Best KRCU Podcasts (2026)

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Martin's Must-Reads: 'The Bullet That Missed' 1:45

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1h ago1:45

1:45

“Bethany Waites understands there is no going back now. Time to be brave, and to see how this all plays out. She weighs the bullet in her hand. Life is about understanding opportunities. Understanding how rarely they come along, and then rising to meet them when they do."By Betty Martin

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A Harte Appetite: Black Cocoa 1:55

21h ago1:55

1:55

Ever looked closely at an Oreo, the world’s best selling cookie? If you carefully inspect an Oreo you will notice something interesting. Though the confection is described on the package as a “chocolate sandwich cookie” an Oreo is not chocolate colored. It is, in fact, black. That's because of a process called “Dutching.”…

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Discover Nature: The "Curious Nighttime Prowler" 1:41

1d ago1:41

1:41

Your car’s headlights reflect bright red eyes from a hunchbacked form ambling across the road. The black mask and ringed tail identify it as a raccoon, the “curious nighttime prowler.”By Josh Hartwig

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Two-Minute Drill: Kids Cheer Free at SEMO Gymnastics in 2026 1:43

4d ago1:43

1:43

Southeast Missouri Gymnastics will flip into the new year with its season opener at the Show Me Center, next Friday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m. The meet is the first of four scheduled home meets for the Gymhawks this season.By Nate Saverino

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A Harte Appetite: Good Luck for New Years 1:58

8d ago1:58

1:58

Every culture feeds on the belief that eating certain dishes on New Years Day brings good fortune. Perhaps the Chinese have the most New Years food rituals. They take two weeks to ring in the new year and during that time literally everything eaten is considered auspicious.By Tom Harte

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Discover Nature: Owls 1:43

9d ago1:43

1:43

Throughout history, owls have established a solid place in storytelling. Today, we appreciate owls for their role in the environment and for their enjoyable calls.By Josh Hartwig

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Two-Minute Drill: Redhawk Student-Athletes Have Record-Breaking Semester 1:38

11d ago1:38

1:38

Southeast Missouri's Department of Athletics recently put the finishing touches on a record-breaking 2025 fall semester.By Nate Saverino

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To Your Health: Avoiding Holiday Conflict 1:47

13d ago1:47

1:47

When we first think of holiday conflict, we may picture Black Friday shoppers duking it out over big screen TVs; however, the holidays can be fraught with many potential conflicts with family.By Dr. Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs

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Almost Yesterday: On the Wings of a Dove 2:00

14d ago2:00

2:00

It seems like Almost Yesterday that I first heard the song “On the Wings of a Dove.” This haunting melody was written by Robert Ferguson of Willow Springs, Missouri. In 1958 Ferguson was the manager of another Missourian, country singer Ferlin Husky.By Frank Nickell

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Martin's Must-Reads: 'This Dog Will Change Your Life' 1:45

14d ago1:45

1:45

“A human life improved by a dog isn’t just a theoretical concept. It’s a real life event that happens a million times a day, all over the world.”By Betty Martin

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Martin's Must-Reads: 'Great Big Beautiful Life' 1:46

14d ago1:46

1:46

“There’s an old saying about stories, and how there are always three versions of them: yours, mine and the truth. The guy who first said it worked in the film business, but it holds true for journalism too. We’re not really supposed to take sides. We’re supposed to deal in facts: Facts add up to truth.”…

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A Harte Appetite: What Are Sugar Plums Anyway? 1:50

15d ago1:50

1:50

It turns out, that the question "what is a sugar plum?" is not that easy to answer. I found at least eight distinctly different definitions of the term. Some citing chocolate, some fondant, and others coriander as a chief ingredient.By Tom Harte

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Discover Nature: Missouri's Holiday Thief 2:02

16d ago2:02

2:02

You might steal a kiss under its green branches, but in nature, mistletoe is a parasitic plant that attaches to and steals nutrients from trees.By Josh Hartwig

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Two-Minute Drill: Houck Stadium Project Takes Next Step 1:37

18d ago1:37

1:37

The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Governors has directed the University to prepare to bid Phase 2 of the stadium project.By Nate Saverino

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Almost Yesterday: The Big Freeze, 1918-1919 2:00

21d ago2:00

2:00

It seems like almost yesterday that the Mississippi River was solidly frozen over. It was the winter of 1918 and 1919 when a cold December with extended low temperatures closed the river to all north - south river traffic.By Frank Nickell

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Martin's Must-Reads: 'Graceless Heart' 1:39

21d ago1:39

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“Volterra. The ninth of April, 1478. They put her little brother in a cage. Her brother, who wasn’t so little anymore, but because Ravenna Maﬀei was older, she would always think of him that way."By Betty Martin

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A Harte Appetite: Dreaming of a White (Chocolate) Christmas 1:44

22d ago1:44

1:44

Over seventy-five years ago Irving Berlin wrote what has become the most recorded song of all time: "White Christmas." It’s easy to understand how Berlin, born in a town near Siberia, could feel nostalgic about a winter snowfall.By Tom Harte

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Discover Nature: Roadside Divers and Diners in Missouri 1:48

23d ago1:48

1:48

While on the road this holiday season, be on the lookout for these roadside dive-bombers: American kestrels.By Josh Hartwig

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Two-Minute Drill: 24 Graduating Student-Athletes Honored Prior to Fall Commencement 1:46

26d ago1:46

1:46

Last week, the Southeast Missouri Department of Athletics recognized 24 student-athletes at the Fall 2025 Student-Athlete Graduation Ceremony held at the Show Me Center.By Nate Saverino

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Martin's Must-Reads: 'About Grace' 1:48

28d ago1:48

1:48

“His name was David Winkler and he was fifty-nine years old. This would be his first trip home in twenty-five years - if home was what he could still call it."By Betty Martin

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Almost Yesterday: Edwin Hubble 1:46

28d ago1:46

1:46

It seems like almost yesterday that a teacher told me when I was very young, that the Milky Way was the very end of our universe. Like many youngsters I was curious about the end of the universe and what was beyond the Milky Way.By Frank Nickell

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Discover Nature: Giant Canada Geese in Missouri 1:44

30d ago1:44

1:44

You see them at any given park pond, but what’s the story behind those geese?By Josh Hartwig

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Two-Minute Drill: Redhawk Student-Athletes Earn All-Conference Honors 1:45

1M ago1:45

1:45

Twelve SEMO Football players claimed 2025 Ohio Valley Conference-Big South Association postseason honors. Meanwhile, Redhawks Volleyball landed two outside hitters on the All-OVC teams.By Nate Saverino

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Almost Yesterday: Nell Holcomb School Established 1:48

1M ago1:48

1:48

It seems like Almost Yesterday that residents in the northern area of Cape Girardeau County established a new school which would bring together the students from six one-room country schools in the area. The country schools were crowded and located in wood-frame buildings that dated back to the 1800’s.…

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Martin's Must Reads: 'The Bookish Life of Nina Hill' 1:40

1M ago1:40

1:40

It’s hard to find a truly funny book ...but this is one. If you love books, trivia contests and witty repartee, then you must read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman.By Betty Martin

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A Harte Appetite: Lebkuchen - The Mercedes Benz of Spice Cookies 1:50

1M ago1:50

1:50

German lebkuchen the Cadillac, or the Mercedes Benz of spice cookies, was probably the first cookie traditionally associated with Christmas. Lebkuchen may also very well be the oldest form of cookie know to human kind.By Tom Harte

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Discover Nature: Missouri's Evergreens 1:34

1M ago1:34

1:34

Our most common native evergreen is the eastern red cedar, a cone-shaped juniper with a spicy yuletide aroma. It's prickly, scale-like leaves are quite different from those of spruce, fir, or pine. But it's symmetrical shape and fresh scent make cedar a yuletide choice.By Josh Hartwig

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A Harte Appetite: The Traditional Depiction of First Thanksgiving May Not Be Accurate 1:45

1M ago1:45

1:45

Research shows that the traditional depiction of the first Thanksgiving may not be altogether accurate. In fact, whatever happened at Plymouth 400 years ago, it may not have been the first Thanksgiving at all.By Tom Harte

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Almost Yesterday: The Sulfur Springs Train Wreck of 1922 1:51

1M ago1:51

1:51

It seems like almost yesterday that the worst train wreck in Missouri history occurred. The date was August 5, 1922, and the location was on a bridge over Glaize Creek, beside the Mississippi river, between Herculaneum and Kimmswick.By Frank Nickell

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Martin's Must Reads: 'Year of Wonders' 1:52

1M ago1:52

1:52

In 2001, Geraldine Brooks, one of my favorite authors, published her first novel Year of Wonders. She wrote it after coming across an intriguing finger post in England pointing to the Plague Village.By Betty Martin

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Discover Nature: Blue Jays 1:32

1M ago1:32

1:32

Blue jays are relatively large songbirds (about the size of a robin) with blue upperparts and whitish underparts. A blue crest on the head can be raised or lowered depending on the bird’s mood.By Josh Hartwig

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Two-Minute Drill: Brady Barke Confirms SEMO’s Decision to Stay in the OVC 1:44

2M ago1:44

1:44

SEMO Athletics Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Brady Barke confirmed that SEMO will be staying in the Ohio Valley Conference.By Nate Saverino

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Martin's Must Reads: 'The Ragged Edge of Night' 1:50

2M ago1:50

1:50

If you’re looking for a well written, World War II story, more fact than fiction, that illustrates the power of human goodness, then you must read The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawker.By Betty Martin

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Almost Yesterday: The Burning of the Comic Books! 1:47

2M ago1:47

1:47

It seems like Almost Yesterday that hundreds of comic books and magazines, judged as indecent and unfit for children, were ceremonially burned in Cape Girardeau.By Frank Nickell

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A Harte Appetite: Try Cider at Your Thanksgiving Table 1:50

2M ago1:50

1:50

Contrary to conventional wisdom, putting together a Thanksgiving Day menu is not particularly challenging. After all, the fundamentals of the holiday meal are hardly open to debate.By Tom Harte

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Discover Nature: Missouri's Hawks 1:57

2M ago1:57

1:57

As you drive country highways, it sometimes seems that hawks are everywhere -- perched on telephone poles and fence posts or circling overhead.By Josh Hartwig

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Two-Minute Drill: SEMO Basketball Teams Up to Block Hunger and Support SEMO Food Bank 1:46

2M ago1:46

1:46

Now in its second year, the initiative turns every Redhawk blocked shot into meals for neighbors facing hunger. For each block made during the 2025–26 basketball season, Drury Southwest, First State Community Bank, and the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo will donate $10 to the food bank.By Nate Saverino

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Martin's Must Reads: 'The Rose Code' 1:50

2M ago1:50

1:50

If you’re looking for a book that sheds light on the amazing work the British code breakers accomplished shortening WWII by two years, then you must read The Rose Code by Kate Quinn.By Betty Martin

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A Harte Appetite: Convent Sweets 1:41

2M ago1:41

1:41

I’m grateful to Roman Catholic nuns for their role in inventing and perfecting some of the most heavenly pastries on earth. Collectively called convent sweets because they originated in the convents of Italy, Spain, and particularly Portugal as far back as the 15th century, they ultimately made their way far beyond the Iberian peninsula.…

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Discover Nature: The Incredible Flying Squirrel 2:04

2M ago2:04

2:04

If you venture out near the woods after dark, you might hear the high-pitched cry of a flying squirrel.By Josh Hartwig

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Two-Minute Drill: Redhawk Student-Athlete Earns Prestigious OVC Honor 1:43

2M ago1:43

1:43

Sullivan Gleason, a senior pole vaulter on the SEMO track and field team, was named a OVC Scholar-Athlete Award for his work on the track, as well as on campus.By Nate Saverino

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Almost Yesterday: Virdon Scholarships at Southeast 1:43

2M ago1:43

1:43

It seems like Almost Yesterday that the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team traded one of their most famous players, Enos Slaughter, to the New York Yankees for Mel Wright and four players to be named later. One of those four players, named later, was Bill Virdon, who became a successful major leaguer.…