Around the Counties
Missouri’s congressional map fight is back at the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time in three weeks. Backers of the statewide redistricting referendum asked the justices Monday night to block a federal order that would otherwise force the state onto the 2025 Republican-drawn map by Sept. 28, according to the Missouri Independent. It’s not just background noise here — Boone County started mailing general absentee ballots this week, and County Clerk Brianna Lennon told KBIA her office is ready to move fast whichever map ultimately wins out.
Up in Centralia, the Board of Aldermen unanimously adopted the town’s first policy on city staff using AI, KBIA reports. Employees now have to verify anything AI-generated before it goes out, and supervisors decide department by department what’s allowed. City Administrator Tara Strain said the tools have already saved staff time on paperwork and Facebook posts — but stressed AI “is never going to replace” the people doing the actual work.
Happening Soon
The Daniel Boone Regional Library’s bookmobile stops in Rocheport tomorrow, Thursday, 3–6:30 p.m. at 205 Central St. Just up the block, Locals Night returns to Katy’s Fork in the Trail at 4 p.m. — the weekly Thursday dinner the old-timers still call by the building’s old name, the General Store. Farther afield, Mid-Missouri Pridefest takes over downtown Columbia Saturday starting at noon.
Outdoors & River
Don’t expect fall color on the Katy Trail just yet. The Department of Conservation’s latest regional report, updated Sept. 17, says dogwood and sassafras are just starting to blush orange and sumac is turning red out in the fields — but drought-stressed oaks on south- and west-facing slopes are browning early instead of coloring up. Peak color typically lands in mid-October; wildflowers along the trail are the better bet for now.
The Missouri River gauge at Boonville read 9.89 feet this morning and rising, still well under flood stage.
Roads & I-70
Westbound I-70 narrows to one lane in Columbia this Friday night into Saturday morning (7 p.m. Sept. 25 to 6 a.m. Sept. 26) while MoDOT crews finish girder work on the new flyover ramp connecting northbound Route 63 to westbound I-70 at the Connector — part of the state’s $405 million Improve I-70 project between Columbia and Kingdom City. Expect delays of up to an hour; southbound 63 traffic can detour via Route 763, northbound via Route 740.
As of this morning, MoDOT also has Route 163 and the outer road near that same interchange closed at several points, along with both ramps connecting I-70 and Route 163 — worth a wide berth if you’re headed into Columbia today.
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