Author: KMIZ

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools is proposing a roughly $390.7 million budget for the 2026-27 school year that relies on dipping into reserves to cover rising costs, most notably the opening of a new elementary school and uncertainties surrounding state funding.

The district’s operating budget, or General and Teachers funds, accounts for roughly 80% of the proposed budget, with salaries representing just over half of General Fund expenditures.

The operating budget projects $309.8 million in revenue compared with $321.5 million in expenditures, resulting in a planned use of approximately $11.7 million in reserves. Across all funds, the proposed budget totals $390.7 million and includes an overall drawdown of about $18.6 million from the district’s fund balance.

Officials say the district intentionally built up reserves in recent years specifically to help absorb the costs of opening new schools and other one-time needs. Columbia Board of Education President John Lyman said the board has long prioritized strong reserves.

“One of the big things that the board many years ago decided was that there needed to be, X-number of months or three months worth of reserves, kind of on hand at all times to make sure that we have it,” Lyman said. “Ultimately, we have a payroll to keep. We have a district of 19,000 employees to keep running, and so making sure that we have those reserves is important.”

The biggest new expense is Eagle Bluffs Elementary, scheduled to open in fall 2026 on the John Warner Middle School campus in southwest Columbia. The new school will require 27 additional staff positions at a cost of about $1.5 million.

“It was a big chunk of money. We’re hiring more teachers, and more administrators for that building, more support staff and then it’s an additional several thousand square feet of space that we have to heat and cool,” Lyman said. “For the last several years, we’ve been kind of squirreling that money away to make sure that we have it for when it’s time to open that building this fall.”

District leaders say the planned drawdown would still leave the operating fund with a healthy projected ending balance of about $121 million, or more than 37% of expenditures, well above the board’s minimum reserve target.

The budget includes meaningful improvements to employee pay and benefits. District leaders approved salary schedule adjustments and experience steps for all employees totaling more than $8.65 million. When benefits and other related costs are included, the total investment in compensation and benefits exceeds $14.25 million.

Key elements include continued funding of medical, dental and life insurance for full-time employees and projected increases in health insurance costs, with medical insurance rising from about $7,956 to $9,552 per employee.

These enhancements are part of the district’s effort to attract and retain staff while supporting its strategic goals.

“Payroll is one of our biggest things that we expanded on. So when we get the same amount of money that we got last year, but we want to pay all of our teachers more, we have to start looking at some different things. That’s when you start dipping into those reserves because again, we want to pay our teachers more than we did last year,” Lyman said.

Compared with the current 2025-26 budget, the proposed 2026-27 operating expenditures rise by about $17.2 million. The district is shifting from a projected surplus of $7.4 million this year to a planned deficit of $11.7 million next year.

State aid continues to fall short of rising costs. CPS Chief Financial Officer Heather McArthur told ABC 17 News that CPS is assuming a flat state adequacy target of $6,900 per pupil. According to McArthur, while increased weighted average daily attendance, weighted average membership and a calendar incentive are expected to generate $2.3 million in additional foundation formula funding, an increase in the per-pupil amount for the classroom trust fund results in a net decrease of $1 million in new state money overall.

This modest state revenue growth, combined with only partial transportation funding, has forced the district to use reserves to balance the budget.

McArthur is projecting only 90% of the expected state transportation funding due to shortfalls at the state level. Local property taxes, projected to grow a modest 2%, remain the largest revenue source but are not enough to fully cover increased costs without using reserves.

The Board of Education is expected to hold a public hearing and consider final approval of the budget at the end of the month ahead of the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two adults and five children were displaced from their Jefferson City duplex on Wednesday after a fire occurred in the 1000 block of Elizabeth Street, a press release from the Jefferson City Fire Department says.

Crews were called at 6:38 p.m. and found smoke coming from a two-story duplex, the release says. All occupants safely got out of the residence before first responders arrived and firefighters saved two cats, the release says.

The fire was found in the kitchen of the upper apartment and crews were able to contain and extinguish it, according to the release. The upper apartment had moderate fire damage “primarily confined to the kitchen area.” The lower apartment had minor smoke and water damage, the release says.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but preliminary information indicates it was accidental, the release says. The American Red Cross is helping the affected residents with temporary housing and other services, according to the release.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has completed its annual bus inspections.

A Wednesday press release from MSHP says 10,239 buses were approved on its initial inspection, while 849 were rated “defective” and 283 were determined to be “out of service.”

The release says that defective components require repair within 10 days, “out-of-service” buses require the components to be fixed and re-inspected.

Columbia Public Schools had 96.8% of its 155 buses approved, while 3.2% were declared defective. The Jefferson City School District had 97.2% of its 72 buses approved – which is four-year high for the district – and 2.8% were declared “out of service.”

Fulton Public Schools had 93.5% of its 31 buses approved, 3.2% defective and 3.3% out of service, while Boonville had 77% of its 26 buses approved, 11.5% defective and 11.5% out of service. Moberly had 92.3% of its 26 vehicles approved, 3.8% defective and 3.9% out of service.

Montgomery County had 91.7% of its 24 buses pass and 8.3% defective, while Fayette had 90.9% of its 11 buses approved and 9.1% defective. North Callaway had 90% of its 20 buses approved and 10% out of service and South Callaway had 94.2% of its 17 buses approved and 5.8% defective.

All schools can be found in the document below.

2026AnnualSchoolBusInspectionResultsDownload

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will not be able to accept new applications for enrollees beginning on July 1 because of state budget cuts, according to an email from a Missouri Department of Education and Secondary Education spokesperson.

“Due to the proposed 2027 Fiscal Year state budget reduction, beginning July 1, 2026, Dolly Parton Imagination Library will not have the funds to accept new applications to the program. DESE–OOC will continue providing books to families already enrolled, as funding allows,” the email says.

The program – which was launched in the state in November 2023 — allows parents to register their child to receive a free book every month from birth to 5 years old, previous reporting shows.

The email from DESE says it is “unsure of the future of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Missouri as a state funded program. Partnering with local programs could be a potential in the future with time, funding, and partnerships coordination.

Missouri covers 100% of the funding of the program and was the first to do so, the spokesperson wrote.

There have been 4,361,936 books donated since 2023 and 169,032 children in Missouri were receiving books from the program during the first quarter of 2026.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people in their 60s were seriously injured Wednesday in a crash on Route C in Cole County, just south of Spring Ridge Road, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the driver of a Honda CR-V – a 67-year-old woman from Meta, Missouri – tried to turn southbound onto Route B and traveled into the path of a 2018 Freightliner Cascadia.

The woman and her passenger – a 66-year-old man from Meta – were flown to University Hospital with serious injuries, according to the report. The woman wore a seatbelt and the man did not, the report says.

The driver of the Freightliner – a 71-year-old man from Henley, Missouri – wore a seatbelt and had no reported injuries.

The Honda was totaled and the semi-truck had moderate damage, the report says.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri’s members of Congress on Tuesday wrote to President Donald Trump, urging him to approve a disaster declaration request signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe last month.

The letter was signed by each member of Missouri’s delegation, Democrat and Republican. The letter states that officials have documented more than $36 million in damage eligible for reimbursement, which is triple the threshold to qualify for assistance.

The request was made for 12 counties affected by storms between April 23 and April 28.

Kehoe requested FEMA individual assistance for Randolph, Saline, Clay, Gentry, Green and Holt counties after more than 140 households were verified to have damage that was not covered by insurance. The release says more than half of the residences are renter-occupied homes.

Public assistance is also being requested for Randolph, Saline, Howard, Monroe, Ripley, St. Francois, Carroll, Chariton, Green and Holt counties. If approved, nonprofits and local governments can seek federal assistance.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau has announced that seven bars and restaurants in the city are partaking in the “Adopt-A-Team” program for the FIFA World Cup.

The program enables the business to be an “official home base” for fans of their chosen teams, according to the application webpage.

The bars and corresponding teams include:

Addison’s – Argentina

The Heidelberg – Germany

Hooters – Mexico

Rio Grande – Team USA

The Deuce Pub & Pit – Brazil

The Roof – New Zealand

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux – France

A couple of bars – The Deuce and The Roof – have been approved for extended bar hours, according to Megan McConachie of the CCVB. Eastside Tavern has also applied for extended hours and the city is currently reviewing its application.

A Missouri law would allow for bars to serve alcohol for 23 hours a day during the period when the World Cup is occurring this summer. However, Columbia opted to just extend bar hours by one hour on select dates when World Cup games are scheduled late.

Businesses may apply to make their closing times for 2:30 a.m. on:

June 14

June 17

June 20

June 21

June 23

June 27

July 3

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Sutton Parker

COLUBMIA MO. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Fire Protection District transferred ownership of two fire tankers to the Van-Far and Northwest Fire Protection District.

The districts will each receive one 2000-model  Pierce Freightliner that are designed to transport large quantities of water and operate as pumping units for firefighting activities.

The two Tanker’s were recently taken out of service after 25-years serving Boone County Residents. The donations come as the district continues its ongoing equipment replacement program.

Boone County Fire Protection District Chief Doug Westhoff said it is a blessing to be in a position to be able to donate the tankers.

“We are in a position where we can offer this kind of assistance for other organizations that are starting up or have needs in the state of Missouri.”

The Boone County Fire Protection District said that the rural districts did not ask for a donation, and were prepared to pay around $5,000 for the vehicle’s. Westoff said the department then talked with their board of directors decided that the neighborly thing to make a donation to the districts.

“If the department were to sell the tankers on the open market would not be near the benefit that the communities are going to see.” Westhoff said.

The tankers are being donated at a time when purchasing new fire engines has become increasingly expensive and a logistical challenge.

According to the International Association of Firefighters three fire manufactures now control 70% of the U.S. production market. This has now led to prices rising in cost and longer wait times for delivery of new vehicles.

George Creamer, Fire Chief for the Northwest Fire Protection District said the donation could not have come at a better time.

“Today is a great day. We are incredibly grateful to the Boone County Fire District, to donate something like this that we could not afford on our own.” Kramer said.

He said that the cost of a brand new tanker is upwards of one million dollars and would take three to four years to receive, that is time and money that the district does not have.

Brandon Straube, Fire Chief for the Van-Far Fire Protection District said the donation is ciritical to their departments operations.

“The demand for this apparatus is very critical as we don’t have fire hydrants in the rural parts of our communities, so we rely on these tankers to haul water to the fires” Straube said.

He said with that with the new tanker, the department now has an additional 1,500 gallons of water on wheels to help with fighting fires in the area.

Straube said with the donation of the new tanker, it now frees up funds that can be used in other areas of the department.

“The donation frees up funding that can come down the road to replace other critical infrastructure in the district, and it allows us to put an apparatus that’s much needed in service right away.” Straube said.

Both departments say that they beleive the tankers will be put into service as soon as next week.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Capable of reaching speeds of up to 20 miles per hour, e-bikes and e-scooters are prompting a reminder from the Ashland Police Department about where and how they can be used.

“We continue to receive complaints of dangerous activities by young people on e-bikes and electric motorcycles on the streets of Ashland,” APD wrote in a Facebook post on Monday. “We will be taking enforcement action when hazardous traffic violations are observed, out of a concern for the safety of our young people.”

“We are not targeting equipment or persons, we are targeting behavior, and specifically, hazardous behavior,” APD Chief Scott Young said in a statement. “We do not want any child to suffer potential serious injuries and we do not want any legal driver to have to live with the effects of injuring a child, even if it was not legally their fault.”

Young reports hearing complaints of riders younger than 16 years old running stop signs and passing close to pedestrians who may not hear the electric motors.

“These are not ‘slow and roll through’ violations, but 20 miles per hour+ straight through violations. While blowing stop signs on a bicycle is also a violation, it typically doesn’t happen with kids at 20 mph or more,” Young said. “We are very concerned about serious injuries or worse, should one of these young folks get hit by a vehicle.”

Electric bicycles range in class from 1-3, with classes 1 and 2 typically reaching max speeds of 20 mph. Class 3 bicycles can reach higher speeds at around 28 mph. Electric scooters are also classified as motorized bikes.

“Think about what actually makes sense for your needs,” Josh Parshall Chief Development Officer of Local Motion said. “I think they’re great tools that really can help us have mobility, that can help kids and older people get around independently.”

Parshall also recommends that new e-bike riders look at e-bike guides and stick to local paths before taking to major roads.

Residents can also look to local bike shops when purchasing their e-bikes.

“They’re going to be able to help you get what actually works for you, they’re going to help you get something that’s reliable and safe and then when you do have a mechanical issue, they’re going to be able to repair it,” Parshall said. “Sometimes when you buy an e-bike online, you might end up with something that a local shop is going to want to work with.”

E-motos, or gas-powered bicycles, typically do not have usable pedals and can reach speeds of over 65+ miles per hour. Class 3 e-bikes and e-motos are also illegal to use on public roads without a valid driver’s license. All personal vehicles, motorized or standard, also need to follow traffic laws.

“It is always illegal to go the wrong way on a one-way street, or ignore traffic control devices such as stop signs,” Young said.

A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study found more than 500 people died in deaths involving e-bikes, e-scooters and other small electric vehicles between 2017-24. This rate started at five deaths in 2017, jumping to 135 in 2024.

Micromobility_Products-Related_Deaths_Injuries_and_Hazard_Patterns_2017-2024Download

“Typically regular bicycles or electric scooters, the kind of injuries we see is either people who are struck by other vehicles, by cars, if they’re not paying attention or the driver of the car is not paying attention as well,” MU Health Care emergency physician Dr. Christopher Sampson said. “Potholes, curbs those type of things, the scooter hits that and people get thrown from it.”

The report also found electric vehicle deaths were most common between the ages of 25-44, making up around 30%. Riders 24 years old and younger made up around 18% of deaths.

“The big thing for people to be aware of is they are much faster, they are more powerful than regular bikes and there are various degrees, so not all electric bikes are the same,” Sampson said. “There are certain ones that probably approach speeds closer to electric to like mopeds or even faster, sometimes even some lower-end motorcycles.”

According to the MSHP, helmets are encouraged on motorized bicycles. Sampson also recommends lights and reflective gear for any riders who are traveling at night.

“Some people don’t realize that, they think it’s just a bicycle, and it can have a considerable amount of speed and power behind it, which then also increases the likelihood of more severe injury if you should crash into something or somebody hits you,” Sampson said.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Fulton police detained a woman on Wednesday after she allegedly pulled out a gun “in a threatening manner” and entered a home near 12th Street and Amherst Street.

The Fulton Police Department told residents in an 11:58 a.m. social media post that they should avoid 12th Street between Bluff Street and Circle Drive and a follow up post stated the area was reopened at 12:17 p.m.

Police wrote at 1:46 p.m. that the woman was in a residence with the gun and that officers were able to get her to leave the home.

“On June 3, 2026 at 11:21 am Fulton Police responded to the area of 12th and Amherst for a report of a female outdoors brandishing a firearm in a threatening manner, causing others in the area to be fearful for their safety,” the post says.

Fulton Police Chief Bill Ladwig confirmed in an email to ABC 17 News that Amanda Dawn McCarter, 38, was the suspect who was detained. She was booked into the Callaway County Jail at 1:42 p.m. and jail records state she was arrested on suspicion of unlawful use of a weapon.

Charges were not filed yet on Casenet for McCarter as of Wednesday afternoon.

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