Author: KMIZ

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)  

As construction continues on Columbia’s Opportunity Campus, community leaders are working to prepare both staff and the public ahead of the shelter’s opening this summer.

The Voluntary Action Center is hosting a series of training sessions aimed at educating the community about homelessness. Thursday marked the third of six sessions and the first held at the organization’s new offices on the Opportunity Campus.

Jessica McNear, shelter director for the Opportunity Campus, said the sessions are designed to address common questions and concerns.

“There are so many people that are invested and working already to support the unhoused population,” McNear said. “I thought it would be great to do the six part series where we take each night and kind of emphasize the different areas. People have had a lot of questions or concerns or interest in.”

The sessions are also helping prepare the public for the opening of the Opportunity Campus, a $18.6 million development that will include a resource center and shelter, with the facility expected to open in early July.  

This week, the VAC opened its offices next to the shelter, known as “The Hub,” where services such as mail delivery, laundry, secure storage and computer access will continue.

ABC 17 News toured the nearly 30,000-square-foot facility, which is designed to better meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Currently, the overnight shelter operates out of a VFW building,  a space McNear said is not suited for long-term use.

“The facility that we’re operating the overnight shelter in right now is a VFW. So it was not constructed to be a sleeping space for an overnight shelter. So people are sleeping in very close quarters,” McNear said. “The most we’ve squeezed into that building is 125, and that’s with some people just in a carpeted room. There’s no cots. They’re just kind of hunkering down and waiting out that cold weather.”

McNear said those cramped conditions can increase stress and anxiety.

“So it tends to get a little tense. People get a little irritated because they just have no personal space and nowhere that they can kind of go and decompress in solitude,” she explained. 

The new shelter is designed to address those challenges. It will include space for up to 150 people, divided into separate areas to create a more comfortable and trauma-informed environment.

“With the new shelter, we’re going to have 150 beds divided into six areas that has been very deliberately designed to be as trauma-informed and relaxing as possible so people can really get good rest,” McNear said.

Those areas will include designated sections for men, women, people with pets and individuals with sensory sensitivities, as well as a dedicated space for veterans.

“We have our kind of louder section for our loud snores or people who talk a little bit louder, our men section, our women section, our animal owners have a section where they can actually use a trundle bed to utilize with their pets,” McNear said. “We have a sensory modulated area that’s going to be a little dimmer lighting. There’s air purifiers so that we can  assist our folks who might have autism or really severe sensory disorders,  not feel like they’re in a room with 149 other people  and then an area specifically for our veterans, because they require a certain level of situational awareness to feel safe and  really get a good night’s rest so that we can set them up for  their best morning the next day as they can have to go out and be productive or get done whatever they need to get done.” 

The facility will also partner with the University of Missouri Veterinary School to provide services for pets staying at the shelter.

In addition to sleeping areas, the building is divided into three main spaces: a sleeping area, a quiet workspace with showers, laundry and mail services, and a dining and kitchen area.

“The initial thought behind this building was one space that was multi-functional that would have been really hard to pull off on a daily basis,” McNear said. “Turning Point and Loaves and Fishes were a big part of the input process. I believe it was Turning Point that said, ‘Hey, we’re going to need more than just one space that transitions so  that’s where the three separate spaces came about.” 

The campus will also offer six showers, a computer lab and daytime programming, including volunteer-led classes like knitting and guitar lessons.

As the shelter prepares to open, staffing has grown significantly. The Voluntary Action Center now has 35 employees, up from about 15 last fall, with plans to hire more.

“When we open in July, we’re anticipating hiring about at least 15 more staff members,” McNear said. “We are going to have a safety and security team. Its relational for safety and security. So they are folks that know the population, they have great rapport with the population.There are best crisis intervention analysts and escalators, so they’re the ones if you are having a really bad day, who would you want to see,” 

That team will also serve the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.

“The team is also going to be providing safety and security to not just campus, but our residential and business neighborhood around us from about Range Line — East. So 24/7 anyone that’s in that residential neighborhood or businesses or nonprofits that are close,  if someone’s on their property, they don’t recognize or loitering in their yard or the street, our team will go down,” McNear said. 

As the VAC continues to prep for the shelter’s opening, McNear said the training session has been a good way to help address misconceptions about homelessness. 

“They are morally corrupt in some way or they’re lazy. A lot of our folks work more than one job,” she said. “They are ten times more likely to be the victim of a crime versus the perpetrator.”

She added that financial barriers are often the biggest challenge.

“If you don’t have about $3,000, if you think you’re getting into a rental somewhere, it is nearly impossible,” McNear said. “There are a lot of great people who just don’t have a home right now.”

McNear also addressed concerns about people “flooding to the area,” saying past research does not support the idea that people will come to Columbia to take advantage of the shelter. She added the facility will be limited to people who live in the Columbia area, and staff will require proof of residency from those seeking services.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bus company that provides routes for activities at the Jefferson City School District will now pick up students for morning routes.

An email sent to parents from the district says that D&K Bus & Charter Services began picking up some students for morning routes on Thursday morning. School spokesman Ryan Burns wrote that the district has an existing contract with the company because of its activity routes.

“D&K Bus & Charter Service will pick up morning/AM routes only for Bus 19 (Moreau Heights, LCMS, JCHS); Bus 21 (North, LCMS, JCHS); and Bus 29 (South, TJMS, CCHS),” the email says.

Student Transportation of America will still cover all drop-off routes, the email says.

D&K is picking up routes “to help alleviate some of the late bus issues,” the district has been experiencing, the email says. The district also cited a bus driver shortage in the email.

“Unfortunately, our district is not immune to the bus driver shortage that 85 percent of districts across the country also experience. We are working with our transportation provider, Student Transportation of America (STA), to better recruit and retain drivers,” the email says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man has been charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor after authorities claim he ran someone over with his Jeep Wrangler on Wednesday.

Isaiah Aust, 19, is charged in Boone County with first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault. He is being held at the Boone County Jail on a $50,000 bond. A court date has not been set.

The probable cause statement alleges that Aust tried to punch a woman before getting into the Jeep and running over someone’s hand. The action, which was witnessed by two people, allegedly led to a cellphone in the victim’s hand breaking, court documents say.

Aust allegedly admitted to police that he drove to the address in the Jeep and another person allegedly claimed they heard a “thurd” as he drove away, the statement says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Sedalia man is facing a pair of felony counts related to child pornography.

Leif Rasa is charged in Pettis County with first-degree promoting child pornography and child porn possession. He is not currently in custody, but a warrant was issued for his arrest on Wednesday.

Court documents alleged that Rasa uploaded three child porn files to a group chat on the social media application Snapchat on Nov. 19, 2025. Authorities were notified about the issue about a month later.

Police have not been able to contact Rasa because “he does not have an active phone number,” but law enforcement has contacted family members of his to let him know they are looking for him.  

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Rock Bridge Elementary School student was found with a BB gun in their backpack before dismissal on Thursday, according to an email from a district spokeswoman.

Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark shared an email to ABC 17 News that was sent to parents following the incident.

“We were alerted to it when the student showed the item to another student and it was reported immediately to administration. The BB gun was confiscated, and we are taking appropriate disciplinary action. Columbia Public Schools Safety and Security was notified,” the email says.

The email also directed parents to a link on the district’s website that describes prohibited items.

“Please check your child’s backpack each day and make sure they are bringing to school only those items that belong there,” the email says.  

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Non-uniformed employees at the Columbia Police Department are looking to form a union.

An item listed in the consent agenda of Monday’s City Council meeting shows that the Columbia Police Civilians Association is seeking to be recognized by the city.

Meeting documents say the group filed a petition for certification with the State Board of Mediation, which was approved last month.

Meeting documents show that positions eligible to be represented within the department include records clerks, administrative technicians, records custodians, custodians, equipment technicians, policy and research specialists, digital forensic specialists, civilian investigators, community service aides, property and evidence technicians, crime analysts, crime scene investigators, public information specialists and inventory technicians.

Several other employees throughout the city have representation through LiUNA 955, the Columbia Police Officers’ Association or the Columbia Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 1055.

ABC 17 News has reached out to the union for comment.

Exhibit A to ResolutionDownload

Click here to follow the original article.

Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri senators stayed late Wednesday to pass a new amendment to the income tax elimination plan and sent it back to the House just after midnight.

The Missouri Senate GOP posted on Facebook at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, letting people know House Joint Resolutions 173 and 174 were on the Senate floor, and another update just after 12:30 a.m. stating they had passed.

Senators approved the income tax elimination plan 18-11, with Republican Sens. Lincoln Hough, Mike Moon and Joe Nicola voting against the new amendment. The amendment would get rid of the automatic triggers in the House version, allowing the 2027 General Assembly the ability to impose triggers they see necessary.

Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe showed his support for the advancement of his top legislative priority on social media Thursday morning.

“Following its passage in the Missouri Senate last night, HJR 173/174 now returns to the House — moving us one step closer to putting the future of modernizing our tax code where it belongs: in the hands of Missouri voters,” Kehoe wrote on Facebook.

Nicola, of Grain Valley, spoke to reporters about his decision to vote against the bill.

“I didn’t like how the process was handled last night,” Nicola said. “I’d love to see taxes go away. As many taxes as we possibly can get it. I would love it. But I’m very concerned about this process and even the process of how the bill came to the floor.”

He said he felt like the process was rushed, and the bill could have gone on the Senate floor at any time, instead of voting and debating it after the public had left the Capitol for the day.

The version introduced and passed by the House would establish a loose framework for next year’s lawmakers to work under. One of those frameworks was the trigger system, which would slowly phase out the income tax while expanding the sales and use tax base.

Sen. Curtis Trent (R-Greene County) said his amendment wouldn’t get rid of the trigger system, but it would loosen the requirements for triggers.

“While it would still be great policy to eliminate the income tax 30 years from now or 50 years from now, much of the benefit that we’re going to derive from this policy economically would not occur on a time frame that would be meaningful to the public,” Trent said.

Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck (D-St. Louis County) said after Wednesday’s 12-hour-long session, Democrats didn’t debate much and relied heavily on their interactions with constituents, as it will ultimately be the voters’ decision.

“We’ve been working on this for a while, and at the end of the day, this was the governor’s priority, and at the end of the day, we didn’t have enough Republicans, anti-tax, Republicans to defeat this bill,” Beck said.

The amended bill will need to be reviewed and discussed by the House. If passed out of the legislature, voters will be asked in November if they want lawmakers to proceed with eliminating the state income tax.

House minority leader Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City) said Democrats on the other side of the building are fighting against the bill.

“I was surprised that I didn’t see more robust opposition or serious filibuster effort from the Senate Democrats,” Aune said. “I can’t imagine a scenario where I would ask my caucus to sit down on that. I would fight to the very end. We have been fighting. We’ve been screaming on this side of the building.”

Aune also said her caucus has been talking with voters.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former West Middle School teacher who was arrested for a second time earlier this month is no longer listed on the Boone County Jail roster.

Zachary Hutchinson, of Columbia, is charged with felonies in two cases. In one case, he is charged with three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, one count of child enticement, sexually exploiting a minor, misdemeanor giving porn to a minor, second-degree promoting child porn and 10 counts of child porn possession.

He was originally put on house arrest after he bonded out of jail on Feb. 4. In a second case filed earlier this month, he is charged with three counts of child porn possession. A court filing from Tuesday says Hutchinson was given a $50,000 bond. He must report to Adult Court Services upon his release, court filings show.

Court documents in previous reporting say Hutchinson engaged in sexual acts with a youth and shared explicit text messages and photos with the same victim.

Authorities have repeatedly said the victim in the case did not meet Hutchinson “as a result of his employment, nor did any known contact occur on school property.”

More child porn was eventually found on a different messaging app, court documents say.

A hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man has been charged with first-degree rape in Cole County.

A warrant was requested on Wednesday for Tamiko Carter Jr., who was accused of raping a woman in her apartment while she slept on April11. He is not listed on the Cole County Jail roster.

A second man, Bruce Cannady, 32, of Jefferson City, was charged earlier this week with accessory to first-degree rape. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A hearing was held on Wednesday and Cannady was denied a public defender. A preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7.

Bruce Cannady [Cole County Jail]

Court documents say the victim had friends over the night of the assault and allegedly fell asleep next to Cannady, but awoke to Carter raping her. Cannady was allegedly looking into the bedroom from a hallway and allowed the assault the occur, court documents allege. Carter ran after the victim yelled and tried to defend herself, the statement says.

Both men were allegedly seen on video running from the home and Cannady had called the victim through a social media application while she was speaking with police, one of the statements say. A sexual assault exam was conducted at an area hospital, the statement says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An ICE agent has been charged with assault for an alleged road rage incident on a Minnesota highway during Operation Metro Surge.

Prosecutors in Hennepin County announced charges against Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., on Thursday. He is charged with two counts of second-degree assault for allegedly driving on the shoulder to pull beside another vehicle so he could point his service weapon at the occupants.

Click here to follow the original article.