Month: December 2025

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

EDITOR’S NOTE: AI was used for background in researching this story.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is pausing its chronic Wasting Disease management efforts to find a more sustainable option.

The disease was detected in the state in 2010, and is reportedly on the rise but relatively low, with around 1% of samples last year testing positive for CWD. However, MDC experts add that a 5% positive test rate tends to be at risk for outbreaks.

“As with many diseases, early detection and aggressive management have the greatest impact on the future distribution of the disease. So we embarked on an aggressive strategy to minimize the likelihood of spreading the disease within Missouri,” MDC Director Jason Sumners wrote in an open letter Monday.

The Missouri Department of Conservation implemented a series of strategies aimed at controlling the spread of CWD. Among these is a mandatory sampling procedure conducted annually during deer season, during which hunters can have their deer tested at no cost. The department has also implemented regulations for feed use and carcass disposal to prevent the spread.

The department typically uses the findings from the November sampling in conjunction with an annual targeted deer removal program that runs from January to mid-March.

This program is intended to help control the population of infected deer in areas where CWD is prevalent. The department gets approval from local landowners to hunt on their land, and all non-CWD-affected meat harvested from the hunts is either returned to the landowners or donated.

According to MDC Deer Program Leader Jason Isabelle, following a mandatory sampling event in November, the department received around 22,000 samples with 32 positive cases of CWD.

Last year, the department reported having hunted 4,700 deer alone through targeted deer removal with local partners and hunters across the state removing around 275,000 deer.

The post-season program is being put on hold for this upcoming year.

“We remain committed to keeping our deer herd healthy and working collaboratively with the hunters and landowners that are critical to our conservation mission,” Sumners wrote. “We cannot be successful in this work, and at the scale needed, without hunters’ and landowners’ support and participation. At this time, MDC will be pausing our post-season targeted removal efforts to work with hunters and landowners to adapt and identify a more sustainable path forward.”

Deer culling has been a criticized strategy in the past, with opponents arguing that the action causes ecological impacts and affects local hunters.

Anthony Weeks from Vandalia sees benefits from targeted deer removal but adds that it can be dangerous if misused.

“A local area to me, they did it and they realized, ‘hey, there really is no CWD in this area,’ and so now they decreased a little of the population,” Weeks said. “Normally, I harvest between 3 to 4 deer, one buck and a couple of does, this year I only have one buck and one doe and that was it.”

Weeks adds that he is excited about the idea of public hearings with the department. “That they are listening to both the hunters and landowners and the community,” Weeks said. “Not everything is going to be able to get put into place or be a new law for next year, but it is a good starting point.”

Allen Morris from Jackson argues that targeted deer removal does more harm than good.

“You just killed a whole population and they can’t tell you that those deer will die of CWD because there’s 100 different ways that deer will die before ever getting CWD,” Morris said. “A deer is going to die of getting hit by a car, chronic blood loss from a bullet or an arrow, predators, weather, there’s so many different things that nobody comes into account.”

Morris adds that trust in the department for some hunters needs to be built back up following previously unsuccessful public hearings.

“They’ve hosted forums for the last 12 years, I’ve been to three of them in Perry County, and they won’t they won’t let the people talk,” Morris said. “They have their little meetings, a little sit down around the table, and they don’t want people to have a public output on this, because when you start asking questions, they get uncomfortable.”

Morris adds that the department must be more forward with finances and details on the operations of targeted deer removal to rebuild trust.

“It would be complete transparency, and instead of me having to file so many open records request, all that should be on their website for anyone,” Morris said.

“Regardless of where you stand on the issue of CWD, most share the same goal — a healthy sustainable population of deer in Missouri that can be appreciated and utilized by future generations,” Sumners said.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Tigers are getting ready for postseason play in less than two weeks.

The Tigers will travel to Jacksonville, Florida, for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Virginia on Dec. 27. They took questions about the preparation at noon Tuesday. Watch it in the media player.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Food insecurity is at a 10-year high in Mid Missouri, and the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri says demand has increased since the government shutdown in October and November.

The demand became noticeable in October when concerns grew around SNAP benefits during the country’s longest government shutdown. The Food Bank said since SNAP funding returned in November, there has been an improvement, but the need is still high. While people are still recovering from the impact, so is the food bank.

“Loads of food were canceled or not complete,” said the Food Bank’s President and CEO Lindsay Lopez. “In addition to that, we saw food donations really decrease and we saw our costs continue to rise.”

The market served 3,196 people last week — 68 of them new. One-in-seven people in Missouri, including 1-in-5 children, are food insecure. The Food Bank serves 100,000 people across central and northeast Missouri each month. The Food Bank has increased spending on general food purchases by more than 157% compared to 2024.

Katie Geisler, spokeswoman for the Food Bank, said the holiday season can also bring food insecurity to the forefront because food is so central to celebrations.

“By making a contribution and participating in a food and fund drive, like the one for one holiday food and fund drive, or giving of their time as a volunteer, all of those things make such a huge difference,” Lopez said.

The Food Bank is set to host its 19th annual One for One Holiday Food & Fund Drive on Wednesday. Items gathered will provide food to families in need during the holiday season and beyond.

The most needed items at the One for One Holiday Drive are canned meat/protein, canned fruits and vegetables, canned soups/chilis/stews, boxed meal kits, cereal, peanut butter and pasta, according to The Food Bank’s website.

The Food Bank also welcomes monetary donations. One dollar helps The Food Bank provide three meals, according to Geisler. That means a $25 donation will provide at least 75 meals.

Food and funds can be donated at two locations from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday — the Columbia Mall and Buchheits in Jefferson City.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Central Bank of Boone County, Central Bank of Audrain County and Central Bank of Moberly are sounding the alarm that business fraud incidents reach an all-time high this holiday season.

According to the banks, scammers are targeting businesses using publicly available information, including pandemic-era loan lists from the U.S. Paycheck Protection Program, to make fraudulent calls.

“We’ve seen a much higher incident rate of spoofing fraud with our customers,” Bob Hull, senior vice president of business banking at Central Bank of Boone County, said. “And primarily what that involves is fraudsters reaching out to our customers and pretending to be the bank.”

Hull said at least several dozen of the bank’s customers have been contacting them eeach week about getting these types of calls.

They’ve also been receiving links to fake websites that mimic legitimate bank sites, tricking victims into entering sensitive financial details.

And what Hull said is possibly most alarming is how legitimate these scams appear, compared to what the banks have seen in the past.

And with all the credentials they appear to present, Hull said it’s becoming easier to be tricked.

“Phone number from the bank, the caller ID information from the bank, often the individual will give a name that is an actual bank employee,” Hull said.

“Phone number from the bank, the caller ID information from the bank, often give the individual will state that they’re they’re, give a name that is an actual bank employee.”

Hull said scammers are taking advantage of the season.

“To basically catch them at a busy time of year as we are in the holidays, and then try to scare them into seeing that there’s been some type of compromise on their account,” Hull said.

Fraud activity typically spikes during the holidays when business owners and consumers are distracted, the banks say. A single mistake can lead to devastating financial losses.

Angie Gentry, executive vice president of consumer banking, emphasized caution.

“Never, ever give out personal information on the phone or in an email without checking with your bank first, preferably, with someone you know at the bank,” Gentry said in the release. “Your bank knows your information. There’s no need for us to ask for it.”

Banks urge businesses and consumers to remain skeptical of any unsolicited requests for private information.

If someone suspects they’ve been targeted, they should contact their bank immediately. Lost funds should be reported to law enforcement.

Hull said the Central Bank of Boone County has been in contact with police about fraud surging and continues to report scams.

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