Arts and Culture

Today Paul Pepper welcomes back local folk musicians CATHY BARTON and DAVE PARA. They perform Jimmy Driftwood's "Song of the Cowboys" on banjo and guitar. See them perform in-person this Thursday at Thespian Hall in Boonville - watch for details! August 22, 2016

Today Paul Pepper welcomes back JANE WHITESIDES, Executive Director of the Missouri Symphony Society. Jane brought two Missouri Symphony Conservatory students to perform two pieces on the violin: "Autumn" at [3:00] and "Evening Prayer" at [5:15]. Watch! August 19, 2016

Today Paul Pepper and JOY SWEENEY, Executive Director of Council for Drug Free Youth, discuss marijuana use in young people. According to Joy, the challenge in making sure today's youth understand the consequences of their poor choices used to be in dealing with peer pressure, now it's dealing with lackadaisical parents. She says, "the marijuana of today is nothing like the marijuana of the '60s - it's not Woodstock weed anymore...it's like tripping on acid instead of smoking pot." August 18, 2016

Today Paul Pepper and MEL ZELENAK, retired professor of economics at the University of Missouri, talk about asset allocation. Investing on your own may sound like a scary endeavor, but according to Mel, cutting out the middle man (i.e. the financial planner) will help you save 60%-70% a year in fees. Mel says, "you can get a little bit of help, but if you do it on your own, it literally takes three hours a year." Find out how! August 17, 2016

Today Paul Pepper visits with NAT GRAHAM about Science on Tap CoMo, a once-a-month get-together hosted by MU grad students that aims to bridge the gap between science and the community...over a beer. Get details on this month's topic and more! At [4:46] GREIG THOMPSON, State Historical Society of Missouri, and guest-curator CAROL GROVE, talk about "Evolving Environments: The Landscape Architecture of Hare and Hare," an exhibit now open that features the work of father-and-son team Sidney J. and S. Herbert Hare. August 16, 2016

Today Paul Pepper welcomes back TOM THOMAS and JOE WESTON, The Rotary Club of Columbia, to talk more about why organ and tissue donation - and being a donor - is so important. For starters, Tom says that there are over 122,000 people on the national wait list (2,400 of which are in Missouri). The problem? He says, "90% of the population seems to support the notion of organ donation, but only 30% of those people know how to register." August 15, 2016

Today Paul Pepper welcomes back Missouri's first Poet Laureate, WALTER BARGEN! Walter shares two poems that perfectly capture summertime in Missouri: "Perfumed Kingdoms" at [3:15] and "Capsize" at [5:17]. Watch! August 12, 2016

Today Paul Pepper welcomes 11th-grader SHRISTI BASHISTA, a "youth ambassador" with Partners of the Americas. Shristi tells us about her latest trip to Colombia, why she got involved with 'Partners' and why you should consider applying! She says, "I have always considered myself a 'world citizen'...and my goal in life is to help the world...and the best way to do that is to meet people from around the world." At [4:19] HEATHER HARLAN, Phoenix Health Programs, returns with the four 'Es' to look out for when "thinking about treatment for young people." It's great advice - watch! August 11, 2016

Today Paul Pepper visits with ROB CROUSE about Capital City Productions' latest show, "Ghost the Musical." If you know and love the movie, the stage adaptation stays true to the story - with just a tad more singing and dancing. Rob introduces us to the cast, and shares some behind-the-scenes secrets on how they pull off the special effects - watch! At [4:56] CB CHASTAIN, University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center, talks about the benefits and the dangers of giving your dog rawhide bones. Among many shared tips, CB says to avoid the kind with knots on the end: "they're not as safe." Watch for more! August 10, 2016

Today Paul Pepper visits with ED HANSON, Artistic Director of Talking Horse Productions, about their latest production, "The Last Five Years." This play, about a five-year relationship, is unique because one character's story is told in reverse chronological order, and the other character's story is told in chronological order. Curtain goes up this Friday - don't miss it! At [4:04] ANGELA NELSON, Market Regulation Director for MoDIFP, tells us what she thinks is "the single best thing a consumer can do" to get the best insurance rates out there. Angie says, "...shop around very often - you definitely don't just want to assume you're getting the best rate possible." August 9, 2016

Today Paul Pepper and LIZ SCHMIDT, League of Women Voters, want to make sure you're registered to vote in the November election! If you're not  - and you know who you are - don't let October 12th come and go. Thankfully, the League is here to help - watch! At [4:22] actress NATALIE WITTENBERGER and costumer MARIA BISH invite everyone to come see "The Little Mermaid" at The Little Theatre of Jefferson City beginning this Thursday. If you've seen the Disney adaptation, you'll enjoy the same energy and fun watching the stage production with real actors! August 8, 2016

Fans of the old Shakespeare's Pizza in downtown Columbia may experience a slight feeling of deja vu as they enter its new home on the original site—that's because nearly all aspects of the space have been recreated.

"The original dining room is the same. A lot of the wood panels on the walls are the same boards—we numbered those and put them back in the same order to keep the pattern of wear the same,"  Shakespeare's manager Kurt Mirtsching explained. "We had detailed photographs of the entire restaurant, so we tried to put things back as much as we could in the same fashion."

Today Paul Pepper welcomes back local barbershop quartet the Boone County Hams! They perform two songs that are sure to put you  in a good mood: "Mandy" at [1:40] and "Goodnight, Sweetheart" at [4:40]. There are two chances to see the Hams in concert coming up - watch for details! August 5, 2016

Today Paul Pepper visits with DR. CHRISTELLE ILBOUDO, MU Health Care, about the continuing spread of the Zika virus. Zika has actually been around since the 1940s, but has only recently entered the Americas thanks to a new strain, the Asian strain; Dr. Ilboudo says, "the Asian strain is the one that is causing more trouble and is creating that trouble in populations that have never seen Zika before." There are still a lot of unknowns, but it remains a fascinating conversation. Watch! August 4, 2016

Today Paul Pepper visits with DANIELLE WOODS, RN about the mission behind McCallum Place Eating Disorder Centers. There's a 'large spectrum' of eating disorders, and how it affects you has a lot to do with the makeup of your brain. Our online lives plays a role, too; as Danielle says, "instead of really focusing on loving ourselves and the body that we're in, a lot of times we shift our attention to looking like something else that we think society wants us to look like." Plus, find out about the upcoming NEDA Walk in Columbia! At [4:40] KIMBERLY GRIFFIN and RICARDO COSTA invite everyone to Bradford Research Center's annual "Organic Field Day" August 11th. The highlight this year will be chemical-free weed control - watch for details! August 3, 2016

Today Paul Pepper and NANETTE WARD, Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition, talk about the latest efforts to stop human trafficking - this time in the form of an app for your smartphone. In short, "TraffickCam" enables users to photograph their hotel rooms and upload the photos to a database that investigators can use to find victims when a crime occurs. Watch for details! August 2, 2016

Today Paul Pepper and dietitian KRISTEN EIFFERT, Central Missouri Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, talk about the next "Kids in the Kitchen" cooking class. This time around your 3-9 year-old will learn how to make healthy back-to-school snacks! Registration opens tomorrow - watch for details. At [3:58] GLOVER BROWN and RHONDA SWEET tell us about the efforts behind the Historic Food District Memorial Project, and how you can get involved! Glover says, "we're trying to not let the memory of Lafayette Street be forgotten...it's one of the original streets in Jefferson City." August 1, 2016

Today Paul Pepper and BARBARA BUFFALOE, Sustainability Manager at the City of Columbia, talk about the old adage, "one man's trash is another man's treasure." If you're about to move from your home and you don't know what to do with all that junk you've acquired over the years - before you throw it in the garbage - watch our interview for some alternative ideas! July 29, 2016

Today Paul Pepper welcomes first-time guest TERI WALDEN, Executive Director/Co-Founder of EnCircle Technologies. Since 2013, this organization has focused on training adults with autism computer programming and web development skills - all in an effort to improve their future employment opportunities. Watch for details! July 28, 2016

Today Paul Pepper visits with JAMILA BATCHELDER, Coordinator of the C.A.R.E. Art Gallery, about their August 5th show in the North Village Arts District. "Top notch" artwork from 15 "passionate" young artists will be on display for you to look at and maybe even buy! At [4:08] NICK FOSTER, Executive Director of Columbia's Voluntary Action Center, encourages everyone to take part in their ongoing 'fan club' program, as well as the upcoming 'Back to School Health Fair,' sponsored in part by the Family Impact Center. (Free haircuts will be available!) July 27, 2016

Today Paul Pepper visits with KELLY SMITH about River City Habitat for Humanity's 100th home, now under construction in Jefferson City. For an organization that's only 25 years old, Kelly says that "...to be getting to our 100th home at this point is a big accomplishment." Find out what their plans are for the next 100! At [4:27] father and son acting duo CHRIS and NATHAN HEESE invite everyone to come see them and the rest of the cast in Maplewood Barn Theatre's production of "Oliver!," opening this Thursday in Columbia! July 26, 2016

Today Paul Pepper visits with CONNIE SHAY about the 10th annual Peacemakers Quilt Show, happening in conjunction with the Fayette Festival of the Arts next Saturday on the campus of Central Methodist University! This year's theme is "In the Garden," and Connie brought an example of what you'll find among a hundred other quilts - watch! At [2:56] JOYCE HULETT and MARY RIDGE tell us about all of the programs sponsored by the Retired Teachers Association of Boone County, and it's a lot! Programs like classroom grants, volunteer work and something called "Books for Soldiers" are just a few of the activities their 450 members are involved with. July 25, 2016