Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man has been charged with a felony after he was accused of starting a fire at a mobile home over the weekend in the 1500 block of Vandiver Drive.

Stephen Tune Jr., 39, of Columbia, was charged on Thursday in Boone County with second-degree arson. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been set.

The probable cause statement says the fire marshal determined the fire on Sunday night was intentionally set.

Video allegedly showed Tune pull up to a mobile home in a white Ford truck and get out of the vehicle, the statement says. The officer noted seeing “short bursts of light coming inside the trailer” and a “flickering glow” before Tune got back into the vehicle and driving away.

Tune and a second person referred to as “SW” allegedly gave conflicting statements to police about what they did on Sunday, Oct. 4, the statement says. The truck was seen on a Flock camera that night at Paris Road and Brown Station Road, the statement says. The Columbia Police Department wrote in a press release that Flock cameras were used to find Tune on Thursday.

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Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Following Columbia’s gun violence analysis, the Office of Violence Prevention aims to improve school violence intervention.

The City of Columbia’s Office of Violence Prevention presented a violence-prevention analysis last week identifying three areas of focus, including violence interruption in schools.

D’Markkus Thomas-Brown, Office of Violence Prevention administrator, said increasing school intervention will require concerted effort and collaboration.

“It’s collaboration with CPS,” Thomas-Brown said. “And working at the extent of the level that they want to explore, working with students to either are very high risk or at risk to violence and working with the organizations that houses these students because they don’t stay at CPS 24 hours a day.”

Services could range from mediation to simply showing up for the student, Thomas-Brown said.

Counseling is another tool, he said.

“If there’s been a normalization of that trauma, being able to step back and talk about grief and loss and then having resources for that family to fight through, whether it be trauma counseling or … family trauma counseling, whatever that may be, or it may be tutoring or a workforce development for the parent and the child,” Thomas-Brown said.

Thomas-Brown said that the Office of Violence Protection has been working with Columbia Public Schools looking for next steps in violence intervention at school.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Sedalia woman was seriously injured Wednesday night in a crash on Route O in Pettis County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the woman drove a 2005 Lexus IS 300 southbound as it ran off the right side of the road and hit a fence. After that initial contact, the vehicle came back to the roadway, went off the left side and hit a tree, per the report.

The woman was flown to University Hospital. The report says she was wearing a seatbelt. The Lexus was totaled.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A survey conducted by Columbia’s Planning and Zoning Commission found that a majority of respondents believe the city should not build a data center.

But as interest in technology grows, city officials are working to determine what regulations would be needed if a data center were proposed.

Patrick Zenner, Columbia’s director of Development Services, said the goal is to establish guidelines before any potential development moves forward.

“We are simply and merely trying to make sure we aren’t caught flat-footed without a set of regulations to provide guidance. The ultimate decision here, if we do adopt anything, lies with council,” Zenner said during the meeting.

The City Council on May 18 passed a one-year moratorium on data center applications and development. The committee has until next March to present its proposed rules and regulations to City Council.

Electricity demand is one of the key concerns.

According to the committees presentation, the city’s historical peak electricity demand is about 290 megawatts, and many of its substations and circuits are already approaching capacity.

Projects requiring more than 20 megawatts of electricity could require significant infrastructure upgrades, a city presentation says. Depending on where a project connects to the grid, even a smaller development requiring 5 megawatts could present challenges for the city’s electric utility.

If Columbia’s existing electricity supply cannot meet a data center’s needs, developers may need to explore power purchase agreements to secure additional electricity.

Zenner said Columbia already relies on electricity generated outside the city through the regional Midcontinent Independent System Operator.

“We are purchasing off the grid from somewhere else. It’s not generated here, and so we’re buying wind from Kansas. And because it’s part of the MISO grid, it’s being credited to us even though we’re not using that wind energy — we’re not directly using that,” Zenner said.

The agreements could include a schedule for gradually increasing the amount of electricity purchased as demand grows.

“Because it may come from multiple sources, like you may have a piece that comes from MISO, you may have another piece that comes from somewhere else,” Zenner said.

Zenner said any potential power arrangements for a data center would be handled through the city’s utility department. Those upgrades could raise questions about who would pay for the additional infrastructure and how the city could protect existing utility customers from increased costs.

Missouri regulators have approved a large-load power service tariff aimed at investor-owned utilities, including Ameren and Evergy. The tariff targets new customers with an expected ramp rate exceeding 75 megawatts.

However, according to the presentation, no equivalent legislation is currently in effect for municipal utilities such as Columbia’s. Discussions about similar efforts are beginning ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

City documents outline potential ways a data center could meet its electricity needs without placing additional strain on Columbia’s existing grid.

It presents an option of generating electricity on site, while another would involve purchasing power from an off-site provider through a power purchase agreement.

Under either scenario, the developer would also need a backup power plan to account for potential outages or disruptions, city documents say.

The city is also considering how a data center could remain a utility customer even if it secures its own power supply. 

If a data center generates its own electricity on-site, one potential arrangement would involve the generation facilities eventually being owned by the city’s electric utility or Boone Electric. Officials claim that approach could create additional jobs in the area.

If the developer instead purchases electricity through an off-site agreement, that contracted capacity could help the utility meet its peak demand obligations.

The said the goal is to ensure a data center can meet its own power needs without placing additional strain on Columbia’s electric grid, while allowing the city and its utility customers to benefit from the development.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former professional baseball player from Columbia pleaded guilty to a felony earlier this week.

Blake Tekotte, 39, pleaded guilty on Monday to third-degree domestic assault. He was sentenced to serve probation for five years with a four-year suspended sentence. He was originally charged with first-degree kidnapping and third-degree domestic assault in February 2025.

Tekotte was accused of assaulting a woman after accusing her of infidelity, court documents in previous reporting say. He allegedly stopped the assault after a neighbor heard the attack and pointed at gun at him, previous reporting says.

He also pleaded guilty on Aug. 25, 2025, to second-degree domestic assault and second-degree kidnapping from a November 2023 incident. He was sentenced to probation and shock jail time along with a seven-year suspended sentence.

Tekotte played in 50 games over three seasons in MLB from 2011-13, which included stints with the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox.

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Ellyse Edwards

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The mother of a man suspected of killing his father testified Thursday that her son admitted to the shooting immediately afterward.

Tracy Perkins testified Thursday that her son told her, “I just shot your husband,” after she heard gunshots inside their home.

Tracy Perkins is the mother of Dalton Perkins and the wife of Steven Perkins, who was killed in May 2025. Her testimony came on the second day of Dalton Perkins’ Boone County murder trial. Dalton Perkins, 33, of Sturgeon, is charged with second-degree murder and other felonies in his father’s death.

Tracy Perkins said she had a friend over to play cards when she went inside to tell her husband and son to stop arguing about the loud music her son was playing. She testified that Dalton Perkins pushed her to the ground. Steven Perkins then got out of his chair and tackled Dalton, and the two briefly wrestled.

She said Steven put Dalton in a chokehold, and she sat on her son to restrain him. She believed the initial struggle lasted five to 10 minutes.

Tracy Perkins testified that she called out to her friend to call 911, but said the woman did not have her phone outside and did not come inside to call. She then saw Dalton Perkins get a gun out of a refrigerator and heard the first shot as she opened her storm door to leave the house.

She did not see Dalton Perkins look at or point the gun at her, she testified.

Tracy Perkins said she heard four or five more shots and ran back inside. She testified that she saw Dalton Perkins walk into the kitchen and set down the gun before telling her, “I just shot your husband.”

Steven was on the couch and told her, “I think I’m dying,” she testified. Tracy Perkins said she responded, “Please don’t die,” then called 911 and began CPR, continuing until emergency responders arrived.

A forensic pathologist who reviewed the autopsy records and photographs testified that Steven Perkins had five bullet entry wounds to his torso. Dr. Charles Glenn said the gun was fired within about 4 to 5 feet of Steven Perkins.

Glenn did not perform the autopsy and said he could not determine the path of every wound, including which were entry, exit or re-entry wounds.

Earlier Thursday, paramedic Isabella McGlasson testified that she saw shell casings on the floor and wounds on Steven’s chest and back. She said CPR was performed for about 40 minutes.

Dalton Perkins’ attorney said during opening statements that Dalton shot Steven in self-defense because he feared his father would get another gun in the house. During cross-examination, Tracy Perkins testified that Dalton had said, “You guys are trying to kill me,” during the struggle.

Dalton Perkins is also charged with two counts of armed criminal action, first-degree domestic assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Read ABC17’s previous coverage of the trial.

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Matthew Sanders

HUNTSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 17-year-old pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges in the death of his on-again, off-again girlfriend Thursday.

Christopher Woods-Bloss is charged in the death of 16-year-old Kayla Huff, whose body was found this spring in a Randolph County conservation area. Woods-Bloss and Huff had been in a relationship multiple times, according to a probable cause statement.

Woods-Bloss was in a Randolph County courtroom Thursday for his first appearance since being charged with Huff’s murder. He is also charged with armed criminal action and first-degree kidnapping.

Court documents allege Huff was taken to the area in the trunk of a car and beaten and shot to death.

Woods-Bloss was among the last people to be seen with Huff, and he allegedly told investigators that he was with Huff the day of her disappearance when her car broke down.

Court documents in cases against other defendants allege Woods-Bloss’ co-defendants disabled Huff’s car and covered up evidence to create the appearance that she had disappeared.

Four other people face charges in the case ranging from murder to evidence tampering.

Woods-Bloss is being held without bond. Judge Garreth Cooksey set an Oct. 19 bond hearing.

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Matthew Sanders

A Columbia man who describes himself as a “nudist” was arrested this week and charged with four misdemeanors for exposing himself in May and June on the MKT Trail.

Two people who allegedly encountered the man on the trail considered purchasing a gun after those incidents due to safety concerns, according to court documents. Reports of criminal incidents on local trails are not common, but not unheard of — two women reported a man exposing himself in July 2020 and a man was charged with attempted rape on the trail in 2023.

Do you think local trails are safe? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state auditor gave Cooper County a “poor” rating on Wednesday.

A press release and audit report claim the county needs to “do a better job of managing the county’s finances and putting it on a better trajectory by doing more immediate and long-term planning,” Fitzpatrick wrote.

The report claims the County Commission and sheriff’s office “do not monitor credit card limits and limits for some cards are excessive based on their credit use during 2024.”

Credit card bills were not paid on time in 2024 and the county totaled $1,839 in late fees and finance charges.

The report also alleges the county’s accrual system “did not accrue vacation leave at the correct rates” in 2024 for five of 11 employees “who were haphazardly selected for review.”

The release and report claim the General Revenue Fund is in decline and is expected to have an ending balance of $229,198 by the end of the year. It had $1.6 million in general revenue at the end of previous years, the release says. It cites a $1.15 million property purchase for a new sheriff’s office as a major reason for the decline.

It also claims the county’s 911 sales tax was not able to cover the cost of emergency services and that its E-911 fund would have been in the red by more than $250,000 last year if the county didn’t transfer $310,000 from the General Revenue Fund. Another $200,000 transfer is scheduled for this year.

“Given the condition of the GRF, funds may not be available for continued transfers,” the report says. “These transfers from the GRF to the E-911 Fund jeopardize the county’s ability to maintain a sufficient reserve to address budget shortfalls in the event of an economic downturn or other significant financial emergency.”

Another portion of the report claims the county’s clerk “did not accurately calculate the property tax levy reduction amounts or retain sales tax rollback calculations for 2024,” which led to collecting $108,000 “in excess property taxes for 2023 and 2024.”

Cooper County audit resultsDownload

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Camden County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday night shared a more than 47-minute-long video surrounding the response to a call involving a toddler’s drowning.

Iszabella O’Bryan, 2, was found dead on March 3 in the water at the Lake of the Ozarks after she went missing. Previous reporting from the time of the drowning says she was found after an hour in the area of Irontown Road in Roach.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said she was found in Bollinger Creek Cove a short distance from her home, previous reporting says.

The girl’s parents — Justin Haas and Katelee O’Bryan – filed a federal lawsuit last month against the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, juvenile office, Missouri Children’s Division and Department of Social Services.

The parents claimed in court documents that two Camden County detectives “aggressively interrogated” the couple with “hostile and manipulative” tactics “rather than coordinating rescue efforts.”

A summons was issued for the defendants on Sept. 30.

Court documents in previous reporting claimed law enforcement went outside the geographical boundaries allowed by its search warrant by searching more than one property; and that investigators “staged the scene…to manufacture a false impression of criminal endangerment.”

The department refuted the claims in the lawsuit with a press release of its own last week.

The edited video released by the sheriff’s office on Wednesday shows deputies speaking at a residence with the girl’s step dad at the beginning of the video before making their way to a camper to search for the girl. The stepfather allows the deputies into the camper.

The mother of the girl appears around the 25-minute mark of the video and begins answering questions by deputies a few moments later.

The parents and deputies go back to the residence around the 38-minute mark and deputies speak to the children.

Several portions of the video are muted by law enforcement.

“We believe openness is essential when our actions are called into question,” a statement from the Camden County Sheriff’s Office says. “The release of this footage will provide an accurate, first-hand account of how our deputies responded. We hope this transparency helps the community understand the professionalism and urgency shown throughout the search.”

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