Author: KMIZ

Haley Swaino

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Stakeholders are in active talks about a possible 800,000-square-foot data center in Callaway County.

Western District Commissioner Christopher Scott told ABC 17 News that Crusoe, a Denver-based artificial intelligence company, would build the 14-acre center somewhere in the northern Callaway area. It would be a private land transaction, and he said it is not his information to share the exact location of the proposed site.

The non-partisan group Missouri Protest Organization, Inc. held a meeting at the Callaway County Co-Op Monday night to discuss the data center. Scott said the focus of the forum was water usage.

The event was an opportunity to start conversations with members of the public about the proposed project and share possible concerns. Experts in water testing and quality were also in attendance and gave input, Scott said. The county does not have planning and zoning commission.

“Planning and zoning does allow for a little more enforcement of environmental rules and things,” Scott said. “It’s more difficult to try to put that in place without, and we are looking at whether there’s some safeguards we can try to negotiate with the builders regarding environmental concerns.”

The data center would use about 1.4 million gallons of water per year for cooling. But Scott said while talks are still in the very early stages, he said he is thankful a closed loop system with a glycol mix is being planned. That means the mixture would circulate through sealed piping and not be exposed to the outside environment.

“What if it spills? What if they have to discharge it,” Scott said. “Those discussions have already been started with the sewer district as well, who would assist in disposing of and cleaning up any discharge or any fluids that would need to be expelled. Some data centers you may have heard about are being built with their own water treatment plant on site. That has not been proposed here.”

A request has been made to connect to the Callaway 2 Water District and Callaway Electric Co-Op, according to Scott.

“As passed last year in Missouri Senate Bill 4, they [Crusoe] have to pay all the upfront connection costs to connect to the water district, to connect to the electric co-op. So they’re still working with those groups to identify what all those costs are, what they’re going to take, and whether or not those entities can service them,” Scott said.

There are a few steps that need to be handled before a construction timeline can be discussed. Scott said Crusoe needs to get approval from the water district and electric co-op and negotiate connection costs. The company also needs approval from the commission on a tax abatement plan.

“These developments are very large. They’re putting billions of dollars into their buildings. They’re putting billions of dollars into the hardware that goes in them. So the tax base is very large. And that’s part of the reason why they come in and ask for tax abatements as a bulk user,” Scott said.

Cursoe has yet to share who their “end user” will be.

Amazon announced Monday that it’s investing about $10 billion to create a data center in Montgomery County. The facility will be built on about 1,000 acres north of Interstate 70 between New Florence and High Hill.

“Loop systems aren’t going to use nearly as much water as evaporative systems. Montgomery is getting one of each,” Scott said.

Missouri Protest Organization, Inc. is set to host another public meeting on the data center on June 29, according to Interim Director and Co-Founder Khyron Cooper. More details should be released on the group’s Facebook page.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Linn Creek woman was charged on Tuesday in Camden County with four felonies after authorities claim she used fake credentials to serve as a nurse.

The Missouri Attorney General’s office has charged Darcee Heath with three counts of forgery and one count of practicing nursing with fraudulently obtained academic credentials. Court documents also accuse Heath of using the aliases of Darcee Hedrix, Darcee Sipes, Darcee Spaudlding, and Darcee Bush. 

Court documents allege Heath applied for a nursing position in Osage Beach and submitted falsified academic records, including a college transcript and a forged diploma indicating she was eligible to work as a graduate practical nurse.

In July 2025, Heath was hired after providing an employer — whose name was redacted in court records –with documents indicating she had graduated from a Licensed Practical Nurse program.

According to the Missouri Board of Nursing, obtaining an LPN license requires completing a state-approved practical nursing program, passing a licensing exam, submitting an application for licensure, providing identity and educational documentation, including transcripts, completing a criminal background check and paying licensing fees.

Skylar Mitchell, who worked as a registered nurse in Des Moines, Iowa, for four years before becoming a registered nurse in Colorado and has also worked as a preceptor, told ABC 17 News that nursing credentialing includes multiple layers of review and is typically hard to forge. 

Iowa and Colorado are both compact states, like Missouri, meaning nurses licensed in one participating state can practice in another compact state, which makes many of the review processes similar.

“No part of me was ever, like, I could easily forage all of these,” Mitchell said. “They send all of your information up to the Board of Nursing, and they’re the ones who review your application and approve or deny that, and then they’ll issue you a license number. A lot of jobs, when you are applying for them they require you to give your license number.”

After Heath was hired, several licensed nurses, known as preceptors, were assigned to oversee the care she provided as part of standard practice. However, court documents allege the preceptors immediately raised concerns about Heath’s lack of nursing skills, including difficulty performing routine tasks such as obtaining vital signs.

“That’s a very basic skill that you learn in your schooling and that you should be fairly confident in when you start your actual job,” Mitchell said. 

Investigators said the preceptors eventually refused to oversee Heath’s work out of fear that they would lose their own nursing licenses. 

Mitchell, who has been a preceptor, said that the role carries a lot of liability with it. 

“It is uncomfortable at first when you are following someone around that, doesn’t quite know what they’re doing. But you can kind of tell when you’re training, if they’re picking things up,” Mitchell said. “When you are training as an experienced nurse, your license is on the line because you’re essentially, in charge of that person and their care.

“So you want to make sure that whatever they are doing, they’re more competent in it. So if you feel like, maybe they’re not doing something right or like, this isn’t safe, you would have to kind of raise concerns to that person and whoever  is in charge as well.” 

She added that having an inexperienced nurse, let alone one who had forged documents, can add extra stress on the medical teams. 

“It’s like a fine balancing act between they need to also learn how to time manage and provide care, versus me knowing, ‘Hey, this stuff needs to get done now,’” Mitchell said. “So it does add a lot more stress in your job because you have an extra person that doesn’t quite understand.” 

Court documents say following the preceptor’s concerns, Heath was terminated from her first job in August 2025 after an internal investigation found she had forged her college transcripts. Her employer later reported the incident to the Missouri Board of Nursing.

The Board of Nursing interviewed the dean of students at a college — that was also redacted from court records. According to court documents, the dean noted Heath’s transcript listed a 10-digit student identification number, whereas the school uses 7-digit identification numbers.

After being fired, court documents allege Heath was hired by a senior living community in the Lake of the Ozarks area as an LPN. However, after completing onboarding, she did not return to orientation and was later terminated, the probable cause statement alleges.

Court documents allege Heath continued to apply to several other health care facilities in Osage Beach and the Lake of the Ozarks area, using additional falsified records claiming she had recently graduated from an LPN program and planned to begin an RN program in the spring.

Heath was later hired at a Lake Ozark health care facility in October after submitting a new “certification of graduation from the Associate Degree in Health Science LPN program,” which investigators determined was falsified because the school she claimed to have attended does not offer that degree program.

She held the job for only 10 days after staff determined she lacked the knowledge and skills required to work as a nurse, the statement says. Court documents state no “patients or nursing home residents were harmed by her incompetence.”

ABC 17 News reached out to the attorney general’s office and the Missouri Board of Nursing for comment.

A warrant for Heath’s arrest was requested on Tuesday.

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Sutton Parker

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

On Monday night, the Jefferson City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of minibikes on public streets.

The vote passed 8-1, with Ward 5 Councilwoman Mackenzie Job being the lone vote against the ordinance. ABC 17 News reached out to Job on Tuesday morning.

According to the ordinance it classifies minibikes as two-wheeled motorized vehicles that are not registered with the Missouri Department of Revenue.

The document lists types of minibikes that fall under including dirt bikes, mini-motorcycles, pocket bikes and trail bikes.

When it comes to penalties that riders could face the ordinance lists the minimum fine for first-time offenders at $75. For second time and subsequent offenders the fine then goes up to $150, and allows for law enforcement to be able to tow or remove minibikes found operating illegally on public streets.

Additionally the ordinance sets noise limits for minibikes operating on public and private property.

The Jefferson City Police Department said that it could take a while to start enforcement as the department needs to educate its employees on the new rules.

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Ryan Shiner

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council expects to have a new representative for the Third Ward chosen by Aug. 17, according to a Tuesday press release from the city.

Former Ward 3 Councilman Derek Thomas’ last day was June 2, citing medical issues facing his family requiring him to move out of the state.

Tuesday’s press release says Ward 3 residents who are interested in serving must submit a letter of interest to City Clerk Emily Donaldson at edonaldson@jeffersoncitymo.gov by Friday, July 10. Those who are interested can also share a resume.

Eligibility requirements include being at least 21 years old, a US citizen, a qualified voter, have lived in Jefferson City for at least a year and within the ward for six months, the release says.

Council nominations will occur during the July 20 City Council meeting, with a candidate forum scheduled for Aug. 3. The council will vote to appoint a new councilmember on Aug. 17, according to the release.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Waynesville man has been charged in Pulaski County with multiple charges relating to child sex abuse materials.

Johnny Bruder is charged with seven counts of possessing child sex abuse files. A warrant was issued and a $500,000 bond was set.

The probable cause statement says a cybertip was received from the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force about child sex abuse materials being uploaded to a Google file. Bruder was interviewed at his home on Monday and was asked about a Gmail account

Bruder allegedly told authorities that he purchased a card and received child sex abuse materials that were then uploaded to his Google account, leading to the account to be suspended, the statement says. He then allegedly told the deputy that he had viewed and received child sex abuse files from the messaging application Telegram, the statement says.

A searched of Bruder’s devices revealed “multitudes of files” of child sex abuse material, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A class action lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in Boone County against Columbia Orthopaedic Group after claiming it did not do enough to protect patients’ information from a data breach.

Vicki Dixon, of Laddonia, is accusing Columbia Orthopaedic Group of negligence, negligence per se, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment and violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.

The lawsuit says a “ransomware gang” earlier this month posted on its “dark web blog” that it successfully conducted a data breach of Columbia Orthopaedic’s network and systems. The petition also alleges that personal information of patients have been posted to the dark web.

The petition claims Columbia Orthopaedic did not encrypt or redact highly sensitive information.

The “ransomware gang” was identified as “Lockbit 5” in court documents and claims it provides a “ransomware-as-a-service” model.

A court summons was issued for Columbia Orthopaedic on Tuesday.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As the first of six FIFA World Cup matches kicked off Tuesday in Kansas City, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is sounding the alarm on drone use near the stadium and celebration events.

Ahead of the games, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed temporary flight restrictions around World Cup stadiums, fan festivals and other events, including those in Kansas City. Flying or landing a drone in these areas isn’t just prohibited; it’s a federal crime.

Those in violation can face up to $100,000 in fines or up to a one-year prison sentence and seizure of their drone. On Monday, the FBI’s Kansas City office said it’s already seized nine drones and had 14 detections of people flying their drones in restricted areas.

The restricted flight area runs a 3-nautical-mile radius around Arrowhead Stadium and up to a 3,000-foot altitude.

The FBI is using counter-unmanned aircraft system capabilities to detect and combat unauthorized drone activity. The technology also helps preserve evidence for potential enforcement action, according to the FBI. 

The Missouri State Highway Patrol spent about $800,000 to counter drones in Kansas City, according to records ABC 17 News obtained.

WORLD CUP DRONE SPENDINGDownload

Some of the big-ticket items include nearly $500,000 spent on counter-drone equipment and hardware from Sentrycs, designed to detect any transmitting drones in real time.

The spending included two 2026 Polaris UTVs totaling nearly $60,000, a nearly $140,000 five-day training course, and about $70,000 was spent to purchase a Ford F-350 truck as well.

The funds came from a federal Department of Homeland Security grant program that totals just over $105 million in available funding. The state of Missouri received $14.24 million for security preparations around the FIFA World Cup.

Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Eric Brown declined to talk about specifics related to the equipment to protect security operations with the World Cup still in full swing. However, Brown said the highway patrol plans to continue using all of the equipment purchased in its normal enforcement efforts after the World Cup events are over.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Eldon man was charged in Morgan County on Tuesday with multiple child sex crimes after he allegedly assaulted a child on Monday morning.

Ronald Lee Brown Jr., 36, was charged with second-degree statutory rape, two counts of incent and one count of second-degree statutory sodomy. He is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $300,000 bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

Deputies were called to St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City as the youth was being evaluated by hospital staff after saying they were sexually abused by Brown, the statement says.

Law enforcement spoke with Brown, who allegedly admitted to abusing the youth after taking two ecstasy pills and drinking “half a fifth of tequila,” the statement says. Brown allegedly told deputies he thought the youth was his girlfriend, though that person allegedly lives in Chicago and was not in the home at the time, the statement says.

Brown allegedly admitted to multiple people about assaulting the child.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 27-year-old Columbia man has been charged with two felonies in a fatal crash that occurred on Friday in Camden County.

Dylan Gibson was charged in Camden County with driving while intoxication that caused the death of another and DWI that caused serious physical injury. He is being held at the Camden County Jail without bond. A hearing was held on Tuesday morning and Gibson applied for a public defender, according to court filings.

The probable cause statement says troopers were called to a crash and found Gibson “throwing alcoholic shooters off the” Niangua Bridge. The trooper wrote that Gibson appeared to be intoxicated.

Court documents say Gibson took an on-site breath test and blew a .233, nearly three times over the legal limit to drive. After attempts to get details of the crash from Gibson, the trooper wrote that he admitted to trying to pass a car and another car hitting his vehicle.

Witnesses allegedly told troopers that they saw Gibson’s BMW “weaving all over the roadway prior to the crash,” the statement says.

The driver of the other vehicle — a 63-year-old Roach man – was pronounced dead at the scene and a 22-year-old passenger in the BMW had serious injuries, a Missouri State Highway Patrol report says. MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County Emergency Management is continuing its multi-million dollar expansion of radio upgrades after the Boone County Commission and the Columbia City Council passed several Radio Grant Program measures on Monday and Tuesday.

Through the grant, agencies can receive portable, hand-held radios that are similar to walkie-talkies or mobile radios that are mounted and typically used in vehicles. Some agencies also requested pagers.

Tuesday morning, the Boone County Commission approved radios for several agencies. According to county documents, the Ashland Police Department requested 15 portable and five mobile radios valued at around $148,000. Boone Health requested 31 portable and six mobile radios for their ambulance team, valued at around $296,000. The Boone County Courthouse also requested 13 portable radios valued at around $94,000 for the county’s court marshals.

Boone Health spokesperson Christian Basi said the hospital moved to the new system to keep up with the latest technology for when they work with other public safety partners.

“If you have an event where you are looking at, for example, mass casualties, where you have many different people injured, there might be worse than injuries, and you have multiple agencies responding, it’s critical that you have technology that can talk to one another,” Basi said.

The commission previously approved the Hallsville Police Department receiving $116,000 of equipment earlier this month. This includes nine portable and seven mobile radios, according to city documents.

The Centralia Police and Fire Departments were also approved for equipment by the commission in early June. The fire department requested 24 portable and five mobile radios as well as 24 pagers. The police department requested 15 portable and 12 mobile radios.

The Columbia City Council also approved radios for city agencies on Monday, valued at around $3.8 million in total. The police department would receive 237 radios and 119 mobile radios valued at just over $2.5 million. The fire department would receive 71 portable and 55 mobile radios as well as 32 pagers valued at a little over $1 million. The city’s airport would also receive eight portable and four mobile radios as well as two pagers valued at a little over $100,000 dollars.

The Boone County Commission has final approval over the grant money.

Columbia Fire Department Chief Brian Schaeffer reports said the fire department currently relies on a “runner” to share information from inside a building to outside personnel or a telephone from inside the building they are responding to, if it’s not damaged.

“It’s personnel-intensive to do that to move people from an IDLH, or, an immediately dangerous life and health environment, outside to talk to somebody to basically play telephone,” Schaeffer said.

The radio grant program integrates a new radio system across all of its agencies. It is upgrading from “the legacy VHF radio system to a countywide interoperable 800 MHz Project 25 (P25) Phase 2 radio system,” according to Columbia city meeting documents from Monday night.

The new system uses shorter wavelengths when carrying messages and can penetrate through metal and concrete structures.

The BCOEM is also in the middle of getting grant funding for the University of Missouri Police Department, MU Health Care, Southern Boone County Fire Protection District and Boone County Fire Protection District.

The county began saving up for the radios in 2013 through the Boone County 911 Emergency Service Sales Tax. The entire radio program is expected to exceed $11 million. The sales tax was previously used for the construction of the BCOEM building and other technology improvements. The tax is expected to also help pay for the office’s switch to the updated Next Generation 911 system that many agencies are upgrading to across the country.

“We are now able to make that promise that we’ve had to the community as well as our partners to get this infrastructure up, get the technology updated, and to be able to provide these radios to our community and our responders,” Boone County Joint Communications Director Christie Davis said.

Davis expects all county agencies to make the switch to the new radio system by March 2027. Schaeffer added that radios for the CFD are expected by Dec. 1, 2026, but adds that the date can be affected by manufacturing delays.

“The taxpayers’ dollars for years have been collected waiting for this day to be able to purchase the equipment, to be able to purchase users, mobiles and portables, station alerting, all of these things are finally coming to fruition, which is great to see,” Schaeffer said.

Davis said the BCOEM has been in close communication with vendors and expects equipment to ship on time.

They know that these purchase orders are coming very soon and they know that we’re hoping to get those to them by the end of this month,” Davis said.

Davis adds that she expects the transition into the new system to begin in October, with plans to have various agencies practice using the system during Mizzou football games at Memorial Stadium following building renovations.

“We will probably start with some of the smaller agencies just to see how the system is working and making sure that we have a burn-in period to make sure we are covered as is expected,” Davis said.

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