Downtown’s historic Katy Station, which ended its more than a half century of railroad use in 1975, has housed several businesses and restaurants in the last 50 years. The home of Shiloh Bar and Grill is now for sale, and reports indicate that a prospective buyer may raze the building for redevelopment.
Not surprisingly, social media murmurings have helped give rise to a grassroots effort to save the structure, citing the former Katy Station as “too important to lose.”
Readers can follow the story and any developments by following the Facebook page “Save the Katy Station.”
From a recent Facebook post … The goal is simple: save the original 1909 Katy Station in a realistic and achievable way while fully respecting the rights of the current property owners and the commercial goals of any future developer. This isn’t about stopping development—it is about finding a solution that allows development to move forward while preserving an important piece of Columbia’s history.
COG Opens Pain Center
Columbia Orthopaedic Group’s new Pain Management Center officially opened with a ribbon cutting and remarks from COG officials on Wednesday, September 9.
The Pain Center, part of the COG complex at 1 S. Keene St., is a roughly 6,000-square-foot addition with four procedure rooms performing 50 to 75 procedures daily, with the capacity to handle 100 to 150 procedures a day. Dr. Brian Kleiber, president of the Surgical Center at COG, said the center anticipates 7,000 total procedures this year and more than 10,000 next year.
Coil Construction was the general contractor for the project.
COU Director is Familiar Face
The city of Columbia has named Michael Parks as the first director of the city’s recently formed airport department. He assumed the role effective Aug. 30. Parks has worked for Columbia for 26 years, including nine years as airport manager. Under Parks’ leadership, Columbia Regional Airport has experienced significant growth, according to a news release. The airport set a record with 242,167 passengers in 2025, a 17 percent increase over the previous year. That momentum has continued in 2026, the release stated, noting that in July, COU recorded a record 21,826 departing passengers, more than double the 9,709 recorded in July 2025.
The airport also has added and expanded air service. United Airlines returned with daily nonstop service to Chicago O’Hare and Denver, while American Airlines launched daily nonstop service to Charlotte. Allegiant added nonstop service to Orlando/Sanford and Destin-Fort Walton Beach, with service to St. Pete-Clearwater scheduled to begin November 19.
AI Biz Breakfast Outgrows Space
AI Business Breakfast event organizers have announced that the bi-weekly meeting has officially moved to a larger space, having outgrown REDI’s training room. After 10 meetings, it has permanently moved to the larger REDI Innovation Hub at 500 E. Walnut St.
“AI Business Breakfast continues to grow in popularity because of its focus on providing practical information that can be used right away,” co-founder Sean Spence said in a news release on Tuesday, September 15. “At every breakfast, local businesses, nonprofits, and governmental bodies leave with practical information to help them use AI to function better and more cost effectively.”
AI Business Breakfast meets every first and third Wednesday, 7:30-8:30 AM, in the REDI Innovation Hub. It is hosted by REDI and sponsored by Open and Honest, offering practical AI solutions designed for nonprofits, community organizations, and local businesses.
“It’s been an honor – and genuinely a lot of fun – for Dan and me to bring Open and Honest’s mission to life through the AI Business Breakfasts,” Open and Honest’s Kate Stull said, referencing partner Dan Hlavac. “What started as an opportunity to make AI more approachable has begun to grow into a community of curious, enthusiastic and forward-thinking people who want to learn from one another and explore what AI can actually mean for their organizations. We’re incredibly grateful to REDI for giving us the space to build those connections.”
Each session delivers practical, do-it-now guidance on using AI technology. Meetings are recorded, and an AI-generated memo is published afterward so those who cannot attend in person still receive the value. More information, past programs, and downloadable resources are available at AIBusinessBreakfast.com.
