Monday morning, here’s what’s worth knowing around Rocheport, New Franklin, and the counties.
Around the Counties
Columbia’s testing its license-plate cameras — and reporting zero arrests from them. The city’s Flock Safety cameras read plates, make, color, and body type on vehicles around Columbia. Assistant Police Chief Lance Bolinger says no arrests have come from the system yet, and the department says it’s only using the plate-reading side, not Flock’s AI features. The contract comes up for renewal in March 2027, according to KBIA.
Columbia’s homelessness panel got a clear message from residents: build affordable housing first. About 70 people turned out for the new Steering Committee on Homelessness’ first public event. The consensus, per one attendee, was that the city needs “more housing at a price point that people are able to afford.” The committee’s been gathering data for months and plans to bring a strategic plan to the Columbia City Council by year’s end — KBIA reports.
Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe is pushing back on an AI deepfake video mimicking her social media posts. Missouri has outlawed pornographic deepfakes but hasn’t regulated the political kind, so a parody video like this one sits in a legal gray area that leans on ordinary likeness and copyright law. Buffaloe says she’s worried content like this pushes people to disengage from real information — KBIA.
Happening Soon
Locals Night is back Thursday. Rocheport’s regular Locals Night runs 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at Katy’s Fork in the Trail on Central Street — see the event listing for details.
Roads & I-70
Cooper County’s Route F closes today for culvert work. MoDOT has Route F shut between Route B and Old Concord Road from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Aug. 31, for a culvert replacement. Meanwhile the I-70 widening project keeps nightly single-lane closures going in both directions from Route 5 in Boonville (mile marker 101) out to the Missouri River bridge (mile marker 115) — most of that work pauses for Labor Day weekend. In Boone County, Providence Road stays closed over I-70 at Exit 126 for bridge construction through late October, and Route 124 resurfacing continues between Fayette and U.S. 63 in Boone County. Full rundown via MoDOT’s mid-Missouri road work update.
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