Month: April 2025

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 4 into law Wednesday morning, with supporters saying it will strengthen Missouri’s energy infrastructure.

“This is about powering Missouri for Missourians and not relying on other states and countries to produce our power,” Kehoe said in a press release. “This legislation strengthens our economic development opportunities, helps secure our energy independence, and provides consumer protections to build a resilient energy future for generations to come.”

The bill covers a range of policies from solar energy to utility rate changes. The most controversial provisions in SB 4 overturn the Construction Work in Progress statute, allow companies to use “future test year” rates and expand Plant in Service Accounting.

The previous CWIP statute banned utility plants from charging customers while a plant is in the middle of construction and only increased rates at the completion of the project.

Under “future test year” rates companies can charge customers on projected costs instead of actual costs.

The PISA change allows companies to increase utility rates to account for the cost of projects that are still in early stages.

Supporters argue that allowing increased rates helps with efficiency by letting businesses recover costs faster and the test year rates allow companies to better plan for the future.

“It’s a big step for Missouri, it’s going to help us going forward with some of our energy problems and it’s been a long time coming,” bill sponsor Mike Cierpiot said. “Everything in that bill really has been vetted over the last three or four years.”

Cierpot acknowledges that utility bills may increase but will ultimately not have a major effect.

“People have asked me, ‘Well, if you pass this, are rates going to go up?’ Well, quite honestly, rates are going to go up whether we pass or not, that’s just the nature,” Cierpot said. “Our rates are still very low compared to the national averages.”

Opponents argue that low-income residents can’t afford the additional fees and disagree with being charged for utility projects that aren’t fully reviewed or built.

“When these bills are passed, they affect everyone in Missouri, every single household who pays utilities,” executive director of Consumers Council of Missouri Sandra Padgett. “This bill is nothing more than a profit-driven package that benefits utilities at the expense of hardworking Missouri families.”

The Missouri Consumers Council hosted a protest in response to the bill signing Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol.

⚠️ Gov. Kehoe will sign SB4—raising utility bills by $1,115 for MO families.

📍Capitol, North Side (by the River)📅 Wed, April 9⏰ 12:15–1PM🎤 Rally + Press ConferenceStand up for affordable energy! #StopSB4 #MOleg #EnergyJustice pic.twitter.com/xk7TMzxPWv

— MO Consumers Council (@MOconsumer) April 8, 2025

Parts of the bill that have received support include increasing funding to the Office of the Public Counsel. The office represents the public in discussions with utility companies.

Another supported change extends the time frame before utilities can shut off service for customers who are behind on payments during extreme heat or cold. Initially, the shut-off was after 24 hours. The new law extends that to 72 hours.

Owners of solar power systems older than August 9, 2022 will also get a tax cut by having their solar equipment assessed at 5% of its true value.

Critics of the bill argue that while there are some positives to the bill, the benefits don’t match the rate increase especially since the bill is focused on incentivising major natural gas production.

“This is not the way to do it, this is just fancy accounting,” Barwick said. “Legislators are cutting off their nose to spite their face because this bill specifically subsidizes fossil fuels, not renewable energy.”

Cierpiot claims that SB 4 was the most beneficial to both energy producers and their clients.

“I think it’s got a good balance, the portion that some people say they’re upset about is what they call construction work in progress, if you look at our bill, what we’ve done, there is more protections for consumers in that than anybody, any state in the country,” Cierpiot said.

The Consumers Council of Missouri and other opponents of the bill hope to have initiative petitions to overturn sections of the text next year.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday to celebrate EquipmentShare’s expansion and 10-year anniversary.

Equipmentshare is a nationwide construction technology and equipment provider located on Bull Run Drive in Columbia.

Wednesday’s grand opening of its Technology and Development Center was attended by Gov. Mike Kehoe and Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick.

In 2022, the company said the nearly $100 million investment would create more than 500 new jobs.

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some Columbia residents who live in the neighborhood along West Ash Street say they feel their voices are still going unheard.

Carol Rogers said she’s lived in neighborhood for nearly 50 years. During that time, Rogers claims residents have asked the city for traffic calming measures, but says the plans the city has doesn’t align with those requests.

The City of Columbia’s Ash Street Improvement Project includes an 8-foot-wide sidewalk along the north side of Ash Street for pedestrians and bicyclists. It also includes a 5-foot-wide sidewalk along the south side of Ash Street to fill in sidewalk gaps.

The project was initiated after a quarter-cent sales tax was passed in August 2015, according to information on the city’s beheard website. If approved, the city says construction could begin between the summer and winter of 2026.

The design would require the removal of trees for sidewalk construction, which many residents oppose.

“Cutting down trees makes people go faster,” Rogers said. “Things that slow cars down are trees, narrower lanes, more pedestrian crossings.”

A group of roughly 30 residents gathered along West Ash Street on Wednesday afternoon, protesting the city’s plans, claiming it would require the removal of more than 100 trees. Residents yelled the words “save our trees, save our yards” while holding posters displaying the words “trees, not traffic.”

“I mean, imagine if it was your yard and the city was saying we’re taking quite a bit of it,” protester Mike Wertzberger said.

Roughly 65 people attended an open house for the project in March. The city also stopped accepting comments on its beheard website on April 6. Public Works Spokesman John Ogan told ABC 17 News via email the city has received a significant amount of feedback from residents and is currently taking it into consideration.

“Right now, our engineering team is reviewing all of the submitted feedback and is working to identify what adjustments may be appropriate for the current design,” Ogan said.

Ogan said the city plans to have another public discussion in May or June.

Some residents say they plan to attempt to have the neighborhood downgraded from a major collector, to a neighborhood collector, which would make them eligible for traffic calming measures.

“They haven’t provided us with any information on how many trees we’re going to lose if we pick the middle ground…the five feet on either side which would be the great compromise,” Justin Clarke said.

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

After failing to reach an agreement with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield by the March 31 deadline, MU Health Care says it remains open to further discussions over commercial and Affordable Care Act insurance plans with the provider. 

“Negotiations are still happening right now,” Tonya Johnson, MU Health Care’s Health System Chief Operating Officer, told ABC 17 news. “We’re looking to come to the table and have some meaningful conversations with Anthem and they would be the next steps that we’re anticipating would happen.” 

MU Health Care has also taken issue with Anthem’s statement, claiming that it was “demanding a 39% price increase over the next three years”. 

Johnson said MU Health Care started negotiations wanting between an 11-13% increase over the next three years, which would add up to roughly 39%, but claims MU Health Care has made efforts to adjust the increase with Anthem. 

“We’ve come down considerably and made considerable compromises in what we’ve put across the table,” Johnson said. “The challenging part for us is that Anthem is offering us 1-to-2% increases in rates every year annually.  That doesn’t cover our inflationary costs of supplies, labor,  technology,  pharmaceuticals.”

An Anthem spokesperson disputed the claim in an email to ABC 17 News.

“The numbers MU Health Care has shared are not accurate. Anthem proposed rate increases that exceed the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for each year of a three-year agreement—offers that are consistent with what other Missouri health systems have accepted. MU Health Care has demanded a 39% increase, which remains unsustainable,” the spokesperson wrote.

Johnson claims recent tariffs have added to inflationary costs, and that a 1-2% increase would make it difficult for MU Health Care to provide care for patients who depend on them while still covering expenses. 

“We’re seeing an average increase between 6 to 8% every year,” Johnson said.  

When asked if patient numbers have declined since the split with Anthem, MU Health Care acknowledged some patients have expressed concerns.

“We’re certainly seeing uncertainty. Patients are unsure of where they can get care if they can still get care, so there’s been adjustments in our schedules, but we are definitely still busy and still providing care for people here,” Johnson said. 

MU Health Care has created a hub for patients with insurance questions, such as continued care paperwork and what out-of-pocket costs might look like. The number for the hub is 573-771-CARE. 

“We’ve been planning [the hub] for some time in the event that we would go out of network, but this is something newly put in place to really centralize the work, make it easier for our team members and less burdensome for them, Johnson said. “But also one-stop shopping for our patients.  We want to make it as convenient as possible for them.”

However, Anthem pushed back, saying that some of its members have been turned down for care.

“We’re also aware of instances where Anthem members with approved continuity of care have reportedly been turned away by MU Health Care. Members—whether in or out of network—who qualify for continuity of care should not be denied access,” an Anthem spokesperson told ABC 17 News. “If this has occurred, we encourage them to call the Member Services number on the back of their ID card so we can assist immediately.”

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield says it is working with other Mid-Missouri health care providers, including Boone Hospital, SSM St. Mary’s, Moberly Regional Hospital, and Jefferson City Medical Group. Some of those hospitals have since reported an influx of calls about Anthem insurance. 

SSM Health Medical Group in Mid-Missouri says it has been busy in recent weeks fielding calls from Anthem insurance holders.

“Our staff has received numerous calls from local residents concerned about the changes, and we are happy to assist them in establishing care with our providers,” SSM Health Medical Group said in a statement to ABC 17 News. “SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital and SSM Health Medical Group in Mid-Missouri accept Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield – Commercial, Govt. Marketplace, Medicare Advantage, Blue Card. “

The Jefferson City Medical Group, which is in-network with all regional Anthem plans, says they have also received an influx of calls from new patients. 

“JCMG has received an increase in phone calls and appointment requests from Anthem members seeking care, and our providers and staff are working to accommodate as many new patients as possible to ensure access to care. With over 30 specialties, an on-site infusion center, on-site radiology services, and a full-service laboratory, JCMG is dedicated to delivering comprehensive care to Mid-Missouri,” JCMG told ABC 17 News in a statement. 

Meanwhile, Boone Health says it has established a new phone line for insurance questions after receiving increasing calls and emails. 

“We certainly have been receiving more calls, more emails, more questions to our helplines. And we are certainly hearing from patients that are asking what their options are and switching over,” Boone Health spokesman Christian Basi said. 

Basi says that Boone Health is already in the process of growing it’s care, with ongoing discussions about expanding into Audrain County. He also says that the demand of health care in mid-Missouri is continuing to rise. 

“We want to make sure that we have we’re providing Mid-Missouri with the best quality care and that we’re giving them as much access as possible. And that means making sure that we have good relationships with the various insurance companies that serve the mid-Missouri community, and that includes Anthem,” Basi said. “Right now our relationships with our insurance companies are very, very strong  and we don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future.”

Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia/Boone County Board of Health will meet Thursday to discuss some proposed changes to the city’s ordinance regarding feral cats.

According to a press release, the board will host a series of public meetings to go over potential changes to Animal Control Ordinances in the city. The meetings will include presentations from staff with a review of existing ordinances and suggested updates, followed by a discussion between board members.

The potential changes include:

Removing microchip requirements for feral cats

Defining exactly what a feral cat colony means

Requirements for care of feral cat colonies

Removing a regular testing requirement for some feline viruses

According to the meeting agenda, the reasoning behind defining exactly what a feral cat colony means is to protect pet owners with the legal limit of four cats that may be fed outdoors and discuss who should apply for a feral cat colony caretaker permit.

The proposed redefined definition of a feral cat colony means any number of five or more feral cats being cared for within one property.

The first meeting will be held on Thursday at the Columbia/Boone County Health and Human Services, Training Room 1, 1005 W. Worley St.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 pm. The Board will also hear comments from the public.

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation has scheduled the demolition of the exit ramp from westbound Interstate 70 to Business Loop 70 in Columbia for this weekend.

The bridge demolition will require an extended single-lane closure with off-and-on full closures of eastbound I-70 between Route B and Highway 63 from 7 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Monday. MoDOT says drivers should expect up to 30-minute travel delays along I-70 all weekend.

Improve I-70 Project Manager, Jeff Gander said “there is four girders under this bridge and when we cut those loose and swing them out of the way, we can’t have traffic under it so those four times we will have a full closure of eastbound I-70 there are also other times we will have to close it while we are braking the concrete above the lanes,”

Gander added, “It’s not a very safe situation and the bridge is in pretty bad shape itself, its left hand exit which is not all bad but as you try to make that left hand exit it doesn’t have that deceleration lane and you’re kinda going up a hill and around a curve so there was a lot of accidents associated with this flyover overpass,”

According to Gander, the bridge will be removed by using jackhammers, concrete saws, and cutting torches instead of explosives since there is too much traffic under the bridge.

Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and use alternate routes when possible.

A traffic shift is also planned for Friday on Highway 63. MoDOT says it has finished construction of the southbound Highway 63 bridge for the Conley Rd. underpass and will switch traffic on Highway 63 to the new bridge to allow for the construction of the northbound bridge.

MoDOT is asking drivers to be alert and use caution crews will remove pavement markings and re-stripe the road between the Broadway overpass and Conley Rd. underpass.

The demolition is part MoDOT’s Improve I-70 project, which includes expanding I-70 to three lanes in each direction from Columbia to Kingdom City. This phase costs $405 million and includes new pavement on all three lanes. Contractors will also make interchange improvements at Highway 63 and Highway 54.

“We paved the median of a seven mile section of the rural area between Columbia and Kingdom City, in about a month we’re gunna put the eastbound traffic on that we just paved so we can finished out rest the lanes of the eastbound side,” Gander said.

Once the demolition is complete, MoDOT plans to build a roundabout and a new eastbound I-70 exit ramp to Business Loop 70. The project will include a new collector-distributor road, designed to help drivers merge more safely onto I-70 westbound from Business Loop 70.

Missouri lawmakers approved $2.8 billion in Missouri’s fiscal 2024 budget to fund the project that will reconstruct nearly 200 miles of I-70 from Blue Springs to Wentzville.

According to MoDOT’s January update, construction starts this spring on a new northbound Highway 63 flyover ramp to westbound I-70 in Columbia, along with a new northbound Highway 63 bridge between I-70 and Broadway.

Gander said, “the fly over bridge we will be building  for norhtbound 63 to westbound 70, thats gunna take off just south of the connector and fly over all lanes of i-70 and touch back just to the east of where we’re at right now,”

MoDOT also plans to begin rebuilding concrete pavement on the existing eastbound I-70 lanes between Calloway County routes J and M.

This summer, work will continue with paving a third lane of I-70 between Paris Road and Highway 63, and early interchange work will begin at the I-70/Highway 54 interchange in Kingdom City.

Work on the first phase of the project got underway last year and Gander said despite challenges posed by Missouri’s winter weather, the project remains on track for completion by late 2027 and is within its $405 million budget.

According to Gander pieces of the eight projects underway in Mid-Missouri will open before the demolition of the connector bridge.

ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A young boy is dead, while a man and a girl are in critical condition after a gas explosion damaged multiple homes in Lexington, Missouri, according to a report from KMBC.

Authorities say a subcontractor working on a fiber optic line accidentally hit a gas main last night.

The explosion happened when a man inside the home and lit a cigarette, which ignited the gas. The family of the man inside the home says he flipped a light switch, which caused the explosion. The cause is under investigation.

Three people were inside the home at the time. A man suffered intense burns and was airlifted to a Kansas City hospital, where he is now on a ventilator.

The man’s son died in the explosion, and his daughter was brought to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and is also on a ventilator.