What do spine surgery and camping gear have in common? A lot, according to Josh Hendershott. The spine-specialist turned inventor launched a line of pocket-sized camping gear in 2017 and recently one of his products was featured on “NewsWatch.” But, according to Hendershott, the idea for his company, Pike Trail, started much earlier than 2017. […]
Although Columbia may be considered a small town by many, it has no shortage of people bettering the community. There are far more than 10 people making a difference in Columbia, but we chose to include the following ones because they are what one might call unsung heroes. They make a huge difference in people’s […]
During just the past year, numerous disasters, both natural and man-made, have contributed to the climate crisis. Just this past August, a wildfire razed much of the Amazon rainforest — destroying trees that help reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere. Problems such as this can seem far from home, but eventually […]
Josh Hendershott has always been a lover of the outdoors. Hiking, fishing, hunting and camping are his escape when the stress of his career as a senior spine specialist for NuVasive gets to be too much. But, his love for being in nature goes further than helping him unwind. In 2017, it enabled him to […]
Have you ever wandered down the wine aisle at the grocery store, seen bottles advertised for “Only $7.99!” and felt wary of the quality of said wine? Or, have you had to choose between two more expensive bottles of wine, but didn’t know which was better? If you answered yes to either of those questions, […]
Jeremy and Jessica Spillman may have lived in their house in the Vineyards for four years, but you certainly can’t tell. The reason? It keeps evolving — at least partly because of Jeremy’s profession as the owner of Spillman Homes. The Spillmans built their home in 2015 and after nine months moved in with their […]
The pleasure of “dining out” is magnified when it happens literally. Enjoy our warmer weather by dining al fresco at one of Columbia’s 40-plus restaurant and bar patios. There’s a patio for every occasion, from happy hour to date night. To aid you in your search, we’ve profiled five of Columbian’s favorite outdoor places to […]
During the summer heat, beer or wine can seem too heavy, especially when you’re tailgating in the sun all day. The solution? A creative cocktail. We spoke with three of Columbia’s bartenders to get the low-down on the best mixed drinks to tailgate with. Create these cocktails prior to heading to your tailgate spot, or […]
After losing her job in software development more than 10 years ago, Laura McHugh turned to her background in writing. “My husband was like, ‘You’ve always wanted to write a book,’” she says. “It seemed insane at the time, but it changed my life.” Now an award-winning mystery writer, McHugh is releasing her third book, […]
From outer space to family secrets, Orly Konig has been writing all of her professional life — albeit about different things. Some things have remained constant, however, like her love for coffee, animals, writing and Columbia. Konig moved from Israel to Columbia with her parents when she was 10. After graduating from Rock Bridge High […]
The stereotypical bachelor and bachelorette parties that end in a whirlwind of poor decisions and hangovers are still popular for some, but alternative ideas are popping up all over.
Stephen Paul Sayers never thought he would be an author. Fiction writing seemed the furthest thing from what this research scientist and University of Missouri professor knew, but his profession was the cornerstone on which the protagonist in his first novel, “A Taker of Morrows” (June 2018), was built. “I read something my daughter wrote […]
You’ve seen them at festivals or while wandering downtown; Columbia food trucks seem to be multiplying! They feature everything from a deluxe grilled cheese to barbecue to tacos. Not only is there a wide variety, but food trucks combine convenience with a sense of community you really can’t get anywhere else. We’ve chosen a few […]
Most popular item: Pulled Pork Nachos Favorite event: Roots N Blues N BBQ Fontella Henry, owner of Big Daddy’s BBQ, started Big Daddy’s BBQ food truck six years ago after her retirement. “We come from a family of barbecuers — my uncle had a barbecue restaurant for 30 years in St. Louis,” Henry […]
Most popular item: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Central Dairy ice cream Favorite events: Art in the Park and The Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival Jason Holbrook, owner of Eats and Treats, started his food truck from his brick-and-mortar shop in Ashland. His offerings revolve around ice cream or fair food, so he tries to utilize items […]
Most popular item: Blue Raspberry Favorite events: The Heritage Festival and MU football games Shaved ice wasn’t something Kona Ice Como co-owner Cathy Cook had tried before she became a franchise owner. She and her husband started the business when he ran across a marketing campaign for Kona Ice. “He looked at it for a […]
Most popular item: Jerk Chicken Favorite location: Macadoodles Rex Scott didn’t plan on starting a food truck business. “We were in college in Jefferson City and came up with the idea to sell Jamaican food, because there isn’t any around here,” says Scott, now the co-owner of Jamaican Jerk Hut. […]
Most popular item: Voodoo Chicken Pizza Favorite event: The Central Missouri Renaissance Fair The idea for Manzo’s Pizza food trailer came from a brainstorming session with a business partner, says Aaron Saeler, co-owner of Manzo’s Pizza. “We never meant to do it; we just did it,” Saeler says. Saeler likes old world, Napoli style pizza […]
Most popular item: Garbage Burrito Favorite location: The Veterans Hospital George Nickols, the owner of Lilly’s Cantina, started his food truck because of his love for culinary arts and serving people. He named it after his daughter Lilly, and has had the truck for four years now. “The timing was right,” Nickols says. The biggest […]
Most popular item: The Tony Montana Favorite location: Logboat Brewery Grill-A-Brothers grew out of creative passion and desire to have fun. “We had done some barbecue competitions before and wanted to create our own business with our own ideas and motivations,” says Daniel Thorne, owner of Grill-A-Brothers. Low initial start-up costs and being […]
