Looking back at Columbia 2008

MU budget cuts, Pres.-elect Barack Obama’s campaign stop in Columbia and Boone County Fire Protection District Chief Steve Paulsell’s “forced” resignation are a few of 2008’s top stories in Columbia.

Click here for more.

With poor market, Columbia recyclables pile up

I just wanted to point this out to those of you — myself included — who fill those blue bags or use those big tan bins. Going green is piling up instead of paying off in Columbia. And, it may mean the city will have to lease out space to accomodate all those water bottles and aluminum cans.

Here’s the story.

Funding hard to find for repairs to Boone County private dams

Wednesday’s story about the Welch Lake earthen dam just outside Columbia’s city limits that is in need of some costly repairs was a follow up to a story I wrote a couple of months ago.

The dam’s been in disrepair for about a decade, but the dam’s owner, Danny Miller, said he doesn’t have the estimated $250,000 to make the dam an adequate flood control.

It is heavily wooded and it’s spillways are clogged. A flood control that allows water to be let out of the lake in advance of forecasted-rain is broken, and may have contributed to the dam overtopping at least two times in the last five years.

Most recently, the drowning death of 20-year-old Michelle Runkle downstream from the dam on Sept. 14 caused some to re-examine the dam’s ability to control storm runoff. There is no way of knowing whether proper maintenance to the dam would have lowered the water level downstream where Runkel was swept away when she tried to rescue a stranded motorist

But, the agencies that know dams — MoDNR, the Corps and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, in particular — say there isn’t much, if any, funding available to owner’s like Miller to help them pay for these much-needed repairs. Many times this means the dams continue to deteriorate setting up the possibility of dangerous consequences for those downstream.

Here’s the story. Give it a read, if you like. But, I would like to hear any ideas out there about creative ways to solve this problem. Boone County has over a hundred dams like this in varying degrees of shape, so if these things are allowed to fall into disrepair, the problem could be more than just one dam, one stream, one neighborhood.

Let me know.

Condoms and texting, a little news for students in Rock Quarry

A perusal of Columbiamissourian.com this morning would kick up two items that may be interest of to students living in the Grindstone-Rock Quarry neighborhood. Texting and condoms.

Missourian higher education reporter Sarah Flagg reported on the problems posed by texting and driving. While the story is framed around reputable research conducted in the United Kingdom, Flagg did a little research of her own — observing the texting and driving habits of those in Columbia.

Here’s the story.

Also, the continuing saga of free condoms in MU’s residence halls has seemingly come to fruition on Monday as six dispensers were installed.

Click here for the story.

Nifong, Bearfield intersection could become four-way stop

The Columbia City Council approved a motion to draft an ordinance to reduce the speed limit on Bearfield Road to 35 mph and turn the intersection of Bearfield and Nifong Boulevard into a four-way stop.

At its meeting Monday night, the council received a report dated Nov. 20 indicating the need for a four-way stop because the city received reports of six traffic accidents in a year’s time at the intersection. The report cited the four-way stop’s ability to decrease the severity of crashes as a benefit of the new traffic configuration.

The report also indicated the need for a uniform speed limit on Bearfield Road. Currently, the speed limit fluctuates between 30 mph and 35 mph. After a collection of speed data by Columbia Public Works, city staff recommended a speed limit of 35 mph.

The Council will vote on the intersection at a future meeting. The agenda for the next meeting will not be released until next week.

Newspaper profits: not as bad as you may think

I know this post is a little dated (a week is a long time on the Web), but in case you haven’t seen this blog post on the Gannett Blog (not affiliated with the newspaper company) here’s the skinny on what “dying” newspapers are taking home. Hint: It’s in the millions.

Click here.

Finding a loophole

I want to point you to Mike Martin’s The Columbia Heart Beat blog to read this article he published a little while ago.

“The Columbia City Council has voted to question Boone County assessor Tom Schauwecker about large property tax breaks his office provides developers that appear unjustified at best; egregious at worst. The breaks appear to violate or misread a state statute designed to help working farmers.”

Source: The Columbia Heart Beat

The article goes on to say that some Columbia developers who own property that is zoned for agricultural uses, but not being used for farming purposes are getting a break on property taxes. The break comes under a Missouri statute that allows “working” farmland to qualify for a lower tax rate. The law does not allow for the same tax break based on zoning, Martin reports.

Click here to read more from his post.

Pinkel inks $2.3 million annual salary

UM System Board of Curators unanimously approved MU football coach Gary Pinkel’s new contract that will pay him $2.3 million a year for seven years.

ESPN reported last week that a $2.5 million annual salary deal was in the works.

Pinkel negotiated a contract last year to the tune of $1.85 million per year through 2012.

More details are expected to be released by MU on Wednesday.

Pile on the dire economic news

Bad news on the doorstep…

Dana Corp. announced it will lay off 50 workers at its Columbia plant. The factory makes axles and other parts for Nissan, Ford and General Motors.

MU announced guidelines on its hiring freeze, including that the freeze will apply to graduate teaching assistants and student staff. MU Chancellor Brady Deaton outlined criteria that department heads will have to meet in order to unfreeze the positions.

The Missourian will have a full story by 5 p.m.

Deaton clarifies UM System hiring freeze conditions at MU

The UM System-wide hiring freeze will not apply to fully-funded grant and contract positions, fully-endowed positions or work study student positions at MU, Chancellor Brady Deaton said in a e-mail Tuesday.

No other positions will be filled unless the department can meet seven criteria showing sufficient need for the position. High-level administrators will have final say in approving new hires.

Here’s the text of Deaton’s e-mail.

Here’s the Missourian story.