2020

From the Ground Up

Local nonprofit Love INC is brewing up something new. Their next venture, Love Coffee, is on a mission to combat double digit unemployment rates for people with special needs. Founder Chuck Crews, a longtime coach for Columbia Special Olympics, was looking for ways to expand his connection to local special-needs families when the idea of […]

Brook Crepes

Batter Up

If you can make a pancake, you can make a crepe. “Really thin pancakes” seems to be the most common way we like to describe them. If you have made crepes before, note that this recipe is a little different. This crepe recipe gets most of its structure from the eggs, allowing the crepes to […]

Love At First Site

What was once a rustic cabin with undeveloped acreage is now a breathtaking oasis in the heart of Missouri. Legacy Springs, formerly known as Second Creek, was purchased by husband and wife Bob and Cynthia Chapman as a Midwestern getaway in 2015. They chose to go with a Columbia landscaping firm for the renovation, Rost […]

50 People, Places, and Things that are So Columbia

People J’den Cox Hometown hero J’den Cox easily captured Columbia’s heart with his winning moves on the wrestling mat, first for Hickman High School and then at the University of Missouri, where he was a three-time NCAA Division I national champion and four-time All-American. But he would go on to capture much more: a bronze […]

Museum Hopping in Mid-Missouri

Whether you are looking for diversion on a rainy afternoon or a deeper appreciation of local culture and history, you won’t need to hop on a plane to Chicago or New York for a first-rate museum experience. The best thing about mid-Missouri’s many museums isn’t that it takes only a quick drive to find one. […]

Birthday Buddy

Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett has been president of William Woods University since 1990. “My entire career has been dedicated to higher education, beginning when I started teaching at Northwest Mississippi Junior College at the ripe old age of 20!” she says. Four years later she and her husband Eddie moved to Missouri where he was […]

Big Cedar Lodge

Think outside that box of chocolates! There are other ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. A romantic getaway for two is ideal, not just for young lovers but for any age. Like the idea but don’t know where to start? Here’s a little help. Pick up the phone or go online and book a cabin for […]

Your Best Valentine’s Ever

This piece was originally published in our February 2020 issue. Please check with the restaurants, stores or other places mentioned to see whether the offerings mentioned are available in February of 2022. I don’t remember what year it began. I just know that the strawberries were big and juicy and covered in chocolate. They were […]

Bling It On

Although it may be a cliche, a small box with a bow on it is still one of the best — and safest — gifts for Valentine’s Day. We asked three local jewelers what the best choices for ring and bracelet gifts are this season, so that you don’t have to do the research; just […]

Fishing for Compliments

To my knowledge, there are three types of court bouillon (French translation of short broth). The first type is the very simple quick broth for poaching fish with a small amount of onion, carrot and celery with aromatics and white wine. Then there are two types of Cajun court bouillon (in Cajun country pronounced koo […]

Everywhere You Don’t Belong

Claude McKay Love isn’t sure what he’s doing in Columbia, Missouri. The protagonist of Gabriel Bump’s gut-punch of a debut novel, Everywhere You Don’t Belong, Claude knows nothing of Missouri. His world revolves around Chicago’s South Side — specifically Euclid Avenue, where Bump himself once spent his mornings walking to the Jeffrey Local bus stop, […]

Beyond Bread & Butter

When you think of baked goods in Columbia, Uprise Bakery and bleu probably come to mind. But there is a much smaller — okay, a one-person — bakery you should be considering. Julie Hutton, owner of Frenchy Treats, bridges the 4,000-mile gap between Columbia and France with authentic French pastries. Specializing in macarons and croissants, […]

Looking Ahead

2020 marks Boone County’s bicentennial, and for many local business owners and executives, it will introduce major changes. Top-of-mind? The Hyperloop, medical marijuana, Landmark Bank becoming Simmons First National, the NextGen Precision Health Institute, Columbia Regional Airport’s developments, use taxes and construction projects. In response to business trends in 2020, Inside Columbia Publisher Emeritus Fred […]

Five People to Watch in 2020

Everyone can make a difference in the lives of the people they know and care for. But some people are in a position where they can make a difference in the lives of thousands. Columbia is fortunate to be home to a diverse group of civic, educational and business leaders who are building a better […]

Preparing for Takeoff

A new day and a new terminal are coming for the tens of thousands of people who fly into or out of the Columbia Regional Airport each year. In November, the Columbia City Council unanimously gave its approval for the design/build method of construction for Phase 1 of the airport’s proposed terminal. Phase 1 will […]

Smoke Screen

Gov. Mike Parson’s Youth Vaping Awareness Campaign has left Missourians with a lot of questions surrounding youth vaping. The main one: Is it really as prevalent as it seems? One in three teenagers is using at least one tobacco product, according to a National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) conducted in December by the Centers for […]

Diet 101

Losing weight doesn’t always mean eating healthy. A diet of carrots probably would lead to weight loss for a certain amount of time, but such a diet ultimately would result in nutrient deficiency and an unhealthy lifestyle. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a healthy lifestyle includes a balanced diet that emphasizes […]

20 Ways To Get Fit in Columbia

Fitness has arguably never been more fun — or more innovative. We practice yoga with goats. We SoulCycle to beats by Beyoncé. We instruct Siri to start, pause and end our workouts. Hotshot companies such as Peloton and Mirror are revolutionizing our exercise equipment (and, for better or worse, going viral), inviting virtual personal trainers […]

Well Suited

When it comes to menswear these days, dressing for business doesn’t have to be serious business. You can look perfectly polished and professional yet still exude a pop of personality. You can play with patterns and try textures, mixing a plaid jacket with a polka dot shirt. You can layer elements and add fun details. […]

Story Support

You’re a writer in Columbia. You’re still waiting on that six-figure advance, but you’ve been writing, so that makes you a writer, right? Yet no matter your experience level, chances are you’re doing the bulk of this writing at a desk in the corner, alone. You probably like it this way. You want room to […]