People

It was a friend who first planted the seed for the idea. After hearing how much fun Jacob Leffert had growing pumpkins, RJ Bechtold decided to plant a patch himself, and got permission from his Dad to use a one-acre plot behind his family’s…

As Columbians battled their way through the stay-at-home order, personal quarantines, working from home with their spouses and schooling their kids over the past several months, one thing stood out. Well, several people and businesses stood…

Michele Spry takes giving back to heart. The business she and her husband Brandon run, Midway Electric, Inc., is a Partner in Education with Midway Heights Elementary School and she’s also involved with Central Missouri Honor Flight and…

When not working her day job at Flat Branch Home Loans, Jessica Robertson-Capell volunteers as president of the nonprofit Armani’s Angels. She manages the organization with a board of eight other women, all of them volunteering countless…

“In closing, this is an incredible place at an incredible time ...” For one pregnant pause, Eliah Drinkwitz gathered himself at the podium. This wasn’t unfamiliar territory; after all, he’d given a speech a lot like this just 359 days…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Stephen Paul Sayers became a bestselling author on the dare of a teenager — specifically, the prodding of his own daughter. An associate professor of physical therapy in the School of Health Professions at MU, Sayers didn’t seem a natural…

Melanie Prather Studer was sick of what she didn’t know. The Columbia native and mother of three sons had just successfully shuttled her eldest into his first year of high school, and already she could feel the pressures of college,…

A tiger cannot change its stripes — and that’s certainly true for Kelly Bryant, a former Clemson Tiger and now MU football’s senior quarterback. Bryant committed to University of Missouri on Dec. 5 and this fall will be his first season…

If greatness is born and not made, don’t tell Max Scherzer. The most decorated professional baseball player Mizzou has ever produced won’t believe you. “This is the place where I realized that work ethic is more important than talent,”…

There is something magical about the combination of crisp December air and twinkling lights that makes the holiday season special for many Columbians. That magic is felt when darkness falls over the Village of Cherry Hill shopping center.…

Stephen Johnson has been playing Santa Claus during the holiday season for 25 years, but the 65-year-old says he has looked the part since he was 40. The only difference between then and now is the amount of theatrical dye necessary for him…

When doctors released Joshua Williams Sr. from the hospital in December 2017 — after an almost fatal gunshot wound — he immediately started cooking. Despite orders to rest, the 30-year-old chef-owner of Papadoo’s Soul Food & BBQ says…

In 2017, Jennifer Hecker began noticing fatigue and pain in her leg. With a little massage, it would go away, so she dismissed it as perhaps a developing cardiovascular issue or diabetes. The pain began to migrate to her arms — first…

Emmett Russell pulls on his worn gloves and slides clear plastic safety glasses over his eyes before picking out a sheet of metal and plugging in the welder. His gray “Russellbilt” sweatshirt keeps him warm as he works in the coolness of…

- PROMOTIONAL CONTENT - Brian Buchheit never intended to go into the family business. As a child, Buchheit’s father, All Star Automotive owner Bob Buchheit, would bring him to work on Saturdays as a way to spend time together. Those…

Springfield, Missouri-born Scott Buis served in the Army for four years and four months. During that time as a network switching systems operator and maintainer, Buis was stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona and Camp Red Cloud in South…