Month: May 2025

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The North Callaway Fire Protection District has a new, but familiar leader.

Just one week after the previous fire chief was terminated, the district announced that Matthew Walton has taken over the fire chief position since Tuesday. Walton is no stranger to the department. He previously served for more than 20 years before retiring.

Now, he’s stepping back into leadership following the resignations of 13 department members in response to recent internal changes.

The North Callaway Board of Directors confirmed it had fired the former chief and a volunteer due to “several months of attempts to address unacceptable behavior.” The board did not elaborate further on the nature of those issues.

When asked about the situation involving his predecessor, Walton said he wasn’t informed about the specifics.

“I don’t have any information on that. I came in as a request to come back to help, since I already knew a lot about the department, and I’m letting the board handle anything with it,” Walton said.

In the wake of the departures, Walton says the department currently has around 10-12 active personnel but would like to have at least 20-30. Boosting recruitment and improving retention are Walton’s top priorities. He said the department is working on new strategies to increase engagement and visibility in the community.

“Our plan is better communication,” Walton said. “We’re going to be working on getting a website built, reaching out to the public. [We’ll] hopefully start doing some more public events like to-touch-a-truck and some open houses and stuff with the fire department,” 

The department responds to roughly 900 emergency calls per year. Last month alone, it handled about 30 calls.

Despite the recent leadership changes, some residents in North Callaway County say they’ve always been able to rely on their local fire department.

“I haven’t really ever head of any situation where we haven’t had a first responder or a firefighter ot someone in those fields make it to where they needed to be when they needed,” Chloe Holtkamp said.

As of now, the department does not have any upcoming recruiting events scheduled. All roles within the department remain volunteer-based and are not paid positions.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Christopher Schmitz will be the next principal at Shepherd Boulevard Elementary, according to a Friday press release from Columbia Public Schools.

He will replace Jill Edwards, who will become an elementary instructional mentor, the release says. He has 15 years of experience in elementary education and has been the principal at Moreau Heights Elementary in Jefferson City since 2021, the release says. He also served as the principal at Thorpe Gordon Elementary School for 10 years.

His career began as a teacher at at Moreau Heights Elementary, the release says. He has a specialist degree in educational leadership from Saint Louis University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Central Missouri, the release says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man has been charged with a felony after he allegedly brought back a seagull from the Gulf of Mexico and amputated its wing with a pair of scissors.

Aaron Lacey was charged on Thursday with felony animal abuse, misdemeanor animal abuse and violating an ordinance by the county commission. A criminal summons was issued on Friday and an initial court appearance has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, June 26.

The probable cause statement says that animal control was called on Jan. 16 for a report of a pelican getting its leg stuck in a cage. The caller, who was watching Lacey’s home, said the pelican was brought back from Florida months ago because it had a broken wing, the statement says. When the animal control officer arrived, they learned the bird was actually a seagull.

The bird was without one of its wings and its leg was caught in the cage and hanging upside down, court documents say. The woman allegedly did not give an answer when asked if the wing was amputated by a professional, the statement says. The animal control officer said it would be evaluated by a raptor rehab. Fish and Wildlife authorities recommended the bird to be euthanized, the statement says.

The area of the bird’s missing wing was “extremely tender” and in obvious pain, according to the statement. Bone was allegedly exposed. The bird was determined to be emaciated and was “quick to start drinking water when offered and had a large appetite for the species appropriate food” offered to it, the statement says. Brown, murky water and parakeet food was with the small cage it resided, court documents say.

Lacey and “an unidentified woman” eventually called the animal control office and said they brought the bird back from the Gulf of Mexico after they found him with a broken wing, court documents say. They allegedly said they called rehab and veterinarians in that area, which told them to leave the bird alone, or it would be euthanized if it was brought in, the statement says.

Lacey and the woman allegedly said they didn’t feel it should be euthanized and claimed that they amputated its wing, but said all they had was a pair of scissors and a torch, court documents say. They did so without giving the bird pain medication and left the bone exposed, the statement says.

The pair allegedly asked why they couldn’t have the bird back.

“I told them that aside from the fact they transported him across state lines which is beyond illegal, they also removed his wing at home with no pain medication or antibiotics,” the animal control officer wrote.

The officer wrote that the bird suffered for months and also had bird lice.  

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia teenager was certified as an adult on Friday for his alleged role in shootings on Dec. 21 and Jan. 27.

Justin Lumley Jr., 17, is charged with four counts of first-degree assault, seven counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of first-degree property damage. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been set.

Court documents in the Jan. 27 incident say one person was injured after being shot at and one of the two people shot at recognized Jared Britt Jr. and Ataveon Gordon. Police found a Chevrolet Malibu with multiple bullet holes and shot-out windows. One of the victims was brought to University Hospital.

That shooting occurred near North Providence Road and Nebraska Avenue. Britt allegedly knocked a cellphone out of one of the victim’s hands, which was eventually recovered by police, the statement says.

Gordon allegedly told police that he and one of the victims allegedly messaged each other prior to smoke marijuana and he picked up the victim, the statement says. He also allegedly received a call from Lumley. The statement says Lumlely flagged down a vehicle and that Lumlely and another person approached one of the victims.

After the victims drove away, Gordon allegedly told police he followed them in a vehicle and that Lumley shot at the victim’s vehicle from the front passenger side of Gordon’s vehicle, the statement says.

Britt Jr., 19, of Columbia was charged with first-degree assault in the Jan. 27 case. He has a hearing scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday, June 9.

Gordon, 20, of Columbia, was also charged with first-degree assault and aiding and abetting a shooting. He is also in the Boone County Jail without bond and has an arraignment set for 9 a.m. Tuesday. In another case from Morgan County, he pleaded guilty to stealing and was sentenced to probation with a five-year suspended sentence. A hearing was called for in that case for an outstanding warrant in March.

In the Dec. 21 incident, deputies were called to El Chaparral Avenue after two youths arrived at an area hospital with gunshot wounds.  The probable cause statement says a shooting occurred at East Broadway and South Keene Street.

Lumley allegedly wore a ski mask while the victims were driving away and the vehicle he was in – an SUV – pulled up next to them at a stop light, the statement says. He then began shooting. One of the youths was able to identify Lumley to law enforcement, the statement says.

Lumley’s vehicle was identified by police from footage from prior interactions, the statement says. Video from a nearby business’ camera also captured the shooting, the statement says.

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