Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside an event Tuesday in Jefferson City sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Some of the demonstrators held signs saying “Each child of Gaza is our own,” and say genocide is happening in Gaza. They’re calling for a ceasefire. A “Columbia Missourian” photographer captured a photo of an altercation that happened outside the building involving Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. Secretary Ashcroft joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”, telling listeners that he was pushed and shoved outside the building when he tried to get in and that one demonstrator tried to knock him to the ground. Ashcroft says he was trying not to fall to the ground and trying to defend himself. He tells listeners that protests in Jefferson City have generally been peaceful, but not this one. “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” guest co-host Jennifer Bukowsky also attended the AIPAC event and tells listeners she was called a “baby killer” and was screamed at by protesters. During the interview, Secretary Ashcroft also outlined his decision to close his investigation into a complaint from a local activist against Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and three council members that involved recent comments during a council meeting from the dais. Activist Anthony Willroth accused the four officials of violating a state statute by expressing their views about a ballot issue from council dais, after Mayor Buffaloe and the council members voiced support during a council meeting for first ward councilman Nick Knoth and opposition to the recall Knoth is facing:
(LISTEN): Columbia’s Seewood enthusiastic about McKinney building’s future
Columbia’s city manager is excited about future potential uses for the historic McKinney building downtown, which is on East Broadway between Second Missionary Baptist Church and Plaza Tire Service.
City manager De’Carlon Seewood says a 15-member task force will make recommendations on the building’s future use.
“We bought this building because of the history and it’s about kind of showing a reflection of Columbia’s history. One of the things that we know is that there’s all these desires about what to do with the building. There’s some people (that) want it to be just a museum, some people want it to be a community center. Some people want us to have an activity so we can bring back concerts and bands,” Mr. Seewood says.
Columbia’s city council voted to establish the task force earlier this month. The council approved the $1.7 million purchase of the building in August. Mayor Barbara Buffaloe says the McKinney building has commemorated the social, educational, religious and civic life of Columbia’s African-American population for decades. Count Basie performed in that building years ago. African-American bricklayer Frank McKinney helped build the home, which cost about $5,000 at the time. The McKinney building opened in 1918.
Mr. Seewood says the task force will make recommendations on the building’s future use.
“It’s really taking a step back and pulling together a task force that really can have the community input and ask people what do we want to see. And help us design what makes sense. And from there we’ll be able to design something that will be phenomenal for our community,” says Seewood.
The building’s ground floor has also hosted numerous shops over the years, including the Broadway drug store, the People’s drug store, the W.B. Smith Hatchery, and Foster’s Schwinn bicycles.
Task force will identify uses for downtown Columbia’s McKinney building
A 15-member task force will make recommendations on the future use of the historic McKinney building on East Broadway in downtown Columbia.
Columbia’s city council voted Tuesday night to establish the mayor’s task force. You’ll recall that the council voted unanimously in August to purchase the $1.7-million building, which is next to Plaza tire.
Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe says the McKinney building has commemorated the social, educational, religious and civic life of Columbia’s African-American population for decades. Count Basie performed in that building years ago. Columbia’s city council packet indicates some in the community want to see a black business incubator there, while others want to see a museum dedicated to Columbia’s black history.
The city council’s two-page report says the task force will have 15 members, including historians, experts in Columbia’s local black history, music studies and downtown business owners.
The building housed a bike shop in the 1970’s and also used to be a candy store.
(LISTEN): CPOA says Columbia police officers have been impacted by compression
Columbia’s mayor says the city council supports and appreciates Columbia police officers.
Mayor Barbara Buffaloe notes the council approved a budget in September that contains a six percent across-the-board increase in pay and a ten percent increase in the starting salary for police officers. Columbia Police Officers Association (CPOA) president Matt Nichols tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that while he appreciate the raises, inflation and compression have impacted police officers.
“In 2019 I had a 20-year detective who has since retired. A 20-year detective made 26 cents an hour more than a brand-new person starting on the street. And here’s the reality: that brand-new person when they went to midnight shift, they made more than that 20-year detective,” Nichols tells listeners.
Mr. Nichols has called on the council to allocate some federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars as premium/hazard pay for law enforcement officers and other essential workers who were unable to work from home during the COVID pandemic.
You can listen to the full “Wake Up” interview with Mr. Nichols here.
Columbia’s mayor to speak at several conferences at Dubai climate change summit
Columbia’s mayor will be heading to Dubai later this week as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors delegation to an annual global climate conference.
The city says that the U.S. Conference of Mayors is covering Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe’s travel expenses to attend COP 28, which begins Thursday and runs through December 8. Mayor Buffaloe has been invited to speak at numerous conference events. Buffaloe says heat kills more people in a year than all other weather phenomena. She says she’ll talk about Columbia’s efforts to measure the impacts of extreme heat in Columbia’s neighborhoods and the plans for addressing its impacts on the most vulnerable.
Mayor Buffaloe serves as the U.S. Conference of Mayors environment committee chair. She is one of at least six mayors that will be attending the conference. Others include Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie and Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
The COP 28 conference is attended by world leaders and is hosted by the United Nations (UN). Mayor Buffaloe says she plans to “showcase Columbia’s leadership in climate action.” The city of Columbia approved a climate action and adaptation plan in 2019. Mayor Buffaloe says she plans to reaffirm that commitment for Columbia at the global conference.
The city notes Columbia city manager De’Carlon Seewood handles the city’s day-to-day operations.
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