People

- PROMOTIONAL CONTENT - Lisa Byrd has worked as a nurse and a family nurse practitioner in cardiovascular surgery for Missouri Heart Center for the past 19 years. Throughout that time, she has assisted Dr. Richard Mellitt with cardiac and…

- PROMOTIONAL CONTENT - Kenda Bond never intended to have a career in the automotive industry. Twenty years ago, Bond met fate when she started with All Star Automotive, and instantly hit it off with the owner, Bob Buchheit, and her…

- PROMOTIONAL CONTENT - Veterans United Home Loans has a huge heart for veterans in our community. So much, in fact, that two employees, Joan Govero and James Chapman, have led the way in their commitment and passion for making a…

- PROMOTIONAL CONTENT - For Tim Rich, serving others is a way of life. Born into The Salvation Army as a home church, Rich was a third-generation member of the organization and spent many holiday seasons working the Red Kettles with his…

Anna Drake has lived in Columbia since the 1990s, long enough to consider herself an “honorary native.” She has always enjoyed creating art and took every class available to her throughout her school years. “Art has never not been a part…

- PROMOTIONAL CONTENT - Megan Teck’s determination lead her to her career at All Star Automotive. At a young age, Teck worked on cars with her father and enjoyed taking trips to the demolition derby and dirt tracks. Her interest in…

- PROMOTIONAL CONTENT - Megan Herzing’s desire to learn from her father brought her into the business of contractor services for roofing and siding installation. Watching her dad get to know his customers while he worked to restore their…

- PROMOTIONAL CONTENT - For the last five and a half years, Chris Routledge has found a professional home at Dryer’s Shoe Store where he’s proud to get to know his customers and their needs. Having previously worked in a larger corporate…

It was Nov. 1, 2013, and as the leaves were giving way to new shades of autumnal gold and crimson, Kelly Gilion was entering a new season in her life. On that day, her 40th birthday, she turned the key and opened the door to her new shop,…

Kirk Klingler has always been a fan of history. From the time he could read, Klingler said he naturally gravitated to the history section of the library, specifically military history and stories that reflected this country’s battles and…

One of the victims, who had to be extricated from the car, was taken to a hospital by a Staff for Life helicopter. He sustained serious injuries and was taken by Staff for Life helicopter for treatment. Traffic came to a standstill on…

One October morning a little after 6 a.m., a yellow Mercedes-Benz weighed down with thousands of pounds of explosives drove through the five foot-high barrier of concertina wire surrounding the Beirut International Airport. This rather…

A small workshop in a quiet industrial district in Columbia turns beggars into business entrepreneurs. Take the case of Ernesto, a Guatemalan who contracted polio at the age of 7 and spent most of his life crawling through the streets.…

Photographs by Jennifer Roberts Crafting is trendy these days. Grandmas are not the only ones knitting sweaters. Yarn bombing is the new graffiti. Kids everywhere are learning to crochet cute little animals (amigurumi) and yarn comes in…

Photo courtesy of L.G. Patterson Anand Prahlad, the director of creative writing at the University of Missouri–Columbia, is known for his engaging teaching style, work in folklore, mbira music and poetry. Recently, Prahlad diverged from…

Photos by Noppadol Paothong and L.G. Patterson Have you noticed more butterflies in Columbia this year? One reason might be Monica Lee and her husband, Noppadol Paothong (Nop). Four years ago Nop and Monica picked up some free milkweed…

photos courtesy of Rebecca Allen On Saturday mornings the Columbia Farmers Market draws thick crowds eager to fill their bags with fresh produce, baked goods, local meats and more. Wandering through is a sensory experience, filled with…

photography by Pete Jackson The dying words of the 39-year-old veteran on my MRI table were, “I just wish I’d bought a boat.” I’d never been sailing before, but ignorance has never stopped me from jumping in head first. I knew myself well…

Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Jeffrey Ferguson, a doctor of anthropology at the University of Missouri, could say the same, although the pottery he creates in his backyard studio…

Haley Schwarz says the hardest part of running a 100-mile ultra-marathon race is the mental challenge. “I can push my body to the max for a 4-hour marathon, but for long-distance running it’s more about the stamina,” she said. “I’m…