Did anyone else fall for the “breaking news” Facebook page that recently announced the Trader Joe’s coming to Columbia was going to be the company’s first “Super” store? Before we could tell our readers about the cool development, the page was exposed as a fake or parody page. A lot of us (almost) fell for it, yet another example of how so many are prone to believe social media as gospel while traditional, dare I say “mainstream” news sources, are met with disdain and suspicion.  

One grant is back, another grant is gone.  

As the April issue of COMO Business Times was coming off the press, the Business Loop Community Improvement District (CID) received word that the $2.13 million Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant from the feds was back. Our April issue announced the news that the grant had been halted.  

Such is the speed and shifting nature of news in the cycle of dizzying federal budget cuts and executive orders that are keeping a lot of government agencies and nonprofits on edge.  

For instance, the Environmental Protection Agency has pulled the plug on a $500,000 grant that had been awarded to Columbia nonprofit Local Motion for creating a multi-year transit master plan for the city. In EPA’s March 28 notice to Local Motion, the agency cited “shifting priorities under the current administration” as the reason for the decision.  

Though the funding loss is a significant setback, Local Motion’s community engagement director Rikki Ascani said in a news release that efforts will continue to make Columbia a more livable city with reliable public transportation.  

City of Refuge is expanding its services to include refugee resettlement through a new partnership with the Missouri Office of Refugee Resettlement. Catholic Charities previously handled resettlement services in the region but ceased operations due to a loss of federal funding.  

City of Refuge intends now to rely on private, individual donations to fill the funding gap as it adds refugee resettlement to its range of services.  

Federal budget cuts also came down on the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services to the tune of $804,000 for four grants that funded public health initiatives — including the Health on Wheels mobile outreach van — and COVID-19 resources. A health department spokesperson at the health department said the department is still unsure of what impact the cuts will have, and that it is trying to avoid staff cuts.  

The terminated funding came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and was dispersed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Lisa Cox, communications director at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said her department was notified March 25 that $255 million of funding streams were canceled effective the previous night.  

EquipmentShare Marks 10-year Anniversary  

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe was among the dignitaries on hand April 10 for EquipmentShare’s tenth-anniversary celebration and a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of its new Technology Development Center in Columbia. The expansion was supported by Chapter 100 bonds which allowed the Boone County Commission to provide a period property tax abatement in return for creating hundreds of new jobs.  

EquipmentShare’s corporate campus once was one building of 50,000 square feet. That footprint has grown to 35 acres with multiple buildings, including the TDC, totaling roughly 500,000 square feet among all facilities. EquipmentShare is a provider of construction equipment, along with a hardware and software system used for tracking equipment.   

Quick Hits  

PFSbrands has completed its acquisition of the Moser’s Foods grocery chain, which will transition the business to an employee-owned model. Moser’s operates eight locations in Missouri, including three in Columbia. A purchase price was not disclosed.  

The merger of River Region Credit Union and Missouri Credit Union has been legally approved by the NCUA and Missouri Credit Union members as of April 1. River Region Credit Union and Missouri Credit Union plan to have all systems and services combined by November 1, 2025.  

Columbia College announced record results from its seventh annual Giving Day event in support of students nationwide, raising $436,985 from nearly 300 donors. The amount raised surpasses last year’s total by more than 40 percent. The funds raised through Giving Day 2025 will augment a variety of initiatives across the college, with a focus on scholarships, faculty development, and technological enhancements. 

Street Talk is a monthly overview of “word on the street” business and community news. Street Talk is sponsored by The Bank of Missouri.