Good morning, Columbia.

Columbia will host dozens of family-friendly Halloween events from Sunday, Oct.

18 to Saturday, Oct. 31, featuring costume contests, trunk-or-treat gatherings, and themed crafts (with offerings at Wishflour Bakery, the Public Library and local community spots) along with a world record costume attempt at the Boys and Girls Club.

Mid-MO Harvest Collective delivered over 1,000 lbs of fresh produce to the Food Bank today, partnering with local growers including Pierpont Farms from Columbia, and is calling for volunteers+ donations to boost year-round crop efforts.

Columbia College celebrated its 175th anniversary on Friday with a Homecoming and inaugurated its 19th president (Toby Arquette) at Launer Auditorium.

Arquette, who began his role in early March, promised a supportive education approach and closer collaboration with local colleges.

John McDonald, chief operating officer for the Missouri School Boards’ Association Center for Education Safety, said school districts must know their safety baseline amid a 66% funding drop from $1.5M to $500K—this new Missouri Rangers program may take another year to be fully implemented.

Retired NASA astronaut Linda Godwin will share her space shuttle experiences on Oct.

24 at the Center for Missouri Studies at 605 Elm St. Lunch is set for noon & her lecture begins at 1 p.m., with reservations required.

Three Columbia Independent students earned national academic honors through the College Board National Recognition Program by maintaining strong GPAs and high PSAT scores.

Senior Tristan Guynn received the First-Generation and School Recognition Awards while juniors Logan Sinquefield and Zoey Girodat earned the School Recognition Award during an Oct. 2 assembly.

On Friday, Columbia added a second glass recycling bin for transparent glass at 1242 Ashland Road on the University of Missouri campus.

The bin features a porthole-style opening — bottles and jars must be slid in one at a time.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services released a survey on Thursday showing that about 93% of consumers bought legal cannabis, with price and potency driving their choices.

The study recommends waiving licensing quotas — currently 24 per district — to boost market competition and support underserved communities.

Columbia received a $16.2M federal grant to support the COLT Railroad Modernization Program that will upgrade the 21.4-mile rail link to Centralia with autonomous technology, track improvements, and workforce training to boost safety and local jobs.

Downtown sidewalk closures have been announced due to painting work on the roofline of the Gentry Building at 1 South Seventh St. The closures, affecting East Broadway and Seventh St, will run from 8 a.m.+3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct.

30.

Columbia Historic Preservation Commission urged City Council to consider extending the demolition review period for historic buildings beyond 45 days.

The staff report up for review on Monday could allow delays of 90 days or six months to help secure community support.

The University of Missouri will team with the Department of Health & Senior Services and the Department of Social Services to expand maternal healthcare access.

The Sinclair School of Nursing will seek pre-accreditation for its new certified nurse midwife program, which will use rural clinics as training sites and open in late 2029.