Mid-Missouri

Long before I knew really anything about Columbia — how to order at Booches; the curve of my favorite MKT trailheads; that I would attend the University of Missouri for graduate school and stick for 16 years and counting — I knew about 102.3 FM BXR.

The station will celebrate its 30th anniversary next Sunday evening with a Grace Potter/The Cactus Blossoms double bill at Rose Park. It seems like BXR has always been here — in Columbia, and for me — but history tells a more faithful tale.

Moving to Missouri the first time from Arizona — near Springfield, as an 18-year-old college freshman — I depended on the kindness of friends and their families, taking me in over long weekends, celebrating minor holidays, ferrying me to airports in St. Louis or Kansas City so I could celebrate the major ones with my family.

Several called mid-Missouri home; one, like some human antennae, knew the exact highway mile-marker where BXR began coming in reliably through his car stereo.

First he raved about the station to me, then he turned the dial. The hype and the music both landed.

Being the early 2000s, BXR played our favorite artists, what old-school radio programmers might have termed adult alternative, with some alternative rock mingled in. BXR also played our favorite artists’ favorite artists, the next layer of influence I was forever meaning to check out and now had hand-delivered to me.

BXR’s sensibility immediately felt familiar, bearing resemblance to my favorite station growing up east of Phoenix. Moving to Columbia in 2007, the connective tissue only became clearer.

As a high-schooler, I set aside my Sunday nights for appointment radio. I remember flipping the pages of music magazines or sinking Nerf three-pointers while my favorite Phoenix frequency switched from already excellent programming to an hour-long block of British rock.

The show played household names we already knew through the second British Invasion of the ’90s, and new-to-me acts that sent me straight to a bedside notebook, scribbling band names for future reference.

Settling into Columbia and tuning those first years to BXR, I found shows with similar purpose and philosophy. Each Sunday morning, Tony Barbis and his Acoustic Sunrise program display a thoughtful touch, a willingness to trace the guitar strings tethering generations of musicians.

Later, evening shows like The B-Side furthered this ideal: radio doesn’t just exist to play the hits, but to show off music at its deepest and widest.

And each Thanksgiving, the station’s B to X tradition — playing through its archives alphabetically, one song at a time — ensures safe and engaged passage down Highway 70 toward a St. Louis gathering with one side of my family or a flight to Arizona to see the other. The music changes, but the song remains the same.

If BXR deserves any criticism, perhaps the station’s programming still relies too much on the songs soundtracking those early drives to mid-Missouri. You might hear Blues Traveler or Indigo Girls a little too regularly at 102.3 on the FM dial. But I love knowing there is still a station in Columbia that plays “Closer to Fine” and that, through proximity, shows how that song inspired and remains in conversation with music being released in 2023.

To live in Columbia for 16 years inevitably means meeting the voices that seal a treasured song. Now BXR personalities past and present — the likes of Simon Rose, Spencer Thompson, Mo Louis, Leslie Scott, Emily Larkin, Hillary Gordon and Nick Snyder — are not just people I hear on-air, but people I encounter at shows, around the True/False Film Fest, while on runs around my neighborhood. They aren’t just DJs or former DJs to me, but people I catch up with on social media, people I count among my neighbors.

This presence, and the way it evolves, matters. Today, the act of taking in music seemingly experiences revolutions per minute, and can be almost effortlessly divorced from physical community. Listening options abound, many of them valid and satisfying.

But there’s something about knowing the voices in your car, about struggling to guess what song comes next, about smiling at a moment of surprise, familiar or otherwise. The good but wide taste BXR still exercises drives home the human element of music-making. And it keeps the station sounding like Columbia — or, at least, a key facet of our city — to me.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He’s on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

Originally Appeared Here

Area child care providers said they often feel they are more inconvenienced as licensed child care providers due to the harsh regulations.

Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) Organizer Jenn Millard invited area child care providers to the Show Me Strong Communities September meeting at California City Hall. Kelly Lucero, Show Me Strong Communities coordinator, said this is to better understand the state of available child care in Moniteau County.

The lack of child care for working parents and their families is a prominent issue within the community. The Moniteau Regional Economic Development Council (MRED) found the county qualifies as a “child care desert,” an area with families in need of 50 spots for child care services.

MRED president Mike Kelly worked closely with the CMCA. Kelly brought the issue to the organization’s attention during its first Show Me Strong Communities Data Walk in April. During the Data Walk representatives from different entities throughout the county assessed which needs required immediate attention from the community.

After the group came to the consensus Moniteau’s lack of child care should be its main focus, attendees developed a “result statement” in subsequent meetings.

“After we met, the results statement that the group came up with…was for all families…in Moniteau County to have access to quality childcare,” Lucero said. “The next thing after the group decided that that was going to be their goal statement was how would we measure that.”

The group came with several data indicators to measure their progress. This includes the number of licensed childcare slots, the number of licensed childcare providers and the labor force participation rate.

“The next meeting we talked about who would we need in this room,” Lucero said. “If you’re going to really try to address these problems, who has to be here?”

This brought attention to the child care providers in the room and the insight they could bring to the conversation. Lucero asked providers to take 30 minutes and evaluate the root cause of Moniteau’s lack of child care as a group.

Child care providers shared their struggles as parents before entering the field. They said due to the cost of child care many households forgo the service. High prices can drain half of a family’s dual income, ultimately, creating high cost barrier. The providers said, for some, it can be more cost-effective to stay at home with their children than to spend money on child care. Although they try to keep their costs low it can be difficult due to the lack of employees and increasing expenses.

Another hurdle providers brought up included inconsistent evaluations from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Providers agreed, stating the number of violations given to child care providers depends on the case worker doing the evaluation. The opinion of providers is each case worker interrupts the rules provided by DESE differently.

Some went on to say they almost feel incentivized to become or remain unlicensed child care providers, however, doing so would limit the number of children parents could enroll in their business.

Lucero told the group a member of DESE was invited to the meeting, although they did not attend.

In the final conversation of the evening, Lucero said it would be beneficial to bring a state representative to one of CMCA’s Show Me Strong Communities meetings. One suggestion given by attendee Angie Bax, assistant director to Jefferson City YMCA’s child care division, was to bring Moniteau County’s state Rep. Willard Haley to their care centers as well so they can explain their difficulties as providers.

Originally Appeared Here

If you are a breastfeeding mother producing extra milk, don’t throw it away. Your breastmilk could help save a baby’s life!

Why collect human milk?

Human milk is especially important for premature or sick babies, who are more likely to develop devastating intestinal infections if they are fed formula instead of human milk. One in nine babies is born preterm and fewer than half of moms delivering prematurely are able to provide their babies with breast milk. Through donor milk, these preterm babies are still able to receive the benefits of breast milk to help them grow and thrive.

Research shows that providing donor milk to these tiny and fragile babies prevents necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a condition that attacks the intestinal tract, damaging or destroying it. NEC frequently requires emergency surgery to remove part of the intestines. Emergency surgery on a preterm infant is difficult and dangerous. Human milk feedings reduce the rate of NEC by 75 percent.

Human milk matures the intestinal tissue, fights infections, and promotes brain development while providing ideal nutrition.

Is donor milk safe?

Yes. Human milk banks follow strict screening, processing and dispensing standards established by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America to ensure the safety of donor human milk.

These standards have been established with the advisement of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the blood and tissue industries.

Potential milk donors provide complete medical and lifestyle histories, and undergo blood tests for HIV, HTLV, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C similar to the screening process used at blood banks.

Donated milk is then tested for bacteria and nutrients, and pasteurized to kill any bacteria and viruses. Before dispensing, bacteriological testing is repeated to verify that all bacteria are destroyed.

How is donor milk processed?

Frozen donor milk is thawed, nutritionally analyzed, cultured, pooled and poured into bottles, then pasteurized at 62.5 degrees Celsius in a shaking water bath or automatic pasteurizer. Pasteurized milk is quick-cooled, then frozen at minus-20 degrees Celsius.

Microbiological cultures are obtained by an independent laboratory from individual donors’ deposits prior to pasteurization and pooling, and from each batch of milk after pasteurization. This is done to verify that no heat-resistant pathogens are present before pasteurization, and that there is zero growth of bacteria after the heating process.

Donor milk saves lives, money

Research shows that NEC increases a baby’s length of hospital stay by two weeks at an additional cost of $128,000 to $238,000. In addition, reductions in other complications such as sepsis through the use of donor human milk instead of formula means that the baby goes home sooner with fewer medical issues and stays healthier.

What is a milk depot?

Once a mother has been screened and approved to donate milk by a milk bank, she can drop her donation off at a milk collection site, called a milk depot, that will safely store and ship her donation to a milk bank.

The Central Missouri Mother’s Milk Depot located at the Cole County Health Department provides a convenient location for mid-Missouri mothers to drop off their donations. The health department’s milk depot site is affiliated with The Milk Bank (TMB) in Indianapolis. Milk collected locally is shipped to TMB for processing, pasteurization and distribution.

Who makes it possible?

Breastmilk shortage affects the lives of the most vulnerable babies, therefore, there’s always a great need for milk donations.

Breastfeeding mothers who make extra milk beyond their own babies’ needs have an amazing opportunity to donate milk that could save the life of a fragile newborn. It’s a gift that lasts a lifetime. We thank all of our donors for their generous donations.

Begin saving lives now

The Milk Bank needs 119 new donors each month to help feed vulnerable preemies and fragile babies safely. There is no cost to becoming a donor.

For additional information, and to start the process of becoming a donor, go to www.themilkbank.org or call 877-829-7470.

Melinda Ridenhour has been with the Cole County Health Department for 25 years. She is a registered dietitian and international board certified lactation consultant and is the Director of Nutrition Services, WIC Clinic Manager and Central Missouri Mother’s Milk Depot Coordinator.

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA – Crystal Wiggins has been out of the U.S. Air Force for seven years, but the passage of time doesn’t make her feel any less devoted to service.

“I think I’ll be serving the military my whole life,” Wiggins said. 

Her commitment to serving others led Wiggins into her current role as the veterans program manager at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture’s Veterans Urban Farm. 

“We all have something in common which is we wanna help veterans and we love veterans and some of us are veterans,” said Wiggins.

Serving veterans after service

From offering occupational therapy to fresh produce, the farm serves veterans across mid-Missouri.

“There’s a level of understanding that we can offer to veterans when they come here,” said Dustin Cook, a veteran and health and wellness coach for the Truman VA Whole Health Program. 

CCUA established the Veterans Urban Farm in 2020 as a partnership with Truman VA. 

“Our partnership is a very unique one,” said Heather Brown, the strategic partnership officer for Truman VA. “One that’s actually looking at being replicated nationally.”

Brown said several VAs across the country have on-site gardens, but having an off-site location for veterans to visit gives them more opportunities. 

“It just kind of gives them their own space,” she said. “A lot of veterans may not have their own space outside of the VA.”

The Veterans Urban Farm is open to all veterans, whether they are affiliated with Truman VA or not. 

“One of our biggest future goals is just to continue to expand awareness that we’re here and get more veterans involved,” Cook said. 

Due to the nature of military service, Cook said people often come out of their service with physical or psychological injuries, a lack of structure or even a lack of knowledge of basic life skills.

“It can be really taxing and really even traumatizing to have to transition into the world and not really know all of those things,” Cook said. 

Cook said these circumstances can make it hard for veterans to transition back into civilian life.

“You end up with a lot of isolation, you end up with people having really poor diets, you end up with people who kind of lose their motivation to get up and do stuff,” he said. 

On average, the Veterans Urban Farm grows around 15,000 pounds of fresh produce each year. The fresh fruits and vegetables are then donated to local veterans and their families.

Growing good food for a good cause

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The production of so much produce is made possible by CCUA and veteran volunteers who come to the farm from the start of the growing season in March to the end of harvest season in November.

“I really love it,” said Margrace Buckler, a CCUA volunteer. “But mainly it’s because you get to meet some of the people you’re providing assistance to and they get to come out and enjoy this, to which it’s my therapy.”

Veterans also have the opportunity to take part in the growing and harvesting of the produce through Truman VA’s transitional work programs.

“Outside is probably one of the best places you can get just to kind of commune with nature and be with other veterans,” Brown said. “The partnership really just met all of those boxes.”

James Olson is one of the transitional work veterans who said he has benefited from working at the farm. 

“I’ve learned the benefits of being kind, being compassionate, and you know, I think that’s irreplaceable,” he said. 

As a former Army mechanic, Olson said working at the farm has given him skills to succeed in his current chapter of life.

“I’m getting a little bit of trade skills and it’s helping me stay busy, stay sober, get rid of my depression, and I just love it,” he said. 

Using art as an outlet

One of the aspects of the Veterans Urban Farm Olson said he loves to take part in is art therapy.

“It’s a channel for my misplaced emotions, like anger or lust,” Olson said. 

Volunteers and organizers gathered to participate in an art therapy session that struck an emotional cord for many. They cut up unused, out-of-service military uniforms to turn into sheets of paper, including uniforms from Wiggins’s era of service.

“It’s definitely a little emotional,” Wiggins said. “The time that we were in this uniform, I mean, it’s such a big part of who we were when we were in and it kind of continues to be a big part of who we are after.”

Emotions in the group varied, but Wiggins said she felt excited as she worked to give something of meaning to her a new purpose.

“It’s a unique idea to transform something that’s part of my identity almost really, into something new,” she said. “I think that in life in general that’s what we all are trying to do is grow and change and recreate and overcome.”

Other veterans who participated said they felt uncomfortable, and felt they were desecrating something sacred. But Wiggins said she viewed the project as a symbol for finding a different purpose and perspective in life.

“It has symbolic meaning right now because we give it that,” Wiggins said. “But as we cut it up and change it, we’re giving it new meaning. Which I think is something we all need in our lives.”

Giving life a new meaning is what the Veterans Urban Farm is all about. Whether you’re a veteran or not, Wiggins said the community provides support for anyone who sets foot on the farm. 

“I love being able to host something like this and be a part of it at the same time because it’s beneficial for everyone who comes out here to have the community,” she said. “But it’s also beneficial for me. It’s good for the soul.”

Originally Appeared Here

September 22, 2023

3 min read

Biography/Disclosures

Published by:

Biography:

Webster is a neuro-optometrist and owner of Weber Neuro-Ocular Institute, with locations in both St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri. She is a past president of the Central Missouri Optometric Society.

Disclosures: Webster reports no relevant financial disclosures.

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My practice is focused on patients recovering from brain injury, including concussion, stroke, brain tumors and other conditions.

Despite the diversity of their injuries, what unites many of these patients is a common symptom: severe light sensitivity. Photosensitivity can be a debilitating symptom and one that leaves patients feeling isolated, as they sit at home with blackout drapes drawn and the lights off. Not only does photosensitivity prevent patients from working, driving and going outside, but it can also hinder recovery efforts if they are unable to get to a provider’s office for therapy.

The exact neuro pathway that causes photosensitivity is rarely specified in my patients, but the symptoms can persist for months. Exposure to light can trigger other symptoms, such as nausea, fatigue and dizziness, which is why concussion patients end up sitting in the dark at home.

I find that performance-tinted contact lenses can be a great tool for patients who are struggling with photosensitivity as they recover from brain injuries. They are available in a dark grey-green tint that blocks significant portions of the light spectrum, allowing patients to function comfortably in normal lighting conditions so they can tolerate resuming activity.

One patient I treated recently had not been able to work or drive since suffering a concussion 4 months earlier. Light sensitivity was actually her main problem. Not only was she bothered by bright light, but she was also experiencing near-constant spots in her vision, similar to a migraine aura or floaters. When she tried the performance-tinted lenses, she reported that they reduced the aura by about 75%. This patient was extremely relieved to be able to socialize with family, drive and return to work.

Chronic migraine patients are another group of people who commonly experience photosensitivity. I have a patient who gets cyclical migraines that can be triggered by glare, among other things. Normally, he wears Acuvue Oasys with Transitions contact lenses (Johnson & Johnson Vision), which help with day-to-day glare outside, but they aren’t enough when he actually has a migraine. Once the migraine starts, it may last for several days or up to a week. And because most of his work is done at a computer, he finds it extremely hard to function during these migraine cycles.

I prescribed the Altius grey-green lenses (Altius Performance Vision Technologies) for him to wear, and he was able to go back to work the next day. He still had a migraine, but he was better able to tolerate room light and computer screens. These lenses block much more light than typical blue light-blocking spectacles or contact lenses and even more than sunglasses, because there is no light coming in around the frames. They are available as plano lenses or with correction, so they can be prescribed to patients who are suffering from brain injuries or migraines, whether they need vision correction or not.

Migraine patients may wear the lenses only a day or a few days per month, to prevent or get through a headache. Concussion patients, by contrast, may wear performance-tinted lenses every day for several weeks or months as they recover, and then may not need them at all.

This is a great opportunity for dual prescribing in a primary eye care practice. For a patient who struggles with chronic migraine — and I guarantee that every practice has patients like this — you can offer a regular lens and a performance-tinted lens, so the patient can start wearing the tinted ones as soon as he or she feels a migraine beginning.

I recommend adding questions about migraine and light sensitivity to your patient history questionnaire. When appropriate, you can prescribe the performance-tinted lenses. This becomes a nice niche for the practice that builds revenue and word-of-mouth referrals —and it also solves a major problem for your patients.

For more information:

Heather Webster, OD, is a neuro-optometrist and owner of Weber Neuro-Ocular Institute, with locations in both St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri. She is a past president of the Central Missouri Optometric Society. The lenses discussed here will be covered in a sponsored course, “Use of performance-tinted contact lenses in patients with photosensitivity,” taught by Amanda Nanasy, OD, and Eric Sugarman, ATC, at the 2023 NORA conference on Brain-Based Rehabilitation. For more information and to register, visit https://noravisionrehab.org/about-nora/annual-conferences/2023-annual-conference.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association unless otherwise noted. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the professional medical advice of a physician. NORA does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products or procedures. For more of our online content, click here.

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Originally Appeared Here

Mid-MO Pridefest will mark 19 years in Columbia Saturday and Sunday with a larger-than-ever event at Rose Music Hall and surrounding streets of Park Avenue, Orr Street and St. James Street.

Need to know how to be ready for the festivities? The Tribune has answers.

When does PrideFest start?

PrideFest kicks off noon Saturday with an opening ceremony featuring similar speakers as in 2022, per the event description. This also is when the street fair opens to the public featuring upward of 200 vendors, including various food trucks. The street fair is open from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Is there a parade again this year?

Yes. This is the second year a Pride parade will happen in downtown Columbia. The parade starts noon Sunday, which also is when the street fair opens to the public at Rose Music Hall. PrideFest will stream the parade live on Facebook. The parade route starts at Armory Sports and Recreation Center at 701 E. Ash St. The route travels east to North Ninth Street, where it will turn south to reach Broadway. The parade will turn back west at Broadway and Ninth Street and will end at Fourth Street and Broadway.

What else is going on Saturday and Sunday?

The family area of PrideFest at 1056 Park Ave. will host Puppy Yoga noon to 1 p.m. Saturday. PrideFest guests also have an opportunity to meet an Arabian horse from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday in the family area thanks to the Central States Arabian Horse Association.

Orr Street Studios, at 106 St., all of PrideFest week has hosted Pride Vibes, an art exhibit. The exhibit will be open noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, featuring artworks from Kailyn Elonie, Ambrosia McCord, Christianne Benedict, Tracy Davis, Larry Kantner, Danielle Kilmer and Michelle Seat. The exhibit runs through Sept. 30.

Drag Story Hours are planned 2-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Saturday and 3-4 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. Sunday in the Family area.

Those who think they can look like Mayor Barbara Buffaloe can participate in a lookalike contest 1 p.m. Sunday at the Rose Music Hall stage.

Miles High, PrideFest King, will host family yoga 2 p.m. Sunday from the family area.

What music acts are available Saturday and Sunday?

There are two locations for music and other acts during PrideFest. The main stage is at Rose Music Hall, while the Gay Music Stage is at 1023 E. Walnut St., Suite No. 7, supported separately by the North Village Arts District, Orr Street Studios, Fretboard Coffee and King Theodore Records.

Following opening ceremonies Saturday, The Quorus, Columbia’s community LGBTQ chorus, will share their talents at 1 p.m. from Rose Music Hall.

A string trio from the Missouri Symphony are set to perform 2 p.m. Saturday at Rose Music Hall.

Columbia band The Park will kick off their one-hour set at 3 p.m. Saturday from Rose Music Hall. The Kyren Penrose Band will perform at the same time from the Walnut Street location.

Drag entertainment network Divas by Design will perform 4 p.m. Saturday at Rose Music Hall. Liv Burney, lead of Columbia band Double Dare, will take the Walnut Street stage 5 p.m.

Columbia band Optimus Prime will hit the Rose Music Hall main stage 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Muse Pole Fitness will close out Saturday entertainment 10 p.m. at Rose Music Hall. Performers will showcase pole fitness, aerial hoop and other aerial arts.

Austin Jones is set to perform noon Sunday from the Walnut Street stage.

The Rose Music Hall stage will welcome Yuppy starting 3 p.m. Sunday. Nclusion+ will follow-up with its drag showcase starting 4 p.m. I.V. King will hit the stage at 5 p.m. and Soul Root starts its set 6:30 p.m.

Who are the PrideFest entertainment headliners?

Scarlet Envy will present a drag showcase 8 p.m. Saturday at Rose Music Hall. A ticketed meet-and-greet starts 7 p.m.

Kennedy Davenport will grace the Rose Music Hall stage 8 p.m. Sunday, closing out PrideFest activities. A ticketed meet-and-greet at 7 p.m. also is scheduled.

Rose Music Hall reaches capacity quickly for headline acts, so it is advised to show up early.

What is, isn’t allowed at PrideFest?

PrideFest is a free, family-friendly event in downtown Columbia and happens rain or shine. Events after 8 p.m. can be more adult oriented.

Security checks for guests will occur at the entrances to PrideFest and at Rose Music Hall Saturday and Sunday. Bags larger than 12x6x6 are not allowed inside the Rose Music Hall Grounds, but are allowed at the PrideFest street fair.

While Rose Music Hall is a cashless venue, street fair vendors may not be, so it is recommended to bring both cash and cards.

More:Former student leaders reflect on 1970s battle for Missouri to recognize gay student group

Metered street parking is available throughout downtown Columbia and at garages at Eighth and Walnut, Eighth and Cherry, Sixth and Cherry, Tenth and Cherry, Fifth and Walnut and Short Street. Americans with Disabilities Act parking is available on Park Avenue near Rogers Street. A handicap permit is required.

Various food vendors are available within the PrideFest grounds. Outside food and drinks are not permitted.

It is recommended guests leave their pets at home, unless they are a service animal.

More:How has Columbia LGBTQ acceptance changed in 40 years? Arch and Column regulars share stories

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 day-in, day-out of a natural gas journeyman or apprentice can include setting meters, service installation, digging out, by both shovel and hand to reach a possible leak or even cutting thick steel gas pipes.

All of these skills and more were put to the test late last week for six Ameren Missouri teams, who were participating in the 2023 National Gas Rodeo held in Springfield. Seven out of nine central team members came from Columbia. The Ameren teams were among the 40 that competed, representing various companies in 12 states.

“Not only do you get to train, it’s a little different than out in the field, of course, but then you also get to go and compete against other teams from other towns and areas and learn how they do things,” said Robert Hillerman, a central team captain.

The four- and two-man teams were not just competing among the other Ameren teams hailing from north central, northeast and southeast Missouri, but also against other gas companies from the across the U.S., he said. Hillerman’s Complete Combustion team did all four qualifying events and the relay.

Hillerman’s team placed ninth overall in the four-man competition and first overall in the meter set competition between two- and four-man teams.

While competition task end goals were the same, the way a team approached it could be different, said Pam Harrison, Ameren Missouri Gas Operations director.

“For the most part they were pretty similar, but you would see just a little different technique that different teams and companies were utilizing,” she said, adding it was the service installation competition that saw some of the most different approaches among teams.

The service installation is one where the team will work to run a service line, such as to a residence or a business, off of a gas main line, Hillerman said. The only difference in this case was teams didn’t have to contend with digging.

“It’s all above ground in this simulation. Running that service line to the house to give the house service. It’s all time based,” he said, adding technical judges always are on the look out for any missed steps or faults along the way.

While all the competitions required knowledge and skill, the relay required finesse, Hillerman said. One section of the four-part relay is a blind-egg pickup.

“You have a person in a backhoe. There is a barrier made of wood with two piles of sand behind it the operator cannot see. On the piles of sand is one egg each and there is a six-inch pipe cap,” he said.

A spotter then helps guide the backhoe operator to pick up an egg in a spoon attached to a tooth of the backhoe bucket. The spotter then directs the operator to the pipe cap where the egg is placed.

“That one is pretty tough,” Hillerman said.

Columbia is home to the central training facility for Ameren gas employees, so all the teams came to Columbia in the days before the competition to prepare, Harrison said. Teams also have chances to prepare in their home regions during periods of down time, such as when there is rain preventing the journeymen from working, Hillerman added.

There wasn’t too much rain this year, he said, so a lot of the prep work was done in the few days prior to the competition. That is something he hopes to work on for next year — taking more opportunities for competition preparation, which next year will take place in Ohio.

“We are going to improve our facilities here (in Columbia) to better mimic what is at the competition so we can do better,” Hillerman said.

While the competition was both a chance for journeyman teams to compete, collaborate and learn from each other, it also was a family-focused event, Harrison said.

“A lot of the guys had their families there. Their kids and wives really got a chance to get a taste of what they do day-in, day-out. It adds to the appreciation level of the amount of things they are asked to know and be skilled at, and it’s really just an opportunity for them to showcase that. These are highly skilled and trained professionals,” she said.

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

MOBERLY — The city of Moberly will soon welcome mid-Missouri’s second ice rink to its community. 

Tom Sanders, Moberly’s public works director, said the city originally looked into acquiring a real ice rink, but the cost turned out to be more than the city could commit to.

“New or $200,000 plus, they [ice rinks] have a lot of materials to go along with them,” he said. “You know, the ice cleaner, the skates, the racks, all that stuff. And it just was kind of put aside because of the cost.”

That changed, however, when an opportunity opened up.

“This one, that was just a couple of years old, had everything with it, skates,” Sanders said. “The whole works for the price that we acquired it for, you know, we couldn’t pass it up.”

Moberly approached the city of Gladstone with the idea of purchasing the rink after hearing that Gladstone wasn’t utilizing the rink efficiently enough for business. 

Moberly purchased the synthetic ice rink for around $20,000, according to Sanders. But the price isn’t the only advantage of the unique rink. 

The leading manufacturer of synthetic ice, known as “glice,” makes skating rinks far easier to operate and much less expensive compared to a conventional skating rink, according to Mark Winter, CEO of Glice North America.

Regular ice rinks require resurfacing every hour and a half, in which a Zamboni cuts the sufrace and lays down a layer of water that freezes. Winters says this is usually done four or five times a day, costing around $45,000 to $60,000 a month in water, power, refrigerants and maintenance. 

Meanwhile a synthetic ice rink requires no resurfacing, nor all the water, power, chillers or compressors like a normal ice rink. Winter said it only needs periodic cleaning once a day. 

Glice synthetic ice is made through a process called sintering, which crushes plastic pellets under both high pressure and heat, giving it the same smooth glide as a regular ice rink. 

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Therefore, the synthetic ice rink can operate in any ambient temperature, and typically costs less than 10% of the cost of regular ice to maintain and operate, according to Winter. 

That’s why Sanders was so fond of purchasing the rink from Gladstone.

“We just felt like that would be a good opportunity to have, you know, for people to do something in Moberly in the off season,” Sanders said. 

Businesses in the area are excited for the new attraction.

Summer Branstetter, co-owner of A Stroke of Magic, a retail store featuring items from local vendors, said she found out the news about a month ago and is happy to welcome something different.

“Moberly has been working on getting some new attractions going on here, and we’re really excited to have something so unique to the community and just right down the street from us,” Branstetter said.

Branstetter said the rink’s uniqueness will bring new visitors to the city, which could help business.

“The closest [rink] to us is about an hour away in Jeff City,” she said. “So I think it would be nice and hopefully pull people from the area, different areas, to bring in different people to see what Moberly has to offer.”

Moberly will place the new rink at the Fennel Event Center, an outdoor venue that hosts events for the community, on Clark Street. 

The city of Moberly hopes to have the rink operating to the public by winter, but Sanders said it will still need some construction work done once it arrives. 

Originally Appeared Here

MEXICO, Mo. — The Fulton Hornets’ Mariah Reed broke the school’s career kills record, notching a match-high 12 kills to put her at 662.

Fulton’s career kills record was previously held by Carly Page, who totaled 653. In addition to Reed’s historic kills mark, she registered five aces.

Trailing early in all three sets, Fulton fought back and swept the Mexico Lady Bulldogs 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-17) in a North Central Missouri Conference match Monday at Gary Filbert Court.

“I gave them Friday off because I had to go out of town,” Fulton coach Nicole Murphy said. “We started out slow, and the slowness just carried over into each set. Regardless of the win, regardless of the comebacks, it was just slow.

“I think they won because they know my expectations. They know I won’t settle for that. I always push them to be their best and give their best. When we were falling short on that, it really only takes a look for me for them to know they’re not meeting their expectations, and they need to get it done.”

With the win, Fulton (11-1-1, 4-0 NCMC) swept the NCMC season series against Mexico (1-6, 1-4 NCMC) for the third straight season. It took resilience and a team effort for the Hornets to achieve the sweep.

In the first set, there were seven lead changes and ties. Mexico had the largest lead twice in the set, going up by five at 20-15 and 22-17.

Unfazed by falling behind, Fulton went on an 8-0 run to win the set. Mackenzie Wilson tallied three aces in that run, with the last one winning the set for the Hornets.

Arianna Connor also shined in the first set for Fulton, with two kills and blocks. Additionally, the Hornets’ Reed recorded two kills, Emily Elias and Estella VanSchenkhof an ace.

Mexico’s first set leaders were Ava Herron, with two kills and aces, and Emily Moppin, with three kills. Herron registered back-to-back aces, and Moppin had two straight kills.

The second set was closer than the already tight first, with nine ties and seven lead changes. Fulton took the most significant lead at four points twice, when it went up 8-4 and 23-19.

Reed tallied five of her kills in the second set. On a couple of them, the William Penn commit jumped up and swatted the ball over the net; Reed’s overpowering hits were too much for the Lady Bulldogs to handle.

Following Reed’s final kill in the second set, Fulton took a 24-23 advantage. The Hornets finished off the set victory with a kill by VanSchenkhof.

Unlike the first two sets, Fulton and Mexico didn’t keep exchanging leads. The Lady Bulldogs and Hornets each went up once, and there was one tie in between that.

Mexico dominated the set early, scoring the first six points unanswered. The Lady Bulldogs kept it up, extending their advantage to 11-2.

During Mexico’s run to start set three, it tallied five kills and two aces. The Lady Bulldogs’ Lizzie Joiner notched two aces, JaClynn Cline two kills and Mary Test, Herron and Moppin a kill.

“Mexico has continually been improving every single time we’ve played them,” Murphy said. “I’ve always been more and more impressed by them. They definitely gave us a run for their money tonight. They just had a little trouble finishing in the end. But again, I think it comes down to my girls knowing that my expectations would not allow us to lose that game.”

Unhappy by her team’s start, Murphy called a timeout when Mexico took an 11-2 lead. It paid off, as Fulton went on a 15-1 run.

Maintaining her dominance, Reed registered four kills and three aces during the 15-1 run and achieved the game set point for Fulton with her final kill.

Wilson did well for the Hornets in the third set, notching three kills and an ace. Filling in for starter Hallie Howard, who wasn’t at the match, Brooke Garrett had two consecutive aces.

“I think both of our seniors did really well on the court tonight,” Murphy said. “Brooke Garrett, who’s also a senior, had to fill in a role. Hallie Howard was out sick today, and so we were down a six rotation.

“It really challenged them with some adversity with the new lineup, as you saw the outer rotation call. Just them being able to adapt to something different tonight was another challenge. Again, no matter who I put on the court, I still expect them to meet my expectations.”

Aside from Reed, Fulton’s standout performers were Wilson with eight kills, VanShenkhof with four kills and 28 assists and Elias with eight digs.

While it wasn’t a resounding victory like the first team meeting this season, Fulton achieved its sixth straight sweep of Mexico, winning 18 sets total. The Hornets also improved to 4-0 against district opponents this season, with the Lady Bulldogs being the only team they’ve played more than once.

“Our next few weeks coming up are gonna test us,” Murphy said. “We have Hannibal coming up, Boonville coming up, who’s a district opponent. And then we also see Hallsville in the beginning of October, who’s also a district opponent. But as far as competition-wise, I think Hannibal is going to be who we have to work and prepare really hard for.”

Fulton hosts Southern Boone (5-4-1) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Fulton High School.

“Southern Boone is actually really solid this year,” Murphy said. “I’m really impressed with the lineup that she has on the court for them. We will actually see them this Thursday, and then we’ll see them on Oct. 7 at the Eldon Tournament, and we saw them at the jamboree.

“We did keep up with them at the jamboree this year. First time in technically a game situation with my young freshmen on the court. I think they were a little scared. So, hopefully, they’re more comfortable with the court. And we’re more comfortable playing against a little bit stronger competition now. And we at least make it a really challenging game is what I’m looking forward to.”

Originally Appeared Here

The No. 2 official at Missouri State University, Zora Mulligan chalked up two major wins by the conclusion of her first year in Carrington Hall.

She was the internal point-person for the university’s role in the new Alliance for Healthcare Education, which aims to address urgent workforce shortages, and led the team revamping enrollment strategies. This fall, the size of the freshman class increased by 18%.

Mulligan, who came into the job with significant state-level leadership experience, said serving as the executive vice president of MSU is a complex, challenging and rewarding role. It is one she wants to continue even after president Clif Smart retires this summer.

For that reason, and others, Mulligan will not be among the candidates vying to succeed Smart.

“I really enjoy what I’m doing. I like Springfield. This is a town I enjoy living in. It’s a university whose mission I really believe in,” she said.

Smart, who hired Mulligan a year ago, said she excelled in managing “lots of moving pieces” with the health education alliance. He said the work involved hundreds of meetings, drafts and conversations to work out details on a wide range of topics from curriculum to facilities.

“It was very complicated — on many levels — project that she managed to completion and did really very good work,” he said.

Smart said even though Mulligan did not enter the job with expertise in enrollment strategies, she was effective at pushing the team of experts to “think differently, think bigger.”

“She brought the ability to lead a project with her and lead a team and that was what we needed,” he said.

“The result of that is a really good freshmen class. We’re over 2,800 students, which is the biggest we’ve been in six or seven years.”

This year, with the departure of chief of staff Ryan DeBoef, governmental relations was added to Mulligan’s responsibilities. Smart noted she has experience and connections in Jefferson City.

“She had real relationships with representatives and senators and the governor’s office,” he said. “All of that helps her very effectively lead our legislative team internally.”

“Time of enormous professional growth”

Mulligan, 46, grew up in West Plains and entered college with the goal of becoming an attorney.

She selected Drury University because the person most active in helping her navigate admissions and financial aid at the time was a recent graduate.

“She did what good admissions counselors do. She reached out persistently and helped me figure it all out. I ended up there and it was a really good experience,” she said.

Mulligan graduated with high honors in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology. She was a Bright Flight recipient and student assistant to the dean, among other accolades.

The years at Drury spurred her to also consider a career in higher education. She enrolled at the University of Kansas to earn a master’s degree in higher education administration. She stayed on the Lawrence campus long enough to also earn a juris doctor.

“I wrapped up the master’s degree and then went to law school, never really imagining that the two would come together in my professional life,” she said.

Her first job was working for Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon. Her duties spanned governmental affairs and the consumer and environmental protection divisions.

After four years, Mulligan became general counsel for the Missouri Department of Higher Education, where she was also the agency’s legislative liaison.

“It was my first experience working with the General Assembly,” she said, adding it taught her “how that process works.”

She was next hired as executive director of the Missouri Community College Association. It was her first major step away from practicing law but the role still involved advocacy.

“It was a time of enormous professional growth. I went into the job not knowing a lot about community colleges. By the time I came out the other end, I was a huge believer,” she said. “I made a lot of friends throughout the state and gained a lot of respect about the work they do.”

“Make a difference in the lives of Missourians”

Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College, was chair of the MCCA board at the time and urged Mulligan to apply for the job.

He said she quickly rose to the top of the huge applicant pool and made her mark on the association, strengthening its financial footing and professional development. “She developed ties in the capital that we had not had in the past and we were very sorry to see her leave.”

Higdon said her leadership style is not loud or showy.

“She is not self-aggrandizing and conscious of not overshadowing the work. She tends to be shoulder-to-shoulder with the people she works with, which I appreciate,” he said.

After that, Mulligan spent nearly three years as chief of staff for the University of Missouri system. In 2016, she was named the Missouri Commissioner of Higher Education.

She championed record investment in higher education, developed a strategic plan with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, collaborated with partners in the public and private sectors, and explored new ways to address workforce needs.

Her fingerprints are all over the launch or expansion of Access Missouri, a need-based financial assistance program; the Missouri College Access Network; and the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant, which helps adults access both higher education and career training.

In the state role, Mulligan helped Missouri State successfully navigate obstacles in its quest to offer more doctoral degrees.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to do things that make a difference in the lives of Missourians,” she said.

“Being able to make a good higher education available to more people is the thing I’m most proud of. Increasing access to a good education is my most significant accomplishment.”

Matt Morrow, president and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, has known Mulligan for years and described her as a “consensus-builder” who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo.

“She does a great job of listening to various perspectives and stakeholders and trying to factor in what can be best learned from each point of view, and ultimately helps craft solutions that build a lot of common ground and that would be effective,” Morrow said.

“It is a constant balancing act”

After six years as commissioner, Mulligan accepted the No. 2 job at Missouri State.

Smart, who has known Mulligan since at least 2007, said part of the role is to help manage day-to-day operations of the university.

“The caliber of the people who work here is remarkable. People work here because they are really dedicated to the institution, to its mission, to the students we serve,” she said.

In May 2022, shortly before Mulligan started, Smart made it clear her hiring was part of his strategic succession plan. There had been a wave of high-level retirements at the university and Smart hoped the board would tap Mulligan to fill in if something happened that left him incapacitated and consider her a “strong internal candidate” whenever he decided to retire.

Smart originally hoped the executive vice president would also serve as provost but the faculty balked, insisting they wanted a provost who had previously been a professor.

He proposed hiring an interim provost, to serve alongside Smart and Mulligan. The board agreed and John Jasinksi, then-president of Northwest Missouri State University, was selected.

On Sept. 6, Smart announced his intent to retire in mid-2024. At that time, Smart said Jasinski planned to apply for the president job but Mulligan did not.

Mulligan said working with Smart was a major draw for taking the Missouri State job a year ago.

“Clif has been part of the university’s identity in a way few presidents are and certainly the university will look and feel differently after he departs. The next president has enormous shoes to fill,” she said. “That person will need to figure out how to make connections with students (and) connect with the community similar to the way Clif has been able to do over the years.”

More:MSU posts president’s job, outlines key dates in search for Clif Smart’s replacement

Asked why she is not applying for the top job, Mulligan said Smart is retiring sooner than she expected and “the timing, for me, does not feel right.”

Mulligan, who co-parents with her ex-husband, has a 17-year-old senior at Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City.

During the week, Mulligan lives in a condo near campus and works long hours. Each weekend, she goes to Jefferson City — where she still maintains a home — so she can be present for her daughter.

“It is super hard. This is a very demanding job. Being the parent of a senior is also a demanding job. It is a constant balancing act where everyone is working hard to do their best,” she said.

Mulligan is co-teaching a course on higher education leadership this semester at Missouri State. In her limited free time, she and close friends have been “eating the alphabet” by trying a different restaurant for each letter.

As for Missouri State, Mulligan said she is deeply invested in the work she started a year ago and hopes to continue it if Jasinski is hired.

“It has been phenomenal to work with John. He’s another person that I’ve known for a long time. We crossed paths consistently in my time as commissioner,” she said. “He’s a person who leads quality institutions. Northwest, under his leadership, really transformed to a fantastic institution. I knew he’d bring that level of clarity and discipline and energy to his work here.”

Asked if she might be a candidate for the top job at her alma mater Drury — which is also looking for a president — Mulligan said, “I don’t plan to apply.”

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

Originally Appeared Here