Paul Pepper

Three dozen artists painting any number of works over a three-day period in one town. That's pretty much the gist of Columbia Art League's annual plein air event happening this weekend in Rocheport. Reception and showcase to follow! Guest: KELSEY HAMMOND | Also, we're less than a week away from the Columbia CROP Hunger Walk! GREG THACKERY tells us everything we need to know, including the monetary goal they hope to reach from this year's event. Joining Greg is DON HARTER. Don is taking the walk one step further (pun intended) by walking across the entire state of Missouri. Find out why! (3:53) September 11, 2023

Newsflash: rotating the same two or three or even four passwords among all your online accounts is a bad idea. While that may be common sense to some, for others it's a hard habit to break. (How would i keep track of them all?!) ITCOMO's ROBERT RICKETTS is here to put you at ease with some helpful tips and tricks to keep you cyber-safe and secure. September 8, 2023

"Now is a good time to start thinking about planning for next year." That's one takeaway from our conversation with Community Garden Coalition treasurer BILL McKELVEY. He says to use these off-months to work with CGC and to find neighbors who might want to work together in sustaining a working garden next spring. Also, NANETTE WARD, Stop Human Trafficking Coalition of Central Missouri, invites everyone to take part in a worldwide (no, really) event called Walk for Freedom next month at Stephens Lake Park in Columbia! Registration is free. (3:55) September 7, 2023

The 2023 Jacquelyn K. Jones Lecture series will play host to PBS host Joe Lamp'l, a.k.a. Joe Gardener, September 14th at Monsanto Auditorium on the MU campus! But that's not all! Joe will also be appearing at the Columbia Farmers Market the day before as a guest of Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture. Registration is required. Get details on both events from today's guests, BILLY POLANSKY and PETE MILLIER! Also, meet KIMBERLEE JOHNSON, the actress behind Annie Wilkes in Capital City Productions' take on the Stephen King thriller 'Misery'. Limited runs in both Jefferson City and at the Lake of the Ozark start tomorrow! Additional guest: director BETH VOSSEN. (4:14) September 6, 2023

September is National Recovery Month. That's a time, according to today's guest, public health educator HEATHER HARLAN, that we "pause to remember that prevention is effective; treatment works; and people can and do recover from substance use disorders." If this your world, you may be interested in attending two upcoming events sponsored by (collectively) Compass Health Network, the City of Columbia, The Crossing and Second Baptist Church. September 5, 2023

Back in July of this year, singer/songwriter/storyteller LARRY BROWN lead a pilgrimage of 33 people from Race Onward, a Columbia-based group that focuses on civil rights concerns, along the Cherokee Trail of Tears, which consists of nine states from North Carolina west to Oklahoma, in eight days. On today's show, Larry tells us the story of that journey. September 4, 2023

What better way to combat the feeling of isolation - something that hits all too close to home for those caring for persons with dementia - than by tapping into your five senses (touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing). Advocate/volunteer LOIS LONG tells us how to do just that, and also shares an original, related poem she calls 'Blown Glass'. September 1, 2023

Truman VA cardiologist DR. ANAND CHOCKALINGAM's philosophy of smiling 20 times "every waking hour" is proving itself to be quite impactful. Just ask CHARMANE GANAWAY. Just a couple of years ago, Charmane weighed nearly 550 lbs. After a close call with heart failure, Charmane began working with Dr. Chockalingam and credits his approach to a change in behavior (i.e. a positive attitude, or "smiling") as the first step to losing nearly 260 lbs. August 31, 2023

Columbia Healthy Smiles' DR. PHILIP BATSON, DDS, wants to make sure your kiddo(s), no matter the age, are going back to school with a mouth that's clean and healthy. For the younger group, that means making sure there's a balance in the kinds of snacks that they eat on a daily basis; for the older kids, that means maybe...braces? (GASP!) Wisdom teeth removal? (GASP!) August 30, 2023

The Landlocked Opera now calls Columbia, Mo. home, and it's pretty good timing because, according to TRENT RASH, it's been awhile since The Missouri Symphony has staged a full-length opera! CHRISTINA RAY says the collaboration between the two couldn't have come at a better time: "we are here to find ways to innovate and collaborate so that we can move this art form into the present." Also, September 18 thru September 24 is National Diaper Awareness Week! First Chance for Children executive director GAY LITTEKEN is here to tell us why this week is so important to families in our community and how you can help: "1 in 2 families struggle to afford diapers for their children." (4:20) August 29, 2023