Columbia’s heavily-congested I-70 and Highway 63 interchange is the busiest one in mid-Missouri. State Department of Transportation (MoDOT) project director Brandi Baldwin says 160,000 vehicles go through that interchange each day. She’s encouraging you to attend Wednesday’s open house-style meeting at Columbia’s ARC on West Ash. You can go anytime between 4-6 pm tomorrow to speak to MoDOT personnel and hear about the preferred alternatives:
Wooldridge residents and state lawmaker say rebuilding church is symbolic
A state lawmaker with more than 30 years of fire experience has never seen a blaze like last Saturday’s wildfire that destroyed 23 structures in mid-Missouri’s rural Wooldridge.
State Rep. Tim Taylor (R-Speed), who represents Wooldridge in the Missouri House, helped fight the fire. He tells 939 the Eagle that the heat was intense.
“If you look around, you’ll see the pools of molten, they’re cool now but pools of molten aluminum. And that just shows you how hot this fire got,” Taylor says.
The state Department of Public Safety (DPS) says the cause of the fire remains under investigation. While the fire damaged between 3,000 and 4,000 acres of land in Cooper County, there were no fatalities nor serious injuries.
Meantime, townspeople and churchgoers in mid-Missouri’s Wooldridge have started efforts to rebuild the historic church that was damaged in the fire. Much of the church was boarded-up when Governor Mike Parson and U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Harrisonville) toured the damage last week. Representative Taylor joined them.
“I look at it as a symbol for this community, right. A cornerstone here to show the rebuilding right here is a good sign,” says Taylor.
The fire’s cause is still under investigation. Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) tells 939 the Eagle that the Wooldridge recovery will be an issue that state lawmakers will address when they return to Jefferson City in January.
Columbia Police plan two informational meetings this week about camera proposal
Tuesday night is your first opportunity to learn specific details about Columbia’s planned FUSUS camera proposal. FUSUS is a platform that allows citizens to decide if and how they participate.
Tonight’s informational meeting is from 6-8 at the Howard municipal building on Broadway. A second meeting is planned for tomorrow (Wednesday) night from 6-8 at the Molly Bowden neighborhood policing center on International drive.
Columbia Police say camera and camera systems that are privately owned are a great benefit to the community, and that officers often obtain video for reported crimes by conducting canvasses, which are personnel-intensive. Columbia Police say FUSUS does not identify people based on race and does not use facial recognition.
Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones has written a four-page memo to the city council, on the FUSUS subject. He says the proposed FUSUS camera system would allow them to access information that already exists more efficiently. Chief Jones emphasizes that they don’t have the staff to conduct general surveillance, nor would they allow it.
Missouri’s governor to attend EquipmentShare jobs announcement in Columbia
We’ll learn new details Thursday morning about the planned $100-million expansion of a major Columbia employer.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson will be at fast-growing EquipmentShare near I-70’s Lake of the Woods exit on Thursday at 10 am. He’ll be joined by company executives and others.
939 the Eagle News covered a Regional Economic Development (REDI) board meeting in September, where details about the expansion were discussed during the open meeting. Boone County commissioner Justin Aldred told 939 the Eagle News that day that about 555 new jobs are coming to EquipmentShare over the next five years. He says the average salary for those new jobs will be about $42,000.
The company’s website notes it helps thousands of contractors access tech and equipment. EquipmentShare’s mission is “to enable the construction industry with tools that unlock substantial increases to productivity. Together with our team and customers, we are building the future of construction,” the company’s website says.
EquipmentShare’s campus is the former Ashley furniture location, near the Holiday Inn.
Sentencing postponed in Columbia kidnapping and sexual assault case
Sentencing has been delayed for a Columbia man convicted of robbing and sexually assaulting two area sex workers in separate incidents.
26-year-old Xavier Gee was set to be sentenced Tuesday afternoon, but it’s been continued until later because Boone County Circuit Judge Jeff Harris cannot appear in-person today. The sentencing hearing will be rescheduled.
A Boone County jury is recommending a 67-year prison sentence for Gee. The jury convicted Gee of seven felony counts, including kidnapping, first degree rape and first degree sodomy.
Prosecutors say Gee recorded one of the sexual assaults on his phone. 939 the Eagle News was in the courtroom for the trial when a television monitor was turned around to face the jury, Judge Harris, Boone County assistant prosecutor Nick Komoroski and defense attorney Kevin O’Brien. The video was played in court, and a 939 the Eagle reporter could only hear audio. Gee wrote notes on a notepad, as the video played in court.
Gee took the witness stand during the trial’s penalty phase, saying he is remorseful and that his actions were due to his significant drug use at the time.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 575
- 576
- 577
- 578
- 579
- …
- 1343
- Next Page »