Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two Wendy’s locations in Columbia have closed, the company confirmed to ABC 17 News in an email.

The locations near the mall on Bernadette Drive and on Ninth Street are no longer listed on the company’s website. The business still has franchise locations in town on Scott Boulevard, East Nifong Boulevard and Clark Lane.

There’s also two locations in Jefferson City, one in Fulton, one in Boonville, one in Osage Becah, one in Macon and one in Moberly, according to the company’s website.

The email from a Wendy’s spokesperson says the closures are part of the company’s “turnaround plan, Project Fresh.” The email says the company plans on “strengthening restaurant performance across the Wendy’s System.”

ABC News reported last month that the fast food business planned to shutter 5-6% of its US locations during the first half of this year. The same article says Wendy’s had an 8.3% decrease in total global sales during the fourth quarter of 2025. Another 240 restaurants were closed in 2024.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

EDITOR’S NOTE: The City of Columbia originally provided the wrong contract cost.

The City of Columbia is looking across the nation for the new leader of its communications department.

According to Assistant Director of Human Resources Heather Russell, the city hired Affion Public LLC to lead the search for its new communications director. The deal is worth $28,000, Russell said. According to Linkedin, the salary for the new job ranges from $110,000- $169,000 per year and 36 people have applied so far.

The city voted to approve the creation of the department during its March 2 after City Manager De’Carlon Seewood presented the idea to the city council in February.

The department will consist of 25 full-time permanent positions and four part-time temporary positions with the hopes of improving communication in the city. According to a presentation from a March 9 City Council work session, the department will work toward the goal of creating consistent citywide messaging by utilizing a “decentralized newsroom approach.”

The department’s main goals include: Enhancing external communication, media and public relations and crisis and reputation management, the presentation states.

The presentation also says that the department would form an updated communication policy and states that all communications will be grounded in the city’s strategic plan. The department will be informed by initiatives such as the city’s annual community survey, community summit feedback and the city’s comprehensive plan, the presentation says.

Ward 5 Councilman Don Waterman said he finds the hiring of a search firm allows the city to broaden its search and ensure that the best candidate is selected.

“There’s a sentiment among some in the community that we don’t communicate well. I think we’re definitely making some improvements like the Let’s Talk Local and other things of that nature…and I think this will just be another step in that direction,” Waterman said.

Waterman also said he’s hopeful the new department will also help the city to better coordinate its messaging. According to city documents, the department will also work to coordinate a monthly communications plan with input from all departments within the city, as well as work to improve the flow of communication across departments.

Documents also state the department will respond to resident inquiries and “proactively share topics of interest to our residents” and create a citywide crisis communication plan.

The creation of the new department comes as the city’s current spokeswoman Sydney Olsen plans to leave at the end of the month. Waterman said the department will be tasked with similar work, but will play a bigger role in coordinating the city’s messaging.

The city used a search firm in 2023 to hire Police Chief Jill Schlude after Geoff Jones retired from the position. The contract with that firm cost the city $60,000. A national approach was also used to hire Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer the following year after the former chief Clayton Farr announced his retirement.

Waterman said he isn’t sure when the new department will officially be in the works in the city, saying that will likely depend on how the search goes. He estimated that it could take roughly six months.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ) 

Missouri election officials have verified enough signatures for a proposed referendum that would give voters the final say on the state’s newly redrawn congressional map. 

The redrawn congressional map,  backed by President Donald Trump, is designed to shift political control in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District, currently represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, potentially giving Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House.

In October, a referendum petition seeking to repeal the redistricting legislation was submitted to the office of Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. Hoskins approved the referendum on Oct. 15, allowing the sponsoring group, People Not Politicians, to begin collecting signatures from registered Missouri voters.

According to the Secretary of State’s verification report, People Not Politicians submitted more than 305,000 signatures, nearly three times the roughly 110,000 valid signatures required under Missouri law. 

“We sort of knew that this day was going to come when we turned in over 305,000 signatures back in December,” said Richard von Glahn, who is the director of People Not Politicians Missouri. “We know that there’s going to be tens of thousands of more signatures that are still waiting to be validated.” 

To qualify for the ballot, supporters also had to meet minimum thresholds in at least six of the state’s eight congressional districts.

According to the Secretary of State’s verification report, that requirement has been met:

1st District: 24,720 valid signatures (15,596 needed) — 158.5%

2nd District: 28,454 valid signatures (21,570 needed) — 131.9%

3rd District: 27,869 valid signatures (20,062 needed) — 138.9%

4th District: 23,843 valid signatures (18,544 needed) — 128.6%

5th District: 24,025 valid signatures (16,700 needed) — 143.9%

7th District: 18,978 valid signatures (18,599 needed) — 102.0%

If ultimately certified by the secretary of state, the referendum would place the map approved by Republican lawmakers last year on the November ballot. Under Missouri’s Constitution, qualifying a referendum suspends the law until voters decide whether to uphold or repeal it.

“This isn’t a Republican issue or Democratic issue,” von Glahn said. “Voters around this state want a democracy that focuses on them and our needs. And so we want to make sure that politicians are accountable to us. And that means that we get to pick them through elections every two years. This was a process in which politicians were trying to pick voters instead of voters picking politicians and no matter what your politics are, you know that’s wrong.”  

Despite the signature milestone, the referendum still faces several hurdles before appearing on the ballot.

The secretary of state must formally certify the results, a process that could continue for months as county clerks review signatures to confirm voter registration and accuracy. The office has until early August to determine whether the petition meets all constitutional requirements.

At the same time, multiple lawsuits could impact whether the measure ultimately goes before voters. One case before the Missouri Supreme Court challenges the legality of the redistricting plan itself, arguing the mid-decade map changes may violate the state Constitution. Another legal dispute has already resulted in a judge ordering changes to the ballot summary language after finding it could unfairly influence voters.

“There’s still some court cases that need to get worked out,” von Glahn said. “We shouldn’t have to be in lawsuits against our officeholders whose job is to simply uphold the Constitution and the process that’s outlined there. Unfortunately, we’ve had to do, and I expect we might continue to do to force them to to do their jobs. But if that’s what’s required, that’s what we’ll do.” 

Von Glahn said the effort drew widespread public participation, with thousands of volunteers helping collect signatures across the state.

“We had over 2,000 people sign up to volunteer within the first two weeks after the legislature passed this map. So we ran trainings  all across the state  multiple times a week,” von Glahn said. “Ultimately, thousands of Missourians went out and did this. Some this was their first time and they might have gathered ten signatures. Others might have been veterans of multiple campaigns and gathered hundreds of signatures.” 

Even with the remaining legal and administrative steps, von Glahn beleives the effort reflects strong public interest in the issue and a desire to let voters decide.

“The important thing about a referendum is it’s just about allowing people to decide,” von Glahn said. “I think it’s very telling that politicians are so afraid of people having the final say.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman has been charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors after she allegedly bit two Jefferson City police officers while she was being detained after a road-rage incident.

Bridgett Tallent, 36, of Jefferson City, was charged on Monday in Callaway County with second-degree assault, two counts of fourth-degree assault and one count of resisting arrest. She is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. A mugshot was not available on the jail’s website on Monday.

The probable cause statement says Jefferson City police were called after noon on Sunday for a reported road-rage incident involving Tallent and a tow-truck driver.

Tallent allegedly drove a vehicle into the rear axle of the tow truck and ran it off the road, the statement says. The driver had allegedly towed a vehicle that belonged to Tallent, the statement says.

Tallent then allegedly sat in the towed vehicle and would not come out when police told her to get out, the statement says. Police had to use pepper spray and Tallent did get out of the vehicle, but continued to resist police, the statement says.

She allegedly bit two officers on their hands before being detained, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Blue Springs man was charged on Saturday in Pettis County with nine child sex crimes.

Brice Story was charged with three counts of second-degree statutory rape, three counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of incest.

An arraignment was held on Monday and Story appeared by video from the Pettis County Jail. A mugshot was not immediately available on Monday. A hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31.

The complaint filed in the case alleges Story sexually assaulted the same victim a number of times from Aug. 1-30, 2024, and March 1-June 30, 2025.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Lake Ozark man has been charged with two misdemeanors after he was accused of exposing himself at a Miller County bar on Friday.

Jeremy Chorpening, 38, was charged on Saturday with resisting arrest and first-degree sexual misconduct. He was arrested, but posted a $2,000 bond, according to Monday court filings. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 13.

The probable cause statement says police were called at 10:48 p.m. to Mary Byrde’s in the 1200 block of Bagnell Dam Boulevard, where a security guard and multiple patrons reported seeing Chorpening expose himself. He was found in another nearby bar, S.N.A.F.U., and was ordered to come outside by police, the statement says.

Chorpening allegedly started resisting when police tried to detain him, the statement says. Police used a stun gun, but Chorpening was not affected, court documents say. He then ran away, but was later found behind Wok-N-Roll, the statement says.

While Chorpening was being booked unto the jail, police received a call about a 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor being damaged during the arrest, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was accused of breaking into a fraternity house on College Avenue in Columbia was eventually found on top of a Hertz Car Rental on Friday.

Willem Campbell, 31, of Columbia, was charged with first-degree burglary, two counts of felony stealing, one count of misdemeanor stealing and an infraction of second-degree trespassing. He is being held at the Boone County Jail on a $25,000 bond. A court appearance was scheduled for Monday afternoon.

One of the probable cause statements says Campbell was found on the roof of Hertz Car Rental at 1905 Range Line St. He climbed down when police arrived and claimed he was sleeping on the roof, the statement says. Police found Campbell with several stolen credit and debit cards, court documents say.

A second probable cause statement claims on March 15, Campbell illegally entered Sigma Nu – a fraternity at the University of Missouri – located on 710 College Avenue. Campbell allegedly went into a bedroom and stole someone’s wallet, the statement says.

Campbell was eventually escorted out of the building by several residents and one of the residents took a photo of Campbell, the statement says.

The victim allegedly kept a tracking card inside the wallet and found Campbell at an address on Rosemary Lane, the statement says.

The photograph taken by the Sigma Nu resident was allegedly used “for identification purposes through facial recognition software and also distributed to local law enforcement agencies in Boone County,” the statement says.

The statement says Campbell was identified as a suspect by a Columbia police officer and facial recognition software.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Firefighters, friends and loved ones of Billy Hurt took part in a funeral procession for him from The Crossing church in south Columbia to the Boonville area.

Hurt, a retired firefighter, was killed a week ago working safety at a sprint car track.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

EDITOR’S NOTE: AI was used in background research for this article

A Columbia woman scheduled to stand trial in March pleaded guilty during a pre-trial conference Monday to a fatal 2023 crash that killed a teenage motorcyclist.

Elizabeth Lopez was charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident following the collision on West Broadway. She pleaded guilty to three counts of leaving the scene and the manslaughter charge was dropped.

In a statement, Lopez’s lawyer Jessica Caldera said Lopez she maintains her innocence for involuntary manslaughter.

The crash occurred on Aug. 5, 2023, and resulted in the death of 18-year-old Walker Davis. Police say Lopez pulled her vehicle out of an apartment complex in the 3600 block of West Broadway into the path of two motorcycles, causing a collision that killed Davis and injured two other people.

The family of Davis had mixed reactions to the plea deal, calling both a step forward and a step back.

“It was the best choice to make sure that we got her to plead guilty on the other counts,” Davis’s mother, Mary Davis said. “She was, in the prosecutor’s words, ‘dead to rights’ on those three charges, there’s no denying them, and so she doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”

After the crash, police say Lopez re-entered the Kelly’s Ridge apartments parking lot and fled the scene. Court documents allege she went back to her apartment and told her boyfriend about the crash. While officers investigated the scene and towed her vehicle from outside the apartment, Lopez allegedly did not make herself known to the police.

“I hope to see some humanity, so far, she’s not shown that at all,” Davis said. “Not when she left my son on the road. Not when she left those other two drivers on the road, we have yet to see any humanity.”

Caldera adds that this is “a hard case all around, and it’s a sad situation.”

Lopez reportedly told investigators later that she consumed an alcoholic drink after returning to her apartment. She contacted the police early the next morning to provide a statement and insurance information.

Following her arrest, Lopez later paid a $7,500 bond after the August crash.

Davis adds that the family wants to make sure Lopez is held accountable.

“Today, my son has been dead for 961 days, I have served 961 days, my husband has served 961 days and all of my other five children have served 961 days,” Davis said. “This accident happened two and a half years ago, she has not spent one night in jail.”

Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced March 31 at 1:30 p.m. Lopez’s lawyer adds they plan to argue for Lopez to receive a sentence of probation.

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