Tagged: douglass park

The murders of three Columbia, Mo. men last spring, two of whom were teenagers, sparked outrage from concerned residents and lead to an assessment of the effectiveness of at-risk youth crime prevention programs.

It’s been six months since the shootings, and the community has had time to heal and reflect on the meaning of this tragedy.

39 year-old Lamont Sargent was shot and killed in March, and within a month, two 17-year-old Columbia residents, DeAudre Johnson and Bryan Rankin were also murdered.

A program that provides free daily meals to children from low-income families  is under way this week  in Columbia. The Lunch in the Park program fills a need that arises when the school year ends. Many children who receive free and reduced-price meals during the school year may not have access to nutritious meals during the summer.

The program, a partnership between the Health Department and the Volunteer Action Center, can serve more than 100 kids each day. Lunch in the Park also provides entertainment and educational activities.