News

The latest Columbia state of the city address reports mixed emotions about the city’s economic situation.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has informed each school district in the state of its annual aid estimates.

The latest U.S. Department of Education figures show Missouri’s average student loan default rates are lower than the national average and institutions paired with the Missouri Department of Higher Education have even lower rates.

Among the 115 bills sent to Governor Jay Nixon this year is one that would make it a crime to deliberately disturb worship services in Missouri.

Columbia has lots of community gardens, and several school gardens. But school-community gardens? On Tuesday at Ridgewood Elementary, the school and community worked together to start planting the city's first community garden at a public school.

Today gardeners broke ground on Columbia's newest community garden. The plot of land at Ridgeway Elementary is the city's first community garden located at a public school.

The Columbia Community Non-Violence Initiative is aiming to help prevent violent acts like the shots fired at Albert-Oakland Pool last night.

Members of the Columbia group will meet tonight to discuss ways they can continue to raise awareness and promote nonviolence in the community.

Spokesperson Jonathan Lowe said many group members were at the pool when the shots were fired but have not yet discussed the incident. He says the group aims to present alternative opportunities for those who might have violent thoughts or think of taking violent measures.

Kansas City police say the use of PCP is increasing, particularly in the city's urban core.

Officers are concerned because they say PCP users often are violent and unpredictable. The drug induces hallucinations and makes many users combative and unable to feel pain.

Police Capt. Todd Paulson calls PCP the scariest drug on the streets. He was one of six officers who were needed to subdue a PCP user in January.

The Kansas City Star reports officers used to see a brief increase in PCP arrests after a shipment came in but would then go weeks without any arrests.

The Missouri Supreme Court has struck down part of a state harassment law enacted after the suicide of a St. Charles County teenager who was teased over the Internet.

The high court on Tuesday invalidated a 2008 state law defining harassment to cover anyone who "knowingly makes repeated unwanted communication to another person."

Today's guest is "world traveler" LIBBY GILL. Ms. Gill is back from Cuba with tales from her adventure.