Gallery

By Robert Swain  ¦   Blue Thunder Track Club, a community track team in Columbia, was founded in 2005. Since then, its numbers have swelled. This year, the club is sending 42 runners to an AAU national competition.

By Carrie Durkee  ¦   Geocaching participants work to find hidden boxes by using old-fashioned know-how and some up-to-date technology.

By Yi Gan  ¦   Bruce Hendren, owner of Roll On Premium Smokes, decided to end rolling Friday after a new law passes. The law regulates and taxes roll-your-own tobacco stores. Hendren opened the store in June 2011 on East Broadway.

Friends Jessica Long and Amanda Weyerich both ended up in Rocheport and enjoy the small-town community atmosphere. Long owns Annie's Breads and uses the kitchen of the General Store in the early morning to bake her breads.

By Amy Bruer, Robert Swain  ¦   Flags, fireworks and food abound on the Fourth of July in Columbia as residents and visitors gathered at Peace Park and Flat Branch Park for entertainment and activities for children and then stayed to watch the downtown fireworks.

By Robert Swain  ¦   From cool treats to traditional festival fare, Columbia residents celebrated the Fourth of July with food.

By Missourian Staff  ¦   Kids, families and adults dressed in red, white and blue for Columbia's Fire in the Sky celebration.

By Jaime Henry-White, Leah Beane  ¦   In honor of Independence Day, two Missourian reporters wandered around Columbia and asked people the question: "What is your favorite Fourth of July tradition or memory?" Whether they were visitors just in town for the holiday or Columbia residents, everyone had something to say about why they enjoy the Fourth of July.

By JIAXI LU/Missourian  ¦   More than 900 people waited outside the Courtyard by Marriott hotel early Wednesday morning for the return of 64 veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C., on an Honor Flight.

By Robert Swain  ¦   A fire at 1716 Rose Drive damaged part of the owners' backyard and a shed.

By Megan May  ¦   Ezana Gebru has found that he has never had the work ethic his parents do. The son of two Ethiopian immigrants who raised four kids while going to school and working full time, Gebru had the American Dream drilled into him. Seven years of college later, he is a part-time waiter and nearly ready to graduate from Missouri State University.

For Samantha Price and her friends at Missouri State University-West Plains campus, the temptation to spend time with friends often distracts them from other goals and their studies. Editor's note: This photo gallery has been re-edited to more fully capture the lives of the four young women featured in the story.

Andy Griffith, best known for his homespun humor and portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor on television, has died at age 86.

The CoMo Derby Dames won a bout against So Ill Roller Girls on Saturday in Jefferson City. The CoMo Derby Dames are looking for a location in Columbia.

By Carrie Durkee  ¦   Occupy Missouri gave residents an opportunity to discuss important issues.

By Carrie Durkee  ¦   Parents and players braved the heat Sunday to watch a competitive baseball game at Hickman High School in Columbia.

By Tatiana Fernandez  ¦   Ida Lou Harrison and Dorothy Rankin were the first residents to move into Colony Pointe on May 29. Colony Pointe is a new assisted-living center in Columbia located on Chapel Hill Road. The two moved together from Bluff Creek Terrace to be a part of the new facility and to be closer to their families.

By Dak Dillon  ¦   At age 34, Jody Paschal is a business owner on a changing path. With three years under his belt as owner of Gidley's Shoe Store, Paschal is facing a changing business landscape.

Contestants came from all over the country to compete in the Hy-Vee IronKids Triathlon Saturday at Stephens Lake Park.

By Caitlin Jones  ¦   Columbia Parks and Recreation and the Missouri Department of Conservation co-sponsored the second annual fishing derby at A. Perry Philips Park on Saturday morning.