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By Ben Frederickson  ¦   The Muskegon Luge in Western Michigan is one of three tracks in the United States and the only one truly accessible to the public on a regular basis.

By Matthew Busch  ¦  

By Benjamin Unglesbee, Matthew Schacht  ¦   In the late 1990's, Columbia passed an ordinance that made skating on any public street or sidewalk illegal. A group of adults and youth then petitioned the city for a skate park. With some money from the city as well as several others groups, the group was able to build a skate park at the Columbia Cosmopolitan Recreation Center. Since the park's inception, it has attracted substantial interest, including a visit by skate legend Tony Hawk in 2009.

By Brendan Meyer, Mike Vorel  ¦   Shooters who come to Prairie Grove vary from blue-collar locals to CEO’s. They come year-round, while the summer air is hot and muggy, and when winter covers the fields in mounds of snow. The one rule they must abide by is that there is no whining at Prairie Grove Shotgun Sports.

By Crystal Herber, Di Zhu  ¦   Columbia tattoo, body piercing and art gallery, Living Canvas, tries to eliminate the stereotypes associated with the traditional tattoo parlors. Tattoo artists here offer a professional and personalized service to customers who come with different reasons. Tattoo parlors are no longer a dark place that are associated with rebellious youngsters and crimes, but a welcoming shop that sell artistic works on one body.

By Fedor Zarkhin, Kelly Cohen  ¦   John Tucker had an experience with God that inspired him to draw biblical comics. Tucker is striving to publish a comic book and become a minister.

By Heather Riske, Hannah Burkett  ¦  

By MISSOURIAN STAFF  ¦  

By Emily Garnett, Roxanne Foster  ¦   Justin Angell’s family ran the Columbia Livestock Auction, next to the Bull Pen Cafe, for 55 years before he moved the business to Bowling Green 12 years ago. Sellers from all over the Midwest bring their cattle to Bowling Green for the weekly auctions, and Angell and his family have built a loyal customer base over the years.

By Abbey Sussell  ¦   Susan Haines made a promise to her sister who was fighting cancer that she would help other women with the disease. Her sister died, but proof of that promise is kept on Tenth Street in a beauty salon called The Captain's Quarters. Here, Haines has expanded services at The Captain’s Quarters for cancer patients by helping with the external side effects of cancer treatments.

Old-fashioned music played by the River Ridge String Band inspires the Mid-Missouri Traditional Dancers to move to a different rhythm.

By Cho Ling Ngai, Julia Boudreau  ¦   Lizzi & Rocco’s Natural Pet Market owners Kyle and Jessica Schlosser decided to open their shop after rescuing their dog Rocco from the Humane Society. In search of a healthy diet to cure Rocco of his emotional and behavioral problems, the Schlossers became knowledgeable about natural food diets. At their shop, they provide natural food filled with healthy ingredients for dogs and cats.

By Alicia Stice, Elizabeth Pearl, Jared Grafman  ¦   Breakfast is served all day at JR's Diner in Centralia. Owner Jodie Roberts prides herself on the restaurant's friendly atmosphere, which she says is reminiscent of the small town charm of Centralia itself.

By Lauren Quick, McKenzie Kramer  ¦   VIDEO: Shari Mann is co-owner of Authority Gymnastics and Cheer with her husband, Jonathan Liddle. Shari has been on the U.S. National Team and judges gymnastics internationally. Shari and Jonathan have started their own teams for gymnastics and cheer, and they are participating in their first competition this week. Mann has her Master’s in education and uses her experience as a teacher for 10 years to instruct and encourage her teams in gymnastics and teach them skills for life.

By Sarah Hoffman  ¦   Shortly after noon on Tuesday, a flash mob took over the MU Student Center, dancing to the tune of "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by the Backstreet Boys.

By Julianne Hilmes, Simina Mistreanu  ¦   More than 1,000 students in Boone County receive the packs of food supplied by the Food Bank each week, and some children have become dependent on Buddy Packs for their weekend food supply.

By Nick Michael  ¦   Ian Patterson, a senior kicker at Rock Bridge High School, coaches himself at practice away from his teammates. Although scholarship opportunities are few and far between for Division I kickers, Patterson remains hopeful that his skill, discovered at an early age and cultivated through private lessons and hard work, will provide an opportunity to kick at the collegiate level.

By Joseph Vozzelli Jr., Nicholas Sullivan  ¦   Wayne and Susan Kreklow have combined for 748 wins during their two decades as volleyball coaches. They can reach 750 wins Saturday when Missouri plays at home against Oklahoma.

By Video courtesy of Columbia Police Department  ¦   This is an excerpt from a July 17 security tape from a Columbia Police Department holding cell.

By Carlos David Navarro, Justin Brisson  ¦   Senior pastor Amy Gearhart and coordinator of hospitality ministries Ann Merrifield explain the goals of Wednesday Night Live and the mission of the Missouri United Methodist Church.