
Darren Hellwege
Announcer/Producer"The Voice Of Columbia," Darren Hellwege has hosted NPR's “Morning Edition” for over 30 years on KBIA, and serves as host/producer of the “Thinking Out Loud” programs. The series has won a Missouri Broadcasters Association award and gives Darren the chance to "sit and visit" with interesting people from throughout Mid-Missouri and beyond. He also hosts the "Dvorak Diner" and “Vox Humana” on Classical 90.5 FM.
Darren is also a marketing representative for KBIA and Classical 90.5, helping businesses connect with their customers using public radio.
An avid Tiger sports fan, Darren serves as the P.A. announcer for Mizzou Wrestling and Gymnastics. As former KBIA Sports Director, Darren reported on Tiger athletics for more than 10 years. His reports from the 2009 NCAA Women’s Final Four basketball tournament were heard nationwide on NPR, he appeared on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” and was a regular guest with Chris Gervino on KOMU-TV’s Sunday night sports program and on sports talk programs in Kansas City.
Darren currently serves as president of the Board of Directors for ACT Services of Columbia. In the past, he’s been a member of the Columbia/Boone County Board of Health and the Boone County Mental Health Board of Trustees, the University of Missouri Campus Safety Committee, and he was a board member for the Central Missouri Humane Society and Rock Bridge Christian Church. Darren coached youth sports for several years with Boys/Girls Club of Columbia, Columbia Diamond Council and Columbia Youth Basketball Association. He’s also been active in community theatre, performing with Maplewood Barn Community Theatre, Theatre NXS, and MoHip. A Columbia Tribune review of a Maplewood production of "Oklahoma!" included the line "Darren Hellwege is no Fred Astaire."
Darren was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma and grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma where he attended the University of Central Oklahoma. Darren and his wife Bonnie have two grown children. Their son Kristian lives in Columbia and daughter Janie Lavelock lives in Kansas City with her husband Jake, and Darren’s beautiful granddaughter Clara.
Prior to coming to KBIA, Darren worked for public radio station KCSC (now KUCO) in Edmond and at Oklahoma City radio stations WKY and WWLS. He’s also worked for KFRU and KFMZ in Columbia and KWRT in Boonville.
Darren is an avid genealogist, and enjoys playing guitar, listening to all kinds of music, and - of course - sports. In spite of the team moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles, he remains a loyal Rams fan, and he is a 4th generation St. Louis Cardinals supporter.
Darren is on Twitter at @kbiamorning where he shares news stories, selfies, and dad jokes.
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KBIA's Darren Hellwege talks with Dr. Esma Yolcu and Dr. Haval Shirwan who are working on research on Type-1 Diabetes at NextGen Precision Health
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KBIA's Darren Hellwege talks with Dr. Brett Froeliger of MU Health Care about the science of addiction and the latest research here at MU about substance abuse disorders.
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KBIA's Darren Hellwege visits with Dr. David Gozal of MU Health Care. Dr. Gozal is a nationally recognized expert in sleep disorders, and he discusses how sleep apnea affects patients, and fills us on in the latest research on the subject happening here at Mizzou.
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KBIA's Darren Hellwege talks with Dr. Noah Manring, Dean of the MU College of Engineering, about the 150th anniversary of the College and a new book looking back over that history.
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KBIA's Darren Hellwege talks to Quin Gresham, Artistic Director of the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre about their upcoming presentation of "Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood."
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KBIA's Darren Hellwege talks with Michaela Marshall Dungey of Local Motion about Columbia's upcoming Bike, Walk and Wheel Week sponsored by Shelter Insurance, today they discuss the Wheelchair and Bike Wash event.
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KBIA's Darren Hellwege talks with Michaela Marshall Dungey of Local Motion about Columbia's upcoming Bike, Walk and Wheel Week sponsored by Shelter Insurance, today they discuss the Bikes and Brews event.
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Darren Hellwege talks with historian Andrew Roberts about his book, "The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III." Roberts will speak on the book at Columbia's Missouri United Methodist Church as the Kinder Institute for Constitutional Democracy's Distinguished Lecture.
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KBIA's Darren Hellwege talks with Michaela Marshall Dungey of Local Motion about Columbia's upcoming Bike, Walk and Wheel Week sponsored by Shelter Insurance
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KBIA's Darren Hellwege visits with Mid-Missouri native Ellie Grace about her upcoming visit to Columbia and her new CD, "On The Side Of Love."