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In 1994, 72 percent of Boone County residents voted against a tax to advance local mental health service needs. But the Boone County Mental Health Board is mobilizing again, hoping a more specific plan will help the measure pass this time around.

“(The board) didn’t prioritize. They didn’t know how the money would be spent,” Board Chairman Roldan Mienert said. “We will not move ahead this time until we are confident this tax will pass.”

The mother of one of the two Mexico, Mo., teens arrested and charged in the Tuesday night killing of Komninos “Gus” Karellas, 60, told a Mid-Missouri Major Case Squad detective that she helped the defendants destroy evidence, according to a probable cause statement obtained from the Audrain County courthouse.

Lance Lee Berry, 17, and Quinton O’Neal Canton Jr., 17, were arrested without incident in Hermann at 4:35 a.m. Thursday on warrants in connection with the killing, according to a Mexico Department of Public Safety news release.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Bill Clinton, America’s first baby boomer president, opened his library Thursday with a rock ’n’ roll gala that hailed the $165 million glass-and-steel museum as “a gift to the future by a man who always believed in the future.”

Despite a steady, bone-chilling rain, nearly 30,000 people joined a celebration that included tributes from President Bush, his father and former President Carter. Rock stars Bono and The Edge of the band U2 performed a three-song set before Clinton spoke to the crowd .

Music blares as girls in curlers and half made-up faces scamper frantically across the room singing, dancing and nervously chattering.

Across the hall, anxiety fills the room as boys pace silently, rehearsing lines; a few talk among themselves as they dress. These are the typical scenes before the opening night of a play, but the preparation for this play was missing one key element: Its lead actor.

Developers of a proposed Wal-Mart at Broadway and Fairview Road cleared a procedural hurdle on Thursday when the Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of a final plat for the site.

The plat divides the property into two separate commercial and residential lots and clears the way for the developers to build no matter how the City Council votes on a contentious rezoning request in December.

Columbia Public Schools students scored better than national averages on four standardized tests taken during the 2003-04 school year.

Sally Lyon, the district’s director of research and assessment, presented the results to school board members at a morning work session Thursday.

Stories of suicide are often shrouded in secrecy and shame.

A father-in-law buried in the middle of the night. A father’s suicide kept from his son for 10 years.

With Beyonce blaring in the background singing “Crazy In Love” and girls shouting “all right now” and “I like that,” 70 Hickman High School No-Limit Ladies experienced the thrill and entertainment of being runway models.

Junior Ashley Hill, 17, is part of the all-girls club and encouraged her fellow “sisters” as they strutted their stuff upon the faux runway. The club hosted the fashion extravaganza in honor of Laura Wilson, an alumna of Hickman, clothing designer and the owner of the Blackberry Exchange.

A plan to construct a 13,000-square-foot, two-story building was approved at Thursday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The building will be used for office space.

The property, called Providence Home Center, is located on the east side of Providence Road and north of Campusview Drive.

If two developers get their way, Columbia’s low-income renters will soon see their options increase.

Columbia developer Jeff Smith submitted a proposal for a $1.95 million loan and $624,332 in state and federal tax credits from the Missouri Housing Development Commission for a 72-unit complex for low-income seniors. Located at the northeast corner of Bethel Street and Nifong Boulevard, the units would have estimated monthly rents of between $410 and $450.

University of Missouri system President Elson Floyd announced Wednesday at the UM Board of Curators meeting in Rolla that he will recommend a cap of 3.5 percent on educational fee increases for the 2005-06 academic year.

If implemented, this would be the lowest increase for the UM system in the past three years. Educational fees increased by 7.5 percent in 2004-05, by 19.8 percent in 2003-04 and by 14.8 percent in 2002-03.

My house looks as if it’s been hit by a bomb. This is the “tween” time of the year, with Halloween just passed, Thanksgiving lurking around the corner and Christmas waiting in the wings. I still have a few stray witches to put away, and a Santa I just bought is lounging in a corner of my dining room. I have early Christmas presents piled on my treadmill, which makes using the thing impossible. (That’s my excuse, and I’m sticking by it.)

I’ve decided to do away with my conviction to not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. This year, our two daughters and their families will be here for turkey day (something that hasn’t happened for at least a decade), and we will celebrate Christmas with them the next day.

When the third quarter ended, plenty of reasons existed to be discouraged.

Nebraska led 17-3. Missouri’s offense had sputtered in the red zone. A punting mishap had set up a Cornhuskers touchdown. Frustrations were high. Confidence was low.

Hickman coach Gregg Nesbitt doesn’t have any doubt when he talks about the importance of a blocked punt. “It’s the biggest play in football.” Nesbitt would know, too. His team has done it 11 times this season.

With the loss of All-Big 12 linemen Rob Droege and A.J. Ricker after the 2003 season, there were concerns heading into this season about the play of the offensive line.

Senior Scott Paffrath filled the leadership void among the linemen, however, and has molded the inexperienced group into a solid unit.

James Kinney will likely set the career tackles record for Missouri on Saturday against Kansas or the week after against Iowa State.

That, though, is not the record he cares about most.

As a quarterback at West Platte High School in Weston, Adam Barmann often looked for his younger brother, Brian, on pass patterns.

The Barmann tandem helped West Platte become one of the most successful programs in the state, winning a title in Missouri’s Class 1A division in 2001. If Adam connected on a pass to Brian on Saturday, however, his fans wouldn’t cheer.

When teams prepare to play Kansas, the preparation in all three aspects of the game begins and ends with No. 3.

Sophomore Charles Gordon, after setting school records for a freshman at wide receiver last season, is now making the majority of his plays on defense, leading the Big 12 Conference in interceptions with six. However, he still finds time to return kicks and to catch passes, something Gordon said is an honor.

Davidson begins its season against the Tigers tonight at the Paige Arena. Missouri will be the first in a list of tough competitors the Davidson Wildcats will be facing in the next few weeks. The Wildcats basketball team will be playing Duke, St. Joseph's, Massachussets and Georgetown. The game tonight is 7 p.m. at Paige Sports Arena.