Author: KMIZ

Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments for two lawsuits from a group trying to get the mid-decade “Missouri First” congressional map Map on the November ballot.

This is the final attempt to get the map, which lawmakers passed during a special session on mid-decade redistricting, in front of voters.

People Not Politicians asks justices to certify their referendum

The first case Supreme Court justices heard from People Not Politicians concerns whether the Secretary of State acted within his authority in rejecting the referendum.

Secretary Denny Hoskins, with the Attorney General’s backing, said a referendum on a congressional map was unconstitutional at the beginning of August. People Not Politicians took this decision to a Cole County judge, who sided with Hoskins two weeks ago.

The group backing the referendum immediately filed an appeal.

People Not Politicians has been trying to overturn the map since lawmakers passed the map in September 2025. The map is expected to flip District 5 from Democrat to Republican. Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver currently holds the seat and is now running against Republican candidate and state Sen. Rick Brattin, of Harrisonville.

People Not Politicians argued that the referendum is sufficient because it has enough signatures and Missouri law explicitly allows it. Attorney Chuck Hatfield said Missouri law allows a referendum on any act of the General Assembly, and that’s what House Bill 1 is.

Hoskins argued the opposite, saying the Missouri and U.S. Constitutions prohibit it because there isn’t a clear statement allowing it. Hatfield argued the specific law only applies to Senate redistricting because that’s where the provision is found.

Chief Justice Brent Powell questioned the state at least twice about whether their arguments prohibit the right to a referendum because that’s the question the Supreme Court is charged with answering.

Three interested Republican groups have also stepped in, siding with the state. Their argument in court was very similar. John Gore, an attorney from Washington, D.C. who is representing the Republican groups, added it’s too close to the November election to change anything.

If the state’s high court sides with People Not Politicians and they get the referendum on the ballot, the congressional map for November would go back to the 2022 map. Gore said this could cause chaos and confusion for voters, especially those who are in different districts depending on the map.

Candidates have spent time and money campaigning in their new districts, and election officials might not be able to change the map files — which is what ties voters to districts.

There’s also a trial on when Hoskins should start counting referendum signatures

Following arguments on whether the referendum is allowed by law, justices heard a second round of arguments from People Not Politicians, the state and another interested party agreeing with the state — a political action committee called Put Missouri First.

The focus of this lawsuit is discussing if signatures that were gathered on a petition before a certain date should have counted.

Before starting his arguments, Hatfield acknowledged that this was less significant than the arguments heard earlier in the day.

People Not Politicians started collecting signatures soon after the general assembly passed the map and when it submitted the referendum for approval to the secretary. Hoskins said the group can’t collect signatures until he approves it for circulation, and that didn’t happen until after the governor signed H.B. 1 into law.

The state and Put Missouri First argue that this is moot because Hoskins has already declared the referendum unconstitutional on its face. However, if the justices decide the case has merit, then it’s still irrelevant because People Not Politicians has enough signatures.

Put Missouri First attorney Mark Ellinger said the group is asking for advice or a ruling that could potentially help the group at a later date.

“The court only addresses when there’s a live controversy. There is not in that case,” Ellinger said.

People Not Politicians argues that referendums can be done on any act of the general assembly–a case they have consistently used throughout numerous lawsuits in both low and high courts. The group has also argued that they believe they have enough signatures already, even without the 100,000 that Hoskins chose not to count.

People Not Politicians submitted the referendum for approval in September 2025, but Hoskins didn’t give it the OK to circulate until Oct. 14, and Hoskins said any signatures collected in that time frame are invalid. He also reminded potential signers that anyone who resigns a petition is considered election fraud.

Of the nearly 306,000 signatures turned in to the Secretary on Dec. 9; 100,000 of them were not processed.

Time is ticking

The Supreme Court needs to make a decision fast because the last day to add anything to the November ballot is Monday, Sept. 8. In the People Not Politicians lawsuit tried two weeks ago, Cole County Judge Daniel Green announced his decision hours after hearing arguments.

Powell didn’t indicate when a decision would be made.

People Not Politicians rallied outside the Supreme Court, and hundreds of people came in support of overturning the 2025 map.

Mike Dempsey and his wife drove two hours from Springfield to rally Wednesday morning.

“They’re trying to gerrymander the state, and divide up districts and give people less representation in the state,” he said. “They’re using Jim Crow tactics in dividing districts with minorities. Next thing you know, they’re going to have us counting jelly beans and taking literacy tests.”

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Demetra Alarcon

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Salvation Army says it is doubling the number of beds at its shelter.

According to a Facebook post, the Center of Hope shelter is undergoing a full renovation that will double its capacity from 31 to 62 beds. The project includes adding a new family wing, transitioning open bathroom facilities into private spaces and expanding the food pantry to five times its original size.

According to Melinda Jennings, Director of Development at the Salvation Army, this is a 6.5 million project that has been funded by private donations, government and community grants, and ARPA government funding.

“I’m really, so thankful to be a part of it into the Salvation Army for saying, we’re going to do this, we’re going to take this on and, the Salvation Army themselves has made a commitment to our campaign as well,” said Jennings.

The Salvation Army has been under construction since January and is expected to be complete by the end of December.

Last April, the Jefferson City Task Force on Homelessness called for more shelters, centralized resources and affordable housing. The task force recommended using federal and state grant funding to support coordination efforts and expand staffing.

In July, Jefferson City’s Public Works and Planning Committee met to discuss research on safety requirements for shelters.

A memorandum by the Department of Planning and Protective Services said more research was needed because current shelters have no safety regulations.

In an interview with ABC 17, Planning and Protective Services Director Dave Helmick shared that his department is researching local communities, existing shelters, and framework documents. This research will help guide the drafting of a comprehensive shelter safety ordinance.

“But we are working with the groups. We have met with some of them individually. Just to talk about the issues that we’re having, and then we’re expanding that into this shelter ordinance, which really covers everything from, you know, temporary shelters, emergency shelters, soup kitchens, overnight shelters,” said Helmick.

Drafts have been worked out for this ordinance and will be open to public comment in the next coming weeks.

Helmick said that this ordinance would be used to put rules in place, not restrict.

“This isn’t really, a we’re trying to restrict. It’s more if you’re going to do it. This is how you can do it safely and efficiently, and this is how to do it,” said Helmick

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A St. Louis County judge on Wednesday added Mizzou to a restraining order to keep a defensive tackle eligible to play.

Judge Ellen Ribaudo added the University of Missouri to a temporary restraining order that she previously granted to keep the NCAA from declaring Sterling Webb ineligible to play a fifth year. The move was largely procedural, according to a motion filed by Webb’s lawyer, because Webb already has a spot on the football team. However, NCAA rules say that teams, not the NCAA, declare players ineligible.

The order against Mizzou would keep the school from holding or reducing revenue sharing or name, image and likeness proceeds Webb could receive.

Webb filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in late July seeking an extra year of player eligibility, arguing that the rules state he should have a season remaining. The NCAA said its interpretation of the rules means he has none.

Ribaudo also denied the NCAA’s motion to throw out the case during a hearing Wednesday.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 23-year-old Columbia man arrested after a standoff that shut down a busy street was wanted for allegedly threatening a family member with a gun and leading police on a chase.

Ethan J. McCauley was arrested Tuesday after a standoff that lasted about two hours on Fyfer Place, just off East Broadway. Police closed a section of East Broadway near Boone Hospital during the response.

McCauley had been wanted on a warrant for felony fleeing police, armed criminal action, and felony resisting arrest, according to court records. The charges were filed after a May incident.

One of McCauley’s stepparents called police on May 11, saying McCauley had been banging on their door with a gun before firing a gunshot and taking off, according to a probable cause statement. Police say McCauley led them on a chase down East Gans Road and other rural roads, at times exceeding 100 mph in his Polaris Slingshot three-wheeled vehicle.

McCauley parked the Slingshot in a driveway and ran, but police caught his passenger, who told them McCauley had a gun on his lap during the chase. Officers also found empty alcohol containers in the vehicle, according to the statement.

Bond was set at $75,000. No hearings have been set.

Georgina Hovoni, 21, was also arrested Tuesday. No charges had been posted publicly against her in online court records Wednesday morning.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three Missouri Supreme Court hearings are set to take place Wednesday regarding potential November ballot measures.

Respect Missouri Voters will be at the Supreme Court as the group continues to fight for Amendment 6 regarding the citizen-led petition to be on the November ballot. The group looks to add new rules for initiative petitions and make it harder for lawmakers to overturn things passed through that process.

Amendment 6 would:

Prohibit politicians from overturning or changing initiatives passed by voters without widespread agreement.  

Protect our constitutional right to the initiative and referendum process.

Require ballot summaries to be clear, unbiased, fair, accurate and easy to understand.

Last month, a Cole County judge ruled that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins was right to reject the initiative petition seeking to check the General Assembly’s power to change voter-approved policy.

Respect Missouri Voters will hold a rally following Wednesday’s hearing at 9:45 a.m. The group is also inviting supporters of Amendment 6 to hear opening arguments on the steps of the Missouri Supreme Court at 9 a.m.

The Group People, Not Politicians also has two hearings against Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The group sued Hoskins to get their vote on the ballot between the new and old congressional maps.

The Cole County judge sided with Hoskins that the Missouri Constitution does not allow citizens to challenge congressional maps approved by legislators through a ballot measure.

The group also sued Hoskins in a separate lawsuit for refusing to check any signatures gathered in the initiative petition before Oct. 15. The judge also ruled that Hoskins was allowed to toss out signatures that were gathered on a petition before a certain date.

Both rulings were appealed and are expected to be challenged in court Wednesday.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A New Florence man was charged with 29 felonies after he allegedly shot at someone during an argument on Sunday in Montgomery County.

Keeland Sanders was charged with first-degree domestic assault, 14 counts of armed criminal action, one count of second-degree assault, 12 counts of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of drug trafficking. A no-bond warrant was served and a bond hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday.

The probable cause statement says deputies were called after 3 p.m. Sunday as Sanders was allegedly shooting at someone.

Sanders allegedly told deputies that one of the victims entered his property and threatened to hurt a witness “however, did not present an imminent danger, nor deadly threat to either Sanders or the Confidential Victims on scene,” the statement says.

Sanders then allegedly told the deputy that he grabbed a gun and fired multiple rounds into the ground to scare off the victim, the statement says. The deputy wrote that Sanders was drinking a Coors Light at the scene and refused to do a breath test.

The victim allegedly told police that they went to Sanders’ residence and “characterized some of Sanders’ girlfriends on scene” a derogatory term, the statement says. The victim claims that’s when Sanders went to grab a gun and fired a few shots.

A second victim claimed they heard four or five shots after an argument. That victim was standing across the street, claiming bullets went across the street to where they were standing, the statement says.

Law enforcement conducted a search of the home and allegedly found 11 guns and 0.73 grams of cocaine and fentanyl, the statement says.

The deputy wrote that spent shell casings were found, but marks in the ground where Sanders claimed to have shot at were not seen, court documents allege.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ) 

A longtime Columbia staple is set to close its doors this winter.

Shiloh Bar and Grill announced on Facebook that this upcoming college football season will be its last. Owner Nic Parks later confirmed to ABC 17 News that the bar will close in December.

Parks said the closure is tied to the landlord’s plans to sell the property and alluded to a potential buyer’s plans to redevelop the historic Katy Station Building.

While Parks did not have specifics on the redevelopment plans, he said Shiloh likely would not reopen at another location.

However, he said there is a possibility the bar could eventually return as a ground-floor tenant if the new property owner is willing to work with them. He pointed to Shakespeare’s Pizza on Ninth Street as a similar example, where the restaurant operates beneath an apartment complex.

Shiloh Bar and Grill operated at a South Sixth Street location from 1998-2009 before moving to its current location on East Broadway in 2009.

The bar has operated out of the historic Katy Station Building ever since. The building was added to the Columbia Historic Register on Jan. 29, 1979. It originally served as a depot for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad.

ABC 17 News attended Tuesday’s Columbia Historical Preservation Committee meeting. One of the items listed on the agenda was a demolition permit at North Fourth Street. However, at this point in the process, the committee says that no developers have come forward with a concept, and all that they have heard is “rumors” about alleged student housing. 

Despite the Katy Station Building’s historical significance, the committee told ABC 17 News that nothing currently prevents the property from being demolished. The city can impose a 45-day delay on demolition to allow for further discussion, but beyond that, there are no additional protections in place.

One way for the city to provide additional protections for a historic building is through a zoning regulation known as a historic overlay, which places specific restrictions on a property or area to preserve its historic character. However, the Historic Preservation Commission said there is no historic overlay in place for the Katy Station Building.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

SNAP recipients are wary of the new SNAP verification requirements set to roll out on Oct. 1.

The change will require applicants and recertifiers to bring documentation for their expenses instead of self-reporting.

Proof will be required for:

Shelter costs, such as rent, mortgage and utilities

Dependent care or childcare expenses

Countable resources, such as money in a bank account

“There are minor things that, if there is no reason to question what the family was saying, like how much they spend on child care or things like that, they would need to provide extra documents,” said Lucas Caldwell-McMillan who is the chief of policy staff with Empower Missouri. “This is now really requiring extra verification of child care expenses, rent a whole host of things.”

According to a press release from the Missouri Department of Senior Services, the changes are meant to “strengthen program integrity and ensure accurate eligibility decisions.”

The department adds a one-time notice is currently being mailed to all SNAP participants.

According to the Missouri Budget Project, the Mid-Missouri county with the lowest rate of households on SNAP is Osage County with around 5%. The county with the highest rate is Randolph County with around 15% of households.

SNAP recipients Ashley Berry and Richard Eudy were unaware of the changes, with both asking for more transparency and clear announcements of changes.

“If nobody knows about it, how are they going to do the things properly that they need to do?” Berry said. “You have to have all this stuff and that could be a pain in the neck if you don’t know what you really need.”

Eudy also voiced concern over the additional files backing up the application process.

“I hate it when they just shuffle paperwork, that’s the biggest problem,” Eudy said. “I mean, wait, wait, wait, wait.”

McMillian argues that the change will make it harder for working families to gather documents and would hinder the state’s accuracy.

“It [documents] can be lost, you can turn in the paperwork and it can be sitting at a desk of an overworked SSA staff member who didn’t have time to process it in time for your recertification date, there’s a whole kind of a whole host of point-breaking points,” McMillian said.

He added the change also comes ahead of Missouri’s winter season, where many SNAP recipients experience what Empower Missouri calls “Heat or Eat.”

“Which is exactly what it sounds, which is older folks choosing between purchasing groceries or keeping their heat on, and we know that they’re going into the winter months when the energy costs are higher than ever,” McMillian said.

McMillian recommends that recipients who want to make sure their documents are in order should visit a Social Security Department office in person if possible. The Social Services Department also recommends sending complete documents.

Acceptable forms of verification include bills, receipts, lease agreements, bank statements or written proof from the person or business being paid.

“That way you can make sure you’re getting the right documents the first time, because part of it, too, is, ‘no, that didn’t work. I need a different document’ in the going back and forth.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An 18-year-old man was charged with four felonies and four misdemeanors after he allegedly fired a gun in a Fayette home while threatening multiple victims on Monday morning.

Eric Jackson Jr. was charged in Howard County with armed criminal action, endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of illegal use of a weapon and four misdemeanors, which include three counts of fourth-degree domestic assault and illegally firing a gun.

He is being held at the Howard County Jail without bond and an arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.

The probable cause statement says one of the victims called police while they were hiding in a closet. The victim was worried about Jackson shooting them, the statement says. The victim claimed Jackson had fired rounds in the home and police noted after they arrived, hearing a woman through the residence door pleading with Jackson “not to do it,” according to court documents.

The statement says police kicked in the door and Jackson dropped the gun. Police noted finding two spent shell casings along with two holes that went through headboard, kitchen wall, a cabinet and an exterior wall.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County will receive a $307,205.85 grant to fight cyber crimes, according to documentation provided to ABC 17 News.

That figure is up from the grant it received last year, which was worth $303,044.

The county applied for the cyber-crimes grant with the state and was notified of its award on Aug. 4. The agreement needed to be signed by Sept. 4. The funding will last through May 31, 2027.

Part of the agreement says status reports will occur once per quarter.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Task Force started in 2007 and serves most of the Mid-Missouri area.

BoCO Cyber Crimes grantDownload

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