Month: December 2025

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A local substance use prevention group is asking the City of Columbia to reject extended alcohol service hours during next year’s FIFA World Cup.

The City’s Substance Use Prevention Advisory Commission warns that nearly 24-hour alcohol sales could strain service industry workers and first responders, while also posing risks to public safety. On August 28, the state approved a temporary extension allowing licensed bars and restaurants to sell alcohol from 6 a.m. until 5 a.m. the following day during the tournament, which runs from June 11 through July 19, 2026.

However, the commission wants the city to opt out of the state’s allowance.

“We understand that bars, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses may stand to benefitcommercially from looser hours during a major global event like the FIFA World Cup. However,in our view, the public health and safety risks outweigh these financial incentives, especiallygiven the temporary nature of the event and the disproportionately large burden borne by publicservices and community welfare,” the group said in its recommendation letter to the city.

Some local bars are also opposed to the extended hours and said they will stick to their regular operating hours during the World Cup games.

“I don’t think that it’s a good idea to have a 23-hour drinking privilege,” said Yoeun Moeun, General Manager at Southside Pizza & Pub. “Once people are intoxicated, they can’t control it.”

Travis Oakley, Co-Owner of 9th Street Public House added, “We won’t participate. We will operate under our current standards that’s what we are doing now. A hard stop helps us out in the long run,” Oakley said.

Oakley expressed concern that extending alcohol service past the usual 1 a.m. closing time could encourage risky behavior. He said people are accustomed to the standard hours, and allowing bars to stay open later during the World Cup might lead some to take advantage of the extra time. To avoid potential problems, his establishment plans to stick with its normal hours.

9th Street Public House’s current hours are Tuesday through Sunday, from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Southside Pizza & Pub is open Monday and Tuesday for dine-in from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., with carry-out available until 2 a.m. From Wednesday through Sunday, the restaurant opens at 11 a.m., and on weekends, it remains open until 1 a.m.

Dan Rader, owner of MyHouse Sports Bar & Nightclub, said he doesn’t anticipate much of an impact from the World Cup on Columbia bars, but expects Kansas City’s bar scene to benefit significantly.

The Substance Use Prevention Advisory Commission said extended hours could put extra strain on workers and city services. The group also claims that service-industry employees may face longer shifts, fatigue, and safety concerns, while police and other public safety agencies could see an increase in calls.

“Once you get to a certain point, everybody’s tired,” Oakley said. “I want to get them home safely and not fatigued.”

The group cited research showing the potential dangers of extended alcohol sales. A recent U.S. study found that reducing late-night alcohol hours led to significant drops in violent crime. In one Baltimore neighborhood, cutting bar and tavern sales from 20 hours a day to 13 hours was linked to a 51% decrease in homicides in the first month and a 23% annual reduction in overall violent crime.

Similarly, a systematic review of alcohol policies concluded that increasing sales hours by two or more hours leads to significant rises in alcohol-related harms, including violence and excessive drinking, while reducing hours by the same amount effectively lowers those risks. The commission used these findings to argue that allowing near-24-hour alcohol sales during the World Cup could threaten public safety.

The commission also warns of potential increases in public disorder, noise, and early-morning disruptions, along with a higher risk of drunk driving incidents.

“When you’re intoxicated, it’s harder to, I guess cut them off. And if you allow it, then there’s just you’re going to have a lot of people arrested and a lot if DUI.” Moeun said.

The group argues that near-24-hour alcohol sales would conflict with recent safety initiatives downtown, including efforts by the city and the University of Missouri.

While some bars said they won’t use the extended hours approved by the state, they do plan to offer special promotions during the World Cup.

The City Council will discuss the issue at a meeting scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m.

Communication from SUPACDownload

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri gears up to celebrate its annual One for One Holiday Food and Fund Drive on Wednesday, organizers are reminding mid-Missouri that the season of giving can last beyond the holiday season.

“A lot of the times we see gaps in volunteerism after the holidays, mostly due to school schedules,” Chief communications Officer for the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri Katie Adkins said. “We have a lot of amazing college students that help us get food to the food bank and out the door really quickly so when they’re off, when they’re maybe going home for the holidays, we don’t see as many volunteers.”

Adkins adds that the food bank gets around 10,000 volunteers annually. According to a 2024 annual report, the organization shared over 21 million meals across 32 counties, adding up to around $81.2 million in economic relief.

Volunteer opportunities include sorting and packing food boxes for seniors and veterans in the volunteer room and working at the food bank’s grocery market as a stocker, grocery bagger or greeter.

“Most of our volunteer opportunities are a couple of hours, so really quick,” Adkins said. “Those are all really fun opportunities that give you the chance to connect with some other people in the community or come in as a group.”

Adkins said that working at the food bank’s volunteer room requires no training. People looking to work at the food bank market will be provided with volunteer training.

“We’re incredibly appreciative of that [volunteers], all of that saves us money that we can then put toward food, so we’re able to purchase more food because of the volunteer hours shared,” Adkins said.

Long-time volunteer James Quade told ABC 17 News that volunteer hours are flexible, and that he’s been coming in for group volunteering with his church for several years.

Quade’s group was working in the volunteer room, packing boxes with non-perishable food like cereal, peanut butter and rice. The boxes are loaded up onto palettes in groups of 32 to be sent off to food bank partners across mid-Missouri.

“Someone with a zero skill set, which I had about ten years ago, they’ll put you on the assembly line and you’ll pick it up in about 30 seconds. It is very enjoyable,” Quade said.

Quade adds that volunteering is what makes Columbia a great place to live.

“The needs of Boone County, which has about 25% poverty rate, goes year-round and we all need to do our part, whether you’re receiving or whether you’re giving,” Quade said.

The annual One for One Holiday Food Fund Drive takes place at the Columbia Mall and Buchheit in Jefferson City on Dec. 17 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Donation opportunities can also be found on the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri’s website.

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