Articles

The sidewalk in front of the new MU Life Sciences Center is shaped like a DNA helix, an apt symbol of the university’s high hopes to meld scientific inquiry with technological innovation.

For Roger Mitchell, dean emeritus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, today’s dedication ceremony at the center is an event nearly a quarter-century in the making.

It’s been an uplifting week for eight inmates of Boonville Correctional Center who have found inspiration in their work on a new shelter house for the town park in this Howard County town.

The men’s work is part the 10th annual Boonslick Area Community Service Project, sponsored by the National Organization of Prison Fellowship, to build a shelter house and two new picnic tables for New Franklin City Park. The project, part of the Missouri Department of Corrections’ Restorative Justice Program, is led by members of the Nelson Memorial United Methodist Church in Boonville.

City officials expect to recover from Wal-Mart the $4,100 it cost to clean up a sewage spill into Hinkson Creek that happened when grease from the Conley Road store blocked a city sewer line in early August.

The city issued a notice of violation to Wal-Mart in late August, expressing its intent to recover the costs of the cleanup and any fines levied by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said Dennie Pendergrass, chief of operations for the Public Works Department.

City buses are running almost 100 percent on time since Columbia Transit changed its bus routes in June, a transit official said. Also, the number of passengers riding the buses continues to surpass figures from last year.

According to transit statistics, 3,388 more riders used the fixed-route bus system through August than the 110,852 riders who rode the buses during the same three-month period last year.

The Boone County Commission has appointed a Space Needs Task Force to evaluate the commission's $15 million proposal to expand county offices.

The commission wants to finish the third floor of the Boone County Government Center, add two stories to the courthouse and construct a new office building to replace the Johnson Building at 601 E. Walnut St. The proposal, which commissioners hope to fund through a bond issue and property-tax increase, could appear on the April 2005 ballot.

Bobby Muller co-founded several internationally prominent organizations, included the Vietnam Veterans of America and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. The latter won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. Thursday night he spoke to an audience of 19 at Waters Auditorium at MU under the banner of his most recent creation, the Alliance for Security.

Muller’s speech, the first in his “Tour of Duty” lecture tour of college campuses, predicted the return of the military draft to America.

Two of Don Choate’s passions — art and activism — come together this month in his “Multimedium” exhibit at Montminy Gallery.

The exhibit, which continues through Sept. 26, features portraits of people the artist met during the 16 years he worked at Central Missouri Food Bank. It also includes sculptures and woodworks.

Boonville is about 10 years too late and several million dollars short to save the Union Pacific Bridge over the Missouri River.

Around 30 people, including Boonville and Columbia city officials, the United States Coast Guard, Union Pacific Railroad and community members, gathered in historic Turner Hall on Thursday to discuss the fate of the Boonville Bridge.

Officials from Union Local 833, representing bus drivers for Columbia Public Schools, released more details Thursday about the group’s new contract with First Student Inc., which provides school bus service to the area.

Hourly pay increases for union members will be between 35 cents to $2 more per hour.

JEFFERSON CITY — There is no way of knowing where thousands of redistributed state computers containing sensitive information have ended up, State Auditor Claire McCaskill said during a news conference Thursday in her Capitol office.

An audit conducted in May and June found that government computers set to be redistributed were not properly cleared of personal information, including Social Security numbers, bank records, computer network access information and medical data.

University police entered the campus apartment of an MU student Tuesday and confiscated a .50-caliber black powder rifle and a modified AK-47. Officers later returned and removed a Smith & Wesson revolver and several swords.

No charges have been filed against the student, Stephen Markley, 45, a junior geography major, said MU police Capt. Brian Weimer. The university’s student handbook, the M-Book, states that firearms, explosives or ammunition cannot be brought into university-supervised housing, which is open to inspection by campus officials. Students must register and store their weapons and ammunition with MU police, the policy states.

A shortened 2003 season left Victor Sesay with something to prove this year. So far he has made his point.

The senior tight end has had the biggest influence on the team through the first two games and should remain an important receiving option for quarterback Brad Smith throughout the season.

After spending three years working to become a Missouri Tiger, Beau Viehmann earned his teammates’ respect through hard work and determination in his first two seasons as a Tiger.

That work paid off when his teammates named him as a team captain during the spring alongside Brad Smith, James Kinney and Atiyyah Ellison.

When Martin Rucker started at tight end for Missouri against Arkansas State, he did so with no previous experience.

Although some might succumb to nervousness in their first college game, Rucker played undaunted, scoring a touchdown on the first pass thrown to him.

When Xzavie Jackson first arrived at Missouri’s 2003 preseason practices, he was a nuisance.

“Almost all freshmen have a big head. I’m not going to lie,” Jackson said. “I had kind of a big head when I came in here, and if you’re already in the program, you’re going to think, ‘This freshman isn’t going to do what he says.’”

There would have been some tense moments at home if Ball State quarterback Joey Lynch had chosen another school.

Bill Lynch, Joey Lynch’s father and former Ball State coach, recruited his son out of Delta High in Muncie, Ind., to join older brother Billy as the third member of the family to be part of the Cardinals’ football program.

ASHLAND — Volunteers are working overtime to prepare for Southern Boone High School’s first home varsity football game tonight.

At 7 p.m., the Eagles (0-2) kick off against Missouri Military Academy in the small town 10 miles south of Columbia.

Because Missouri previously played Thursday, it has had an extra two days to let the sick feeling of loss sink in.

“It won’t be gone for me until I get another win, beat another team,” wide receiver Thomson Omboga said. “I would think about it all week.”

Hickman pitcher Stefani Worley has learned to appreciate a victory because they haven’t been coming too often.

Hickman entered Tuesday night’s game against Rock Bridge with a 1-10 record, but after a strong offensive outburst, doubled its season win total with a 6-4 victory at Rock Bridge Field.