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Columbia Poised to Activate Red Light Cameras
Columbia is poised to activate two red light cameras this week. When the cameras are activated, a 30 day 30 day grace period will go into effect. If anybody actually goes through a red light, they will get a warning notice in the mail rather than a citation.  In this report, KBIA’s Sara Wittmeyer tells us where the cameras will be, how much it will cost if you get a citation, and...  where the money goes. 


Researchers Examine Switchgrass Potential
Researchers at MU and Lincoln University are experimenting with grass that has potential to remove explosive residue from soil. (Pictured: Professor Chung-Ho Lin examines Eastern gamma grass in MU’s Forestry Department.) This story was also featured in KBIA's Under the Microscope. .

Columbia's Proposed Budget Down From Last Year's
City Manager Bill Watkins says he can't recall another time in his 21 years with the city when the budget was less than the previous year's. Next fiscal year's budget includes cuts, preservations, and goals for the city. City Manager Bill Watkins presented it yesterday. KBIA's Maureen McCollum has more on what’s included in the proposed plan. Click here to view the entire budget.

City Budget Includes Police Department Restructuring
In the proposed budget released Thursday, Columbia City Manager Bill Watkins outlined several changes in the police department. KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer sat down with Chief Ken Burton to lean more about what Watkins is calling "a significant reorganization."

Old Parts, New Life
Think about an old junk car. It may not run anymore, but some of its parts could be put to use. A Columbia company is applying that idea to electronics ... reusing out-of-date keyboards, fax machines, and monitors instead of sending them to a landfill. KBIA's Kevin Roberts has this audio postcard from the dropoff location. | View a slideshow here >>

Couple Donates $1 Million to MU's Veterinary College
David and Gloria Lowell have created a University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine scholarship in honor of their late golden retrievers, Goldi and Honee. They were impressed with the care Goldi received while being treated for bone cancer. The hope is to increase the decreasing vet population. (Pictured: Honee and Goldi)

Faith and Culture in Mid-Missouri
America is known as the melting pot ... a place where different cultures and religions can coexist peacefully alongside one another. However, in the past few decades, new trends in religion are transforming America’s religious landscape. In this special series from KBIA News and The Center On Religion and the Professions, we bring you four stories about faith and culture in Mid-Missouri.

Part one: KBIA's Shane Hoffman and Penelope McDowell visit two churches in Columbia to explore how different generations are changing the face of Catholicism in America. Hear it here >>

Part two: KBIA's Elle Moxley takes us inside one of Columbia's fastest growing faith communities and lets us experience what it's all about. Hear it here >>

Part three: KBIA's Gretchen Mahan shows us how Rwanda and Burundi's two main ethnic groups, the Hutus and the Tutsis, are finding peace in religion. Bloody ethnic battles have divided their countries for generations ... but in Columbia, members of both groups are putting their differences aside every week to worship. Hear it here >>

Part four: KBIA's Carolina Astrain goes inside Columbia's Muslim community to explain why a number of people have been drawn to the faith and then converted. Hear it here >>

Stimulus Dollars for Online Crime
Some of Missouri's internet crime task forces have received $1.5 million in federal stimulus money to help them maintain operations. Governor Jay Nixon announced the allotment Monday at the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force headquarters in Columbia.

Web Extra! View YouTube video from Jason Rosenbaum's Capitol Calling blog here:


"Pepper and Friends" Coming to KBIA
"Pepper and Friends" is coming to the radio. In May, KOMU announced it was cancelling the local variety talk show because of financial constraints. Today, Paul Pepper signed a contract with our station, KBIA.

UM System Pushes for State Funds
The University of Missouri System is asking the state to make certain projects a top priority next fiscal year. The Board of Curators met Friday morning and approved plans to request appropriations from the state in fiscal year 2011.

Ferguson Appeals for New Trial
Ryan Ferguson was found guilty of a 2001 murder of a Columbia Tribune sports reporter, Kent Heitholt. Ferguson was 17 years old at the time of the murder – he’s now serving a 40-year sentence for second-degree murder and first-degree robbery. A judge recently struck down an appeal for a new trial and now the family plans to take an appeal to the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals.
We recently spoke in-studio with Ryan's dad, Bill Ferguson, who shared his perspective on not only his son’s case - but also his perspective on the justice system in Boone County. Obviously this is a one-sided perspective on this case – but we thought it was interesting enough to put the conversation out there for listeners –you can judge for yourself. (Pictured: A photo from the "Free Ryan Ferguson" website of Ryan (middle) with his family.)

Purgason to Seek Bond's Seat
Another Republican is throwing his hat in the ring for the US Senate seat which will be vacated by Kit Bond in 2010.  State Senator Chuck Purgason (pictured, left, in official Missouri State Senate photo) is expected to announce his decision to run later today.  He spoke to reporter Jennifer Moore via phone. Hear the story here.


TIF Projects Approved for Downtown Columbia
It's been a busy week for Columbia's City Council. First it approved two TIF projects downtown.  KBIA's Maureen McCollum explains TIFs, how they work, and the controversy surrounding them. 

Web Extra! Click here to see a slide show made by Stifel, Nicolaus, and Co. that was presented at the City Council meeting. The second page contains a chart to help visualize the 23 year TIF model.

Work Begins on Mixed-Use Parking Garage
The City of Columbia broke ground Tuesday on a downtown parking garage at Sixth and Walnut, across from the post office. It will be Columbia’s first mixed-use parking structure, with about 700 parking spaces and 13,000 square feet for stores, offices and restaurants.

Columbia Prepares to Release Budget
The City of Columbia will release its budget at the end of the month, and the city manager says programs and positions will be cut and some fees will be raised.

Rosie Tippin Dies at Age 72
Former Columbia School Board member and long-time educator Rosie Tippin died Monday night. According to family, Tippin had been battling an illness for a long time.(Pictured: Tippin after winning election to the school board in 2008.)


Running to the '80s
The first annual 80's Run took place in downtown Columbia Saturday evening. The event, put on by Off Track Events, strongly encouraged runners or walkers to dress in '80s style, be it knee-high socks, mullets or jean jackets.
Web Extra! To see an audio slideshow from the '80s Run, click here.

"Gumbo Bottoms" in the Capital City
"Gumbo Bottoms: A Big Muddy Musical," is set in 1928 Missouri. Following a Boonville premiere, the stage is set for a performance in Jefferson City. This story was also featured in KBIA's Off the Clock.
Web Extra! To see an audio slideshow of a "Gumbo Bottoms: A Big Muddy Musical" rehearsal, click here.

Bonds for University Construction
University of Missouri System officials have issued $332 million in bonds to finance construction projects on its four campuses. Among other things, this includes renovations in Columbia to residence halls and the construction of new healthcare facilities.


"A Culture of Coverup": KBIA Looks at the Police and Community in Columbia
The idea of a citizen review board to monitor police conduct has dominated the discussion about the police and the community. KBIA's Ashley Moore spoke with residents and police officials to find out more about the larger question of how the citizens and police are getting along in Columbia.

Web Extra! The first episode of Intersection, a collaboration of KBIA and the Reynolds Journalism Institute, spurred a lively discussion about law enforcement and community policing. Watch it now.

Do you have something you would like to say about this topic? E-mail your comments to news@kbia.org.

Former MU Baseball Player Hits Big in Minor Leagues
Most players drafted in the 24th round of Major League Baseball's amateur draft play a few years, struggle to succeed, and call it quits. Former MU second baseman Brock Bond isn't one of those players. (Pictured: Brock Bond bats for the Connecticut Defenders. Photo by Ron Waite/Photosportacular.)

Fans Try to Save "Pepper and Friends"
Fans of a newly canceled television program expressed their frustration Monday and are trying to keep the show on the air. KBIA’s Maureen McCollum has more on the effort to save "Pepper and Friends". (Pictured: Paul Pepper addresses supporters outside KOMU)

Keeping the Faith
About two months ago, a tornado devastated the small town of Novinger, just west of Kirksville, taking out homes, businesses, and a church ... but, as John Regan reports, the community's faith remains unshaken.


Life After Prison: A Four Part Series
From parenting to finding a job, life's usual challenges become magnified for those who have experienced life in prison. In a four part series, KBIA News looks at life after prison- for ex-offenders looking for work, or simply to start a new life, and for family members parenting, and grandparenting, through prison walls. (Pictured: Patty Prewitt visiting with grandchildren through 4-H LIFE program)

• Part 1: "This Ain't the Life For Me"
  KBIA's Emily Coppel and Lindsey Foat spent two weeks recently attending a class that helps ex-offenders get ready to find a job. They found that the men in the class have some internal challenges– they have to learn to face themselves before they go out and face the world.

• Part 2: "Why Can't I Get a Job?"
  In this second edition to the series, KBIA's Emily Coppel and Lindsey Foat look at the external struggles the men face– how the community sees them and whether employers are willing to take a chance.
  
  
• Part 3: "This, to Them, is Mommy's House"
  The second half of the series looks at the fastest growing incarcerated population: women. In this piece, KBIA's Emily Coppel and Lindsey Foat take us to the women's correctional center in Vandalia, MO. Here, one Saturday each month, kids meet with their incarcerated mothers and grandmothers. It's part of a 4-H LIFE program that's trying to keep families together through the prison walls.
  
  Web Extra! On April 25, 2009, several families of incarcerated women participated in the 4-H LIFE program. To see photos and listen to the families' accounts, click here for an audio slideshow.
  
  
• Part 4: "You've Done Your Time"
  When it comes to helping ex-offenders re-enter society, Missouri is looked to nationally as an innovator. But even here, the state is only beginning to address the needs of female prisoners. In this last piece, KBIA’s Lindsay Foat and Emily Coppel look at the challenges Missouri women meet when they face life...after prison.
  

Click below to access archives of past news features in streaming audio:

• 2009: December | November | October | September | August | July | June | May | April | March | February | January
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