Mid-Missouri

COLUMBIA − As the year comes to a close, many mid-Missouri businesses and organizations are preparing to welcome in the New Year. Here are a few events happening around mid-Missouri to help you ring in 2024. 

Please email news@komu.com with details of your holiday event to be added to the list. 

DogMaster Distillery New Year’s Eve Party

• When: Dec. 31 from 6 p.m. to midnight.
• Where: 210 St James St, Columbia
• What: The DogMaster Distillery Facebook page notes the event will include cocktails, karaoke and dancing throughout the evening. 
• How: There is no cost to attend and does not require reservations in advance. 

New Year’s Eve with the Diddy Wah Daddies 

• When: Dec. 31 from 8 to 10 p.m.
• Where: 202 Central St, Rocheport
• What: Live music will be performed throughout the event.
• How: Reservations are not required for the event and will be free to attend.

New Year’s Eve at The Warehouse Bar & Grill

• When: Dec. 31 from 5 p.m. to midnight
• Where: 102 Cedar St., Jonesburg
• What: Enjoy the last night of 2023 at The Warehouse and ring in the New Year at midnight with a complimentary champaign toast.
• How: Make reservation for the evening by calling 636-500-2337.

New Year’s Celebration at Skullsplitter Spirits Distillery

• When: Dec. 30 from 7 to 10:30 p.m.
• Where: 9603 Highway B, Higbee
• What: Back Road Odyssey will be performing live music at the event. 
• How: To join the party, attendees must pay $5 upon entry. Outside food and drinks will not be allowed into the venue. 

New Year’s Eve at CJ’s Triple Play & Partyplex

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• When: Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to midnight. 
• Where: 50 VFW Rd., Eldon
• What: Live music will play throughout the evening and there will be free hors d’oeuvres for attendees. 
• How: Tickets and reservations are not required to attend.

Gimme Gimme Disco Presents: The NYE 2024 Disco Ball

• When: Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to midnight. The show will begin at 9 p.m.
• Where: 17 N 9th St., The Blue Note
• What: Dancing and disco music will take place throughout the evening leading up to the midnight countdown. 
• How: Tickets must be purchased ahead of time for the event either online, or at the Blue Note box office. Further details on the event can be found this website. 

The Vault New Year’s Eve Party 

• When: Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to midnight
• Where: 23 South Eighth St., Columbia
• What: The event is for those ages 21 and up and tickets are required for entry. Tickets will include a champagne toast at midnight and dessert bites throughout the evening. Cocktail attire will be required for the celebration. 
• How: Pre-ordered tickets will cost $15, and tickets purchased at the door will cost $20. More information on the event can be found at this website. 

New Year’s Eve Jazz Bash with COJO

• When: Dec. 31 from 5 p.m. to midnight
• Where: 816 E Broadway, Columbia
• What: A quartet will begin at 6 p.m. followed by COJO performing from 10 p.m. to midnight.
• How: Attendees must make reservations for the evening through this website. It will cost patrons $60 per person to take part in the evenings Prix Fix menu. 

New Year’s Eve: Don’t Mind Dying + The Comancheros 

• When: Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to midnight.
• Where: 1013 Park Ave., Rose Music Hall
• What: Live music will be performed by local bands throughout the evening leading up to the ball drop at midnight.
• How: Tickets can be purchased online or at The Blue Note box office. If tickets are still available after the event starts, party-goers can purchase them at Rose Music Hall. More information can be found on this website. 

New Year’s Eve Party at the 1837 Cellar Bar

• When: Dec. 31 from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Where: 403 Market St, Hermann
• What: The Cole Brothers will perform from 8 p.m. to midnight. Roaring ’20s attire is encouraged for attendees. 
• How: Tickets can be purchased now at $25 per person. Tickets can be reserved by calling Hermann Town Suites at 573-486-2662. 

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA – People opening up their home and welcoming others into the joy of the season with cheer, compassion and community is a long-held holiday tradition for many.

In Columbia, the annual Holiday Home Tours — put on the Missouri Symphony League — has been a staple of the mid-Missouri Christmas tradition for almost 40 years.

“We have eight trees up but two of them are very little,” said Julia Gaines, a Columbia homeowner who participated in this year’s event for the first time.

For Gaines, and her husband Brett, decorating for Christmas has been a long held tradition.

“I’m a pastor’s kid,” Gaines said. “So Christmas has always been a very spiritual event for us. My mother collected nativity scenes, so I have multiple of them around my house. So for me, it’s definitely been not only a good family experience, but a spiritual experience as well.”

This year, the couple decided to go all out with decoration to help a cause that’s important to them.

“The Missouri symphony is very special to us. It was our first date.” Gaines said. “I have played in the symphony for the entire time I’ve been in Columbia 28 years, I’ve played under all three maestro’s. So the symphony is just something that’s certainly near and dear to my heart. I’m very happy to lend our house to this cause because the money does go toward the Missouri symphony, and we’re very delighted to have it.”

With the weeks of hard work the couple put on to this year’s display, Gaines and her husband think it will be easier to make this level of decoration a yearly practice.

“I think it would be easier to do it like this again,” Gaines said. “I don’t know if we’re going to make it bigger and better. But as I look around the house, I think ‘oh, I could do this or I could do that.’ We have ideas we could probably build off of. We’ll have to see next year if we if we decide to add on, but I think it will be easier.”

For Donna Breedlove, another home tour participant, this is just what her house looks like each Christmas season.

“This is this is what I do every year,” said Breedlove. “I keep thinking, ‘you know, do I want to do this again?’ But I love having parties and having people over. And the one thing that keeps me going is my sister in law. Several years ago, she came to my party and she said, You know, I really didn’t have the spirit until I walked in your home. And I thought ‘that’s why I do it.‘“

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For Breedlove, she’s draws inspiration from what she remembers her own family doing when she was a child.

“My mother always was into decorating — always into Christmas, and I just grew up with it. I’m just carrying on the tradition,” Breedlove said. “But a lot of the things in this house, every room has a little bit of her. So that that’s part of it.“

And Breedlove hopes to spread a little Christmas cheer for those who need it, by opening her home to valued guests.

“Maybe they’ll get the same feeling my sister in law did where she gets into the spirit, Breedlove said. “I think that’s what that’s what I’m hoping for. I’m hoping people enjoy themselves when they come through my home.”

For Donna, a certain recurring image also hides in plain sight throughout each room being decorated.

“I’m into red Christmas tree trucks. And you’ll notice that,” Breedlove said. “I went with my grandchildren and my daughter, and we painted a little truck. And I have that and I have a little ornament that matches. So that’s probably one of the special things.”

Decorating reminds Donna of her family and all of the wonderful times they share.

“We just make it fun,” Breedlove said. “We get together. We eat. And we eat a lot. I love to bake. And I’ll have baked goods everywhere. So no one can be on a diet and come to my home. So it’s just not allowed. Not during the holidays.”

This was the Missouri Symphony’s 39th year of organizing this holiday home tour event. Its first year for the tours was back in 1984.

If you missed the home tours, but would still like to support the Missouri Symphony, you can give as part of this year’s Como Gives campaign. Como Gives is accepting donations up until New Years Eve.

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA  — The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) unveiled the latest annual performance report (APR) data for school districts on Monday.

Columbia Public Schools received a score of 70.1% on the APR issued for 2023.

The district received 92.3% of points in the continuous improvement section and 61.9% of points in performance.

2023 Missouri School Improvement Program 6 Annual Performance Report for Columbia Public Schools

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

This is a slight improvement from the 2021-2022 score, which was 70%. 

DESE looks at various metrics including performance and continuous improvement. There are subcategories within those areas, such as English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. This year, DESE also started looking at science and social studies as growth factors.

Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Brian Yearwood said it doesn’t look like there was much change in the district’s score because the scale changed after DESE added science and social studies.

“What has happened with our data and scoring is that two years ago, the denominator was 180 points,” Yearwood said. “This year the denominator has increased, it’s now at 190 points.”

“They look at not only overall performance levels, how many are passing or proficient, but also how many of our scholars are actually growing,” Yearwood continued. 

CPS is “on-track” in science and social studies within the performance portion of the APR and is “approaching” for ELA and math. 

CPS Performance 

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Yearwood said the district has implemented strategies to improve achievement in these areas, including multi-tiered support systems, and will continue to improve its strategies to help bring ELA and math to “on-track.”

“One was starting the iReady assessments so that we can look more intimately at data,” Yearwood said. “Professional development has been increased, we did three additional days in October. By us improving our instructional environment, that will also have a very deep effect on what we see happening with our scholars.”

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According to the report, CPS students are on track or have met the target in graduation rate, post-secondary outcomes, and the number of students taking college level or advanced training courses.

In a press release, Yearwood said CPS plans to acknowledge both celebration and areas where there are opportunities for improvement. 

According to the press release, those areas of improvement include college and career-ready assessments.

Jefferson City Schools received a score of 76.7% for the 2022-2023 school year, an increase from 70.9% last school year.

Dr. Heather Beaulieu, deputy superintendent of JC Schools, said she was pleased with the growth shown on the 2023 APR.

“We grew about 6% points and showed growth in the area of English Language Arts so we were very happy about that,” Beaulieu said. “We showed growth in graduation rate.”

Jefferson City Schools Performance

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

She said she knows they have areas to work on and are continuing to do so.

“Mathematics and attendance,” Beaulieu said. “We have work to do but we put a lot of things in place with instruction and attendance and supporting students in all different ways.” 

DESE uses Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) 6 as its accountability model. To score districts on their performance and improvement, DESE uses APRs.

According to DESE’s website, APR scores provide data about the individual performance of local education agencies (LEA) based on standards in the MSIP 6. 

MSIP 6 is the state’s accountability system for reviewing and accrediting LEAs. It was approved by the State Board of Education in February 2020.

Originally Appeared Here

Audrain County family’s U-Haul stolen during their move across the country

A former Audrain County family was left devastated over the weekend after their belongings were stolen out of a U-Haul on their move across the country.

Jamie and Eugene Bruce lived in Mexico, Missouri, for almost 10 years before they set off for Phoenix, Arizona, on Dec. 15 to be closer to family.

The family stayed the night in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and found the U-Haul gone when they woke up.

“Our life was in there,” Eugene Bruce said.

Daniel Boone Regional Library board approves union contract at special meeting

The Daniel Boone Regional Library Board of Trustees approved a labor agreement for its union employees on Tuesday.

Talks between the library’s leadership and workers have been ongoing for 14 months. Administration reached a tentative contract with the union on Nov. 30, but last week the board of trustees voted to add an amendment to the labor contract, which members of its union, DBRL Workers United, say left them feeling blindsided.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride and we are so relieved to have reached this point,” said Wendy Rigby, President of DBRL Workers United. “To be able to see our members thrive now and have the insurance and the wages that they deserve.”

Missouri Supreme Court strikes down law against homelessness, COVID vaccine mandates

The Missouri Supreme Court struck down a law that threatened homeless people with jail time for sleeping on state land.

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Judges ruled unanimously to toss the law for violating a section of the Missouri Constitution that prohibits legislation from containing multiple unrelated subjects.

The judges’ ruling means people will no longer face up to 15 days in jail and a $500 fine after an initial warning for sleeping on state land without permission.

Missouri native Ruby Leigh finishes second in ‘The Voice’ Season 24

Foley, Missouri native Ruby Leigh competed on Reba McEntire’s team in the 24th season of “The Voice,” which concluded with its two-day finale Monday and Tuesday.

The 16-year-old singer placed second after performing “Suspicious Minds” by Elvis Presley and “Desperado” by the Eagles for the finale.

Ahead of the winner’s announcement, Leigh thanked McEntire for her support throughout the season.

“I already feel like a winner,” Leigh said.

Columbia to add 7 miles of trail, playground at Gans Creek

The Columbia City Council unanimously approved a project that will add 7 miles of bikeable trail around the Gans Creek recreation area. The development, proposed by Columbia Parks and Recreation, also includes the construction of two metal shelters and a playground designed for ages 5 to 12.

Council members heard dozens of residents’ support and concerns for the first two hours of Monday’s meeting.

Gabe Huffington, the director of Parks and Recreation, said he expects the project to be fully complete by October 2024.

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA − A new elementary school is coming to southwest Columbia to accommodate the growth of students in Columbia Public Schools.

Spanning back nearly a decade, Columbia Public Schools began to see growth that would require the district to open additional space for capacity. The School Board decided to begin a planning process to increase the capacity for students in the district.

An $80 million bond issue was approved by voters in April 2022 to fund construction of the school. 

Columbia Public Schools population over the last 12 years

Columbia Public Schools

Southwest Elementary is at the tail end of an initiative to remove trailers at schools, according to Blake Willoughby, a member of the School Board and its Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee.

“Building the new elementary [school] is one of the final pieces of ‘virtual zero trailers,'” Willoughby said. “What that means is that we are utilizing zero to five trailers at any of our schools.” 

Southwest Elementary’s construction has been in the district’s plans since the beginning. When a master plan was made in the early 2010s to begin removing the trailers, the board knew elementary school space would be a necessary addition. Willoughby said the land that was purchased for John Warner Middle School had space to build another school. 

“When we purchased that land, it was kind of known that an elementary school would go there,” he said. 

Randy Gooch, chief operations officer for the school district, said past evaluations of Columbia’s demographics projected growth in the southwest area of the city.

“We knew we needed middle school space so we built John Warner,” Gooch said. “But we also knew, working with our consultant, based on the trends of our growth, we would need elementary space in southwest Columbia, and it turned out that way.”

Columbia Public Schools hosted an open house in September to give the public an opportunity to share feedback on designs for Southwest Elementary. 

Eric Lovelace, KOMU 8 Reporter

Southwest Elementary is not slated to open and be utilized until 2026.

Because of labor shortages due to COVID-19, Gooch said the district didn’t want to promise a date they couldn’t deliver on, and with upcoming boundary changes, delaying the construction would give the community plenty of time to prepare.

District spokesperson Michelle Baumstark said in an email that the School Board considers the following general principles when it comes to redistricting: 

• Attendance areas do change and will continue to change. This work is part of a regular review of district enrollment patterns.
• The attendance area should anticipate future growth of neighborhoods. A walkable and bikeable school is important, but may not always be possible.
• The attendance area seeks to reflect the composition of the Columbia Public Schools community.
• The board recognizes the power of a school to create community. Accessibility for families is important (volunteering and attending school functions are easier when the school is near).
• Consider time students spend on a bus and distance traveled to and from school.

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The last time elementary attendance areas experienced an adjustment was with the opening of the Rock Bridge Elementary School addition in 2019.

A three-phase plan for adjustments was announced at that time:

• Russell Boulevard addition opening – slated to be reviewed by the School Board in April 2024
• New elementary school opening next to John Warner in south Columbia
• Eliot Battle addition opening

The third phase of the plan was delayed due to COVID and construction delays at Russell Boulevard Elementary School. 

Because it has now been several years since those changes were last reviewed, the Board will review the third phase of the original plan in early 2024.

Last month, Columbia Public Schools hired Cooperative Strategies, which looks at the demographics and population growth of Columbia to develop new attendance areas. Gooch said Cooperative Strategies’ previous work within the district will help the process be smoother.

Columbia Public Schools hosted an open house in September to give the public an opportunity to share feedback on designs for Southwest Elementary. 

Eric Lovelace, KOMU 8 Reporter

Both Willoughby and Gooch said redistricting is not a process the district is taking lightly and understand how difficult it can be on kids. 

“It’s hard. Redistricting is really difficult and changing schools is one of the hardest things for kids,” Willoughby said. “But this process shows that we live in a very vibrant community that is growing fast.”

Willoughby said everyone has a chance to move schools, even if they moved during the redistricting changes in 2019.

He said it is important families understand what could happen during this process and how it works. 

“You can only move once within the three-phase plan. So if you move during phase one, you will not be moved again,” he said. “However, it is not accurate to say that if you moved during the last redistricting alignment, that you won’t move this time.” 

Willoughby went on to say this process, although it is difficult, is for the benefit of the district. 

“The overall goal is to make sure we have the highest quality educational opportunities for all of our kids,” he said. 

Originally Appeared Here

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – Today, Governor Mike Parson announced $5 million in grant funding has been approved for 20 Missouri colleges and universities to continue enhancing nursing education programs statewide.

“It is vitally important that we continue to invest in Missouri’s health care workforce to stay competitive nationally, especially for our high demand fields such as nursing,” Governor Parson said. “These grant funds will allow nursing programs to increase faculty support, develop future faculty through scholarships and nursing educator programs, and invest in clinical simulation technology and equipment.”

These 20 competitive grants totaling $5 million were part of a special appropriation to the Missouri State Board of Nursing that was recommended and approved by Governor Parson. The approved grants include:

• $172,760 to Bolivar Technical College
• $165,590 to College of the Ozarks
• $211,855 to Crowder College
• $159,856 to Lincoln University
• $227,000 to Maryville University
• $441,405 to Missouri Baptist University
• $394,772 to Missouri State University
• $532,944 to Missouri State University – West Plains
• $386,780 to Missouri Western State University
• $198,000 to North Central Missouri College
• $147,500 to Northwest Missouri State University
• $135,563 to Research College of Nursing
• $293,400 to St. Charles Community College
• $99,704 to St. Louis University
• $450,000 to St. Luke’s College – Rockhurst University
• $150,000 to Truman State University
• $256,875 to University of Central Missouri
• $285,996 to University of Missouri – Columbia
• $150,000 to University of Missouri – Kansas City
• $140,000 to William Jewell University

The nursing programs that were awarded funds will provide scholarships and tuition assistance for nursing faculty, clinical simulation equipment and staffing, technology enhancements, faculty pay increases, nursing faculty professional development, and graduate nursing program development to educate more nursing faculty.

“We applaud nursing programs for leveraging their research, creativity, and commitment to patient safety by proposing solutions to address the nursing program capacity issues,” said Lori Scheidt, Executive Director of the Missouri State Board of Nursing. “New technology will also allow nursing students to practice, refine and replicate complex clinical procedures, ultimately increasing patient safety.”

Nearly $3 million in funding was previously approved by Governor Parson in September 2022 through the first special appropriation by the Missouri General Assembly, for a total of now nearly $8 million awarded through his office. 

In addition to these funds, the Missouri State Board of Nursing has awarded more than $10 million through the Nursing Education Incentive Program (NEIP). NEIP is an annual grant program designed to increase the physical and educational capacity of professional nursing programs throughout the state. More information on NEIP grants may be obtained from the Missouri State Board of Nursing’s website: pr.mo.gov/nursing. 

Originally Appeared Here

Columbia residents can expect downtown construction on Broadway to continue through at least May 1.

Labor issues and supply chain problems that started in late 2022 and have since been resolved caused construction delays at 1000 E. Broadway, according to a city staff report. The building under construction at that location is slated to have retail space on the ground floor with five floors of apartments above it, according to previous Missourian reporting.

The Columbia City Council on Monday will hear a resolution to extend the temporary closure of parking lanes and an alley near Broadway because of the construction. The closure began in October 2022, according to a council resolution. The council voted to extend the initial closure twice.

The closures include parking lanes and some sidewalks along the south side of East Broadway between South Tenth Street and Hitt Street, along the east side of South Tenth Street between East Broadway and Cherry Street and portions of the alley behind 1000 E. Broadway.

Improve I-70

Another City Council item will be introduced authorizing the city to enter into an agreement with the Missouri Department of Transportation regarding improvements to the Interstate 70 corridor from just east of Route B to just east of Route 54 in Kingdom City and to the I-70/U.S. 63 connector interchange.

According to previous Missourian reporting, MoDOT is pursuing a project dubbed Improve I-70, which includes adding a new lane on each side of I-70 across the state. A portion of I-70 between Columbia and Kingdom City is scheduled for the first segment of the project to be completed, with an expected completion date of late 2027.

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Business fees

The council also will consider an amendment to Chapter 13 of the city code relating to occupational business license fees. Staff is looking into increasing the maximum annual fee a business license can cost.

In September of last year, the city approved an amendment increasing the fee from $750 to $3,000. Monday’s amendment will consider raising that limit to a maximum of $50,000 over the next five fiscal years.

Other possible action

Also on the council agenda:

• Consideration of an ordinance that, if approved, would appropriate $38,280 to planning for 2024 Juneteenth celebrations, according to a council memo. The funding comes from a Missouri Division of Tourism grant.
• A proposed ordinance to amend the city code to establish a food council. The food council would advise the city on matters pertaining to equitable and sustainable food systems, according to a council memo.
• Receipt of a letter from the Commission on Human Rights. The letter requests that the city adopt the proposed LGBTQ+ sanctuary city ordinance in a “timely fashion.”
• Possible authorization of improvements to the Gans Creek Recreation Area. The budget for the project is $380,000 and will include a playground for children ages 5-12, two metal shelters and a 7-mile trail for hiking and biking. The budget includes $225,000 in sales tax revenue from Columbia’s Parks and Recreation Department and $155,000 from donations. The city will issue a bid for the project, anticipated to be completed by October.
• A proposed amendment to Chapter 19 of the city code to add a paid family and medical leave benefit for city workers. The benefit will provide permanent employees up to six weeks of paid leave per year and will take effect Jan. 7.
• A report requesting to add a secondary street sign honoring the Sharp End historic business district at four intersections. The signs will read “Historic Sharp End” and will be attached to the existing primary street name signs. If approved, the signs will be placed at the intersections of Fifth and Walnut streets, Sixth and Walnut streets, Fifth and Ash streets, and Sixth and Ash streets.

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA – As the holidays approach, one local organization is offering a new way for people to give back to their community and donate.

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign has added a tap technology to increase digital donations. It is supposed to make it easier for donors to give money with a tap of their credit card or smartphone.

Major Kevin Cedervall is the corps officer at the Columbia Salvation Army. He is excited about this new technology and hopes people decide to donate through the tap technology if they don’t have cash.

“You can just put your credit card right up to a little spot and it will automatically take out $5, $10 or $20,” Cedervall said.

The Salvation Army just incorporated this new technology this year, around Nov. 10. 

“You don’t need an app to use this technology,” he said. “All you need is to have a credit card connected to your phone.”

The tap technology can be found at three locations in Columbia, including Schnucks on Forum Boulevard and Walmart on Broadway and Grindstone Parkway.

Red Kettle volunteer Carlin Black plays his saxophone to enhance the experience of volunteering for the Salvation Army. Black said he has seen a few people use the tap technology but thinks most people don’t know about the new option.

“I think people maybe haven’t caught on yet, but I am hopeful that it will catch on,” Black said. “I saw it being used, but it’s still definitely more cash so far.”

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The Salvation Army’s Christmas goal is to raise $419,000. Cedervall said donations so far this year total $200,000, which is an increase in donations from last year. 

“We noticed a huge lack in donations last year, but this year it has increased back up to where we like it to be,” Cedervall said. “One of the things I notice is that we don’t get as much change as we used too.”

Now in a near cashless society, the Salvation Army had to find different ways to accommodate people who no longer carry cash.

The Salvation Army added Venmo, Pay Pal, Google Pay and Apply Pay so people could feel comfortable donating by phone. Since Salvation Army added those options, staff have seen a steady increase in digital donations.

“We started a few years with the QR code that takes you to a site to donate, and this year we are trying something new, so we will see,” Cedervall said.

Cedervall encouraged mid-Missourians to give what they can.

“For me, it’s one of the best things we can do. When we give gifts to our family it’s wonderful, it’s an amazing opportunity but when we get it out of our spirit of thankfulness, it’s something we get out of that,” Cedervall said. “It not only betters our community and helps that person, but we actually receive a blessing from giving out of our hearts.”

Residents can donate at Hy-Vee, Schnucks, Moser’s, Gerbes, and Sam’s. The last day for donations through the Red Kettle campaign is Saturday, Dec. 23. Online and walk-in donations will be accepted until Jan. 30.

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA — Heather Brinkler never thought she would outlive her child.

“Never in my wildest dreams would I ever thought I’d be going through this,” Brinkler said. 

Brinkler lost her 16-year-old son, Connor Swaim, to fentanyl poisoning in July. Now, she advocates for fentanyl awareness and other drug overdose preventions.

“I do this now to try to prevent another parent going through what I’m going through,” Brinkler said. 

So far this year, Columbia saw a more than 50% drop in drug and narcotic violations compared to 2022. Now, a pre-filed bill created by teenagers aims to continue that decrease. 

House Bill 1852 would require Missouri public middle and high schools to be equipped with automated external defibrillators (AEDs), as well as Narcan. It would also require districts to train staff and students on how to properly use the equipment.

The bill was originally created by a group of teenagers from the St. James area who make up the Opioid Affected Youth Initiative, a federal grant-funded program administered by the Meramec Regional Planning Commission.

Members of the group were inspired to write the bill from personal experiences of substance abuse. 

Rep. Tara Peters (R-Rolla) helped guide the teens in the legislation process of the bill. 

“They’ve never written a bill before. So basically, the thing that they created started with bullet points,” Peters said, “[We] took that bill, took what the kids had in bullet points, and that obviously wrote the legislation that we have come to know now is House Bill 1852.”

While some critics say the requirement, especially in middle schools, is unnecessary, Peters said research illustrates something different. 

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“Opioids is not selective to high schoolers, right? We have kids in junior high that are using it. We have babies born every day that are addicted because of parents using it,” Peters said.

Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department is no amateur when it comes to drug prevention. The department has held a monthly Save-A-Life Naloxone training since October 2022. 

The department started these monthly events after the Boone County Overdose Response Coalition (BOARD) wanted more people to be trained with the equipment. 

“Fentanyl can really appear anywhere, pretty much any illicit drug,” Ryan Sheehan, the department’s public information specialist, said. “It’s just something that I think we all should be mindful of regardless of where we live or what we do.”

Sheehan said the purpose of the trainings is to prepare anyone to be ready to save an individual dealing with a drug overdose, at anytime.

“We hope by pretty much any potential person could save a life and that’s why we kind of call it save a Life,” Sheehan said. 

For the next steps of the bill, Peters said she will send a letter to the Speaker of the House asking the bill to be heard. Then a committee will be picked that the bill is to be heard on. 

Peters said the group of teens will help take on that process.

“We’re hoping that students will come up [to the Capitol] and they will testify on behalf of that bill to show how important it is that we have that in the state of Missouri,” Peters said. 

As for carrying on the legacy of her son, Brinkler plans to hold a mouse race in February to raise money. She plans to use the funds to put a billboard up for “Connor’s Avengers,” a Facebook group she started after her son’s death, where she continues to advocate about the dangers of fentanyl. 

Originally Appeared Here