Making Art for All
Back in 1977, the Columbia City Council passed legislation to create the Percent for Art program, which allows for 1% of the cost of a renovation project or new city construction to be used for public art that is site specific. An above-ground capital improvement project with a budget of $1 million or more is […]
Being Part of the Change
About a year ago, due to the growing demand in operating rooms, University Hospital established an internal program designed to train current hospital employees interested in becoming surgical technologists. “The programs that are in Columbia, Rolla, and Lake of the Ozarks have changed their programs to be an associate degree,” says Karla Bleything, the instructor […]
MUles!
A Missouri mule is an instantly recognizable symbol of the state’s culture and history. Big-boned, hardy, persistent and intelligent, these animals embody Missouri’s reputation as the “Show-Me” state. At the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, the Missouri Mule Club is working to preserve this animal’s important symbol in the state. Started in the 1980s, the […]
Little Libraries, Big Benefits
Today, it is not uncommon to spot small, wooden libraries of all shapes and sizes popping up across lawns in many COMO neighborhoods. Known as Little Free Libraries, these boxes of books bring access to reading closer to home for Columbia residents of all ages. Tricia Price, the library media specialist at Derby Ridge Elementary […]
Discovering Your Creative Side
The Mud Room is a locally owned, fully equipped, do-it-yourself ceramic painting studio opened by Cindy Watkins-Hansen in 1998. The studio was the result of a trip Cindy took to the east coast with her sons where she says they spent all their time at the beach and at a pottery shop. She loved it […]
Satisfying Standards
During the worst years of the Great Depression, food was in short supply and work even more so. As a part of his New Deal, President Franklin D. Roosevelt procured surplus food from farmers and hired thousands of out-of-work women to cook and serve the food to hungry public school students. The program was so […]
With COVID-19 cases rising, what are Boone County’s vaccine rates?
Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases have been rising, both in Missouri and across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Columbia/Boone County Health Department recommend that individuals get vaccinated and boosted to continue fighting the virus’s spread. The health department is offering COVID-19 vaccinations by appointments in its clinics. Anyone age 5 or […]
Paw Patrol
Though many people think they know what it’s like to work in animal control, it’s a role that is often plagued with misconceptions. COMO’s team of animal control officers want to clarify what’s fact and what’s fiction. Columbia Animal Control Supervisor Molly Aust has worked in the department for 37 years. She was drawn to […]
hotDOG!
Although Just Jeff’s started as a one-man show — hence the name — Jeff Spencer and his wife, Nicole, now work with an incredible team to keep up with the ever-growing customer demand. “I pretty much had a mid-life crisis — I just wasn’t happy,” laughs Jeff Spencer as he remembers when he started. “I […]
Election Season’s Must-Have Accessory
Every two years, the Boone County Clerk’s office holds an ‘I Voted’ sticker competition that’s open to high school students. Contestants can submit their own sticker design, and the winner will see their design adorning the next election’s stickers. This year’s winner was Hailey Mendez Roca, a freshman at Battle High School. “I wanted to […]
Tiny Farming
In the wake of COVID-19, people are becoming more concerned about where their food comes from. The desire for healthy and humanely grown food has inspired a movement of small farmers who are seeking to provide quality produce for their communities. In COMO, Ashley and McKinley Worley have started Abounding Acres, a small farm that […]
Throwing Golf
Before 2020, disc golf was one of those relatively unknown sports that needed a built-in definition. The game is a hybrid of golf and Ultimate Frisbee and requires players to cross a course containing designated baskets. Like golf, players try to throw their flying discs into the baskets in as few shots as possible. Pre-pandemic, […]