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Originally Appeared Here

“Nothing is more important than healthy children and families. Play is essential to health as it contributes to cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being,” Cleveland said in a press release Monday. “Securing state funding for the Columbia Play Project helps support this important local effort and advances the vision for a children’s museum in Vancouver to support the success of future generations.”

The funds will be used to offer public engagement opportunities, business and strategic planning, space identification, space and exhibit planning, and design, according to the press release.

“Columbia Play Project intends to build a world-class exploratory play space with permanent and rotating exhibits; art, makers, science and computer labs; a theater; outdoor play space; and a curated children’s library,” said Jeanne Bennett, board chair for Columbia Play Project.

Bennett said the $515,000 will allow the organization to begin the work necessary to make its dream of a local children’s museum a reality. She said Columbia Play Project isn’t sure yet how the funding can be used per state Department of Revenue requirements, but it is working on ironing out those details.

“We’re just very early in that process. Our hope is that we’ll be able to conduct some community engagement process so that we can learn what people would like to see included in a children’s museum,” Bennett said.

From there, she said Columbia Play Project will begin to create designs and plans for the museum, a business plan and a strategic plan.

“In my dreams, it would be a 20-year strategic plan with shorter five-year increments that would get us to building and opening a children’s museum. And then from there, what would be the next iteration as we continue to serve the community,” Bennett said.

Columbia Play Project will need to find other funding sources to build the museum. Bennett said having a business plan, strategic plan and basic design for the museum space would allow it to apply for more grants, federal and state funding, and philanthropic support. It is also weighing whether to build a new space or remodel an existing building.

“We’d like to open it today, but that can’t happen. This is probably a three- to five-year process. A children’s museum that is built in an existing space … would probably cost somewhere between $20 million to $30 million. Building something from scratch … would be something like $40 million,” Bennett said.

The need for a children’s museum in Clark County became more evident, Bennett said, after the Portland Children’s Museum closed in June 2021. She said that need hasn’t lessened any in the intervening years.

While it waits on building the museum, Columbia Play Project operates a mobile children’s museum that travels into communities to provide educational and exploratory play experiences.

“We launched that last year, so we’re out and about. We have an extensive public schedule happening this spring, summer and fall. But we really want a full-scale children’s museum,” Bennett said.

Columbia Play Project also developed at-home play kits last year that focus on local ecosystems. The kits are designed for kids age 3-7.

For more information, go to www.columbiaplayproject.org.

Originally Appeared Here

Mill and overlay pavement and Reclamite maintenance will be performed April 24 through May 9. The repairs start at 6 a.m.

Maintenance is scheduled to be completed by May 9 at 7 p.m., according to the press release.

The city has contracted Capital Paving and Corrective Asphalt Materials LLC to repair various Columbia streets. Crews begin work from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“No parking” signs will be posted 24 hours before for streets being repaired. Temporary lane closures will be administered. Motorists will be assisted through work zones with traffic control signs and flaggers. Motorists and pedestrians should use caution in work zones and find alternate routes.

The following streets are set to be repaired:

West Columbia

• Bernadette Drive between North Fairview Road and Knipp Street
• Heather Lane between West Ash Street and West Broadway
• West Broadway between Stadium Boulevard and Atkins Drive
• Edgewood Avenue between West Stewart Road and the south end of the street
• West Rollins Road between Sunset Drive and Stadium Boulevard
• Smith Drive between Louisville Drive and Scott Boulevard
• West Broadway between Clinkscales and Stadium Boulevard
• West Rollins Road between the Bonnie View roundabout and Altai Drive
• Thornbrook Ridge between Newbury Way and the west end of the street
• Louisville Drive between West Smith Drive and south to the county line

South Columbia

• Discovery Parkway between Highway 63 and Discovery Drive
• Green Meadows Road between Forum Boulevard and Bethel Street
• Green Meadows Road between Grindstone Parkway and the Carter Lane roundabout
• Green Meadows Road between Carter Lane and South Providence Road
• Carter Lane between Foxfire Drive and Campusview Drive
• Carter Lane between the roundabout and south of Foxfire Drive
• Discovery Drive between the MoDOT line and the new concrete

East Columbia

• East Pointe Drive between East Stadium Boulevard and the end of the street
• Mexico Gravel Road between the Ballenger Lane roundabout 545 feet east and the county line
• Conley Road between the Interstate 70 Connector and Broadway Bluffs Drive
• Spring Cress Drive between Mexico Gravel Road and the north end of the street
• East Broadway between Stephens Lake Park and Brickton Road
• East Broadway between William Street and Stephens Lake Park
• Shepard Boulevard between Old Highway 63 and Danforth Drive
• Bucks Run between Shepard Boulevard and Bluff Boulevard
• Brickton Road between East Broadway and Trimble Road

North Columbia

• Smiley Lane between Rangeline Street to a point 180 feet east and where the asphalt ends
• Derby Ridge Drive between East Brown School Road and the north end of the street
• Thompson Road from North Wyatt Lane east to the county line
• Wilkes Boulevard between North Providence Road and North Seventh Street
• North Seventh Street between Business Loop 70 East and Wilkes Boulevard
• Mexico Gravel Road roundabout at Vandiver Drive and North Hinkson Creek Road

Downtown Columbia and MU

• East Broadway between College Avenue and William Street
• Matthews Street between University Avenue and Paquin Street
• Curtis Avenue between Burnam Avenue and Kentucky Boulevard
• Kentucky Boulevard between South Providence Road and Tiger Avenue
• Dorsey Street between East Broadway and Anthony Street
• Willis Avenue between East Broadway and Bass Avenue

Originally Appeared Here

The chamber once again welcomed its Showcase Como event to the Columbia Expo Center on Wednesday, where national businesses with offices in Columbia, local large-scale businesses and local small businesses were featured.

“We have had this event going on for a number of years, well over a decade,” said Chamber President Matt McCormick, adding there was an exception during the COVID-19 years. “It was nice to be able to bring it back. The thing I enjoy most is getting to talk to all our vendors, but also just hearing the stories of, ‘Hey I got to meet so-and-so, or I met this company and we are now doing business together.'”

The chamber also celebrates local small businesses with 25 or fewer employees in the autumn with its Small Business Festival. While there was some overlap of which organizations participate with Showcase Como and the Small Business Festival, the showcase is about celebrating all Columbia businesses, McCormick said.

More:Second annual small business festival celebrates ‘backbone of Columbia’

The driving force behind Showcase Como is Jamie Martin, chamber director of membership engagement, he said.

“She does a great job and works on this for the better part of the year to help put this together and working with the different vendors,” McCormick said.

The showcase features a wide variety of Columbia businesses. Any type of business you can think of had a booth, table or even just a person walking around handing out business information.

It was a daylong networking event, not just for business to business, but business to consumer as well, McCormick said.

The day started with the chamber’s quarterly membership breakfast, which featured an address by Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, before transitioning to the showcase starting at 9 a.m. There was a break from 11:00 to 1 p.m. for the Showcase Women’s Network professional development luncheon.

That event featured Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith, founder of Restorasis, “a professional development agency dedicated to restoring wellbeing in the workplace through work-life integration and burnout prevention strategies,” according to chamber event information.

The Showcase got started back up at 1 p.m. and ran until 6 p.m. Food vendors were featured in the last two hours of the day to provide a happy hour atmosphere to the end of the showcase.

“All the goods and services you will need, you can get right here in Columbia. This is a place where you can start that,” McCormick said, adding this applies to individuals and businesses. “We have different vendors for all kinds of things.”

The variety of businesses Wednesday ranged from health care, including mental health care, insurance, retail, construction, IT companies, banks and nonprofits, among others.

“(The showcase) gives me a chance and gives all of us a chance to maybe meet some people we didn’t know that are here for companies. Maybe we have met their main rep, but not their other team members. So, we get a chance to meet some of their other team members,” McCormick said, adding chamber membership itself continues to grow each month. “It is a good chance to really sit and talk with our new members.”

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

Ginger Schweikert is a self-described “weirdo.” She’s not big on handshakes, yet she’s a hugger. She could be a homebody if not for wanting to never stop exploring the world around her. She’s at once energetic and at ease in her own skin, whether donning a cap and hiking boots for another long hike or primping for hours to create the festive, just-right look for welcoming documentary film buffs during the True/False Film Fest. 

Ginger boasts an impressive resume of work experience and hobbies, ranging from registered nurse and seamstress to circus performer and clothing designer. Now she can add “author” to what for most people might only be a bucket list of life goals. 

Columbia Trails: Over 300 miles of hiking, biking, and horsing around in Mid-Missouri is a guidebook for hikers, trail runners, bicyclists, and equestrians. Ginger promotes the colorful, 158-page guidebook as ideal for someone who is new to Columbia or a longtime resident who just wants to spend more time outdoors. 

“This book will help you choose a path that is right for you,” the book promo states. “It is the perfect companion for all outdoor enthusiasts in mid-Missouri.” 

How many miles of trails?

More than 300 miles of trails are featured, most of which are within 30 minutes of Columbia. Ginger provides detailed information for each trail, including directions, trail type, difficulty, length, how busy the trail is, creek crossings, history, and a thorough trail description. 

In many ways, Columbia Trails is a culmination of Ginger’s experiences, seemingly as natural as the Rock Bridge and other geological wonders of mid-Missouri. She’s more than an able communicator. Ginger has a passion and zest for life that seemed begging for the book project. 

“People like to talk about diversifying your income,” she says. “I talk about diversifying your life.” 

Ginger Schweikert is ready for the lines to form during the opening day of the 2023 True/False Film Fest. Photo—Jodie Jackson Jr

A registered nurse since 2005, Ginger works at CenterPointe of Columbia, an inpatient mental health and addiction treatment center. She has a side gig as a seamstress, and those skills were on display among some of the Q Queens at the True/False Film Fest. 

“You saw some of the costumes that I make,” she says, adding that she specializes in festive, active wear. Ginger is especially drawn to working with “stretchy fabrics that can be used for dance, swimwear … just having fun wear.” 

Side gigs and hobbies turned into income opportunities are a frequent theme for Ginger’s life journey. In New Orleans, she was a circus artist and had her own circus variety show featuring acrobatics and a burlesque act.  

“I had a lot of fun doing that,” she explains, adding “stilt-walker” to the list of eccentric skills. 

“When I’ve done one thing for long enough, I’m ready to move on,” Ginger says. That meant selling her house in New Orleans and moving back to Missouri, where her family’s roots date back to the 1800s in Boone and Callaway counties. She got started building a tiny house and will refocus on that project now that the book is finished. 

“It’s in progress – it’s a long process,” she explains. 

Hickman Kewpie proud!

Born in Columbia, Ginger was a co-valedictorian of her Hickman High School graduation class of 1995. She graduated from Mizzou in 2000 and “decided to venture out,” living in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia (yeah, there’s a legendarily long trail through there) before going back to school for a nursing degree at Humboldt State – now Humboldt Cal Poly – among the giant redwoods in northern California. Ginger’s perpetual wanderlust then led her to a 13-year stay in New Orleans and honing her myriad crafts, including clothing and costume design. 

“New Orleans was definitely a colorful and sparkly time of my life – which was so nice when it got to come out at True/False,” she says, almost giggling. 

Before returning to Columbia, though, Ginger sailed up and down the East Coast from July 2020 until late September that year. Back in Columbia, as the pandemic year began to wind down, Ginger was restless but didn’t want to go far. 

“I just needed to start hiking all these trails for my sanity,” she says. “You know, there’s not a good resource for trails around Columbia.” Sure, there are good Android and iPhone apps for trail explorers, but those platforms don’t have enough detail or representation of the trails, Ginger adds. 

A couple of months in 2021, the thought hit her: “I think I’m gonna write a book” about the trails.  

The “fun research” was hiking that spring and discovering or rediscovering the nooks and crannies of trails either an easy bike ride or an easy drive from Columbia. 

As work progressed on the book, Ginger took some time away in the fall and, in typical Ginger fashion, rafted the Grand Canyon — “for the second time.” She made a connection and ended up staying in Colorado for most of 2022, working on the trail guidebook. 

But duty – and Columbia – was calling. 

“I needed to move back to finish two projects – my tiny house and the book,” she says. Ginger explains that she moved back “for real real” in September 2022. 

How long is “real real?” 

“My roots are down in Columbia, but I’m definitely a traveler,” she answers. “I have never stayed anywhere 365 days of the year, and I don’t plan on starting that. I like to see what the world has to explore.” 

A place to call home

Her still-under-construction tiny house will be her “home base,” but travel won’t wait long. She offers her nursing services to a house-based medical practice – NOLA Doc – in the New Orleans area, and she’s got a position at the Red Rock Recovery Center – an addiction, detox, and recovery facility – in a “beautiful setting” in Colorado. 

“Addiction is a really hard thing for people,” she says. “It’s been a really rewarding niche to get into.” 

Ginger will experience New Orleans for Mardis Gras, Jazzfest, and Halloween, and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado are “just a dream” for the hiking girl in her. 

Now 45 and with a bevy of international travel among her past itineraries – Ginger studied in Australia when she was 20 and she’s dipped into hot springs in Iceland, New Zealand, and Mexico — she has “a little bit more freedom to kind of go and explore.” 

Though brimming with curiosity and a keen sense of adventure, Ginger surprisingly didn’t learn to ride a bicycle until she was 21 with her brother’s tutelage. It was a learn-or-fall lesson. 

“I learned to ride a bike mountain biking – on the trails at Rock Bridge” Memorial State Park, she explains. That know-how came in handy for city biking around San Francisco and, later, in New Orleans. 

“I definitely identify as a hiker,” Ginger admits. “I’m a mild mountain biker. That’s one of the reasons I wrote this book.” She’s peddled the Katy Trail and she’s been on Rhett’s Run, the moderate- to intense-skill mountain bike at Cosmo Park. Less skilled cyclists “need something that’s in-between,” and that’s what she hopes her hiking guidebook delivers. 

The treasure of being in the moment

Ginger also hopes her new book will be a shared experience and a gateway to healing, as she discovered when 2020 finally gave way to 2021. 

“I kind of find walking meditative. Being in nature is healing,” she says, citing studies that show the calming effect of enjoying nature when it comes to anxiety and depression. “If anyone can say they didn’t feel anything during the pandemic …” Ginger’s voice trails off. 

“I had a very social life in New Orleans, then I came back to Columbia – and the pandemic,” she says, recalling asking herself, ‘What am I doing to do?’ 

“Walking was like physical therapy. I needed to get out and be in nature and have that solitude,” Ginger adds. “Hearing the ice dripping, the birds, the peepers. Keeping a positive outlook on life. I think that a lot of people would benefit from spending more time in nature. We’re so attached to our screens that we get disjointed from the actual, present moment. When you’re walking or hiking, you slow down, and you can see the world around you.” 

Ginger already had a collection of old hiking guides, some with good information but maps – some hand-drawn – that were often difficult to understand. And there wasn’t a definitive trail guidebook for Central Missouri. 

Columbia Trails features 68 trails within 30 minutes of Columbia. Trails are listed in sections for north, south, east, west, and southeast. Each area also has a bonus section of trails that are from 30- to 60-minutes away. Trails and parks a short drive from COMO include Arrow Rock, Graham Cave State Park, Binder Lake Park in Jefferson City, and more. Trail information includes the owner (COMO Parks and Rec, Missouri Department of Conservation, Division of State Parks, etc.), the trail type (single track, double track, surface material), what the trail allows (hiking, dogs, horses), length options, creek crossings, and more. 

Area information that includes a brief history lesson, as well as directions, are also included. 

Exploring close to COMO

Ginger personally prefers a natural surface – rocks, tree roots, and dirt – as opposed to gravel or paved trails. 

“You have to pay attention to where you’re walking,” she says. “It’s a different mindset. It puts you in the present moment.” 

But she doesn’t eschew paved trails, adding, “It’s different comfort levels and abilities. And you can be on a paved surface when the others are muddy. But I just wanted to advocate for natural surface trails.” 

The book’s front cover photo, taken at Gans Creek Wildlife Area, pays homage to Ginger’s favorite area. She’s also drawn to the Grindstone Nature Area, which is more in town. 

“There are so many trails and it’s so close to town,” Ginger says of Gans Creek. “You could spend hours out there. It’s a hidden gem.” 

Even as she wrapped up work on Columbia Trails, Ginger was still exploring, venturing to northeast Missouri to discover Mark Twain State Park and Mark Twain Lake. Less than 90 minutes from Columbia, it was a plethora of revelations for her trail-loving spirit. 

“Ultimately, if this goes well — if people enjoy Columbia’s Trails —I would like to branch out” with another guidebook that is specific to mid-Missouri, she says. Ginger would also consider writing a hiking guide to cover the state. 

What’s next?

For the Columbia Trails project, Ginger said she is indebted to the Columbia Missouri Trails Association – COMOTA —for the work that organization does to keep trails maintained and free of downed trees. COMOTA volunteers are especially active in the summer cutting back invasive honeysuckle and poison ivy. 

“Big kudos to them,” she adds. 

Ginger will be at the Columbia Earth Day Festival in Peace Park from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 23. She promises a sticker and a hug for all in-person book purchases. The COMO Earth Day price will be discounted at $23. Ginger’s LLC, Licious Unlimited, is the book publisher. The book is available in Kindle and paperback format. Local shops and outdoor recreation stores will carry the book and Ginger will do some pop-up events for sales and promotions. 

What’s next for the RN/hiker/seamstress/adventurer/author? 

“It’s time to hunker down and build a tiny house. Always learning, always exploring,” she said in an email to followers eager to know when the book was available. “We only have one life, so I am going to live it up!” 

In the days before the book became available, Ginger told COMO Magazine that she hopes readers enjoy it and learn something. 

“I hope it inspires them to go on a trail that they haven’t been on,” she said, explaining her own inspiration for exploring. “Part of the fun, when you write a book, you get to go to all the trails. As long as there are new things for me to explore in Missouri, it’s easy for me to let my roots continue to grow here.” 

Originally Appeared Here

Get the latest state-specific policy intelligence for the health care sector delivered to your inbox.

OHA reviews proposed healthcare business deals through the HCMO program to ensure they support statewide goals related to cost, equity, access, and quality. HCMO approved the transaction with several conditions after numerous community members raised concerns that Adventist, a faith-based organization, might restrict access to care for certain services. 

The $100 million transaction will allow Adventist to acquire MCMC, a nonprofit that operates a community hospital, a cancer center, and 22 healthcare clinics in and around The Dalles. Healthcare services offered by MCMC will continue in the area. 

OHA received notice of Adventist’s request on Jan. 24th, and completed a 30-day preliminary review of the transaction to assess its likely impact to cost, equity, access, and quality. It held a 14-day public comment period and received 50 written comments. Katherine Owenswood was one of several community members who opposed the transaction due to challenges it could present for LGBTQ and BIPOC members, as well as those looking to access reproductive healthcare and end-of-life care.

“This deal would ensure the only two hospital systems in the area would be faith-based,” Owenswood wrote. “There are many people in our community who feel uncomfortable or even unsafe in Christian/Catholic faith-based settings and deserve to have access to a secular option for healthcare. If this deal goes through, the closest secular hospital option would be over an hour’s drive on a highway that is subject to seasonal road closures. This is not an accessible alternative.”

Steve Caldwell wrote in support of the transaction, however, citing the opportunity for greater access to care.

“I wholeheartedly support Adventist becoming [the] new owner of MCMC,” Caldwell wrote. “The dwindling availability of physicians in this area has been a troubling development for over a year. I am still waiting to be notified of who my new primary care provider will be to replace the one that left a year ago. One can’t help but think the resources of Adventist will be a positive for overall health services here.”

OHA’s key findings regarding the transaction included:

• MCMC is facing significant financial challenges, as it posted a $10 million operating loss in 2022, and its days-cash-on-hand is below acceptable thresholds for hospitals in the state. It recently suspended medical oncology services at Celilo Cancer Center due to staffing shortages, and OHA believed further cuts to services would occur. OHA placed conditions in place to monitor Adventist’s spending regarding the transaction’s $100 million capital commitment.
• MCMC is a critically important provider of inpatient hospital care, primary care, and specialty care to Columbia Gorge communities. Both entities asserted that the transaction wouldn’t reduce access to needed services. They expect the transaction to expand services, although that would be subject to financial and staffing constraints. OHA imposed conditions aimed at ensuring that access to essential services is maintained in the 10 years following the transaction’s closure.
• MCMC’s performance on quality measures was uneven in recent years. Adventist made commitments to improve quality that include capital investments, efforts to recruit and retain staff, and quality improvement initiatives and technology. OHA will monitor MCMC quality measures in follow-up analyses.
• MCMC is the only secular hospital serving a large geographic area, and the closest hospital is part of a Catholic health system. Public comments raised concerns that the faith-based organization may restrict access to care for some services, including gender-affirming care, reproductive health services, and Death with Dignity Act services. OHA applied conditions to ensure that Adventist and MCMC continue to make existing MCMC services available for at least 10 years following the transaction’s closure.

Based on preliminary review findings, OHA approved the transaction with conditions, noting that, “The transaction is in the interest of consumers and is urgently necessary to maintain the solvency of MCMC.”

Originally Appeared Here

You could have a drink, but just don’t feel like having one. You know it now is legal to have recreational marijuana in Missouri and don’t usually take drugs, but have a curiosity. You might have had a small bit of a special brownie at a party once before, but definitely didn’t like the one flavor that could not be masked by chocolate.

So what options do you have? There are dispensaries with a variety of pre-packaged edibles, but you are curious about something different than what is offered.

In Columbia, there definitely is one person with a licensed business making a variety of savory and sweet baked goods and snacks that could satisfy your curiosity. You have seen signs on street corners throughout the city. It is Highbread Bakery and Treats.

The business got its start roughly one year ago out of the home kitchen of owner McPeak, but within a few months had transitioned to a commercial operation from the CoMo Cooks shared kitchens of The Loop Community Improvement District.

More:The Loop ready to ramp up use of newly finished CoMoCooks kitchen. April grand opening planned

Getting started

Baking and running a business is familiar to McPeak, whose mother operates a home-based bakery in Tennessee. It was in the last four or five years that baking became a passion, McPeak said.

“I always knew I wanted to use cannabis or hemp in some way in my baking. So, I worked with the city health department to get some clarification,” McPeak said, adding they get into the zone and a rhythm when baking. “It is easy to just forget about everything else.”

McPeak was impressed by The Loop, its community connections and its open arms since Highbread products are made with cannabis derivatives delta-8 or CBD.

“I came and said, ‘This is what I want to do,’ and they said, ‘OK, I think we can do that,’ ” McPeak said. “You don’t meet a stranger here (in the kitchens).”

Enjoying the products

Both delta-8 and CBD are used in products sold at Highbread. Delta-8 is one of the myriad cannabinoids present in the plant, but is less potent than other derivatives.

Even so, it still can give similar sensations, so McPeak recommends a “less is more” approach when consuming the products.

In other words, cut off a small piece from a cookie or cereal bar of one of the other baked goods or snacks, consume and wait 30 to 45 minutes to see how you feel.

More:The Loop’s Como Cooks scholarship provides opportunity for owner of The Biscuit Center

Originally working in higher education teaching graphic design, this is the first semester McPeak is not teaching. McPeak is a student again, receiving culinary and pastry training from a community college in St. Louis. This juggling of schedules means McPeak conducts sales and completes orders on Fridays and Saturdays.

“(Not teaching) has given me time to concentrate on school more and the business more. Being a student and owning a business is now a full-time gig. It’s an interesting change, for sure,” McPeak said. “I’m still able to be creative baking and that is one of things I love about it as an artist.”

Once McPeak finishes the culinary program, that will open the door toward increasing hours or days sold.

First customers and new products

McPeak expressed excitement over getting that first customer, noting while friends may give you constructive feedback, who you want to listen to most are the customers.

McPeak, through both customer feedback and increasing skills thanks to culinary school training, is working to grow the variety of products sold.

Cookies, brownies, and other sweet treats are expected, but McPeak also has savory options via flavored popcorn. Sorbets also were recently developed, which were introduced over last weekend.

More:VidWest community media center works to respond to growing digital interest

While many of the products are McPeak’s recipes, a few of the cookies are based on recipes from their mother.

For products that use delta-8, McPeak works closely with the supplier to ensure dosing is accurate in the variety of products. Cookies can have a minimum of 40 mg, while cereal bars and brownies can have up to 110 or 125 mg, respectively.

“It is just really clean. It helps you sleep if you need sleep. It can be a pain reliever. People seem to like it and it works well,” McPeak said.

The delta-8 McPeak uses is flavorless as well, unlike other edibles, which may smell or taste like cannabis.

Future goals

The next step for McPeak is fixing up a recently purchased food trailer from which to sell products, such as at various music festivals. The business is taking baby steps, McPeak said.

“Hopefully by 4/20, I’ll have the trailer ready to go,” McPeak said, adding this would give a chance to travel around the state and possibly to others. “We’ll see how it goes.”

More:Plastic synthetic hair problems lead MU grad to create this banana-based product

A small brick-and-mortar store could come at a later date, but will require balancing of roles.

“When you are a small business just getting started, you are more than just the baker. You’re the accountant, social media person. All the things. Sometimes I feel like there isn’t enough time in the day, but I wouldn’t trade it,” McPeak said. “I enjoy it too much.”

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 deadline to submit applications to Boone County for the first round of American Rescue Plan funding is fast approaching and more than 20 organizations and local governments have so far asked for a chunk of the $15 million available.

The deadline to apply for that money is 5 p.m. Friday, March 31.

Some notable applications so far include:

• The Boone County Regional Sewer District is requesting more than $7 million to improve the Midway area wastewater treatment plant.
• The Southern Boone County Fire Protection District is requesting nearly $400,000 to replace breathing apparatuses.
• The City of Hallsville is requesting more than $300,000 to test water for lead and copper and for public safety.
• The Boone County Nature School is requesting $200,000 for infrastructure.
• In2Action is requesting $1.5 million for a community enrichment project.

The money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, passed in 2021 as a stimulus package during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Boone County Regional Sewer District intends to use the money to build a new sewage treatment plant west of Columbia, in order to comply with the Department of Natural Resources standards. The DNR has made it mandatory that wastewater be disinfected and cannot contain ammonia.

Sewer District General Manager Tom Raterman said in receiving this money, the district will be able to keep customer utility bills from increasing. This is because if it is not granted the money, it’ll need to borrow a loan. In order to pay back that loan, it would hike up utility bill prices.

“When you talk about affordable housing, it’s not just the cost of the mortgage or the rent that makes housing affordable,” Raterman said. “It’s also utility bills, and so anything that the ARPA funding can do to help hold down utility bills and this will help hold down utility bills… benefits a large segment of the county population.”

The City of Hallsville also submitted four requests to the county for money. In those requests, the City hopes to receive money to fix sidewalks in its parks, to buy a new dump truck and for a vacuum trailer.

The DNR also made it mandatory that all water be tested for lead across the entire state of Missouri by October of next year. Hallsville administrator Kenyetta Ridgway said the vacuum would help them to test the water more efficiently.

“Instead of hand digging, you would use that vacuum trailer to dig down and look at the pipe that goes into the meter”

Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick said the process for reviewing, and deciding who receives funds will take months. After the deadline, an ARPA application review team will meet the following Monday to review the applications.

The entire month of April will consist of continuing to review the applications, as well as reaching out to any organizations for clarifying questions. A final decision is expected to be made in early June.

Although the county has $15 million to divide among the organizations, Kendrick said all of it doesn’t have to be used. The money from the remaining $18.5 million the county has remaining in unused ARPA funds, and the 15 is the amount that was agreed upon.

The county does not have any specific ideas in mind regarding who will receive the funds and for what projects. Kendrick said this is because it did not want to put anymore stipulations on the applications, as the federal government already has numerous.

“As we’re now, you know getting ready to turn that page over to the review process, you know we’re starting to have those conversations,” Kendrick said. “What does it look like, when we you know, would we do partial funding? you know those are questions we’re asking ourselves now”

A second round of applications is expected to end on Sept. 30, according to Kendrick.

Organizations who are awarded the money will likely have to wait until the early months of fall to receive the funds.

Originally Appeared Here