Jack Wax

Johnny Johnson

A Positive Attitude is Always in Style at IV Ever Faded Grooming Salon

Photos by L.G. Patterson Tucked into an office building off Vandiver Drive, Johnny Johnson and his partner, Robert Bell, are quietly growing a business that offers good looks, good grooming and a positive attitude for their clients. About four months ago, they started IV (pronounced as the Roman numeral 4) Ever Faded Grooming Salon, a […]

Josh Johnson and Nicholas Peña of Fibersmith

Fibersmith Leaps Across the Digital Divide

Photos by L.G. Patterson Fibersmith, a Columbia-based company with a national impact and reputation, has been too busy growing to develop the prominent profile it deserves in the mid-Missouri business community. That hasn’t stopped it from making the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing private companies for the past three years. Or the […]

Transplanting Hope

Transplanting Hope

Photos by L.G. Patterson Did you know that 33% of adults are at risk for kidney disease? And in the U.S. alone, more than 90,000 people are on waiting lists to receive a kidney. Meet two Columbia individuals: one who is critically seeking a kidney match and another who donated a kidney for her partner. […]

Kee Groshong

Groshong Restores The History Of Agriculture One Tractor At A Time

Photos by L.G. Patterson Although he lives on 9 acres in the heart of Columbia and has three metal sheds full to the brim of tractors and engines, Kee Groshong isn’t about to get up in the morning and plow his small acreage. He’s more prone to start his day with a wrench in one hand […]

Libby Hampel, Give MASU

Gift-Giving Genius: Libby Hampel’s New Company is Wrapped in Luxury

Photos by L.G. Patterson Libby Hampel is a surface pattern artist, an entrepreneur and someone who is making the planet a greener and more cheerful place. Not coincidentally, she has a lot in common with the eco-friendly gift-wrapping papers she designs, prints and sells through her online store at givemasu.com. “MASU is playful, thoughtful and […]

inside columbia,columbia,como,midmo,central,missouri,boom,magazine,driving,diemma,safety,jack wax,mu health care,seniors,aging,keep your keys,Beth Koster

Driving Dilemma: Program Helps Older Drivers Stay Safely On The Road

Keep Your Keys, an MU Health Care program, can make getting around easier and safer for older adults. Designed to help seniors stay on the road as long as safely possible, the program even tackles one of the toughest decisions every driver must ask: when to retire from driving. One thing is certain. Older drivers […]

inside columbia,columbia,como,midmo,missouri,central missouri,magazine,boom,gary kremer,history,state historical society,shsmo,university of missouri,library,campus,center for Missouri studies,mid missouri,central mo,Lincoln university,Lorenzo Greene,Mr. Pruitt’s Possum Town,Missouri Sharecroppers,National Women and Media Collection.

Gary Kremer’s Love of History Makes Him A Perennial Student Of The Past

Photos by L.G. Patterson  Gary Kremer is a modern day time traveler. As an historian, he spends much of his time in the past, researching the lives of Missourians. As an administrator, he spends his days in the present, keeping the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) on course as the foremost research center for […]

Cake pops

A Recipe For Success

Photos by L.G. Patterson Judith Lee and Nancy Wilson have discovered the essential ingredients that make for a long-lasting friendship — a load of fun, a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants attitude and just a pinch of the serious stuff. Their recipe for friendship keeps them laughing and having a good time as they work or travel together. Their […]

Port 131

Port 131 Progresses

Photos by L.G. Patterson Ali Hamrah enters a room casually, wearing the polished and cordial demeanor of a host. It’s a look that he’s had more than 40 years to perfect. Greg DeLine hurries in, the model of a brisk, energetic CEO. Compatible yet different, they share an entrepreneurial spirit and will next year open […]

Laura Thomas

Laura Thomas Begins Journey As Boone Health System’s CFO

Photos by L.G. Patterson Since moving to Columbia five months ago to become vice president and chief financial officer at Boone Health System, Laura Thomas hasn’t had much time for leisure reading. For an avid reader of mysteries and popular novels, that says a lot about how much time and energy it takes to learn […]

Shakespeare’s Pizza,Small Pond,Columbia,como,Missouri,movie,film,Sidewalk Film Festival,McNally’s Irish Pub,Josh Slates,Kim Sherman,Kirsten Straub,Jay Sparks

Small Pond

Photos By Karen Johnson In the opening scene of “Small Pond,” a full-length movie, a young woman wakes up groggy, wearing her pajamas, an oversized T-shirt. As she shakes off her slumber and hangover, she seems indifferent to the young, slovenly man who obviously spent the night with her. “Last night was awesome,” gushes the […]

Younger than Springtime

The Cupid who targets middle-aged and older adults may be gray-haired and a bit out of shape, but he’s still a good shot.

Mike Alden

More Than Good Sports

Former University of Missouri Athletic Director Mike Alden and Rockie, his wife, have moved on. Although Columbia remains their home and they still live within walking distance of the Mizzou Arena, they live their lives in a far larger arena. They’re the same approachable couple, unaffected by their years as university celebrities. Anchored to Columbia […]

It’s All in the Family

Dean Baker, at age 77, is living proof that a father’s role can last a lifetime. His son, Jeff Baker, age 47, is living proof that the loving bonds of family can..

Television Anchor Jim Riek

Jim Riek has vanished from the KOMU newscast. More likely than not, wherever he is at this moment, there’s a broad smile on his face, reflecting his good-natured approach to life. He’s probably on a..

The Journey of a Lifetime

Some power couples are driven by ambition to make a name for themselves. To rise to the top of their Veterinary Medicine profession. To gather power and prestige. Jimi and Cristi Cook are looking for

Randa Rawlins Takes The Wheel At Shelter Insurance

Randa Rawlins didn’t intend to make history, but she did. This past January, Rawlins became the 13th president of Shelter Mutual Insurance Company, the first female president in 75 years. In July, when current CEO Matt Moore retires, she will assume the title of president and CEO.

La Fata Serves Up Grandmother’s Italian Recipes

On Saturdays, the line of shoppers forms early and extends throughout the morning at the Pasta La Fata booth in the Columbia Farmers Market. And for good reason. The delicious Italian cookies and handmade pastas that Shelly La Fata and her crew of five  omen have prepared during the week have gained an appreciative and […]

Inspiring in Nature

Gloria Gaus Draws on a Lifelong Love to Launch Her Second Act Art Off the Trail, Gloria Gaus’ new studio and art gallery, is — as the name implies — only a few blocks from the Katy Trail in Rocheport. She can be found there on Fridays and Saturdays, when she opens her studio to […]

Driving Good Decisions

Megan Matthews, known in mid-Missouri as Coach Matthews, likes to help kids drive, whether it’s on the basketball court or behind the wheel. “I’ve been a coach most of my adult life,” she says.