Author: KMIZ

Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A minor charged in connection with a southwest Columbia robbery-turned-shooting could be certified as an adult.

The minor, whose name ABC 17 News is not releasing unless charges are filed in adult court, appeared at a hearing in juvenile court Wednesday. He was one of four people arrested Tuesday in connection with a deadly shooting that took place in the 1400 block of Ridgemont Court on Sunday.

Alexis Baumann, of Hallsville; Kobe Aust and Joseph Crane, both of Columbia; were charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and first-degree robbery. All three are 18 years old. They each have a hearing set for Wednesday afternoon but it was rescheduled to Thursday afternoon.

The male juvenile is facing the same charges along with felony theft.

Court documents filed in the case say that Baumann and the group arranged to buy a phone from the victim, Michael R. Burke. The group had already met with and stolen from at least two other victims in the two days before the confrontation that led to Burke’s death, documents say. Those incidents took place on Claudell Lane and on Northampton Drive.

Baumann told police the juvenile would set up a meeting with someone through Facebook Marketplace to buy a phone, the group would steal the phone and then sell it for cash at a local ecoATM

Officers were sent to the 1400 block of Ridgemont Court at about 8:15 p.m. Sunday and found Burke shot. Baumann allegedly told officers that the juvenile and Crane went into Burke’s home and minutes later she heard three gunshots. They then took his iPhone and sold it at an ecoATM at the Walmart on Conley Road.

Baumann also said when Crane and the juvenile returned to the car following the shooting, the minor allegedly admitted to shooting Burke.

All three adults admitted to police that the group was at Ridgemont Court on the night of the shooting, according to court documents.

The boy appeared before a Boone County judge on Wednesday for a detention hearing. The state requested that he be kept at the juvenile detention center until an adult certification investigation can be completed. The defense requested in-home detention.

The judge ordered the boy to stay in juvenile detention until his next court hearing on Tuesday. She also granted the defense’s request for an in-home detention investigation and the state’s request for an adult certification investigation.

Columbia Police Department recommends people use its Online Exchange Zone located inside the downtown Columbia department as a safe alternative to your home for an online sale meet up. The Boone County’s Sheriff’s Office also offers its 24-hour lobby and parking lot for safe exchanges. For student, the University of Missouri Police Department says its lobby is also open 24-hours and a safe place to meet complete online sales.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

EDITOR’S NOTE: An organization not in attendance was removed from the list.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Protesters flooded all three floors of Missouri’s Capitol rotunda on Wednesday to challenge state lawmakers, whom they claim are going against the will of the people.

Several organizations around the state come together a noon for the “Stand Up, Fight Back” rally.

Major issues raised were paid sick leave and abortion access. Both were approved by voters in 2024, however, legislation in the 2025 general session, like House Bill 567 repealed mandated sick leave, while House Joint Resolution 73 put abortion access back on the 2026 ballot.

Alejandro Gallardo, a Columbia restaurant worker with Missouri Jobs With Justice, assisted with door-knocking to put the bill that added paid sick leave on the ballot.

“It wasn’t just in Kansas City or St. Louis, it was all across the state. We got in the bootheel down in the old industrial areas, large majorities were in favor of this,” Gallardo said. “It was devastating to see the majority of the legislature here just ignore the will of the people, ignore the will of workers.”

“People knew what they were voting for, we spoke to people,” Richard Eiker with Missouri Workers Center and Stand Up KC said. “We’re going to keep on pushing to get, you know, better working conditions to get paid sick, time off.”

“When we vote for something at the ballot box, we don’t want them [lawmakers] to come in and just nitpick things here and there that they don’t like and take it out, because we need all of those things,” said Bill Thompson, who was also with Missouri Workers Center and Stand Up KC.

Protesters also raised concerns about several topics including the legislature’s recent push for anti-LGBTQ+ policies, access to health care and the new mid-decade congressional map.

Mandy Monsees, a transgender military veteran and member of PROMO, traveled to the protest from Springfield.

“3% of the population, total population in Missouri, but this year alone, there’s over 21 bills against LGBT people,” Monsees said. “I fought for freedom and democracy around the world for 24 years and now I have to fight at home for my own democracy and rights.”

Wednesday’s event was similar to a September 2025 rally where hundreds gathered to protest lawmakers filing the initial bills on the same issues.

According to the press release, 16 statewide organizations will be represented in the rally:

Missourians with SEIU Healthcare

SEIU Local 1

Missouri Workers Center

Abortion Action Missouri

Missouri Jobs With Justice

Action St. Louis

PROMO Missouri

Beacon Reproductive Health Network

Heartland Alliance for Progress

Indivisible KC and Indivisible STL

Planned Parenthood Great Plains Vote

Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action

UAW Local 31, UAW Local 249 and UAW Local 2250

Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) called the protest “exciting,” encouraging voters to use their voice.

“What’s shocking to me in this building is that people pass bills and then the voters vote for things and then the legislature overturns it,” Tyson Smith said. “This legislature is not in lockstep with what the people want and it’s a shame when they’re passing bills in this building and the people are so upset they have to flood the Capitol.”

ABC 17 News reached out to Speaker of the House Jon Patterson (R-Lees Summit) and Senate Pro-Tempore Cindy O’Laughlin (R-Shelbina) for comment.

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Matthew Sanders

President Donald Trump is not relenting in his demands that the United States take over Greenland.

Trump says American control of the autonomous Danish territory is vital to national and international security. The president this week has made headlines by doubling down on his push to take over the Arctic island.

Do you think he should continue? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council on Tuesday rejected the development of new triplexes known as Ashford Place, following intense pushback from residents.

“No” votes consisted of Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll, Ward 2 Councilwoman Vera Elwood and Ward 6 Councilwoman Betsy Peters. “Yes” votes consisted of Ward 3 Councilwoman Jacque Sample, Ward 4 Councilman Nick Foster and Ward 5 Councilman Don Waterman.

Troy Miller Properties asked the City of Columbia to approve plans for triplexes resulting in 77 buildings on more than 24 acres off East Broadway near the Brooks subdivision at Sagemoor Drive and Hoylake Drive.

The first construction phase of “Ashford Place” would have included 23 buildings; the second phase would have been 36 buildings; and the third phase would have included 18 residential buildings and improvements to Sagemoor Street and El Chaparral Avenue, previous reporting shows.

Issues from residents have ranged from traffic increases, safety concerns and property value decreasing. Several people reiterated those concerns, mostly focusing on traffic safety, during the public comment portion.

Previous reporting shows the city had plans of extending El Chaparral Avenue and is considering traffic-calming measures on Hoylake Drive. Columbia officials also pointed to a 2017 traffic study, saying the project would have no significant impact on the area.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Sophia Danh attends Hickman High School in Columbia as a freshman, and goes to class alongside her usual classmates. But she said there’s a feeling of uncertainty that lingers in her mind from time to time.

Danh said her parents are immigrants, and though most of her family are citizens but it isn’t solely her family she has to think about.

“Most of my friends are immigrants and I think that it’s extremely wrong for like immigrants to be deported wrongfully without due process, considering America was built on immigration in the first place,” Danh said. “I do have like a minor fear that we will be deported without due process.”

It was those fears that led Danh to become one of dozens of students to walk out of class on Tuesday afternoon as part of a nationwide protest. Free America urged people to walk-out of work and school at 2 p.m. Tuesday to speak out against the federal immigration crackdown spearheaded by President Donald Trump administration among other actions it considers to be “threats.”

A district spokeswoman had told ABC 17 News that as many as 70 students had walked out on Tuesday, though some students gave estimates as high as roughly four times that number.

Federal agents have been sent to several cities around the country, most notably, Minneapolis. 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in early January, prompting large-scale protests across the country, including in Mid-Missouri. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed the shooting was done in self-defense.

According to Danh, Tuesday’s protest at Hickman was orchestrated by the school’s student council. Danh and her friend, T’Ana Johnson said the large group of students walked out around 2 p.m. and marched along Providence Road and around campus for about 30 minutes.

The two said the group yelled out anti-ICE cheers and held posters and signs. Johnson said the group also heard speeches from the student council’s president before marching.

“I think we really wanted to draw attention to the problem of ICE and what is happening in our country at the moment,” Danh said.

Virginia Chiarottino is a junior who did not participate in Tuesday’s walk-out, but commented on students feeling the need to protest during school hours. Chiarottino said she could see herself participating in future protests, if they were to occur.

“It’s kind of crazy that like our rights are not being protected whatsoever and it’s getting to a point where high schoolers have to protest it,” Chiarottino said. “It’s gone so far now that kids who should be thinking about school are not thinking about school and are busy being worried about ICE instead of focusing on their education.”

Danh said her personal connection to the matter made seeing the large group of students who participated in the walk-out that much more fulfilling. She said she hopes in doing so, they were able to send the message that enough is enough and the turn out on Tuesday speaks for itself.

“America is built on unification to peacefully protest and hope for a change but I eventually do hope that we will get a change out of ICE,” Danh said.

CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said depending on if a student had a class during the time of the walkout, they may receive an unexcused absence.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council on Tuesday night voted 8-2 to create the Downtown Jefferson City Conference Center Transportation Development District.

Meeting documents say qualified voters of the district will be asked to approve a 1% sales and use tax “to assist in the funding of public improvements, blight remediation activities and other services within the District.” Previous reporting says it primarily means transportation improvements for the downtown conference center.

Ward 5 Councilwoman Mackenzie Job and Ward 2 Councilman Aaron Mealey were the “no” votes.

The city brought up a petition last month for a judge to approve the formation of the district.

Previous reporting says the city expects roughly $170,000 to be generated from the sales tax each year, according to the petition. The district and funding would run for a maximum period of 27 years before being reapproved, documents say.

The downtown conference center transportation district will have five board members, with two members having three-year-terms, two having two-year terms and one with a one-year term, according to court documents. The first set of board members will be appointed by the mayor with City Council approval, meeting documents say.

Previous reporting says a design report outlined the 189,420-square-foot facility, which would be built between Madison and Monroe streets, with the main entrance on East Capitol Avenue.

The project includes a 200-room hotel, bar, conference room, grand ballroom, restaurant, coffee shop, and 526 parking spaces. City officials said the design aims to attract more visitors downtown and boost local business activity.

Additionally, the council on Tuesday night approved a special permit for the conference center to exceed 100,000 square feet.

The council also unanimously approved to put a question on the Aug. 4 ballot to extend the half-cent capital improvements sales tax. The current capital improvement sales tax is expected to expire on March 31, 2027, the new approval by voters would extend the tax through March 31, 2037.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cole County R-1 School District will not hold class on Wednesday and Thursday because of widespread illness.

The district made the announcement in a Tuesday evening social media post. The school district did not say what illness caused the closure and said it would monitor the situation before making a decision about class on Friday.

“Due to an increase in illnesses, the Cole County R-I School District will not be in session on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, or on Thursday, January 22, 2026,” the social media post says. “We will continue to monitor illnesses, as well as potential inclement weather, as we make decisions regarding Friday, January 23, 2026, and will communicate any updates as soon as they are available.”

ABC 17 News has reached out to the school’s superintendent.

Russellville isn’t the only school district that has face this issue recently. The Paris R-2 School District called off classes for a day last week because of widespread illness.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia woman is being held without bond at the Boone County Jail after she was charged on Tuesday with first-degree domestic assault.

An initial court appearance for Tachelle Welch, 32, was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Boone County Courthouse.

The probable cause statement says police were called at 2:47 a.m. Monday for a reported domestic assault. Court documents say Boone Hospital staff told police the victim had a concussion and had a possible broken hand and jaw. Police noted in court documents that the victim had several injuries to their face, head and arm.

The statement says Welch was intoxicated and started assaulting the victim after an argument. The victim believed Welch was trying to kill them and claimed that Welch attacked them to the point that they lost consciousness, the statement says.

After the victim regained consciousness, Welch allegedly strangled the victim, the statement says. The victim was able to get away by kicking Welch and running, but believed Welch was still after them, the statement says.

When interviewed by police, Welch allegedly claimed the victim should have been arrested, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jonesburg, Missouri, man was charged with 10 felonies after authorities claim he assaulted a woman several times.

Joey Glass was charged this week in Montgomery County with three counts of first-degree domestic assault, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of first-degree kidnapping, one count of endangering the welfare of a child and pair of counts of third-degree domestic assault.

The probable cause statement says deputies were called on Sunday to an apartment complex in Montgomery County for a reported assault. Someone described as a witness had allegedly seen Glass assault a woman in the back of a maroon vehicle, the statement says.

A youth, who was also described as a victim, allegedly told law enforcement that Glass had been assaulting the victim for months, the statement says.

The child had described an assault that occurred earlier in the day at a residence that led to Glass assaulting the victim in the vehicle and then allegedly trying to run her over, the statement indicates.  The youth had allegedly tried to separate the two during the assault. The child then described an assault that occurred on Saturday.

Another witness described a public incident where they allegedly had seen the victim “running for her life” through a parking lot while Glass chased her, the statement says.

Glass denied all allegations when he was arrested, the statement says.

A judge was assigned to the case on Tuesday and an initial court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

SSM Health and UnitedHealthcare reached a deal to keep the insurance giant’s customers in-network for “multiple years.”

SSM Health didn’t say how long the agreement will be in effect in a news release Tuesday, instead labeling it simply a “multi-year” deal. SSM Health operates St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City.

UnitedHealthcare has about 140,000 customers across the state, according to the release.

The announcement follows up a temporary extension of the companies’ old agreement that was reached Dec. 31, 2025. Prior to the agreement, UnitedHealthcare said in an online release that it was negotiating to keep care affordable and uninterrupted, citing rising hospital costs as a factor driving higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.

However, SSM Health argued that instead of working with them on an agreement, “UnitedHealthcare is prioritizing its own profits over what its members truly deserve: high-quality, accessible care.” SMM Health also claimed UnitedHealthcare “hasn’t demonstrated a willingness to collaborate on a new, fair agreement, and the expiration date of our current contract is quickly approaching on December 31, 2025.”

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