Boone County News Release

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Boone County Week In Review

June 25, 2011

For the week ending June 25, 2011

Things you may have missed...

Robb wins soap-box derby challenge

Reaching the checkered flag mere thousandths of a second ahead of his opponent, Boone County Presiding Commissioner Ed Robb defeated Columbia Mayor Bob McDavid at the 2011 Mid-Missouri All-American Soap Box Derby, held Sunday, June 19, in downtown Columbia.

The challenge race between the mayor of Columbia and the Boone County presiding commissioner has been held for a number of years, with Mayor McDavid triumphing over former presiding commissioner Ken Pearson in last year's race. This year's race was Commissioner Robb's first soap-box derby competition.

The Mid-Missouri Soap Box Derby has been sponsored by the Downtown Optimist Club of Columbia for nearly 50 years. The derby itself has been held since the 1930s. NASCAR racer and Boone County native Carl Edwards won one of his first racing championships in the 1992 derby.

Lamar Henderson, Public Information

Boone County now on Twitter

The official Boone County Twitter feed is now live. Twitter users can now get regular updates on what's going on within Boone County government. The feed is available at https://twitter.com/boonecountymo.

By policy, Boone County employees do not have access to Twitter on their County-supported workstations. If you have any information that you would like to share with the public that would lend itself to going out on Twitter, please contact Lamar Henderson, Boone County Public Information Officer, at lhenderson@boonecountymo.org or 573-886-4312.

Lamar Henderson, Public Information

Week in preview

Battle of the Badges Blood Drive

Thursday, June 30
11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
The ARC, 1701 W. Ash, Columbia

To make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code BoBColumbia or call 800-redcross. Walk-ins are welcome!

While supplies last, donors will receive a complimentary St. Louis Cardinals t-shirt.

A traveling trophy will be awarded to the department that recruits the most donors.

Sponsored by the American red cross and Boone County Sheriff's Department, Boone County Fire District, Columbia Police Department, Columbia Fire Department and the University of Missouri Police Department

For questions, contact Debbie Sorrell 573-874-7569. For eligibility questions, please call 866-236-3276.

Angela Ayers, Sheriff's Department

Public Administrator presents class to CIT

Cathy D. Richards, Boone County's Public Administrator, will present a class entitled "Public Administrator Class 101" to the Columbia Police Department's Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) on Friday, July 1. The Public Administrator has presented a training class for CIT every year since she took office in 2009. The PowerPoint presentation will cover the duties of the PA, the office itself and the clients — particularly the mentally ill — she serves throughout the state of Missouri.

Cathy Richards, Public Administrator

Job opportunities

Human Resources is currently accepting applications for: Office Specialist-Civil Process; Office Specialist-Warrants Division; Corrections Officer; and Deputy Sheriff-Roster Eligibility Only. For more details about these positions, or to apply, please visit www.showmeboone.com/hr.

Kara Coustry, Human Resources

In the news

Fairground needs new revenue to survive

The financial analysis of the fairground, which hosts events year-round and not just during the Boone County Fair, has led Presiding Commissioner Ed Robb to conclude that shutting down the fairground or selling the property are among many options the Boone County Commission could consider if the fair board decided to turn operations over to the county. | Columbia Daily Tribune

A powerful history

Seventy-five years after it was created, Boone Electric Cooperative continues to serve the needs of rural electric customers. Over the years, the cooperative — a not-for-profit owned by its ratepayers — also has become a potent force in local politics, business and culture. | Columbia Daily Tribune

County roads

Northern District Commissioner Skip Elkin and Auditor June Pitchford want to make better plans for prioritizing road and bridge maintenance, working with information provided by supervisors and operators in the field. | Columbia Daily Tribune

Boone County farmers included in federal biomass initiative

MFA Oil Biomass is targeting about 8,250 acres in project areas around Columbia and Aurora in southern Missouri to grow miscanthis giganteus, a large perennial Asian grass. Boone County is also included in a project area managed by Show Me Energy Cooperative in Centerview that totals 20,000 acres in 39 counties. | Columbia Missourian

Higher releases at Gavins Point increase Missouri River forecasts

Water released from Gavins Point Dam surpassed already record levels on Wednesday and will raise the Missouri River higher than previous forecasts. | Columbia Missourian

Patient safety, care drive design of new Boone Hospital expansion

Karen Miller was impressed five years ago when Boone Hospital Center administrators pitched an expansion plan that would require the Boone County Commission to authorize $100 million in bonds to help fund the project. When Miller toured the completed eight-floor patient care tower, she was even more impressed. "It's incredible," she said. "It's much better than I anticipated." | Columbia Daily Tribune

Missouri law enforcement increase traffic control with HEAT

Missouri highway officials are turning up the heat again this summer on speeding drivers. The "HEAT Is On" campaign will run from June 21 to Sept. 22, starting with an Interstate 70 corridor project Saturday. Local law enforcement agencies, including the Boone County Sheriff's Department, will help with the enforcement. | Columbia Missourian

Taney County commissioners find ideas in Boone County

After a daylong tour of several of Boone County's departments, offices and procedures, Presiding Commissioner Ron Houseman said he was "blown away" by, among other things, the cooperation and collaboration of officials. | Branson Tri-Lakes News

Have an item for Week in Review?

Do you have something coming up that you want to share? Send it in! Let us know what's coming up in your week that your colleagues may be interested in, or what happened in the previous week that everyone should know. Contact Lamar Henderson, Boone County Public Information Officer, at 886-4312 or lhenderson@boonecountymo.org; the deadline for next week's Week in Review is 5 p.m., Thursday, June 30.

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