wainwright announces he will not take the mound again — finishing his career with exactly 200 wins.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27. An unexpected early morning thunderstorm pounds the region. There’s even hail in Wentzville! Meanwhile, the only two police officers scheduled to work a shift in the city’s 3rd district call in sick, leaving the 4th district to cover. How you can have 937 sworn officers and no one staffing the sizable district just south of downtown is a question that long predates Police Chief Robert Tracy but one that no one ever seems to satisfactorily answer.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28. The Show Me Institute is not impressed with local plans to expand light rail. “St. Louis doesn’t need more light-rail lines,” it concludes in a new report. “It especially doesn’t need slow and dangerous street-running light-rail lines. What it needs is a transit system for a decentralized 21st-century urban area.” But, but … light rail is so sexy. And who cares about the bus riders getting stuck with infrequent service?

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. Whaddaya say, whaddaya say? It’s Mister Gary Day in St. Louis! Isn’t every day Mister Gary Day, you ask? Well, this time it’s by mayoral proclamation. KDHX gets its best ratings in years as people hate-tweet its on-air Kelly Wells/Gary Pierson lovefest Q&A, while Wainwright fills in as DH as the Cards lose 19-2 . Alas, there’s no joy in Mudville; the mighty Waino grounded out.

KDHX Leaders Attempt Triage in On-Air Q&A After Week of Unrest: Welcome to the current episode of ‘Controlling the Narrative’ presented by Gary Pierson and Kelly Wells!” a former DJ wrote on Facebook

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30. There’s another death in the City Justice Center — the third in 40 days. Juwon Carter had been in jail for 16 months awaiting trial. In happier news, City SC kills it against Kansas City Sporting, and in the process sets a record for most wins by an MLS expansion team. At Busch Stadium, Waino gives a post-game concert and St. Louis falls in love all over again. Yesterday may have been Mister Gary Day, but this is definitely Adam Wainwright Week.