Author: KMIZ

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

With more than $124,000 in unpaid school meal debt currently in collections, former Columbia Board of Education candidate Ken Rice is calling on the community to help support families and find long-term solutions.

“There’s a little more than $124,000 in unpaid lunch bills that are in collections,” Rice said. “That means that families of students who don’t, who have a balance of a certain amount, are now in a collection turned over to a collection agency. And, you know, that is not something that the school board or anybody would like to have happen.”

Rice is encouraging people to donate to the Lunch for Learners fund,  which is utilized to cover delinquent lunch accounts for families in need. 

Although Rice was defeated in April’s school board election by Suzette Waters and Erica Dickson, he said he still wants to help the district.

“I didn’t make the election. I said I still want to be involved in the schools and want to be part of the solution,” he said.

Rice has taken to social media to raise awareness about student meal debt. He also pledged a $250 donation from himself and his wife.

The Lunch for Learners fund was created in 2010 by then-Superintendent Chris Belcher and Nutrition Services Director Laina Fullum. It was initially funded through contributions from the United Way, Columbia Public Schools Foundation, and other local organizations. The fund helps families who do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals but face short-term financial hardship.

According to CPS spokesperson Michelle Baumstark, the district serves all students hot meals regardless of lunch status.  The cost of a meal is $3.10 for elementary and $3.30 for middle and high school.

Baumstark says one of the Board of Education’s legislative priorities this year is universal paid school lunch, something other states have already adopted, and that was in place during the pandemic.

Approximately 42% of students in Columbia Public Schools qualify for free or reduced-price meals. However, many families narrowly miss the threshold, creating difficult daily choices for necessities like food, gas, and utilities.

“The free and reduced lunch, you have to be below the poverty line to get to participate in that. Well, that’s a really low standard,” Rice said. “You know, if you’re just above the poverty line, you’re still not in a good situation and you’re having to make decisions every day to pay for gas, to pay for food, to, you know, just pay for your electric bill. A $20 delinquency on a lunch bill wouldn’t be much to me or my family. I could pay that off. But somebody else, that $20 could be the difference between getting gas so they can get to work every day.”

Rice said he plans to join the district’s wellness committee in an effort to find sustainable solutions that prevent this type of debt from accumulating year after year.

“I’m committed to finding a solution along with the school board, along with Dr. Klein and the administration. Let’s find an answer. So we don’t continue to have that bill every year going forward,” he said.

Nutrition Services is a self-funded department, meaning the revenue from meal sales is intended to sustain operations. When families cannot pay, debt accumulates, and the district is forced to absorb the cost or refer the balances to collections. As of this month, the unpaid meal debt stands at $124,613. However, that figure is still less than the $153,917 in unpaid meal debt from the 2023-24 school year.

According to a presentation shared at Thursday’s school board meeting, the district opted to use a debt collection service, citing the need to preserve relationships between families and school staff, enhance accountability and transparency, and ensure legal protection. 

Without such a provider, Columbia Public Schools argues that growing unpaid meal debt could divert funds from education, strain staff resources, and undermine financial accountability and fairness.

“It’s a hard decision. It’s really hard to make that decision to do that. But nobody really wants to send a collection agency to someone’s house,” Rice said.

Rice emphasized that community support has the power to make a meaningful difference for struggling families.

“In Columbia, I’ve seen, you know, in so many ways, this community comes together and supports each other,” Rice said. “I urge you, if you’re hearing this to look at yourself, if you can help and then urge your neighbor, urge your friends, urge your family to help out and let’s get this debt taken care of and then, help me and help the school board and help this administration to solve the problem going into the future.”

The district encourages donations to the Lunch for Learners fund year-round. Information about the fund and how to donate can be found at cpsk12.org.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several first-responder agencies in the area will partake in a training exercise Monday at Columbia Regional Airport, a press release from the City of Columbia states.

The training exercise will occur from 9 a.m.-noon and emergency personnel will respond to a simulated plane crash, the release says.

“This exercise allows community partners to prepare in case of a real emergency at the Columbia Regional Airport. Those in the vicinity should expect to see emergency vehicles and personnel at the Columbia Regional Airport during the exercise. The exercise will have no impact on scheduled flights,” the release says.

Those interested in volunteering for the exercise can register online.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Samantha Adams will be the next principal at Locust Street Expressive Arts Elementary School, Columbia Public Schools announced in a Friday press release.

The release says that Adams is currently the principal at Mill Creek Elementary School and will replace Julia Coggins, who is becoming the assistant principal at John Warner Middle School.

“Ms. Adams brings a wealth of experience to the position and will be a wonderful and engaging leader for the school,” interim Superintendent Chris Belcher said in the release. “She will continue to inspire innovative thinking and creative expression through the arts as well as support Locust’s educators in developing engaging, imaginative, and rigorous learning experiences that help our students achieve and succeed.”

Adams has a bachelor of science degree in education, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and an educational specialist in education leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri, the release says.

The release says that she has more than 16 years of experience in education and started her career as a teacher at CPS. She then served in various roles at Parkade Elementary School, the release says.

“After nine years at Parkade in various roles, she moved into a district instructional mentor role for three years and worked with five elementary schools within the district: West Boulevard, Grant, Fairview, Paxton Keeley, and Parkade elementary schools,” the release says.

She was also the assistant principal at West Boulevard Elementary for three years, the release says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Auxvasse man was charged in Callaway County on Friday after he allegedly shot and killed his neighbor’s a cat on Thursday night.

Tristen Poirier, 39, was charged with a pair of misdemeanors: Animal abuse and unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held at the Callaway County Jail on a $2,500 bond, according to a social media post from the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office. A court date has not been set.

The post from the sheriff’s office says the cat’s owner allegedly said the cat – which is normally an indoor cat – got outside and was shot by a neighbor.

The probable cause statement says that someone described as a witness heard a gunshot go off around 8:09 p.m. and saw Poirier walking back to his residence. The witness allegedly asked Poirier several times what happened before he admitted that he shot a cat.

Two other people heard the gunshot and saw Poirier holding the gun, the statement says.

The social media post from the sheriff’s office says that law enforcement didn’t find Poirier that night, but law enforcement arrested him on Friday morning.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man and a woman have been charged after they led law enforcement on more than one chase on Thursday.

Floyd Vannorman, 29, of Kansas, was charged in Callaway County with aggravated fleeing, drug possession, misdemeanor unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, first-degree tampering with vehicle, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and misdemeanor driving while revoked. He is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond.

Amber Briggs, 34, of Kansas, was charged with second-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. She is also being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. Court dates have not been set for either person.

The probable cause statement says that Callaway County deputies were informed from a Flock camera “hit” that a vehicle that was chased by Ashland police earlier in the day was in Fulton.

Deputies tried to start a traffic stop near Wood Street and East 8th Street and Vannorman sped away, court documents say. The vehicle was going 50 miles per hour through the intersection of East 2nd Street and Bluff Street and went 100 mph on Business 54, the statement says.

Court documents say the vehicle almost hit at least five vehicles, including at least one where a 3-year-old boy was a passenger.

The vehicle – which was reported stolen from Kansas – eventually crashed on County Road 315 and Vannorman and Briggs were arrested. Stolen items from a Boone County construction site were recovered by law enforcement, while methamphetamine and a pipe were found in the vehicle, the statement says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An attic fire at Columbia United Church of Christ earlier this week was determined to be accidental, according to a report from the Columbia Fire Department.

The report states that the Tuesday afternoon fire caused $5,500 in damage to the building and its contents. Factors contributing to the ignition included a heat source being too close to combustibles.

One of the reports say the fire was caused by HVAC work that occurred earlier in the day that involved a “torch heating material.” One of the reports from a fire marshal say the fire alarm system did not activate during the fire because of a low battery. A smoke detector was tested and the system tested normal when tried by fire officials, the report says.

No injuries were reported and a preschool class of 11 students was evacuated after the fire was found.  

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Sedalia Ward 1 Councilman Tom Oldham has resigned, the City of Sedalia announced in a Friday social media post.

The city wrote that Oldham resigned after “serious allegations” were brought against him on Thursday. The city did not elaborate to what the allegations were.

“While these allegations are deeply alarming and disheartening, it is important to clarify that the City of Sedalia will not be involved in the investigation or adjudicating this matter. Jurisdiction and all related proceedings fall under the authority of Pettis County officials,” the release says.

Pettis County Sheriff Brad Anders told ABC 17 News in an email that his office is investigating.

“This investigation involves the extraction of data from electronic devices. That will take time, so there is no possible timeline for charges,” Anders wrote in the email.

Oldham was recently reelected to his seat during the April 8 election. He defeated Albert Reine Jr. 312 votes to 236.

“I am shocked to hear the news. We understand the public’s concern and take these matters seriously. Our thoughts are with everyone affected as this situation unfolds. We remain committed to transparency and integrity in local government. I accepted Tom’s resignation from the City Council last night,” Mayor Andrew Dawson was quoted in the city’s post.

The post says the city will begin the process of filling the seat “in accordance with municipal procedures.”

City spokeswoman Jessica Hoffman told ABC 17 News in an email that the city will follow a state statute allowing the mayor to make an appointment to the seat. Whoever is selected will “serve until the next available regular municipal April election,” the statute says.  

A timeline for when the appointment would occur was not immediately given.

Check back for updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man has been charged with a felony after he was allegedly involved in a chase with Columbia police on Wednesday morning.

Anthony Munzo, 33, was charged with aggravated fleeing. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond and has a hearing on Friday afternoon.

Court documents say that a Columbia police officer was driving his patrol vehicle at 4:20 a.m. Wednesday when he said Munzo driving a red Ford C-Max om the 2400 block of Paris Road. The officer wrote that Munzo had five active warrants and he had seen Munzo drive the vehicle before.

The officer tried to start a traffic stop, but Munzo sped away through a Casey’s parking lot before driving 80 miles per hour on Brown Station Road, which is a 35 mph zone, the probable cause statement says. Munzo then drove into Park Village Trailer Court and got out of the vehicle while it was still moving, the statement says.

Munzo then ran to a trailer and the officer was able to stop the Ford, the statement says. A witness told police that Munzo was supposedly going to buy something from a gas station and when he took longer than expected, they sent him a message, which he indicated he was getting chased by police, the statement says.

Munzo got away, but police came back later in the day and found him in a closet in a trailer, the statement says. Munzo allegedly told the officer than he ran “for miles to the north,” the statement says. He then thanked the officer for stopping the vehicle he left running, court documents say.

He allegedly told police that he ran because he knew he had warrants for his arrest. A probation violation hearing is set in multiple cases for 8:30 a.m. Monday.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Ashland man was charged on Wednesday with second-degree sodomy for an incident that allegedly occurred in May 2024.

A warrant was used for Frederick Sage and a $20,000 bond was set. His information did not appear on the Cole County Jail’s online roster on Friday.

Court documents say that the victim met with Jefferson City police in May 2024 to report the assault. The woman claimed she and Sage getting involved on a bed and that she repeatedly said “no” to the acts he attempted and then did, the probable cause statement says.

Click here to follow the original article.