Author: KMIZ

Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Public Works Committee is set to meet Thursday morning to discuss options regarding the aging High Street viaduct.

In February, the Public Works department shut down the viaduct after what was initially reported as a pothole turned out to be a significant structural issue. The damaged area has since been covered with a steel plate.

In Thursday’s meeting, the committee will go over options for reopening and fixing the viaduct. The city can reopen the bridge and cover the hole with a steel plate or keep the bridge closed. Repairing the bridge would cost around $34,400.

The committee will also discuss options to protect pedestrians and traffic underneath the viaduct if the city decides to reopen it. Those options include:

Regularly knocking loose concrete off

Place canopies under the bridge to catch falling concrete

Attach falsework, netting or steel mesh to the bridge to catch falling concrete.

The Public Works Committee recommends that a full-depth repair be made to the viaduct. However, the bridge can be reopened as long as regular inspections and spot repairs are done until the full-depth repair can be made.

To fully replace the viaduct, it would cost the city around $17 million.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri House of Representatives budget committee voted to move forward with a bill Wednesday that would link state funding to student enrollment at public universities and colleges.

This means universities that educate lots of students, like the University of Missouri System and the Missouri State University, would receive millions in additional state funding.

Governor Mike Kehoe recommended giving MU about $291.4 million for the financial year 2027, according to a spreadsheet from the committee. House Bill 2003, sponsored by the budget committee chair Rep. Dirk Deaton (R-Seneca), recommends giving MU about $449.5 million.

MU has more than 53,000 students across all four campuses, whereas MSU educates a little more than 17,000 students, the second largest state school, according to the committee spreadsheet.

Kehoe proposed funding MSU with $114.9 million, and Deaton’s bill proposes an increase that would total $145.1 million, according to the spreadsheet.

“The current funding model has not kept pace with enrollment growth since it was established in the early 1990s, and Missouri State currently receives the second-lowest per-student allocation among Missouri’s public four-year institutions,” Missouri State University President Richard Williams said in a statement to ABC 17 News.

President and CEO of the Missouri Community College Association Brian Millner said the current funding formula gives universities and colleges a set amount of funding each year.

Millner said the state currently separates funding for universities and community colleges.

Community college enrollment is rising, according to Millner; they educate about 33% of Missouri students and receive about 19% of the funding. If lawmakers go through with the proposed plan, and enrollment continues to increase, some colleges might receive less funding under the proposed plan than under the current one.

“The community colleges are actually really supportive of the idea of moving away from the status quo and taking a look at how we’re funding higher education,” Millner said. “We just think it’s a really big shift all at once.”

This new funding plan could be harmful to smaller universities, and some could lose funding.

For example, Lincoln University in Jefferson City would stand to lose about $8.9 million, dropping the uniersity to $14.8 million, which is down from the governor’s proposed $23.7 million. The university also voted to raise tuition by 5% across the board Tuesday.

Truman State University would see its funding cut by over half. The university would go from what it was proposed by the governor $50.9 million to $23.8 million, according to the spreadsheet. Truman has about 2,800 students studying at the university this year.

“As the proposed change has already been met with bipartisan opposition, it is unlikely to become a reality,” university spokesperson Travis Miles wrote in an email to ABC 17 News. “It does not account for Truman’s state-mandated role as a public liberal arts and sciences university, nor does it take into consideration Truman consistently has among the state’s highest retention and graduation rates.”

At Wednesday’s committee hearing, there was bipartisan opposition, with a few Republicans speaking out against the bill when Democrat Raychel Proudie (D-Ferguson) proposed an amendment that would change the bill back to what the governor proposed.

“I think that for the entire amount of the money to be allocated for one year based on this FTE [the proposed funding formula] is not beneficial, other than as a wake-up call,” Rep. Ed Lewis (R-Moberly) said.

“I love the idea of making a switch, but I’m concerned with some of the costs of those programs being weighted just on students,” Rep. Jeff Vernetti (R-Camdenton) said.

Lindsey Baker, a research director from the Missouri Budget Policy, said some students are more costly to educate because of their program.

“So, tying it directly to just student enrollment can be tricky because there are certain programs that are more expensive than other programs, whether it’s medical schools or different types of things are more costly than others,” Baker said.

MU spokesperson Christopher Ave sent ABC 17 News a statement on the proposed funding bill, and asked to run the statement in full.

“The University of Missouri is grateful for the strong support of the governor and legislature.  We achieve excellence with the resources provided to us from the citizens of the state, our students and their parents. The University of Missouri has the highest graduate rates and job placement rates in Missouri and we continue to bring research breakthroughs that impact the lives of Missourians.  This is reflected in MU being the No. 4 Best Value among all flagships by US News and World Report and among the world’s top universities by Time Magazine. We appreciate the legislature considering new approaches to provide state funding to Missouri’s public universities.  We look forward to working with the governor and legislature on funding approaches that focus on performance and outcomes that benefit Missourians,” Ave wrote.

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Nia Hinson

COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cole County EMS responded to more calls in 2025 than the year prior, once again setting a new record.

According to the county’s annual report, first responders responded to 14,071 calls in 2025, an increase of 445 calls compared to 2024, when they responded to 13,626 calls. This also marks a 60% increase in calls for service since 2019, when they were only responded to 8,762 calls, and paints an overall trend of an increase in calls for service since 2019, with the exception of 2023, which saw a slight decrease.

“We don’t really have any identifiable trends, other than the community is more reliant in our services,” EMS Chief Eric Hoy said. “I think the most logical explanation is that Jefferson City is a suburban community with an average age extending more towards that retirement age, and we see them more reliant on emergency services and health care in general.”

A break down in calls for service since 2019 is as follows:

2019: 8,762

2021: 11,912

2022: 12,595

2023: 12,315

2024: 13,626

According to the report, EMS responded to traffic accidents the most out of any other incident, in 2025, responding to 1,022 accidents. That marks a slight increase from 2024, when they responded to 985.

Cardiac arrest calls claimed the second spot for the most calls received at 131 calls, while EMS responded to 29 opioid overdoses and 26 weapons offenses. The report also highlights a slight decrease in the average response time, coming in at 7 minutes and 4 seconds. In 2024, the response time sat at 7 minutes and 19 seconds.

The average on scene time was 19 minutes and 3 seconds. The average transport time was 12 minutes and 10 seconds, marking a significant decrease from the year prior, when the average time sat at 18 minutes and 19 seconds.

EMS’ new headquarters could be to thank for that.

The new building– located on Adams Street in downtown Jefferson City– opened in November 2024. The county opened up the building to help improve response times in an area where the majority of EMS calls come from.

Hoy said that data shows call volumes were more evenly dispersed among the county’s different stations in 2025. Their busiest medic unit– which is located in the building on Adams Street– saw a decrease of about 400 calls in 2025, meaning that resources are being spread out and one single station is not getting the overwhelming majority.

“It’s been very gratifying to see that because that was one of the main strategic plans with building this facility (the new headquarters) and bringing on the two ambulances that we see here,” Hoy said.

The report also states that 98% of 911 calls were answered within 10 seconds and that the county processed 26,738 calls.

Hoy expects EMS will see another increase in calls in 2026, something he said is being seen across the nation.

But how does this impact budgeting? Cole County Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman said it doesn’t have much of one.

“We have a half cent sales tax that is partially used and then with their calls we are dealing with insurance and Medicare and Medicaid, so it’s usually pretty equal so it’s not going to impact their budget this year, we should be good,” Bushman said.

Hoy also said that the growth in call volume can make it more difficult to be able to accomplish bigger strategic capital items, such as building a new station or buying more ambulances. However, he said they’re in a good spot financially and have been able to maintain a high level of service, despite an increase in operating costs.

“I can’t say that we wont run into some budget issues at this point, but we do a very good job of being conservative,” Hoy said. “For the 2026 budget we anticipated no growth in sales tax based on the current economic factors and we’re still able to balance our budget and return cash reserves to an acceptable level, so we don’t have any concerns.”

Hoy said that they’ll also continue constantly monitoring data and performance metrics to ensure they’re financially solvent.

According to the report, EMS’ total revenue in 2025 was $9,759,512, a slight decrease from 2024, when it was $10,640,297. 59% of that money in 2025 went toward fees for service, also marking a jump from 2024.

Hoy also said that EMS has the staff needed to respond to the increase in calls and that there have not been any instances where they’re unable to answer calls due to a lack of staffing. However, there are sometimes instances where call volume exceeds the amount of resources and mutual aid from other agencies is required. That has not created a delay in service, though, Hoy said.

12 students graduated from the EMT program at the headquarters at the end of 2025, something Hoy said has been a huge recruitment and retention tool . Six of them are currently employed with Cole County EMS, according to Hoy.

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Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Fire Protection District named a new assistant chief for its operations bureau on Wednesday, according to a news release posted on Facebook.

Chuck Doss was named the new assistant chief and brings “a leadership style that adapts to the situation, clear and decisive during emergency operations, while focusing on coaching and leadership development outside of incident response,” the news release said.

Doss started his firefighter career in Greene County in 1997 and joined BCFPD in 1999, according to the release. From 2004 to 2011 Doss worked for the Olathe Fire Department before returning to BCFPD where he was eventually promoted to battalion chief.

In 2021, Doss started working for MU Health Care’s EMS operations until the present time.

“Throughout his career, he has focused not only on emergency response but also on improving training, strengthening organizational systems, and developing future leaders, ensuring that the service delivered to the community is professional, prepared, and compassionate every time,” the district said in the release.

““The work we do matters, and the people who do it matter,” Doss said in the release. “My commitment is to provide clear expectations, steady leadership, and support as we continue to raise the standard together.”

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia teen pleaded guilty Wednesday to multiple Columbia shootings.

Justin Lumley Jr. pleaded guilty to three amended charges, including second-degree assault, admitting to shooting one person in December 2024.  He also admitted to shooting a gun from a car that caused property damage in January 2025, according to court records.

The 17-year-old was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Prosecutors dropped 12 felonies in exchange for Lumley’s plea.

The charges he pleaded guilty to were also amended from first-degree assault and armed criminal action.

In the December 2024 incident, deputies were called to El Chaparral Avenue after two youths arrived at a hospital with gunshot wounds. The probable cause statement says a shooting occurred at East Broadway and South Keene Street.

Court documents in the January 2025 incident say one person was injured after being shot at. Police found a Chevrolet Malibu with multiple bullet holes and shot-out windows. One of the victims was taken to University Hospital.

Lumley was certified as an adult last May.

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Josie Anglin

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three Mid-Missouri roads have landed on a high-priority list for reducing wildlife-related crashes after a Missouri Department of Transportation study.

The study releaed in February showed 19% of animal crashes statewide have happened in Mid-Missouri in the last 10 years. Most of those crashes were with deer. MoDOT put three Mid-Missouri roads on a high-priority list for improvements.

Those are Route DD in Johnson County, Highway 36 in Macon County and Highway 17 in Pulaski County. 

In Pulaski County, MoDOT is focusing on the the stretch of road near Waynesville in the Roubidoux Creek Conservation Area. The study says that a fourth of all the crashes between mile marker 139 and 141.5 on Highway 17 are wildlife crashes. MoDOT recommended lowering the speed limit in that area, installing signs warning drivers of wildlife and putting up fences to discourage animals from going toward the road.

 

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Mexico, Missouri, man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to using a 9-year-old girl to make child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Emrah Eymez, 40, was sentenced to 300 months in prison and lifetime supervised release after pleading guilty to attempted production of child pornography using a child under 12. The crimes took place between March 11 and April 2, 2024, according to a news release.

U.S. District Judge Steven Baugh presided over the case.

The investigation started after the victim’s mother reported “extensive cell phone communication” between the victim and Eymez. Those communications included nude images and a sexually explicit video that the girl had sent to Eymez, the release states.

The case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Childhood initiative, which began in 2006 and targets online sexual exploitation.

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Josie Anglin

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A settlement has been reached in a wrongful death lawsuit out of Moniteau County.

Bobby and Suzanne Murphy filed on Tuesday to settle their lawsuit over the death of Deborah Coville, 66, their daughter, according to court documents.

Coville died after she was in a crash on Lookout Trail Road at Industrial Road on the outskirts of California in August. She was flown to a hospital after a dump truck allegedly failed to yield and hit her car.

The dump truck driver has argued for immunity in the crash, saying he is entitled to protection for “discretionary” acts as a public employee. The details of the settlement are not clear at this time.

A hearing to finalize the deal is scheduled for March 26.  

 

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people suffered serious injuries when their crossover SUV went off the road and rolled several times on Highway 54 on Wednesday afternoon.

The 2025 Nissan Rogue was traveling eastbound at Route AA in Callaway County when it went off the road, went airborne after hitting an embankment, and rolled several times before coming to rest, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The driver, a 28-year-old woman from Jefferson City, and her passenger, a 36-year-old man from St. Louis, were taken to St. Mary’s Hospital with serious injuries, the report states.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A jury found a Florida man guilty Wednesday on charges related to a 2024 shooting inside a Columbia restaurant.

After a two-day trial and several hours of deliberations, jurors convicted Alexis Gonzalez, 38, of assault and armed criminal action. Gonzalez was acquitted of unlawful use of a weapon.

Gonzalez, 38, of Orlando, Florida, was accused of shooting Gary Bitsicas in the face on Aug. 17, 2024.

Gonzalez claimed that he was acting in self-defense and in defense of his girlfriend. Prosecutors argued that Gonzalez re-entered the restaurant with his gun and the intention to shoot and harm Bitsicas following a confrontation outside of the restaurant.

The victim of a 2024 shooting inside a Buffalo Wild Wings in Columbia testified Wednesday that he lost his left eye to a bullet.

The shooting inside the Buffalo Wild Wings followed an altercation outside of the restaurant between Bitsicas and Gonzalez’s girlfriend because she and Gonzalez allegedly didn’t pay their bar tab. The couple tried to walk out after a bartender cut Gonzalez off for being too drunk, prosecutors allege. The state says the shooting was intentional, but Gonzalez’s defense says the shot was fired accidentally.

Bitsicas testified that he regretted the encounter, which prosecutors and the defense played on video in court.

“I’m ashamed, I am. I shouldn’t have called her names. I should have just recorded and shut up,” Bitsicas said.

The defense suggested Bitsicas’ behavior when he returned inside after the fight had been broken up outside painted a different picture.

“When you walked back inside to your friends and flexed your muscles, you were acting like you had just won a fight?” said Jeff Hilbrenner, Gonzalez’s attorney.

Mira Rodriguez, Gonzalez’s girlfriend, also testified Wednesday and described feeling terrified during the encounter.

“He was just too close to me. I didn’t feel safe,” she said. “He was calling me a dumb c*nt and saying that I was walking out on a tab when I wasn’t trying to. I was just looking for the person I came to the restaurant with so we could fix this issue.”

Rodriguez said Bitsicas started to hit her as well.

“The minute I pushed the phone away he used his forearm and pushed me up against the wall, he had it on my neck,” Rodriguez said. “Then he punched me in my ear, he was grabbing me by my neck and at a certain point he was grabbing the top of my hair and pushing me down.”

Photos were shown of marks and injuries Rodriguez sustained in her fight with Bitsicas like a bloody ear and scratches on her neck area. Rodriguez had taken a phone call from Gonzalez during the beginning of her confrontation with Bitsicas. Gonzalez testified Wednesday he heard his girlfriend on the phone say Bitsicas was “beating her” and ran back over to the Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot to intervene.

That’s when two other men, believed to be with Bitsicas also jumped in. Gonzalez testified this led him to feeling outnumbered and in fear of his safety and that is why he brought the gun with him into the bar.

Rodriguez testified in the midst of the fight her phone had fell on the ground, where Bitsicas picked it up and then brought it inside with him.

Bitsicas explained his actions after returning back inside as him feeling like he had “just survived a beating.” He also testified that he had drunk several beers that night.

“I had got the evidence that was necessary to hold them accountable,” Bitsicas said.

The defense also questioned Bitsicas movement in the direction of Gonzalez when Gonzalez came back inside after grabbing his gun. Bitsicas said he was trying to get to the front entrance to leave and Gonzalez was in his path. Gonzalez testified that he was only looking to get his girlfriend’s phone back and verbally confront Bitsicas, but said Bitsicas charged at him inside the restaurant.

“The minute that I turned and looked up I seen 6’2, 280 lb. Gary coming at me at a high speed,” Gonzalez said. “I started to feel his hands grabbing on me and I immediately reached for the gun because he was twice my size and I don’t know who was behind him, I was outnumbered. So I reached over my head and pistol whipped him on the head with the gun.”

Bitsicas later testified he was concerned Gonzalez would possibly hurt others in the restaurant.

“I was protecting the people behind me, I thought he was coming for the bartender, and I was protecting everybody in that restaurant,” Bitsicas said.

“Is it a surprise to you that the owner of that cell phone, or the boyfriend of the owner of that cell phone, would come looking for that cell phone?” Hilbrenner asked Bitsicas.

“It wouldn’t surprise me, no,” Bitsicas responded.

Bitsicas testified that his memory of the incident stops right before the gun was fired. Gonzalez testified that his past military training would never allow him to intentionally shoot a gun in the manner the state claims he did.

“You would never swing a gun to shoot and kill someone. I hit Gary over the head with the gun and the bullet ejected. That is a gun with no safety,” Gonzalez said.

The penalty phase will begin Thursday morning at 8 a.m. Gonzalez faces up to 30 years in prison.

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