Author: KMIZ

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri residents are being warned about potential power outages this weekend due to an incoming winter storm, according to the Southeastern Electric Reliability Corporation. The organization serves more than 91 million customers across the south-central United States.

Under normal winter conditions, SERC said there is enough power to meet demand. However, if severe cold spreads south as expected Saturday, the system could be stressed.

Extreme cold can cause power plants to fail unexpectedly and drive electricity demand up as people crank up their heat. Generators can provide temporary power, but officials stress they must be used safely.

“Generators are meant to be run outside,” said Gale Blomenkamp, who is an assistant chief for the Boone County Fire Protection District. “They’re not to be run inside garages. They’re not to bee run next to your house or by or near window so that carbon monoxide can come off that generator and actually get into the house.”

Other backup heat sources, such as space heaters, fireplaces, and stoves should also be closely monitored while in use.

With temperatures expected to drop well below freezing, frozen pipes are a major concern. Missouri American Water recommends, knowing the location of your main shut-off valve, wrapping pipes with insulation, and letting water trickle overnight to prevent freezing.

“What we instructed our firefighters to do is open the cabinets underneath their sinks, trickle the water overnight, let the water trickle that keeps it from freezing,” Blomenkamp said.

He added to never use open flames or heating tools like a propane torch or a hair dryer to thaw frozen pipes because they can quickly cause fires. Officials caution response times for emergencies may be longer than usual during the storm.

“The snow is one thing, whether it’s fire, EMS or law enforcement working in the snow. But these bitter cold temperatures are very dangerous for us as well,” Blomenkamp said. “Understand that it’s going to take us longer to get to your emergency, but we will get there,”

MU Health Care warned patients that ambulance services could also experience delays.

As residents prepare to be snowed in this weekend, local grocery stores are feeling the impact. The Walmart on Conley Road had slim pickings of bread and meats on Friday afternoon, with large sections of chips, toilet paper and cleaning supplies empty.

Schnucks on South Providence and Hy-Vee on East Nifong had fewer empty shelves, but most common items were still sold out.

The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team has issued a Weather Alert Day from Friday morning through Monday morning as dangerous cold and heavy snow are expected over the weekend.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Missouri Gaming Commission has denied a request from the NCAA to ban wagers on individual student-athlete performance, including player prop bets and first-half wager spreads on college basketball games.

NCAA President Charlie Baker sent a letter to the commission on Jan. 15 urging the state to restrict these bets, citing concerns about harassment, manipulation and the well-being of more than 550,000 student-athletes nationwide. The association noted its enforcement staff has opened investigations into roughly 40 student-athletes across 20 schools over the past year. Eleven student-athletes from seven schools were found to have bet on their own performances, shared insider information with bettors or engaged in game manipulation.

University of Missouri officials were asked about the topic during Thursday’s MU Faculty Council meeting, with MU Athletics Director Laid Veatch and UM System President Mun Choi echoing Baker’s concerns 

“The concern over the influence for our student athletes from a gambling standpoint is a very real, very high-level concern,” Veatch said. “You hear the president, Charlie Baker of the NCAA, that’s a hot button topic for him. And it is very real because we have student athletes that feel a lot of pressure and get a lot of social media harassment.” 

Veatch added that when student-athletes are paid and sports betting is legal, prop bets “make it far easier for them to become involved.” Choi also said the university monitors social media to track whether student-athletes are being harassed.

“When the NCAA decided it would be OK for student-athletes to bet on pro sports, we came out as a conference and said that we think that’s a bad idea. When it comes to gambling, we’re evaluating the situation of what other universities are doing,” Choi said.

The NCAA cited harassment and the solicitation of insider information as major risks associated with player prop bets. Surveys indicated 36% of Division I men’s basketball players reported harassment from someone with a betting interest. The NCAA also highlighted the risks of “spot-fixing,” where a portion of a contest — such as a first-half under spread — could be manipulated.

Ryan Butler, senior editor at Covers, said the NCAA has been focusing on first-half under wagers and individual player props for more than a year. 

“It is hard in a team sport to rig a game. It really is. But it is easy to make you miss that extra free throw, maybe have a turnover,” Butler said. “That’s ultimately the biggest concern.”

The Missouri Gaming Commission received three comments from operators and one from a resident, all opposing the ban. Seven of the eight sportsbooks in Missouri also spoke against the measure. 

“I understand the schools and the NCAA wanting to protect those students. But I don’t feel personally that I have enough information to make an informed decision at this time,” Commissioner Jan Zimmerman said during Thursday’s commission meeting. 

Butler added the sports books opposing the ban had a “legitimate argument,” but that it would not be a make-or-break deal if the Gaming Commission later decided to revisit the issue. 

“The sportsbooks want more betting options. I think in context, though, college prop betting is a small fraction of their overall handle,” Butler said. “The argument, which carries a lot of weight and which is accurate, is that if someone is so corrupt that they’re willing to try to manipulate a college basketball game, they’re probably not even going to use a legal sportsbook. They’re going to go do this through nefarious means. And if they’re honestly dumb enough to try to do this through a legal sportsbook, they’re going to get caught.” 

Only four of the 39 states with legalized sports betting have banned player prop bets. While Missouri’s constitution already prohibits wagers involving college athletes in the state of Missouri, the commission said it may revisit the issue once more information is available.

The NCAA has urged state regulators to allow it a “formal seat at the table” with gaming operators and to implement stricter accountability for bettors who harass student-athletes. In recent years, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio and Vermont have banned individual college athlete prop bets, and two additional states are considering similar legislation in 2026.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Star defensive end for the Missouri Tigers Zion Young was officially charged on Friday with a pair of misdemeanors.

Young, 21, of Covington, Georgia, was charged in Boone County with driving while intoxicated and speeding 11-15 miles over the speed limit. Missouri State Highway Patrol reports show he was arrested on Dec. 13 and previous reporting shows he was released on summons.

A hearing in his case has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25 at the Boone County Courthouse. A motion for Young to produce documents was also filed on Friday.

The probable cause statement says a trooper was parked at 1:31 a.m. Dec. 13 on Providence Road, south of Champions Drive when Young’s Dodge Durango was clocked going 64 miles per hour in a 50-mph zone.

The trooper pulled over Young, who allegedly smelled like intoxicants, according to the statement. Young had allegedly told the trooper that was coming from “My House,” a bar in downtown Columbia. The trooper wrote in court documents that Young’s speech was slurred and his eyes were watery. Young allegedly said he did not drink “too much,” the statement says.

Young then allegedly refused to take a breath test and field sobriety tests, the statement says. The trooper wrote that Young’s blood was drawn for a test at University Hospital after a search warrant was applied for, but the possible alcohol content was not described.

Young declared for the NFL Draft on Jan. 2.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia plow crews will report for duty at 10 p.m. Friday night in preparation of impending snow that is expected to hit the area.

The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team is indicating that 6-9 inches could fall throughout Boone County this weekend. The area is in a winter storm warning through Sunday.

A press release from the city says a 27-person crew will work overnight Friday into Saturday and that works will continue doing 12-hour shifts until the weather event is over.

“Pavement temperatures are expected to remain below freezing throughout the event, and extreme cold will significantly limit the effectiveness of salt,” the release says. “As a result, this is expected to be primarily a plowing operation. Drivers should anticipate slick conditions on all roadways, including those that have been plowed.”

The impending snow has led to a number of churches in the area to cancel their Sunday services or to go remote.

The city said it would focus on “first and second priority routes.”

First priority routes include “Major residential and arterial streets for public safety needs,” and includes roads like Broadway, Green Meadows Road and Vandiver Drive, according to the city’s website.

Second priority routes include “heavily traveled collector and residential streets for Public Safety and City/school bus routes as well as streets connecting to schools, hospitals and other critical areas,” the city’s website says. Some roads in this tier include Fairview Road, Derby Ridge Drive and Parkade, the website says.

Mizzou Athletics also gave updates to parking for Saturday’s men’s basketball game. The Tigers host Oklahoma at 1 p.m. at Mizzou Arena.

“Champions Dr. from Providence Rd. to Mick Deaver Dr. will be closed due to anticipated weather,” Mizzou Athletics wrote on its social media. “Shuttles running from Truman’s Landing could be affected for the game. Fans without a parking pass are suggested to park in the Tiger Ave. Parking Structure (TAPS), which will be free for tomorrow’s game.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Law enforcement arrested a “sovereign citizen” this week in Miller County who was accused of driving drunk and trying to escape confinement.

Korey Nelson, 26, of Dixon, Missouri, was charged earlier this week with aggravated fleeing, first-degree property damage, leaving the scene of an accident and four misdemeanors, including reckless driving, driving while intoxicated, driving on the wrong side of the road and speeding by more than 26 miles per hour. He was also charged on Friday with trying to escape confinement. He is being held on a $100,000 bond.

One of the probable cause statements say that law enforcement learned of someone recklessly driving a Chevrolet Colorado in Versailles at 11:37 p.m. Tuesday. Police tried talked to Nelson while he was parked at a gas station, but Nelson drove away and a chase topping more than 100 miles per hour occurred, the statement says.

Nelson allegedly hit a house with his vehicle before continuing to flee in the truck, the statement says. He allegedly drove the wrong way on Highway 54, turned off his headlights and almost hit several cars, according to a statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

A trooper used his vehicle to hit Nelson’s truck near Atchinson Road, which disabled the vehicle, but Nelson kept pressing the gas pedal as officers walked up to the vehicle, the statement says.

The trooper noted that Nelson became belligerent and declared himself as a “sovereign citizen.”  The “sovereign citizen movement” is a conspiracy-based movement typically made up of people who misinterpret the law by claiming government statutes do not pertain to them unless they consent.

Troopers noted that Nelson appeared to be drunk and allegedly tried to kick out the window of the patrol car after he was arrested. He then resisted jail staff, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was sentenced on Friday to 40 years in prison after he was found guilty of two felonies related to a 2024 chase with law enforcement.

Javion Lawhorn, 36, was found guilty on Dec. 10 by a Boone County Jury for aggravated fleeing and armed criminal action. He has previously served prison time after he entered an Alford plea in 2021 for second-degree assault and first-degree involuntary manslaughter in the death of 18-year-old Nadria Wright. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for that case, but served roughly three.

The probable cause statement in his recent case says police tried to initiate a traffic stop on Nov. 20, 2024 near the Clark Lane McDonald’s and Lawhorn drove off after the officer got out of the patrol vehicle.

The statement says speeds topped 137 miles per hour and the chase ended after deputies used spike strips on Lawhorn’s tires and he crashed his vehicle into a tree. Lawhorn then ran into the woods, but was arrested by deputies.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Fire Department says a large fire started Friday in the basement of a home in the 4300 block of Langham Drive.

Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said firefighters were called to the neighborhood just after 11 a.m. after a neighbor saw smoke coming from the back of the house. Schaeffer said CFD arrived within five minutes of the initial call, and the fire had already spread to the first floor of the home.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw firefighters cutting holes into the roof to create vents.

Schaeffer said the cold temperatures posed a special set of challenges when battling the blaze.

“This is very difficult to navigate fighting fire when it’s 5 degrees outside,” Schaeffer said. “The challenges that can happen when you’re working in this type of environment. One is falls, so we’re trying to keep the water and ice that’s accumulated down to a minimum and then just taking care of each other because it is so cold and they’re covered and wet.”

Schaeffer said no one was inside the home and no one was hurt while fighting the fire, though CFD later wrote in a social media post that a dog, bird and fish died in the fire.

The fire was ruled accidental and started in a clothes dryer, the post says.

“Crews first initiated an offensive attack, fighting the flames from inside the home. Due to the level of toxic smoke and heat in the home, firefighters were evacuated from the structure at 11:43 a.m. to reassess the situation and ensure the safety of the structure before initiating a defensive attack. The fire was under control in approximately 35 minutes,” the post says.

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Alison Patton

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (KMIZ)

Osage Beach Officer Phylicia Carson died during a police chase in August 2024, and over a year later, the city is holding a bridge dedication ceremony in her honor.

The Officer Phylicia Carson Memorial Bridge on Highway 54 runs over the Grand Glaize Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks. The Missouri General Assembly voted to name the span in her honor.

The dedication ceremony will take place at Osage Beach City Hall at 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to a city press release. Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to speak alongside Mayor Michael Harmison and state Rep. Jeff Vernetti (R-Camdenton).

Vernetti said a sign has already been posted on either side of the highway letting people know who the bridge is dedicated to.

Carson’s family was at the ceremony on Friday, and they got a replica of the sign and also cut a ribbon. Her husband, Grant Carson, did not want to do an interview.

“This bridge stands as a testament to Officer Carson’s bravery and the profound impact she had on our city,” Harmison says in the release. “We are honored to have Governor Kehoe and Representative Vernetti join us as we ensure her memory is etched into the history of Osage Beach forever.”

Kehoe told ABC 17 News after the ceremony that the state has been trying to help out the Carsons.

“We want to make sure as many of those organizations can help that family out, really honor the mother and help get these kids to a life where they can be productive in our society,” Kehoe said. “It’s what we should do as a state in the country is to help these families out.”

Vernetti said the bridge is a way to always honor Carson.

“I wanted to honor her service or sacrifice,” he said. “It’s always a tragic thing to lose someone in the line of duty but trying to think of the best possible way that we can honor her.”

Carson was chasing a suspect when her patrol car skidded off the road and hit a tree. The car caught on fire, and Carson was later pronounced dead at the scene.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Boonville has declared a “snow emergency” and directed drivers to remove their vehicles from along city streets as a large winter storm approaches.

Cooper County Emergency Management shared the information on social media on Friday morning with the storm expected to hit overnight. Parking restrictions will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday and stay in place until 6 p.m. Sunday.

Cooper County is under a winter storm warning for snow and extreme cold that was moving into Mid-Missouri on Friday morning. Between 5 and 8 inches of snow is expected in the western part of the area, according to the National Weather Service.

Boone County Emergency Management said Friday morning that the county was expected to see 5 to 10 inches of snow starting early Saturday. The snow will make travel difficult, officials say.

The temperature Friday at the Columbia Regional Airport was in the low single digits by noon, with a negative wind chill. Snow is forecast to last into Sunday.

The Stormtrack Weather Team has issued a Weather Alert Day through the weekend because of the combination of snow and extreme cold.

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Alison Patton

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Osage Beach Public Works is getting snowplows and crews prepared ahead of a weekend snowstorm that is expected to leave the southern part of the state buried.

Osage Beach is expecting snowfall to start between 3 and 6 a.m. Saturday, which could last until Sunday morning, according to the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team. A Weather Alert Day is in effect for Friday through Monday with dangerous cold and heavy snowfall is expected.

Osage Beach Public Works Director Jeff Fisher said his team is prepared to handle 6 to 8 inches of snow starting late Friday and continuing into early Saturday, but the cold temperatures could make clearing snow difficult.

Those temperatures are expected to top out in the teens and dip below 0 degrees for lows.

“That’ll be tricky with the cold temperatures; the salt won’t work,” Fisher said. “We’re going to put it down early, get it underneath the snow.”

Fisher also said salt isn’t effective in temperatures below 15 to 20 degrees.

“So, if we spread salt, it’s just going to be a waste of money,” Fisher said.

By Friday afternoon, the temperature was in the teens in the Lake of the Ozarks area, with a wind chill near 0 degrees.

Osage Beach has about 1,500 tons of salt, and Fisher said he expects to use about 100 tons this weekend. He said during usual snow prep, they use about 75 tons.

There is also a chance that plowing the roads too early could make conditions slippery.

“Sometimes just letting the snow sit on the streets is better for traction,” Fisher said. “Once we get into that six to nine inches, we’ll put the plows down.”

Fisher said staying off the roads is best, but if drivers are out, they should slow down.

There will be six to eight snow plows out this weekend, with crews working 12-hour shifts starting at 7 p.m. Friday and going through Sunday.

Snow is expected to be heaviest south of Interstate 70. Counties around the lake are under a winter storm warning.

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