Dear Reader

Interstate 70, the country's oldest interstate, has become largely overused and underfunded. Now, you can join the Public Insight Network to give advice or ideas on how to improve the interstate that so many mid-Missouria residents use on a daily basis.

As long as it isn't a form letter, the Missourian intends to run all letters to the editor.

Sixty-two corrections were submitted to the Show Me the Errors contest last month, giving us insight into the most common mistakes we make on the website.

Twelve community members met Tuesday evening at the first meeting of the Missourian's new Readers Board.

Foreign correspondents are "our eyes and ears" in dangerous situations, providing us with "the kind of detail that only an eyewitness could provide."

Like Prometheus bringing light to the mortals, words bring understanding to our world. And, there's nothing like a new dictionary to help us use words in the best possible way.

This week, the stories, recipes and photos that used to appear on MyMissourian will now appear with the rest of the news in the Columbia Missourian under the heading "From Readers."

If you have ideas about how to improve the Missourian, consider joining the new Readers Board. It will meet four times in the spring.

As important as MU is to Columbia, its funding from the state is decreasing. It is time for the Missourian to step up its coverage to help the entire community understand this complex situation.

Columbia Missourian is beginning the merger between MyMissourian.com and ColumbiaMissourian.com, of which the family obituaries are the first of "from readers" content to make the switch to Missourian proper.

Complain about online comments all you want, but they can lead to richer reporting and better community conversation.

Websites and blogs about grammar and language make the world of editing a collegial enterprise.

The Missourian’s most-read list is based on use, not opinion, that is by the number of readers who clicked on the online version of the articles at ColumbiaMissourian.com.

The story of a village flooded by the levee breach at Birds Point captures the human condition in so many ways. Ultimately, it's a story of perseverance and hope.

Four MU students — Kip Hill, Laura Kebede, Will Guldin and Charles Minshew — were selected as winners of Dow Jones News Fund Editing Internships last week.

The "Free to Tweet" contest, sponsored by 1 for All, encourages students to celebrate free expression. The contest helps promote the First Amendment and the free flow of ideas.

Vox 5 gives users a sampling of various things going on in Columbia each weekend. The Missourian has also gone mobile, with a new site that makes reading on your smartphone easier.

The results from Saturday's comment moderation questionnaire are in. Many responders think the comments section is overwhelmingly negative, and that discourages them from participating. 

Take a few minutes to let us know what kind of conversation meets your personal standards.

First-time commenters will have posts reviewed by Missourian staff to help reduce spam on the website.