Hickman High School | 98.3 The Dove

Columbia’s hip hop unity day organizers pleased with Sunday’s turnout

September 18, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

More than 300 people attended Columbia musician NicDanger’s hip hop unity day on Sunday at Café Berlin.

The Hickman graduate, whose real name is Nicholas Rodriguez, aimed to celebrate and unite area youth to grow and share artistic expression. He describes Sunday’s turnout as a dream come true.

Team CoMO’s Tanya Heath, an event organizer, praises NicDanger, saying he did a great job of bringing the community together. Ms. Heath says the youth and adults danced and made new friends.

Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe presented a proclamation to NicDanger. Organizers say the event will also help reduce some of the violence that Columbia has seen.

The family-friendly event celebrated 50 years of hip hop. NicDanger notes hip hop began 50 years ago in the Bronx to combat gang violence.

Columbia’s school board set to vote Monday on SRO contract

August 14, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

The superintendent of Columbia Public Schools (CPS) supports approving the school resource officer contract for CPS.

Dr. Brian Yearwood will deliver a safety report this (Monday) evening about the SRO program and about driver’s education. Dr. Yearwood says school resource officers at Battle, Hickman and Rock Bridge high schools are important to staff and scholar safety. Under the agreement, two officers will be assigned to Muriel Battle high school, with one each being assigned to Hickman and Rock Bridge.

Primary SRO responsibilities include overall safety of the building, building relationships with students, staff and parent groups and reducing incidents by being a visible presence in the building.

Today’s board meeting begins at 5:30 at Boone Electric headquarters on Rangeline. That’s because the Aslin building’s board meeting room is still being renovated.

Familiar name in Columbia municipal government is now deputy city manager

October 4, 2022 By Brian Hauswirth

Longtime Columbia Parks and Recreation director Mike Griggs was sworn-in as Columbia’s deputy city manager on October 3, 2022 (photo courtesy of city of Columbia spokeswoman Sydney Olsen)

A familiar name in Columbia and in local government is the new deputy city manager.

Mike Griggs, who had been serving as acting deputy city manager since April, was sworn-in at Monday night’s council meeting.

Mr. Griggs, a Hickman high school, graduate, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mizzou. He worked for Columbia Parks and Recreation for 36 of the past 39 years, including a decade as director. Griggs credits his parks career for preparing him for the transition. He’s worked on urban planning, infrastructure issues, parking lot planning and utilities.

The key hire represents another step in Columbia government, as first-year city manager De’Carlon Seewood continues to build his team.

CPD: Fentanyl in Columbia is likely coming from China, via Mexico

September 22, 2022 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri Governor Mike Parson and Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones (right) discuss police recruitment and retention on April 25, 2022 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Twitter page)

Columbia Police are warning that fentanyl-related overdose deaths in the city are on pace to exceed last year’s numbers.

CPD assistant chief Jeremiah Hunter tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that the fentanyl in Columbia is likely coming in from China, via Mexico.

“They’re getting pills and it’s being pressed locally or overseas and it’s coming in in volume. Probably most likely through Mexico, all the way here,” Hunter says.

Hunter tells listeners there were at least 30 overdose deaths in Columbia last year. He says there have been at least 25 overdose deaths in the city in 2022, with most or all of them fentanyl-related.

Assistant chief Hunter encourages parents to talk to their children about the issue. He notes more than 150 people attended an emergency meeting last October at Hickman high school.

“Out of that meeting last year, the Overdose Response Coalition of Boone County kind of grew out of that. And so they’re doing a lot of education, they’re doing a lot of research too,” says Hunter.

Authorities say drugs like cocaine are being made with fentanyl and users don’t know it’s in there. Columbia/Boone County public health officials have described fentanyl as 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.

Click here to listen to the “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” interview with Columbia assistant police chief Jeremiah Hunter.

(AUDIO): REDI minority business coordinator Ray Hall appears on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO RoundTable”

July 30, 2022 By Brian Hauswirth

Columbia native Ray Hall is the new minority business coordinator for Regional Economic Development Incorporated (REDI). Mr. Hall graduated from Columbia’s Hickman high school and and describes himself as a true son. He joined guest host Jay Sparks Saturday morning for the hour on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Round Table” to discuss his new position, …