Columbia

Piper Brintnall, Veterans United Foundation outreach coordinator, two years ago was volunteering at the Mark and Carol Stevenson Veterans Urban Farm at 1207 Smith St., helping spread straw on a sweltering July day.

During this process, former Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture’s veterans programs manager Dustin Cook mentioned a vision for a portion of the land to be home to a more accessible garden space for veterans.

“He said, ‘Hey, I want to show you these plans I have,'” Brintnall said, expressing she hoped they would look at them in the shade, which happened, eliciting laughs from the audience at the farm Wednesday, who all were there for a ribbon cutting on Cook’s plan, now known as the Warriors Garden.

This section of the Veterans Urban Farm features multiple raised garden beds on flat, graveled ground, allowing those in wheelchairs or with limited mobility a chance to garden. The horseshoe-esque garden space also has arbor coverings to slightly protect from the elements. An open central space will allow for other outdoor programming at the farm.

What Cook did not know at the time two years ago was that the Veterans United Foundation soon was to launch its 10-year anniversary celebration by giving out $10 million to a multitude of organizations supported and voted on by Veterans United staff, Brintnall said.

“When I came and heard about Dustin’s plans, I thought, ‘Just wait,'” she said. “Employees nominated CCUA, they voted on CCUA and they helped fund this project (with a $102,000 grant).”

Food from the Veterans Urban Farm and now Warriors Garden is provided to the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, a pantry at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital and other organizations that aid the community and veterans. The farm and garden is supported by row sponsors.

A place for healing

The Warriors Garden and by extension the Veterans Urban Farm is an important place in the city because it allows for veteran healing and both figurative and literal growth, said Crystal Wiggins, CCUA’s new veterans programs manager. She is a veteran herself and joined CCUA roughly four months ago.

“We plan to continue to expand our initiatives and outreach to reach more veterans in the area. We are working diligently as a team to try and find more ways to build that community through events, trainings, community gatherings and all of those things to get people out here, get their hands in the dirt, learn how to grow the food and then what to do with that food once you have it,” she said.

The Veterans Urban Farm and its Warriors Garden provides the foundation for a community, said Joe Walls, with CCUA. A person who helped construct the garden space was Billy Froeschner, who also is a veteran.

“Let this thing’s strength remind you to stand strong under your own burdens,” he said also recognizing all the volunteers who aided him in building the raised beds and arbors.

The Warriors Garden will welcome all mid-Missouri veterans. They will be able collaborate and coordinate on what they want to grow in the space, along with the other programming, Wiggins said.

“We really are going to do a lot of amazing stuff in this space to bring the veteran population out here to help them heal, grow, connect and re-find a purpose in their life if they have lost it,” she said. “The Warriors Garden is just the beginning of the next phase of the Veterans Urban Garden.”

The key catalysts

The Veterans Urban Farm and Warriors Garden would not be a reality without the donation of the land by Mark and Carol Stevenson. The farm covers roughly 1 1/3 acres.

“I thought it would be a good use of vacant ground and something useful going on,” Mark Stevenson. “It benefits a lot of people as (an urban farm).”

More:One-time American Rescue Plan awards give organizations growth opportunities in Boone County

While the farm and garden is dedicated to veterans, it enriches the entire community, he added.

“Carol and I are glad to offer this garden to veterans. We find ourselves inspired by their work and are proud of their accomplishments,” he said.

“We are so proud about everything (CCUA) does,” added Carol Stevenson. “Mark gave Adam (Saunders, CCUA co-Founder) a chance. This is such a remarkable place for veterans.”

More:Here’s how a state cost-share grant will help Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

Originally Appeared Here

The beauty of independent schools lies in their individuality. While national statistics have shown an overall shifting landscape in private school enrollment and demographics over the past few years, each private school, like its curriculum, history and community, is unique.

Four private schools in Rochester shared their enrollment statistics and demographics post-pandemic.

Founded in 1890, the Allendale Columbia School in Pittsford is an independent school for students from toddler age (Little School) through grade 12. Before the COVID-19 pandemic the school averaged about 75 new students a year across all levels; this year there are 90.

Baudo

“Independent schools are seeing a change in enrollment,” said Shannon Baudo, Allendale Columbia’s head of school. “This is in large part because of what happened with COVID where independent schools were able to offer in-person learning opportunities that many public schools were not.”

This year the school has students from 28 different school districts and 46 zip codes, which is an increase over years past, according to Shelby Riter, the school’s director of enrollment and financial aid, who notes this helps create a diverse mix of students in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, neurodiversity and socioeconomic standing.

Thirty-six percent of Allendale Columbia’s students identify as a student of color and over half of all families at the school receive financial aid. The majority of students come from Pittsford and the City of Rochester and, this year, there are also international students from 11 different countries.

“Over the last several years we have been one of the most diverse schools in the region,” Riter said. “We are familiar with welcoming students from not only all over Rochester and the county but all over the world. Welcoming our new families and welcoming our new students has always been a priority for us.”

At McQuaid Jesuit High School — a Catholic college-preparatory school for young men in grades six to 12 — enrollment significantly increased during the pandemic when most public schools were remote or hybrid, according to Cory Parker, the school’s director of enrollment management.

“There were a lot of families who didn’t want their sons to be hybrid or completely remote for multiple reasons — academic and social,” said Parker, who noted McQuaid stayed open five days a week for in-person learning. “We got a lot of public-school families that we hadn’t been able to access before.”

Parker

Parker, who graduated from McQuaid in 2013, believes a lot of families are still looking to private schools for something that they may not be getting in their home district post-pandemic. Enrollment at McQuaid this year is strong at 742 students and increasingly diverse.

Almost 70 percent of current students did not come from a Catholic school and about half are not Catholic. The school pulls from 40 different school districts and a third of students receive financial aid, with the average award being half of the student’s annual tuition.

“We have students of all different religions, racial backgrounds and socioeconomic backgrounds,” Parker said. “That’s what we want. Our values are that we want students who are trying to be the best human beings they can be and are open to growth not just academically, but also with each other.”

After two decades in higher education, Jonathan Ntheketha joined the staff of the Harley School — a student-centered, college preparatory, independent day school in Brighton — in 2021 as a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) educator.

Ntheketha, a Rochester native and independent school graduate, is now Harley’s first director of DEI, where he and his office help lead a robust DEI curriculum that was begun before he started but has expanded.

“We have to position ourselves to be confident with being uncomfortable and that starts with the whole school from nursery to 12th grade,” said Ntheketha, who teaches several of the DEI classes at the school. Harley’s age-appropriate slate of DEI courses includes a middle school course on the structural impact of racism on communities, including Rochester.

The first sentence of Harley’s mission is “We are a diverse, inclusive school,” which is reflective of both its present and its past. It was founded by women in 1917, which places it in a unique and historic position to honor and validate every member of the community, Ntheketha said.

Among its student body of 517, 38 percent are racially/ethnically diverse — an increase of five percent since pre-pandemic and the near majority receive financial aid. The school is also home to a number of neurodiverse and gender-diverse students.

“That’s another area of diversity that exists here where students are affirmed however they identify,” Ntheketha said. “And where they are on their journey is where we are with them. That’s something I take a tremendous amount of pride in and I’m really happy for.”

Founded in 1902, the Aquinas Institute is the oldest private co-educational Catholic school in the City of Rochester, something that Meredith Kallfelz, the school’s associate director of advancement, enrollment and communications, says set a foundation of diversity and inclusivity at the school.

Kallfelz

“We’ve always been really fortunate to have a diverse student population that is very representative of Monroe County’s demographics,” Kallfelz said, “It’s wonderful and embodies our mission.”

There are 718 students this year from 22 school districts across nine counties. Approximately 60 percent of the student population at Aquinas receives some type of scholarship or financial aid.

Aquinas, which educates students in grades six through 12 in the Basilian tradition, also has a robust international student program with 22 international students this year from China, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and South Korea.

Kallfelz says enrollment at Aquinas has stayed consistent over the past several years and the school has been happy to welcome new families.

“During the pandemic, we saw more families looking into private education and many were happy with what they found,” she said.

Caurie Putnam is Rochester-area freelance writer.

–
Originally Appeared Here

Columbia residents have until the end of this month to pick a roll cart size for the automated curbside waste collection that begins in March.

Residents should pick their preferred cart size by Oct. 31. The city is offering are 35-gallon, 65-gallon and 95-gallon carts. If residents don’t pick a cart size by that date, they will automatically receive a 65-gallon cart.

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Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two locations in Columbia were among the 48 marijuana microbusiness licenses awarded on Monday by the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation, according to a press release.

The DCR stated in the release that it received more than 1,600 applications during the July 27-Aug. 10 application period. A majority of the approvals – 19 – came from the St. Louis area.

Six microbusiness licenses were awarded within each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts through a random lotteray, according to the release. Of the six in each district, two are microbusiness dispensary licenses and four are microbusiness wholesale facility licenses. Prior to issuing the licenses, DCR conducted a review to determine whether applicants were eligible to receive a license.

The following applications were approved in Mid-Missouri:

• Frankenstein Enemy, LLC at 700 Vandiver Drive,  Columbia
• Cannarooted LLC at 206 East Texas Ave. in Columbia
• Garrett Endeavors, LLC at 11530 Twitty Drive, Rolla (Phelps County)
• Smugglers Din at 131 Main Street in Rothville (Chariton County)
• Lea Yohe Cannabis Micro Grow at 14313 Monroe Road 921 in Madison (Monroe County)

According to Cannabis.Mo.Gov, applicants for a microbusiness license needed to meet each of following criteria:

• Have a net worth of less than $250,000 and have had an income below 250% of the federal poverty level, or successor level, for at least three of the 10 calendar years prior to applying for a marijuana microbusiness facility license; or
• Have a valid service-connected disability card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or successor agency; or
• Be a person who has been, or a person whose parent, guardian or spouse has been arrested for, prosecuted for, or convicted of a non-violent marijuana offense, except for a conviction involving provision of marijuana to a minor, or a conviction of driving under the influence of marijuana. The arrest, charge, or conviction must have occurred at least one year prior to the effective date of this section; or
• Reside in a ZIP code or census tract area where:
  • Thirty percent or more of the population lives below the federal poverty level; or
  • The rate of unemployment is 50% higher than the state average rate of unemployment; or
  • The historic rate of incarceration for marijuana-related offenses is 50% higher than the rate for the entire state; or
• Graduated from a school district that was unaccredited, or had a similar successor designation, at the time of graduation, or has lived in a zip code containing an unaccredited school district, or similar successor designation, for three of the past five years.

According to the release, applicants not chosen are eligible for a refund, which must be requested by submitting a microbusiness application refund request form. Requests for a refund will be accepted beginning Thursday, Nov. 2.

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Originally Appeared Here

The Kiwanis Club of Columbia Friday honored two former club presidents, Bobby Harris and Travis Jones, with the George F. Hixson Fellowship.

The George F. Hixson Fellowship was established by the Kiwanis Children’s Fund in 1983 and is named for the first President of Kiwanis International.

The award is one of the highest honors given by Kiwanis Club, recognizing individuals who have contributed significantly to Kiwanis’ history of generosity and for their dedicated service to the club and their community.

Harris joined the Kiwanis Club of Columbia in 1993 and served as the 81st President of the club in 2001-2002.

“This is about the club. Kiwanis is good for the community,” Harris said. “If you measure the number of service organizations in a community and add them all together, they represent about 1% of the people that serve voluntarily in their community.”

Harris said the most rewarding experience about participating in Kiwanis is reading to children and boosting literacy programs to help children in the community.

The Kiwanis Club of Columbia has donated over $60,000 to Imagination Library of Maury County and sponsors literacy programs for children and scholarships for students.

More:Shoppers find treasures, give back at 19th annual Kiwanis Club yard sale

Harris is a native of Maury County and is a graduate of Maury County Public Schools and Columbia State Community College. He received a degree in accounting from The University of Memphis.

His professional career began at the corporate office of Holiday Inn in Memphis. 

After 20 years in the hotel industry and receiving his Certified Public Accountant designation, Harris joined the financial services industry with Merrill Lynch and later Edward Jones, where he became a Certified Financial Planner.  He completed his career with Edward Jones, where he attended its Top Producers annual conference seven times.

He and his wife, Connie, recently celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary and are parents of two children, Nathan and Sarah, and two grandchildren, Lilly and Ava.

More:Kiwanis Club annual yard sale dedicated to late volunteer, set for Feb. 25

Harris served on the Board of the Kings’ Daughters’ School for nine years and for 20 years on the Maury County Industrial Development Board. He also served as a Maury County Commissioner, president of the Little League, Columbia Swim Team and Central High Band Boosters.

Jones second generation Kiwanis member

Jones was born in Columbia and attended Brown Elementary, Whitthorne Middle School and graduated from Battle Ground Academy. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

He became an Eagle Scout at the age of 16 with Columbia Troop 111.

After serving as president and general manager of Jones Home Furnishings in Columbia for 10 years, he enrolled in the Nashville School of Law, where he graduated in 2012.

Gov. Bill Haslam appointed Jones to serve as the Public Defender for the 22nd Judicial District. He was elected without opposition in 2020 and 2022.

He has served on the Board of Governors of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association, President of Leadership Maury Board, president of Graymere Country Club and a member of the Tennessee Public Defenders Conference Executive Committee. He serves as co-chairman of the Steering Committee for the new Maury County Judicial Center.

He is the father of son, Walker. He and his wife, Kendall, a fellow attorney, enjoy sharing their interest in outdoor activities.

Jones joined the Kiwanis Club in 1998 and was the 88th President of the club in 2008-2009.

Jones said he is humbled to receive the award.

A second generation Kiwanis Club member, Jones said he remembers volunteering for many club and community events as a child with his father, which set the stage for his community involvement as an adult.

Originally Appeared Here

In April 2012, Chris Cottle’s father was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 52.

His family soon would welcome those from the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter into their home to explain the brain disorder.

“They let us know what they do and about the Walk to End Alzheimer’s,” Cottle said. “The first time I went out there, it was just kind of amazing to be around people who understood. Because when the diagnosis happened, you kind of just feel like you are on an island by yourself with your family.

“Getting out there with people who have lived it, are living it, I had a massive sense of relief that you are not the only one and that there is help and community for you.”

He now works for the Greater Missouri chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, which is preparing for Columbia’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday from Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. He also manages walks in the Macon and Moberly area, and in Kirksville.

“This is my 11th walk season and it is just as impactful every time I am there,” Cottle said.

Columbia has hosted a Walk to End Alzheimer’s for at least 30 years, likely originally in connection to the University of Missouri’s Sigma Kappa sorority, whose national philanthropy project is the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Cottle said.

Registration starts 9:30 a.m. from parking lot J between the Hearnes Center and Faurot Field with opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. from there. The walk starts at 11:15 a.m.

Registration still is open online through the Alzheimer’s Association website. Around 76 teams already are registered equaling about 575 people.

Meghan Drakas from ABC 17/KMIZ is the opening ceremony emcee. She also is the marketing and outreach chair for the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter.

“She is a former Sigma Kappa from Penn State and so when she moved to Columbia, she walked in our office and said, ‘I want to keep volunteering,'” Cottle said.

From lot J, walkers will take the Tiger switchback path, through the tunnel and then out onto the track around Faurot Field.

“You are welcome to walk as many or as few times as you like,” Cottle said, adding a promise garden ceremony will close out the opening ceremonies.

“We have different colored flowers, which represent your relationship with Alzheimer’s, and you can grab one of those and decorate it,” Cottle said.

There are a variety of other activities that will happen in addition to the walk, Cottle said.

More:Columbia couple part of ‘sandwich generation,’ caring for children and husband’s mother

“We’ll have a kids zone, some face painting activities and a memory wall where you can write why you walk,” he said, adding an onsite informational tent will have support group moderators and others providing information on free Alzheimer’s Association programs.

The Greater Missouri Chapter aims to raise $220,000 from the Columbia walk and as of Thursday was just over halfway there. Some donations are not yet factored into the total amount, Cottle said.

“Hopefully on Saturday we’ll have moved the online needle quite a bit. I have full confidence that we’ll be able to make it because Columbia always shows up,” he said. “We hope to see everyone on walk day. Even if you don’t have a loved one that is directly connected, it is a way to see and engage and meet a neighbor and your smile and presence means the world to a lot of people.”

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

Originally Appeared Here

EPHRATA — Two candidates are vying for a seat on the Ephrata School Board. Mike Fleurkens and Jordan Hansen made it past the primary over the summer.

The Columbia Basin Herald reached out to both candidates simultaneously to pose the questions below. Both candidates were given a deadline and equal allotments of word count for each question to ensure fairness. Both also responded by the deadline. Responses below are listed in alphabetical order based on the candidate’s last name.

Voting begins Oct. 20 and continues through Election Day on Nov. 7. Ballots are slated to be sent out just prior to the voting period.

Why are you running for the Ephrata School Board?

Fleurkens: For several years now I’ve been regularly attending school board meetings. I wanted to be informed about what was going on at a higher level in our District as well as learn more about the accomplishments of the staff and students from our community. The current Director for my zone is retiring after this term and several members of the community approached me and encouraged me to get more involved and run for this position. I’ve always felt we have a great school District here in Ephrata, with dedicated staff and a safe and welcoming culture that has provided well for our students. There’s no question our District has been desirable to neighboring communities, this is evident by the high number of students from surrounding Districts attending school in our District by choice. I have two boys in Ephrata Schools and with some encouragement from the community, I decided I wanted to get more involved and be part of continuing to improve the District for not just my kids but all of our students in the future.

Hansen: I have had a longstanding interest in running for the Ephrata school board for many years and have found this election cycle as my opportunity to serve the community. I grew up in a home where both of my parents had teaching degrees (Industrial Arts and Home Economics). I pursued a degree in Agriculture Education at Utah State University and attained a Master’s Degree in Agriculture at Washington State University.

I recently graduated from the Washington AgForestry Leadership program in the spring of this year. I am grateful for the many opportunities this program has provided me to improve my personal leadership skills. One poignant lesson I learned was the importance of public service and the need to listen to others with an open mind. As a member of the Ephrata School Board, I will deliberately seek to understand each issue and encourage a collaborative-driven approach to matters brought before the board.

I am a father of two children who currently attend Ephrata schools and they began their educational journey in the kindergarten classrooms here in the Ephrata School District. I am proud of the devoted educators and staff that we have here in the Ephrata School District and recognize the tremendous value they bring to our community. I believe in amplifying parent voices and advocating for our kids. I personally believe that it is extremely important to listen to parents and that we foster an environment where we have collaboration between our schools and the community.

What would your top two goals be as a trustee?

Fleurkens: Getting community more informed and more involved in our district. The system works better with community involvement. We consistently see bills passed at federal and state levels that may fit the ideologies and agendas of metropolitan areas, but these bills often chip away at parental rights and don’t fit with the values and beliefs here. Through parent community committees, increased attendance at public meetings, and community engagement in general, parents can ensure they have a voice in the process before the policies are changed or adopted. As a board member, I would be responsible for those policies that address these bills and I am committed to ensuring those concerns are addressed while working within the confines of state law.

The second, biggest priority involves modernization and safety improvements to schools. We voted for tax levies and bond approvals to fund much-needed renovations and improvements to our schools. We finally completed (renovating) Ephrata Middle School and Columbia Ridge. These projects ran over budget and late due to COVID and escalating costs. The result is work (at) other facilities has been put on hold as there is less money than planned and costs are greater than anticipated. We have half of our elementary students benefitting from an improved campus while the other half are still in an outdated facility. This is about classroom space, (eliminating) portables, improved lighting, and security improvements. We need to make hard decisions and set a path forward. That means learning from the Columbia Ridge and EMS projects, not to find fault, but to see what can be done better. This needs to be accomplished without jeopardizing financial stability. I’m committed to being a part of that process and seeing this through for our community.

Hansen: My top two goals are first to continue to expand and support our current Career Technical Education (CTE) Programs at both Ephrata High School and Ephrata Middle School. My personal background is around the National FFA Organization and I have a deep understanding of the innumerable benefits that this student organization can bring to an individual. I’ve personally grown and benefitted in adulthood from the lessons I learned as a high school student in FFA. With that being said I’m an ardent supporter of Career Technical Education in its many forms and believe that it can lead our students to career exploration paths that they might not otherwise have considered. Ephrata High School recently started a chapter of HOSA-Future Health Professionals giving students exposure to a wide variety of health care fields and is a great example of CTE education combining traditional science courses with career-based education. I believe that the related student organizations like Skills-USA, (Future Business Leaders of America) and (Future Farmers of America), to name a few, are an excellent proving ground for students to learn job and life skills. These organizations are the secret sauce connecting students with education and real-world experience.

Second, we need to continue investing in STEAM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) as a catalyst for student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. Placing an emphasis on the arts and sciences I believe that we can spark a lifelong interest in students to continue learning and exploring the world around us. The sciences and arts prepare our students to continue to be innovators in the world. It is our responsibility to encourage students to have a lifelong love of learning for each student as well as the growth and stability of our community and country as a whole.

What financial priorities do you feel the district should have?

Fleurkens: Priority one is ensuring our district maintains strong financial stability. We have a long history of maintaining financial stability in our district. This has helped us with maintaining excellent bond ratings which saves the taxpayers money when we purchase bonds for the construction projects that improve our schools. Another part of this has been maintaining an adequate reserve fund that has helped us make necessary improvements such as the lighting at Kiwanis field, the remodel of classrooms and most recently the new bleachers for the main gym at the high school and improvements of our fine arts facilities. We need to ensure we don’t jeopardize the financial stability of the district so we can remain in a good financial position as we make decisions on the future improvements to our facilities.

Another priority, as mentioned above, is ensuring the bond and levy funds are used properly and doing our best to give the public what they voted for. This includes the improvements to our transportation and storage facilities that some of these funds were earmarked for.

Hansen: I’m dedicated to prioritizing fiscal responsibility and the Ephrata School District has a long-standing track record of being fiscally conservative. This has served the District well for many years and I believe that our local community appreciates the care that is taken with tax dollars each time that a levy is presented to the voters. There certainly are challenges that are being faced by the district as the current bond to remodel our buildings does not contain enough dollars to accomplish all of the goals that were originally set forth when it was passed.

However, there have been some major economic shifts that have occurred since the bond passed which we are all aware of on a personal economic level and we may need to remind ourselves that the District isn’t immune from these factors as well. This doesn’t negate the fact that we have aging buildings and a promise to our community to update the buildings that were approved by the voters. It is imperative that we move forward on improvements to Grant Elementary now that Columbia Ridge has been completed. This is going to take deep consideration of what the best path forward is for the district. Ephrata needs to move forward to have two elementary schools that complement each other and best serve our most precious resource. The reality is that construction costs have soared in the years from the approval of the most recent construction bond and financing these improvements will take a lot of work. It’s important to realize that our schools also serve as an economic engine to our community and long-range planning for our vision is important to help our community both grow and be supported by that growth.

What will you do to engage parents and students in the district to ensure you are addressing their concerns?

Fleurkens: I’ve always been approachable and enjoy conversations with parents, students, and members of our community in general. I want to hear concerns, ideas, and get feedback as this is the reason I’m doing this. It is not for personal reasons, it’s to ensure our entire community is properly represented. If I fail to meet their expectations, then I expect to be held accountable and I want to hear from them again. As previously mentioned, I regularly attend board meetings and I have for several years now. That won’t change in the future, regardless of whether I’m elected. Folks can always catch up with me there. I consistently attend events in our community, school functions and sporting events, which has always been a great opportunity to get to know District staff, other parents, and community members. My campaign email is fleurkensforesd@gmail.com and Facebook is Mike Fleurkens for ESD POS#2. People are always welcome to contact me there. So far I’ve been able to respond to messages within a day.

Hansen: I will engage parents and students wherever they are so that they know their voices are being heard. I believe that we need to have community listening sessions around topics that are top of mind for our community. I believe that we need these forums to be modeled around civil discussion and be collaborative where we model to each other and our kids that we can come together to discuss any number of topics. Ephrata is a special community where we look out for each other and I believe is a place where every student should feel welcomed, seen and accepted.

Originally Appeared Here

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

High school seniors Avery True and Macey Hansen, who both come from the Missouri Valley Region, have made verbal commitments to the University of Wyoming for the 2024-25 school year.

Avery True

True hails from Kansas City, Missouri. She attends Liberty North High School and swims year-round for Tsunami Swim Club of KC and specializes in mid-distance freestyle. She told SwimSwam she chose Wyoming because:

“They have both majors I am considering. They are building a new pool and they have a high-altitude training center that will help with training.”

True won both the 200 free (1:50.55) and 500 free (4:54.12) at the 2023 Missouri High School Class 2 State Championships last February. Three weeks later, competing at Columbia Sectionals, she won the 200 free with a PB of 1:49.17, her first time under 1:50. She also placed 3rd in the 500 free (4:55.77), 7th in the 1000 (10:19.27), 7th in the 1650 (17:17.51), 16th in the 50 fly (26.36), and 8th in the 200 fly (2:05.84). She finished the meet with new times in the 200/1000 free and 50/200 fly.

Best SCY times:

• 200 free – 1:49.17
• 500 free – 4:54.12

Macey Hansen

Hansen, a native of Columbia, Missouri, is a senior at Battle High School. She trains with Columbia Swim Club and excels at the longer end of the freestyle range. She announced her commitment, saying:

“I am thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Wyoming! I am so extremely thankful to my coaches, family, and most of all my amazing parents and teammates who have given me nothing but their full support! Special thanks to the amazing coaches and team at WYO who I cannot wait to join! GO POKES!!!🤠🤠🤠”

Hansen was runner-up to True in the 200/500 free at the MSHSAA Class 2 State Swimming and Diving Championships, notching times of 1:52.65/4:54.33. Her 500 was a PB. At Columbia Sectionals, Hansen came in 3rd in the 1650 free –her strongest event– with 16:46.40 and 4th in the 1000 free (10:01.24). She scored new PBs in both events.

Best SCY times:

• 500 free – 4:54.33
• 1000 free – 10:01.24
• 1650 free – 16:46.40

The two will add strength to a training group consisting of Maisyn Klimczak, 2023 Mountain West champion in the 1650 (16:20.46), runner-up in the 500 free (4:46.18), and 3rd-place finisher in the 200 free (1:48.53) and Tara Joyce, 2023 Junior Nationals finalist in the 200 free (1:46.74).

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri is in the middle of an affordable housing crisis. According to Empower Missouri, 72% of very low income households in the state are housing cost burdened.

There was an open house walking tour in Columbia on Sunday for residents to tour accessory dwelling units (ADU).

An ADU is a “smaller residence that can be attached to, detached from or built within a primary residence,” according to the event sponsors.

The units can be detached or attached to a primary house. They can be built out of a basement, garage conversion, or even an attic conversion. They are smaller in size than the principal dwelling unit on a property, according to Adrenne Stolwyk, the owner of Monarch Architecture.

The units toured were located in Columbia and were all within a walkable distance from one another. According to Scott Claybrook, Arise Dwellings founder, the tours are meant for people to see the possibility of the more affordable living opportunities that ADUs have to offer.

“It’s kind of hard to imagine creating little dwellings on your property unless you can see it in function,” said Claybrook. “And so we wanted to open up a number of different expressions.”

Some of the dwellings are rentals, some are mother-in-law suites and others are offices. Claybrook describes them as viable resources for some of Columbia’s community problems.

Stolwyk explains that accessory dwelling units and pocket neighborhoods are one way to create affordable housing using the infrastructure that Columbia already has.

“The tour is a way of highlighting some of the new development patterns that are sprouting up in Columbia and the accessory dwelling units in particular are responding to an ordinance that was created in 2014 that allows them,” said Stolwyk.

She further explains that ADUs were not explicitly allowed in Columbia before.

According to Stolwyk, ADUs generally translate to lower rent and lower costs of energy consumption. She explained that one of the ADUs on the tour had a 6-kilowatt solar array on the roof. That solar array contributes towards the units’ affordability.

Mikki Philippe has lived in her tiny home for nearly a year and describes it as “the perfect way to learn a lot about yourself and your habits.” Phillippe said she has wanted to live in a tiny home since she was in middle school.

“I think the main attraction for me is just living simply and taking care of what you do have because you don’t need more stuff,” said Philippe.

She found the property online when looking for places to rent and then booked a tour. She says she signed the lease that day.

Philippe says that while she loves her tiny home, or pocket house, it isn’t for everybody.

“For me personally living in a tiny home as one person is wonderful and works really well. I could not imagine living in this house with another person and their stuff,” Philippe said.

Phillippe says that while looking at apartments in Downtown Columbia, she fell in love with her current home because she had amenities like parking and a washer and drying unit.

More information regarding this project can be found here.

Originally Appeared Here

EDITOR’S NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider, NJ.com’s B2B cannabis industry trade journal and events vertical, is hosting the state’s foremost business conference on Oct. 12. Tickets are limited.

The state Cannabis Regulatory Commission expanded the use of edible products to infused chocolates, baked goods, butters, jams and beverages Friday. The board also fined two of the state’s larger cannabis companies for running afoul of regulations, levying tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

TerrAscend was fined $100,000 and Columbia Care was fined $50,000 for not adhering to the state’s rules on serving medical patients and collective bargaining in good faith with labor unions. Before the final penalties were approved, CRC Vice Chair Sam Delgado had called for the equivalent of a slap on the wrist, suggesting fines as low as $1,000.

Prior to a testy debate, Jeff Brown, the commission’s executive director laid out the violations from TerrAscend, recommending a maximum $25,000 fine for not prioritizing medical patients at all three of its New Jersey locations, as required by state law.

The commission has latitude to go below or above Brown’s recommendation. Its chair, Dianna Houenou, however, increased the final amount to $100,000, saying it reflected the systemic nature of TerrAscend persistently ignoring the law.

“The investigator, in a very thorough report pointed out that there still seems to be a rampant issue with TerrAscend New Jersey and their staff — that they are simply not offering all advertised cannabis products to medicinal patients,” said Houenou, after explaining that the company was made aware of complaints dating as far back as January of this year.

“TerrAscend’s staff failed to accommodate patients as required at all three of their facilities,” the chairwoman continued. “To me this demonstrates that TerrAscend’s problem is not an isolated event, nor is it a simple mistake made by one employee.”

Delgado was the sole voice of dissent among the four commissioners in attendance, accusing Houenou’s suggestion of being “shortsighted” and calling the fine onerous. Commissioner Maria Del-Cid Kosso was absent.

“It’s going to send shockwaves throughout the marketplace,” Delgado said. “The people that will lose their jobs are not the higher ups, but rather the folks in the field, the workers, the managers — I think it would be a disinvestment,” he said.

Commissioner Charles Barker disagreed, saying large, multi-state cannabis companies know better.

“These are not new players,” he said. “These are players that have been in state after state. They know the rules. They’re also not your average small business … TerrAscend doesn’t have to fire anybody. I don’t know that this is an egregious fine compared to the business that they are.”

TerrAscend released a weekend statement saying it was committed to compliance.

“TerrAscend has a deep history of compliance in New Jersey, as this is the first violation of any type we’ve received in our four years of operating in the state,” the company said. “In June 2023, we were informed that the CRC had received 5 medical patient complaints related to the fact that certain products were listed only on our adult use menu.

While these patients were still able to purchase these products, it violated a CRC requirement that all products available on our adult-use menu must also be listed on our medical menu,” their statement continued. “Once informed of this deviation, TerrAscend took immediate action to refine product listing procedures, including IT improvements and further employee training to ensure full compliance with these requirements. We share in the CRC’s focus on ensuring that New Jerseys’ medical patients are treated with the priority and care they deserve.”

Columbia Care was looking at a $50,000 violation related to letting a labor peace agreement lapse. An LPA is when a company agrees to be neutral if their employee wants to join a union. Collectively bargaining in good faith is required by New Jersey legislation.

Krista Nash, a commissioner who was appointed to the board in large part for championing unions, voiced strong support for the fine against Columbia Care.

“They’ve been here a long time, and they’ve been operating in other states, we just happened to rightfully place a strong emphasis on labor, and I think people need to get that here if they want to do business in New Jersey,” she said.

New Jersey CannaBusiness Association President Scott Rudder supported the commission’s actions to expand edibles and the additional approved licenses.

“Today we saw another exciting leap forward in the progress of New Jersey’s cannabis industry. To date, the CRC has approved over 280 licenses for cultivation, manufacturing and retail in the state, creating exactly the kind of momentum we need,” he said. “These combination of events and today’s action shows that now is the perfect time to invest in New Jersey’s cannabis industry.”

The commission had more than 80 licenses up for consideration at this meeting, with more than 287 operating licenses out of nearly 1,500.

In other business:

• The much-anticipated rules for edibles should be a boon to manufacturers, who are legally the only licensed companies who can supply processed products to retail stores. Products, such as baked cookies or brownies, for instance cannot contain alcohol or nicotine, and must be ready to consume. Other rules include a limit to 5 mg of THC in single-serve beverages and manufacturing staff must be trained in food safety.
• The commission is seeking public comment on the proposed rules for clinical registrants, which are clinically focused alternative treatment centers. Clinical registrants must be partnered with an academic medical center in the region to conduct research on medicinal cannabis. Public comment period ends Oct. 6.
• Brown gave a brief synopsis of the price of weed flower going down since the beginning of the year, from $391 an ounce in January to $366 in July with prices in the medicinal market dropping even lower to $313 an ounce, or $11.18 per gram. “In new markets like New Jersey, this is good news,” he said, adding that by comparison in Massachusetts’ first two years of legalization the average price for an ounce was $400.
• In his report, Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Wesley McWhite III said the commission was exceeding its benchmarks when it came to inclusion of racial ownership of businesses. In some cases, he said, it exceeded the national business ownership rate for Black and Asian demographics. Hispanic ownership was consistent with census numbers for businesses, he said.

The commission also released additional info on the state’s wholesale, distribution and delivery licenses, which will become available to apply for social equity applicants on Sept. 27. Diversely-owned business can begin submitting applications on Dec. 27. All other applicants will be able to apply beginning March 27, 2024.

In a press release, the commission announced it would be doing a webinar Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. to help people through the application process.

Wholesale licenses allow the businesses to store, buy, and sell bulk cannabis and cannabis products.

A cannabis distribution license allows the transportation of bulk cannabis and cannabis products between cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, or retailers within New Jersey.

A delivery license enables transport from retail shops to consumers.

“The launch of these new cannabis business license classes represents a significant step in the continued growth and diversification of New Jersey’s cannabis industry,” Houenou said in the statement. “We now have more medicinal and recreational businesses open, so applicants for these additional license classes have a more robust industry to serve. We are committed to fostering inclusivity, empowering local communities, and providing opportunities for those typically underrepresented who want to enter the cannabis industry.”

Jelani Gibson is content lead for NJ Cannabis Insider. He may be reached at jgibson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jelanigibson1 and on LinkedIn. This article was updated with recent comment from TerrAscend.

Originally Appeared Here