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At its next meeting, the City Council could change Mike Matthes' severance pay from six months' to 12 months' salary. The new severance isn't outside the normal range for managers of cities similar in size to Columbia.

The Tiger Institute's Slimdown Challenge helped more than 2,000 Columbia residents shed more than 22,000 pounds in 12 weeks.

It was the hottest July on record for the contiguous 48 states this year. For Missouri, the month of July was the fifth hottest on record. Along with the heat, the drought conditions in Missouri are expected to continue through mid-September.

One puzzlement is how the same Republicans who so strongly supported the Prayer Amendment also re-nominated Peter Kinder for lieutenant governor.

Friends and family are making preparations for the departure of Shakir Hamoodi, who was sentenced to three years in federal prison for violating U.S. sanctions against Iraq.

The MU athletics department said it has sold an estimated 46,500 season tickets for 2012.

Hotel rooms are running short for fans traveling to Columbia for football weekends, which has prompted some homeowners to consider a profitable solution.

Dogs at Columbia Canine Sports Center have been participating in a sport that requires them to use their noses to correctly identify the location of a scent. Virginia Huxley, co-owner of the center, started in K9 Nose Work two years ago and hopes to hold a trial in Columbia in February.

Missouri football practice is heating up as several short skirmishes broke out during the morning practice on the eighth day of training camp. However, coach Gary Pinkel said nothing got out of hand during practice.

The Columbia Police Department may soon have a full-time attorney working exclusively with it because of the amount of legal work it generates.

The good news is the flu does not seem to be unusually dangerous. Almost all the illnesses have been mild and no one has died. More good news is that all of the recent cases appear to have spread from pigs to humans, meaning it's not very contagious, at least between people.

Mars rover Curiosity, which landed on the red planet Sunday night, is sending back photos and undergoing software updates in preparation for collecting rocks and soil.

For a growing number of families across the country, school shopping means having the freedom to choose one school over another. It means looking at different schools and selecting the one that is the best fit for the child.

Perry, now a wide receiver for the Chicago Rush, played at Missouri from 2006 to 2009.

Billy Butler homered in a four-run first inning, doubled in the third and tripled in the fifth. Needing only a single to become the first Kansas City player to complete the cycle since George Brett in 1990, Butler struck out in the seventh and again the ninth.

In early training camp, the Chiefs have been gentle with their "ACL trio" of Eric Berry, Jamaal Charles and Tony Moeaki. But coach Romeo Crennel said they'll see action against the Cardinals.

The Cardinals, who have won seven of 10, lost 15-0 to the Giants on Wednesday, their worst home shutout defeat since 1961. Adam Wainwright (10-10) keyed the bounce-back effort Thursday, allowing five hits and one run over seven innings.

Jennifer Topper, 22, and Zachery Howard, 23, were found in central Columbia on Thursday afternoon. They were unaware they had been reported missing by friends on Monday.