Good morning, Columbia.

A steel beam saved from Ground Zero stopped in Kingdom City as part of Towers to Tunnels' Steel Across America campaign, coming from the Sept.

11 site and destined for display at the Firefighters Memorial. Missouri Task Force 1 + retired firefighter Steve Cearlock recalled the strong emotions felt during the event.

The Columbia Fire Department determined the Providence Road McDonald's fire was accidental — caused by improperly discarded smoking materials — when it began at 4 p.m. Tuesday, and two firefighters were treated for heat-related illnesses.

Flash floods caused hazardous conditions in Boone County as Highway 40 near I-70 closed with rescue crews aiding stranded vehicles and rising water on Mesa Dr damaging cars while officials plan door-to-door inspections to assess property impacts.

Overnight storms caused flooding and power outages in Columbia early Thursday (with firefighters rescuing two motorists after their vehicles were stranded and a power outage sparking a fire at an apartment complex).

Missouri cultural heritage institutions can apply for grants of up to $1,000 to preserve local history collections if applications are received by Sept.

15; the one-year grant cycle begins in October and will distribute a total of up to $15,000 statewide.

Columbia Credit Union partnered with Perry’s Full Service to hand out back-to-school supplies and free fuel to families today in Columbia, helping students gear up for the school year.

After heavy rains on Thursday, the Boone County Office of Emergency Management activated its Emergency Operations Center at Level Three in response to flooding, leading to road closures along Highway 40, Route KK, Route UU, Route ZZ, and Route WW, with a flash flood warning in effect until 1:30 p.m.

Today, about 1,500 Columbia customers lost power as utility crews worked on incidents including one near the intersection of North Stadium Boulevard and West Ash Street, while state reports show outages dropped from roughly 21,000 to 12,000.

Maps reveal variable numbers in nearby counties.