• A new 219-unit subdivision on St. Charles Road just west of the Route Z roundabout east of Columbia was approved last week by the Boone County Commission. Willow Creek East will include 44 smaller “cottage” lots and 11 “two-family” lots developers said will help reach lower price points for workforce buyers. A small commercial corner is also planned.
• Columbia police are investigating a two-vehicle crash that sent one person to the hospital Sunday evening. The accident happened around 6:20 p.m. at the intersection of Elm St. and Providence Rd. Officers blocked the area for about an hour while crews cleared the scene.
• A woman from Holts Summit is on trial today in the Boone County Courthouse for her role in a deadly shooting last year. Heather Smith, 38, faces second-degree murder charges for the death of Kara Dills. Police say it was an argument at a Holts Summit apartment complex that turned fatal.
• The Columbia City Council will swear in two members during tonight’s meeting. Christina Hartman takes over the fifth ward seat after unseating Don Waterman. Incumbent Valerie Carroll also returns to represent the first ward.
• The man apprehended by Columbia SWAT officers after a five-hour standoff Thursday on Parkade Blvd. had been released from custody Saturday on the promise of returning to the Boone County Jail after a medical appointment. Judge Kimberly Shaw authorized the release of Brian Strickland, 58, on his own recognizance. He didn’t return to the jail and officers were at his residence Thursday looking for him. Prosecutors describe Strickland as a persistent offender. He’s charged with first-degree stalking, second-degree kidnapping and fourth-degree domestic assault.
• Dr. Eryca Neville has been named the Columbia Public Schools executive director of alternative education. She’s been the principal at Douglass High School since 2011.
• Columbia City Council is expected to approve The Vantage, a 240-unit apartment development on Rolling Hills Road in east Columbia at its meeting tonight. The plan includes four buildings, parkland, a trail easement and a payment toward a future Richland Road roundabout.
• Non-uniformed employees of the Columbia Police Department have organized into a bargaining unit. The Columbia Police Civilians Association is scheduled to be recognized by the city council tonight.
• The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has agreed to settle a 2023 Flat Branch Creek pollution case with the City of Columbia through an abatement order requiring the city to pay $3,616 in state costs and damages. The case stems from three water main breaks before dawn on Oct. 2, 2023, at Pendleton Walkway, East Stewart Road and Trinity Place. City staff said chloraminated water entered the creek, and DNR later confirmed cloudy water and a fish kill.
• Lincoln University is hosting a free severe storm spotter training session on Tuesday in Jefferson City. The National Weather Service will teach residents how to identify key storm features at Pawley Theatre from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. No registration is required for the event, which was rescheduled from earlier this week.
• MoDOT will close the northbound Route 63 ramps at Grindstone Parkway in Columbia today. Crews are building new on and off ramps. The work is expected to continue through June.
• Recent headlines:
City of Columbia embracing public-backed airline funding strategy
City council to weigh broader housing definition of family
City council to introduce August ballot measure for 1% public safety tax
• Recent obituaries are here.