Want to subscribe to a podcast of Audio Features?
Paste this link into
your aggregator.
More about KBIA podcasts here.
Recent features in streaming audio:
03/11/08Monday Night Big Band is made up of a group of Columbia jazz musicians who get together each week and jam. But recently their music has taken on new meaning, as the group has begun a series of benefit concerts...KBIA's Chris Leeker has more on this weekly jam session that turns into a benefit concert, starting with a performance tonight.
03/06/08 Film-makers from around the country were walking the streets of Columbia last week during the True/False Film Festival. One of those film-makers was Alex Gibney, who arrived in Columbia days after winning a Best-Documentary Oscar for his film, "Taxi to the Dark Side."
In the film, Gibney explores the story of a taxi driver at the Bagram Air Force base in Afghanistan, using that story as a window into the detention and interrogation practices under the Bush administration. Gibney also explores the testimonies of military interrogators themselves. KBIA's Sean Powers met up with Gibney while he was in town. Here's their conversation.
Photo: Film-maker Alex Gibney.
Click below to watch the first part of Sean Powers' four-part video interview with film-maker Alex Gibney. (length: 10:01)
03/01/08 This year's True/False film festival showcases dozens of documentaries, shown to hundreds of film-goers, over four days at venues throughout downtown Columbia.
The festival also relies on hundreds of volunteers each year to pull the whole thing off.
KBIA's Laura Parkinson caught up with some of this year's crew while they talked film...and moved furniture.
02/29/08 This month there have been lectures, performances, meetings, and celebrations commemorating black history month. A team of KBIA reporters have collaborated to bring you this feature report...Christina Jacobson begins our coverage...
02/25/08Columbia residents want to do something about the recent spike in violent crime. It was the subject of a community action meeting in December. And more recently a public forum over the weekend.
The goal of the most recent meeting was to invite teens to engage in the conversation and offer suggestions about how to make Columbia a better community. KBIA’s Meredith Miller attended the two-day summit and has this report.
02/11/08 It's not a typical wrestling or gymnastics event, but the two sports combined for Mizzou's second annual "Beauty and the Beast" meet. KBIA's Ken Boehlke was there and files this report.
Photo: Wrestlers compete while gymnasts in the background prepare for their match.
02/07/08 Students at Rock Bridge High School are learning first hand how they can positively change the world. They're participating in conference calls with world leaders and activists like former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. KBIA’s Catherine Wolf visited the school to find out how something as simple as a conference call can inspire a new generation of activists.
02/04/08Columbia City Council tonight will consider a plan to allow the construction of an auto dealership at the Crosscreek Development.
That’s the area east of Highway 63 at Stadium Boulevard.
The city's planning and zoning commission has rejected the idea, but council seems divided on the issue. KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer has more...
Photo: The construction area in question at the east end of Stadium, near Route 63.
02/02/08The words of abolitionist playwright William Wells Brown are being brought to life tonight in the State Historical Society of Missouri's production of "William Wells Brown's Leap for Freedom: The Life and Writings of William Wells Brown."
The play takes place at Boonville's historic Thespian Theater.
KBIA’s Catherine Wolf talked with two of the plays' organizers to learn more about Wells Browns life as a slave and his anti-slavery advocacy afterward.
Listen to Cheryl Black read a speech abolitionist playwright William Wells Brown made when speaking against slavery in the 1800s. Black is a professor of theater at MU.
Environmental Protection Agency workers are removing lead waste from former mining sites in Washington County. For a decade, the EPA has managed major clean-up projects in six counties throughout the southeast Missouri region known as the "Lead Belt."
EPA workers have removed contaminated mine waste from yards, school grounds, playgrounds, churches and day care centers. Washington County is the latest area to be taken on by the EPA.
01/29/08 In the first of this two-part series from Missouri's lead belt, KBIA's Catherine Wolf talks with EPA officials, health workers aynd residents in the lead belt, about the area's mining history and the legacy it has left behind.
01/30/08 In the second of this two-part series from Missouri's lead belt, KBIA's Janet Saidi goes to the EPA with questions about cleaning up mine waste in Missouri, and talks with one Missouri family that's still searching for answers.
Photo: The Losh Family outside their home in Iron County. Son Joey suffers long-term negative health effects from lead poisoning.
View a slideshow of the people and areas affected by the former mining sites in Washington County by clicking one of the following links: small screen | large screen
01/23/08 Boonville is the oldest town in central Missouri, and many of the city’s residences serve as a reminder of the area’s heritage. More than 400 homes are on the national register of historic places. And now officials are proposing changes that would place restrictions on some homeowners who don’t live in areas protected by the historic preservation society.
KBIA’s Sara Wittmeyer has more...
Top: Julie Thacher's restored home is in beautiful condition, but she says it has taken a lot of work. Because she lives in a designated historic district, there are strict guidelines that dictate how repairs and restorations must be made.
Above: This two-story on High Street is one of many colorful historic homes in the area.
Above: This East Lake Victorian style house was the setting for the film, Saving Grace. The home was one of the first on High Street to be painted in bright colors.
Above: This house is located within the proposed historic overlay district. Some say its size and design jar with other houses in the area.
01/15/08The Parents-as-Teachers program has grown from four pilot sites in Saint Louis to more than three-thousand now around the world. Governor Matt Blunt continues to put more money into Missouri's childhood education program. If his latest increase is approved, Parents-as-Teachers will have a budget of more than 36-million dollars in 2009. KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer tagged along with a parent coach to see how the dollars are used to improve early childhood education.
01/11/08A new group in Columbia is working to promote marriage as a way to better the community. The Columbia Marriage Coalition held its inaugural meeting this week. KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer reports.
01/06/08One local Columbia pastor has become part of a nationwide movement that aims to bring Evangelical churches out of the suburbs and into urban communities and culture. But mixing traditional church with a downtown lifestyle isn't so popular with some religious organizations...the Missouri Baptist Convention, for one. KBIA's Jennifer Galt went to church, and files this report.
01/04/08Jefferson City is re-examining its casino ban. About 50 capital city residents attended a public forum last night at City Hall. Those in attendance were predominately against gaming, but others say it’s still something voters should have the opportunity to decide. KBIA’s Sara Wittmeyer has more.
12/28/07The federal "No Child Left Behind" law requires every student in the country to be proficient on their state's annual assessment by the year 2014. Like school districts across the state and the nation, Columbia public schools have struggled to meet the high benchmarks set by the federal program. As KBIA's Matt Velker reports, all that may change this year. For Columbia students, the new year brings a new test.
12/21/07The University of Missouri has a new system president, and former Sprint/Nextel CEO Gary Forsee faces some challenges when he takes over in February. One of those challenges will be promoting the values of higher education with Missouri lawmakers. KBIA's Janet Saidi spoke with some of the state's key lawmakers to get their reactions on the new president and what it will take to win them over.
12/20/07Columbia's "Visioning Process" has been in the works since January 2006. The idea was for Columbia residents to get together and gather views and plans about Columbia's future. KBIA's Henry Atkinson has more on how members of the community got involved--or not--with the planning of the city's future.
12/12/07Ameren UE reached a settlement recently with the state of Missouri for the Taum Sauk Reservoir collapse. The collapse took place two years ago this week. The settlement requires Ameren to pay 180 million dollars in damages...but a parks advocacy group believes the state was shortchanged in the settlement. KBIA's Martin Winkler reports.
12/04/07A recent census by the Missouri Department of Conservation looked at who's applying for hunting licenses and at what ages. The results show that baby boomers seem to be putting away the camouflage. KBIA's Liz Langton went hunting to find out more, and files this report.
12/02/07 MU's reign as the number one college football team in the country faded away last night, but that didn't stop the thousands of Mizzou fans watching in San Antonio, and about 700 others fans that were at the Mizzou Arena cheering the Tigers on.
KBIA's Sean Powers was there for the build up... and the let down.
Above: Haile Ghirmazion and his son Nathan, both of Columbia, watch the Big 12 Championship game live from the Mizzou Arena.
11/22/07 On Thanksgiving Day, Americans are traveling to spend time with friends and family to celebrate the holiday. It’s also time to remember families who have loved ones serving in the military overseas.
KBIA recently caught up with a family before and after a reunion with their father, who served nine months in Kuwait. Reporter Sean Powers has this snapshot of a family welcoming their loved one home from war, in time for Thanksgiving.
Above: The Ferrises stand huddled together at the St. Louis Lambert-International Airport on Sunday, November 18, 2007. Eldest son Steve also brought his fiancé Christy.
As the arrival of the Thanksgiving holiday also signals the official beginning of the holiday shopping season, KBIA's Betsy Mikel embarked on a three part series called "Giving Back." It's about a certain kind of giving.
11/24/07 The Central Missouri Humane Society has been in operation since 1943. Since that time, the organization has adopted out thousands of animals. KBIA's Betsy Mikel caught up with Humane Society volunteers to meet the people working to improve, and sometimes save, the lives of animals.
11/23/07 The Central Missouri Food Bank is one local organization working to ensure that as few people as possible go hungry. Reaching the goal is aided by a fleet of volunteers, who do everything from repacking food in a warehouse, to serving on the board of directors. KBIA’s Betsy Mikel went to the Central Missouri Food Bank to find out what the volunteers are bringing to the table.
11/22/07 The Boys and Girls Club of the Columbia region opened 12 years ago, with the mission of providing a safe place for kids to learn and grow, especially kids who may not have the care or supervision they need outside school. KBIA's Betsy Mikel checks in with volunteers "giving back."
10/29/07 Governor Matt Blunt has been cracking down in recent months on undocumented workers in the state of Missouri, thrusting the state further into the national immigration spotlight. The League of Women Voters wants to develop a national position on the immigration issue, and is asking its chapters to help gather ideas and opinions in time for the 2008 election. Columbia's League of Women Voters held an open forum recently to hear what the public had to say on the matter. KBIA's Matt Tarnawa was at the forum, and found that Mid-Missourians have a lot to say about immigration...and a lot to disagree on.
10/10/07 When he was thirty-two years old, Michael Fosberg received news about his family that would forever change his life. KBIA’s Mike Moreau spoke to Fosberg about the events leading up to the unexpected revelation, and the different ways in which Fosberg channeled his emotions.
10/02/07 One local organization in Jefferson City works to give international refugees a new life in mid-Missouri. KBIA’s Allan Thompson has this story of one family’s arduous journey from a refugee camp in Tanzania to Columbia, Missouri.
Above: Riziki Jeanine and her three-year-old son, Rodrike, wait for their luggage at the Columbia Regional Airport.
09/24/07 After more than fifty years in the music business and 75+ LPs, jazz artist David "Fathead" Newman is still going strong. KBIA's Mike Moreau spoke with Newman about some of his experiences along the way.
09/08/07 More than thirty nationally known blues musicians will be playing this weekend in Columbia at the Roots and Blues BBQ Festival. As KBIA's Mike Moreau reports, what festival fans may not know is how some of the artist have had help getting here.
08/17/07 Wine tasting took a new turn in Columbia recently -- when a downtown bakery hosted a tasting of its wine ice cream. KBIA's Sean Powers reports.Click here for some additional unaired customer reactions to the flavor of wine ice cream.
08/14/07 All summer long, teenagers and adults have been shooting hoops in Douglass Park as part of a city program known as Moonlight Hoops. KBIA's Sean Powers reports as teams compete in the final playoffs.
08/13/07 Jim Kuper is not really a caterer and he'ss not quite an entertainer. He's an amalgamation of the two. Otherwise known as the Pancake Man, Jim Kuper travels the Midwest serving up hot, fresh and fluffy pancakes to thousands of people every year. KBIA's Alex Grigsby caught up with the Pancake Man earlier this summer as he served breakfast to about 300 cyclists before they departed on a 60 mile organized ride on the Katy Trail.
08/06/07 Sacred Heart Church offers Columbia's only Catholic Spanish Mass and serves Columbia's growing Hispanic population. KBIA's Jordan Witt visited the church and spoke to staff about their goal to unite the church's Spanish- and English- speaking members.
08/06/07 Just East of Columbia about 130 mobile homes sit on two neighboring mobile home parks, Ed's Mobile Home Park, and Sunset Mobile Home Park. Recently the owners of these properties applied for annexation into Columbia city limits. Because the proposed annexation involves rezoning from a residential zone to a commercial zone, this has many of the parks' residents, and a local advocacy group, nervous about the future of the residents who live there. Reported by KBIA's Alex Grigsby.
KBIA's Sean Powers spent some time over the summer on the Columbia Transit in conversation with various residents.
Dominic Johnson, 16, is a high school drop out. For the past year, he has been working in construction and trying to make his way in the real world. Just like many teenagers, he just wants to grow up. He wants to make his own rules and be his own adult. A few months ago, he experienced tragedy for the first time after learning that one of his friends was murdered in a gang-related shooting. Being an adult has its costs, and Johnson says he misses being a kid.
Drug addiction brought 33-year-old Adam Day to Columbia. Day says drugs were masking his identity, and he says rehab was his only option for survival. He has been clean for six months, and he says he hopes to stay sober for the rest of his life.
Anastasia Kononova, is a foreign exchange student from Russia. She is currently working towards her Ph.D. in journalism from MU. She shares her thoughts about what it's like living in America.
Sarah Small, 37, loves to dance. She says even though she likes meeting new people on the dance floor, what she really enjoys is the music. As long as the music is right, she says she can dance the night away.
Ryan Sams, 23, loves hanging with his baby ... only his baby has wheels. Sams regularly rides his skateboard through Columbia with his other friends. He says he is not looking to start trouble like some people presume skateboarders do; he just wants to have a good time.
For 22-year-old Ian Watson, knitting takes the cake as his favorite pastime. The usual image associated with knitting might include a grandmother, but Watson is no grandmother.
Shelia Blaise, 46, has six children and eight grandchildren. Riding with her on the bus is Danielle, Shelia's youngest child. Shelia's five other children and their father do not live with her and Danielle. It is just Shelia and Danielle under one roof, but they say that is all right because they have each other. Shelia is as supportive as a mother can be, and Danielle simply loves her mother.
Mark Anderson, 38, rides the bus with his 3-year-old son Isaiah. Mark and Isaiah live in Columbia's 3rd Ward. Mark says he wants to see his son succeed in every way possible, but he says he feels constraints being put onto Isaiah's future by the black community.
For the past 29 years, Sherlee Zumwalt has dedicated her time and energy to a fraternity house. As the house mother of Alpha Epilson Pi, the Jewish fraternity on the MU campus, she says she loves making sure her kids have everything they need.
Dan Jones has been helping people his whole life, and professes that providing aid to others is what makes him happy. He even helps people he does not like, but as he says helping someone and liking someone are two different things.
7/24/07 MU Chancellor Brady Deaton recently announced a three-year financial plan that seeks to save seven million dollars over the next year largely through cost-cutting and savings measures. KBIA's Janet Saidi sought reactions from faculty and staff in the days following the announcement.
6/27/07 Big Canoe is a local environmental group that believes in a sustainable mid-Missouri. Every Saturday, its members get together and work on a lot they purchased with the goal of turning it into an urban farm. KBIA's Robby Berlin spoke with members Greg and Ellen as they worked in the garden and files this report.
For more on Big Canoe, visit the group's website by clicking here.
6/20/07 In the year 2000, the National Center for Education Statistics released a report stating that though girls and boys show equal interest in science and math in younger grades, by the time they reach middle school, twice as many boys express interest in these subjects than girls. KBIA's Andrea Chalfin takes another look at these statistics, and one effort to close the gap.
For more on Sally Ride Science, visit her website by clicking here.
Click here to reach the homepage for the National Center for Education Statistics.
5/21/07 The Missouri Department of Corrections is launching a program at Vandalia Women's Correctional Center to provide prisoners life skills with a mixture of religious teachings. The program is already a fixture at Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson City. It's called the InnerChange Freedom Initiative and its drawing criticism from some who say it's a violation of the idea of separation of church and state. Reported by KBIA's Patrick Fleming.
For more information on the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, visit their website here.
5/18/07 The neighborhoods and the people that make up Columbia's Garth Avenue are the subject of a feature that comes out in tomorrow's Missourian. KBIA's Janet Saidi spoke to the journalists that put the story together.
5/17/07 A string of fatal teen car accidents in mid-Missouri over the past year has raised concerns among Missouri lawmakers and parents about the risks teen drivers face behind the wheel. The Missouri Department of Transportation reports traffic crashes as the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds. KBIA's Catherine Wolf talked with Missouri school officials, a lawmaker and one mother to find out why these accidents have been occurring and what can be done to prevent them.
4/12/07 Folk duo Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen are married to their music ... and married to each other. They performed Thursday night at the Columbia Public Library, but first they stopped by the KBIA studios for a conversation with KBIA's Jennifer Galt.
3/23/07 Three MU veterinarians performed a pioneering surgery on a malnourished and abused tiger this week by attempting to correct the right forelimb with an operation that had never before been attempted on a tiger. Reported by KBIA's Janet Saidi.
Click
here for Hate Close to Home, KBIA's special
coverage of a march in Columbia by a neo-Nazi group
and the community's subsequent reaction.
Coverage includes
a roundtable of community leaders discussing what they
thought of Columbia's reaction, coverage of the march itself
and the counter-protests, and
a glimpse at events leading up to the march.
Want to subscribe to a podcast of Audio Features?
country were walking the streets of Columbia last week during the True/False Film Festival. One of those film-makers was Alex Gibney, who arrived in Columbia days after winning a Best-Documentary Oscar for his film, "Taxi to the Dark Side."
July 27, 2007: 
