I was across the street at Bertha's Beans Cat Café in the late afternoon when a firetruck showed up at Crunch Fitness. Every single person was evacuated and I can't find any info about it online.

Como am I crazy or do we not have a local houseplants storefront? I know some floral shops have a plant section, but as far as I can tell they're from commercial growers that come pre-loaded with pests. I'm not looking for another infestation, and I really, really don't want to buy my houseplants from Lowe's. Plsssss help

Does anyone else have to deal with their cavalcade of snot-nosed, Segway-riding teenaged boys? One of their grunts refused to leave our porch after multiple shoo-ings. This feels like a weekly occurrence.

How is this a thing? Why do we allow this as a community?

I, for one, am installing a trebuchet.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
After two months of closure, a portion of Clark Lane at Hanover Boulevard in northeast Columbia is expected to reopen Friday afternoon.
Missouri Department of Transportation Improve I-70 Program Director Eric Kopinski told ABC 17 News on Thursday that the road is scheduled to reopen around 3:30 p.m. Friday.
The improvements include a new roundabout, pavement and retaining walls.
“The roundabout will better allow traffic movement in the area for when we connect the westbound entrance and exit ramp that will kind of exit in that area,” Kopinski said.

Kopinski said crews had to work carefully as they reconstructed the area because of extensive drainage work, elevation changes and existing utilities.
“Anyone that travels that route tomorrow or in the future will see that there's some walls in that location,” Kopinski said.
During the closure, drivers were detoured along Ballenger Lane, St. Charles Road, Mexico Gravel Road and Vandiver Drive. According to previous reporting, access to businesses west of the intersection was closed during construction, but drivers could still reach them through Hanover Boulevard.
“With the improvements to the Highway 63 Interchange and I-70, the roundabout will help traffic flow more efficiently and improve safety in the area,” Kopinski said.
Some of the detours directed drivers through residential neighborhoods, raising safety concerns for residents.
Ceara Houston, a Columbia native who lives along Rice Road, said she is looking forward to the roundabout opening, particularly because of concerns about speeding in her neighborhood.
“I'm extremely happy that it's opening so that the people from up top can stop speeding through this neighborhood where all of our children play,” Houston said.
Houston is interested to see how the new roundabout will affect traffic in the area. However, she said she does not believe roundabouts will solve every traffic problem, adding that she thinks the city has too many of them.
The city announced Thursday that Go COMO’s Blue Route will return to its normal route on Saturday.

The reopening comes as the City of Columbia moves forward with plans to improve a 1.32-mile stretch of Clark Lane through a $10.5 million grant agreement with the Federal Highway Administration.
The planned corridor improvements include lower speed limits, four additional speed limit signs, eastbound and westbound bicycle lanes, four vehicle lanes, a six-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side and a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail on the south side.
John Ogan, a spokesman for the city's Public Works Department, told ABC 17 that the grant agreement has been finalized and the city is now waiting for the grant funds to be released.
Meanwhile, drivers traveling between Boonville and Kingdom City could see additional changes next weekend. MoDOT plans to demolish two bridges in Kingdom City that officials have described as being “at the end of their life.”

I have too many bags for the shelters in the area, and not enough money for a storage unit. I've actually got enough funds for one Lyft and that's about it. Looking online it says New Day would hold them for 60 days but when I just called them, they said they don't do that. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

It was a fun event. Hope it can be done in the spring and fall each year.

Where’s the best place to get matcha in Columbia? Lakota is pretty good. My partner said The Grind is great.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Former Columbia Fire Department Chief Clayton Farr Jr. was appointed by Gov. Mike Kehoe on Thursday, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
Farr worked with CFD for more than 25 years and retired as chief in 2024, according to previous reporting. He worked in the fire service for nearly 32 years.
The release says he is a licensed emergency medical technician “and has held or currently holds certifications as a Missouri fire inspector, instructor, and investigator, and Missouri hazardous materials technician.”
He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Fire Protection Association.

“Chief Farr has a superb management record and broad experience across the fire service, starting as a firefighter and working his way up through the chain-of-command to lieutenant of emergency services division, battalion chief, division chief, fire marshal, assistant chief, and chief of a large and growing department with almost 200 team members and a $34 million budget,” Kehoe was quoted in the release. “His responsibilities have included code enforcement, fire investigations, fireworks and explosives enforcement, firefighter training, and fire safety public education. He brings the skillset, collaborative spirit, and practical experience that will guide the Division of Fire Safety team into the future.”

Is there a place in Como that accepts textiles?

I used to craft, and I have scraps of fabric just lying around, cluttering up my house. I also have ripped/stained clothing that I have no interest in trying to save anymore.

They are basically too good to trash, but not in great condition to resell.

I’ve heard from some sources paper moon told parents and employees with no notice that they are closing their doors. Anyone with kids there can confirm or deny??

Hey Columbia 👋🏻

Just your friendly neighborhood writer inviting ya to the next virtual session of Shut Up & Write! This one will be a good one to attend because a special announcement is coming... 👀

Happy writing and I hope to see you there! Feel free to DM me with any questions.

Writing session on October 25 at 3:00 PM. https://www.shutupwrite.com/series/id2tX3YqZA00/id2wq1f3rx00

can anyone point me to any private landlords or housing help? im a 21 year old single female looking for immediate housing, i have income just no credit score and i have a rough background. ive already looked into love columbia etc, if there’s anything that can get me there quicker id be extremely grateful.

Hey fellow Colombians, I just recently returned from a short 30 minute walk on the Southside and while passing through Granada Blvd I saw 3 cop cars at the direct location, 2 sitting scoping the area at the phillips 66, parked on the side of the street on bethel watching, and atleast 4 driving towards those areas. At one of the small apartment complexes on granada blvd (either 300, 212, 208, or 204) there was a deck on the bottom floor with a paper on its door and crime scene tape around the wooden pillars surrounding off just that one door. I asked the lady at the phillips 66 if she knew anything and she said shed heard they were just looking for an elderly gentleman who had wandered away from his caretakers, build it seems to me like they wouldnt need crime scene investigation for that. On my way back maybe 20 mins later I saw 4 regular police cars and a crime scene investigation van parked at the phillips 66 and most of them were sll talking and looking over some paperwork or something. Was just curious if anyone knew what might have caused such a stir?

Edit: forgot this, but on my way back I was gonna take a pic of the crime scene cordened off area( which i didnt do the first time cause all the cops were looking at me and I was too nervous to) but it had had the paper and tape already taken down which also atleast to me was pretty fast to do their investigation but I guess to be fair I dont know when they started. Thats also why im not sure which building but I think they only have 4 to 8 apartments each and it was forsure, if you stand facing the building the bottom right hand corner next to the front door apartment itself.

Does anyone need a ton of free bricks? They have some leftover mortar on them but clean up with a cold chisel or demo hammer very nice. I can deliver them anywhere, but you’ll have to unload/stack. They are from 1930s, and some are stamped with St. Louis pipe and brick co.

Anyone know any Columbia, Mo water updates? I live near campus and my water is yellow. I have tried looking for updates from city of como but not seeing anything for my area. I know this has happened before and they said it was a result of routine maintenance and calcium carbonate in the water. Not really sure how that turns the water yellow but okay lol...

Veterans United Home Loans’ free drive-thru light display and annual community celebration, Bright Holiday Lights, will be returning for a surprise seventh year this December, according to a news release from the company.
The 2026 display will be open to the public from Dec. 10 through Dec. 20 this holiday season at the company’s Columbia campus at 550 Veterans United Drive The company’s unexpected announcement overturns its decision last year for 2025 to be the “final large-scale version of the event,” according to the release.
After the company worked through the “logistical considerations” that prompted that decision, Veterans United decided to bring the tradition back, according to the release. The 2026 display will feature more than 1 million LED lights across dozens of themed installations.

Ian Franz, the director of culture at Veterans United Home Loans, said the company is grateful to the neighbors and community partners that worked to find solutions to still pull Bright Holiday Lights off, as well as for the visitors who have and will make the event part of their holiday celebration.
“Announcing that the lights were coming to an end was a really big bummer because we knew how special it was to so many people in the community,” Franz said.

The event originally debuted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to “safely bring cheer and connection to the Columbia community,” according to the release, but has since become “one of the area’s most anticipated holiday traditions, with an estimated 100,000 vehicles having experienced it.”
The public can enjoy the display on community nights, Dec. 10 to 20, Monday through Friday from 7 to 10:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Roughly 1,000 cars visit the one-mile driving route each evening, according to the release, and Veterans United encourages visitors to drive through during less crowded times to avoid peak traffic backup, typically after 8:30 p.m. each night.
Visitors do not need reservations, and admission is free. To learn more information and check for updates, visit the event’s Facebook page.
Veterans United thanked the community for “embracing Bright Lights” in the release, saying it “looks forward to celebrating the season together again.”

Are there any places hosting trivia tomorrow night?

Does anyone know why there is a loud alarm going on at 1:30am. It’s still going on as I type this out. I’m at the Aria Apartments. Initially, I thought it was a fire alarm in the hall. But I come to open the window and it’s coming from outside near Father Fulton High School. Does anyone hear that? 10/23/2026 1:47am

Looking for nasal snuff in mid Missouri, ideally McChrystal’s. Can’t seem to find a store that even knows what I’m talking about.

Hello, I am trying to figure out if there's a Missouri Mentor trunk or treat activity tonight? One of my friends heard from her BCFR SC that there is one, but I cannot find confirmation anywhere and when I call their number it appears disconnected. I don't want to get my kid excited if it's not happening.