COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Tuscumbia access to the Osage River has reopened, according to a Monday press release from Missouri Department of Conservation.
The area closed on Sept. 20 to do stabilization repairs for erosion damage along the riverbank, the release says.
The access was previously managed by the MDC, but is now managed by Tuscumbia, the release says.
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Contractors who are installing Google Fiber will be seen along Stadium Boulevard in Jefferson City this week.
Contractors from Verita Communications will be working along the road between Southwest Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue, according to a Monday press release from Jefferson City. Work will occur 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
The release says no changes to traffic flow will occur, but drivers “are encouraged to use alternate routes and to allow extra time for travel in this area.”
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The Columbia Fire Department on Monday morning used a drone to find a person who was lost and having a medical emergency, according to a press release.
Firefighters were called at 5:16 a.m. to Quail Drive near Bass Pro Shop after a person “suffering a significant medical emergency” called 911 for help. The release says the emergency “impaired the victim’s cognition and awareness.”
First responders tried walking into the woods, but “the dark and dense wooded area made the search arduous and time-consuming,” the release says.
CFD then used a drone and found the injured person and took them to a hospital, according to the release.
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The Jefferson City Council on Monday night unanimously passed its budget for fiscal year 2027.
The fiscal year for the city begins Nov. 1 and ends Oct. 31. The total budget is $88,573,996. with the General Fund expected to be $45,542,623 per city documents.
City information and previous reporting show it’s an increase from last year’s budget.
Some highlights include a 2.5% raise for employees covered by the FOP or IAFF contracts and Fire Command Staff and a 2% increase for other employees. There will be a 6% increase in health insurance costs and 5% increase in dental insurance costs.
Public safety is seeing funding for 10 more police vehicle leases, body-worn cameras for police and “Funding for professional services related to Police and Fire union negotiations,” city information says.
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The cause and origin of a Sunday night fire at a mobile home in the 1500 block of Vandiver Drive is still under investigation, according to a Monday evening press release from the Columbia Fire Department.
The release says crews were called at 8:33 p.m. No injuries were reported.
After firefighters went into the mobile home, a smoke explosion occurred, the release says.
“A smoke explosion is when unburned fuel particles and gases (smoke) mix with air and meet an ignition source,” the release says. “Smoke explosions are often controlled with ventilation and flow-path management in residential occupancies; however, when the structure is compartmentalized, it can be more difficult to control.”
A crime scene investigator truck was on the scene around 10:15 p.m., according to previous reporting.
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A cyclist was injured after a vehicle overturned on them Saturday night on East Business Loop 70 and Bowling Street, according to a Monday evening press release from the Columbia Fire Department.
The release says firefighters were called at 7:36 p.m. Saturday after learning a bicycle rider was trapped underneath a vehicle.
Firefighters saw a rolled-over vehicle sitting on its roof with someone trapped underneath. Crews were able to lift the vehicle within about 25 minutes, the release says.
The patient was safely removed and taken to a trauma center, the release says.
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A 7-year-old boy from Versailles was seriously injured Monday morning in a crash on North Mt. Zion Road in Morgan County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The report says a 15-year-old boy rode a tractor northbound and the 7-year-old – who was riding a bicycle – tried to “overtake” the tractor.
The tractor then went into a ditch, came back to the road and crashed into its own towed units, according to the report. The towed unit then hit the 7-year-old and his bicycle, the report says.
The 7-year-old boy was flown to University Hospital. He was not wearing a helmet. The tractor had no reported damage.
MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.
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A homicide investigation is underway in Kingdom City.
Maj. Curtis Hall with the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday that an arrest was made in connection with the investigation.
Jonathan G. Houston, 44, was booked into the Callaway County Jail on Sunday night on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping. Callaway County Prosecutor Sandra Colhour confirmed to ABC 17 News on Monday afternoon that those same charges were filed against Houston.
Court documents describe Houston as a former probation and parole officer and former corrections officer.
A social media post from the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office says a 911 call was made at 10:27 a.m. Sunday to the Baymont Inn and Suites in Kingdom City.
The probable cause statement says a girl called dispatchers at 10:27 a.m. Sunday by a female who was whispering and claimed she needed help after her father “captured them and siblings for five years.”
When deputies arrived and met with Houston, he allegedly allowed authorities to search his room at the hotel. One of the victims made a “hand signal” to deputies indicating they wanted to speak, court documents say.
That victim claimed Houston killed their mother in late 2025. Another one of the children allegedly told law enforcement that Houston told them of a plan to kill their mother the day before he did it, court documents say. That child told deputies they saw Houston kill the mother, the statement says.
That victim told deputies that Houston then wrapped the woman in “exercise bands,” put her in a trash bag and tossed her out in a dumpster at the hotel, according to the probable cause statement.
Houston allegedly admitted to authorities that he killed his wife of 17 years because he was “worried that he was going to lose his kids,” court documents say. He admitted to the attack, telling the children his plan before and then using a dolly to transport the body to a dumpster, the statement says.
Houston also allegedly stated that during the assault, he told one of the children to cover the woman’s mouth and had another youth pour hot water on the woman’s legs, the statement says. He then allegedly told them to play music from “KPop Demon Hunters” very loud to cover the sound.
Hall confirmed an arrest was made Sunday in the case after a 911 call, and the sheriff’s office was awaiting the filing of charges Monday morning.
Seven children were found with Houston when deputies arrested him. The sheriff’s office says “, deputies developed information indicating that a woman had been killed approximately 10 months earlier at the hotel.”
No charges were publicly visible in the CaseNet online court record system. Officials have not confirmed the name of the victim.
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Saline County authorities captured a kangaroo on Sunday after it escaped a petting zoo the day before at the Saline County Fairgrounds, according to a Monday press release from the Marshall Police Department.
The release says on Saturday, a child walked out of the kangaroo enclosure and the gate was accidentally left “unsecured” and the animal escaped.
A resident saw the kangaroo on Sunday and contacted police. MPD, an animal control officer and “another citizen with prior experience raising and handling exotic animals” safely captured the kangaroo, the release says.
The kangaroo was brought back to its owner in Warrensburg, the release says.
“The Marshall Police Department would like to thank the citizen who located the kangaroo and remained in the area until authorities arrived, as well as the citizen with experience handling exotic animals who assisted officers and Animal Control personnel at the scene,” the release says. “Their assistance and cooperation helped bring this unusual situation to a safe conclusion.”
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A woman on Monday afternoon pleaded guilty to helping kill a child in Benton County.
Kourtney Aumen, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault. She will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21.
The hearing appeared suddenly on the CaseNet court records website Monday morning ahead of Aumen’s trial, which was set to begin on Oct. 26.
Aumen was previously charged with first-degree murder, assault, armed criminal action, child abuse and child endangerment. Deputies in Benton County say Aumen influenced three other adults to abuse two children at a rural property. One of the children, 4-year-old Jessica Mast, died in December 2021, according to law enforcement, after the adults forced her into a pond outside.
Deputies say they also found several bruises on Jessica and another young boy.
Court documents in the case claim the parents of the children, James and Mary Mast, told them Aumen and their neighbor, Ethan Mast, put them through the abuse to rid them of a “demon.” James, Mary and Ethan Mast have all taken plea deals in the case.
Aumen is currently being held at the Benton County Jail.
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