Local Government

After their usual Saturday morning routine at Lakota Coffee, the new judge and his wife went to the courthouse for the swearing-in ceremony.

One month into the job, Columbia Fire Chief Charles P. Witt is working toward getting accreditation for the Fire Department and setting up web-based training.

The president of the Columbia Professional Firefighters said the union has no plans to stay on the sidelines in future municipal elections. Organizations' endorsements were a lightning rod in this year's City Council election.

Voter turnout for the municipal elections in Columbia is down 8.31 percent from the April 2010 elections.

Fred Schmidt, the treasurer for the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Foundation, was elected Tuesday to represent the First Ward on the Columbia City Council.

Approval of Proposition 1 means that, beginning in 2014, ward representatives will be paid $6,000 a year and the mayor will earn $9,000.

Walker Parking Consultants were approved to design the Short Street parking garage by the City Council Monday night. The firm will be paid $514,600 for its services.

Residents planning on voting tomorrow should check their sample ballots for correct polling locations.

The four candidates for the First Ward seat addressed race relations in the central city ward.

The Saturday event also includes a potluck dinner.

Stephanie Browning, director of the Columbia-Boone County Department of Health and Human Services, has been accepted into the National Public Health Leadership Institute.

Members of the City Council haven't been paid since the city's first charter in 1949. Proponents of a proposed stipend think it would help the mayor and council members with their complex jobs resulting from the city's population growth.      

The reports show that each Fifth Ward candidate has spent more than the four First Ward candidates combined.

Pam Forbes, Mitch Richards, Fred Schmidt and Darrell Foster answer questions from the Missourian's readers and reporters.

Darrell Foster hopes to bring his history of community activism and commitment to inclusion to Columbia's City Council. Foster is running for the council's First Ward seat.

Schmidt is a native of Columbia and resettled here because he grew tired of giant corporations in California and New York. He's running to represent the First Ward.

The list gives the age, gender, race and hometown of current inmates.

Plans include new ramps connecting Stadium Boulevard to the MKT Trail, a wider and more interconnected pedway on Old 63 and a new trail in southwest Columbia.

State Auditor Tom Schweich will release a report about Missouri's use of federal stimulus money in 2010.  

The city's Neighborhood Response Team, which formed in 2011, hopes its inspection program fosters a sense of ownership and nurtures a sense of community.