It’s been 30 years since Kirkwood resident Shelly Wagner and Majbrit Eriksen of Denmark swapped homes and families through an exchange student program and promised to carry on the tradition with their own children someday.

A new book, “St. Louis Sound: An Illustrated Timeline,” opens with music from the Mississippian Culture of Cahokia Mounds and ends in an era when Chuck Berry was in his twilight, but still performing at Blueberry Hill.

When it comes to being Irish, Robert P. McCulloch has a family seal and Gaelic name to reveal he’s the real deal. He’s the genuine Irish article and that may explain his selection as grand marshal for the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Dogtown that gets underway at 11 a.m., Sunday, March 17.

Going beyond the badge is something Kirkwood Police Officer Dan McCune does every day at work.