Mid-Missouri

Story Links

DEKALB, Ill. — The Northern Illinois University men’s soccer team begins its first season of Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday evening (Sept. 16) when the Huskies host defending regular season and conference tournament champion Missouri State. Game time against the Bears is scheduled for 6 p.m. and admission to all Huskie soccer games is free of charge. 

Due to a high school band competition taking place at Huskie Stadium on Saturday night, fans attending the NIU Soccer game are asked to park in Lot PS (parking map), directly north of the NIU Soccer Complex. 

“Missouri State is a really good team,” said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. “I’m very familiar with those guys, I was at Drury University for 11 years, which is just five minutes away (from Missouri State), so I got to know their coaches, their style of play and really have a lot of respect for what they have built there. I think our guys are fired up; they are ready for this. I don’t think there is a better way to start conference play than playing the defending champions on your home field.”

NIU (2-4) is coming off a 3-2 setback at Milwaukee on Tuesday night (Sept. 12). Parker Jeppson (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest) and Taisei Arima (Machida, Japan/Seiryo) each scored for the Huskies in the contest. NIU is averaging 2.0 goals per game, which ranks 36th nationally, Camilo Estrada (Dallas, Texas/Lone Star) and Eddie Knight (Frisco, Texas/Lone Star) are tied for the team lead with three goals. Knight is also tied with Arima on a team-best seven points. 

Missouri State comes into Saturday’s contest with a 3-0-1 overall record and ranked 15th in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll. The Bears have conceded just one goal in four matches this season as Harry Townsend has recorded a trio of shutouts. Jack Denton has scored two goals to lead Missouri State offensively. Missouri State has won four consecutive Missouri Valley regular season titles and three-straight tournament crowns, they are also the preseason favorite in the league this season. 

Saturday’s matchup against the nationally ranked Bears continues the difficult early schedule for the Huskies, who have played two other foes currently ranked in the top-25, No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 19 Northwestern, along with Memphis who is currently receiving votes. 

After 26 seasons in the Mid-American Conference, NIU begins its first in the Missouri Valley this weekend. The Huskies moved to the Missouri Valley along with Bowling Green and Western Michigan following the announcement by the MAC that it would no longer sponsor men’s soccer, beginning this season. 

Nine schools compete in men’s soccer in the Missouri Valley, as Belmont, Bradley, Drake, Evansville and UIC join Missouri State and the three full-time members of the MAC (Bowling Green, NIU and Western Michigan). Six teams make the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, with the number one seed hosting both the semifinals and championship game. 

Following Saturday’s league opener, NIU will head to Evansville for its first conference road game of the year on Saturday, Sept. 23. Kickoff at Evansville is scheduled for 7 p.m. 
 

Originally Appeared Here

Years in the making, Restore SGF — a nonprofit encouraging reinvestment in Springfield’s historic neighborhoods — debuted its first program at a ribbon cutting ceremony at the organization’s new office space, located at 1409 W. Sunshine St., on Sept. 13.

The ideas first thought up by founders Richard Ollis and Brian Fogle in 2019 came to fruition Wednesday, as Restore SGF launched the Block Challenge Grant Program. Restore SGF aims to initiate a chain reaction of home improvements in five Springfield neighborhoods by reimbursing participants up to $2,500 for eligible projects.

Oillis, Fogle and Restore SGF board members welcomed elected officials, city government staff and members of the Springfield community to the ribbon cutting, laying out the short-term and long-term vision of the organization.

“Our mission is very clear and simple,” Ollis, a former Springfield City Council member and the president of the Restore SGF board, told the audience. “We want to create and enhance complete neighborhoods, but most importantly, we want to promote homeownership and we’d like to rehabilitate our historic neighborhoods.”

How Restore SGF came to be

Restore SGF is the result of years of brainstorming, a trip to Des Moines, Iowa, and collaboration between a wide range of stakeholders and leaders in Springfield. As a part of their research, Ollis, Fogle and other persons involved in Restore SGF visited the Iowa capital to see the results of a similar program, Invest DSM.

Like Restore SGF, Invest DSM offers a Block Challenge Grant Program to help revitalize neighborhoods. Using data from an ongoing housing study in Springfield, Restore SGF identified neighborhoods that might the most benefit from an incentive program. 

“What we learned in Des Moines is a starting place, and only a starting place,” Ollis said. “But our mission, and our start needs to be in these neighborhoods, in threes and fours. These are the neighborhoods that are at risk of, again, swinging the other way and it’s where we can have the most impact, at least with our initial efforts.”

Richard Ollis (middle) explains how Restore SGF’s first Block Challenge Grant Program is similar to that of Invest DSM, a neighborhood revitalization program in Des Moines. (Photo by Jack McGee)

Restore SGF considered a host of different factors in selecting which neighborhoods — at least one from each City Council Zone — would be eligible for the first Block Challenge Grant Program, including community assets, income, homeownership, historic features and the condition of properties, among other elements.

In addition, the committee that was tasked with identifying and scoring neighborhoods based on those factors intentionally selected “middle market” neighborhoods.

“We believe that neighborhood revitalization must go beyond the demolition of condemned homes,” Restore SGF Interim Executive Director Dana Elwell said in a press release. “That is why we’re focusing on what we’ve identified as ‘middle market’ neighborhoods — those that are neither the strongest nor the weakest in the Springfield housing market.”

Woodland Heights, Grant Beach, Doling Park (east of Robberson Avenue), Fassnight and Meador Park (east of National Avenue) were selected as the first five neighborhoods Restore SGF would offer its program in. Elwell said that they divided the Doling Park and Meador Park neighborhoods to have a greater impact and because some parts of the neighborhoods didn’t qualify for the program based on financial data.

How the Block Challenge Grant Program works

The grant program offers a reimbursement, or match, to homeowners in the five neighborhoods for qualifying improvements. The larger the chain reaction, the more each individual can be reimbursed. Teams of five to nine neighbors are eligible to be reimbursed $1,000, whereas teams of 10 to 19 can receive a $2,500 reimbursement per homeowner.

Participants are required to be the homeowner and primary resident of the property and be able to see the next team member’s home from their front porch. Becky Volz, a Restore SGF board member and president of the Woodland Heights Neighborhood Association, said this requirement provides an opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other, and enhance camaraderie and safety in the neighborhood. 

“I feel like it’s really going to ramp up some positivity for people about where they live and really care about where they live and be proud of where they live,” Volz said.

Restore SGF will debut its first Block Challenge Grant Program in Woodland Heights, Grant Beach, Fassnight, Doling Park (east) and Meador Park (east). (Photo by Dean Curtis)

The reimbursement is an equal match, meaning the participant must be able to pay at least half of the total project cost, and have access to expendable income prior to reimbursement.

Most any exterior improvement that is visible from the street qualifies for reimbursement, including, landscaping, siding, roofing, windows and concrete work, among other projects.

“What this does is create momentum in the neighborhood, excitement,” Ollis said. “We have signs that go out in the yards to, again, create visibility and frankly, people drive by and wondering what is going on in the neighborhood and seeing all the construction and improvements that are happening in the neighborhoods.”

Applications must be submitted by the team, and are accepted on a rolling basis between Sept. 15 to Dec. 1. More information about the program and an application form can be found on the Block Challenge website. Additional application windows will open at later dates, Ollis said.

Restore SGF and it’s first Block Challenge Grant Program is being funded by the City of Springfield — broken down between a $1 million American Rescue Plan Act grant and a $300,000 budget allocation — the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, and 10 Springfield area financial institutions, totaling a $3.19 million investment as of Sept. 13, 2023.

Ollis emphasized the public-private partnership that funded Restore SGF, highlighting the contributions of the banks. Banks committed anywhere between $30,000 and $60,000 over three years, with four banks establishing loans funds of $250,000 each. Arvest Bank, Mid-Missouri Bank, Commerce Bank, Great Southern Bank, Guaranty Bank, OakStar Bank, Old Missouri Bank, Central Bank, Regent Bank and Legacy Bank all invested in Restore SGF.

Ollis said Restore SGF’s goal is to have the initial funding last three years. 

Future of Restore SGF

Restore SGF’s offices are located at 1409 W. Sunshine St. (Photo by Jack McGee)

Even while celebrating, Restore SGF is planning for future growth, dependent upon the success of its first program.

Future grant programs will require additional funding, according to Ollis, and that will require Restore SGF to prove itself in order for its banking contributors to reinvest in the organization. Restore SGF will also explore other funding sources.

“We expect this to be successful,” Elwell said. “And if it is successful, as we expect, our plan is to announce four more neighborhoods that we will try to deal with. So it’s not something that we’re going to end up with these five neighborhoods and be done. We’re hoping and expecting that we’ll be advancing four more neighborhoods and beyond that four more neighborhoods.”

Ollis said he anticipates Restore SGF to hire three or four more staff members by the end of the first quarter of 2024, including a permanent executive director. Elwell is currently the only staff member of the organization.

In closing remarks, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure commended the work of volunteers, community buy-in and collaboration that made Restore SGF possible, and expressed optimism about the impact its programs could have on Springfield neighborhoods.

“We’re talking about improving the possibilities for homeownership, we’re talking about restoring historic neighborhoods, which are so much of a staple of this community…I am so excited to see how we’re going to go now we’ve got the first list of neighborhoods out there,” McClure said.

More information on Restore SGF and the Block Challenge Grant Program can be found on the Restore SGF website.

Springfield Mayor Ken McClure (left) praises the partnerships and collaboration that made Restore SGF possible. (Photo by Jack McGee)

Jack McGee

Jack McGee is the government affairs reporter at the Springfield Daily Citizen. He previously covered politics and business for the Daily Citizen. He’s an MSU graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and a minor political science. Reach him at jmcgee@sgfcitizen.org or (417) 837-3663. More by Jack McGee

Originally Appeared Here

It was for the best Monday night’s matchup between the Helias Lady Crusaders the Capital City Lady Cavaliers was played under rally scoring and not side out scoring. Otherwise, they both still might have been on the volleyball court into the wee hours of the morning.

In what was a defensive battle, the Lady Crusaders used strong finishes in all three sets to pull away to a 25-22, 25-17, 25-23 victory in Central Missouri Activities Conference play against the Lady Cavaliers at Capital City High School.

“Those are things we’ve worked on and talked about,” Helias coach David Harris said of finishing strong to end a set. “It doesn’t always happen, so it was good to see.

“They never panicked.”

Helias finished the match with a total of 87 digs on the defensive end.

“That’s been one of our keys all year, is our defense,” Harris said. “Tonight, in a three-set match, we averaged almost 30 digs a set, which is incredible.”

Izzy Herrbold, the reigning CMAC defensive player of the year, led the Lady Crusaders with 32 digs.

“It’s really not fair to her, but you expect her to get to everything,” Harris said. “It’s not going to happen, but she has quick reflexes and she reads the hitters really well.

“She’s one of the best defenders we’ve ever had at Helias, and that’s saying something.”

Capital City was just as strong on the defensive end, finishing the night with three players posting 10 or more digs. Addison Jones had a team-high 24 digs, while Katie Daehnick and Sarina Litteken each had 12 digs.

“We both have very strong hitters, and our defensive line has to pick it up whenever it comes to that,” Capital City coach Kelsey Vogler said. “Both of our defensive lines have definite depth, with an ability to read and get under the ball.”

Helias’ defense helped secure a win in the first set.

With the Lady Crusaders ahead 23-22, Sophie Verslues dove to dig the ball on the back row, keeping a volley alive that ended with a kill by Alyssa Muenks.

Libby Gaines followed with a kill on the next point to give Helias a first-set win.

“That’s how we have to play,” Harris said. “And then our hitters keep plugging away and keep trying to find spots. Hopefully we’re going to win the majority of those long rallies.”

Helias kept that momentum going, jumping out to a 12-4 lead in the second set. Capital City battled back and got within a point of Helias at 16-15 with a pair of kills by Aslyn Marshall, but the Lady Crusaders never gave up their lead.

“Volleyball is definitely a game of runs,” Vogler said. “Helias made runs, so we got behind. Then we would make runs to catch up. We just needed to make the runs to push us ahead, instead of catching up.”

Helias ended the second set on a 9-2 run, finishing it off with a service ace by Avery Saucier.

The third set was very much a back-and-forth battle, featuring 18 ties and nine lead changes.

With the score tied at 21, Kari Kemna had a kill for Capital City and a Helias error gave the Lady Cavaliers a 23-21 advantage, two points from their first-ever set win against the Lady Crusaders.

In the previous five meetings between Capital City and Helias, the Lady Cavaliers only scored 20 points in a set once. They were able to do that twice in Monday’s match.

“We all know Helias is a very solid an scrappy team, no matter what their roster looks like,” Vogler said. “We competed with them tonight, and that’s a big hike for us.”

Harris called a timeout to settle down his players.

“I hate calling timeouts, but there are times where you have to do it,” Harris said. “Sometimes, all we say is, ‘Take a deep breath and relax.’”

It worked.

Claire Carel had a kill to give the serve back to Helias, then Kendal Herzing had a block to tie the score at 23. Hannah Hentges finished the match with back-to-back kills to prevent a fourth set from happening.

Hentges led Helias with 14 kills.

“She had a good night against Hickman the other night and another good night tonight,” Harris said. “She’s been really one of our top consistent hitters all year.”

Carel added 11 kills, while Maddy Kempker and Addy Bryant had 15 and 11 digs, respectively, for Helias. Bryant added 23 assists for a double-double and Saucier was next with 18 assists.

Marshall led Capital City with 12 digs, Jada Anderson had three blocks and Daehnick had a double-double, finishing with 23 assists.

“They lost several seniors last year, like we did,” Harris said of Capital City. “If they continue to improve and get some experience for their younger players — like we’re trying to do for our younger players — by the end of the year, they could be a force.”

Helias (10-2-1, 2-0 CMAC) continues conference play Wednesday at home against Battle. The freshman and JV matches start at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity at 6:15 p.m.

Capital City (8-4-2, 0-2 CMAC), which has played nine matches in the past five days, plays today at Owensville. The freshman match begins at 5 p.m., followed by the JV and varsity matches.

“Starting out this strong against tough competition has made our girls’ mentality stay higher, and their physical ability is faster,” Vogler said. “It’s not the physical aspect, it’s the mental aspect where we have to get over that hump.”

In the JV match, Helias defeated Capital City 25-13, 25-14.

For Helias (9-3), Carsyn Ellis had eight kills, Ellie Anderson had 13 assists and served five aces and Liza Boyer finished with 10 digs.

For Capital City (3-4), Kennedie Lutz-Jenkins had five kills, Kacie Kuebler had four assists and Avery Castrop and Taylor Johnson each had four digs.

In the freshman match, Helias defeated Capital City 25-13, 25-21.

For Helias (10-4), Leenah Stegeman had seven kills, Claire Sinnett had 12 assists and served three aces and Hayley Hoffman finished with 27 digs.

For Capital City (5-5-1), Lexi Falter and Aubrie Ross each had five kills, Reese Denich had nine assists and Kaleigh Ward, Falter and Hope Adkins each had eight digs.

Originally Appeared Here

In its first meeting of the new school year, the Columbia School Board will hear updates on the district’s achievement and workplace development efforts.

Achievement update

Superintendent Brian Yearwood will provide the board with an update on the district’s Continuous School Improvement Plan, a state-mandated, five-year plan approved by the board last year. The report will focus on what the district is doing to address its goals regarding attendance, discipline and achievement.

Board members will also be shown recent district performance data from the Missouri Assessment Program test, a state standardized assessment; and i-Ready assessments, which track student progress over the course of the school year.

Workforce development update

The board will hear a presentation on the district’s work-based learning efforts.

The district offers programs, mainly for high school students, that “assist in preparing students who choose to pursue employment as their postsecondary transition goal,” according to the district website. Work-based learning can include opportunities like job shadowing, internships and clinicals.

District personnel will highlight the program for the board and speak on how it can be expanded in the future.

Safety grant

The board is being asked to ratify an application for a grant that would allocate $300,000 for school safety equipment.

In June, Gov. Mike Parson signed House Bill 2, which approved $50 million to assist schools in implementing school safety programs and technology. The district is requesting funds to implement a system to track and screen non-employees visiting school buildings, as well as upgrades to various security equipment.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

According to the agenda, this is the second round of grant funding available to school districts. The district was not selected for the first round of funding.

The grant is being considered as part of the consent agenda, a group of measures that, if approved, are all passed at once.

Construction projects

The board will consider a list of construction agreements and change orders, including additions to Russell Boulevard and Battle elementary schools, ADA upgrades and heating, ventilation and air conditioning system replacements.

Special recognition

The board will recognize several community members early in the meeting. They are:

Saathvik Kannan, a senior at Hickman High School, who was awarded $50,000 and the Regeneron Young Scientist Award for his research on the causes of heightened infectivity of mpox.

• Board member Blake Willoughby, for achieving Advanced and Master Certification from the Missouri School Boards’ Association.
• Pat Wehmeyer, district human resources supervisor, who was named HR Office Professional of the Year from the Missouri Association of School Personnel Administrators.
• Columbia Public Schools, for receiving the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022 from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Where to watch

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Aslin Administration Building, 1818 W. Worley St. It will be livestreamed on CPS-TV, CenturyLink, Mediacom, Charter Spectrum, Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV.

Originally Appeared Here

Despite falling on the wrong side of the final score, the Jefferson City Jays showed important signs of improvement Friday night against the Rock Bridge Bruins at Adkins Stadium.

The Jays ultimately dropped a 35-27 decision in Central Missouri Activities Conference play, but Jefferson City was able to erase a two-score halftime deficit, limited a potent Bruin offense to 194 total yards and nine first downs and the Jays were able to get their passing attack going for the first time this season in the second half.

There is really no such thing as a moral victory, but Friday felt like a loss Jefferson City can build on.

“When you’re playing freshmen and sophomores, experience matters,” Jefferson City coach Damon Wells said. “Hopefully the experience of having been in a tough environment last week in that situation paid dividends tonight. But again, we need to start ending up on the right side of these things.”

The Jays entered the locker room in the same situation they saw the week prior at Hannibal: Trailing 21-7 without the option of receiving the second half kickoff.

Against Hannibal, the Pirates marched right down the field to open the second half to extend their lead to three scores, and the contest was never close again.

Jefferson City learned from its experience and wanted to make sure the same thing didn’t happen again.

“New week, new us, right?” Jays quarterback Jacob Wilson said. “Every game you learn stuff, especially losses. I think everyone has grown so much, and I know we are going to keep growing.”

It was the perfect start to the second half Friday. The Bruins were able to put together a pair of first downs before being tasked with a fourth-and-3 at the Jays’ 18-yard line.

Kane Fuelling made one of his many big plays for the Jefferson City defense to follow, stuffing Stefan Williams for a 4-yard loss — one of three tackles for loss for Fuelling, along with a sack and forced fumble — to turn Rock Bridge over on downs.

The Jays’ defensive line combined for four tackles for loss and three sacks in the contest.

“I’m really proud of the kids that we rotated in there, really proud of the kids on the field and their perseverance,” Wells said.

Jefferson City marched right down the field for a touchdown after taking over possession. Zach Barnes had a big drive, running the first play for 22 yards, adding a 20-yard carry later in the drive with an extra 15 yards added on top due to a horse-collar tackle and capped the drive one play later with a 14-yard touchdown reception on a wheel route from Wilson to cut the deficit to 21-14 just more than four minutes into the second half.

“I let my players make plays and ultimately it was a team effort,” Wilson said.

The Jays came up with another defensive stop on Rock Bridge’s next drive, helped by a 7-yard tackle for loss from Fuelling that set up a third-and-17 pass that fell incomplete.

Jefferson City marched down the field again for a touchdown, highlighted by a 24-yard run by Jaiden LaViolette on first-and-20 to move the ball to the Bruin 20, and Kantrell Jordan ran in a 6-yard end around by beating the Rock Bridge defense to the pylon for a touchdown. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, though, and the Jays were down 21-20 with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.

The momentum kept building and building on the Jays’ sideline.

“It felt like a wave,” Wilson said. “It felt like a massive tidal wave coming in and it was just going to hit the whole stadium, and I felt it. We were building and we were right there.”

But Drevyn Seamon quickly grabbed momentum back for the Bruins, grabbing the ensuing kickoff at his own 8-yard line before weaving into the middle of the field and running untouched for a kickoff return touchdown to extend the lead back to 28-20.

Seamon’s kickoff return was one of three big plays for Rock Bridge that proved to be the difference in the contest, with the other two being a Seamon 29-yard jet sweep touchdown on the Bruins’ opening drive followed quickly by a 30-yard pick-6 from Cullen Snow that gave Rock Bridge a 14-0 lead just more than four minutes into the game.

“I told you before that we had to be able to tackle in space and being able to minimize big plays,” Wells said. “We got hit twice, but aside from that we were solid.

“With the exception of one or two plays, we are right there and we win this thing.”

Rock Bridge added its final touchdown after forcing Jefferson City into a three-and-out, left with just 34 yards to go after a short punt and good return.

The Bruins scored five plays later to extend the lead back to two scores.

The Jays easily could’ve given up after being down 14-0 early and by 15 points in the fourth quarter, but they kept battling.

Compared to how the team had performed facing multiple-score deficits in the past, Friday was a major leap in mental toughness.

“Thinking back to last year, it’s night-and-day,” Wilson said. “If we went down 14-0 in the first drives, there is no way we are in this game last year. I believe that with my whole heart.”

Josh Wilson made a pair of big plays to help Jefferson City have chance in the end.

Josh Wilson started the next drive by catching a deep-post route for a 50-yard gain, kicking off a five-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a Jordan 16-yard touchdown run to cut it back to a one-score game.

“I saw the safety kind of come down a bit, so I knew I could break it behind him,” Josh Wilson said. “Jacob delivered a nice pass to me and I tried to get as many yards as I could before he got me at the 30.”

And then Josh Wilson was targeted at cornerback on the biggest defensive snap of the game for the Jays.

Facing a third-and-15 at their own 44, the Bruins targeted Josh Wilson on a double-move, go-route down the home sideline, but he was able to stay right on the hip of the receiver and batted the ball away to set up a punt, giving Jefferson City a chance to tie the game with 4:30 left.

“I knew he was going to run a go (route),” he said. “I just cut it off, I saw his eyes get big, so I threw my hands and deflected it. I’m here.”

The Jays’ final drive showed a lot of promise but a key sack by Crew Norden pushed them back to third-and-23 at the Bruin 36.

Jacob Wilson had two heaves to try and keep his team alive. The first sailed over the head of Kendric Johnson and out of the back of the end zone, and the second was a jump ball to Johnson, who was able to high point and get the pass in his hands before Rock Bridge’s secondary closed in and knocked it out of his hands to seal the victory.

“I was just trusting my man,” Jacob Wilson said. “Kenny is a freak athlete and I’ll throw that to him 10 times out of 10.”

Jefferson City dropped to 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in CMAC play. The Jays play Friday at Sedalia Smith-Cotton (0-3, 0-1 CMAC), which is coming off a 47-22 loss to Warrensburg.

Rock Bridge improved to 2-1 (2-0 CMAC) and will play next week at Capital City (3-0, 2-0 CMAC).

Originally Appeared Here

It’s been a little more than two weeks since the team at CTS Custom Trailers in Iowa rolled into town with several trailers to display at the Shootout on the Strip along Bagnell Dam Boulevard in Lake Ozark, Mo., and that roll has yet to slow since that rather warm Wednesday evening when thousands in town for the 35th annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout gathered to get a glimpse of some of the coolest boats on the planet.

Jon Smiley, left, and Jason Curry put in a full day—and then some—representing CTS Custom Trailers during the Shootout on the Strip at the end of August in Central Missouri. Photo courtesy David Dilks/Lake Shots Photography

The amount of new CTS trailers on the street carrying center consoles and catamarans, including the company’s first tilt trailer it built for FASS Motorsports Fuel System owner Brad Ekstam’s 42-foot cat (pictured in the slideshow below), was a significant jump beyond last year’s Shootout on the Strip when CTS had a single trailer competing for attention along Bagnell Dam Boulevard.

“We were lucky to have one trailer there last year and it ended up being off to the side, but this year we were right down the main drag and the attention never stopped,” said Jason Curry, whose MTI 390X powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R engines was one of the boats in the CTS display. Curry added that the increase in business has led the company to expand its workforce and production capabilities, in turn leading to improved options not to mention patent-pending product designs.

Along with Curry, CTS vice president of sales Jon Smiley was proud to have a CTS trailer riding underneath the fastest electric-powered boat at the Shootout, the Vision Marine Technologies-powered S2 Power Boats catamaran that set a new record a few days later when Shaun Torrente drove it up to 116 mph on the three-quarter-mile course.

Check out the slideshow above for more examples of the variety of trailers available from CTS Custom Trailers.

Of course Smiley was indeed just as proud of the company’s other aluminum c-channel trailers on hand, including several built for MTI customers and one for a 38-foot Fountain Powerboats center console ordered by Big Thunder Marine.

Although they admit they needed a day or two to recover from the week of extreme heat and nonstop deal making in Central Missouri, Curry, Smiley and the rest of the CTS team was back at it taking orders and rolling out new trailers before it was time to break for Labor Day weekend. In fact, the company recently wrapped up trailers for Concept Boats, DCB Performance Marine, Formula Boats, Fountain Powerboats, MTI, Nor-Tech, Sunsation Powerboats and more. And just this week, CTS delivered a beauty for a Nor-Tech 390 Sport that features triple 7,000-pound axles from Dexter and Hydrastar USA brakes.

Curry also shared a few other notable trailer projects in the works, several of which will make for good speedonthewater.com stories in the near future.

Related stories
Shootout On The Strip Delivers Extra Sizzle
CTS Custom Trailers Owner Curry Impressed With New MTI 390X
Smiley And Moran Join CTS Custom Trailers
CTS To Debut Tilt Trailer At Desert Storm Poker Run
Coverage Of The 2023 Lake Of The Ozarks Shootout

Originally Appeared Here

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Mid-America Transportation Center has won a five-year, $15 million grant to remain the transportation research and workforce development hub for the U.S. Department of Transportation Region 7, comprised of Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas.

This competitive grant is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation through its University Transportation Centers program, which advances transportation research and technology, and develops the next generation of transportation professionals. The congressionally mandated program has been in place since 1987; the Mid-America Transportation Center first won the competition in 1995 and again in 2006, 2011 and 2016.

The center will receive $3 million per year for the next five years to improve transportation safety and equity. Other partner institutions are Nebraska Indian Community College, Missouri University of Science and Technology, the University of Iowa, University of Kansas and University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Aemal Khattak, the center’s director and professor of civil and environmental engineering, said the grant title reflects not only a focus on transportation safety issues, but on equity in transportation safety.

“The Mid-America Transportation Center for Transportation Safety and Equity shows our emphasis on equity-related safety issues,” Khattak said. “It reflects our recognition that different population groups may be impacted in various ways by transportation safety improvements. We are going to focus on equity issues in transportation safety, but also look at issues that affect Region 7 in unique ways, such as climate change and supply chain vulnerability.”

The grant will allow the center to expand its outreach and education programs, including a new safe driver academy in conjunction with Nebraska Indian Community College. Providing free training to the college’s students for the operation of both personal and commercial vehicles, Khattak said, will improve safety on the roadways and provide employment opportunities to the trainees.

“NICC is located in one of the most economically depressed areas of Nebraska, so job creation is important,” Khattak said. “This academy will prepare the next generation of commercial truck drivers and help fill the needs of Nebraska companies looking for drivers.”

Other Mid-America Transportation Center programs, some of which have been in place for more than a decade, include:

• Sovereign Native Youth STEM Leadership Academy, a summer program that provides students with an extended learning opportunity in STEM subjects and helps them explore education and career options after high school. The curriculum is developed by Native faculty, students and leaders from across the country. Students from Federal Region 7 high schools are eligible to participate in the academy regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, tribal affiliation or other protected status.

• MATC Scholars Program, which brings together diverse faculty and students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving Institutions to encourage the students to pursue college degrees and teach them necessary skills to succeed in STEM fields. One program is for undergraduate students from these institutions interested in pursuing graduate degrees. The second program encourages students enrolled at Nebraska Indian Community College or Little Priest Community College to pursue a STEM degree. Students are eligible to participate in either program without regard to race, ethnicity, sex, tribal affiliation or other protected status.

• Roads, Rails and Race Cars after-school program, which since 2010 has engaged youth in 17 schools in seven cities across three states — Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin — and expanded their STEM learning opportunities outside the regular classroom. Each participating school offers the program for one hour a week. In 2017, MATC-TSE began a Roads, Rails and Race Cars partnership with tribal schools in three Nebraska communities — Macy, Winnebago and Santee.

Additionally, Khattak said, the grant will help support the MATC Intern Program, which includes other Region 7 members. At Nebraska, employers in Lincoln and Omaha provide experiences in transportation to Husker undergraduate students, many of whom are in the College of Engineering.

“I feel this is a major win for UNL, the College of Engineering and MATC because it allows us to continue these programs, none of which receive state funding,” Khattak said. “All of these activities improve the educational opportunities of young students and, ultimately, also address the workforce needs of Nebraska and the nation in transportation and STEM fields.”

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Twenty-seven states and Guam have Right to Work laws, but not Missouri. Which means there is no law on the books that would prevent union membership from being a condition of working somewhere.

Even though there’s no laws, Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work movement, said there is still a lot of talk in Missouri.

“Right to work laws, do not contemplate the notion that you’ll be fired from your job if you don’t pay dues or fees to a labor union,” Mix said. “That’s outrageous. It’s wrong. It’s un-American.”

There was a vote in 2018 to enact a law, but that failed, in part thanks to unions lobbying against it. Andrew Hutchinson with Local LiUNA 955 said the union believes Right to Work laws undercuts work values and lead to lower wages.

“Myself and a lot of other members were a big part of beating it back the second time,” Hutchinson said. “Missouri voters have defeated it twice at the ballot box, and we’re we’re hopeful that we don’t have to do it a third time, but we will if we have to.”

Most years, at least one Missouri lawmaker introduces a Right to Work bill. This past year, Sen. Jason Bean introduced Senate Bill 54, which didn’t make it through the committee.

Union membership decreased from 10.3% of the nation’s workers in 2021 to 10.1% in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This is the lowest percentage ever recorded. That 10.1% represents over 14 million workers.

Despite the decrease, Mid-Missouri labor movements have not slowed down in the past year, from strikes to forming new unions.

Labor Day, recognized the first Monday in September, is a federal holiday honoring the achievements of the American workforce. It was first celebrated in 1882, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Several Mid-Missouri companies saw labor union activity in 2023.

In April, workers at Wildcat Materials, Inc. went on strike. LiUNA Local 955, the union that represented them, said workers had been bargaining for higher pay, more affordable insurance and overtime pay since December. This is now resolved, according to LiUNA, and a contract has been signed.

In May, workers for the City of Columbia demonstrated outside City Hall with a giant inflatable rat labeled “City Management.” The protest during the city manager’s State of the City speech was also organized by LiUNA Local 955, which represents some City of Columbia and University of Missouri workers. Workers were protesting city proposals that they say would cut wages for some city workers, including those in trash collection.

In June, Shangri-La Dispensary workers in Columbia voted to form a union with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655. The vote narrowly passed after weeks of workers picketing outside the dispensary. Some former employees told ABC 17 News that they were let go after the company learned they wanted to unionize, but the company said the fired employees’ claims are baseless. 

Most recently, LiUNA Local 955 and other community members rallied outside the University of Missouri Printing Services, which the university is closing down. The union is asking MU to postpone the closing and make policy changes that could make printing more profitable.

Tuesday, the union representing Columbia City workers will present a proposal to create a new paid family leave policy for all city workers.

Originally Appeared Here

Boone County is launching new opportunities for the community to help shape a new master plan.

“It’s just critical that we hear from people,” Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick said. “We don’t want Boone County government … being the leading voice on this.”

The opportunities for public comment are:

• A virtual community meeting Sept. 12
• An online survey accessible through www.ourboone.com
• A paper survey being mailed to 2,000 random county residents next week
• A public drop-in session Sept. 26

The county previously announced in May plans to update its master plan, which hasn’t been updated since 1996. The plan sets out a non-binding set of priorities for the future of the county. The current master plan includes goals related to development, infrastructure and monitoring population growth.

The Sept. 12 virtual meeting will include a live sit-in at the Centralia City Hall Community Room, 114 S. Rollins St. in Centralia, and the Southern Boone School District Central Office Board Room, 5275 Redtail Drive, in Ashland.

The Sept. 26 drop-in meeting will be held at the Boone Electric Community Room, 1413 Range Line St.

An updated plan is timely as the county has changed since 1996. Boone County’s population and developed space have grown about 50% and 17%, respectively, according to information on the county website.

Bill Florea, resource management director for Boone County, who is leading the project, noted that Boone is one of the few counties in Missouri that have planning and zoning requirements that regulate the rules around what can be built.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

A master plan sets guidelines for decisions made by the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The commission provides the go-ahead on most new development, so having an updated master plan that represents the communities wishes is important.

Kendrick told the Missourian on Wednesday that community input will be the driving force in updating the plan.

A brochure for the master plan emphasized that the plan’s jurisdiction will be unincorporated areas of Boone County, which Kendrick clarified is land outside of municipalities like Columbia and Ashland.

“The master plan is really kind of (about) how do we want to see growth? How do we want to grow Boone County in the future within unincorporated zone?” Kendrick said.

Kendrick added that mail surveys seeking comments on the plan will be sent out next week to 2,000 randomized households in unincorporated areas of Boone County.

Infrastructure is also expected to be heavily addressed by the plan, especially with the incoming development of new lanes to Interstate 70.

“We’ll need to make sure that that’s all on top of our minds: where additional outer roads may go and how we need to prepare for that growth,” Kendrick said.

Some of the key aspects expected to be in the updated plan are improving Boone County’s housing market, as 26% of renters spend more than 50% of their income on rent, and providing much of the county’s rural areas with broadband connection.

Originally Appeared Here

HANNIBAL — Turnout and enthusiasm is up for Hannibal cross country, who are getting in the swing of things after a 3K race at Gans Creek last Saturday.

The Pirates have 16 runners on the boys side and 10 runners on the girls side with 26 overall, which is nine more than last season.

“It’s pretty neat to see this group of kids buying into what we are doing and getting more kids to run,” said Hannibal cross country coach Jim Coniglio. “There’s also 20 kids in the middle school level, so the future looks pretty bright.”

It’s quite a turnaround from just a few years ago.

“It’s really a full circle moment for me as a senior to have this many people on the team,” said Hannibal senior Jocelyn Dorsey. “I’m really happy about it and proud we’ve come this far because we did have only two people the first year I ran.”

Dorsey would like to break under 20 minutes in the 5K race this year and earn All-State honors.

“We had summer training with coach,” Dorsey said. “We came here Monday through Thursday. Mostly was light intensity workouts. Just getting in shape for the season. 40 minute runs.”

Hannibal junior David Munger had an internship during the month of June and did not fully start training until later in the summer.

Still, Munger ran around the campground he worked at over the summer.

“Starting with the Fourth of July, I just ran every day,” Munger said. “I got my lactic acids and everything down. By the time we got to the actual scheduled season practices, that’s when we started doing the harder workouts. That’s when you start building up your sprinting speed and things you don’t get at a slow pace.”

Munger learned from Cameron Nichols and Eli Hess during his first two seasons, but both runners graduated last year, so Munger plans to step up as a leader in his junior season.

“My freshman and sophomore years, I was attempting to reach Caleb and Eli, who were our seniors last year,” Munger said. “They were kind of my role models and people I looked up to. So my goal this year is to surpass Cameron’s time, which was a 17:01 5k, and kind of step into that leadership role for the younger kids coming in right now.”

Munger finished 61st overall with a time of 17:34.4 at the Class 4 state meet last year at Gans Creek, the same course Hannibal debuted the 2023 season on last weekend.

“My favorite course is probably Gans Creek,” Munger said. “That’s where I ran state, so I have a lot of memories attached to that. It’s simply the best. It’s made for cross country because of all the dollars put into making it the best. That’s the reason state runs at it.”

Dorsey is also an All-State returner, who placed 59th overall with a time of 21:12 in the girls state race as a junior.

Dorsey would like to return to the state meet and break under 20 minutes in the 5K race to close out her high school career.

“(Last week at Gans Creek) went pretty good,” Dorsey said. “I like the course there a lot. Time-wise, I did what I was hoping to do. As a team, I think we did pretty well.”

As a senior, Dorsey hopes to be a mentor to her younger teammates.

“I feel like I need to try my best to positively influence them and help them with their first cross country experience,” Dorsey said.

Last season at the North Central Missouri Conference meet, the girls team fell short by four points to first-place Mexico and the boys team fell short by seven points to first-place Fulton.

The Pirates would like to improve upon that in 2023.

“The number one goal that I always talk about no matter where we are at in the season is always the test of conference,” Coniglio said. “i will always strive for a conference championship on both sides.”

A couple of schedule changes this season will be Hannibal swapping out the Palmyra Invitational on Sept. 9 for a meet at Forest Park in St. Louis and a new site for the Frank Lemons Invitational on Oct. 7.

“We added Forest Park to our meets,” Dorsey said. “We usually go to the Palmyra meet, but we are going to a bigger meet in St. Louis. It’s going to be a bigger meet like Gans Creek.”

Last year, the home meet was at Veterans Sports Complex. The Frank Lemons Invitational will instead be held at Hannibal-LaGrange University this year.

The Frank Lemons Invitational will begin with a collegiate race, followed by the high school and middle school races.

“I wanted to try out Veterans last year — I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it,” Coniglio said. “HLGU reached out, so I think the course is going to be pretty sweet. I already ran the course several times. We are about to mow it down and get it all lined up, so we can check it out as a team.”

Munger said running on hills like there will be at the HLGU course will benefit Hannibal.

“I enjoy having races in the hills because a lot of people don’t do hill training as much as Hannibal does,” Munger said. “Given that everything is a hill in Hannibal, we are much more adept to those situations and do well in meets with a lot of hills in it. The trail is a lot like that and has several inclines, so there are several places you can build up speed and go up the hill and pass people.”

Originally Appeared Here