This week on the show: Columbia’s City Manager talks about the direction of the local economy. Plus, farmers continue to plant corn despite failing efforts to combat rootworm.
Columbia City Manager Mike Matthes has issued his written state of the city address to the City Council. In it, he spoke a lot about the local economy. His report discussed the increasing rate of poverty and income inequality in Columbia, even though the unemployment rate is well below state and national averages. He also addressed the fact that there are high rates of employment in retail and service sectors, and low rates in manufacturing and high value-added industries. Matthes spoke with KBIA’s Dan Molloy about the state of the city address. Follow this link to read a .pdf Matthes’ complete address.
Corn has been good to farmers. Helping fuel a boom in the ag sector. And as this year’s record corn forecast indicates, Midwestern farmers can’t seem to plant enough of the grain. Even with concerns growing about the effectiveness of today’s high-tech genetically engineered seeds, farmers aren’t backing down. Clay Masters reports for Harvest Public Media.