Historic Old Southwest Neighborhood Association

09/02/2026

My name is Neeka Campbell. I am a graduate student at the University of Missouri – Columbia. I am conducting a research study on the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and police reporting within the city limits of Columbia, Missouri. The specific neighborhood characteristics I am interested in analyzing are social trust and cohesion, and local police trust.

As part of the study, I am collecting data in the form of an online survey administered to Columbia residents who reside within Neighborhood Associations.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about the survey and/or research study!

Thanks!

Neeka Campbell
University of Missouri – Columbia
Department of Sociology (Middlebush 323)
Department of Geography (Stewart 117)

08/31/2026

The City of Columbia has named Michael Parks as the first director of the City’s recently formed Airport Department. He assumed the role effective Aug. 30.

"Mike Parks has been instrumental in the remarkable growth of the Columbia Regional Airport over the past decade," said City Manager De’Carlon Seewood. "As airport manager, Mike’s leadership and experience have helped position the airport as the fastest-growing regional airport in the country. His deep understanding of the airport and his commitment to our community make him the right person to lead its continued success as director."

Parks has worked at the City of Columbia for 26 years, including 9 years as airport manager. Under Parks’ leadership, Columbia Regional Airport has experienced significant growth. The airport set a record with 242,167 passengers in 2025, a 17% increase over the previous year. T hat momentum has continued in 2026. In July, COU recorded a record 21,826 departing passengers, more than double the 9,709 recorded in July 2025.

In April, aviation planning, design and development firm Mead & Hunt identified COU as the fastest-growing airport in the United States among airports with at least 10,000 monthly seats. The firm projected a 107% increase in available seats over the following six months.

The airport also has added and expanded air service. United Airlines returned with daily nonstop service to Chicago O’Hare and Denver, while American Airlines launched daily nonstop service to Charlotte. Allegiant added nonstop service to Orlando/Sanford and Destin-Fort Walton Beach, with service to St. Pete-Clearwater scheduled to begin Nov. 19.

Airline capacity also has increased, with American Airlines adding 26% more seats during peak travel seasons and boosting available seats to Chicago O’Hare by 62%. The expan ded serv ice provides Columbia-area travelers with more options and greater access to destinations across the country.

"Columbia Regional Airport has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and we have an opportunity to build on that momentum," said Parks. "As airport director, my focus will remain on growing air service, strengthening our partnerships and ensuring COU continues to meet the needs of a growing region."

08/28/2026

City partners with Ripple Glass for glass recycling

City of Columbia Utilities has partnered with Ripple Glass to offer a free glass recycling option for residents, helping divert waste from the landfill.

Residents can now drop off glass food and beverage containers in Ripple’s signature purple bin located at the landfill (5700 Peabody Road) for free. Please enter through the scalehouse ramp. While the vehicle will be weighed, there will be no charge for dropping off glass for recycling. Note that opaque glass, porcelain, and window glass are not allowed.

For glass recycling, there is a porthole-style opening on the bin. Residents will have to slide in bottles and jars one at a time. For customer and worker safety, items too large to fit in the porthole should not be left on top of or sitting outside the bin.

No boxes or plastic bags should be thrown into the glass-only bin. Solid Waste staff asks that bottles and jars be empty and free of food or liquid waste.

Glass can be of any color; however, it must be transparent. Customers do not need to remove labels, but lids and bottle caps should be discarded.

Glass will not be accepted in curbside collections and should not be placed inside blue recycling bags.

The City continues to explore additional glass recycling opportunities for the community. Depending on how well this trial works, other locations could be considered. The landfill accepts drop-off material 7 am-3 pm Monday through Friday and 8 am-1 pm on Saturday.

08/20/2026

Commemorative Poster unveiled and artist honored at the 2026 Celebration of the Arts

The City of Columbia Office of Cultural Affairs hosted the annual Celebration of the Arts fundraiser for the Columbia Arts Fund Aug. 19 at the State Historical Society of Missouri. The event was hosted by Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and Dr. Lucas Buffaloe. At the event, the 2026 City of Columbia Commemorative Poster was unveiled and a special recognition was made to a member of the arts community.

Since 1992, the City of Columbia has produced an annual Commemorative Poster to communicate the creativity and beauty of Columbia. Local artist and educator Lisa Franko’s "Missouri Star Quilt" appears on this year’s special "America 250" edition poster. The poster is available for $20 each at the Convention and Visitors Bureau located in the Walton Building at 300 S. Providence Road. Previous year’s posters are also available for $10 each.

Since 2015 , the Ci ty has also paid special recognition to a member of the arts community, a volunteer or staff member, who has made a significant impact on one of the City’s funded arts organizations. Out of the many worthy submissions, the Office of Cultural Affairs was thrilled to recognize Judith LeFevre for her contributions to the arts with a presentation made by Mayor Barbara Buffaloe.

LeFevre is a lifelong musician, educator, and advocate for the arts in Columbia, serving 27 years as a band director with Columbia Public Schools. She helped launch Children’s Grove, a local nonprofit dedicated to inspiring a climate of kindness through education and the arts.

She is also a longtime board member of Greenhouse Theatre Company and co-created the Arts Initiative at Missouri United Methodist Church, connecting the church with local artists and organizations.

For more information about the Celebration of the Arts, visit the City’s website at CoMo.gov /cultural-affairs/programs-and-services/celebration-of-the-arts/.

08/14/2026

Statement from mayor, City Council and city manager of Columbia on downtown public safety

In Columbia, public safety is a top priority. Because downtown Columbia is a gathering place for residents, college and university students and tourists and other visitors, we understand the importance of addressing public safety concerns in that area.

That’s why we have taken several steps to improve public safety downtown. These action items include:

· Increased police presence downtown: More than a year ago, we increased Columbia Police Department patrols downtown during peak hours. As a result, we are able to respond very quickly when incidents occur. This includes the shooting incident this past Sunday, when officers heard gunshots and identified and apprehended a suspect almost immediately after shots were fired.

· Targeted enforcement: CPD continues targeted enforcement of assaults, weapons violations, peace disturbances, trespassing, open container and other offenses. We also continue to invest in technology and investigative resources that help identify offenders and build stronger criminal cases.

· Safety Ambassadors: The City, the University of Missouri and The District launched the Downtown Safety Ambassador program in June. Ambassadors work during peak evening and overnight hours, provide safety escorts, identify problems, help de-escalate situations and contact police when enforcement is needed. A full-time outreach ambassador also connects people experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges or substance use disorders with available services. This model is being used successfully in several other college communities such as Austin, Gainesville, Athens, Ohio, Knoxville, Iowa City and others.

· Infrastructure review: The City and downtown partners have reviewed lighting, traffic flow, rideshare location s, parki ng restrictions and the placement and permitting of late-night food vendors. These measures are intended to reduce congestion and the conditions that can contribute to fights and other disturbances.

· Strategic alliance: We participate in regular meetings focused on downtown safety with partners that include the University of Missouri, MUPD and other law enforcement agencies and area leaders. This collaboration allows all interested parties opportunities to share ideas and discuss solutions.

· Security camera: In response to recent incidents in the area, we have placed a security camera at Ninth and Walnut streets.

· Outreach to bars: We are organizing and conducting meetings with bar operators downtown to make sure that each establishment fully understands and complies with city ordinances, state laws and other rules.

· Work session: Th e City C ouncil has scheduled a work session focused on downtown public safety on Sept. 14.

· Violence reduction: The City’s Office of Violence Prevention will present a violence reduction landscape analysis Sept. 29 and intends to complete a full strategic plan by spring 2027.

· Downtown unit: Columbia voters approved a 1% public safety sales tax on Aug. 4. The tax takes effect Jan. 1 and the city will begin receiving proceeds, all of which will be strictly dedicated to the police and fire departments, in March. Once we are able to hire, train and deploy additional officers, the Columbia Police Department intends to reestablish its downtown unit.

08/14/2026

Solid Waste Utility hosts second recycling drop-off event

The City of Columbia Solid Waste Utility is hosting a recycling drop-off event from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Grissum Building, 1313 Lakeview Ave.
Residents will be able to enter the parking lot west of the Grissum Building to drop off their materials. Staff will be on hand to assist in getting the material into the proper container. Residents are asked to separate materials by type, using mixed containers and mixed fibers.

In addition to mixed fibers and mixed containers, staff will collect glass bottles and jars for recycling. Glass containers will only be accepted at this event.

Accepted mixed containers include:

Plastic bottles and containers marked as 1 or 2 with screw-on lids
Aluminum cans
Metal food cans.
Accepted mixed fibers include:

Cardboard
Newspaper
Office paper.

To help with automobile traffic at the site, no left turns will be allowed entering or exiting the site. Drivers are asked to enter the site from the east side off Lakeview Avenue to turn right. When leaving, drivers will be asked to turn right out of the lot onto Lakeview Avenue.

Please visit the Solid Waste Utility's BeHeard.CoMo page for a full list of acceptable and non-acceptable materials.

08/12/2026

The 2026 Boone County Maternal Child Health (MCH) Assessment is now available to the public. The report provides insights into the health of 44% of the population of Boone County, including children up to the age of 18 and women up to the age of 44. For more information, view the 2026 Boone County Maternal Child Health Assessment.

https://www.como.gov/health/2026-boone-county-maternal-child-health-assessment/

Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) conducts a county-level MCH assessment every five years to determine which of the statewide priorities is most important to address.

After analyzing maternal child health indicators, Community and Stakeholder Survey responses and the Community Capacity Assessment, PHHS determined Boone County’s priority maternal child health issue to be: Strengths-based services & supports to promote healthy family relationships & functioning, enhance resilience, foster social connections and support children’s social & emotional development.

"The MCH Assessment helps staff identify the needs of our local maternal and child populations, ensuring that PHHS programming and services are directed toward making the biggest impacts for our community," said Sarah Varvaro, Public Health Planning and Promotion Manager.

The findings of this assessment will be used to guide programming to promote the health of families and children in Boone County over the next five years and beyond.

PHHS collaborates with community members and partners to build a plan that works at multiple levels (e.g., individual, community, policy, etc.) and prioritizes preventing poor health outcomes before they occur.

This project is funded in part by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Maternal Child Health (MCH) Services Contract DH220051072, and is supported by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant B04MC52935, Maternal and Child Health Services for $12,742,189, of which $0 is from non-governmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

https://www.como.gov/health/2026-boone-county-maternal-child-health-assessment/

Table of Contents Executive Summary In early 2026, Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) conducted a Maternal Child Health Assessment. Maternal child health (MCH) encompasses the health and well-being of women, infants, and youth, including youth with special health care need...

08/07/2026

Eighth and Walnut Plaza Garage to reopen to hourly parking Aug. 10; Fifth and Walnut Garage power washing underway

Beginning Monday, Aug. 10, the Eighth and Walnut Plaza Parking Garage will reopen to hourly parking following completion of a summer maintenance project.

The project began May 18 and included cable repairs, concrete repairs, sealant replacement and expansion joint repairs throughout the garage. During construction, parking was limited to permit holders. Beginning Aug. 10, both permit holders and hourly customers may park in the garage.

All stairwells and elevators will be operational when the garage reopens to hourly parking. A few areas of the garage may remain barricaded while crews complete final work.

Meanwhile, maintenance work is underway at the Fifth and Walnut Parking Garage. City crews began power washing the structure the week of Aug. 3, starting at the top lev el and w orking downward.

To help crews complete the work at the Fifth and Walnut Parking Garage as efficiently as possible, drivers are encouraged to park on the lowest available level whenever possible. Both permit holders and hourly customers should also check their vehicles daily for updated signage identifying areas where parking is temporarily unavailable while cleaning progresses.

07/28/2026

City of Columbia Electric Utility to host public meetings on transmission line project

City of Columbia Utilities will host a pair of interested parties meetings to gain feedback on an upcoming transmission line project. The meetings will be held at two time slots giving residents more opportunities to provide feedback.

The meetings will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026 at the Activity & Recreation Center (ARC), 1701 W. Ash St. The time slots for the meetings are:

1:30-3:30 p.m.
5:30-7:30 p.m.

This will be an open house meeting where customers will have the opportunity to talk with City Staff, ask questions, make comments and complete a public comment form.

The proposed project would build a 161-kilovolt transmission line to connect the Grindstone substation to the Perche Creek substation along Vawter School Road. The Vawter School Road route proposal was approved unanimously by the City Council as the most cost-effective option for the project. Building the transmission line will strengthen the interconnection to the grid, help with maintaining the grid and continue to bring reliable power to the community.

Customers who cannot attend the meeting can ask questions and leave comments for Electric Utility Staff at

Stay informed by joining City of Columbia, MO

07/28/2026

The City of Columbia Clerk's Office is accepting applications for boards and commissions. Applications are available on the City's website at CoMo.gov and must be received by the City Clerk's Office by 5 p.m. Friday, August 7.
Boards and commissions are a way for residents to be involved in local government and to represent the voices of their fellow community members.

The following are current openings for City boards and commissions:

Board of Health
Building Construction Codes Commission
Climate and Environment Commission
Dangerous or Aggressive Animal Advisors
Disabilities Commission
Historic Preservation Commission
Housing and Community Development Commission
Public Transit Advisory Commission
Railroad Advisory Board
Tax Increment Financing Commission

To view a brief description and eligibility requirements, visit CoMo.gov/Council/Vacancies or contact the Clerk's Office at 573.874.7207.

The City Clerk is accepting applications for the following boards and commissions. Applications must be in the City Clerk’s Office, 2nd Floor of City Hall, 701 E. Broadway, by 5:00 p.m., Friday, August 7, 2026. Applicants can either complete and submit the online application to the City Clerk dire...