Month: November 2025

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than 100 volunteers woke up early Saturday morning to help with Columbia’s first-ever NCAA Division I National Championship.

Katie Martinez, the University of Missouri Assistant Athletics Director for Student Athlete Development and Volunteer Coordinator for Saturday’s event, told ABC 17 News that recruiting for volunteers started back in July through an interest form.

“We assign [volunteers] a few weeks ago to their roles and how they’re going to execute at this event and help us out,” Martinez said. “We have also multiple staff and students helping us out.”

Martinez said that she’s excited to help out with such a historic event for the city.

“This is such a great opportunity for us to showcase, ‘What does Columbia have and how is it a hidden gem in the state of Missouri?’ We have such a fantastic course to show off,” Martinez said.

University of Missouri senior Blake George got the opportunity to volunteer through his sports management class.

“It’s a little intimidating just because of how big of an event it is and how historic it is for the university, but it’s a great opportunity,” George said.

Volunteer roles included checking in and greeting visiting teams on Friday and Saturday, running the event’s merchandise booth, and stepping in wherever needed.

“All the volunteers are so upbeat. They started checking in at 5 a.m., and they’re like, ‘Where do you need me? Where do you want me?’ They’re taking the initiative to make sure that we can put our best foot forward,” Martinez said.

Event volunteer and Mizzou Cross Country Alum Bonnie Belfield was also excited to help out, adding that the energy at cross country events is special.

“When I heard that they were hosting this for the first time, it was very easy to say, ‘Yes, I will be there,'” Belfield said. “It’s really amazing, the facility is spectator-friendly, which is what you really need with a cross-country course.”

Other volunteer opportunities can be found on the University’s website.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, about 200 cars wrapped around the Parkade Center in Columbia, nearly two and half hours before the Powerhouse Community Development Corporation was supposed to start giving out free turkeys and food boxes.

The giveaway had to start 15 minutes early because about 500 cars had pulled into the parking lot and some were stalling traffic in the roadway, Powerhouse CEO Charles Stephenson said.

“Everybody’s going to get a turkey and a food box,” Stephenson said. “We’ve never run out to date.”

Powerhouse purchased about 600 more turkeys this year, because they’ve seen about a 40% increase in need, Stephenson said.

SNAP benefits were released earlier this month, but Stephenson said there’s lasting financial strain from that.

“People had already started spending some of their disposable income to buy food and groceries, and now they got the SNAP, but they don’t have the cash to pay bills,” Stephenson said.

Hope Edwards was at the Thanksgiving giveaway, and she said she isn’t eligible for SNAP because her partner is still in school, but they’re living on one income.

“This then allows us to have a more normal Thanksgiving,” Edwards said. “All the food’s expensive, even like ground beef is so expensive right now, so this helps a lot with that.”

Miss Boone County Colleen Finney got up early Saturday morning to help pack cars with turkeys and food boxes. She said helping her community is worthwhile.

“The holiday season is coming up, and we have to remember that there are those that are in less fortunate situations,” Finney said.

Powerhouse is having a hot meal giveaway on Thanksgiving from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fifth Street Christian Church.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Charges against a man named Jimmy Kenda have been dropped after a man who harassed a woman at a gas station and led police on a high-speed chase in Jefferson City on Friday provided a false identity, police say.

Kenda was wrongly charged Friday with first-degree sexual abuse, aggravated fleeing a stop and first-degree harassment.

Officers say around 4:30 p.m. Friday, they learned that the suspect gave them the name and identifying information of another person to avoid arrest.

The felonies against Kenda were rescinded, and formal charges are pending against the suspect, police said Saturday morning. The suspect’s name will be released after formal charges are filed.

Officers were called to the Break Time at 326 Ellis Blvd. around 2:45 a.m. on Friday, where a woman said a man repeatedly made unwanted advances that included touching her and offering to pay her for sex, according to a probable cause statement. The man followed her to the drink station and continued to touch her inappropriately, the victim told police.

The suspect’s vehicle was soon found at another gas station. An officer began to question Kenda, who took off down Route C at speeds up to 100 mph in heavy rain, the statement says. Kenda crashed at the intersection of Route C and Rock Ridge Road and was arrested, police say.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 49-year-old man from Kansas City, Kansas, was seriously injured Saturday in a crash on Route Z in Camden County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says a 2006 Ford E250 – driven by the man – was headed northbound when it went off the right side of the road just before 1:30 a.m. and hit a tree at 1865 Route Z.

The man was brought to Lake Regional Hospital by ambulance with serious injuries, the report says. He was wearing a seatbelt, and the truck was totaled.

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