Columbia Daily Tribune

Arrests and Summonses

Authorities made the following arrests and issued summonses from 7 a.m. June 12 to 7 a.m. June 13 COLUMBIA POLICE

Ag Officials Overestimate Exports' Value to Farmers

Former Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman couldn't stop for a cup of coffee in farm-and-ranch country without waxing romantically on how "1-in-4 acres of American farm production is exported." Her replacement, Secretary Mike Johanns, a trained technocrat, often makes the same point with more precision.

Contribution Limits Silence Missouri Voters

Twelve years ago, Missouri voters approved contribution limits for state and local campaigns for public office. Now the General Assembly has passed a political reform bill (House Bill 1900) that includes a repeal of those contribution limits. Gov. Matt Blunt must decide whether to sign the bill into law. Attorney General Jay Nixon, himself a candidate for governor, is urging Blunt to veto the bill. Arguments for and against the legislation have focused on issues such as transparency and the p...

The Tribune's View ; Curator Ethics

The University of Missouri Board of Curators is receiving recommendations for a new set of rules to avoid conflicts of interest - or, as often phrased, the appearance of conflict. A committee of the board will propose rules intended to avoid improper relationships between board members and the university.

Get Involved

- Mid-Missouri Furniture Bank needs volunteers with trucks to help pick up and deliver furniture on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month between noon and 5 p.m. Call 808-2757 or 356- 5853. - Hot Summer Nights Music Festival & Missouri Symphony needs volunteers for concerts on the following days: Friday, June 18, 24, 26 and 28, and July 1, 8, 10, 12, 14, 21, 26 and 29. Contact Anne Meysenburg at 875-0600, ext. 203.

Students' Field Trip Results in 911 Call

A 911 report that students on a summer school field trip were lost in the woods Friday sent emergency responders to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. About 70 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders from the Southern Boone County school district in Ashland were hiking in the park. A group of 18 students and a teacher took a longer trail than other groups took. The students were supposed to meet to return to the school at 2:30 p.m., but the group on the longer hike didn't arrive on time, causing so...

Our Town ; David Allen

You'll never find a box of Lucky Charms or Cookie Crisp on David Allen's breakfast table. "I don't want dessert for breakfast, and I discovered I'm not the only person," says David, who about 30 years ago decided to make his own granola with help from a recipe book.

Can't Beat 'Em? Deal with It

The axiom goes: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. The head of the Fort Lauderdale police union recently took that maxim to new heights. Or, if you prefer, depths. The city's cops have been at odds with the Broward County branch of the NAACP since a racially charged incident last summer. After testifying in court, officer Robert Hoffman allegedly put a hand over his mouth and told a black teen in the jury box, "I'm going to get your black ass." He allegedly lied about it during a later investig...

Faulty Light Contributed to Crash, Police Say

Nine days before her one-year wedding anniversary, Lois Papen's life ended in a two-vehicle accident on Columbia's south side. Close to a month later, police think a burned-out traffic light might have contributed to the crash. Shortly before 6 p.m. on May 12, Papen, 41 of Jefferson City, attempted to make a left turn from Chapel Hill Road to Forum Boulevard and was struck by a northbound sport utility vehicle driven by Stephanie J. Hummel, 31.

One Readers Pick `Tortilla Curtain' ; Novel Addresses Immigration Issues.

The votes are in for the 2006 One Read book, and area readers have selected "The Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle. The Daniel Boone Regional Library announced today the people's choice for this year's community reading program. The timely contemporary novel juxtaposes the intertwined lives of two California couples: a pair of illegal Mexican immigrants working to achieve the American dream and a pair of wealthy suburbanites working to protect it.

Americans Left with `What Ifs'

GELSENKIRSCHEN, Germany - "Claudio makes that goal and it's a different match." If the Czech reporter working next to me spoke English, I would have laid a small wager with him that U.S. Coach Bruce Arena was going to lean hard on that tired excuse after this World Cup humiliation of a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic.

Baseball

MLB AMERICAN LEAGUE

Births

- Jessica and Robert Sutterfield of Columbia are the parents of an 8-pound, 2-ounce girl born May 20, 2006, at their home. - Cindy Glaab and Micheal Cotton of Fayette are the parents of an 8-pound, 4.7-ounce boy born May 24, 2006, at Boone Hospital Center.

Pc Info ; Functional and Free, Clipboard Software Saves Time Like Magic

Necessity is the mother of invention for this week's featured application, a freeware tool guaranteed to improve your workflow. A reader recently sounded a familiar complaint about the limited functionality of the Windows Clipboard. Because it can only store a copy of one item at a time, there's not much flexibility there. It's been a longstanding user complaint that has forever fallen on deaf ears at Microsoft.

Neighborhood Roundup ; Area Agencies Help Take the Sweat Out of Summer

Summer - that lazy, hazy time of year when the temperatures rise along with the monthly electric bill - is almost upon us. Worried that yours might be one of the homes that could be without air-conditioning this summer because of the cost of electricity? There are options to keep cool and keep costs down.

Al-Zarqawi's Death Provides Much-Needed Morale Boost

The contrast between the morning paper and the news on radio and television could not have been more dramatic. The papers, printed before news of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death, might as well have been draped in black. The Washington Post editorialized about terrorist gains in Somalia, scolding Republicans for rejecting nation- building a dozen years ago. The New York Times, meanwhile, predicted that the failure of Iraq's new government to fill the posts of interior and defense ministers (they ...

Highway Patrol Officer Arrested On Suspicion of Stalking

A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper from Boonville was arrested Friday by Columbia police on suspicion of stalking his former girlfriend. Donald Wayne Burnett, 54, a sergeant with the highway patrol, was taken into custody at about 5:30 p.m. on a misdemeanor warrant for stalking after the woman, who works in Columbia, contacted police, Columbia police Capt. Brad Nelson said.

School Board Delays Vote On Investments

The Columbia school board is giving employees another four months to review a proposed change in the district's investment package. The Board of Education voted last night to postpone action on a bid from LaBrunerie Financial Services Inc. to provide 403(b) services to teachers and faculty until mid-September.

Action Line

Q: As a transplant from another state, I've heard a lot from Columbia residents about a group called the High Steppers. I had hoped to see them perform in the Memorial Day parade, but they were not there. Is the group still performing? A: The Mid-Missouri High Steppers, a precision dance and drill team based in Columbia, is still performing. Rolando Barry, founder of the High Steppers, said the team was not a part of this year's Memorial Day Weekend Salute to Veterans Parade because it was no...

Tailgate Pros Hitch a Dream

Three local entrepreneurs are hoping to tap what many believe is a growing niche market: tailgaters. Doug Simon, Lee Betty and a silent partner have launched Boone Outdoor Hardware. Its flagship product - not the actual flag holder they sell - is a table that attaches to a vehicle's rear hitch.