Good morning, Columbia.

KOMU 8 News Today welcomes Patrick Herion as its new meteorologist, with his debut forecast airing today at 6 a.m. He joined the station after previously working at LEX 18 and beginning his career at KOMU 8 in 2021.

Girls on Fire (empowerment program) gives local girls a chance to build sisterhood in Columbia.

Volunteer JaMyanae Smith said the program feels like the light of day for participants.

A Boone County farming collective reached a donation milestone by providing fresh produce to support the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri.

The milestone demonstrates local farmers' ongoing commitment to boosting food access in the community.

Columbia Fire Department responded to an accidental kitchen fire at a strip mall in the 600 block of Business Loop 70 West on Wednesday afternoon and arrived within three minutes to control light smoke, with damage limited to a kitchen area.

Equipment Share broke ground Thursday on expanding its headquarters with a new 70,000 sqft, two-story facility designed for 300 team members, including an executive business center, meeting spaces, and a cafeteria (bringing the total campus to 170,000 sqft).

Construction will finish mid-2028.

The Boone County Office of Emergency Management has provided reunification kits to Centralia and Southern Boone County school districts for use during evacuations and to support northern schools.

Trainings on reunification have been held over the past three years—Director Chris Kelley said the kits help ensure student safety in emergencies.

Engine 1601 was put into service Monday at Station 16 with a 750-gallon capacity and a 1,250-gallon-per-minute pump (funded by the No Tax Increase Bond approved by voters) to honor the Turner family.

It also took part in UM's Homecoming parade on Oct. 3.

Columbia now offers an online community survey for residents to share feedback on city services and quality of life (those who did not receive a mailed survey can still participate).

ETC Institute will analyze responses and later share findings with City Council at an upcoming public work session.

Columbia’s Office of Violence Prevention is working with Columbia Public Schools to boost violence intervention in schools through mediation, counseling plus community support for high-risk students; the plan emphasizes coordinated action to help those in need beyond school hours.

Some aging Missouri farmers are hesitating to use a federal farmland preservation program because easement costs can lower property value while opening the door to residential development.

In Ashland, farmer Dan Kuebler and local land trusts are working to lock in conservation easements (legal tools that forever protect farmland) for future farming legacy.

University of Missouri Health Care is hosting a vaccination clinic at the Columbia Farmers Market tomorrow from 8:00 a.m. to noon on W.

Ash St, offering flu shots for ages (6 months+), COVID-19 shots for ages (12+), and a high-dose option for seniors.

Mizzou football freshman DJ Jones received a heart transplant on Wed, Oct.

7 after a heart issue was found during spring intake — his surgery went well and he is recovering at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.