Month: March 2026

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An everyday sale took a turn last Friday after a man pulled a shotgun and shot at a salesman in Boone County, according to authorities.

Boone County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Brian Leer said 69-year-old Mark Streeter allegedly confronted a salesman and later fired shots at him as the salesman was leaving.

Deputies were called to the 6000 block of East Route HH where the shooting occurred and arrested Streeter on suspicion of unlawful use of a weapon. Streeter later bonded out of the Boone County Jail and no charges were filed on Casenet as of Monday evening.

Leer said the office has occasionally received calls about door-to-door sales in the county, with Route HH not standing out in calls for complaints compared to other areas.

Shawn Noordsy, owner of Quality Cut Lawncare in Columbia, told ABC 17 News safety concerns were a reason the company stepped away from door-to-door sales.

“We don’t utilize that practice anymore, it’s more for the safety of our employees of just random door knocking,” Noordsy said. “It’s kind of gone away and to the wayside with the new era we’re in.”

Noordsy added recent business operations have customers typically reaching out first.

“You’d contact us, we would come out with, meet with you, schedule [an] appointment, or you would know we’re coming by to your house to take a look at the property,” Noordsy said. “So you’re not surprised that we’re showing up, it’s all well documented that we’re coming.”

Quality Cut Lawncare also sometimes leaves signs, but continues to keep knocking down.

“Sometimes we do hang a door hanger on the neighbor’s yard if we feel like they’ll be a good fit for us, but again, we don’t knock, we don’t pressure anything,” Noordsy said.

According to the Better Business Bureau, if a homeowner is worried about a salesperson at their door, reputable sellers will often have a license and identification that they can show. The license and ID can also be verified by the city, county or seller’s business.

If a homeowner is interested in a sale, it’s recommended to note details of the agreement including price, contract details and all other terms and conditions. Homeowners can also contact local law enforcement if a salesperson does not get off their property when asked.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Mizzou men’s basketball team has punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, and fans are looking to get theirs.

The Tigers are set to face the Miami Hurricanes at 9:10 p.m. in an opening round game at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

“We were over-the-moon excited,” said Morgan Hackney, who is the assistant director of Alumni Engagement with the Mizzou Alumni Association. “I know our fans feel the same way. I know that’s how the team’s feeling right now.”

She said having March Madness in the state was the best-case scenario.

“One in five Tigers hails from the St. Louis area, so it was so exciting to think that this event that people get so excited about and usually have to take off work or find time to travel to is just like right in the backyard of one of our biggest cities,” Hackney said.

Fans looking to go need to first know what ticket to buy to see the black and gold.

“Tickets are always tricky when it comes to March Madness because they sell it by the session,” Hackney said. “When you buy a ticket for a session, you actually technically have tickets for both of those games. Even if you’re only interested in going to one or the other.”

Mizzou is set to play in the last session of round one. While there are many ways to go about buying a ticket, some are safer then others.

“Be in the driver’s seat and initiate the contact,” Columbia Regional Director for the Better Business Bureau Khesha Duncan said. “You want to do your research.”

Some safe buying tips, according to Duncan, includes using reputable sellers from sites like Ticketmaster, which was shared by official Mizzou Athletics social media accounts on Sunday.

“Buying the parking pass as well as the tickets all at the same time based on the recommendations and guidance from the Enterprise Center, I think is a good vote of confidence,” Duncan said.

Buying from an online source can leave consumers vulnerable to scammers who thrive in times like March Madness.

“Last year our scam tracker tool had like 140 reports of fake ticket sales of one kind or another,” Duncan said. “With AI, it’s more easy to duplicate websites and duplicate platforms that look like they’re real and they’re not.”

Duncan warned of pop-up ads or prices that seem too good to be true. When buying resale from a third-party seller, you can check if they’re accredited on the Better Business Bureau’s website.

The alumni association is also urging people to purchase from verified vendors. They invite fans to stop by Ball Park Village on Friday, which is about 10 minutes from the Enterprise Center, for a Mizzou Headquarters Party.

“Fans can stop by and get free giveaway items. We’ll have a spirit rally with Golden Girls, Truman, all of those things. We’ll have a deejay and be able to have almost like a block party type feel for fans to gather before they go down to the game,” Hackney said.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council is moving forward with filling the vacant Ward 2 seat following Councilman Aaron Mealy’s resignation earlier this month, though city officials say the process may need to be changed moving forward.

During Monday’s meeting, City Attorney Nathan Nickolaus outlined how the process works under the current city code, while also acknowledging concerns about how it has been handled in the past.

Nickolaus explained that under the city charter, the mayor is supposed to nominate a candidate subject to council approval, however the ordinance expands that process.

Under the ordinance, council members must make nominations at their next meeting on April 6. Each nomination requires a second, and once nominated, candidates will have four days to file a declaration of candidacy with the city clerk, including a cover letter and resume. 

Ward 2 Councilman Mike Lester raised concerns that the process was handled differently the last time the council filled a vacancy and proposed updating the ordinance before holding a public session. 

However, Nickolaus said any changes would have to be made at the April 6 meeting, which could create a longer meeting focused on both nominations and ordinance changes. 

“You can look at the ordinance, and it’s very clear. Step one, nominations, it says when those nominations have to take place. Step two is declaration of candidacy, it says when those has to take place, and then the public session, which it doesn’t say that’s set by the council,” Nickolaus said in response to Lester’s concerns. “Then there’s the election and it says when that takes place. You can’t progress them all in one meeting. The ordinance doesn’t allow it.” 

Under the current ordinance, the city must also hold a public session between April 10 and April 20. 

After a lengthy discussion, the council voted 8-1 to hold that session on April 13, with Ward 3 Councilman Derek Thomas voting no due to a scheduling conflict. During that public session, candidates will have an opportunity to address and answer questions from the city council. 

Nickolaus said the earliest the council can vote on a replacement is April 20, and a candidate must receive a majority of the nine-member council. Voting will continue until a majority is reached. An official election date, which can take place anytime after April 20th, has not been set. 

Nickolaus also noted that some practices used during previous vacancies, such as inviting candidates to speak and answer questions during the nomination process, are not included in the current ordinance. He added that the ordinance, last updated in 2009, should likely be changed, but cannot be amended before this appointment process is completed.

“We’re trying really hard to make sure we follow this code book. So when we hear about these processes, and we are not following our code, it’s really disappointing to me,” City Administrator Brian Crane said during the meeting. “I just want everybody to understand we’re trying best we can to follow the laws that are in place if we don’t like the laws, we change the laws, but we don’t just ignore the laws.” 

The city has already begun accepting letters of interest for the position. City spokeswoman Molly Bryan said Monday afternoon that two letters had been submitted.

Interested residents must submit a letter of interest outlining their qualifications to the city clerk. Candidates must be U.S. citizens at least 21 years old, have lived in the city for at least one year and in the ward for six months, and meet additional eligibility requirements.

Mealy, who was elected in 2023 and had one year remaining in his term, announced his resignation in an email to local media on March 2.

“It has been an honor to serve the residents of this community. However, I can no longer in good conscience continue in this role due to ongoing trust, honesty, and accountability issues with city hall administration,” the email states.

His replacement will serve the remainder of his term.

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