KFRU Business Spotlight

KFRU Business Spotlight -- February 21st & 22nd, 2026. This week, Paul Eisenstein, the director of the City of Columbia Office of Economic Development department and the President of Regional Economic Development, Inc brings us up-to-date on what's happening.  From working with businesses that may be looking to move their job producing activities here, to helping local businesses grow and expand here, to help in supporting...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- February 14th & 15th, 2026.  Nick Foster, the 4th Ward City Councilman and Don Waterman, the 5th Ward City Councilman, joins me this week to talk electric transmission line construction.  The Columbia City Council met in a work session to hear a proposal from the Utilities Department to get a long paused project underway.  There are two routes being discussed, but the Water & Light ...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- February 7th & 8th, 2026.  Columbia Fire Department Chief Brian Schaeffer joins us this week to talk about the latest at CFD.  Recently, a new recruit class of 13 graduated. Some moved on to their EMT training while the rest moved into their new assignments across the city.  Chief Schaeffer also explained a recent change in policy and procedure -- passed by the City council at their las...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- 1/31 & 2/1, 2026.  This week Chief Jill Schlude from the Columbia Police Department joins us to talk about numerous topics.  First, Jill tells us it's been an active start to 2026 with a gun fired inside Dick's Sporting Goods, a murder as a Facebook Marketplace deal went bad over a used cell phone, and other shots fired calls this past week. We also talk about the fact that suspects in these...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- January 24th & 25th, 2026.  Chip Jones, PE, the Executive Vice-President for Operations for Emery Sapp and Sons, joins us to talk about the I-70 Improvement project from Rocheport to Columbia that was recently awarded.to ESS. This is a 13 mile stretch of Highway 70 from the Missouri River Bridge at Rocheport to just about US Route 63 in Columbia  It's also one of the highest volume sections ...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- January 17th & 18th, 2026.  Brian Toohey, the CEO of the Columbia Board of Realtors joins us.  We take a look back on the best things and the worst things about 2025.  We also look ahead to 2026 and what to expect in terms of housing prices, interest rates and more.  Also, Brian tells us that the name of his organization will change in the next few months to more realistically refl...

KFRU Business Spotlight -- January 10th & 11th, 2026. This week Ted Farnen joins to talk about a variety of things including his latest journalistic foray into being a columnist for the Columbia Missourian.  He talks about his second piece that covered the "median" laws that the Columbia City Council brought forward, then tabled recently.  We also get into the upcoming local election for Columbia City Council and Colu...

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...