Columbia Daily Tribune

Reporter Shares Baby Drama

Take 2: An Alternative Look at the Day in Sports

It's possible that after four months of leisure, Brett Favre finally got around to looking at his 401K statement and decided that, yikes, in this economy, a man can't afford to retire at 38 and support a lifestyle that requires the occasional purchases of Wrangler jeans and John Deere mowers for the rest of his days. That would be an acceptable reason to end a retirement after 120 days. I suspect, though, that Favre simply regained that competitive itch, that fire that nearly burns out over t...

`Big' Cast Captures Young at Heart at Lyceum

On Stage

Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre: "Big: The Musical" through next Sunday. www.lyceumtheatre.org or (660) 837-3311. - "Proof" July 25 through Aug. 3. - "Arsenic and Old Lace" Aug. 8 to 16. Dej Vu: Cowboy Bill Martin with Dan Davidson, 9:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 8 and 10:15 p.m. Saturday. $6 Thursday, $7 Friday, $8 Saturday. 405 Cherry St. www.dejavucomedy.com.

Source Says Henry Failed ; Drug Test

A source close to free-agent running back Travis Henry confirmed to ESPN.com that Henry has tested positive for marijuana again and is subject to a one-year suspension by the NFL. The source said Henry will soon start serving the year suspension. An NFL spokesman said yesterday that the league has no comment on Henry's status. Henry, 29, was released by the Denver Broncos on June 2, and a Broncos' source said Friday that the team did not know about Henry's positive test when he was released.

Behind the Scenes ; Columbia Art League Ready for Big Move, Bigger Shows

They say art can move the world. Now it's time for the world to move art later this month when the Columbia Art League shifts to its new home at the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts. Diana Moxon, executive director of CAL, is putting out the call for guys or gals with strong minds and muscles to help move desks, chairs, cabinets, supplies and other paraphernalia down the sidewalk from the current quarters at 111 S. Ninth St. to 203 S. Ninth St.

Live Music

Sunday Kids Like Us, Signs of Hope, Fare Thee Well, Get Serious, Only the Brave 7:30 p.m. at Mojo's $8-$10.

Premier Opportunity ; Mu Student Interns with Fulham Fc.

John Conner remembers precisely where he was last fall when his internship prospects took a marked turn for the better. He was in his car on Broadway in downtown Columbia, waiting for the stoplight at College Avenue to turn green when his mom, Kim, called. She had spoken with Horst Bertl, a family friend who had coached John and his younger brother, Patrick, and he promised to call a friend with significant pull in English soccer. Conner asked for the name of Bertl's friend.

Exhibits

The University of Missouri Museum of Art & Archaeology: "The Fine Art of Living: Luxury Objects from the East and West" through spring 2009. Learn more at maa.missouri.edu. - "The Poetry of Nature in Japanese Woodblock Prints" through Aug. 24. PS: Gallery: "2008 Summer Exhibit," on display through Sept. 27, will feature the works of David Griffin, Sarah Williams, Tom Pfannerstill, Vicky Weaver, Joel Sager, Sara Larson and Thomas Smith. Admission is free. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ...

Kentucky Officials Seize Illegally Traded Reptiles

FRANKFORT, Ky. - State conservation officers seized more than 125 venomous snakes, arrested 10 people and cited one other Thursday after a nearly two-year undercover investigation of those who allegedly illegally possessed, imported and trafficked the deadly reptiles. Forty-four officers with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife confiscated the snakes and other reptiles, including an alligator, in the investigation, and are expected to issue more than 700 charges.

Niche: A Weekly Peek at an Emerging Artist ; Kara Hicks

Multimedia artist Kara Hicks uses her art to explore the process of memory. After returning from living for eight months in Spain, the 26- year-old graduate student at the University of Missouri found herself feeling desperate to maintain her memories of her friends and the life she had created in Europe. She began to think about how over time even our most powerful memories fade, change and even blend into other memories. "We try so hard to hold onto memories," Hicks said.

Splash Down

Butt Out!

Since 2000, Rolland Schattschneider has collected 97,000 cigarette remnants along streets near Barron Elementary School in Hampton, Va. Q: Why is it important that you pick up cigarette butts?

100 Mpg: Sound Good? ; Scooters Are Selling Like Hotcakes As Gas Prices Rise.

Ubiquitous in Europe for decades, scooters are selling madly stateside, with sales up 24 percent over last year. Prices range from $800 for no-name imports to $8,000 for the best-known brands, such as Vespa, but scooter fans say the machines pay for themselves before long. "I filled it up with $5 yesterday," said Dawud Hason, 48, standing beside the used scooter he bought from a friend last week so he could travel from his south Allentown, Pa., home to his center city barbershop without sucki...

Open Column ; `Clean Coal' Not the Answer - Just Ask a Baby Boomer

Editor, the Tribune: If all one did was listen to the television ads on "clean coal," one would think that is the solution to our energy problems. In the not-too-distant past, we boomers saw that coal created the deadly London smog. It dirtied the faces of countless poor miners, and sometimes it killed them. Now, the coal companies are just blowing up and leveling the mountains in the Appalachians. So much for "clean coal." Along come the ads that urge us to support "clean air nuclear." Ken ...

Engagement ; Ricks-Meddows

A May 30, 2009, wedding at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in St. Louis is planned by Kitty Ricks and Michael Meddows. The parents of the engaged couple are Mr. and Mrs. Dale Ricks of Lee's Summit and Mr. and Mrs. Pat Kress of Tulsa, Okla., and Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Meddows of Swansea, Ill.

Pulseshots: Faces in Columbia's Crowd

Hot Flashes ; Big Guns Are Hard to Cover

Though I am guilty of committing six of the seven cardinal sins - it's a Catholic thing - I've never been one to envy anyone else until this summer. Everywhere I look, I see women wearing sleeveless blouses, strapless sundresses and halter tops. They all look so happy and carefree. They don't see my pain. I want to wear those summer frocks, too, but I can't because I have the dreaded upper arm jiggle. There are several parts of my body that I dislike. I'm too short for my weight. My nose is ...

Rising Cost Fuels Changes ; Gas Thefts Alter Routines for Many at the Pump.

It is an uncelebrated milestone for most motorists: Unleaded gasoline prices are just less than $4 a gallon at most pumps in Columbia. The prices have customers and convenience store employees on alert for thefts. Some gas stations have increased the number of prepay-only pumps, while one auto parts store reported that lockable gas caps are selling faster than ever.

Creek Walk