Author: KMIZ

Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City voters will decide in November whether to extend the city’s 7% lodging sales tax for 25 more years.

The tax pays to promote tourism in Jefferson City and charges 7% on all hotel and motel rooms and short-term rentals. Most of the tax receipts — four-sevenths of the money — are devoted to developing a conference center, according to Jefferson City Council documents. The other part funds the operations of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The city council approved putting the tax on the November ballot with a unanimous vote at its Monday meeting.

The tax brought in about $1.5 million in the last fiscal year, according to city records.

The election will be held Nov. 4.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia doctor who is charged with rape has been found guilty of a pair of misdemeanors in a separate case.

A jury found Travis Birkhead guilty on Wednesday of two counts of violating a restraining order. He was found not guilty of first-degree harassment. He will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. Birkhead is still charged in another case with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault.

Court documents say Birkhead violated the order of protection by driving by the victim’s residence on Sept. 9 and 15, 2022. He was not allowed to be within 500 feet of the home, the probable cause statement says of the order for protection. Birkhead allegedly denied being within 500 feet of the victim, but allegedly told officers he drove by the home to drop off someone, the statement says.

In his rape case, court documents in previous reporting claim Birkhead took a woman behind a bar on East Business Loop 70 on Oct. 22, 2022, and sexually assaulted her in the woods behind the bar.

Columbia police said surveillance video showed the woman having difficulty standing up while the two went out of view. Columbia police claim Birkhead texted another person that he had sex with the alleged victim behind the bar.

A pretrial conference is scheduled for at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25, and a jury trial is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man was charged with two felonies after he allegedly sexually abused a disabled woman at her home on Monday.

Demon Tyrone Johnson Sr., 40, was charged on Wednesday with first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree burglary. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says police were called to a home on Tuesday for a reported sexual assault that occurred the day before. The victim claimed Johnson does landscaping work at her home because she cannot any more, the statement says. The victim was not satisfied with recent work and told Johnson’s boss, the statement says.

Johnson then allegedly showed up to the residence around 9 p.m. and confronted the victim before demanding to see her breasts, the statement says. He then allegedly groped her for several minutes while the victim tried to get away, court documents say.

Johnson allegedly admitted to sexually abusing the victim to police, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A registered sex offender in Fulton was charged with a felony on Wednesday after he allegedly was seen at being at a public park with a playground and splash pad.

Schylur Mahurin, 31, was charged with being a sex offender who was loitering within 500 feet of a park with a playground. He is being held at the Callaway County Jail on a $20,000 bond.

The probable cause statement says he was convicted of second-degree statutory rape in 2015 in Linn County.

The statement says the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office received multiple complaints about Mahurin being at a park over the weekend.

A probation officer who put Mahurin on GPS monitoring confirmed that he was at Memorial Park on Saturday between 3-7 p.m. Mahurin allegedly told law enforcement that he was walking at the park with a coworker, the statement says. A deputy told him he’s not allowed to be at a park and he allegedly replied that he knew that information, court documents say.

Mahurin pleaded guilty on June 26, 2023, to failure to register as a sex offender and was sentenced to five years of probation, along with a three-year suspended sentence.

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Ryan Shiner

EDITOR’S NOTE: The story has been updated to say Douglas Harris might not be an owner of the bar.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man involved in running a Jamestown bar is accused of assaulting a woman in the business on Sunday morning.

Douglas Harris was charged with second-degree assault. A warrant was issued and a $25,000 bond was set. A mugshot was not immediately available.

Court documents say Harris allegedly got into a heated argument with someone and multiple people tried to stop him from attacking them at Twisted Pickles in Jamestown. A victim told investigators that Harris is an owner of the bar, but owner Deanna Harris told ABC 17 News that he is a manager.

Harris allegedly grabbed a woman by her neck and shoved her into a pool table, the probable cause statement says. She fell to the floor, had injuries to her face and knees and had “significant bleeding,” the statement says. A patron then provided First Aid, the statement says.

Court documents allege Harris gave a “partial or insincere apology” before complaining about financial losses and threatening to assault another woman. The victim then went to a hospital in Jefferson City, the statement says. Law enforcement saw injuries on the woman when she spoke with them on Monday, the statement says.

Harris then allegedly sent an apology in a text message, the statement says. Harris did not give a statement to police when he was arrested and two witnesses give similar accounts of what occurred to law enforcement, court documents say.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Harrisburg School District will lose out on about $300,000 and likely will need to cut staff or programs after voters rejected a property tax increase on Tuesday.

School district voters rejected the dual measure, which would roll back Prop C sales taxes while increasing the district’s property tax levy, with 275 “no” votes to 216 “yes” votes. The property tax increase would have been 50 cents per $100 of assessed value, or 7%, and cost a taxpayer with a house appraised at $200,000 about $16 per month.

Superintendent Steve Combs said Tuesday that he was a “little disappointed” about the vote and that cuts are likely in the coming school year. The tax increase would have brought in about $300,000.

The district had pitched the tax measure to voters as needed to continue providing quality education as the district grows.

“While we celebrate the success of our students and the accomplishments of our District, we also look to the future and recognize the cost to operate the District continues to rise,” Combs wrote in an open letter posted to the district’s website in June. “Our District is financially sound, but we are at a crossroads. Unfortunately, we cannot rely on federal and state funding to cover increased costs.”

The district employs about 85 people and has about 600 students. 

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was accused of armed robbery at a Columbia Vapor Maven on June 5 has seen case moved to federal court.

Noah Cooley, 21, was charged with robbing a store and brandishing a gun during a violent crime. He was charged in Boone County with first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action and a count of unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

Court documents in previous reporting say police were called to Vaper Maven in the 100 block of Business Loop 70 around 12:16 p.m. June 5. The victim had allegedly stated to police that a man robbed her at gunpoint, the probable cause statement says.

The victim was able to identify Cooley to law enforcement in a photo lineup. Cooley at the time allegedly asked the victim about a product and she turned around, the statement says. Cooley then allegedly jumped behind the counter, pointed a gun at her head and told her to put products in a bag, along with money from the cash register, the statement says.

The victim locked the door of the store after Cooley left, the statement says. Cooley allegedly took about $300 in cash and $500 worth of product. Police also reviewed video of the incident which allegedly matched details the victim gave police, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Sedalia announced in a Tuesday press release that it will inspect another building on Main Street on Wednesday for asbestos.

The city is seeking to demolish 209 West Main St. and its neighbor, the release says. A building deemed dangerous at 207 West Main St. has significant damage, and a judge ruled last week the city has the authority to OK demolition of the building.

The city looks to put together a plan for demolition that would not impact the building at 217 West Main St., which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the release says.

“While structurally sound, its close proximity to the compromised buildings increases the urgency for stabilization and preservation,” the release says. “To support those efforts, Mayor Andrew Dawson submitted a formal letter to the administrators of the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant, urging an expedited technical review of the grant application for 217 W. Main.”

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Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Commission says it will move quickly to expand a property tax break for seniors that voters approved Tuesday.

Northern Boone County Commissioner Janet Thompson told ABC 17 News that it will implement a new the new policy at the next meeting on Tuesday.

Officials promise a smooth transition for property owners.

“As stated throughout the election cycle, the Commission intends to ensure no disruption for the thousands of seniors already participating in the program,” the three-member commission wrote in a statement Tuesday.

Boone County voters have approved an extension of the senior property tax freeze under Proposition 1. The measure allows homeowners aged 62 and older to maintain current property tax rates by preventing increases in tax rates related to government debt.

The approval means qualifying senior homeowners won’t see their tax burden increase to pay off debt carried by school districts and other local governments. Proponents say the measure provides more financial stability for aging residents on fixed incomes.

The policy change will go into effect immediately after the vote.

Debt levies are portions of property taxes designated to repay loans for large projects, such as new school buildings or public infrastructure. These levies are typically approved by voters through bond issues.

Currently, all debt levies in Boone County are held by school districts and fire districts.

Thompson says Boone County School and fire districts are impacted by this change and could potentially take legal action.

“If we are sued by an entity that is impacted by this, if a court finds that to be unconstitutional, then we have to go back to the program that we have currently,” Thompson said.

Boone County Fire Assistant Chief Gale Bloomenkamp says they are not expecting to see much change.

“Unless we’re planning on increasing our tax rate, we are not going to see any effect of this whatsoever. It’s not that it freezes the amount of assets evaluation that’s being taxed. It actually just freezes the tax rate itself,” Bloomenkamp said.

He says taking legal action against the commission is not on their agenda.

Harrisburg School Superintendent Steve Combs told ABC 17 News that he voted in favor of the proposition but expects the district will begin to see a loss in revenue in the coming years.

Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick told ABC 17 News last month that the expansion could create legal uncertainty.

In 2024, Boone County voters approved a measure to freeze property taxes for homeowners aged 62 and older. However, county commissioners carved out two exceptions: the blind pension fund and existing debt levies.

Over 70 percent of voters approved the senior tax freeze extension.

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Olivia Hayes

SEDALIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

City of Sedalia officials evaluated a building along the city’s Main Street to develop a demolition plan for two of the units.

The City of Sedalia entered 209 W. Main St. on Wednesday under a search warrant to assess the structures ties to 207 W. Main St. and test for asbestos. The city is looking to demolish 207 and 209 W. Main, which have been declared dangerous buildings due to severe deterioration.

“It’s far beyond repair. Water has been leaking into the roof for several years. We had a structural engineer come, he looked over the building and decided that it did for sure need to come down. There was no saving the building,” said Jessica Hoffman, City of Sedalia’s spokesperson, regarding the buildings condition.

The city said its staff walked through with a different certified structural engineer and a licensed environmental technician during Wednesday’s inspection. The information gathered will be used by Miller Structural & Forensic Engineers to develop a demolition plan.

Demolition can also put surrounding buildings at risk. The city stated in a news release that city administrator Matthew Wirt has also coordinated with the owners of Main Street Logo, located at 217 W. Main St. While city officials say the building is structurally sound, its proximity to 207 and 209 increases the need for stabilization and preservation.

Mike Ingram, Main Street Logo’s owner, tells ABC 17 News his business received the Paul Braun Historic Revitalization Grant to help restore and preserve his storefront’s structure. Even though the grant was approved in May of 2024, Ingram said he still has not seen a cent.

Hoffman said that Sedalia’s Mayor sent a letter to state officials to try and expedite the proccess.

“So the quicker we can get the finances to them, the quicker that they can shore up all of their building before we come in and have to do the demolition,” Hoffman said.

Scruffy 2 Fluffy Dog Grooming, across the street from, 207 W. Main has had to board up its windows to protect from damage. Employees tell ABC 17 News that during a recent storm bricks and shingles from 207 W. Main flew across the road at their storefront.

“We’ve had to post some things on Facebook saying that our windows are boarded up but we are open,” said Ashley Williams, a dog groomer at Scruffy 2 Fluffy.

Not only has the situation caused confusion to their customers, its also caused problems for the dogs they service.

“A lot of people will just stand out here and just stand here and take pictures. When we’re grooming dog and they can see you from the table and they get excited and they want to come outside,” Williams said.

Many worry the building’s demolition will take away a piece of the town’s history, but Williams believes there so much more to Sedalia.

“Growth is also something that’s needed in a town. So whether the growth be in the downtown or not, we still have all these historic buildings. We have so many historic buildings down here that if it’s a danger then I feel like it just should be taken out,” Williams said.

The City anticipates receiving a report from Wednesday’s inspection within one week. That report will help them put together a plan for demolition which the city hopes to get done by the end of August.

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