Articles

As a former daily newspaper reporter, I love to write. A lot. About a lot of different topics. I also love to turn out quality copy that readers love to read, whether the topic is women as negotiators, gardening, business profiles, home decor or health issues.

Again, no need to take my word for it. Here’s what Christina George, the former publisher of Columbia Home & Lifestyle, said about me and my work:

Dianna O’Brien ‘s writing is accessible, appealing and she can be funny when the occasion allows for humor. I enjoyed having Dianna as a sounding board at times when we were developing an issue of the magazine. She has intelligent ideas and she executes them with energy and professionalism.

The proof is in the publications…

Business

LaBrunerie’s Leverage – Alex LaBrunerie, head of a small financial services company, realized China would be the next economic powerhouse. To take advantage of that, he fired up his networking skills and managed to connect with one of China’s main financial investment information provider. The result is an one-of-a-kind financial partnership and a center at the University of Missouri designed to analyze economic information and provide it to U.S. investors.Russ Potterfield’s China presence proving profitable, Battenfeld improves logistics with satellite office – Why would the heir-apparent of a successful sporting-goods company open a new operation in Shenzhen, China, far from friends and family? Because, Potterfield explains, this is where the future is, a future he’s eager to embrace for himself and his young family.

Doing Business in China: Cautionary tales and advice – Columbia firms offer tips and cautionary tales on breaking into the Chinese markets.

Writer’s Welcome – My experience to China exposes the downside of this developing country.

Diabetes Prevent and Health Issues

Centro Latino: Relocating, Expanding Mission – The haunting images of amputation and other results of poorly treated diabetes has led Eduardo Crespi as he’s worked to create a Centro Latino and now an expanded center that will include a vegetable-based and education diabetes-prevention program.

A Last Request – Molly and Ryan Rippel set out to honor their mother’s death from cancer, which they say was caused in part from her lack of health insurance. Research shows twice as many women without coverage are diagnosed with Stage III or IV breast cancer than women with private health-care coverage. Their mother, Barbara Rippel, was a well-known Realtor and was diagnosed with Stage IV when she finally went for treatment, which her children say she delayed due to the lack of health-care insurance.

A Joint Mission: Columbia women unite to fight arthritis — Eight women make major strides in the fight against arthritis, conducting research, conducting public outreach, furthering public policy, urging exercise. Columbia is a powerhouse in progress against the No. 1 cause of disability.

Community Gardens

Urban Farm Center strives to become self-sustaining – The nonprofit Urban Farm Center is making sure it can stay in the business of helping people grow their own vegetables by offering for-hire landscaping services to those who can afford to pay, so they can help those who can’t.

Cucumbers with that aspirin? – Kilgore’s Medical Pharmacy, a local drugstore, and a local rental agency are providing gardening space for neighbors in the hope that vegetables, berries and fruits can keep the need for drugs away.

Green for Greens – A new kind of grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation requires Boone County Department of Health and Human Services to spend its money on efforts that will last long after the grant runs out.

Travel

Cheap Eats in Moscow, Russia — Knowing where to eat and shop makes it easy to get around in Moscow, Russia, one of the world’s most expensive cities.

Business

Passion for Pizza: Greg Neichter’s pizzeria empire began with downtown Domino’s – In 1980, Greg Neichter was 22 years old, a college graduate, drove a beat-up Camaro and almost couldn’t get a loan to open his first Domino’s Pizza. By 1985, he had four locations and was driving a Jaguar. Today, he has 35 locations and three of his children and two of his brothers are in the business. And he still eats pizza almost every day. That’s passion for pizza.

Creating sounds of something great – Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could operate all your electronic gadgets, your sound system, your television, your home theatre all from one remote? With the help of Pure Audio & Video Specialty you can.

A Realtor’s Ordeal Birth becomes blessing, business gains perspective – The housing industry crash, his mother’s death and the life-threatening illness of his son didn’t slow down Freddy Spencer or the momentum of his then newly launched real estate firm, Advantage Century 21. How did he keep going despite all these challenges? Spencer credits his agents, and they point to his own positive attitude and faith in them and the business.

Parker building getting history friendly Atkins family touch – The 1907 building 16 N. Tenth St., once housed one of Columbia’s oldest businesses, the Parker Furniture Company, which, in tune with the those times built caskets. Since then, the company has moved next door and renamed itself the Parker Funeral Service, and the building is slated for renovation by Atkins Investments, a firm which has brought back several other historic buildings from derelict pasts and into new uses.

Winning Warehouse | Berry Building gets preservation award – A former warehouse and then dilapidated storefronts, the now renovated 1924 Berry Building garnered a state award for its preservation its owners John and Vicki Ott of Alley A Realty. Today, the building houses a gallery, a fitness studio and luxury condominiums. In addition to this $3 million renovation, the Otts have renovated nine other downtown buildings.

Heading off the Achievement Gap: CBT Power Lunch – The achievement gap shows up in grade school, but Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Chris Belcher says it starts in preschool. He is advocating voters change a law to allow the passage of a law to fund quality preschool for all children in Boone County.

Basement Transformation. A former catch-all, today, Gail and John Metz’s basement looks and feels like Colorado-lodge-like space complete with a kitchen, living room with a roaring fireplace and even his and hers offices. Kerry Bramon Remodeling & Design created the cozy space.

Custom Built. The custom cabinets of Mark Hall Cabinetry grace roughly 4,000 Columbia homes — and make the home he and wife Stephanie Hall’s built a unique family dream home. Their country home includes family and friend friendly features starting with the kitchen next to the swimming pool, where their five children spend much of their time. Next up, the house is bisected by an 8-foot hallway lined with lighted, column cabinets and floored with easy-to-clean tile, creating an easy passage from the garage and the kitchen – and a nice sliding spot for their young children.

Delightful Contrasts. This 1910 four-square, stone house owned by Mary and Russell Still is proof of two things: a historic home can be functional and location is everything. Mary Still is a Missouri Representative and often works from home in this brought-up-to-date historic structure. The house also used to be across the street from its present location, 2000 S. Country Club Drive. In 1924, Berry McAlester, the builder of the house, moved it across the street, so he could use its original location for another, more grand, home for himself.

Capturing Columbia’s Cinema Century – Going to the movies used to be for more than Friday and Saturday nights. The buildings were also more than movie houses or theatres: they were movie palaces. At one time, during the 1930s, Columbia boasted three such movie palaces on Ninth Street, offering a total of 3,500 seats in a town of roughly people 15,000 people. But those were the days before cars, radio, and television. Today, Columbia features 4,227 movie theatre seats and a population of 100,000. A look at the movie theatre industry in Columbia then and now.

Notable Properties: Historic Renovation Boosts Community Commerce – What if historic renovation made economic sense? Many say it does including Richard King, who operates The Blue Note, a thriving live music venue housed in the first building named to the Notable Properties List by the Columbia Historic Preservation Commission.

Housing a Legacy: Renewed interest in John William “Blind” Boone and ragtime musician – J.W. “Blind” Boone, a child of a former slave who lived from 1864-1927, toured throughout the country during his life, introducing spirituals — and ragtime — to the concert stage. Today, his home at 10 N. Fourth Street is on the National Register of Historic Places and under renovation.

Bringing the outside in: Syd and Ed Stansberry’s cabin in the woods

Preserving a Community

Home is Where the Heart Is.

Celebrate the Music: Ragtime festival brings seasoned performers to Columbia

Chamber members China Bound

Power Supply Answer Blowing in the Wind?

Green Jobs: Conservation push energizes Columbia economy

Dealer Sold on Solar

Grant To Move MU Docs Digital

Take a Tour; Help Others

Man, It Feels Good to be a Banker

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