By Justin Willett, Columbia Tribune, September 8, 2009. The Great Barrington, Mass.-based American Institute for Economic Research has ranked Columbia the No. 9 college town in the nation. In its 2009-2010 College Destinations Index, the institute identifies the 75 best places in America to attend college. The institute organizes the nation’s metropolitan statistical areas into four population [Click Here]

September, 2009:  CNBC recently announced America’s Top States for Business in 2009, ranking Missouri 4th in cost of business and 5th in cost of living. In addition, the state ranks 6th in transportation based on the value of goods shipped by air, land and water. Missouri’s overall ranking climbed from 24th in 2008 to 14th [Click Here]

Sept. 4, 2009:  This fall, Scholastic Inc., the global children’s publishing, education and media company, will open a studentstaffed, seasonal call center at Lincoln University. The temporary center, which will handle orders for Scholastic Book Clubs during this peak demand period, will be Scholastic’s first call center located on a college campus, and will continue [Click Here]

Come be a part of “Business and Industry in a Giving community” at the BIG Expo sponsored by the Chamber on Thursday, October 8, at the Firley YMCA. There are still a few booths available at the business to business trade show that features over 175 booths of products and services on display. “It’s Jefferson [Click Here]

 The Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the Regional Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) are pleased to announce the keynote for the annual Economic Outlook Conference, presented by Williams-Keepers LLC. Brakke Consulting is the leading management consulting firm serving companies in animal health and nutrition, pet care and veterinary services. We are pleased to welcome President Ron [Click Here]

By Angie Hutschreider, Jefferson City Tribune, September 6, 2009     Spectators and cycling enthusiasts will line Jefferson City downtown streets on Thursday to witness the fourth-stage finish of the Tour of Missouri. For those who aren’t interested in cycling, there will be plenty of other events on Wednesday and Thursday, including entertainment, a local celebrity bike race [Click Here]

Sept. 4, 2009, KOMU-TV, JoBeth Davis. LAKE OF THE OZARKS - Despite the recession, businesses at the Lake of the Ozarks said their books show little to no change. You couldn’t tell the economy was in a slump by standing outside of the Osage Beach Premium Outlets on a rainy day. People were donning boots and umbrellas and [Click Here]

Sept. 4, 2009 Columbia Business Times: Mike Brooks, the city’s new economic development director, and Mike Downing, director of Connecting Our Regional Economy, or CORE, told forum participants that the city needs to nurture homegrown businesses because their health is critical for economic growth. “In most communities, 80 percent of your new jobs will come from existing [Click Here]

August 31, 2009, By DON NORFLEET, Fulton Sun: This year the city of Fulton is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the city’s incorporation. A local business, the Ovid Bell Press, traces its roots deep into the city’s history.John Peter Bell owned the Fulton Telegraph newspaper when his son Ovid Bell decided to go into politics. The [Click Here]

  By Janese Heavin, Columbia Tribune, Aug. 24, 2009 Meet Casandra Petty. The University of Missouri senior might be your doctor some day.  “I like to help people; I know that’s kinda cliché,” Petty said. “I wouldn’t even care if I got paid for it.”  Before she can go to medical school to fulfill her career goal, [Click Here]