Monday, October 26

Around the Counties

Boone County’s jail overcrowding has a new price tag. Sheriff Dwayne Carey has asked the County Commission for nearly $1.9 million to keep paying other counties to house Boone County’s overflow detainees — about 60 people are currently held in Lincoln County alone, at $85 a day each, or roughly $158,000 a month. Carey told commissioners the office has dealt with overcapacity for years and has no money left in its jail budget for out-of-county housing: “Yeah, broke,” he said. He linked the recent jump in bookings to the Columbia Police Department’s hiring of 24 new officers over the past year. Boone County voters separately decide Prop L, a 3/8-cent sales tax for a new jail, on the Nov. 3 ballot — see our guide to what a yes or no would mean. (KOMU 8)

Some good news out of Ashland. Two 2026 Southern Boone High School graduates, Tyler Fleming and Hunter Skouby, were named national champions at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis — Fleming in agricultural mechanics repair and maintenance, Skouby in equine science. The chapter’s floriculture team placed third in the nation, and its horse evaluation team earned a gold rating. (Columbia Missourian)

Two solar projects are stirring debate in Cooper County. More than 20 people turned out to a county commission Q&A in Pilot Grove over a large solar farm and battery storage project proposed by Renewable Energy Solutions near Crestmead and Mayfield farms, plus a smaller project from Azimuth Renewables south of the I-70 rest area. Commissioners say they want a Chapter 100 agreement to negotiate setbacks, screening and payments before either project moves forward — “it’s the Wild West for the solar company” without one, Presiding Commissioner George Monk said — while residents raised worries about property values, water quality and transparency. (KOMU 8)

Howard County’s 1888 courthouse is getting warmer. Crews began installing new insulation on the main floor this month, with phase one — funded entirely through the county’s remaining ARPA dollars, no local tax money — expected done by mid-November. A pricier phase two, covering the basement and fresh-air intake, has no timeline yet. (Fayette Newspapers)

Happening Soon

Tonight, the Rocheport Winery’s Pasta Night serves Southwest Cajun andouille pasta, 5 p.m. The Fall Colors Tram Tours on the Katy Trail run Wed., Oct. 28–Thu., Oct. 29. And Saturday is the big one: the Rocheport Halloween Party, Sat., Oct. 31, 4 p.m.

Roads & I-70

Mark your calendar for Thursday. Westbound I-70 traffic near Boonville is still set to shift into the new median lanes starting around 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, with the Route 5 and Route 87 ramps closing overnight — see last week’s Rundown for the detour routes. As of this morning, a handful of ramps and outer-road segments near the MO-163/I-70 interchange remain closed as part of the ongoing Boonville-to-Rocheport widening project; check our road conditions page before you head out.