Month: September 2025

ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri high school football kicked off Week 2 of the 2025 season on Friday.

Scores from Mid-Missouri teams are posted below.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The last ride for the Central Missouri Honor Flight will occur Monday, Sept. 15, according to a Friday press release from the group.

The release says roughly 5,600 veterans have been flown to Washington D.C. since May 2009. A reason for the flights stopping was not described in the release. CMHF’s 71st group will leave Columbia at 1:45 a.m. Sept. 15 and return at 9:30 p.m. the same day at the Columbia Mariott Courtyard.   

The Central Missouri Honor Flight Riders escort the buses once they arrive to Kingdom City from St. Louis.

“For the final Central Missouri Honor Flight, join us in letting the veterans on board know their service is not forgotten. Just as our goal was sixteen years ago for our first honor flight, it remains the mission that each veteran comes away with new-found respect and remembrance that they are thanked and applauded for their service to our country. An honor flight has never been about the travel. It has always been about the journey,” the release says.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The City of Columbia’s Chamber of Commerce claims the area has a lot of jobs to fill, despite job growth stalling nationally.

The jobs report released on Friday indicates 22,000 jobs were added to the economy last month and the unemployment rate rose from 4.2% to 4.3%.

There are about 7.4 million people in the unemployment pool across the nation, according to the jobs report. 

Missouri comes in just under the federal unemployment rate at 4.1%, according to the Missouri July jobs report. Columbia’s unemployment rate for June is higher than the state employment rates at 4.23%, which is nearly an eight percentage point increase, according to the city’s August economic report. 

While unemployment rates increase around the country, Columbia has a larger number of openings, according to the Columbia Chamber of Commerce President Matt McCormick. 

McCormick claims there are not enough people who fit the job descriptions for the available opportunities in career paths such as health care. McCormick said the chamber’s division of workforce development is working on a way to close the gap. 

The key is retaining students who graduate from local high schools and higher education, McCormick said.  Another important aspect of filling more jobs in Columbia is recruitment, McCormick said.

“We’re taking a look at maybe people that have some sort of connection back to Columbia. They went to school here, and then maybe they left after they finished going to college here,” McCormick said.

The next step would be to explain what living and working in Columbia would be like.

“So really taking a look at what are those efforts and programs that we can work in those areas,” McCormick said.

The people who don’t think college is for them, have the option to go to a trade school, like Job Point.

“We have seen more and more people moving towards the trades programs because within 12-16 weeks, you can be certified, you can be employed, and you could be making great money,” said John Scalise, Job Point CEO. “Oftentimes people are just more interested in that than taking four years to get to where they want to be.”

Job point helps people get into jobs that are in high demand, like trucking or construction. 

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Speed humps will be reinstalled on multiple Columbia streets next week, according to a Friday press release from the city.

Traffic calming measures were previously located on each street, but were removed because of recent pavement maintenance, the release says. No street closures will be required. Work will be done as followed:

Tuesday, Sept. 9 – South Garth Avenue between Broadway and West Stewart Road

Wednesday, Sept. 10 – Alexander Avenue between West Worley Street and West Ash Street

Thursday, Sept. 11 – Primrose Drive between North Stadium Boulevard and Sunflower Street

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Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A silver advisory issued on Friday for an 80-year-old man who went missing in Columbia has been canceled, according to a release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

A silver advisory is issued when a missing person is 60 years or older and believed to be suffering from dementia or another cognitive impairment. In order for the advisory to be activated, a legal custodian must first file a missing person’s report with local law enforcement.

Keven W. Martin was found safely in Oklahoma, according to an updated advisory.

Previous information indicated he went missing near Providence Road and Stadium Boulevard after dropping off his wife at University Hospital on Thursday afternoon and did not return.

Martin is diagnosed with dementia and diabetes. He is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs about 185 pounds and has gray hair and brown eyes.

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Haley Swaino

EDITOR’S NOTE: The man was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 44-year-old man was seriously hurt after crashing in Audrain County on Friday afternoon, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The report states the Madison man was driving a 2005 Triumph Rocket III south on Route C, near County Road. 232, a little after 3 p.m., when he drove off the left side of the road and crashed.

Troopers say he was taken to University Hospital by ambulance. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the report states.

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