Month: November 2025

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The driver of a Sunderland Truck involved in a deadly crash on Business Loop 70 in Columbia last month claims he was on the phone at the time of the crash, but used Bluetooth.

The Columbia Police Department said Roger Bone, 56, of Jefferson City was killed in the crash on Oct. 20 at the intersection of Business Loop 70 and Range Line Street. Police said he was riding his bike, when he was hit. He died at the scene.

A police report detailing what led up to crash says the driver– listed as Conner McMillan– told police he was driving west on Business Loop 70, when he began to turn north onto Range Line Street. McMillan allegedly said he “felt something” and looked into his mirror as he turned north.

The report states McMillan told police he saw Bone and his bike laying in the middle of the road, pulled over and ran back to the man. The dump truck pulled over near a motel on Range Line Street, according to previous reporting.

The report lists Sunderland Trucking as the truck involved in the crash.

McMillan allegedly told police he was on the phone with his wife, but said he was using the Bluetooth connected to the truck and claims the phone was in the cupholder at the time.

According to the report, police spoke to at least two witnesses on scene. One witness allegedly told police he saw McMillan turn right from Business Loop 70 onto Range Line Street. The witness claims as the truck was turning, Bone’s bicycle collided with the side of it and Bone ended up underneath the truck.

The witness claimed they did not see McMillan use his turn signal.

A second witness allegedly told police that they did not see Bone before the crash happened, but saw Bone collide with the middle of the truck while the truck was halfway into turning. The witness also told police he saw the rear wheels of the truck run Bone over, the report says.

Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson told ABC 17 News via email on Tuesday afternoon that his office had not received any referrals.

Jason Norris said he recently became homeless and walks the area near where the crash happened roughly five to 10 times per day. He said while he didn’t personally know Bone or the specific details of what happened in the crash, he knows from walking the road just how dangerous it can be.

Norris said the road can be scary to walk on, and thinks the intersection should be made a priority and the city could benefit from putting more sidewalks in the area.

“You know how the DMV says the bikers got the right of way and they push that to the limit sometimes, and it can be deadly or very harmful?” Norris said. “You got drivers that come through here just hauling butt, trying to beat something and somebody gets hit it can be very dangerous.”

Bone’s daughter Alexis Hurst previously told ABC 17 News that she is hoping to raise awareness about the need for safety improvements along Business Loop 70 after the deadly crash. Bone told ABC 17 News via text message on Tuesday that she had spoken with a witness after the crash who told her they did not see McMillan use his turn signal during the crash.

Hurst said she was told by police that they could not obtain anything off of the black box in the truck because the impact occurred on the side of the truck and did not detect a crash.

She said her goal remains on bringing justice for her father and pushing for improvements to the road.

“I understand accidents happen but this was avoidable, absolutely avoidable between the lack of safety measures and whatever was going on with the truck driver. My dad’s loss of life was unneccassary. I wouldn’t wish this grief and pain onto anyone. Everyone I have spoken to has said kind things about my dad and I just want justice,” Hurst wrote.

The City of Columbia conducted an audit for safety improvements to Business Loop 70. The final audit is expected to be completed by Spring 2026.

ABC 17 News reached out to Sunderland Trucking.

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Mitchell Kaminski

ASHLAND, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Southern Boone School District held a community forum at Southern Boone High School on Tuesday night to discuss a possible shift to a four-day school week beginning with the 2026–27 academic year.

More than 50 people attended the event, where school board members responded to pre-submitted questions from community members, followed by a live discussion at the end. 

“That’s really the intent of this is to really get the community feedback. We did try to attempt to do the Q&A in order to keep a structured component,  but that is really what we were trying to dispel,” Board President Amy Begemann told ABC 17 News. “The gentleman brought up how it seems like a decision has already been made when, in all essence, it has not.” 

Under the proposal, students would attend school 7:50 a.m.-3:25 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, extending each day by 30-40 minutes. The district would eliminate the current early-release Wednesdays, and one Monday each month would be set aside for staff professional development. Remaining Mondays would function as off-days, allowing families to schedule appointments without students missing class.

The school board claims the biggest reason for a potential switch would be to help recruit and retain quality teachers as it tries to compete with larger districts like Columbia Public Schools. 

“Having the most appropriate and most qualified teachers, obviously has a greater impact on the student learning,” Begemann said. “So, really student first, but what are the components that are impacting that? Of course, one being that more qualified teachers and retaining those folks.” 

District leaders added the four-day schedule could boost attendance, increase instructional time and offer families and students more flexibility. However, several questions arose about how parents would handle child care for younger students on Mondays. 

School Board member Heather Brown said during the meeting that the district could look to increase work with other childcare providers, such as the YMCA, with whom they are already partnered. However, Brown added it will ultimately be up to parents to figure it out. 

Other concerns raised during the forum included whether students would be overwhelmed by longer school days and how those involved in extracurricular activities would manage homework if practices and sporting events pushed them home later in the evening.

The Southern Boone School District achieved a 95.9% on the Annual Performance Report conducted by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, placing the district 10th in the state overall. 

One parent said the quality schools in Ashland were one of the reasons they moved to the area, but added they would not have moved here if there were a four-day school week in place. Another parent said her child wanted to change districts if Southern Boone changed the schedule. 

Begemann said nothing has been decided at this point and no options are off the table. 

If the proposal is not approved, the district is looking at several other options to help attract and retain teachers. One option the Southern Boone finance committee discussed was scheduled salaries for teachers. Two other ideas the district floated were raising taxes or increasing class sizes; however, officials noted that both ideas would be unpopular. 

Conversations about a schedule change began in May. A survey was distributed to parents and staff in June, and a committee formed to study the issue held its first meeting in August.

The results of the survey are expected later this week. However, Brown acknowledged during the meeting that some of the survey questions were poorly worded and did not produce the intended feedback, adding the process has been a learning experience for everyone involved.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office and Auditor’s Office are investigating the state’s governing body for high school sports after claims of sex and racial discrimination were made.

A Tuesday press release from both offices alleges that a whistleblower was not eligible for an at-large position on MSHSAA’s board because they are white and male.

In a list of emails provided in the press release, one of the responses from a lawyer representing MSHSAA alleges an article of it Constitution “does not serve as a blanket disqualification preventing administrators from running for or serving on the Board of Directors. Rather, the eligibility requirements are tied to specific seats, and by design they ensure balanced representation across both geographic regions and demographic groups.”

“The individual identified in your correspondence, Mr. Johnson, was not and is presently not precluded from serving on the MSHSAA Board of Directors. Rather, he was unable to run for a particular at-large seat because he did not meet the current qualifications attached to that seat pursuant MSHSAA’s Constitution. Mr. Johnson remains eligible to run for election to a seat representing his own region, where his service as an administrator would qualify him under the governing bylaws,” the email from Natalie Hoernschemeyer reads.

An email to the whistleblower details the article from the MSHSAA Constitution states the man was not eligible.

“The current Board of Directors, after taking out members whose terms are up, has a majority of males. Since you are a male, you do not meet this requirement. The ethnicity of the board has a majority of white, non-Hispanic members. Without knowing your ethnicity or race, we ask for you to respond with the minority ethnicity or race group in which you identify, if you applicable,” the email says.

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