Local

Amir Dizdarevic received his diploma from MU High School on Saturday afternoon. The 26-year-old had dropped out of school more than 10 years ago.

The Columbia Public School Science Department has organized a trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. Students and Columbia Public School staff departed Saturday for the weeklong trip.

The Conservation Commission recently voted to limit the number of firearm anterless deer permits for the 2013-2014 hunting seasons in 12 counties in central Missouri, including Boone County.

Councilman Karl Skala proposed trip generation fees at the City Council retreat on Saturday. The proposal would place more financial responsibility on contractors who increase traffic with new developments. 

The Susan G. Komen Foundation hosted a tea Saturday morning to celebrate local cancer survivors.

Julius Udinyiwe, who owns a one-hour photo shop in Boonville, returned a year later to repair classrooms and build wells to provide water to his native community.

Smrithi Susan Jacob plays Rummikub with a seniors Sherill Mikles and Veena Sahota Thursday at the Columbia Senior Activity Center.

University of Missouri system has a new spokesman, John Fougere.

A survey of Columbia residents showed a decrease in satisfaction with the Columbia Police Department's crime prevention efforts and its response time to emergencies.

Cable crews were digging to lay fiber optic cables for Charter Communications when they hit a gas line on Lemone Industrial Boulevard and New Haven Ave near U.S.  63 on Friday.

On June 15, the Friends of Centralia Battlefield will be hosting a fundraiser to raise funds for the upcoming Centralia Battlefield Reenactment in September. 

Crews continue work to restore Columbia's main gravel trails damaged by flooding.

Joel Ewbank manages the care in his home of three patients with profound medical and developmental issues. "These patients are my family members," he said.

"Strike up the Band" was the first of a 24-event concert series extending through the summer.

The council members' and city department heads' retreat will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Activity and Recreation Center.

Summer T-ball games provide diversion for both players and parents.

The Missouri Department of Transportation and contractor Don Schnieders Excavating Co. will open the eastbound ramps Friday afternoon, two months ahead of schedule.

Mosquito spraying along Columbia trails will begin early Friday morning and last through early fall.

For 21 years, A Call to Serve International has raised money and donated more than $350 million in medication and medical supplies for the country of Georgia. Its latest shipment to the country left this week.

MU student Haris Fazlic performed a traditional Bosnian folk dance and music for an Emmy-winning TV presentation. As a second-generation Bosnian refugee, Fazlic wants to preserve his native culture.