family

Jaunty Jammies

A Columbia family continues a toasty tradition. While you may think it took some convincing for us to get Battle High School Head Football Coach — and former Mizzou Defensive End — Atiyyah Ellison to model holiday jammies for us, rest assured there was no bribery, blackmail or bartering involved. Ellison and his wife Jessica, […]

Home School

This summer, when parents were forced to realize that the coronavirus pandemic would derail Columbia Public Schools’ status quo well into the fall semester — if not well into 2021 — they were faced with a practically impossible task: Get their children educated without the everyday infrastructure and built-in resources of a classroom. Any parent […]

October Outings

Sadly, the ever-fabulous Lupus Chili Festival will not be held this year. There is no shortage of October festivals in mid-Missouri (Fayette, Hartsburg and Fulton to name a few, not to mention Stephens College’s Citizen Jane Film Festival) but this decades old, still seemingly ad-hoc gathering in transpontine Moniteau County holds a special place in […]

river

PaddleMO Celebrates Missouri River Country

The floating season doesn’t end with the Labor Day weekend. Fall can be the most beautiful time of year to be out on Missouri’s rivers and streams. A case in point is PaddleMO, a 100-mile journey on the Missouri River held in late September, when the weather is still warm but not scorchingly hot and […]

Columbia

Oh, The Many Things We Love About Columbia

Every town has a heartbeat. Its pulse is kept alive by the community that thrives there. Some keep Columbia’s heartbeat going during their time devoting years of hard work — and fun — to higher education. Many others stay, and have planted roots, built businesses, families and lives here. But those who call it home […]

maplewood

Tale as Old as Time

It may be hard to believe but this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast.” The animated feature still retains a special place in many hearts and the familiar songs have kept their roots in many memories. Who knows if it’s the popular characters, the enchanted story, the catchy […]

Art

Artstravaganza

Art in the Park, the 2-day, free fine arts and crafts festival organized by the Columbia Art League, returns to Stephens Lake Park for its 59th year on Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, June 4. The festival will feature 108 artists from 20 states, some from as far away as Oregon, Florida and Minnesota. There […]

air

A High-Flying Salute

Every year, thousands of people from Columbia and the surrounding area head to Columbia Regional Airport for the free two-day air show over Memorial Day weekend, a key component in a six-day celebration that includes a wreath-laying ceremony and a big parade. Attendees thrill to the breathtaking aerial performances, explore the vast variety of aircraft […]

genealogy

The Story of You

For anyone bitten by the genealogy bug, there has never been a better time to delve deep into your own family’s history. Columbia is rich in resources to make your journey of discovery a rewarding one. “As a researcher of over 35 years — since I was 16 — I am still finding new ancestors,” […]

Stiepleman

This Is My Story

Dr. Peter Stiepleman has been the Columbia Public Schools superintendent since 2014. Peter is the second generation Stiepleman in the United States. He says that sharing the story of his family often helps him connect with others. “Superintendency really involves three jobs. One of those jobs is I’m the CEO of the third largest employer […]

Debbie

Time Traveler

photo courtesy of L.G. Patterson Debbie Furnell gets hired to dig — not into dirt but into the past. Her clients might ask her to squint through the glow of a microfilm reader, scanning records for a great-grandfather’s name. Or, she’ll pour through the journal of an 1840s-era doctor, snapping a photograph of each of […]

Red

Not Clowning Around

photos courtesy of  Ronald Mcdonald house charities of mid-missouri Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mid-Missouri has been providing a home away from home for families of seriously ill or injured children since 1983. The Ronald McDonald House gives children a place to play after a long day at the hospital; parents a home for a […]

Candy

The Candy Factory

A stroll to the corner of Seventh Street and Cherry is a yearly pre-Valentine’s Day ritual for many Columbians, determined to get their loved ones chocolate-covered strawberries. The tradition continues this month, and is one of those seasonal pilgrimages that help define our community. What follows is a look at the family that has kept […]