Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Bunceton school board member pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court for her role in an alleged scheme that defrauded the school district out of $385,000.

Ashley Benny, 41, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty to wire fraud, according to a Thursday press release from the Department of Justice. Benny is currently listed as a school board member on the district’s website, but was described specifically by the DOJ as the treasurer in 2019.

She was asked to research “alternative investment options for the school district’s unallocated savings.” Court documents and the press release say she learned of a “supposedly lucrative overseas ‘standby letter of credit’ investment that carried no risk of loss.” Court documents say they were promised a 10% guaranteed rate of return over the next year.

The district went into a memorandum of understanding with a company called “AgFluent,” which was owned by a friend of Benny’s and that person’s boyfriend, court documents say. The district agreed to invest $385,000.

“The agreement further provided that the district’s $385,000 investment would—in addition to being held safely in an IOLTA account—be secured by [the boyfriend’s] 2019 hay crop,” court document say.

“The investment was a scam, and the school district was defrauded out of $233,000 wired overseas by AgFluent,” the press release says. “Contrary to AgFluent’s agreement with the school board, Benny then helped transfer the remaining school district investment funds to pay various other entities and expenses owed by a co-conspirator, including nearly $60,000 for the purchase of two semi-trucks and a $10,000 escrow payment on a failed land purchase deal.”

Benny was ordered to pay all of the money back and faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

Ashley Benny plea agreementDownload

Click here to follow the original article.

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 2025 report from the City of Columbia and Boone County Public Health and Human Services said corporate property buying is one of many factors impacting housing stability nationwide locally. The report also notes that keeping people in stable, long-term housing costs less than responding to homelessness after a crisis occurs.

Across the country, rent prices continue to rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports rent inflation increased 3.3% as of April.

In Boone County, officials said the impact is already visible. For more than a decade, the county’s homelessness rate per 10,000 people has remained above the state average. In 2022, it even surpassed the national rate.

The county’s 2024 housing report also shows affordable rental options were shrinking. From 2023-24, apartments priced between $400-$599 a month dropped by 24%. At the same time, higher-priced units –ranging from $1,500-$1,900 — grew by more than 75%.

The 2025 report also emphasizes the cost difference between housing stability and emergency response systems.

Organizers broke down daily costs, showing that a permanent supportive housing voucher costs $13.76 per day. That compares to $40.55 per night for a local shelter, $49.50 per night for an extended-stay motel, and more than $80 per day to house someone in the Boone County Jail.

Those costs could continue to rise. Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey has asked commissioners to consider placing a three-eighths-cent sales tax increase on the August ballot to help address growing jail demand.

“This report shows our coordinated system is working – we utilized every available voucher and housed 152 households in 2025. The cost comparison demonstrates that permanent supportive housing, at $13.76 per day, is our most effective long-term response and our most compassionate approach. These numbers allow us to consider a plan that could be scaled to meet the documented need,” Carter Stephenson, a public health planner, was quoted in Thursday’s press release.

The report also shows the county’s efforts in battling the demand of homelessness.

While Boone County has added shelter beds over time, homelessness is increasing faster than available space. In 2025, 309 people were experiencing homelessness in the county, while there were only 298 available shelter beds.

The report also found that all city and county housing vouchers are currently in use. In addition, the number of people on the housing priority list declined from 338 in December 2024 to 265.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation is seeking public input for the bridge rehabilitation project on South Providence Road in Columbia over Hinkson Creek.

MoDOT is replacing the northbound bridge deck. The driving surface is in poor condition and construction is expected to begin next year. The road will stay open during construction, but traffic will be reduced to one lane each way, the release says.

An open comment period will be open through Thursday, June 11.

An open-house will be held 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday, May 28 at Room 131 of the General Services Building on the University of Missouri’s campus at 900 East Stadium Blvd.

Comments can also be sent through email at CDCR@modot.mo.gov with the subject line “Missouri Route 163 Bridge Deck Replacement over Hinkson Creek in Boone County.”

Comments can also be submitted online or by mail at Missouri Department of Transportation, 1511 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO 65109.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The new roundabout at Conley Road and Business Loop 70 in Columbia has opened.

Closed started constructing a roundabout at the intersection on March 23 and it was expected to be closed for 60 days. It opened Thursday.

All businesses near the construction remained open.

“The roundabout provides a safer and more efficient intersection. Compared to a signalized intersection, roundabouts have fewer conflict points, which, along with slower speeds and calmer traffic, can translate into as much as 76 percent fewer crashes and fewer crash-related injuries,” a Thursday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Liberty Utilities customers in several Mid-Missouri counties will see a temporary increase on their electric bills starting next month.

The Missouri Public Service Commission on Wednesday approved Liberty’s application for a rate increase from June through November, though regulators slimmed down the incrase from $14.81 per month to $8.74 per month.

The increase is to the Fuel Adjustment Clause that Missouri allows utilities to charge customers. Liberty applied for the increase on April 1. The increase is estimated to bring in about $21 million, according to Public Service Commission documents.

Liberty stated in filings that its energy costs under the Fuel Adjustment Clause were nearly $35 million higher than expected from September 2025 to this February.

Liberty serves Chariton, Howard, Cooper, Saline, Pettis and Johnson counties in Mid-Missouri.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

NASCAR announced on Thursday afternoon that two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch has died.

Busch was 41 years old.

“We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of our sport’s greatest and fiercest drivers,” NASCAR shared on its social media. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire motorsports community.”

We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of our sport’s greatest and fiercest drivers. He was 41 years old.

We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire… pic.twitter.com/FARIF6OKrw

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 21, 2026

Other media reported earlier that he had been hospitalized.

NASCAR later released a joint statement with the Busch family and Richard Childress Racing.

“Our entire NASCAR gamily is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. As a future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation,” the statement says. “He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”

A joint statement on behalf of the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR. pic.twitter.com/7fYGjIqxoJ

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 21, 2026

Busch won the Cup Series championship in 2015 and 2019 and was the rookie of the year in 2005. He won 234 combined races, 63 of which were Cup series victories. His last Cup series win occurred at the Enjoy Illinois 300, which is in the St. Louis area, in 2023.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri Board of Curators approved a 4% increase for undergraduate tuition for next school year during a Thursday afternoon meeting.

The increase is for all four of its campuses. A 3% increase was approved for its graduate programs.

The increases will range from $16.50 per credit hour at the Kansas City location to $21 at the St. Louis campus. The Columbia campus will see a $19.11-per-credit-hour increase. The average cost for a semester at MU will increase by nearly $287, according to board documents.

Professional tuition will increase between 0-4.75%, according to a release from the school.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Camden County will be audited by the state, according to a Thursday press release from State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick.

The release says the Camden County Commission requested the audit to help determine “determine if revenue generated by a sales tax that has been in effect since 2008 is being distributed the way voters intended.”

The audit will review other aspects of the county, as well. The release says since Camden County has its own auditor, it does not have regularly scheduled audits from the state. The last state audit occurred in 2019 after the commission requested it, the release says.

“We are ready and willing to pull back the curtain for the people of Camden County to give them an honest assessment of whether their tax dollars are being used appropriately, while also giving them a clear picture of how their county government is operating overall,” Fitzpatrick was quoted in the release. “Ultimately we want to make sure every resident of Camden County can have confidence their government is operating transparently and in accordance with the law. We’ll also work to give the county recommendations they can put into place to be more effective for taxpayers.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former parking manager for the City of Columbia allegedly stole roughly $45,000 in coins from the city during a nine-month period, court documents say.

James Faup, 38, of Columbia, is charged in Boone County with stealing more than $25,000. He was arrested on April 2 and was released from jail after posting a $1,500 bond. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28.

The probable cause statement says Faup was allegedly reported to law enforcement by a Walmart employee on March 31 after he was allegedly seen putting a large amount of coins into the Coinstar at the West Broadway store.

Faup had allegedly brought coins in a white bucket and had exchanged a Coinstar receipt for cash, court documents show. He allegedly cashed out $2,071.30 at Walmart that day, the statement says.

Previous reporting says Faup was allegedly wearing a city public works uniform while he was cashing out the coins. Faup allegedly made exchanges while bringing a bucket of coins on March 5, 12, 19 and 31, court documents say.

Police wrote that Faup was seen on camera on March 30 going into the room where the city stores coins and allegedly filled up two Menards buckets with coins. He was also seen on camera allegedly doing the same thing on March 5, 12 and 19.

Someone at the parking division told police, “the protocol for coins was to dump them into a counter that then put them in a safe that would be later collected by Brinks,” court documents say.

Faup allegedly admitted to police that he stole $5,159.95 in March alone and that he took roughly $45,000 from the city over a nine-month period.

Faup had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stealing in 2013 after he stole money from parking garages ran by the University of Missouri, previous reporting shows. Faup was then employed by the city from Feb. 20, 2013-April 2, 2026.

City Finance Director Matt Lue told ABC 17 News last month that the city is conducting an audit of the parking fund. The city expects it to be complete by the end of May, previous reporting shows.

Check back for updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation addressed construction and traffic Thursday ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, as lawmakers consider suspending the gas tax — a crucial funding source for Missouri roads.

About 39.1 million travelers will hit the road between Thursday and Monday, which is a 0.1% increase nationally, according to AAA.

MoDOT and MSHP leaders urged caution in work zones over the weekend and said speeds won’t be reduced in work zones that don’t have barriers and lane shifts in place.

MoDOT’s Highway Safety & Traffic Engineer Jon Nelson said the goal is to have zero fatal crashes over the weekend.

“Summer is often a time where we unfortunately see an increased number in traffic incidents, fatalities and injuries. We would like for nothing more than for the summer of 2026 to have a different outcome,” Nelson said.

To do that, drivers are encouraged to slow down, put the phone down, driver sober and buckle up.

“Putting this all together we’re simply asking that everyone makes safe decisions that protect themselves, their passengers and everyone else on the roadways,” Nelson said.

Chief safety and operations director Becky Allmeroth said 24 people were killed and over 110 people were injured last year in work zones. There will be over 1,000 work zones this year.

“No matter where you travel this weekend, you should expect to encounter roadwork,” Allmeroth said. “We need drivers to slow down, stay alert and help protect our crews and each other.”

Safety isn’t the only thing on drivers’ minds this summer.

Gas prices in Missouri are over $1.30 more expensive now compared to last year, when the state average was $2.87, according to AAA. About 800,000 Missourians are packing the car this weekend, down 0.1% statewide compared to last year.

State Rep. Tricia Byrnes (R-Wentzville) has offered a potential solution to temporarily lower gas prices –temporarily suspending the gas tax.

“Missouri families are paying more than $1.30 extra on every gallon compared to this time last year. The legislature raised this tax without a public vote in 2021. We can pause it without a public vote. I’m drafting a bill and I’m asking Governor Kehoe to call us back to Jefferson City to pass it,” Byrnes said in a news release.

The tax takes over 29 cents per gallon at the pump, and more than 21 cents goes to MoDOT. The department receives $2.2 billion a year in total from its user fee, which includes the fuel tax, registration and licensing fees and motor vehicle sales taxes. The gas tax brings in the highest amount of revenue from the user fee.

“The Missouri Department of Transportation is aware of the discussions taking place among lawmakers regarding the motor fuel tax, which funds transportation work in our state. At this time, it would be premature for the department to comment or speculate on potential legislative actions or their impacts,” MoDOT spokesperson Jacob Luecke said via email.

MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger reiterated that sentiment at the press conference.

“We’re aware of the efforts, but until we know what that really looks like, it’s pretty premature to comment on that,” Hassinger said.

Byrnes sent Gov. Mike Kehoe a letter Tuesday, asking him to call a special session to move forward with suspending the gas tax.

Click here to follow the original article.