Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The mayor of a Cooper County town resigned from his position on Tuesday.

The City of Bunceton shared on its social media on Wednesday that Mayor Justin Hein resigned after 15 years as mayor. The city did not share why Hein decided to step down.

Information from the Cooper County Clerk’s website shows that Hein won reelection on April 7 with nine write-in votes.

The city wrote on its social media that anyone looking to become the next mayor should either call city hall or speak to a current council member. Its next City Council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 9.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A right-wing think tank is claiming a revenue guarantee the City of Columbia made for flights at Columbia Regional Airport violates the Missouri Constitution.

The Goldwater Institute – named after longtime former Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater — wrote a letter to city government on Tuesday, claiming its $1.5 million guarantee for American Airlines violates the state’s gift clause.

The guarantee was made as part of the move for American Airlines to create flights to and from Charlotte. Flights to Charlotte begin Thursday, May 21.

Previous reporting says funds for the revenue guarantee would come from $750,000 of private contributions and $750,000 from the Transportation Sales Tax.

Tony Napolitano, a lawyer who represents the Goldwater Institute, alleged it would be find if the money was given by private donors.

“But, when the city wants to reach into everyone’s pocket, and whether you like it or not, take that money, to then guarantee that revenue of an airline or frankly any other business, that’s an abuse,” Napolitano said.

Air-Services-Agreement-LetterDownload

ABC 17 News reached out to the city on Wednesday.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Public damage assessments began Tuesday in several Missouri counties, according to a spokesperson from the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency.

SEMA spokesperson Caty Luebbert told ABC 17 News in a message that assessments were approved Tuesday for Carroll, Green, Holt and Saline counties and will continue through this week. Assessments in Randolph and Howard counties begin Thursday and Monroe County’s assessment will be done virtually.

Several tornadoes ranging from EF-0 to EF-2 were reported in several counties on April 27, including, Saline, Howard, Randolph and Monroe counties.

Damage assessments are one of the first steps for counties to be able to receive funding from FEMA.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two men from Mid-Missouri were charged on Wednesday in separate federal cases involving child sex abuse material.

In the first case, Lance Larkin, 35, of Boonville, was charged with receiving and possessing child pornography. The Missouri State Highway Patrol determined an illicit file was shared from the IP address of Larkin’s computer, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

Authorities served a search warrant, which led to the discovery of thousands of child sex abuse images and videos, the release says.

In a second case, Nathan Kent, 33, of Jefferson City, was charged with three counts of producing child pornography, two counts of distributing child porn and a count of child porn possession.

A press release from the DOJ says Kent used the social media application SnapChat to entice children to send him images and videos. Kent allegedly possessed more than 1,000 files of child sex abuse materials and had allegedly sent files to other people, the release says.  

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Mexico, Missouri, man is facing several charges after he allegedly fired shots at someone who was sitting in a vehicle on Tuesday morning.

Darius Hoffman, 38, is charged with illegal gun possession, shooting at a vehicle, armed criminal action, misdemeanor illegally discharging a gun and misdemeanor second-degree property damage. He is being held at the Audrain County Jail without bond. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday.

Law enforcement wrote in the probable cause statement that Hoffman was seen on video in a Dodge Challenger in the 900 block of Harwood Street. He was allegedly seen pulling up to a Mercedes on Breckenridge Street and fired a pair of shots, the statement says. The driver of the Mercedes drove off and the Dodge followed, the statement says.

The victim claimed Hofffman shot at him multiple times and three bullet holes were seen on the Mercedes, police wrote.  The victim did not know why Hoffman fired at him, the statement says.

Hoffman allegedly denied firing shots when being interviewed by police, but did claim he was harassed by the victim, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who is charged with murder for his alleged role with a fatal 2024 shooting will go to trial next month.

Jordan Brantley, 20, is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree murder and armed criminal action. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

He was originally expected to go to trial in May, but on Tuesday the four-day trial was scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 23. He also has pre-trial conference scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 21; 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 26; and 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 15.

He is one of three people who were charged in the death of Trevon Ashcraft. Cordero Riley Jr. pleaded guilty last year to unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree assault and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Quanina Lambert pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and child endangerment in 2025. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

According to previous reporting, police allege Lambert was inside a home on Rice Road that was apparently targeted by a group of shooters who pulled up in an SUV. Lambert allegedly gave her gun to a man at the scene. Police found Ashcraft shot in the head and he later died at an area hospital.

Brantley was allegedly part of the group targeting the house and was seen on video wearing a black ski mask, police wrote in the probable cause statement. He was allegedly seen on video shooting down Boyd Lane during the shootout. Police believe he fired the fatal shot, previous reporting indicates.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon claims district lines in Boone County can’t be redrawn until the Secretary of State’s Office makes a move on a referendum petition.

The Missouri Supreme Court handed down multiple rulings on Tuesday over the mid-decade redrawn federal House district maps within the state. Its rulings led to upholding the map, claiming petitioners did not prove the map “clearly and undoubtedly” violates Article 3 of the Missouri Constitution.

The ruling also claims that submitting a referendum petition did not automatically suspend the bill that created the new map, though it appeared additional legal battles could occur.

Lennon in her letter to Denny Hoskins’ office says that she cannot redraw the lines within Boone County, which would also update voter rolls.

Lennon cited in her letter:

“Because the secretary’s certification process under chapter 116 is ongoing and has not been finally determined, it is impossible to say as of this opinion whether the December 9 [2025] referendum petition filing was ‘legal, sufficient and timely’ and, therefore whether HB1 when into effect on December 11 or whether HB1 was referred to the people as of December 9 and can only go into effect when approve by a majority of the votes cast thereon.”

“As a result, I am caught in the untenable position of trying to predict when and how you will issue a determination about the sufficiency of the petition,” Lennon wrote to Hoskins. “Until that time, I have no actionable legal information as to what congressional district map is in effect so I will not be making any changes to the map that was in place prior to the enactment of HB1.”

The final certification date for the Aug. 4 election is May 26, with absentee voting for military voters beginning on June 19.

Boundaries within Boone County had changed with the new map, with the entirety of Columbia being in District 3 and other parts of the county being in the highly debated District 5.

View Lennon’s full letter below:

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Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri House sent an amended bill for state designations back to the Senate on Wednesday.

One such designation would make June 28 each year “Eliot and Muriel Battle Day” in Missouri. The text of the amendment says people are “encouraged to participate in…events and activities” honoring Eliot Battle, the first Black faculty member at Hickman High School, and Muriel, the first Black principal in the Columbia Public School District.

“The couple worked as a team to ease racial tensions during the 1960s and have been recognized with schools…named in their honor,” the amendment says.

Battle High School in Columbia is named for Muriel Battle. The elementary School which sits adjacent to Battle High School was named in honor of Eliot Battle.

“It’s a lovely tribute to two pioneer educators in Columbia Public Schools,” CPS spokesperson Michelle Baumstark wrote in a statement to ABC 17 News. “[We are] grateful to Rep. [David] Tyson Smith for bringing this recognition forward at the state level.”

Senate Bill 1544’s text mostly lays out designations for bridges or roadways to honor military service members, law enforcement, first responders or other public servants. The bill also says if the Kansas City Chiefs relocate outside the state, the Chiefs would not be the official professional football team for Missouri.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people are dead after a single-vehicle crash occurred Tuesday in Hermann, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe – driven by a 52-year-old Hermann man – was facing southbound when it was found south of East 6th Street at a private property.

The vehicle went over an embankment, hit several trees and went into a creek before overturning several times, the report says. A passenger – a 65-year-old Hermann woman – was ejected from the vehicle, the report says. Both people were pronounced dead at the scene and were brought to the Gasconade County Coroner’s Office, the report says.

Neither person in the crash wore a seatbelt. The vehicle was totaled.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Four children 6 years old and younger were seriously injured Wednesday in a horse-and-buggy crash that involved a vehicle in Morgan County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says a horse and buggy carrying six people was heading westbound on Route C in Morgan County, east of Gracey Creek Road, when it was hit by a silver Chevrolet Trax that was driven b a 22-year-old Versailles woman.

Six occupants of the horse and buggy had serious injuries and were brought to University Hospital by ambulance, the report says. A baby girl younger than 1-year-old, a 3-year-old boy, 5-year-old boy, 6-year-old girl, a 28-year-old man and 29-year-old woman were among those seriously injured. All six people are from Versailles.

The man was determined to be the “driver” in the report.

The driver of the SUV had minor injuries and was brought to an urgent care in a private vehicle, the report says. 

The SUV was totaled and the buggy was destroyed. The status of the horse was not disclosed by law enforcement.

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