Columbia Regional Airport (COU) manager Michael Parks remains optimistic about twice-daily service between COU and Charlotte. Mr. Parks and Columbia Regional Economic Development Incorporated (REDI) vice president Bernie Andrews joined host Fred Parry in-studio Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable." Mr. Parks tells listeners that the grant from the U-S Department of Transportation is still active. He's also excited about the recent opening of the Tailwinds market in COU's $23-million new terminal. The market is aimed at providing travelers with upgraded food and beverage choices when they fly out of Columbia. Mr. Parks also tells listeners that COU has a great relationship with Fort Worth-based American Airlines. He says American recently invited him and others from COU to their massive campus headquarters in Fort Worth. Mr. Parks says American is working to lower airline ticket prices in Columbia to make them more comparable to St. Louis Lambert. Mr. Parry and Mr. Andrews also discussed Friday's upcoming National Manufacturing Day and the importance of manufacturing in Columbia/Boone County. Mr. Andrews tells listeners that Boone County has about 5,000 manufacturing jobs, which is about five percent of the local workforce. He says that's up about 1,500 from a decade ago. Mr. Andrews tells listeners that the average wage for those jobs is about $60,800:

Hickman and University of Missouri School of Journalism graduate Tanya Heath is running for Columbia mayor a second time. Ms. Heath ran unsuccessfully in 2022 and will challenge Mayor Barbara Buffaloe in April. Ms. Heath joined us live on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri", telling listeners that Columbia needs to get back to the basics. Her three main campaign platforms are reducing crime, increasing economic opportunity and financial transparency. Ms. Heath tells listeners that residents she speaks to in Columbia don't feel as safe as they did five years ago. 939 the Eagle's Brian Hauswirth asked Heath about Friday afternoon's attempted robbery inside a Columbia restaurant on Conley, where the suspect also allegedly took a hostage and was tased by police. She's calling for CPD to be fully staffed. Ms. Heath is also concerned about the median home price in Columbia, telling listeners that the average schoolteacher, nurse and police officer can't afford the $351,000 median home price in Boone County. She also wants to see more sidewalks:

Missouri's November general election is six weeks from today, and Boone County clerk Brianna Lennon is predicting a 70 percent voter turnout in November. She joined us live on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri", telling listeners that her office is in the process of posting the sample ballot on the clerk's website. She encourages you to be prepared when you walk into the voting booth, saying the lengthy ballot is fully two sides. Clerk Lennon tells listeners that a normal ballot is 14 inches long, but November's ballot is 17 inches long. She also says it's the first time in about a decade that the clerk's office has had to order longer ballot paper. Absentee voting for November began this morning at the Roger Wilson Boone County Government Center, and Clerk Lennon says sample ballots will be mailed and e-mailed to you during the first week of October. She's also recruiting election judges for November:

Missouri's November general election is six weeks from tomorrow. "Missouri Times" publisher Scott Faughn joined us live on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri", telling listeners that the August primaries have been more exciting than the November election cycle thus far. While Mr. Faughn believes U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R) will be re-elected in November, he says Democratic challenger Lucas Kunce has made it a race. As for Missouri's gubernatorial race, Faughn expects GOP nominee Mike Kehoe (R), Missouri's lieutenant governor, to beat Democratic nominee Crystal Quade, the Missouri House Minority Leader from Springfield. During the show, Faughn discussed possible Cabinets for both gubernatorial candidates. He describes Leader Quade as a competent legislator who could do the job as governor but says she is still a longshot to win. But he says Leader Quade has positioned herself as a real alternative and that has helped her. As for Lt. Governor Kehoe, Mr. Faughn predicts that if Kehoe wins, he will pick Cabinet members who served with him in the Missouri Senate and people he knows from business. Faughn predicts Lt. Governor Kehoe would run Missouri like a business. Mr. Faughn also says there are many people who will be interested in the state Department of Agriculture (MDA) director's post, if Mr. Kehoe wins:

Columbia-based Socket Internet is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Socket was founded in 1994 and moved its headquarters to its "new" location on Columbia's Clark Lane in 2007. Socket’s network operations center operates an extensive network throughout Missouri, featuring redundant connections to the internet from both Kansas City and St. Louis. Socket serves hundreds of cities, including Columbia, Jefferson City, Ashland and many small towns like Moberly, Boonville, Sturgeon, Centralia and Sedalia. Socket president and co-owner Carson Coffman joined host Fred Parry in-studio Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable." Mr. Coffman grew up in north Missouri's Callao, a farming community in Macon County. He graduated with Mizzou with a degree in civil engineering and was working 80-hour workweeks before he joined Socket part-time. He eventually went full-time and is now Socket's president and co-owner. Mr. Coffman tells listeners that the biggest challenge Socket faces is access to capital. Socket's home service offers television, phone and internet. Mr. Coffman says only about 50 percent of residents in Boone County have a sufficient level of high-speed internet. He also says 60 to 70 percent of customers get Socket's one-gig service. Mr. Coffman emphasizes the importance of serving everyone, including rural farming communities:

Democrats and Republicans on the Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee criticized the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) during a hearing this week in Jefferson City. Major delays in childcare payments are impacting daycares and Missouri families across the state. State Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch (R-Hallsville) serves on the committee. She joined us live on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri," telling listeners that the call center is a disaster and that Missourians are on hold for hours and that even if you reach a human, they can't help you. She says the agency has the funding and is demanding that the situation is rectified. She is calling on DESE to have some personnel work seven days a week until the issue is resolved. She says they have the funding to do it:

Missouri's annual veto session was fairly short Wednesday at the Statehouse in Jefferson City. Both chambers have GOP supermajorities, and they did not override any of Governor Mike Parson's (R) vetoes. State Rep. Dave Griffith (R-Jefferson City) joined us live on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri", telling listeners that one of the big highlights from Wednesday's veto session was farewell speeches from lawmakers who are term-limited, have lost primaries or are retiring. Chairman Griffith tells listeners that State Rep. Mike Haffner (R-Pleasant Hill) delivered a powerful House floor speech about September 11, 2001. Rep. Haffner was a U.S. Navy pilot who flew over New York patrolling the skies. Griffith says it was a powerful speech, adding that several lawmakers cried. Rep. Griffith praises three other Missouri lawmakers who are leaving: State Reps. Deb Lavender (D-Manchester), Kevin Windham (D-Hillsdale) and Travis Smith (R-Dora). Griffith admires Representative Lavender's passion for nursing home funding, and thanks Rep. Windham for all of his bipartisan help in obtaining funding for Jefferson City's Lincoln University. Griffith tells listeners that Windham was instrumental in that. Griffith also praises outgoing State Rep. Travis Smith (R-Dora) for bring the hazing issue to the forefront on the House floor:

You’ll be heading to the polls in November in Missouri to cast ballots on Amendment 3, which would essentially enshrine abortion in the Missouri Constitution. The Missouri Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday morning in Jefferson City, before issuing a one-page ruling hours later. The Missouri Supreme Court has reversed Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh’s decision. Judge Limbaugh ruled Friday that the November abortion ballot measure didn’t comply with state initiative petition requirements. The Missouri Supreme Court, by a majority vote, has ordered Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to certify “to local election authorities that Amendment 3 be placed on the November 5, 2024 general election ballot and shall take all steps necessary to ensure that it is on said ballot.” The Missouri Supreme Court said its decision was by a majority vote, but it’s unclear what the vote was. The state Supreme Court has seven members. Columbia attorney Jesus Osete, who is running for judge in the circuit that covers Boone and Callaway counties, joined us live on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri" to explain the ruling. Counselor Osete, a Republican, tells listeners that the Missouri Supreme Court had four options. Counselor Osete is encouraging listeners to trust the courts and to read the ruling. He also says it's possible that Missourians could be voting on the measure again down the line, citing the Amendment Four ballot issue in Kansas City involving KCPD funding:

The Columbia Police Officers Association (CPOA) is warning about what they describe as rampant lawlessness and rampant violence in the city. We saw two high-profile crimes on Sunday and Monday. Missouri's Probation and Parole Board is expected to revoke the parole of the suspect who allegedly led numerous law enforcement officers on Monday morning’s high-speed pursuit across Columbia and Boone County. The pursuit ended when the suspect crashed into a Boone County Sheriff’s vehicle near Memorial Stadium. The deputy was not injured. 46-year-old Rickey Ross Deford of mid-Missouri’s Huntsville is a parolee with a lengthy criminal record. And a weekend Columbia shooting suspect remains jailed without bond this morning, after being charged with three felonies. Boone County prosecutors have charged 21-year-old Kadean Cunningham with first degree assault, armed criminal action and domestic assault for the shooting that happened on Jacobs place, near Highway 63 and Broadway. Columbia Police say the victim suffered non-life threatening injuries. Court documents allege that Cunningham pistol-whipped the male victim and also shot him in the thigh. Cunningham is also accused of head-butting a woman and choking her, causing the victim to vomit. CPOA executive director Matt Nichols joined us live on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri", telling listeners that enough is enough. He says criminals aren't afraid of the police anymore. Nichols also says the CPOA is looking for a pro-law enforcement candidate to challenge Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe in April:

The Missouri Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Tuesday in Jefferson City in a high-profile case that ultimately will decide whether or not you will be voting on an abortion measure in November. Abortion rights supporters are appealing Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh’s ruling on Friday that a November abortion ballot measure didn’t comply with state initiative petition requirements. The “Missouri Independent” reports that potentially means Amendment three won’t be on your November ballot. The “Independent” says Judge Limbaugh ruled that the coalition behind Amendment three failed to meet a sufficiency requirement “through a failure to include any statute or provision that will be repealed, especially when many of these statutes are apparent.” Judge Limbaugh’s ruling says he found a blatant violation of Missouri state law. The group called "Missourians for Constitutional Freedom”, which backs the November ballot measure, tells the newspaper that they’ll appeal. "Missouri Times" publisher Scott Faughn joined us live this morning on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri", and praises Judge Limbaugh for giving time to appeal. Mr. Faughn tells listeners that the Missouri Supreme Court has three options tomorrow: they can affirm Judge Limbaugh's ruling, they can overturn it or they can do nothing, which would leave Judge Limbaugh's ruling intact. Scott also previewed tonight's "Missouri Times" event in Jefferson City recognizing House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson (R-Lee's Summit) and the 30 under 30 event. Mr. Faughn tells listeners that all proceeds will benefit the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center in Jefferson City: