Author: KMIZ

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

While Missouri sportsbooks recorded their lowest monthly wagering total in July, that figure is expected to surge once the college football season gets into full swing.

Recent figures from the Missouri Gaming Commission show sportsbooks accepted $246.8 million in wagers in July, with baseball bets accounting for $135.2 million of that total.

That marked the lowest monthly wagering total since sports betting was legalized in Missouri, with wagering falling from $258.3 million in June, which included the World Cup and NBA Finals. May previously held the record for the lowest monthly total at $252.5 million.

Despite the decline in overall wagering, taxable revenue increased slightly. Missouri generated more than $21 million in taxable revenue in July, compared with $20 million in June and $13.6 million in May.

The dip in wagering was expected during this lull in the sports calendar and Ryan Butler, a senior news analyst at Covers.com expects Missouri to see some of its highest numbers when football season kicks off. 

“Football is going to be huge. September will be the biggest month ever for Missouri sports betting, besides maybe December, which is a little bit of an abnormality because of all the launches. September is going to be absolutely huge,” Butler said. “October is going to be even bigger. November, December will also be big. Again, December 2025 will always be an outlier. But in those four months coming up September, October, November, December will be the four biggest months for betting in Missouri history.”

But concerns about legalized sports betting and its impact on student-athletes have only grown since the NCAA allowed student-athletes to bet on professional sports, marking a departure from the NCAA’s long-standing prohibition on sports wagering.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions has already released multiple cases involving student-athletes betting on their own games and, in some instances, manipulating outcomes. In January NCAA’s enforcement staff opened sports betting integrity investigations into roughly 40 student-athletes from 20 schools. 

Missouri and the NCAA have some safeguards put in place. 

NCAA President Charlie Baker has made education about sports wagering a top priority. The NCAA Sports Science Institute has developed resources for athletic staff, administrators and student-athletes, including webinars and materials that athletic departments can implement locally. The NCAA has also funded programs such as EPIC, which brings in former student-athletes who experienced issues such as point shaving to share their stories and educate current athletes about the risks of sports wagering.

The Southeastern Conference also requires schools to use Prohibet, a system that monitors unethical or illegal gambling activity.

But harassment from sports bettors is another growing concern for athletes, one that has been fueled in part by the rise of prop betting.

The Show-Me State is one of 13 states with restrictions on individual prop bets. Under Missouri law, betting on player or team props for Missouri collegiate teams is not allowed. Of Missouri’s neighboring states, only Arkansas, Kansas and Kentucky allow prop betting on college sports with no restrictions on team or player props. 

In June, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi issued a reminder to students, faculty, and staff about expectations surrounding sports wagering and the protection of student-athletes.

Choi and the athletic department outlined prohibited behavior for students and employees, including attempting to influence or compromise the outcome of athletic events, sharing confidential information about MU athletes and harassing players.

Violations may breach federal or state law as well as university policies.

According to the University of Missouri, students found to harass athletes or engage in betting-related misconduct are subject to discipline under the university’s Standard of Conduct, which can include warnings, probation, suspension or expulsion. 

Faculty and staff who violate the Standards of Faculty Conduct or MU’s Code of Conduct may face reprimands, suspension or termination. Student-athletes are encouraged to report any harassment so the university can monitor and address potential threats.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Sports programs in Columbia continue to push heat safety protocols during the latest Mid-Missouri heatwave.

This comes after a 20-year-old football player at William Jewell College died after scoring a touchdown on Saturday. MicahJo Barnett‘s was on the sidelines when he had a medical emergency, and the cause of his death is still being investigated.

Since it’s been so hot lately, ABC 17 News looked into how local sports programs are keeping their athletes safe. The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team is tracking heat index values more than 100 degrees.

To make sure students are staying safe in the extreme heat, Columbia College head athletic trainer Ryan Novatny said he and his team will be monitoring the heat index values of the turf field with a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature tool.

“It gives us a number that essentially calculates the amount of heat stress on the human body. There are different tiers and different thresholds that, when these are reached, we have to modify our outdoor activity,” Novatny said.

When the reading is below 82 degrees, there are no changes to the activity. When it’s between 82-86.9 degrees, coaches and athletic trainers watch higher-risk players and stay mindful of the heat.

The soccer field closes to unsupervised use, like regular student use, when the field temperature is higher than 82.

Temperatures above that require modifications to the activity. Readings between 87-89.9 degrees require outside practice to be shortened to two hours, with four water breaks lasting four minutes. Temperatures between 90-92 shorten practice to an hour long with the same number and duration of water breaks. Anything above 92 cancels practice.

Battle High School has a similar practice for deciding whether to cancel or prolong outside activities.

“Our coaches do a really good job of actually following those all summer long. We had a few incidents this summer where we had to just cancel practice because it was just too hot,” BHS assistant principal of athletics and activities Sammie Symonds said.

She said she has been reflecting on what happened over the weekend with Barnett.

“When you hear something in the news, it does make it seem like…OK, are we doing everything we can? And then you want to double-check everything that you’re doing, but I am thankful that our training staff is amazing,” Symonds said.

Symonds also said she spent much of Monday working to shift BHS sporting events back an hour, hopefully getting out of the dangerous heat zone.

“I’ve pretty much pushed back almost everything this week so far at 6 p.m. I’m hoping that we will be in the yellow or green by then for most of our games, but that’s basically what I spent my whole day doing,” Symonds said.

She also mentioned that other high schools have communicated that they plan to do the same. North Callaway High School told ABC 17 News that its varsity softball game on Monday night was pushed back an hour because of the heat.

Spectators watching from the stands, stadium or on the sidelines could also be subject to heat illness.

President of the Missouri Athletic Trainers Association Jay Hoffman said the best way to avoid heat illness, for anyone, is to hydrate before going out in the heat and getting used to the heat by increasingly spending more time outside.

“It’s not always easy us that if we have work inside or in office buildings or often times find ourselves in air-conditioned environments, but if you can, incrementally increase the amount of time that you’re spending outdoors,” Hoffman said.

He also suggested wearing big hats, sunglasses, appropriate clothing and taking breaks in the shade when needed.  

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia fighters responded to a building fire call to a University of Missouri dorm on Monday.

Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said a fire occurred on the fifth floor of Brooks Hall, a residence hall just north of Faurot Field and is located at 1007 Tiger Ave. Crews were called to the fire at 5:57 p.m.

Residents had to be evacuated, though no injuries were reported. Schaeffer expects students to be able to stay at the dorm tonight. Crews were trying to get the building dried and cleaned up, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Check back for updates.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One patient was flown to University Hospital on Sunday after a mountain-bike accident occurred on the Binder Park trail system in Jefferson City, according to a social media post from Cole County Emergency Services.

“Due to the remote location of the patient specialized resources from the Jefferson City Fire Department, Cole County Emergency Services, and a helicopter from MU Health were requested to the scene,” the post says.

The patient was reported to be stable.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Social Service Family Support Division announced in a Monday email that verification requirements for SNAP will change on Oct. 1.

No immediate change will occur until then. Beginning on Oct. 1, the release says documented proof will be required for shelter costs, childcare expenses and countable resources (such as money in a bank account).

“Ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the SNAP program is essential to supporting Missouri families who rely on these benefits,” FSD Director Mandi Adams was quoted in the release. “These updated verification guidelines help us make consistent, well‑documented eligibility decisions while safeguarding resources for households who truly need them. The goal of the Family Support Division is to strengthen the program in a way that is fair, clear, and supportive for participants across the state.”

Empower Missouri referred to the changes as “barriers” in a press release of its own.

“Missouri is asking families to produce more paperwork at exactly the same time the Department of Social Services is preparing for another enormous administrative undertaking,” Christine Woody, Food Security Policy Manager at Empower Missouri, was quoted in a release. “We should be asking whether Missouri has the capacity to get these decisions right—not simply whether we have created more paperwork. When an eligible person loses benefits because a document was missing, a deadline was missed, or paperwork was processed incorrectly, that is not program integrity. That is an administrative failure.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Crews restored power Monday evening to hundreds of Columbia Water and Light customers left without electricity on a scorching late-summer afternoon.

At one point around 5 p.m., the city’s outage map showed more than 2,800 electric customers in the southwest part of the city didn’t have power. By 5:40 p.m., that number was down to about 300.

The outage affected more than 900 customers in one neighborhood west of Scott Boulevard at the height of the incident, while multiple outages were reported along Fairview Avenue.

At the intersection of West Broadway and Fairview Road the traffic light was out completely. Cars lined West Broadway all the way to Stadium Boulevard. By 6 p.m. the light had been temporarily fixed to flash red so cars could yield.

Columbia Water and Light wrote on its social media that the problem was with a transformer at the Perche Creek substation.

Magda Mello, an impacted resident, said her power was out for about an hour.

“They said when that got resolved they will call me back and they did right away. Within an hour after I first experienced, the power got restored,” Mello said.

As of Aug. 5th, $2.6 million worth of Perche Creek Substation replacements and upgrades were waiting for delivery. ABC 17 News reached out to the city to see if possible installation of the upgrades had anything to due with the power outage.

A years-long conversation has also surrounded a $35 million transmission line project that would connect the Perche Creek Substation to the Grindstone Substation. It was originally approved in 2015 and expected to take eight to 10 years.

Pushback over the path the line would take has stalled any movement forward. The Water and Light Advisory Board wants the Columbia City Council to consider a route across Nifong Boulevard, Vawter School Road and up Scott Boulevard.

The electrical strain continues to layer on thicker. City council members will vote at the Sept. 8th meeting to approve an additional $6 million dollars for the city’s purchase power account.

City documents said the money would ensure the city’s utility can meet ongoing power obligations by MISO, which oversees the Midcontinent Electric Power Grid.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man has been charged with multiple felonies after he allegedly robbed someone on Saturday night on Clark Lane while holding a gun.

Keith Marks Jr., 25, of Columbia, was charged on Monday in Boone County with first-degree robbery, illegal gun possession and armed criminal action. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A hearing was held on Monday.

He is also charged in another case from April with third-degree domestic assault, misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and second-degree property damage. A $50,000 bond was set in that case.

The probable cause statement in his recent case says police responded to an armed robbery call to the 4800 block of Clark Lane. The victim told police he met with a man – who was later identified as Marks – to sell a dirt bike, the statement says.

Marks allegedly walked out of a home while holding a gun with a purple laser, took the dirt bike and demanded the victim hand over a chain, which included a $3,500 silver chain and $500 silver bracelet, court documents say. The dirt bike allegedly cost $500.

The victim gave police the phone number Marks used and police identified it from their records management system, the statement says. Officers then went over to Marks’ residence down the road and saw him wearing the chain and having the dirt bike in his apartment when he answered the door, officers wrote.

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Collin Anderson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

All-SEC forward Mark Mitchell has decommitted from Kentucky and will return to play for the Mizzou Tigers in 2026-27, according to multiple reports. PowerMizzou was the first to report the move on social media, claiming Mitchell would come back to Columbia, pending a fifth year of eligibility.

While the team has not made any official comments, a source has confirmed that head coach Dennis Gates would not need to cut a player to make room for him.

Mitchell’s brother and agent confirmed on Instagram on Aug. 22 that the two-time All-SEC selection would join the Kentucky Wildcats. The forward went to the G League this summer and had an Exhibit 10 deal with the Denver Nuggets. A Kentucky judge granted the Kansas City native a temporary restraining order, meaning he could be eligible for the upcoming college basketball season and, crucially, enter the transfer portal.

However, with the recent turmoil around the Southeastern Conference bringing back athletes who had left to pursue a professional career, that decision to head to Lexington was put in jeopardy. Just days after the announcement was made, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey stated that the conference would still hold up its intraconference transfer rules that state an athlete needs to sit out for a year if he swaps from one SEC school to another.

Should the forward return to CoMo, the Tigers would get back their leader in scoring, rebounds and assists from the 2025-26 season.

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Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) –

A former daycare operator pleaded guilty to four felonies Monday ahead of her bench trial on child abuse charges in Randolph County.

Naomi Hess pleaded guilty on Monday to four counts of first-degree child endangerment. The class D felonies carry a maximum seven-year prison sentence. Hess will be sentenced on November 4.

Hess was set to go to a bench trial on Monday on four counts of child abuse. Police arrested her in 2024 after a witness reported that she had slapped a child’s back. Law enforcement also claimed videos showed Hess, who ran the Play N’ Learn daycare, lying over a child, forcefully handling children to sit or lie down.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education told ABC 17 News that Hess had voluntarily handed over her facility’s child care license while it was being investigated.

Hess’s attorney, Andrew Popplewell, said she entered an open guilty plea. That means Judge Mason Gebhardt will have the full range of punishment to consider at sentencing, rather than being bound by an agreement.

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Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 35-year-old man was charged Monday on accusations that he tried to pay one or more teenagers for sex at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.

Boone County prosecutors charged Colton Cranford on Monday with a single count of patronizing prostitution with a person between the ages of 15 and 18.

In a probable cause statement, Missouri Department of Natural Resources state park rangers wrote that they were notified of a man texting a reporting party about taking videos of children performing sex acts and soliciting sex from a minor for money.

Court records state that Cranford has an address in Columbia that is not known. Jail records state that he is from Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The report states that Cranford said he would “pay 2K each,” referring to the children.

Cranford was denied bond. The state argued that he should stay in jail because he is a danger to the community.

Cranford’s initial court appearance is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, where Cranford will appear on video.

According to a motion to set bond, Cranford appears to have no Missouri criminal history.

A new law that went into effect on Friday made patronizing prostitution of a person younger than 18 years old but older than 15 a Class D felony. Before, it was a Class E felony.

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