Briefly in the News: November

Trade Show

The Central Missouri Events Center north of Columbia will host the 21st National Small Farm Trade Show and Conference, the largest annual show of its type in the United States. The conference’s keynote speaker will be veterinarian and columnist Dr. Robert L. Kinkhead.

Retirement Woes

The vast majority of American workers are not contributing enough to their retirement funds, according to a new study by MU personal finance professor Rui Yao. Yao found that in 2010, more than 90 percent of working Americans ages 21 to 70 contributed less than 20 percent of the IRS-defined maximum for retirement contributions. This is a uptick from previous years; in 2004, just 43 percent contributed less than one-fifth of the IRS maximum, while in 2007, that figure grew to 51 percent. Although the decline in savings can be tied to the nationwide recession that began in 2008, Yao says the trend of saving less during tough economic times is counterproductive.

75 Years

CLEAN, a St. Louis-based industrial laundry and cleaning company with locations in Columbia, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Morris Lazaroff began the company in 1938 and handed it off to his sons in 1969. Now CLEAN is in its third generation of family leadership and has 11 locations across four states.

Best in the U.S.

Westminster College in Fulton has been named one of the best colleges in the country for military service and veteran students by Victory Media, a media entity focusing on service members’ transition to civilian life. Westminster was one of only 1,800 schools in the country to receive the organization’s Military Friendly School designation. This is the fifth consecutive year that Westminster has made the list.

New Director for UM Press

The University of Missouri Press, which drew nationwide attention when it was closed and subsequently reopened in the fall of 2012, has a new director. David Rosenbaum, previously the director of product development and project management for the American Heart Association, will take control of the press effective Nov. 1. Rosenbaum brings with him 15 years of experience in publishing and is a published author of three books. “We all know that scholarly communication is in a state of extreme volatility, changing at every level,” Provost David Foster says. “David brings to Mizzou a very aggressive, out-of-the-box perspective that will be very important in making the press successful in the current publishing environment. He has some compelling ideas of how to create a more visible presence for the press in the world of scholarly publishing.”

Vet Med

The MU College of Veterinary Medicine received renewed accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education, the accrediting body for all DV M programs in the United States and Canada are expected to stay that way for at least another two years.

Free Flu Shots

Columbia/BooneCounty Public Health and Human Services is offering free flu vaccinations for children from 6 months to 18 years old. The vaccine is available at Public Health and Human Services’ clinic, located at 1005 W. Worley St.; no appointment is necessary.

Retiring

Jackie Jones, University of Missouri vice chancellor of administrative services, will retire at the end of the calendar year, according to a press release from the MU News Bureau. Jones has spent the past 12 years in her current position and 34 years total as a university employee. In the community, Jones also serves on the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the board of directors of REDI .

Virtual Assistance

Landmark Bank’s Stadium Boulevard branch just got an upgrade. In October, the branch unveiled the first “video teller” machine in the state. The video teller sits in the drive-thru area and looks similar to an AT M at first glance. However, the video teller requires no AT M card and instead connects customers to a teller at a central location who can assist him or her, even outside of normal bank hours.

Top Notch

Visionworks Marketing Group received two American Graphic Design Awards for its work with clients in the mid-Missouri area. The awards, given out by the industry magazine Graphic Design USA, spotlighted work Visionworks did for Central Methodist University and Fayettebased dentist Jessica L. Quint.

Up-And-Coming

Matt Kitzi, a partner at Jefferson City-based law firm Armstrong Teasdale, has been named one of the state’s up-and-coming lawyers by the magazine Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Kitzi was selected from a group of 180 nominees based on his career to date and his public service accomplishments, which include a seven-year term as Missouri

Prepping for the Peace Corps

MU announced it will introduce a new program designed to prepare students for entry into the Peace Corps starting early next year. The Peace Crops Prep Program will be only the eighth of its kind in the country, and MU will be the largest university in the country to offer such a program. There are about 35 MU alumni serving in the Peace Corps at present. “This is a great celebration for Mizzou,” MU Chancellor Brady Deaton, who served in Peace Corps from 1962 to 1964, says. “The Peace Corps gives us the opportunity to learn about the world in a new way. It allows us to see ourselves and our nation in a new way.”