Jacey Johnson

News & Magazine Writing

Vox Magazine •

History hidden in plain sight

Brick by brick, column by column and window by window, the building styles in Columbia’s historic downtown district tell stories of the city’s history.More than 80 structures are designated as historically significant. Many of those were constructed between 1836 and 1956, and they showcase styles from Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Classical Revival architectural movements.“I got into architecture for the buildings, and I stayed for the stories,” says Building Preservation’s Deb Sheals, who has been a...
Vox Magazine •

Hills climbed in the valley: ‘Going Varsity in Mariachi’

A packed True/False Film Fest audience in The Picturehouse* at the Missouri United Methodist Church waited to hear a vibrant sound of live instruments when the film’s first scene revealed a stage of high school musicians under the spotlight in Going Varsity in Mariachi. It didn’t come. Not yet, anyways.Instead, a cut to scenic shots of overpasses and south Texas landscapes paints the screen with an implied message before the students have a chance to play: This isn’t just about the music.The fil...
Vox Magazine •

Here's the catch: New seafood spots to try in Columbia

Missouri, as a landlocked state, isn’t naturally set up to be the home of a thriving seafood scene. Yet, in the past three months, two new seafood restaurants have opened in Columbia.Hungry Crab and Kenko Sushi and Tea both pride themselves on menu customization. In these fish shops, customers can choose a dish that combines a variety selection from different catches.Address: 1000 I-70 Drive S.W.Phone: (573) 442-1845Hours: Sunday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11:30...
Vox Magazine •

Finding inclusive community and identity in CoMo's organized sports

For years, Dakota Cole was looking for a sports team that would accept him as a transgender man. He finally discovered the Kansas City chapter of Stonewall Sports, a nonprofit sports organization for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies. Other LGBTQ+ sports leagues hadn’t been accepting toward Cole, but Stonewall was. From 2021 to early 2022, he was the kickball division lead for the Kansas City chapter.“I’ve had top surgery, and there were games that I took my shirt off and no one made a comment about...
Vox Magazine •

Vox Picks for December

Each month, Vox curates a list of can’t-miss shops, eats, reads and experiences. We find the new, trending or underrated to help you enjoy the best our city has to offer.The many non-migrating birds that remain in Missouri year-round. Songbird Station owner Mel Toellner says American goldfinches, northern cardinals, dark-eyed juncos and black-capped chickadees are some of the most common winter birds here. If you want a near-guaranteed sighting of most of these birds, join the Columbia Audubon S...
Vox Magazine •

Mobile meals, hot dog deals and waffle cones on wheels

78 cube-shaped lockers waiting to be filled with hot dogs, Skittles, popcorn and bottled sodas can be found at two new mobile ordering stations inside Memorial Stadium. A green food truck now camps out in the north end zone, where warm s’mores cones are ready to come out of the oven. And not too far away, a popcorn business with a dragon for a mascot bags batches of caramel, kettle and butter kernels.“That’ll give you a beer I think,” one fan shouted near the lockers in section 110 behind the st...
Vox Magazine •

Up clove and personal: Missouri garlic experts explain the fall-planted staple

There’s no seed packet for this plant. Garlic is what garlic needs — and Missouri’s combination of warm and cool temperatures produces plenty of it.Whether purchased from the grocery store or a local farmer, garlic can be planted in late fall and harvested in the months of early summer.Garlic takes many shapes. It first begins as a spike underground, and then it transitions into an upright flower stalk. It exhibits two dead leaves, and then it becomes a bulb of cloves.For any gardener looking to...
Vox Magazine •

The librarian: Matt Swearngin helps the community access all the resources the Columbia Public Library has to offer

When he was growing up in Columbia, Matt Swearngin visited plenty of libraries, but he didn't realize their importance. After graduating from Hickman, Swearngin earned his undergraduate degree at Minnesota's Macalester College and moved back to Columbia in 2005. He learned the significance when he got his first job at the Columbia Public Library in the circulation department in 2007, when more people were coming to the library for its free services and resources during a recession.“I would see t...
Vox Magazine •

Aroma arepas: A taste of Venezuela in a CoMo coffee shop

The Venezuelan food is prepared a few steps away from the espresso machine at this Providence Road coffee shop, so it's no surprise that sometimes customers douse a cachapa with syrup because of its pancake-like appearance. Then they realize it’s a dish served with shredded beef, cheese and slices of avocado. Yumivia and Jose Rojas are the owners of Como Arepas. They say bringing Venezuelan dishes such as cachapas to Columbia helps people become familiar with the culture and food of their home c...
Vox Magazine •

A closer look into the impact of horse racing

Horse racing is dormant in Missouri. But there are still retired racehorses and locals with industry experience living in Columbia.According to Elizabeth Hoffman at the Missouri Gaming Commission, horse races haven't taken place in Missouri for several years because there simply is not enough interest in the sport. At least nine retired racehorses (including an English Thoroughbred) live at Amulette Equestrian Center in Columbia, where owner Terri Wright turned a cattle farm into her current bus...
Columbia Missourian •

Columbia Garden Club surprises member with news of state-level honor

Marie Pasley, a distinguished member of the Columbia Garden Club, was moved to tears Friday by the news that she had won statewide recognition in the garden club world.The group was immersed in preparation for Saturday’s annual plant sale at Trinity Presbyterian when club president Betty Connelly asked everyone to pause their work and step into another room so she could address the club.
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Columbia Missourian •

Photojournalists discuss covering Ukraine at annual Pictures of the Year event

A Ukrainian journalism student, a young photojournalist and a Pulitzer Prize winner spoke Friday at the annual Pictures of the Year event that included conversations about the realities and difficulties of covering the war in Ukraine.All coming from different experiences and backgrounds, the speakers addressed the importance of approach. They discussed how to recognize the implications of journalistic interactions and how to understand the importance of word choice, human connection and cultural...
Columbia Missourian •

Limbaugh’s bust sparked a lobbying effort to honor suffragette

Suffragette Virginia Minor, shown in this portrait from the Library of Congress, was the eighth woman added to the collection of bronze busts Sept. 10, 2014, in the Hall of Famous Missourians at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. Now, there are nine women and 39 men in the Hall of Famous Missourians, which resides on the third floor of the rotunda.

Suffragette Virginia Minor, shown in this portrait from the Library of Congress, was the eighth woman added to the collection of bronze b...
Columbia Missourian •

Legacy Oaks from MU planted on Capitol grounds

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, center, is interviewed by Jim Karpowicz of The Documentary Group about the planting of Legacy Oaks from MU on the grounds of the Capitol. Elm trees on the Capitol grounds have been ravaged by the emerald ash borer. The oak trees planted Monday were specially bred to match the soil and climate on MU’s Francis Quadrangle. The Capitol grounds have similar conditions. Kehoe is a member of both the Capitol Grounds Commission and the Missouri Bicentennial Commission.

Lt. Gov. Mik...
Vox Magazine •

Inside a local Irish dance class

A handful of green shamrock cutouts was stuck to an interior window. A nearby wall was filled with dance attire including a rack of bright pink, white and black Irish dance costumes.On the other side of the small storefront, there was an open door to the studio for the Clark Academy of Irish Dance. Lovely Irish dance music played around the corner. Then the music stopped, and Victoria Hamlin came around the corner to help me find the right pair of Irish dance shoes.Hamlin, the teacher of the dan...
Vox Magazine •

Behind the poster: Xinmei Liu mixes a Chinese story with Missouri elements

When Xinmei Liu was tasked with creating the 2022 True/False Film Fest poster illustration, called "From There We Will Flourish," she made an immediate connection to an ancient Chinese story she learned about in school.Liu grew up in Shanghai before moving to Brooklyn to complete her undergraduate degree at Pratt University in 2016 and then her graduate degree at the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 2020. Now, she lives in New Jersey.This year’s theme, In/visible Villages, is explored t...