Articles

Brian Foster has a window in his house with a perfect view of the Sandia Mountains. In late July, he will have to say goodbye to that window and to the New Mexican breakfast burritos he loves. But he’s thrilled about moving to Columbia.

Foster, 66, is leaving his job as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque to become provost at MU.

Shawn Sahota was class president at Rock Bridge High School all four years and student council president his senior year. As he stood before his fellow graduates, he reminded them of the things they would miss such as homecoming and games with cross-town rival Hickman High School.

Rock Bridge and Hickman both celebrated commencement on Saturday in separate ceremonies at the Hearnes Center — just a stone’s throw from the MU football stadium where their two high schools’ football teams played last year.

Nutritionist Ellen Schuster is concerned about the eating behaviors of youth because they tend to continue into adulthood. She believes the focus of chronic disease prevention should start at a young age.

“The younger that we can start them the better, because behaviors are built up over time,” said Schuster, who works for the MU Extension program.

The director of Life Sciences at MU sees opportunity in federal legislation opposed by Congressman Kenny Hulshof of Columbia.

Hulshof, who represents the 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, was among 194 House members who voted against the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act that would provide federal funding for stem cell research. Hulshof could not be reached to discuss his vote, but a spokesman said the congressman opposes the bill on moral grounds.

Missouri wineries should gain a larger customer base and Missourians will have a wider selection of wines available for direct shipping after a recent Supreme Court decision.

Before the ruling, Missourians could only make direct purchases from wineries in about 14 states. But Missourians can now have wine shipped to them from more states, said Jim Anderson, program coordinator of the Missouri Grape & Wine Program.

Danny Christopher came to the 47th annual Art in the Park festival Saturday as both a spectator and an aspiring artist.

“I like looking at the different jewelry and designs,” he said.

I’ve tried to stop smoking more than 100 times since I began writing this column five years ago. About 90 of those attempts lasted fewer than 24 hours. A year later, I put it in writing, announcing to the world that I had stopped. I made it one month and smugly wrote another column saying the 40-year practice was gone for good. I think I started smoking again before that column was in print.

Since then I’ve tried the patch, the lozenges and antidepressants, which I was told had a side effect of not wanting to light up. I became depressed and smoked like a chimney instead.

The Hickman Kewpies came from behind to win their first baseball state title in 15 years on Saturday at Taylor Stadium.

Hickman (28-2) defeated the DeSmet Spartans (19-9) Saturday at Taylor Stadium 17-7. The Kewpies tied a state record with 18 hits in the championship game.

Starting 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Missouri students can enter a jungle, float around a lazy river, spin around in a massive vortex, and swim under a waterfall surrounded by palm-trees.

Mizzou students, faculty, and staff can relax in the Tiger Grotto, a palm-tree-lined leisure pool that features a 20-person hot tub, wet and dry saunas, a lazy river that wraps around a swirling vortex and runs by a waterfall, and a16-foot digital entertainment board capable of showing ZouTV, cable TV, and playing Xbox games.

“The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile

and hopeless labor.”

Impatiently sitting in folding chairs, the first round of children had their shoes duct taped to their feet. Teenage volunteers wanted to make sure that the wet mud that would soon cover the children didn’t get into their shoes.

Twin Lakes Recreational Area hosted the eighth annual Mudstock, a free, all ages, mud obstacle course Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. The police department was on hand if anything happened and the water was provided by the Columbia Fire Department.

Columbia’s Parks and Recreation Department held a 5k Run/Walk on Saturday at the Stadium Boulevard-entrance to the MKT Trail to commemorate National Trails Day.

“We noticed The American Hiking Society was recognizing National Trails Day and we thought this would be a great way to commemorate it,” said Tammy Miller, an information specialist for Columbia’s Parks and Recreation.

Merchants dressed in period attire filled white tents with handcrafted items, and horses were washed in preparation for carriage rides as Roche-port geared up Saturday for a weekend celebration of the small town’s past.

Rocheport River Days helps visitors understand how the history of the Missouri River town has been preserved.