KFRU Business Spotlight

KFRU Business Spotlight -- January 3rd & 4th, 2026.  Happy New Year!!!  This week we talk with Nick Knoth and David Lile.  Nick is the owner and editor and producer of COMO Vanguard, a new subscription information service that covers the Columbia City Council meetings, along with some special reports on council news and the planning and zoning commission. COMO Vanguard will take the "next" step in their coverage ...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- December 27th & 28th, 2025.  Kip Kendrick, the Presiding Commissioner of Boone County joins us.  We look back at the most positive things, according to Kip, for 2025.  We talk 9-1-1 Center's radio upgrade for the entire county, the Sheriff's Regional Training Center, the start of the construction of the Daycare Center for Joint Communications and First Responders and the Senior Tax Free...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- December 20th & 21st, 2025.  Mayor Barbara Buffaloe joins us this week for out annual "Year-End" conversation.  We start with a recent highlight for 2025 as American Airlines will soon begin offering flights out of Columbia Reginal Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina.  This long sought after route will begin in June 2026.  The Mayor gives us her top five positives for 2025, which ...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- December 13th & 14th, 2025. Lily White Boyd, Interim COE/President of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce joins us this week.  We talk bout the transition happening at the Chamber as the search for a permanent President/CEO in underway after Matt McCormick left to move to Florida to lead the Ocala Chamber.  Lily still has her job as Vice President of External Affairs and the interim position ad...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- December 6th & 7th, 2025.  Dave Baugher and John Ott  join me this week for a look back at a significant period in the life of KFRU as it celebrates its 100th birthday in 2025.  Dave Baugher was the President and John Ott the Vice-President of Premier Marketing Group, the operators of KFRU, and eventually six other stations, in the Columbia-Jefferson City market.  We talk about the...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- November 29th & 30th, 2025.  We talk this week with Damien Dean, the Executive Director of United Community Builders. Damien tells about the latest project underway as they complete the construction of the Beacon of Light Center on Towne Drive in Columbia.  UCB gives low income kids from around the city a place to learn and grow and develop great skills to be a good citizen of their communit...

KFRU Business Business Spotlight -- November 22nd & 23rd, 20.  We talk with Brian Schaeffer, the Fire Chief, Columbia Fire Department.  The Chief reviews the technical rescue of a 12-yer-old boy from the Columbia stormwater system.  The story is fascinating, but scary, along with incredible because it ended in a positive way.  It also a story of cooperation among various departments of the City of Columbia i...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- November 15th & 16th, 2025. Matt Stephens, Deputy Chief of the Columbia Police Department, joins us this week for an update on CPD.  We talk about the policies and practices being discussed since an incident on Homecoming weekend caused the spotlight to be shone on violent crime in downtown Columbia.  There have been many discussions and some changes have been made.  CPD has continued p...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- November 8-9-2025.  Ken Rice, former candidate for Ward 2 Columbia City Council and Columbia School Board, joins me to talk about the latest budget for the city, his participation in alternative version of the downtown walk the same night Dr. Mun Choi walked after bringing forward his concerns about homeless, panhandling and violence in downtown and university campus area. He's been a participant the...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- October 18th & 19th, 2025.  Dr. Richard Barohn, the Executive Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs and the Hugh E. and Sarah D. Stephenson Dean, MU School of Medicine and Dr. Ross Zafonte, Executive Vice Dean, MY School of Medicine, join us to talk about expansion of the number of students per year for MU School of Medicine, research activity at the School of Medicine, MU Healthcare, MU Children's ...

KFRU Business Spotlight - October 11th and 12th, 2025.  Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe joins us to talk about the conversations going on in Columbia on public safety, violence and homelessness in Columbia.  Buffaloe talked about meetings that have happened so far with Dr. Mun Choi from MU and other leaders in both city and county government.  She talks about her decision to not put together a task fore to focus on t...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- October 4th and 5th, 2025.  Dr. Mun Choi, the President of the University of Missouri System and the Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia, joins us to talk about a conversation on public safety he has spearheaded with City, County and University officials, based on the reality of crime in the downtown and campus area that has affected students and staff of MU for many years. He started w...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- September 26th and 27th, 2025.  Matt McCormick joins us to review a very busy and active Columbia Chamber of Commerce calendar.  Top news: Matt has tendered his resignation, effective October 31st and will be moving to Ocala, Florida to lead the Chamber and Economic Development there.  Matt talks about the benefits of United Airlines coming back to Columbia Regional Airport and previews the...

KFRU Business Spotlight - August 30th & 31st, 2025.  Ken RIce joins us this week to talk Columbia City Council.  Ken ran for the 2nd Ward City Council seat earlier in August, but lost in a close vote to Vera Elwood.  Rice joins us to talk about his experience in the election process.  He talks about the many things he was able to learn about how the city does business, how the city builds the annual budget a...

KFRU Business Spotlight - September 13th and 14th, 2025.  Don Waterman, Columbia City Councilman representing the fifth ward joins us to talk about the 2026 fiscal year budget.  After months of input on the budget, the Columbia City Council is required to pass the budget for the new fiscal year starting October 1st, 2025.  Most preliminary budget items, including some changes to electric and water rates or billing st...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- August 23rd - 24th, 2025. Bridgid Kinney, the Head of School for Columbia Independent School and Bill Kinney, one of the owners of Trail Stop Brewery talk about a new Pickleball Fundraiser coming up in September. Roar & Rally, a pickleball tournament benefitting Columbia Independent School will be held at Trail Stop Brewery on Friday, September 12th. Bridgid and Bill give us all the details. We also g...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- August 16th and August 17th, 2025.  Mat Gass joins us to talk about the grand opening of the Burrell Behavioral Health Intensive Residential Treatment Service Center.  This is a new center - in the former Rainbow House property - that will house folks from six months to two years as they work through mental health issues and transition into more permanent housing and work situations.  Gass ...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- August 9th and 10th, 2025.  Nick Knoth joins us for this week's show to talk about the August 5th special election to fill Lisa Meyer's council seat after her resignation due to her health.  Vera Elwood won the election over Ken Rice and we dig into the election numbers.  Nick, the author of the COMO Vanguard which covers the Columbia City Council, and a former city council person, gives us...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- August 2nd and 3rd, 2025.  Chief Brian Schaeffer joins us this week to talk about the Columbia, MO Fire Department .  We talk about the upcoming city budget conversations and what the CFD will be requesting for the upcoming fiscal year.  We also talk about current staffing and the Chief's proposed staffing wishes that would lead to a shorter calls time city-wide and a higher fire rating for...