Month: March 2026

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Tributes are pouring in from across Mid-Missouri after a former Columbia firefighter was killed over the weekend during an accident at Kennedale Speedway Park in Texas. 

Billy Hurt, a longtime safety official in Sprint Car racing, was involved in a crash during a World of Outlaws event Saturday. The Kennedale Police Department reported two officials collided while responding to an on-track Sprint Car accident, ejecting both from their vehicles.

One official was taken to the hospital, and the other — who was later identified as Hurt — died at the scene. 

“Beyond his professionalism, Billy exemplified what it meant to be a good person, always putting others before himself,” World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter said in a statement. “He dedicated his life to ensuring the safety of every racer, making their well-being his main priority. And beyond the track, his kindness shone further with every interaction, quickly becoming a friendly face to everyone he met.

The World of Outlaws also said on Monday the other official in the incident, Jerry Meyers, is stable and recovering from his injuries. 

Since then, several Mid-Missouri agencies have posted tributes for Hurt. 

The Columbia Firefighters Union, Local 1055, posted on social media Sunday, calling Hurt’s passing “sudden and unexpected.”

“We are very saddened to learn of the passing of one of our brothers, Billy Hurt. Billy was a retired member of the Columbia Fire Department who mentored and taught countless members of the fire service and had limitless knowledge of heavy rescue and vehicle extrication techniques. His unexpected and sudden passing is a tragedy, and we place our love and thoughts with his family,” Local 1055 said in a statement. 

The Boonville Fire Department added that Hurt’s dedication to fire safety left a lasting impact on the local fire service community: 

“The Boonville Fire Department is saddened to learn of the passing of Billy Hurt. Billy was always someone we could count on. Anytime the Boonville Fire Department needed help, advice, or support, Billy was willing to step up and lend a hand. His dedication to the fire service and his commitment to helping others made a lasting impact on our department and the entire local fire service community. Billy was more than just a firefighter—he was a friend, a mentor, and a true public servant who cared deeply about the people and communities he served. His willingness to help others and his positive presence will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. We extend our deepest condolences to Billy’s family and to his brothers and sisters at the Columbia Fire Department during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Rest easy, Billy. Thank you for your service and the example you set for all of us,” Boonville Fire wrote. 

The Sedalia Fire Department and the Sedalia Fire Union, Local 103, both honored Hurt with statements on social media, saying he will have a “lasting impact for year’s to come. 

“Like many others across the region, we are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our friend and brother, Billy Hurt, a longtime member of Local 1055 in Columbia. Billy was killed while serving as a safety team member for a national sprint car series. In true Billy fashion, he was attempting to provide aid to someone, something he was incredibly experienced and passionate about. Billy was a longtime friend and instructor to the Sedalia Fire Department and Local 103. He taught countless firefighters the full spectrum of vehicle extrication, from the basics to complex scenarios involving school buses and everything in between. He shared that same knowledge with departments across Missouri. Because of Billy’s dedication to training and education, every citizen who travels through our region is safer. His knowledge, skill, and commitment to the fire service will have a lasting impact for years to come,” Local 103 said. 

“Words cannot express the loss, but this says it well. Our thoughts are with his family, his fire family, Columbia Fire Department, and the entire racing world. He will be missed but his legacy will live on in the thousands of lives he impacted while he was here,” the Sedalia Fire Department added. 

Howard County Fire also posted several photos of Hurt, calling him a “friend and mentor to many”. 

“Station 4 would like to send our prayers and condolences to the family of Billy Hurt. Billy was an amazing friend and mentor to many. He would always go above and beyond to help each and everyone of us in the fire fighting community. You will be truly missed, rest easy my friend,” Howard County Fire said. 

The Glasgow Fire District said that Hurt was always available to help with local training. 

“GFD is deeply saddened to share the passing of our colleague and mentor Billy Hurt. Billy always made himself available to aid in local training, equipment procurement, and to offer any assistance he could to departments in our region,” Glasgow Fire said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues at this time” 

Lake Ozark Speedway and Moberly Motorsports Park also weighed in with tributes. 

“Lake Ozark Speedway sends our thoughts and prayers to the safety officials with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Our racing community has lost one of our own. Our hearts are heavy as we send our condolences to the family and friends of a true friend to so many in the pit area and beyond. We are forever grateful for the men and women who put themselves on the line each night to keep our drivers, teams, and fans safe. The entire racing family stands with you,” Lake Ozark Speedway wrote. 

“The team at Mobley Motorsports Park would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and staff of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series regarding the loss of Billy. He will be deeply missed within the racing community. God speed, Billy,” Moberly Motorsports Park wrote. 

Reid Millard, of Millard Family Chapels, who also works with the Millard Family Racing Dirt Late Model team, called Hurt a friend to all in the Dirt Track Racing Family. 

“Billy Hurt was a friend to all of us in the Dirt Circle Track Racing Family across America. As a leading Professional Track Safety Crew Member, Over the years Billy was many times the first one to pull up to your race car to see if you were alright.  He was there for me one night at the Historic State Fair Speedway at Sedalia. The job as a Race Track Safety Official  was a passion of Billy’s and he was one of America’s best. Last night he was doing exactly what he loved, going out to make sure one of the drivers who flipped his car was alright. Billy left his mark of being a caring person throughout his life. As a Professional Firefighter in Columbia he left his mark as a leader as someone who helped and mentored the younger firefighters to become their best.  Throughout his professional career he left his mark for the citizens of Columbia by responding to thousands of calls over those years to comfort families at the loss of property or even the loss of a loved one. Today we come together as a Racing Family and as a Fire Service Family to be there for Billy’s Family. To comfort them, to support them and to help lift them up during this moment in time.  Why –  Because that is exactly what Billy did for others throughout his life,” Millard wrote.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A crash on Tuesday night led to one of the westbound lanes of West Nifong Boulevard in Columbia to be closed by first responders.

Three vehicles were involved in the crash and one person was brought to an area hospital, according to firefighters at the scene. The status of that person’s injuries was not available. The crash occurred on West Nifong Boulevard near Forum Boulevard.

One of the vehicles involved in the crash had smoke coming from it when an ABC 17 News reporter was there. Tow trucks were at the scene around 7:30 p.m.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia city leaders aren’t the only ones aiming to keep one of its most popular areas safe through the use of a downtown ambassador program.

The city is exploring the possibility of adding safety ambassadors to the downtown area in hopes of serving as additional eyes and ears to ensure public safety. The Columbia City Council had a first reading on the proposal during Monday night’s council meeting.

According to city documents, the total cost of the program for one year is $504,390.03. The funds will be split three ways between the City of Columbia, University of Missouri and Downtown Community Improvement District, meaning the city will be responsible for paying $168,130.01 each year. The CID would manage the agreement through its Block by Block contract and will invoice the city annually, documents say.

The contract would begin on April 1 and end on March 31, 2027, with up to four renewal periods, if approved.

Documents say the ambassadors would work to conduct walking and bicycle patrols to deter unwanted activity and work on outreach with homeless individuals and help connect them with appropriate service providers. It would also aim to improve coordination between the City of Columbia, CID and MU and allow law enforcement to better focus on higher priority enforcement needs.

“The university is providing financial support for the ambassador program as part of our ongoing collaborative efforts with city, county, regional and state leaders to improve community safety in downtown Columbia,” MU spokesman Christoper Ave said in a Tuesday afternoon statement.

City leaders began exploring the program after attending the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Leadership visit in Columbia, South Carolina, in October 2025, touting the success of the city’s long-term success. Leaders in Columbia, Missouri, hope to mirror South Carolina and form the program, which would consist of uniformed and unarmed ambassadors.

The South Carolina city started the program roughly 25 years ago. Operations Manager for Block by Block Steve Weeks said the ambassadors are unarmed and don’t serve as security guards. They rather work responding to smaller lower level situations and still encourage people to call 911 if a situations appears to be escalating.

However, Weeks said they still serve a greater purpose by making people feel safe and ease their fears.

“If we get a call about a disturbance at a business, a lot of times we can go in there and interact with somebody and they don’t feel threatened like they’re going to jail over it,” Weeks said. “We’re able to deescalate situations a little bit easier than say, a police officer or a security officer.”

Operations Supervisor Adam Boulware said that all ambassadors have to go through training through the Block by Block program, but handle situations on a case-by-case basis. Boulware said they serve as a “buffer” between business owners and the police department, and work to have conversations with people, sometimes regulating people who may be loitering.

He said that’s something that can then translate into getting some people the help that they need.

“A lot of times people may be frustrated, grumpy or something like that but it may also lead to other conversations where we can conduct maybe a slight outreach,” Boulware said. “They’re upset just because they don’t have any help and nobody will listen to them.”

Weeks said ambassadors are also trained to be aware of their surroundings and to utilize a “10-foot rule” when making initial contact with someone and have a way to escape, if needed.

The ambassadors work seven days a week, with the safety crew specifically working from 3-11:30 p.m. . The program also offers a shuttle service and can provide escorts to people’s vehicles who requests them.

Weeks said the differences in Columbia, South Carolina, compared to when it used the program and when it did not has been monumental. He said it also allows them to continue to grow their relationship with the local police department, saying his background working in law enforcement for two decades allows him to see the comradery that can be built.

Weeks also said it allows residents to view the ambassadors in a non-threatening manner, making them more likely to pass information along about issues that are occurring within the city.

“We’re also very good witnesses. These guys know how to keep a safe distance and what to watch for, what to report when they call the police so there’s a lot that we bring to the table that does help not only deter crime, but to help solve the crimes that we have,” Weeks said.

The program has also been utilized in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the past three years. Executive Director of Downtown Little Rock Partnership Kyle Leyenberger said the program is made up of eight-to-12 people who work to walk the downtown streets.

Leyenberger said the issue of crime can sometimes be perceived as worse than it actually is. He said he believes much of that fear can sometimes stem from people who may be experiencing mental health issues, which can often lead to people feeling unsafe.

That’s where the ambassadors can help.

“One of the things that the ambassadors do is actually provide a quicker response and they’re out there proactively meeting these people who are unhoused, learning kind of what their situation is and offering resources to them,” Leyenberger said. “Then, police can actually focus on more serious crimes while the ambassadors are able to go do a quick response and hopefully, solve the situation without getting police involved.”

Downtown Executive Director Nickie Davis previously told ABC 17 News that if approved, six ambassadors would be hired to work Thursday- Saturday from 5 p.m.-3 a.m.

The Block by Block Ambassador Program is also utilized by the following cities:

Gainesville, Florida

Iowa City, Iowa

Fort Worth, Texas

Louisville, Kentucky

Columbus, Ohio

Austin, Texas

Pasadena, California

Davis said the ambassadors would also help with permitting for food trucks and carts, as well as work as touch points for bars and restaurants downtown, monitoring people who may become too drunk.

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