Month: August 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County voters overwhelmingly approved expanding the county’s senior property tax freeze on Tuesday.

Voters approved the measure with 77.7% of the vote. “Yes” votes garnered 12,233 votes compared to 3,506 for “no.” Last year, Boone County voters approved an initial tax exemption that seniors have to apply for each year. This new measure seeks to do a “full freeze” that includes bond levies.

Columbia Ward 2 voters also chose to make Vera Elwood the ward’s representative on the City Council. Elwood bested Ken Rice 1,480 votes to 1,130. A special election was held after former Councilwoman Lisa Meyer announced her resignation earlier this year.

Voter turnout in Boone County exceeded the county clerk’s expectation with 12.58%. County Clerk Brianna Lennon previously told ABC 17 News that she expected around a 7-8% turnout.

There were 2,709 absentee ballots filled out.

Voters in the Harrisburg School District area also rejected a measure asked by the school on Tuesday. A question for the Harrisburg R-8 School District asked voters to eliminate the Prop C Sales Tax Rollback in its operating levy and increase its levy by 50 cents. Voters rejected the measure 275 votes to 216.

Higbee voters approve fire protection district bond

Higbee voters once again approved a proposition question for the Higbee Area Fire Protection District. The measure passed with 111 votes in favor and 18 against.

Voters in Higbee approved a bond measure in August 2024 that included the wrong amount. In May, the state auditor’s office determined the August and November elections for this measure did not comply with state law because sample ballots were not published.

The $1.6 million bond will be used to buy essential equipment, according to previous reporting.

There was a 10.71% voter turnout in that election.

Audrain County

Voters decided they wanted to be incorporated into the Van Far Fire Protection District with a 327-52 decision. A tax levy to fund the department was also approved 303 votes to 78.

Five people were selected to the fire protection district’s board of directors: Heather Williams (315 votes), Dean Middleton (302 votes), Marvin Yager (297 votes), Justin Hopke (276 votes) and Mark Woodward (272 votes).

The Vandalia Fire Protection District wrote on its Facebook page that Williams was picked to a six-year term, while Middleton and Yager earned four-year terms and Hopke and Woodward earned two-year terms.

There were 390 total ballots cast to lead to an 18.29% voter turnout.

Callaway County

New Bloomfield voters are deciding on a $3 million bond for its fire protection district.

Previous reporting indicates the money will be used for a new fire station and other improvements.

Initial counts posted at 7:43 p.m. by the Callaway County clerk showed “YES” leading 126 votes to 27.

Additional results from around Mid-Missouri will be added as the night continues.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation is moving into the next phase of its bridge rehabilitation project along Highway 54 over Missouri Boulevard, with new traffic changes and ramp closures set to begin Tuesday evening.

Crews will begin work on the right-hand lanes of U.S. 54 over Business Route 50, forcing both eastbound and westbound traffic into the left-hand passing lanes. The shift will come with three ramp closures, including one not previously affected:

Westbound Highway 54 off-ramp to Missouri Boulevard. (Which is new during this phase.) 

Eastbound Highway 50 off-ramp to westbound Highway 54. (Closed during Phase 1.) 

Missouri Boulevard on-ramp to eastbound Highway 54. (Closed during Phase 1.) 

The ramp closures are expected to remain in place through early October. MoDOT officials say the work — part of a larger plan to rehabilitate 11 bridges and remove one out-of-use structure — was designed in-house and does not require additional right of way.

MoDOT has already completed work on eight of the 11 bridges in the first phase of the project. 

Chris Brownell, MoDOT’s resident engineer for the Central District, said the project is necessary to address wear and tear on aging infrastructure.

“We’re putting back on all these structures a latex modified wearing surface, which we’re hoping a 30-year surface. Plus, it seals up the water to keep from getting down in the concrete because water and calcium is what tears up your bridge the most,” Brownell said.

Construction in the evenings which has reduced the effect on the extreme heat seen across Mid-Missouri in recent weeks. 

“Obviously, the human element, it takes a little toll with the heat but as far as construction goes. It’s plowed ahead, good dry weather, they’re going to be able to work,” Brownell said. “The wearing surface, it kind of needs more of less sun so they usually do all that work at night because the sun rays will affect how that cures.” 

The project is already ahead of schedule. Incentives built into the contract for each day the project finishes ahead of schedule helped accelerate the completion of the first five bridges.

“It does incentivize a contractor to work overtime, pull in an extra crew. It’s an important corridor and affects a lot of people,” Brownell said. The incentive is placed in there to try to get a contractor to mobilize his forces, to get in and out and do good quality work.” 

Despite the lane reductions, Brownell said traffic is generally flowing with minimal backups.

“What you see now in town over the Missouri Boulevard it’s a one-lane bridge. We’re not seeing significant backups. You know, weekends, we’re having some issues with capacity and traffic. For the most part. I think traffic is able to work around that where they can,” Brownell said. 

A number of Jefferson City residents, who were downtown on Tuesday afternoon, told ABC 17 News they haven’t experienced any major inconveniences from the project.

“We’re trying to get in and out as soon as we can,” Brownell said. “It’s just a good situation to have to have the funding to do the projects we need to do in a timely fashion,” Brownell added. “The main thing is to watch for signs, watch for slow and back traffic and just be careful as you get through the 54 corridor.”

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