Author: KMIZ

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia and CBB Transportation Solutions conducted a walk-through safety audit on Tuesday afternoon to survey the Business Loop 70 corridor between the roundabout near Creasy Springs Road and Stadium Boulevard.

The audit focused on identifying safety improvements aimed at eliminating traffic-related deaths and serious injuries. The project prioritizes safer conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, seniors, motorcyclists and school-aged children.

“The purpose of these two days is to try to be on the ground, observing from a number of different perspectives and try to categorize all those things,” CBB Engineering Project Lead Shawn Leight said.

From 2019-25, Leight says, there were four deadly crashes all involving motorcyclists, making safety improvements a significant need. One occurred on May 16.

The findings from the audit highlighted specific areas along the corridor where targeted safety improvements are needed, including adjusting the signal timing at Business Loop 70 and Stadium Boulevard on Saturdays during sporting events at Cosmo Park.

“Look at the signal timing at the north out road and stadium so thats one” Leight said. “The signal isn’t timed for that traffic to flush out of the park,”

The audit also found adding crosswalks to parts of the corridor for pedestrians but also students who attend Hickman High School.

“There’s pockets of residential in here that are within a two mile radius, so one of things we’re going to go back and look at where are their residential areas,” Leight said. “What is the path that those kids take to walk to school, I think that’s important to know.”

“If I am walking the corridor, we’re safe, we’re fine. If I have to cross where do I cross safely?” Leight said. “Part of it is infrastructure, part of it’s behavior , if we’ve got somebody drive 70 miles per hour, that’s not safe,”

Filling in gaps in the sidewalk along the south side of the corridor was also identified as a necessary improvement. The north side has a full stretch of sidewalk.

According to Allison Anderson with the City of Columbia, the project is estimated to cost more than $2 million and will be funded through a Safe Streets grant. Federal funding for the project was canceled twice before finally being approved.

Additional walk-throughs along other parts of Business Loop 70 are scheduled for Wednesday. After that, a full report will outline the recommended safety improvements.

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Ryan Shiner

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 68-year-old man from Holts Summit died Tuesday afternoon in a crash on Highway 63, about a quarter-mile north of Renz Farm Road, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the man did not wear a seatbelt.

The crash occurred as a 2019 Kenworth tractor-trailer – driven by an 82-year-old Steedman, Missouri, man – entered northbound Highway 63 from Renz Farm Road, the report says. A 2001 Ford Expedition – driven by the Holts Summit man – rear-ended the towed unit of the Kenworth and stopped underneath the vehicle, the report says.

The body of the victim was brought to Millard Family Chapels in Jefferson City, the report says. The driver of the Kenworth had no reported injuries.

The Ford Expedition was totaled, while the Kenworth had minor damage, the report says. Traffic was backed up toward the Missouri River Bridge in Jefferson City.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

🚨Fatal Crash on Northbound US 63🚨

Troopers are investigating a two vehicle crash resulting in one fatality on northbound U.S. 63, near the sod farms (just north of Jefferson City), in Callaway County.

The roadway is partially blocked and traffic is backing up. pic.twitter.com/UHcj7HtcOA

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) October 14, 2025

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Andrew Worrall, a fired Ashland Police sergeant, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Ashland for whistleblower retaliation and violations of Missouri’s Law Enforcement Bill of Rights.

The lawsuit alleges Worrall, who served for about 10 years, was wrongfully terminated in July 2025 after a “false report” reporting alleged misconduct by another officer Tracey Cleeton.

Worrall allegedly told Chief Scott Young and the city’s attorneys that Cleeton made a dishonest statement against a former officer that led to his firing.

The city is accused of delayed investigating Cleeton’s alleged misconduct for seven weeks. After Worrall said he was going to share his concerns with Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson, he was suspended just three days later and eventually fired in July of this year, the petition alleges.

In 2023, Worrall had signed a complaint with Officers Tom Whitener and Rick Smith accusing then-Chief Gabe Edwards of unethical, unlawful and discriminatory behavior.

Edwards was placed on administrative leave three days after that report was made. The Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control said it had an active investigation involving Edwards in August 2023. He resigned as part of a settlement reached with the city in December 2023.

“Andrew [Worrall] is the highest ranking person among them, signed it under his own name, in part to protect the other officers, too, from retribution. That didn’t exactly work out,” Attorney Andy Hirth, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Worrall and is also Whitener’s attorney, said.

After his suspension, Cleeton submitted a statement that contributed to the firing of Whitener.

“I think the city believes that Tom Whitener was really the instigator behind the complaint. And in short order, it removed him from his position, placed him on leave and eventually terminated his employment without providing a reason or any kind of due process,” Hirth said.

Whitener filed a lawsuit against the city in October 2023, claiming he was wrongfully terminated from his position. He also claimed whistleblower retaliation and disability discrimination. That lawsuit led to Worrall reading Cleeton’s statement in court.

“Andrew Worrall was deposed in that case. He gave a testimony under oath as part of the Whitener matter,” Hirth said. “And in that, he [Worrall] saw a document that was one of the documents the city relied on when it fired Tom Whitener.”

Worrall had not seen the document before because it was not a public document.

“When he looked at that document, he thought, ‘Well, this isn’t true,'” Hirth said. “It was a statement submitted to the city administrator back in July, on July 18, 2023, that accused Tom Whitener of erratic behavior and sort of being unstable.”

Cleeton, who was a part-time officer at the time, claimed Whitener “used force” at an Independence Day parade in 2023, according to Hirth.

ABC 17 News is not able to review the document, as it is under a protective order in the Whitener case.

After the deposition, Worrall talked to the only other witness that was present for the events described in Cleeton’s letter that ultimately got Whitener fired.

“That witness contradicted what Tracey Cleeton had said,” Hirth said. “And so Sergeant Worrall, believing he had a duty to report that one of his subordinate officers had submitted a false statement, he wrote a memorandum to the new chief of police.”

Worrall wrote a memorandum to Young, who was sworn in as the interim chief in July 2023 amid the investigation of the former chief.

“He [Worrall] said, ‘I have reason to believe that what Tracey Cleeton said was false and that would violate these specific policies within the Ashland Police Department, including a policy requiring all officers to behave honestly and to speak honestly in their duty.'”

After a month passed without action, Worrall brought his concerns to Young again.

“He wrote the chief again and he said, ‘I’m not sure what’s happening here. Can you investigating,” Hirth said. “And he was told, ‘Well, it’s out of my hands. I’ve given it to the city attorney. I can’t tell you anything more.”

Another few weeks allegedly went by.

“Worrall decides, ‘Well, they haven’t talked to me. I’m the one that wrote the complaint. They haven’t talked to the other witness. So they clearly have not investigated,'” Hirth said. “So he wrote the chief a third time and said, “Look, I think I have obligations to report this to the Boone County prosecutor’s office if the city is not going to. And so I wanted to give you a heads up that I’m going to do that because I don’t want you to be caught unaware.'”

Hirth said the last time Worrall wrote to the chief was on June 9, 2025. On June 30, he was suspended pending an investigation into a complaint that had been filed against him the day before by Tracey Cleeton.

“Cleeton was also interviewed,” Hirth said. “And following those interviews, the day after Andrew [Worrall] was interviewed, he was terminated and the city reported to the police officer standards and training program that he was fired for submitting a false complaint of dishonesty against Tracey Cleeton.”

Hirth said it’s ironic and unfortunate that Worrall was fired for making a “false report,” about another officer’s “false report.”

“The fact that they fired Andrew Worrall after learning that his suspicions were, in fact valid, is kind of a mystery to us,” Hirth said. “But viewed through the lens of what it did to Tom Whitener, we see this as part of the city’s pattern to silence anybody that speaks out against corruption or misconduct within the city government.”

He said Worrall’s lawsuit highlights a bigger issue playing out across America.

“There’s a lot of distrust in the United States between the public, some parts of the public, and law enforcement,” Hirth said. “And you know that that distrust can’t be fixed unless people believe that their officers will report when their fellow officers do something wrong. You can’t demand that the police do what’s right and then punish them for doing it. That’s just not the way the system works. And if it does work, you’re going to get rid of the good officers like Tom and Andrew, and you’re going to only have the ones left who are willing to write false statements for their friends.”

Worrall claims APD violated Missouri law.

“Under the Law Enforcement Bill of Rights, a law enforcement agency has 90 days to investigate a complaint against an officer. And if they don’t do it within that time, they can’t punish the officer,” Hirth said.

Whitener’s case is still pending in the Boone County Circuit Court, with a possible court date in June 2026. Worrall’s lawsuit was filed on Tuesday morning. He is seeking reinstatement, back pay, damages and attorney’s fees.

“I think they [Worrall and Whitener] are also very suspicious of the city leadership, particularly the city administrator, who’s really the constant player. I mean, the the overlap between these cases is the city administrator and the city attorney.”

ABC 17 News reached out to Ashland City Administrator Kyle Michel on Tuesday. He said he was unaware of the lawsuit and a comment would be available later this week.

“I think they’re having a very uncomfortable conversation with their insurance carrier this morning,” Hirth said.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two women who were jailed on Sunday in connection with a homicide case that led to a deputy being shot were charged Tuesday in Monroe County.

Lois Armour, 78, and Patty Armour, 51, both of Paris, Missouri, were charged with hindering a felony prosecution. Both are being held at the Randolph County Jail on $100,000 bonds. An initial court appearance for both women is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Charles Armour, 57, was named a person of interest in a Ralls County homicide case and was killed after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement, according to previous reporting. A Randolph County deputy was hit by gunfire during the exchange and was flown to an area hospital.

MSHP later wrote that Jonathan Floyd, of Perry, Missouri, was the victim in the homicide investigation and that he was shot on Sunday. He was 55.

The deputy – who has not been named – was welcomed home to Moberly from the hospital on Tuesday. MSHP is investigating the case.

The probable cause statements in the women’s cases says that law enforcement went to a residence in relation to the homicide investigation on Sunday and spoke with both women. The women allegedly claimed Charles Armour was not at the residence, court documents say.

Law enforcement was given permission to search the home and found Charles Armour in a bathroom with a handgun, the statement says. He then fired at the responding officers and hit a Randolph County deputy, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was charged Friday with arson and murder in a June house fire on Paris Road.

Brandon Butchkoski, 47, is accused in the death of Donovan Baylis. Baylis died after he was burned in a fire that was set at his home. Baylis died about a month later at a St. Louis hospital.

A witness told investigators that he heard a thud and other noises before the fire that indicated someone was outside the house, according to a probable cause statement. Another witness told officers that they saw a person pour gas on the porch before setting the fire.

Officers found a backpack about a block away that had a gas nozzle and smelled of gas, the statement says.

Surveillance cameras in the area captured video of the suspect riding away on a bicycle that matched one Butchkoski was known to ride, the statement says. Police also arrested Butchkoski after a June 29 fire in which a backpack with gas in it was thrown on a house’s roof, in the same block as the June 15 fire.

Police say in the statement that they developed evidence to arrest Butchkoski on the June 29 arson before they had enough evidence to recommend charges for the June 15 fire. Butchkoski, who is homeless, was denied bond, according to court records.

Butchkoski was charged with first-degree arson and drug possession for the June 29 fire. Hearing in that case is set for Oct. 20.

He posted bond on Sept. 9, according to court records, and was arrested on the new murder warrant Thursday.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman was charged in Pulaski County on Wednesday after she allegedly put a dead fetus into a cooler and gave it to a man.

Makayla Haedt was charged with first-degree harassment. An arraignment was held on Friday and a bond hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28. Information about Haedt was not available on the Pulaski County Jail’s online roster.

The probable cause statement says deputies were called to a Waynesville address on Sept. 18 about a report of a dead fetus being found in a cooler.

The victim in the case allegedly told deputies that he was friends with Haedt and they “had been romantic with one another on and off,” the statement says. The victim claimed Haedt was “a habitual liar” so he did not believe when she claimed to be pregnant a month or two prior, the statement says. She then allegedly claimed to have a miscarriage on Sept. 17, court documents say.

The victim was burning trash in his backyard on Sept. 18 when Haedt showed up, handed him a cooler and said “here’s your kid,” before driving away, court documents say. The victim first thought Haedt was making a “cruel joke,” the statement says, and waited to open the cooler until after talking with family and friends.

The victim then saw the fetus and reported it to law enforcement, the statement says. Deputies also witnessed the fetus before it was given to the coroner, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

A vigil was held Friday evening at Carver Park in Fulton for one of the women shot this week in Jefferson City.

Organizers wrote that the vigil was being held for Sofie Mulcahey. Organizers said she was a victim in a shooting that occurred Tuesday morning in the 1100 block of Cordell Street in Jefferson City. Authorities have yet to name the victims in the shooting and last said they were in critical condition.

Attendees of the vigil brought balloons and lit several small candles that spelled out the woman’s name. At least 40 people showed up by 6:20 p.m.

Attendees of a vigil for a woman who was shot earlier this week in Jefferson City spell out Sofie Mulcahey’s name with candles.

Michael Anthony Davis, 40, of Jefferson City, was charged with first-degree domestic assault, three counts of armed criminal action and single counts of first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond.

A hearing was held in the case on Friday and Michael Davis appeared by video from the jail. He is still awaiting an attorney to be appointed, court records say. A bond review hearing was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One person has died from injuries they suffered in a crash Friday on Interstate 70 in Montgomery County, according to a social media post from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

MSHP’s Troop F – which covers much of Mid-Missouri – wrote one vehicle was involved and described it as a rollover crash at mile-marker 181.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene and another person was injured, MSHP wrote at 9:58 a.m.

An MSHP crash report says a 2024 Nissan Rogue – driven by a 46-year-old woman from Englewood, Colorado – was heading eastbound when it hydroplaned and went off the right side of the road and overturned.

The passenger in the vehicle was ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Montgomery County coroner, the report says. Identifying information about the victim was not immediately available.

The driver wore a seatbelt and had minor injuries, the report says. She was brought to SSM St. Joseph West in Lake St. Louis by ambulance, the report says.

The report was updated before 5 p.m. and stated a 58-year-old woman from Georgia. It is not known if the woman was wearing a seatbelt and the town she is from was not listed in the report. Her body was brought to Schlanker Funeral Home in Montgomery City, the report says.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

Check back for updates.

🚨Fatal Crash on I-70 at the 181MM🚨

Troopers are investigating a single vehicle rollover crash on eastbound I-70 in Montgomery County.

Unfortunately, one person has been pronounced deceased at the scene and a second person sustained injuries.

Traffic is quickly backing up. pic.twitter.com/pQdf9O4aAU

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) October 10, 2025

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools will no longer use alternative methods of instruction, the district wrote in an email to families on Friday night.

The email – provided to ABC 17 News by a district spokesperson and Board President John Lyman – says that the district will not need to use AMI days for inclement weather. The district calendar for the current school year and the 2026-27 school year will be updated. The school board will also discuss this during its Monday meeting.

The district last school year used all of its available AMI days during snow storms that required more than a week of class to not be in session. The district decided to make the adjustments after legislative changes occurred at the end of August, the email to parents states.

The email also says CPS’ calendar already includes the required 36 hours necessary to account for snow days or other inclement weather and that the district “exceeds both the minimum 169 instructional days and the 1,044 instructional hours plus 36 makeup hours (1,104 hours total).”

That means additional inclement weather days are needed and traditional snow days would be used, otherwise.

“Students have a traditional snow day, with optional choice boards available for those that are interested. It will be a workday for all CPS staff,” a presentation on the school board’s Monday meeting agenda says.

Slides from this upcoming Monday’s presentation can be viewed below:

AMI no moreDownload

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

After walking back a proposal for a downtown task force, the City of Columbia is now considering forming a new advisory council made up of local college students.

The original task force proposal came at the request of University of Missouri System President Mun Choi, following the Sept. 27 shooting death of Stephens College student Aiyanna Williams in downtown Columbia.

However, during an interview with ABC 17 News on Tuesday, Columbia Mayor Barbra Buffaloe said that after speaking with the police, members of the city council, and other downtown stakeholders, the city decided to continue using its existing boards and commissions to address downtown safety concerns. 

“I think the city’s initial response was very tepid and not a strong response. They pretty much just let  Dr. Choi set the tone for everything,” Ken Rice, an executive for Pickleman’s who ran for the Ward 2 council seat this past August, said. “I was actually glad that the mayor, after some thought and consultation, did not form another task force. We form a lot of task forces. One of the things that I ran on is that there’s a lot of talk and task forces like to talk.  And we had one in 2014. It’s a 30-page report, and it had some really actionable items. But here’s the problem.  Just like many of the recommendations or consultants or task forces that the city convenes,  no action was taken.” 

Instead, Buffaloe is looking to create a Collegiate Advisory Council to the mayor, an idea that she got from a similar program in Columbia, South Carolina. 

The group would include student representatives from the University of Missouri, Stephens College, Columbia College and Moberly Area Community College to provide input on safety, transportation, housing, and workforce opportunities. 

Buffaloe said in a Friday social media post that she will be working with university administrators and their student body governments to help select members for the council. 

“I think that is a good idea. I feel like representation, if that is included, which this very much seems like, would be a good contribution to just what is going on with people, just in general, not just limited to the University of Missouri, but to the other colleges as well,” Yule Yoon, a freshman at the University of Missouri, said. 

When asked about their thoughts on the proposal, a University of Missouri spokesman told ABC 17 News in an email: 

“President Choi’s focus will be on implementing the 11 action items with city, county, state, federal and business leaders to improve public safety and the homeless crime problems.”

This comes after Columbia and University of Missouri leaders announced new measures on Oct. 1, aimed at improving downtown safety after the homecoming weekend shooting.

The plan calls for more police patrols, including additional Boone County deputies and Missouri state troopers on weekend shifts. The Columbia Police Department and MU Police will continue increased foot patrols downtown and seek to expand staffing.

City and university officials also plan to review local ordinances, lighting and crowd-control measures; audit prosecution of downtown weapons and assault cases; and meet with state and federal officials about additional safety resources.

“I have been living in Columbia for quite some time now, a few years, and I think that even with the addition of extra enforcement of police, I still feel safe,” Yoon said. “I do feel like having more police does give a social, psychological effect on people, where people do tend to feel a little bit more nervous.” 

Choi also held a walk of downtown Columbia with local business owners on Oct. 5, providing leaders with an eyewitness account of potential public safety issues in the area.

However, local business leader Ken Rice, an executive for Pickleman’s told ABC 17 News that the walk wasn’t open to everyone. 

“I made the assumption, perhaps wrongly so that he wanted any business leader and myself having a business that’s right on East Broadway that’s open till 2 in the morning with friends and family that work in that site. I thought, ‘Hey, well I’d be the right person to join. So initially I was just going to join his walk, and then it became that his walk was not necessarily for everybody,” Rice said. 

Instead, Rice held his own walk downtown with four others. 

“In the past, I would see maybe four CPD cruisers patrolling the streets during the late-night hours,” Rice said. “At any given point where we were,  there were four police cruisers in sight.  I saw a number of sheriff deputies.  I saw Mizzou police. I saw state troopers, and for the first time, I saw the CPD officers,  there was about four of them walking up and down on the street on Broadway.” 

Before releasing the new enforcement rules, Choi sent a letter to county and city leaders that crimes ranging from homeless trespassers on campus to gun violence in downtown Columbia have created a dangerous environment for citizens and students. 

While Rice credited Choi with helping add the increased enforcement, he added that some of the college students may be adding to the problems. 

“A lot of the problems that happened, at least that at times, is the college students that, you know, get quite inebriated and, they create ​​problems from fighting to harassment and stuff, different things like that. So I think there’s a number of different issues,” Rice explained. “I think there’s a number of things we have to consider. We have to be careful of one group being targeted over another.”

ABC 17 News reached out to Stephens College, Columbia College and Moberly Area Community College.

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