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By Miranda Zhang  ¦   Columbia’s gas prices on Friday rose more than 5 cents from a month ago. While regular and premium gas prices were lower than the state’s levels, local diesel stayed more expensive than the state average price.

By Travis Hartman  ¦   On March 6, Rand Paul, R-Ky., filibustered for almost 13 hours because of the government’s use of lethal drone strikes and delayed the nomination of CIA Director John Brennan. Filibustering has a rich history in the Senate, and though senators were know for giving long speeches in the 19th century, sometimes lasting days, the exact length of time is not possible to determine from the printed record.

By Yu Yan  ¦   St. Louis is one of 35 cities invited to host the Summer Olympics in 2024. The invited cities have to meet eight requirements to qualify. (The workforce text should read: As many as 200,000 people.)

By Veneta Rizvic  ¦   Mizzou Dance Marathon began in 2008 and has since raised more than $230,000. This year, the event raised $152,402 in donations for MU Children's Hospital through the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

A previous version of this graphic graphed Mizzou Dance Marathon's fundraising total through March 7.

By Hany Hawasly  ¦   For the second consecutive year, Columbia made Forbes Magazine's 2013 list of the 25 best places to retire. Living costs, taxes, crime and the availability of doctors and activities were among factors used to build the list. According to the magazine, Columbia’s only drawback is extreme weather.

By Veneta Rizvic  ¦   A new concession area with a shelter and a four-stall restroom is in the works for Cosmo Park. The new facilities will accommodate soccer, football, lacrosse and softball players. The estimated cost for the project is $160,000.

By Amartya Bagchi  ¦   In January, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta overturned a 1994 Pentagon rule that bans women from combat positions. While women will not be able to move into combat positions immediately, they have served in the armed forces in some capacity since the American Revolution.

By Jennifer Bailey  ¦   On Monday, the City Council voted on authorizing transportation enhancement funds for a project meant to make College Avenue safer for pedestrians. The project includes two crosswalks and a median barrier being added to a stretch of College Avenue south of University Avenue and to the south of Bouchelle Avenue. Roll over the numbers to see the improvements planned.

By Malory Ensor  ¦   A public information meeting was held Tuesday to decide the future of 26.4 acres of land west of South Rolling Hills Road. The owner of the lot, the Doris Overton Trust, requested the land be annexed and assigned residential manufactured home status.

By Miranda Zhang  ¦   The unemployment rate of the Columbia area hit 4.1 percent in December 2012, the lowest point since 2009. The employment gap between the Columbia area and Missouri was widened by 3 percent compared to 2011.

The Columbia area was reported to employ about 97,200 people for nonfarm positions in December 2012. The following graphic shows the breakdown of employment in the government and private sectors.

By Evan Townsend  ¦   Columbia/Boone County Public Safety Joint Communications will activate 80 warning sirens at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday across Boone County as a part of an annual statewide tornado drill.

In the last 13 decades, Boone County has experienced 42 recorded tornadoes resulting in 23 deaths and more than $21 million in property damage. Meteorologists haven’t recorded a tornado in Boone County since 2001.

By Kearston Winrow  ¦   Columbia is the 10th-best small city according to the Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities index for 2012. The index looks at 179 small cities throughout the United States. The highest-ranked cities this year have
high concentrations of public-sector employees or expanding activities in the energy sector. Columbia was noted for having stable employment in government, education, health care and insurance. It was also cited for being the only city in the state to have three certified industrial sites. This map shows the 10 small cities that made the list for 2012.

By Shelly Yang  ¦   If you don’t get a ticket from the box office in advance, you have another opportunity to watch films.

By Shelly Yang  ¦   2013 marks the 10th year of the True/False Film Fest. Established by Paul Sturtz and David Wilson in 2004, the festival has grown exponentially both in recognition and in sales. The festival has attracted submissions from documentary makers from all over the world. This year, 39 feature films were selected from a pool of 955 submissions, a 640 percent increase from 2005.

By Yu Yan  ¦   Snow usually provides great insulation for plants. However, heavy snowfall in Columbia could potentially cause devastating damage in the garden. Here are some tips on how to remove heavy snow from plants.

By Veneta Rizvic  ¦   Along with the True/False Film Fest come several events being held throughout the weekend ranging from a True Life Run at Flat Branch Park to Gimme Truth!, a documentary game show at The Blue Note. The festival also brings days of concerts featuring several artists, including Paul Rucker and Mountain Animation.

By Courtney Lindbeck  ¦   The 10th annual True/False Film Fest kicked off Thursday. The festival's 42 films are being shown in seven theaters in downtown Columbia. These theaters include Jesse Auditorium, the Missouri Theatre, The Blue Note, Forrest Theater, Ragtag Cinema (Big Ragtag and Little Ragtag), The Globe and The Picturehouse. This interactive map shows the location of these theaters. Scroll over the film reel to view the times and dates of the various films playing inside that location.

By Malory Ensor  ¦   Thursday’s snowstorm brought more than 10 inches of snow, followed by Tuesday’s storm, which brought an additional 9 inches. The two storms made it the fourth snowiest February in Columbia’s history and the second snowiest this century.

By Julie Fine  ¦   The Missouri Department of Conservation recently issued a warning to residents regarding rabid animal concerns within the state. While bats and other wild animals are known to spread rabies, the striped skunk can do the same thing. As skunks begin to come out of winter burrows and enter their mating season, the Conservation Department urges individuals to take caution if they see or encounter a skunk with abnormal, aggressive behavior. Transmission of the rabies virus occurs through saliva and can be contracted through one bite. The last case of human contraction of rabies in Missouri was in 2008.

By Colleen Maag  ¦   The Public Works Department will present design concepts Thursday for the MKT to Parkade Bike Boulevard and the Wabash to Hominy Trail Bike Boulevard projects.