Author: KMIZ

Matthew Sanders

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a part of daily life, and children are being included.

More and more, lawmakers say restrictions are needed on how children use artificial intelligence chatbots because of the potential pitfalls. Sen. Josh Hawley has been an outspoken critic.

At the state level, a Missouri House committee is expected to take up a bill that would restrict minors’ access to AI chatbots.

Do you think more restrictions are needed? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Colorectal cancer has become the deadliest cancer for adults under 50 years old in the United States, and it’s becoming more prominent in Missouri.

According to data from the American Cancer Society, an estimated 158,850 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2026 — 3,200 of them Missourians. More than 1,200 people across the state are projected to die from this cancer this year.

New cases projected in 2026 nationwide
New cases projected in Missouri 2026
Deaths projected nationwide in 2026
Deaths projected in Missouri 2026

158,850
3,200
55,230
1,280

Men: 84,160
Men: N/A
Men: 30,110
Men: N/A

Women: 74,690
Women: N/A
Women: 25,120
Women: N/A

“That increase has continued to accelerate,” said Dr. Nick Davidson, professor and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Washington University Medicine. “And now, early-onset colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. in people under the age of 50, so it’s a real concern.”

Missouri accounts for around 2% of all new colorectal cancer cases nationwide. This year, there is a slight increase from 2025, when 3,010 new cases were projected across the state and 154,270 were projected nationwide.

Nationwide new cases projected in 2025
Missouri new cases projected in 2025
Nationwide projected deaths in 2025
Missouri projected deaths in 2025

154,270
3,010
52,900
1,260

Men: 82,460
Men: N/A
Men: 28,900
Men: N/A

Women: 71,810
Women: N/A
Women: 24,000
Women: N/A

“I think that we’re always surprised whenever we see someone who we think looks very healthy have colorectal cancer,” said Dr. Jean Wang, professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at Washington University and Siteman Cancer Center. “Just about five years ago, the screening guidelines changed from recommending starting to get screenings at age 50 to age 45, but now we’re seeing even younger patients, even younger than 45 years old, getting colorectal cancer.”

Birth – 49 years old
Male: 12,670 new casesFemale: 11,970 new cases

50-64 years old
Male: 27,800 new casesFemale: 19,800 new cases

65 years old and up
Male: 43,690 new casesFemale: 42,920 new cases

All ages
Male: 84,160 new casesFemale: 74,690 new cases

(Projected new U.S. cases, 2026, American Cancer Society)

Wang says the youngest patients she has seen with colorectal cancer have been in their late 20s and early 30s. For people ages 49 and under in Missouri from 2018-2022, nearly 45 men out of 100,000 and around 34 women out of 100,000 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

The death rate also continues to climb, with 17 men out of 100,000 and nearly 12 women out of 100,000 dying from colorectal cancer from 2019 to 2023.

Colorectal cancer is a combination of colon cancer and rectal cancer, as the two are very similar and close in proximity inside the body. Inside those organs, tumors or polyps grow. While most are non-cancerous, some can become cancerous over time. Anyone can develop a polyp, and the risk of them becoming cancerous increases as you get older.

While polyps typically don’t cause symptoms, it’s important to go see your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms, as they could indicate that you have colorectal cancer:

Blood in stool

Rectal bleeding

Changes in bowel movements (constipation or diarrhea)

Unintentional weight loss

Low blood count

Intense fatigue

“Those are some of the kinds of red flag signs that you should watch out for that would make you want to talk to your doctor about getting a colonoscopy,” said Wang. “Early colon cancer doesn’t cause any symptoms at all.”

Colorectal cancer is split into four stages, with Stage 1 being the least severe stage and Stage 4 being the most deadly.

Stages
What happens to your body
Treatment

Stage 1
Cancer cells localized just to the muscular layer of the colon and rectum (mucosa, submucosa, muscularis propria); has not spread to any lymph nodes or nearby tissue
Cancer cells (polyps) are typically removed during a colonoscopy and sent to a lab for testing to see if they are cancerous

Stage 2
Cancer has spread to the outermost layers of the colon or rectum, or has spread through the colon wall and into nearby tissue; has not spread to any lymph nodes
Chemotherapy/radiation to shrink the tumors before surgery to remove them from any affected organs. Additional chemotherapy after surgery.

Stage 3
Cancer has spread into nearby lymph nodes, but has not reached other areas of the body
Chemotherapy/radiation to shrink the tumors before surgery to remove them from any affected organs and remove affected lymph nodes. Additional chemotherapy after surgery.

Stage 4
Cancer has been carried through the lymph and blood systems to distant organs in the body, like the liver and lungs.
Chemotherapy/radiation to shrink the tumors before surgery to remove cancer-affected organs/tissue. Additional chemotherapy after surgery. Targeted therapy, immunotherapy and clinical trials.

(Source: Colorectal Cancer Alliance)

According to Wang, the survival rate for people diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer is about 15%, whereas people diagnosed with Stage 1 have a 95% chance of being cured.

“You can just have a surgery to cut out that little section of your colon and then be cured and live life normally, but if you wait too long and the cancer grows and it spreads to other parts of the body, then it’s very hard to treat,” Wang said.

Wang says it’s thought that up to 85% of colon cancers could be preventable if people followed screening guidelines, which recommend adults get a colonoscopy at age 45.

There are also stool tests you can take at home that can detect abnormalities for convenience, especially for rural areas where access to colonoscopies can be more challenging. If an abnormality is discovered, it is recommended to get a colonoscopy.

If a cancerous polyp is removed during a colonoscopy, Wang says it is critical to continue to follow up.

“Colonoscopies really aren’t that hard to do, and so, it’s really a shame whenever I see someone come in with colon cancer who had not followed up with colon screenings, and you just know that if they had come in 10 years earlier, it could have all been prevented,” Wang said.

While more younger adults are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, researchers and experts are still working to figure out what’s driving this increase.

“Honestly, we really don’t know, said Davidson. “The answer is not one single reason that this is happening, it’s multiple.”

Davidson says more people are becoming overweight, consuming more alcohol, smoking, eating more processed foods and red meats. Those things, along with family genetics and more, are all factors in the increase in cases.

Davidson is part of a research team that looks at multiple different social and genetic factors to better understand this epidemic. The team is also part of a study that takes samples of colorectal cancer patients’ tumors, separating them into smaller tissue samples called organoids that they can grow indefinitely to study their behavior.

“The advantages of that are that we can characterize the genetic abnormalities, the mutations that arise in those samples, and then we can look at vulnerabilities in those cancer cells and hopefully design personalized forms of therapy,” said Davidson.

Watch ABC 17 News at 6 on Tuesday to hear how Missouri is at the forefront of research against the growing epidemic.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Following a decision from a Cole County judge on Friday, the Missouri FIRST Map will be what voters are tied to in the November election, and with that decision, the new District 5 is taking center stage.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, six Republicans have filed to run against incumbent and long-standing congressman Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) in the 2025 established district.

The Missouri FIRST Map guts the 5th District and splits the Democratic hotspot into three districts, diluting those votes. The 5th District is also stretched all the way from Kansas City to the northern half of Boone County and includes Osage and Maries Counties.

Political science professor at the University of Missouri Charles Zug said the new makeup of Cleaver’s district could make it harder for him to keep his seat.

“The reason all these Republicans have announced is because there’s blood in the water. It looks like there’s a good chance with this redsitrict that it will go to a Republican,” Zug said.

ABC 17 News spoke with 5th District Republican candidate Taylor Burks ahead of the candidate filing opening in February about how he is running his campaign through the uncertainty. Burks said he was focusing on the district in its 2025 rendition.

At the time, there wasn’t a clear answer as to which congressional map was in effect because of multiple lawsuits challenging the map, and a referendum that would put the 2025 map on the November ballot for voter approval.

ABC 17 News followed up with Burks on Sunday, and he reiterated his commitment to the Missouri FIRST Map.

“Based on my experience as an election official here in mid-Missouri, I was confident that these maps were going to hold all of the cases. All of the judgments that have come down in the last several weeks have reaffirmed what I said about five, six weeks ago when I first announced my run for Congress,” Burks said.

Burks served as the Boone County Clerk in 2017.

Democrat Jordan Herrera is a candidate for District 4, which also has some dramatic changes between the 2022 and 2025 maps.

For example, under the 2022 map, District 4 stretched from Cass County to the northern part of Boone County and covers Camden and Pulaski Counties. Under the 2025 map, District 4 covers the bottom portion of Jackson County, and doesn’t stretch east like the previous map, but goes down and over. The 2025 district still covers Camden and Pulaski Counties, but cuts out Boone and six other counties.

Herrera said he’s catering to both maps.

“So I had to make a calculated decision, and it was to run against Mark Alford,” Herrera said. “If you’re going to change my boundary lines, and if you’re going to tell me where I can have a voice, well then, damn it, I’m going to run and represent that district.”

Rep. Mark Alford (R-Raytown) is the incumbent, and he has filed for his seat again.

Herrera is holding strong for the referendum that would put the 2025 map on the November ballot for voter approval.

“What I would say with the decision we received on Friday with the maps is to not lose hope, to not lose faith in the referendum,” Herrera said.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Government has several maintenance and renovation projects planned in the coming months, including a makeover for the Boone County Clerk’s Office.

County leaders met Thursday for a preliminary discussion on the upcoming construction project, which is expected to cost about $210,000. According to Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon, the building was constructed in the early 1990s, and the office layout hasn’t significantly changed in more than 20 years. Officials say both the footprint and the needs of the office have evolved over time, noting changes in security requirements and voter behavior.

Lennon said the renovation is focused on improving customer service while adapting to changing trends in how people vote.

“We don’t have a large rush of people coming in person for voter registration anymore because many are registering online or by mail,” Lennon said.

The project will include a dedicated training room for election judges—something the office currently lacks. Right now, staff must train across the street. The new space will accommodate about 25 people.

“We would really love to bring that back into the building because our staff are here,” Lennon said. “It’s better to be on-site and keep all of our equipment in one place.”

Lennon added that training sessions run for about a month and take place multiple times a day. The new space will also serve as a multipurpose room for meetings and other uses.

The redesign will also focus on making better use of existing space and improving navigation for visitors.

“It makes it hard to navigate from a customer service perspective because when you walk in, you’re not really sure where to go,” Lennon said.

To address that, officials plan to open up the front area by removing walls, pushing cubicles back, and creating a more welcoming entrance. A seven-foot wall with a large window opening will also be added, allowing staff to better greet and direct visitors.

“We want to make sure that we’re doing this project as efficiently as possible,” Lennon said. “So, the next part of the process will have to be tying to figure out when that wall gets knocked down,”

Officials are still sorting if they should move staff before or after the wall is knocked down and when staff does move will the add the new furniture or wait and just move the old furniture. Lennons said all old furniture will be re-purposed. The new furniture will include desk, cubicles and chairs and a table for the training room.

Beyond the clerk’s office, Boone County Commissioner Kip Kendrick said construction on the county’s $5 million public safety childcare center has been pushed back to early August due to weather delays. Officials had previously expected completion in July but still hope to open the facility this fall.

The 10,000-square-foot facility is designed to serve up to 96 children at a time. The building will have two levels, a main level and a lower level aligned with the basement. The lower level will not be fully outfitted initially, as construction will begin on the main level first. All rooms are being built for infant care. Director Amy Hayse said the upper level will serve children two years old and under.

Contractors have mostly completed lower-level framing and are expected to begin work on the main level this week. Rough-in work is scheduled to begin in mid-April.

Kendrick also said the elevator inside the Boone County Government Center will be replaced due to its age, with that project set to begin June 15.

In addition, Boone County’s new $20 million law enforcement training institute opened last month. Its first academy class is expected to graduate within the next month.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 23-year-old Rolla woman died in a crash early Saturday morning, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The crash occurred near St. James on County Road 1000, just east of Highway B, the report says.

At around 2:10 a.m., the woman was driving east in a 2013 Cadillac SRX when she went off the right side of the road and hit a culvert. She then overcorrected and drove off the right side of the road. The report says the car flipped and she was thrown from it. The car then hit a mailbox and a tree.

The driver was pronounced dead on scene around 2:30 a.m. She was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the report. The car was totaled.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three bills that add age verification to social media and AI programs are up for executive action Monday by the Missouri House’s Emerging Issues Committee.

House Bill 3393 and 2392, sponsored by Representatives Don Mayhew (R-Crocker) and Marty Murray (D-St. Louis), respectively, would establish the “Missouri Social Media Safety for Minors Act.”

The act would make it illegal for any minors under 13 to create a social media account. 14 and 15-year-olds would be allowed to make an account with a parent’s permission. Parents would also be given access to review, limit and delete the account.

The bill would make it illegal for social media platforms to let adults directly message minors or to design ads and algorithms that target minors. Fines can result in a penalty of up to $50,000 per violation.

House Bill 2032, sponsored by Melissa Schmidt (R-Eldridge), creates the “Guidelines for User Age-Verification and Responsible Dialogue Act of 2026,” also known as the “GUARD Act.”

The bill would require developers of AI chatbots to establish an ID-based age verification system by requiring users to make an account. If a user is found to be a minor, they will not be given access to the program.

The bill defines an AI chatbot as “An artificial intelligence chatbot that: Provides adaptive, human-like responses to user inputs; and is designed to encourage or facilitate the simulation of interpersonal or emotional interaction, friendship, companionship, or therapeutic communication.”

It also makes it illegal for developers to create a chatbot that “encourages, promotes, or coerces suicide, self-injury, or imminent physical or sexual violence.” Programs will also be required to disclose that the chatbot is AI and not a real human. Violations can result in up to a $100,000 fine.

According to the Age Verification Providers Association, at least 17 states have enacted laws addressing minors’ access to social media. However, several have been stalled due to court proceedings.

Public hearings were completed earlier on March 23.

According to House documents of testimonies, all three bills were supported by the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Missouri Psychological Association and the Missouri Network Against Child Abuse.

Opponents of the bills pushed back against the risks of data being collected through setting up an account to be age-verified.

“Age verification programs introduce a greater risk of sensitive data being used or even compromised, even though you might have a platform follow safety guidelines,” witness Riley McEvoy said.

Michael Dreyer voiced concern about user privacy, especially for LGBTQ+ youth who may use social media to find supportive communities.

“Parental consent requirements can expose vulnerable young people to family rejection or even conversion practices, requiring verified parental permission for accounts creates an insurmountable barrier,” Dreyer said.

Witness Sarah Berry also opposed both bills, adding in the AI bill that companies may be hesitant at developing technology in the state due to the restrictions.

“These systems produce probabilistic outputs, not prewritten scripts. Imposing $100,000 penalties per violation based on subjective interpretations of conversational outputs will create massive legal uncertainty and will discourage responsible companies from operating in Missouri at all,” Berry said. “The likely result is that Missouri residents lose access to emerging technology while the rest of the country moves forward.”

Libertarian think tank The Reason Foundation gave an informational testimony on both bills, pushing instead for safety protocols and limits instead of outright bans. They similarly pointed out risks of data management and account creation requirements for ID verification.

“It forces adults to give up anonymity just to use a general-purpose technology tool, where sensitive conversations can be had,” Reason Foundation Technology Policy Analyst Nicole Shekhovtsova said.

The committee will begin at 4:30 p.m. in House Hearing Room 7.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Police said its officers responded to a home in the 4500 block of Rice Road Saturday evening after a car crashed into it.

Colin Imhoff, a CPD spokesperson, said the call came in around 6:12 p.m. Columbia Fire also responded to the scene at 6:13 p.m. An ABC 17 News reporter saw Ameren there as well.

No information was immediately available for if anyone was hurt in the crash.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

After U.S. Representative Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) dropped out of Missouri’s 6th Congressional District race, former podcast host Chris Stigall announced he’s running to fill the seat hours after Graves announcement.

The 6th District covers much of the northern portion of the state, including over 30 counties in the new 2025 congressional map.

Early Friday morning, Stigall posted a video to social media announcing his “sudden” candidate filing and that he was leaving his early morning radio show on Salem Radio Network to focus on the race.

“I’ve decided it’s time to join in the fight to fight for what made this country so great 250 years ago. It’s time to put up or shut up. President Trump is going to need all the reinforcements he can get in Washington,” Stigall said. “That’s why I’m going to leave my show.”

There is only one other Republican candidate running for the 6th District, Jim Ingram.

Three Democrats have also filed, one being Josh Smead, who also took to social media responding to Graves’ retirement.

“Sam Graves has retired officially, he’s thrown in the towel. I think that’s pretty indicative that they hear us, they see the movement that we’re building and at this point we’re going to keep our foot on the gas,” Smead said.

Democrats Matt Levine, who filed Thursday, and Scot Pondelick are also running for a shot at Congress.

There’s rumored to be another Republican who could join the race following Graves’ announcement.

Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd and Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker put out a joint statement Saturday morning announcing their support for Nathan Willett to enter the race.

“Not many things have brought us together over the last few months, but we are coming together to support Nathan Willett for Congress should he decide to file next week,” the release, posted to Facebook, says.

Willett is currently a councilman for Kansas City and is running for the Missouri Senate District 34 seat against Sean Poche. Willett has not filed for the Congressional race.

Candidate filings close Tuesday at 5 p.m.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Thousands of Missourians are expected to join millions of protesters nationwide Saturday in over 3,000 “No Kings” protests.

We Stand United Missouri sponsored the rally in Jefferson from noon to 1:30 p.m. on the south steps and lawn of the State Capitol.

Organizers described the rally as a stand against policies they consider unjust and cruel, saying families are being pushed to the brink by rising costs and government actions. WSUM added that many Americans are feeling the impact of what they call the President’s disregard for human rights and public needs.

Speakers at the Jefferson City protest included House representative candidate Suzanne Luther, advocates for reproductive freedom and healthcare, and labor leaders and community activists.

Throughout the Columbia and Jefferson city the crowd highlighted rising costs from gas to everyday bills, along with concerns about ICE enforcement, human rights, and U.S. involvement in overseas conflicts.

The National No Kings Coalition released a statement saying, “This president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings—and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. We are desperate for a return to morality and ethical decision making.”

Sue Rodgers, spokesperson for We Stand United Missouri, told the ABC 17, “It’s our democracy. They’re supposed to be working for us, for people’s lives. Each person here has a different story about how it’s affecting their life.”

Many attendees said they hope their presence will make a difference.

“It’s important that we stand up for our rights and that dictators who fear protest know they need to stand down.” Tracy Dela-Veccahia, a Columbia resident, said.

Thousands of Missourians marched through streets in both Columbia and Jefferson City, voicing concerns about the direction of the country.

“I think it’s important for us to say what we want, which is free and fair elections and no wars.” Bob Tyler, a Columbia resident said.

Dela-Veccahia said it was comforting to see so many of her neighbors at Saturday’s protest.

“I feel like most people don’t support him [the president] anymore,” she said. “It’s really amazing to see this many people and to see young people and old people and everything in between.”

Curtis Chick, a retired union sheet metal worker from Jefferson City said the government is not listening to the people’s needs.

“There needs to be more cooperation between both sides, like it used to be years ago.” he said.

Rodgers also highlighted economic struggles that she believes millions of Americans are going through.

“We need to feed the kids and fund healthcare, yet the upper 1% keeps getting richer while the rest of us struggle to pay rent, buy gas, and go to work.” she said.

According to the event’s website, Saturday’s protests will focus on the Trump Administration’s initiative to mobilize ICE in cities, congressional map redistricting in several states and the cost of the war with Iran.

Over a dozen events are being held across Mid-Missouri:

Boonville – 11 a.m. to noon at the Cooper County Courthouse

Camdenton – Noon to 2 p.m. at the Camden County Courthouse

Columbia – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Boone County Courthouse Plaza

Fulton – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fulton City Hall

Fayette – 10 a.m. to noon at the Howard County Courthouse

Hermann – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gasconade County Courthouse

Jefferson City – Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the State Capitol

Madison – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 105 S Lafayette St.

Marshall – Noon to 2 p.m. at the corner of South Miami Avenue & West College Street

Moberly – 11 a.m. to noon at the corner of North Morley Street & East Coates Street 

Rolla – Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the corner of U.S. 63 and Lanning Lane.

Sedalia – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pettis County Courthouse

Waynesville – 10 a.m. to noon at the Pulaski County Courthouse

Groups participating include the ACLU, Indivisible, American Federation of Teachers, National Nurses United and Human Rights Campaign.

This marks the third round of “No Kings” protests, with more than five million participants joining nationwide in June and nearly seven million people attending last fall.

Protesters said their goal is to make their voices heard, whether in Columbia, Jefferson City, or beyond.

Saturday’s rallies marked the first No Kings protests of 2026.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman with two failure-to-appear warrants in Boone County was arrested Friday in Columbia after she was involved in a high-speed chase with law enforcement.

Emily Berry, 48, of Columbia, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated fleeing and misdemeanor driving while revoked, according to a Friday night social media post from the Ashland Police Department. Charges were not available on Casenet on Friday evening.

She had warrants for failing to appear in court in two cases: One where she is charged with driving while revoked and the other she was sentenced to probation for pleading guilty in 2024 to misdemeanor driving while intoxicated.

APD wrote in its post that an officer tried to conduct a traffic stop on Berry at 1:54 p.m. in the 600 block of East Broadway in Ashland. Berry allegedly refused to identify herself and sped off after she was told there was a warrant for her arrest, police wrote.

Berry allegedly drove north in the southbound lanes of Highway 63 at 105 miles per hour, police wrote.

“Berry attempted to evade the pursuing officer by trying to take Discovery Parkway and Grindstone Parkway in Columbia, but was traveling too fast to safely navigate the exit ramps,” the post says.

The chase was slowed down by traffic just south of the Stadium Boulevard exit and she was eventually arrested. Boone County Joint Communications sent a notification at 2:10 p.m. saying both lanes of Highway 63 were closed “due to a police incident.”

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