Columbia Woman Named 2023 Woman of Purpose 

Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI), an international nonprofit organization of women leaders who work together to achieve excellence in the fields of food, beverage, and hospitality, announced Nina Mukerjee Furstenau as the winner of the 2023 Women of Purpose Award presented in partnership with YETI.

The organization bestows the Women of Purpose Award biannually to a member of LDEI who has made a positive impact in a local or global community, incorporating the important and complex realms of global sustainability, food justice, and public health. Furstenau is a journalist, author, and editor of the Foodstory book series for the University of Iowa Press. She is the author of multiple books, including Biting Through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in America’s Heartland, which won the MFK Fisher Book Award.

OATS Transit Mid-Mo Region Announces Change to Fares and Fare Collecting System

OATS Transit’s Mid-Mo Region Office in Columbia announced that it stopped accepting cash payments on their buses effective July 1. The areas affected by the change include Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Gasconade, Howard, Laclede, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, and Pulaski counties in Missouri.

As of July 2023, Mid-Mo Region drivers no longer handle cash payments from riders. Instead, riders can add funds to their account in advance, and fares will be withdrawn each time a rider boards the bus. Riders can call 888-875-6287 to add funds to their account, which requires a minimum of $10 each time. Riders can also send personal checks, money orders, or a cashier’s check by mail prior to riding the bus.

Additionally, fares for all general public riders will be standardized at $2 per one-way ride regardless of origin or destination. The change is necessary to ensure faster loading times, safety of drivers, and convenience for OATS riders. Rider fares help maintain current levels of service and directly impact the company’s operating budget.

Columbia College Secures 10-Year Renewal of its Accreditation from Higher Learning Commission

Columbia College recently earned a 10-year renewal of its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, with its next reaffirmation scheduled for 2032-33. A team of HLC peer reviewers visited the college this past spring for a comprehensive evaluation that included private sessions with faculty, staff, and community members.

The commission is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

“The high marks given to Columbia College by our accrediting agency serve to affirm the quality of our academic programs and the excellent support services we provide to our students,” said Columbia College President Dr. David Russell. The college met all five of HLC’s criteria for accreditation without concern. The criteria include mission; integrity — ethical and responsible conduct; teaching and learning — quality, resources, and support;  teaching and learning — evaluation and improvement; and institutional effectiveness, resources, and planning.

National Baking Champion and 2nd Place Culinary Arts SkillsUSA from Columbia Area Career Center

Theodora (Dora) Grafakos, a 2023 Rock Bridge High School graduate, placed first in the SkillsUSA Baking and Pastry Arts national competition for high school students. She trained through the Columbia Area Career Center’s Culinary Arts Program.

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Brown, a 2023 Rock Bridge High School graduate, placed second in the SkillsUSA Culinary Arts national competition. Grafakos is the second student from CACC to win the SkillsUSA National Baking Competition.

SkillsUSA is a United States career and technical student organization serving more than 395,000 high school, college, and middle school students and professional members enrolled in training programs in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations, including health occupations. More than 6,500 students in 110 contests from most of the 50 states, as well as Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico participated in the 2023 national convention in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Boone Health Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Quality Care for Heart Attacks

Boone Health has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® NSTEMI Gold achievement award for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). It also received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center Gold recognition for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a type of heart attack known to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks.

Mission: Lifeline is the American Heart Association’s national initiative to advance the system of care for patients with high-risk, time-sensitive disease states, such as heart attacks. The program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks — starting from when 911 is called, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. The Mission: Lifeline achievement award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for heart attack care as outlined by the American Heart Association. CBT