Josh Bass, teacher at Douglass High School
Nakita Cade, junior at Hickman High School
Tarrence Davis, sophomore at Hickman High School
Sherrod Ellis, empowerment coordinator for Silence the Violence
After the shooting deaths of two Columbia teenagers this spring, we follow up with this discussion about youth violence and efforts to prevent it in our community. We hear from two teenagers about the challenges and opportunities young people encounter, and we discuss programs that encourage teens to get involved. Panelists: Josh Bass, teacher at Douglass High School Nakita Cade, junior at Hickman High School Tarrence Davis, sophomore at Hickman High School Sherrod Ellis, empowerment coordinator for Silence the Violence Add Comment A spate of new development has taken off in downtown Columbia, in particular the construction of several multi-story student housing developments. Amid the current building boom, we take a look at the vision for Columbia's downtown and consider what it might mean to have hundreds of students living in the area. Panelists: Carrie Gartner, executive director, Downtown Community Improvement District. John Ott, developer and owner of Alley A Realty and several downtown properties, including the Stephens Building at Broadway and Hitt. Debbie Sheals, historic preservation consultant and founding member of the Columbia Historic Preservation Commission In advance of elections on Tuesday, we discuss the two school funding measures on the ballot. We also examine how the city council and school board races are shaping up. The discussion of school-related items fills the first half of the program; the second half is devoted to city council races. Panelists: Andrew Denney, city government reporter, Columbia Tribune Catherine Martin, K-12 education reporter, Columbia Tribune Jan Mees, member, Columbia School Board Jonathan Sessions, member, Columbia School Board Kip Hill, public life reporter, Columbia Missourian (joining the program by phone) An effort to convert much of Columbia to an enhanced enterprise zone is underway, but not everyone is pleased with the idea. At issue is a blight decree that has some concerned. Panelists explain what goes into making an enhanced enterprise zone and discuss what it’ll mean for the city. Panelists: Bernie Andrews, executive vice president, Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI) Greg Williams, director, University of Missouri Research Parks Tracy Greever Rice, interim director, Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis Gov. Jay Nixon has been promoting his Missouri Works Plan as a driver of job creation in the state. But will it succeed? We discuss the latest government efforts to create jobs in Missouri and consider the prospects of the various proposals as they move forward through the legislature. Panelists: Rep. Stephen Webber, Democrat, 23rd District Rep. Anne Zerr, Republican, 18th District Daniel Mehan, President/CEO, Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry (joining by phone) What do you think could be done to create more jobs in the state? Add your comments by clicking here. The University of Missouri football team recently landed the nation’s top high school recruit. But before he even announced his official intent to attend the school, crowds inside the Mizzou Arena were already chanting his initials. We look at the buzz and behind-the-scenes efforts surrounding Mizzou's star football catch and explore the growing celebrification of college athletes. Studio panelists: Greg Bowers, sports editor Columbia Missourian; and associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism Ben Frederickson, former intern and freelance reporter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Karen Mitchell, assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism Joining us by phone: Bruce Feldman, CBS sports columnist/commentator and author of "Swing Your Sword" and "Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting" Dave Ridpath, assistant professor of sport administration, Ohio University Colleges and universities in Missouri could lose about an eighth of their state funding if the governor’s proposed budget for 2013 goes through. We discuss how the proposed cuts might affect the cost and quality of higher education across the state and, in particular, at MU. Panelists: Brady Deaton, chancellor, University of Missouri-Columbia Paul Wagner, deputy commissioner, Missouri Department of Higher Education Plans for a new terminal at Columbia Regional Airport are already under way. The question now is how to pay for it. Today we discuss the latest proposal for funding an airport expansion, as well as the connection between the airport and economic growth in mid-Missouri. Panelists: Michael Kelly, general manager of the Stoney Creek Inn & Conference Center in Columbia and board member of the Missouri Hotel & Lodging Association Mike Matthes, Columbia city manager For more details about options for an expanded airport terminal, click here to download the full PDF file sumbitted to the City Council from the City's website. A plan for new boundaries for the Columbia Public Schools is being presented this week to the board of education. Our panelists explain how those changes could affect students, parents, and the city at large. Panelists: Chris Belcher, superintendent of Columbia Public Schools Jan Mees, member of the Columbia School Board Darin Preis, co-chair of the committee in charge of redrawing Columbia’s school boundaries A new Mamtek artificial sweetener factory in Moberly promised a win-win all around: Jobs for mid-Missouri residents, profits for the company, and a bump in tax revenues well into the future. But with construction halted, the city's credit rating severely damaged, and a state legislative inquiry still under way, many questions remain. We examine what happened, how problems like this might be avoided in the future, and how to attract jobs without putting taxpayers unduly at risk. Panelists: Benjamin Herrold, city editor, The Moberly Monitor Index Rudi Keller, reporter, Columbia Daily Tribune Tina Hoffman, marketing and communications director, Iowa Economic Development Authority (joining the program by phone) CORRECTION: During this Intersection discussion, Columbia Daily Tribune reporter Rudi Keller is incorrectly credited with being the first to break the Mamtek story in the spring. The Tribune and other news organizations have been reporting on Mamtek since the deal was announced in mid-2010. Keller's articles about troubles with the Mamtek deal began appearing in September 2011. |