Author: KMIZ

Melissa Houston

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

An emergency alert system that will notify drivers of EMS vehicles was approved by the Cole County commission and is set to be installed by the end of the year.

In a county commission meeting on Tuesday, the technology was approved along with the budget.

Cole County EMS Chief Eric Hoy said the project will be funded by a 2027 Highway Safety Grant. The grant is for 8,230 dollars, and it will fund the capital costs of purchasing the technology.

The Safety Cloud is HAAS alerting, a digital alert system that will link up to a driver’s vehicle. The system will be mounted on Cole County ambulances, and when emergency warning systems are activated, Safety Cloud will send a message to nearby vehicles, according to Hoy.

“Drivers will get a pop-up on their screen saying that there is an emergency vehicle approaching,” said Hoy. “It’s not necessarily cellular-based. It’s infotainment. So you will get a warning on your CarPlay or Waze or whatever you’re integrated vehicle-based mobile features.”

The software is not cellular-based, so drivers will not be receiving a text message but rather a pop-up notification on their car’s center display.

According to the HAAS alert website, notifications would be sent up to 30 seconds in advance stating alerts such as: “DISABLED VEHICLE AHEAD” or “TOW TRUCK AHEAD.”

Hoy said Cole County EMS has been having conversations with HAAS alert systems for years about potentially implementing the software and technology.

The reason for the system is for the safety of first responders when they are on scene at a roadside incident.

“Unfortunately across the state, there are, you know, way more secondary crashes,” said Hoy. “Some other high-profile accidents that have occurred from folks not, either having situational awareness as they’re approaching accident scenes or being distracted as they are operating around our vehicles.”

The hope from Cole County EMS is that this system will be able to better protect first responders on the roadway, giving drivers an advance warning to slow down and move over.

The alert system will be able to collect data on the modification of drivers’ behavior once the technology is installed. Hoy said the system will be able to communicate how quickly and how many vehicles are receiving emergency alerts as they approach a scene.

“We will have real-time data on how effective this technology will be looking,” said Hoy.

For drivers on the road, this alert system will be able to better alert drivers to an emergency vehicle in the area and potentially be more effective at communicating what is happening in their area, according to Hoy.

“We know that cars are more insulated and more soundproof than ever. So our warning, you know, traditional warning devices such as sirens, they have a limited effectiveness,” said Hoy. “Having the visual-based alerts that automatically populate on the infotainment center is just another way that we can get drivers’ attention to hopefully, you know, get them to move over in the right roadway.”

Once the software is installed, Hoy said he hopes this program will become countywide across other public safety agencies.

The project is still in its early phase, and Hoy said his team still needs to go through procurement, but the budget was approved, so he wants the installation and technical work to start within the next 90 days.

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Euphenie Andre

ASHLAND, Mo. (KMIZ)

A dog park in Ashland now has a new name, honoring a local four-legged hero who served at Ground Zero following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The city renamed its dog park Tuff Memorial Park in honor of Tuff, a chocolate Labrador retriever who worked as a search-and-rescue dog with Missouri Task Force 1.

Tuff deployed to Ground Zero after the attacks and spent 11 days searching through the rubble for survivors.

Volunteers with the Ashland Parks Board said they had been aware of Tuff’s story.

“We’ve had Tuff’s story on our radar for a while and wanted to rename the park in her honor at some point,” Ashland Parks Board member Hannah Frevert said.

The idea gained momentum after Ashland resident Lex Long discovered Tuff’s story while visiting the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York with his family in 2021.

“In 2021, me and my family visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York and we saw there was a room dedicated to dogs who responded to 9/11,” Long said. “And there we saw Tuff, and we saw that she was from Ashland, Missouri. We were kind of surprised but it,”

Long joined Ashland Boy Scout Troop 134 about a year ago. Then, in June, he reached out to the Ashland Parks Department about the possibility of renaming the dog park in Tuff’s honor.

“I just wanted people to remember and know that we had a hometown here who responded along with all the first responders and the heroes, and rescued people when they needed them most,” he said.

The Life Scouts raised $1,800 toward the bench, $600 short of their original goal.

“This bench is dedicated to Tuff, Tom Andert and to Missouri Task Force 1 and to all the military personnel and all the responders of 9/11,” Long said.

Long said the bench serves as a reminder of the people who lost their lives, those who served and those who sacrificed to help others following the attacks.

“We remember those who were lost, those who served and those who gave everything they had to help others,” Long said.

The sign currently marking Tuff Memorial Park is temporary. Parks volunteers said a permanent sign will be installed after the city finishes redesigning the park entrance, which they hope will be completed by the end of the year.

The renaming was part of Ashland’s annual fall festival Saturday, which ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Check back for updates.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two teenagers were seriously injured late Friday night after being thrown from a vehicle in a crash in Boone County.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, five people were in a 2024 Chevrolet Impala headed north on Route J. Shortly after 11 p.m., the driver — a 16-year-old Harrisburg girl — reportedly lost control of the car.

The vehicle went off the road at W. Drane Road and overturned, the report says. In the rollover, four of the five occupants were ejected from the car.

The teen driver and a passenger — a 16-year-old Sturgeon boy — were taken to University Hospital with serious injuries. Two other passengers — a 15-year-old Harrisburg girl and an 18-year-old Sturgeon man — were also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The four injured were not wearing seatbelts. A fifth unidentified person — a passenger — was not listed as hurt in the report.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Show Me State Air Show is set to honor veterans who served in Desert Storm and the Afghanistan War on Saturday at the Jefferson City Memorial Airport.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Desert Storm and the 25th anniversary of the War in Afghanistan, which began shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“9/11 is a defining moment in our country, and certainly, we want to honor those first responders and military who have served our country so well and protected our freedom,” volunteer Britt Smiht said.

The gates open at 10 a.m., and flyovers start at noon and end around 2 p.m. There are two parking lots available: one at the airport, located at 500 Airport Road, and another across Highway 54, located off Renz Farm Road, with a shuttle available.

The air show organizers suggest getting to the airport and finding parking early. Handicap parking is available at the airport, but it fills up quickly.

Tickets are available online on the Show Me State Air Show website. Sunday is the final day of the show.

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Ryan Shiner

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KMIZ)

It wasn’t the prettiest game in the world, but the Tigers got it done on the road against their rival.

Mizzou (2-0) committed 10 penalties for 76 yards and allowed a pair of blocked field goals, but they ended strong with a 38-21 victory on Friday night over the Kansas Jayhawks.

You can watch extended highlights of the win in the video player below.

Kansas (1-1) came up with the first score of the game with a blocked field goal that was returned for 88 yards with 7 minutes, 16 seconds left in the half. Both sides traded scores like they going back and forth over the state border and ended up with a 14-all score at the half.

You can watch the full postgame press conference with head coach Eli Drinkwitz in the video player below.

After a punt and a turnover on downs, the Tigers scored a pair of touchdowns in less than a minute, first with a five-play, 34-yard drive capped off by an 8-yard pass from senior quarterback Austin Simmons to sophomore wide receiver Donovan Olugbode.

You can watch the full postgame press conference with Simmons in the video player below.

Tigers linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr. intercepted the next ball thrown from scrimmage and brought it to the 12-yard line. Junior running back Xai’Shaun Edwards punched it in two plays later with a 10-yard run.

Simmons finished with a game-high 292 yards on 19-of-29 passing with three touchdowns. Senior running back Jamal Roberts totaled a game-high 125 yards on the ground on 28 carries and had one touchdown, while Edwards finished with 45 yards on 10 carries and a score.

Olugbode finished with 121 yards receiving with six receptions and a score, while Cayden Lee contributed 120 yards and a score.

You can watch the full postgame press conference with Lee, as well as offensive lineman Cayden Green in the video player below.

Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall went 13-of-30 passing with 168 yards, two touchdowns and two picks. Missouri outgained the Jayhawks 469 yards to 255.

You can watch the full postgame press conference with safety Santana Banner in the video player below.

Up next – Tigers play Troy at home next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A crash involving multiple vehicles closed lanes of a busy Columbia street on Friday night.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw vehicles crashed in the northbound lanes of Providence Road near the turn lane to the Waffle House.

Boone County Joint Communications sent at 8:38 p.m. stating that a crash occurred “S Providence RD and Outer Road.”

Vehicles were being towed at 9:07 p.m.

ABC 17 News has reached out to the Columbia Police Department.

ABC 17 News is working to learn more information.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Although the Mizzou-Kansas rivalry game is being played in Lawrence on Friday night, Tiger fans are making game day a big event in Columbia.

Some fans are feeling especially confident about the Tigers’ chances, telling ABC 17 News they expect Mizzou to win 50-0.

At My House Sports Bar in downtown Columbia, the excitement started well before kickoff. When the doors opened at 3 p.m., a line of fans wrapped around the corner, with some waiting more than an hour to get inside.

MU senior Elizabeth Salmon was among the hundreds who lined up early.

“Hello, school spirit,” Salmon said. “We need a table. We’re going to ride all day. I got to work at 9, too, so I am going to see this game and I’m going to go.”

The support for Mizzou is not limited to Columbia.

According to the Mizzou Alumni Association, more than a dozen watch parties are planned across the country Friday night, including in New York City, Chicago and Nashville.

In Mid-Missouri, Tiger fans gathered at Trail Stop Brewery, where the Boone County Mizzou Alumni Association held its local watch party. Wally Pfeffer, treasurer for the Boone County Mizzou Alumni Association, said the group had 80 people registered for its first watch party of the season.

“We’re going to have a good crowd,” Pfeffer said.

For local bars, football season can mean a boost in business.

Nicci Vehovc, who has worked at Booches for several years, said the atmosphere during football season is noticeably different when she is working behind the scenes.

“Being in the business and working it is a little different compared to being just an observer and somebody that’s a customer,” Vehovc said.

She pointed to last year’s Mizzou-Kansas game, when the Tigers hosted the Jayhawks in Columbia. Vehovc said Booches was packed.

“It’s really lively and fun and exciting, and I know how strongly people feel about Kansas versus Mizzou,” she said. “So it’s electric, I guess you could say.”

Vehovc said it was also exciting to see fans from both sides come together.

“It was really cool to see everyone come out. Whether you’re from Kansas or you’re from Mizzou, they all got along,” she said.

Booches was also busy ahead of Mizzou’s season opener last week. Vehovc said the biggest crowds often arrive in the hours leading up to kickoff.

“It starts slow most of the time with the 7 p.m. game, but then you really don’t even realize, working it, how quickly people just start to pile in,” she said. “The next thing you know, the building is full and it is loud.”

The Mizzou Alumni Association said it hopes to host more watch parties throughout the football season. Fans can find information about upcoming Mizzou Alumni Association events here.

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ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Week 3 of the Missouri high school football season kicked off on Friday night.

You can find scores from all of your Mid-Missouri teams below, as well as highlights in the video player above.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The lawsuit Jefferson City filed against the owner of the Quality Inn earlier this summer has been put on pause.

Court documents in previous reporting say the city sued DEAA Hospitality and Paresh Patel after the city requested records regarding its lodging tax and did not receive them by the June 1 deadline. The city also requested state tax returns for 2024 and 2025.

Nathan Nickolaus, whose law firm is representing the city, told ABC 17 News in a Friday message that the city received those records.

“Yes, we have now received data from the hotelier,” Nickolaus wrote. “We are examining what we have to see if it is complete.  We will hold off on further action pending that determination.  We take compliance with these audits seriously so that everyone is paying their fair share.”  

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A political action committee that was active during last year’s Columbia mayoral race has been fined by the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Citizens For A Better Columbia was fined $31,000 after the MEC claims the group failed to maintain a treasurer, improper access to the official depository account, failure to file amended statements of committee organization, failing to report contributions, failure to disclose reports and failing to “timely and accurately file campaign finance disclosure reports.”

Documents allege the PAC did not report a $25,000 donation made to Blair Murphy’s mayoral campaign in October 2024. Prior filings show the group made a $25,000 contribution to the campaign on Dec. 20, 2024.

It also states in May 2025, MEC staff was told Brian Burks was the committee’s treasurer and a blank statement of committee organization form was given to him, but was never returned to the MEC.

The committee can pay 10% of the fine within 60 days.

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