Columbia Daily Tribune

Title or Bust for Cougars

After eight straight 20-win seasons, postseason play for the Columbia College men's basketball team has been assured since 1999. The last time Columbia failed to advance to the NAIA Tournament was 1998, when the Cougars finished 16-17. Columbia Coach Bob Burchard knows that if his 15-15 team doesn't win the AMC Tournament, it will be an early end to the season.

Cc Women Outscore Spartans in Tourney

After putting up 96 and 93 points against Missouri Baptist in its two regular-season meetings, the Columbia College women's basketball team knew it could score against the Spartans. But after allowing 89 points in its last meeting, the Cougars knew their defense would determine who escaped the first round of the American Midwest Conference Tournament.

Online Distribution Ring Uncovered ; Athletes, Celebrities Ordered Steroids On Internet.

ORLANDO, Fla. - With BALCO still churning on the West Coast, a new front on the steroid war opened in the East yesterday when law- enforcement officers raided two Orlando pharmacies and seized steroids, human growth hormone and records that could connect those drugs to dozens of athletes. In a raid led by the Albany, N.Y., County District Attorney's office, officers from several Florida and national agencies arrested four employees of Signature Compounding Pharmacies yesterday and charged the...

Marjorie Hagan, 1917-2007

Marjorie Katherine Hagan, 89, of Columbia, passed away Monday, Feb. 26, 2007, at Columbia Manor. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 2, at Memorial Funeral Home. Burial will take place in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Don't Let Thin Mints Put You On the Fat Track

Girl Scout cookies are coming to a coffee break, lunch box or kitchen near you. They're for a good cause, and they taste so good that some people have been known to make a whole box of them disappear in one day.

And ... Action! ; Film Festival Preparations in High Gear.

If you happen to be downtown Friday night and catch a glimpse of a giant squid floating down the street or stumble across a punk rock marching band, don't worry - it's not a hallucination. These characters will be part of the party proclaiming that the fourth annual True/False Film Festival has marched into town, bringing with it filmmakers, bands, fans and documentaries from all over the world.

Open Column ; Traditional Math Education Adds Up to Success in School

Editor, the Tribune: Math has been around for a long time. The only thing that has really changed is the way people try to teach it. Because of the "new math," I began home-schooling my kids seven years ago. I used a traditional textbook. My kids memorized multiplication tables and formulas. We worked word problems together. Every day started off with a timed worksheet about some part of math, and the boys treated this as a competition against themselves and enjoyed it. I tried to be creative...

5 Things to Know About ; Galangal: Cousin to Ginger

1 Although a cousin to ginger, galangal - ga-LANG-gal - has its own distinct flavor and should not be substituted with ginger, advises cookbook author and food writer Corrine Trang in "Essentials of Asian Cuisine." The two look very much alike, however: gnarly rhizomes with fingerlike appendages. But on galangal the segments tend to look more like swollen big toes, the skin is lighter in color, tan with dark banding and a smooth surface, in contrast to ginger's brown coarseness. Galangal is ...

Integration Flaws Cited ; Panel Recalls Local Schools' Experience.

Columbia Public Schools is still dealing with the fallout of integrating black students into white schools some 50 years ago, and it could take years to undo the damage, a panel of longtime Columbia educators said yesterday. "There are things our community could have done a little differently to make our kids be successful," said Wynna Faye Elbert, a radio show host. "We lost a lot of our culture because it wasn't carried over into the new schools."

Ashland Teen Dies in Wreck ; Passenger Vehicle, Suv Collide On 63.

A high-school-age girl was killed and two other people were injured this morning in a two-vehicle collision on Highway 63 near Columbia Regional Airport. Amanda Nowlin, 16, of Ashland was driving a silver four-door Mitsubishi westbound on Route H at 7:22 a.m. when she crossed into the path of a black SUV northbound on Highway 63, a Missouri Highway Patrol crash report said.

Be Wary of Comparison's Spurious Nature

We Americans are big on compiling lists and making comparisons on the "bests" and "worsts" of all time, concerning everything from movies and baseball teams to racehorses and presidents. During Presidents Day weekend, we were appropriately at it again. A Gallup Poll for USA Today reported that our thoughtful citizenry narrowly rates Abraham Lincoln as our No. 1 leader but just barely ahead of - are you ready? - Ronald Reagan.

Wolfgang's Kitchen ; Coq Au Vin

One of my all-time favorite recipes is coq au vin, the classic French braise of chicken slowly simmered in red wine. It makes a satisfying main course on a cold weekend night with its succulent meat colored deep reddish brown from the cooking liquid and its robust garnishes of smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms and little onions. Not only is coq au vin delicious, it's also economical. I like to make it with inexpensive chicken legs, which stay juicy during cooking. And you can buy them in quanti...

Kitchen Notes

Keep 'em safe Q: When I place fresh, uncut tomatoes in the same bowl as uncut onions for storage, the tomatoes rot very quickly. Why is this?

Manholes Subject to Sewer Inspection

A private engineering firm will begin inspecting sewer manholes in central Columbia this week. Steve Hunt, the city's sewer engineer, said TREKK Design Group of Kansas City tomorrow would begin inspecting the condition of the sewer access points and whether water is entering them from the street. Excess water entering manholes could lead to sewer overflows, he said.

Inspecting the Eateries

The following establishments that serve or prepare food were inspected by theColumbia Health Department from Feb. 19 to Feb. 23. The first score comprises critical violations, which must be corrected at the time of violation or within 10 days. These violations are more likely to contribute to food contamination,illness or environmental health hazard. The second score comprises noncritical violations, which must be corrected by the next regular inspection. These violations pose less risk to th...

Anti-Bush Bandwagon Getting Crowded

Indiscriminate criticism of President George W. Bush is an infectious disease. Some conservatives seem to have caught it, but congressional Democrats might be crippled by it. Consider some conservatives' reflexive rejection of the administration's achievement - with China, Russia, South Korea and Japan - of an agreement that might constrain North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Voicing the obvious with a sense of originality, critics exclaim that North Korea is a serial liar. And, echoing th...

Homemade in Minutes ; Break Your Fast with Broiled Fruit

Our breakfasts tend to be mundane and the same thing every morning. That is fine, but remember it is the meal to break the fast, and the more interesting the food, the more likely the family is to eat. We prefer the same cooked cereal combinations during the week but try to experiment with new foods on weekends when there is a bit more time. The Food Network shared many breakfast ideas recently on its Web site. This Broiled Citrus recipe was of particular interest. I remember the special trea...

Pet Monkeys Animate Kids' Peace Corps Talk

More than 70 seventh-graders at Columbia Catholic School crowded into the school's media center yesterday to chat with a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in the Philippines. Peter Loebach has been corresponding with the students since last school year, sending e-mails, letters and pictures from the Philippines. He chatted with them for the first time on speakerphone yesterday.

Columbia School Board Hopefuls Square Off

Among a slew of typical campaign promises, Michael Tan tried to separate himself from his opponents by vowing to be a straight talker and a good listener if elected to the Columbia Board of Education. "I will serve as a voice and a force to improve and enhance education," he said. "No nuances, no excuses. I will deliver straight talk to the administration, the board and the community."

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