Around the Counties
Four Battle High School students got a hero’s welcome at this year’s Operation Sgt. Rosie’s Life Jackets for Vets and Pets, held Sunday at [Coopers Landing](https://rocheporttimes.com/directory/coopers-landing/). Peyton Maupin, Jayden Howard, Elijah Tucker, and Daxton Hanson were honored for waking neighbors and calling 911 during an overnight wildfire on Tara Lane in Columbia last month. The sixth annual event, put on by the U.S. Exercise Tiger Foundation, also handed out free life jackets to veterans and their dogs — part of a running goal to give away 749 vests, a number tied to the WWII tragedy the foundation is named for. ([KOMU 8](https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/high-school-students-recognized-at-life-jacket-drive-for-veterans-k-9s/article_a9050244-2fdb-4ace-8ef0-7cf39fd3e061.html))
Happening Soon
It’s a good week to get out. [Katy’s Fork in the Trail](https://rocheporttimes.com/directory/katys-fork-in-the-trail/) hosts [Locals Night](https://rocheporttimes.com/event/locals-night-5/) Thursday, 4–7 p.m. — the week’s dinner menu announced by the cafe, neighbors welcome. Then it’s music at the Rocheport Winery at Mount Nebo Inn: [Joe Devoy on piano](https://rocheporttimes.com/event/joe-devoy-on-piano/) Friday night, and [West Wingate and Friends](https://rocheporttimes.com/event/west-wingate-and-friends/) Saturday, both 7–10 p.m.
Outdoors & River
The Missouri River gauge at Boonville read 6.75 feet this morning, still falling, well below flood stage. Expect a mild, mostly clear day — high near 70 with a light north breeze, a nice break from recent humidity.
Roads & I-70
Heads up if you’re headed into Columbia: every ramp at the Providence Road (MO-163) interchange with I-70 is now closed for bridge construction, part of MoDOT’s Improve I-70 work — they’re not expected to reopen until late October.
That’s one piece of a busy week for road crews across the three counties. In Boone County, watch for one-lane closures on Routes J and O near I-70’s Exit 117 (through November) and on Route 124 between U.S. 63 and Missouri 240. Howard County has pavement repairs on Routes 129 and T into midweek. In Cooper County, Route 135 stays down to one lane between I-70 and Route JJ into October. ([MoDOT](https://www.modot.org/rss.xml), [KOMU 8](https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/roadwork-that-may-affect-your-commute-in-mid-missouri-this-week/article_e8615f11-c8e8-4d30-b800-18cc90e8fbee.html))
And with Columbia Public Schools opening back up August 25, the Missouri Highway Patrol is asking drivers to slow down and watch for buses — the state logged 834 school-bus-related crashes in 2024, seven of them fatal. Troopers’ advice: leave a few minutes early, ease off in rural stretches where a bus can be hidden by a hill or curve, and always stop when those lights start flashing. ([ABC 17 News](https://abc17news.com/news/2026/08/16/highway-patrol-urges-caution-as-students-return-to-missouri-roads/))