u/como365

How Daniel Boone laid the foundation for Missouri and the American Frontier https://abc17news.com/news/show-me-250/2026/06/26/how-daniel-boone-laid-the-foundation-for-missouri-and-the-american-frontier/

COLUMBIA — The Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia started offering medication abortions Wednesday, two days after the procedure began at clinics in St. Louis and Kansas City.

This comes after a Jackson County judge ruled most of Missouri's abortion restrictions violated the reproductive rights amendment approved by Missouri voters in 2024.
“Medication abortion and procedural abortion are both available in Missouri now," Planned Parenthood physician Selina Sandoval said Wednesday. "We were previously providing procedural abortions after Amendment 3, but now after the final ruling, we are also able to provide medication abortion.”

Abortion services are only available when a physician is present at the clinic, Sandoval said.
“We are only available to provide abortions on specific days when the doctor is in the clinic, so that is the one limitation,” Sandoval said.
Patients were seen in Columbia’s clinic Wednesday for medication abortions, and appointments were booked for future patients, Sandoval said.
Protesters stood against this change Wednesday on the sidewalk outside of Planned Parenthood.

"People that I talk with absolutely do not realize all of the resources available to them," said Columbia resident Bonnie Lee, who was protesting outside Planned Parenthood on Wednesday.
She pointed to the Missouri Department of Social Services' Alternatives to Abortion Program, which provides services including adoption assistance and parenting skills that aim to provide an alternative to abortion for parents.

While medication abortions are now available in Missouri, abortion in the state could still be reversed.
Missouri voters approved the abortion-rights measure called Amendment 3 in the November 2024 election, but a measure with the same name and opposite effect will appear on the ballot this November.

This ballot measure asks Missouri voters to repeal the amendment passed in 2024, effectively banning abortion. The amendment would impose a ban that leaves exceptions only for medical emergencies, fetal anomaly, and cases of rape or incest. In cases of rape or incest, the ban would only allow abortions in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
The election will be held on Nov. 3, 2026.

COLUMBIA MO. (KMIZ)

Columbia College officially auctioned off nine properties on Wednesday afternoon.

The Atterberry Auction & Realty Group was tasked with the auction and said that in total nine properties, 21 units, a vacant lot and a building near Columbia College and downtown were auctioned.

The auction opened on June 11, and potential buyers were able to submit bids through the realty group's website. The bidding then closed on Wednesday afternoon.

In total, Columbia College made around $2 million from the sale.

Eight of the properties listed are located near the Lyons Street and North Eighth Street intersection.

Neeley Current has lived on Lyons Street for 20 years and said she has seen a lot of change on the street over time, and the sale is just another one.

“I have seen a lot of change over the period of time from single housing units shifting to apartment complexes, and I feel a lot of uncertainty that it will turn into one apartment complex, and it will be turned into large apartment buildings," she said.

Current added she is concerned about private equity firms coming in and shifting her neighborhood from single-home housing to larger apartments.

“I hope they don't just drastically shift our neighborhood from primmarley low income single housing to larger apartments," she said.

As for what comes next, Atterberry Auction and Realty said that we will have to wait around 30 days for the properties to officially close. Due to the transactions still pending, they said they are not able to disclose who bought the properties or what they believe the properties might be used for.

They add the names of the buyers will be part of a public record as soon as the deal is finalized.

Looking at the numbers, the property that sold for the most was the former Columbia College Student Support Services building.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/at-102-mel-west-is-doing-just-fine/article\_6d34dbb4-a356-483d-8e23-4fcaf24f7b89.html#tncms-source=featured

For more than 40 years, Missourians have paid a small sales tax that supports state parks and soil and water protection programs. This year it is on the Aug. 4 ballot for a 10-year renewal.
After barely passing the first time it was on the ballot in 1984, the tax has been renewed four times by increasing margins, most recently in 2016 when it received 80% of the statewide vote and passed in every county.
Backers of the tax — a coalition of farmers, state park enthusiasts and environmentalists — would be happier about its chances for renewal if it was the only question on the primary ballot.

But it is not. Strong opposition groups have formed to defeat two measures sent to the ballot by lawmakers. Backers worry those campaigns could generate opposition to all ballot proposals.
One, Amendment 5, directly involves sales tax because it would give lawmakers a five-year window to increase the state sales tax rate, or add new items to the list of goods and services subject to sales tax, to generate revenue to reduce or eliminate the state personal income tax.
“The challenge is when voters go to the polls and they have all this stuff on the ballot,” said Jonathan Ratliff, a Republican political consultant working for passage of Amendment 1. “When they’re hearing millions of dollars of TV ads encouraging them to vote no on this amendment or that amendment, that they don’t just say ‘okay, I’ve heard the TV ads, I’m supposed to go in and vote no on these things because I don’t like them.’”

Through Friday, backers of Amendment 5 have purchased $2 million of broadcast ads. The four opposition groups have yet to make ad buys, but their funding reports show they can match or exceed supporters in the six weeks until the vote.
So far, Citizens for State Parks, Soil and Water has raised $109,221.
Spillover from other campaigns isn’t the only concern for backers, Ratliff said.
The question is on the primary ballot, when turnout is much lower than in a November general election. In most years, voters in the primary are overwhelmingly Republican and typically a tax-averse electorate.
And, Ratliff said, the campaign has to counter confusion about the difference between the parks and soils tax and the permanent Department of Conservation tax. The conservation agency, which is responsible for wildlife, fisheries and forests, has been criticized for high executive salaries as well as its handling of chronic wasting disease in white tail deer.

A controversial culling program ended in December.
“Because it has conservation in it, some people might get confused about that, and so we’re just making sure that they know ours is different,” he said.
The biggest contribution to the campaign so far is from the Missouri Soybean Association, which gave $50,000 last fall, 10 days after the committee was formed.
When the association’s governing board discussed the renewal, members were unanimous in praising what the program has done for farmers, said Ben Travlos, the association’s director of policy.
That contribution remains the largest donation so far to the campaign.
“They all pretty vocally said this is a big deal for each and every one of our communities,” Travlos said in an interview with The Independent.
Other farm groups that have helped include the Missouri Corn Growers, which donated $25,000, and Missouri Cattlemen, which gave $10,000. The Missouri Parks Association has also contributed, giving $10,000.

Ratliff said he expects national associations to donate soon and hopes the campaign can raise $1 million overall.
The one-tenth of 1% tax is split evenly between state parks and soil and water conservation districts and generates about $140 million a year. It is one of three earmarked state sales taxes — the other two are 1% for public schools and one-eighth of 1% for the Department of Conservation — and the only one that must be regularly renewed by voters.
If renewed, the overall state sales tax rate would remain at 4.225%, including the 3% tax for general revenue.
For the budget year that starts July 1, the tax will provide $42.5 million for operations in 57 state parks and 36 historic sites, with accumulated reserves allowing for $59 million for new maintenance and construction projects.

Soil and water conservation districts are slated to receive $69.7 million for grants supporting projects that control erosion and stabilize streams.
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The benefits of the tax, backers say, range from free admission at every state park to enormous gains in controlling soil erosion. Before the tax was enacted, Missouri croplands lost an average of 10.8 tons of soil a year, a rate that has since been cut by more than half.
The Missouri state parks system turns 100 this year, and the anniversary of the first park was celebrated earlier this month at Sam A. Baker State Park in St. Francois County.
“Having a reliable or dedicated funding source, such as the sales tax, provides a predictable way to provide public services,” said Laura Hendrickson, who has worked in state parks for 30 years and currently serves as division director.

Not only does the tax pay for maintaining basic amenities like trails and restrooms, but it supports resource protection and restoration, she said.
“It allows us to plan out for capital improvements and to make sure that our infrastructure is solid in the years to come, and that’s a huge part of having a positive experience of being able to go outside with your family for solitude, or maybe a family reunion,” Hendrickson said.
With inflation eroding family budgets, the campaign will emphasize the value the tax provides, Ratliff said. Some voters might want to cut their costs by voting against renewal, he said.
The tax adds 10 cents to the cost of a $100 purchase. In exchange, Missouri is one of eight states where admission to state parks is free.
The soil and water conservation program provides grants, with most requiring cost-sharing with the landowner. The money goes to soil and water conservation districts in every county of the state and supports terracing of cropland, streambank stabilization and other practices that prevent soil from entering waterways.

The program works alongside federal programs like the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays for farmers to refrain from planting on highly erodible land, Ratliff said.
Since it was enacted, many farming practices have changed. Instead of deep plowing, no-till agriculture is common.
“You’re going to see more cover cropping systems now,” Travlos said. “You’re going to see more terracing and other types of conservation practices implemented on individual farms, and therefore subsequently have significantly reduced soil erosion. That again goes back to more and more clean water for our rural communities and just our state as a whole.”
If the tax is defeated, maintaining state parks and continuing soil and water grants would depend on how much general revenue the legislature was willing to allocate.

The tax would expire on June 30, 2028, if it is not renewed. That is the date the general revenue fund will be $627 million short of what would be needed to sustain spending at current levels, State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick said in a recent report.
When the tax was first enacted, Missouri spent about $7.7 million from general revenue for state parks, equal to about $24.6 million after adjusting for inflation. In the budget for the coming year, the general revenue appropriation for state parks is $214,970.
Replacing the $42.5 million in sales tax to operate state parks would be difficult, Hendrickson said.
“It would be a serious challenge, obviously,” Hendrickson said. “Not only in this fiscal year, or the next. In any fiscal year it would be a challenge, because you’re competing against all kinds of things.”

An earmarked tax established in the constitution protects the money from being raided when budgets get tight, said state Rep. Bruce Sassmann, a Republican from Bland.
Sassmann is alone among lawmakers in backing his support for renewal of the sales tax with a contribution to the campaign. He gave $400 from his personal funds on March 13.
“It is so obvious what that money is used for, especially in the parks tax, and how it benefits Missourians,” Sassmann said. “There are some tax dollars that we pay that go to the legislature, and the legislature just spends them willy-nilly, and sometimes I think we spend money like drunken sailors.”
There would be no support for sustaining parks funding if the tax is defeated, he said.
“The legislature would strip funding from parks if they could,” Sassmann said, “and this is just a perfect way to assure that parks and soil and water conservation get funding.”

This was first published by the Missouri Independent, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization covering state government, politics and policy, and is reprinted with permission.

COLUMBIA — The city of Columbia is considering a change to how often it inspects rental properties.
The change would create a tiered system where properties that have repeat violations would be inspected more often than properties that do not have repeat violations.
Under the city's current Rental Unit Conservation Law, most rental properties, whether an apartment complex or a single room in a house, are inspected once every five years when a rental certificate is renewed.

The Office of Neighborhood Services is responsible for code enforcement. If a property is found in compliance with the Rental Unit Conservation Law, no further inspections are needed. If violations are found, the city will return for re-inspection.

Columbia City Council members have expressed support for inspecting rental properties more frequently than every five years, and the city ran a BeHeard public feedback portal for the proposed change earlier this year.
Under the new inspection method, properties with more serious violations could be flagged for more frequent inspections. 

Serious violations include mold, a property without working smoke or fire alarms, electrical hazards or structural issues.
Simple violations include things like putting a roll cart out too early.

Riley Guy, a spokesperson for the Columbia Tenants Union, said the change could benefit tenants in the city.
"It's our understanding, based on conversations with tenants, that increasing the frequency of inspections, especially in larger complexes, would be beneficial," Guy said.

Guy also said more frequent inspections could help prevent maintenance issues.

The city of Columbia surveyed tenants and landlords about the change. Landlords reported their main concern what the change could be unfair toward them, and tenants reported their main concern was a potential increase in rent.

Neighborhood Services Manager Leigh Kottwitz said she understands landlords might not want Neighborhood Services to conduct more inspections on their properties, especially if they're in full compliance.
However, some landlords said they supported the proposal.
“I think it’s really interesting and encouraging that in the report, that even 53% of landlords supported the tiered system,” Guy said.

On the BeHeard page, Neighborhood Services pointed to a system in Ames, Iowa, which uses a similar tiered system. That city's system has tied inspection frequency to past compliance and has been in place since 2009.

The next step for Neighborhood Services is to conduct a pilot program of the potential changes. There is no timeline on when the potential change could go into effect.

Four Minnesota paddlers will set off Tuesday from western Montana, traveling 2,341 miles to break a 46-year speed record on the Missouri River.

The fastest-known paddle record for a boat covering the entire length of the Missouri River is 33 days, 18 hours and 45 minutes. It was set on June 4, 1980, by two men named Verlen Kruger, 57, and Steve Landick, 27.
The attempt this year is being made by team captain Scott Miller, Lád’a Zednik, Scott Duffus and Curt Leitz. They are relying on a 30-person support crew to help them manage the around-the clock expedition.

Miller said the idea for this trip occurred more or less spontaneously after he led the fastest team to paddle the entire 2,300-mile length of the Mississippi River in May 2023.

He and a different set of paddlers set the record in 16 days, 20 hours and 16 minutes. The record was confirmed by Guinness World Records.
“I wasn’t necessarily looking for another adventure,” Miller said. “Our support boat leader lives near the Missouri River and considers it his home river.
“He suggested we do the Missouri River, and I knew just enough to know it was interesting enough and different from the Mississippi,” he added.
The river
While the Missouri River is about the same length as the Mississippi, Miller said they couldn’t be more different.
Dangers on the Mississippi tend to be commercial barge traffic in combination with a fast current, especially at night.
The opposite is true for the Missouri River. Barges are typically found in the last 1,000 miles as the river gets closer to St. Louis, and they are not usually as big as the ones on the Mississippi.

The Missouri also features hundreds of miles of water reservoirs to paddle through without a current to help push the boat downstream.
“Over 900 miles of water we have to paddle with no current helping us along,” Miller said.

The trip

The team plans to paddle almost nonstop, remaining on the water for up to 24 hours a day. Team members plan to take turns sleeping in the modified canoe while others continue to paddle.
“We try to go 24/7 when possible,” Miller said. “Even if two people are sleeping, it’s better to do so on the water and stay on track.”
In addition to the physical demands of the challenge, the paddlers expect to encounter bad weather, dangerous rapids, waves, lengthy sections in the wilderness and long portages to avoid dams in Montana. Miller estimates that the four paddlers will burn 7,000 to 8,000 calories a day.

If weather cooperates, the paddlers hope to reach mid-Missouri communities along the river such as Arrow Rock, Boonville, Rocheport and Cooper’s Landing sometime between July 15 and 20.
The support crew
The support crew includes a rotating base camp staff, rover teams, support boat operators, social media personnel and a documentary film crew.
Miller said the support team relocates the base camp every 24 hours, while rover teams travel ahead and behind the paddlers delivering fresh clothing, food and water to support boats.
The expedition is being filmed by a documentary crew from Wilderness Mindset that filmed the Mississippi River expedition three years prior. Miller said the documentary crew has already created a trailer with footage from their training runs and hope to release a full documentary after the trip is complete.

The journey
For Miller, the journey is about more than just the record.
“Breaking the record is just the cherry on top of a sundae,” he said. “It’s really an excuse to have an amazing experience. We really love paddling, and we really love rivers.”
The joy of the experience isn’t beating a record, he said, but pursuing a journey through a classic American landscape, watching sunsets and sunrises from the boat and learning about the river firsthand.
“If we break the record that’s really cool,” he said. “But if we don’t, we’ll still have an awesome experience.”

Glasgow bridge shut down after barge collision causes possible damage https://abc17news.com/news/top-stories/2026/06/09/glasgow-bridge-shut-down-after-barge-collision-causes-possible-damage/

The Missouri Department of Conservation is hosting a free guided hike on Thursday in Columbia. 
The interactive hike will be held at 6 p.m. at Capen Park, 1600 Capen Park Drive.
Participants of all ages will discuss grassland, woodland and riparian areas while exploring Capen Park, according to a news release from the department. 

Staff will also provide insight into native and invasive plant species identification and management, according to the news release. 
Registration is required on the Missouri Department of Conservation website.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/flood-proof-general-store-to-open-this-month-at-coopers-landing/article\_adb51def-2b63-4210-8329-5c2ec008f23f.html

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/art-in-the-park-preparations-take-over-stephens-lake-park/article\_6c44ad54-6157-477d-85a1-5633f4e41ce0.html#tncms-source=topstory