Recent news stories

Though I have worked primarily as a developer, data journalist and news designer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, occasionally I write or contribute to stories for the paper. Here are some of them.

Post-Dispatch

"Missouri congressional redistricting would cement GOP control, analysis shows" Sept. 9, 2025 - Post-Dispatch
"Firm buys 700 homes in St. Louis area with unusual offer of 'easy' cash" June 15, 2025 - Post-Dispatch
"Missouri to track immigration status in crime data, one of first states to try" Feb. 9, 2025 - Post-Dispatch
"Use of force numbers for St. Louis County police are rising. Here’s why." Dec. 23, 2024 - Post-Dispatch
"Researchers hoped to track two coyotes in St. Louis for a year. The animals didn’t make it." Oct. 28, 2024 - Post-Dispatch
"Private money paid outsider to handle PR for St. Louis police. The records are secret." July 29, 2024 - Post-Dispatch
"Court records online include private information for thousands of Missouri residents" April 28, 2023 - Post-Dispatch
"Floods are getting more severe and frequent around St. Louis. Here's why." March 18, 2023 - Post-Dispatch
"Traffic stops and tickets have plummeted in St. Louis. Traffic deaths have gone up." March 7, 2023 - Post-Dispatch
"How out-of-state companies are buying up homes and changing the St. Louis area market" Nov. 20, 2022 - Post-Dispatch
"FBI gets numbers wrong after St. Louis fell behind on reporting crime data" Nov. 8, 2022 - Post-Dispatch
"Which St. Louis area Catholic parishes will close? The clues are in the data." Oct. 9, 2022 - Post-Dispatch
"New Missouri law helps boost national effort to report when police use force" June 6, 2022 - Post-Dispatch
"'It's like a highway here': Deaths, crashes spike on north St. Louis County road" May 1, 2022 - Post-Dispatch
"North County neighborhoods grow more diverse, but local government representation lags" Feb. 26, 2022 - Post-Dispatch
"Missouri teachers’ Social Security numbers at risk on state agency’s website" Oct. 14, 2021 - Post-Dispatch
"As home values rise, nowhere in St. Louis is hotter than North County" July 26, 2021 - Post-Dispatch
"Impact of Good Friday tornado still felt 10 years later in St. Louis County" Apr. 22, 2021 - Post-Dispatch
"Police controversy reverberates in O’Fallon, Mo., mayoral race" Mar. 30, 2021 - Post-Dispatch
"Fifty reasons we still love Star Trek" Sept. 17, 2017 - Post-Dispatch
"Original Uhura Nichelle Nichols says fans keep 'Star Trek' alive" April 5, 2017 - Post-Dispatch
" 'Calvin and Hobbes' creator Bill Watterson returns" June 7, 2014 - Post-Dispatch
" 'Bigfoot of cartooning' emerges; comics artists are delighted" June 8, 2014 - Post-Dispatch
"Capt. Kirk's five most memorable love interests" May 16, 2013 - Post-Dispatch

Personal writing

For more than 20 years, I have been a prolific blogger, having written and published around 800 pieces across three different blogs. Most of this work was related to my life, family, travel, and genealogy. In recent years I have focused on research, writing, and interviews related to technology and computer history.

Personal blogs

"The day Jadzia noticed Adam" Jan. 11, 2026 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"Reflecting on Awkward Davies at the end of the Aubrey-Maturin series" Sept. 21, 2025 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"The mystery of the missing clarinet" March 19, 2023 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"Farewell, Nan" July 28, 2021 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"Jadzia's obituary" June 25, 2020 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"Remembering Benjamin Israel" Feb. 27, 2015 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"Merry Christmas from Ferguson" Dec. 19, 2014 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"'We didn't forget you. We ran miles just to get back to you.' April 9, 2014 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"More stops! More money! More waiting!" June 11, 2013 - Amazing Adventures in Bolivia
"Love, baseball and losses" Oct. 23, 2012 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"The murder of John Becker" Feb. 5, 2008 - Extraordinary Renaud Family
"The 24-hour fishing experience" April 7, 2007 - Amazing Adventures in Bolivia
"Mamá and Jadzia go to jail ... and Papa gets kicked out" Jan. 26, 2006 - Amazing Adventures in Bolivia

Computer history

"Vanishing Culture: Recovering Lost Software" May 2025 - Internet Archive
"Yaakov Kirschen's other legacy" April 2025 - Jewish News Syndicate
"Retrospective: Kirschen's journey" March 2025 - Juiced.JS (Vol. 30, Issue 1)
"From 'aliyah' to 'zaydie': Insights into the making of early Jewish computer games" September 2024 - Rose Library, Emory University
"Instant Graphics and Sound" (six-part series) August 2024 - Break Into Chat
"Bringing dry bones back to life: The Kirschen software collection" (series) November 2022 - Break Into Chat
"I completed my 7-year quest to play Thieves' Guild" Sep. 15, 2020 - Break Into Chat
"Unearthed: My Atari 8-bit cassette tape" May 30, 2020 - Break Into Chat
"Gary Martin, creator of 'TradeWars 2002'" (interview) July 19, 2019 - Break Into Chat
"Visualizing 314: Fire Escape’s BBS Directory" (series) June 2013 - Break Into Chat

Older stories

The following are examples of news and opinion stories I wrote early in my career as a journalist. Some were freelance for publications such as the North County Journal, but most were published in The Current, the student newspaper of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

News stories

In-depth: "St. Louis' shrinking priesthood" November 22, 2002 - Freelance
"Parking fee going up" January 29, 2001 - The Current
Analysis: "Meeting parking needs requires planning, high costs" January 29, 2001 - The Current
"New computing tools make life easier for researchers" December 13, 1999 - The Current
"Strike snags Performing Arts Center" August 21, 2000 - The Current
"UMSL, MoDOT prepare for I-70 project" June 12, 2000 - The Current

Columns and commentary

"Choosing new chancellor important task" October 16, 2002 - North County Journal
"Jesuit Museum requires having wisdom of Solomon" July 17, 2002 - North County Journal
"Adults owe children internet protection" May 1, 2002 - North County Journal
"Airport expansion eats away at St. Louis region" March 5, 2001 - The Current
"Battle ends in ultimate victory for one warrior" January 16, 2001 - The Current