Author: KMIZ

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Candidates in a race to represent part of Mid-Missouri in the state Senate have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to compete in the August primary.

Four Republicans have formed committees to raise money for their campaigns in the Sixth Senate District, which covers Cole, Callaway, Miller, Morgan and Moniteau counties. The current officeholder, Republican Mike Bernskoetter, is prohibited from running again due to term limits.

Jake Vogel, president of Jefferson City Coca-Cola, has raised nearly $220,000 for his bid. The biggest donors in the current fundraising cycle include WPG PAC, based in Columbia, the Independent Physicians PAC of Mid-Mo, the Missouri Beverage PAC and the Ford Motor Company Civic Action Fund MO.

Jake Vogel’s January finance reportDownload

Former Jefferson City Councilman Derrick Spicer has also raised about $220,000 for his campaign, including more than $24,000 in the latest fundraising cycle. The IUOE Local 513 PAC was among his biggest donors at $1,000. The other donations came from individuals and companies.

Derrick Spicer’s January finance reportDownload

State Rep. Rudy Veit has raised the most of the four candidates, bringing in nearly $325,000 so far this election cycle. He took in about $34,000 during the fourth quarter of 2025. He received $1,000 donations from former congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, CN-MO PAC and the Missouri Funeral Directors PAC.

Rudy Veit’s January finance reportDownload

State ballot issues

Opponents of the Amendment 3 abortion ban on the November ballot have far outraised the committee formed to support the ban. Stop the Ban has raised more than $1 million for the election, including close to $200,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The Her Health Her Future PAC, which supports the ban, has brought in about $100,000, all during the fourth quarter of 2025.

People Not Politicians, a group created to oppose a new congressional map, has raised more than $6 million for the election, including more than $350,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025. Put Missouri First, a committee formed to oppose People Not Politicians, has raised and spent about $3 million this election cycle.

Her Health Her Future January reportDownload

Stop the Ban January finance reportDownload

People Not Politicians January reportDownload

Put Missouri First January reportDownload

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

Democrats have an answer to Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe’s plan to phase out Missouri’s income tax.

Rep. Mark Boyko (D-Kirkwood) has filed a bill that would remake Missouri’s income tax brackets to put less of the burden on lower income brackets and more on the top bracket. Meanwhile, House Speaker Jonathan Patterson has filed legislation to implement Kehoe’s plan.

Whose plan do you think is better for Missouri? Let us know by voting in the poll.

Click here to follow the original article.

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau is rolling out a new campaign designed to bring both international and domestic soccer fans to Mid-Missouri ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The initiative, called “Kick It in CoMo,” is meant to boost local businesses and showcase Columbia as a destination for visitors traveling to Kansas City for World Cup matches, according to the press release.

“Kick It in CoMo is our umbrella program to get ready for the FIFA World Cup this summer,” spokeswoman Megan McConachie said. “It covers marketing, promotions, information and collaboration across the Columbia community so we can all get ready together and celebrate together.”

Last month, the bureau said it was considering hosting its own watch parties and festival events. That decision is still undecided, but planning for the World Cup is already underway.

“We’re going to kind of wait and see if there are other entities that are interested in dong that themselves,” said McConachie.

The nonprofit said a shuttle service from Columbia to Kansas City is not currently in demand.

“It’s not something that we have heard any interest in. Typically, an international visitor is going to travel as part of kind of, maybe a larger group,” McConachie said.

Kansas City will host six World Cup matches — including a quarterfinal — inside a stadium that holds 73,000 fans, according to FIFA. That puts Columbia in a position to benefit from the influx of visitors.

“Any time someone visits, they stay in our hotels, dine in our restaurants, shop in our stores, and all of that has a great impact on the local economy and it helps support local jobs,”  McConachie said.

Downtown businesses are already hoping soccer fans make the trip.

“I think they’re all going to want to come down and enjoy our culture that we have going on here in downtown,” said Lisa Bartlett, owner of ArtLandish. “There’s a mall in every town, but here we have unique businesses.”

Bartlett recently moved her business to a downtown Ninth Street location in November after spending 15 years in the North Village Arts District. She said the move was driven by a desire to reach more customers.

“We think that this is the kind of happening place when events are going on. So I think, it’ll generate a lot of folks coming into town,” she said.

To help local businesses take advantage of the World Cup buzz, the Visitors Bureau is launching two new programs: a Kick It in CoMo Toolkit and an Adopt-A-Team program.

“Whether you’re a bar, restaurant, or somewhere that can host a crowd, you can host a watch party and even adopt a team like Argentina or Curaçao,” McConachie said. “Fans know that they can head to these few places and you know, hang out with their fellow fans,”

The bureau said the toolkit and team program should be available on its website next month.

Kansas City is expected to welcome about 650,000 visitors during the World Cup, according to McConachie. Officials said they should have a clearer idea of how many of those fans could be stopping in Mid-Missouri after spring break.

“Our proximity to Kansas City, combined with our engaged community, makes Columbia a great destination for travelers from around the world and across the country to visit during the World Cup,” CVB Director Amy Schneider said in a press release.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

Editor’s note: The name of the business was corrected.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A fire damaged a cannabis dispensary Thursday evening in the 4000 block of Ponderosa Drive in Columbia.

Greenlight Dispensary was damaged. Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp told ABC 17 News in a text message there was a fire on the back side of the building near the utility lines. There was an active gas leak at 8:49 p.m., according to Blomenkamp.

Several first responders were on scene, including Boone County firefighters and paramedics.

Check back for updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Fulton Public Schools announced in a Thursday press release that Morgan Beamer will be the high school’s next principal.

Beamer is currently in her third year as the principal of Fulton Middle School and will begin her new role July 1 and has previously served as an assistant principal in the district. Kati Boland is currently listed as the high school’s principal on the district’ s website.

Beamer has a bachelor’s degree from Westminster College and master’s and specialist’s degrees from William Woods University, the release says.

“I am so honored to serve as the next Principal of Fulton High School. I have absolutely loved being the Principal at Fulton Middle School, and I am so proud of what we have accomplished in our building.  I look forward to taking the next step in my career at FHS and can’t wait to meet all the students, faculty, staff, and families. I am ready for a great 2026-2027 school year!” Beamer is quoted in the release.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who was accused in shootings that occurred in April and May was found guilty by a Boone County jury on Wednesday on two felonies.

Joshua Abrams, 24, was found guilty of unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. He was previously charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. A sentencing date is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, March 9. He is being held at the Boone County Jail.

Court documents in previous reporting indicate Abrams is accused of being one of multiple shooters downtown early on the morning of April 13, 2025, where a Columbia Police Department vehicle was hit.

Abrams is also suspected in a May 1 shooting on Clark Lane. Officers found shell casings and bullet holes in the ground in the area where shots were heard, the statement says. Witnesses in the statement claim Abrams fired a gun after an argument, the documents say.

Click here to follow the original article.

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Housing Authority’s Kinney Point low-income housing project is complete, and families have moved into all 34 homes, as more than 1,257 households remain on the agency’s waitlist, according to CHA.

Previous reporting shows the list stood at about 800 households in September.

Randy Cole, CEO of the Columbia Housing Authority, said the waitlist includes households enrolled in Section 8 who rely on housing vouchers for low-income housing. The agency has not accepted new applications for nearly nine months and does not expect the waitlist to open until 2027.

Cole said the number of people on the waitlist that are considered homeless is about 87%. The Kinney Point Project is located Garth Ave and Sexton Road in central Columbia, costing a total of $13 million.

CHA received $2 million from the city, along with $1.3 million from the Veterans United Foundation, $5 million in tax credits and an additional $3 million in funds from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, according to Cole from previous reporting.

Asia Long, a mother of two, recently moved into a three-bedroom home at Kinney Point after qualifying for low-income housing due to her income and her 6-year-old son’s disabilities.

“I think it can be somewhat intimidating, but it also feels good,” Long said. “They purposely are investing a good property into you to that you can do great things,”

She said she waited two-to-three months to secure low-income housing and was surprised, noting that people typically wait years to get off the waitlist. Long gives credit to her caseworker at Boone County Family Resources with making the process possible and recommended others seek help from a caseworker.

“She got me on the list, and she got me here and whenever I was challenged with something else she reported that and she was just on it,” Long said.

Long found herself down on her luck while going through a divorce, turning to a one-income household and her art studio at Orr Street Studios catching fire, taking away a source of income.

“I reached out to my caseworker and was like, ‘I can’t do this no more, I can’t, I can’t,'” Long said. “I work in mental health and I’m about to have a mental issue, I can’t do it.”

At the time, she was living in an apartment in Columbia that she says was too expensive, leading to an eviction which she says made applying for low-income housing necessary.

“Not having a place to stay means so much. Stability and foundation, physically, mentally, spiritually,” Long said. “The eviction, once you’re notified with the eviction, it’s traumatic. Like, you’re going to be evicted, it’s a reality you’re not willing to face,”

Long’s home at Kinney Point offers a one story floor plan with, with three-bedrooms, a kitchen with a dishwasher and a washer and dryer.

She said the home brings stability for her two children especially its one floor layout for her son who is deaf and blind.

“The walkways are clear. He really needs a clear path to be able to get to or from the car, or he needs room and space to be able to judge, because distance is hard for him,” Long said. “It all starts here, so I’m glad they are provided again. I think they were very intentional. Everything’s flat, everything’s one level, everything flows very well,”

When it comes to low-income housing, Long said she wishes more people understood that those in certain situations did not choose to be in them.

“When someone comes to the point of needing housing assistance, a culmination of of things happened for them to end up at this point,” she said. “I think certain people see the end result and then they just judge the end result of how… you’re on housing assistance. But, there’s always a story or something going on in the background that brought you to this point.”

Looking toward the future, Long said she hopes to own a home and go back to school.

Kinney Point will have a resource center onside to help connect residents to basic needs to programming and employment or referral., It will also offer space for nonprofits.

CHA is working on other low-income housing projects. Providence Walkway and Blind Baron and will offer 50 units. Those projects are expected to break ground next year and will be completely sometime in 2027.

Work to upgrade the Park Avenue Apartments has begun, with the first phase of the project expected to be completed before the end of this year, with several units expected to be available in May and June. The second phase is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Click here to follow the original article.

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Parks and Recreation voted unanimously to move forward with a new design of the Douglass Park basketball courts on Thursday, following community debate over a proposed name and theme for the $900,000 renovation project.

In 2023, the city announced that the courts would honor Willie Cox, a former assistant coach of the University of Missouri women’s basketball team who died in 2019. Cox also hosted basketball camps at Douglass Park.

Early design concepts featured MU themes, including a black court with the circle Tiger logo at center court and a second court in gold. Planned upgrades also include new rims, LED lighting and a park shelter.

Some community members raised concerns at the time, saying the designs focused too heavily on the university and did not reflect the broader history of basketball programs that have used the courts.

Anthony Johnson, a Columbia resident and founder of Columbia Supreme Basketball, said he would have liked to see one court recognize the Moon-Light Hoops program. Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll, who was not on the City Council when the project was approved, said the debate highlighted the need for stronger community engagement.

Nearly a year later, Parks and Recreation officials are moving forward with an alternative blue-and-gray design. Under the proposal, one court would feature “Douglass Bulldogs” along the baseline, while the second would display “Moonlight Hoops Est. 1989” along the sideline.

Douglass Park has not had Moonlight Hoops since 2019, however, the Parks and Recreation Department indicated on Thursday that it is trying to get organized basketball back at Douglass Park. During Thursday’s meeting, Huffington said that two different groups have discussed hosting weekend tournaments at Douglas Park.

Proposed Basketball Court Improvements_Revised September 2025 (1)Download

The commission will present the new design to the City Council on Feb. 2. A council vote is anticipated Feb. 16.

Parks and Recreation Director Gabe Huffington said public discussion on the project began in May, with an input meeting held Sept. 29. Approval was delayed after a November committee meeting was canceled, and no meeting was held in December.

If approved, construction would begin immediately, with completion targeted for June. Huffington told ABC 17 News that while they didn’t lose any funding from donors due to the change, the city has an obligation to name another court after Cox at a different Columbia park.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

“Chariot races” will be discussed at Monday night’s Columbia City Council meeting.

New business on the council agenda shows that the energy drink company Red Bull filed an application with the city to hold the 2026 Red Bull Chariot Races on Saturday, April 11 in downtown Columbia.

Meeting documents say President of Throwing Star Collective, Inc. Joshua Green filed the application with the city’s special events committee on Dec. 17.

Information from the city indicates the “chariot races” may look a bit different than what some may have seen in “Ben-Hur” and other popular media.

Races will consist of four-person teams that “that design and construct themed, two-wheeled, human-powered chariots measuring approximately 4 feet by 3 feet,” meeting documents say. Up to 24 teams will be allowed to participate and 12 heats will occur throughout the day.

The race course would begin at the corner of Cherry and Hitts streets, head west to Tenth and Cherry streets and head north on Tenth Street, with the finish line being at East Broadway, the agenda says.

Set up for the event would begin at 5 a.m. April 11 and teardown would be completed by 9 p.m. the same day, according to meeting documents. The day would also have events including an opening ceremony, parade; and closing ceremonies and awards will be at 5 p.m.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was accused of raping someone in 2008-09 was sentenced this week.

Roger Allen Curtis, of Mexico, Missouri, was initially charged in 2024 in Audrain County with first-degree rape. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 10 to incest and was sentenced on Monday to five years of probation, along with a seven-year suspended sentence.

According to court documents in previous reporting, the victim told law enforcement that she was raped by Curtis several times. She allegedly told law enforcement that the first sexual assault occurred after Curtis threatened to shoot her, court documents say. He allegedly told the victim that if she told anyone of the assault, he would kill her, court documents say.

Law enforcement talked to several witnesses who were told about the sexual assault by the victim, and they stated details that were consistent with what the victim told law enforcement, according to the probable cause statement.

Click here to follow the original article.