Author: KMIZ

Olivia Hayes

BUTLER, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Butler Police Department said Monday that North Business 49 at the Butler Memorial Airport will be closed as officials investigate a deadly plane crash from Sunday that killed 12 people.

Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board arrived on Monday. According to the FAA, the plane — which was flown by one pilot and carried 11 skydivers — crashed while leaving the airport just after 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The plane was unable to get visual altitude, made a sharp left turn and crashed about 300 yards from the runway.

At the time of the crash, the FAA was not providing air traffic control services. National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Michael Graham said this is common for smaller airports.

“They probably would not contact center until maybe 3-or 4,000 feet on the climb up to their jump altitude,” Graham said. “We’re not sure at this point if the airport has any recordings of the common traffic frequency or not, but that’s something we will look into.”

“The NTSB analyzes a wide range of evidence as part of an accident investigation,” Graham said. “Beyond just the accident wreckage, including radar video footage, witness statements, audio recordings and more.”

The NTSB reported the plane involved in the crash is not required to have a cockpit voice recorder or “black box.” The NTSB does not yet know if a black box was in the plane. Graham said crews will also collect electronic devices of those on board, such as cellphones or smartwatches, for additional data.

Sunday’s crash has raised questions about the FAA’s standards for skydiving and touring flight companies.

Activity flights companies or “Revenue Passenger-Carrying Operations” are regulated by the FAA’s “Part 91” rules, which are much looser compared to general travel flights.

This includes no requirements for initial or repeated pilot training and inconsistent vehicle maintenance inspections, according to the Robb and Robb law firm in Kansas City, which specializes in aviation accidents. In 2021, the NTSB requested the FAA establish tighter regulations for activity flight companies. However, no changes have been made.

“It’s always frustrating when we see things that maybe the FAA hasn’t acted on with some of our recommendations, and then we continue to see accidents in those arenas,” Graham said.

Gov. Mike Kehoe said on Sunday that members of SEMA’s Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Team were activated to assist. MO MORT-1 is a specialized team with skilled forensics in victim identification that can help local authorities during mass fatality incidents. The Missouri Department of Mental Health Behavioral Health Strike Team also has members deployed for grief counseling and supporting surviving family members.

The wreckage will also be removed on Tuesday and taken to a secure site for further examination.

On May 25, 2024, the airport saw another small airplane crash nearby. A pilot and six passengers on the skydiving flight were able to jump from the plane before the wreck, and no one was killed. The plane was a total loss.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Jefferson City Council on Monday passed two proposed ordinances to crack down on illegal street takeovers and the use of minibikes on public roads.

However, the council voted to amend the street takeover ordinance before it was unanimously approved. 

Under the new ordinance, activities such as burnouts, “donuts,” drag racing, drifting, wheelies, and racing on public streets and parking lots would be prohibited. The ordinance would also make it unlawful to participate in a street takeover event.

‘It becomes dangerous for our citizens. I live out on the west side, so I hear them all night long,” Jefferson City Mayor Ron Fitzwater told ABC 17 News. “We’re in summer weather, and it’s nice at night. It’s staying light a lot longer, and it’s just become a nuisance to our citizens. So on the public safety side, we’ve got to take action.” 

The ordinance defines a street takeover as “the act of disrupting the regular flow of traffic for the purposes of performing, facilitating, or spectating stunt driving.” Stunt driving is defined as operating “a motor vehicle performing a race, a drag race, a burnout, a donut, a wheelie, or drifting.”

As part of the amendment, the city would broaden language in the ordinance by deleting the line: “Except as otherwise permitted by law, no person shall perform stunt driving in connection with a street takeover…”

And replacing it with: “Except as otherwise permitted by law, no person shall: Perform stunt driving.”

Violations would carry minimum fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense, and $400 for a third or subsequent offense, along with additional penalties for repeat offenders. However, the ordinance would not apply to sanctioned events approved by the city or property owners.

According to the Jefferson City Police Department, some of the activity has involved car “clubs” traveling into Jefferson City from outside the area. Officials also noted the ordinance would extend to parking lots because of concerns about vehicles losing control in crowded areas.

The council also voted 8-1 in favor of prohibiting certain two-wheeled motorized vehicles, or minibikes, from operating on city streets. The lone no vote came from Ward 5 Councilwoman Mackenzie Job. 

The ordinance defines minibikes as vehicles not registered for street use, including dirt bikes, pocket bikes, pit bikes, trail bikes and mini motorcycles.

Under the proposal, first-time offenders would face a minimum $75 fine, while subsequent violations would carry a minimum $150 fine. Police would also be authorized to tow or remove minibikes found operating illegally on public streets.

City officials said they have received complaints about minibikes from residents in every ward.

“It just seemed like it’s getting worse and worse. I think the chief and the police department had tried to be cooperative and tried to look at ways to minimize it, but it just continues to grow,” Fitzwater said when asked about minibike use. 

Fitzwater signed both ordinances on Monday night. However, City Administrator Brian Crane said that it will “probably take a few days to be processed through the department.” Fitzwater also added that the city will need a “little bit of time” to educate the police department on how the ordinances will be enforced. 

“It’ll take us a little while to get our police department educated,” Fitzwater said. “It’s tough sometimes to distinguish between those that are going to comply with, or fall under the guidelines, and e-bikes and other things that really fall outside the scope of it.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner line added more railcars on Monday ahead of the first World Cup games in the state.

The Missouri River Runner line runs from St. Louis to Kansas City and includes stops in Hermann, Jefferson City, Sedalia and Warrensburg. The first World Cup game in Kansas City is at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Arrowhead Stadium (which is being referred to as Kansas City Stadium by FIFA).

Missouri Department of Transportation spokesperson Taylor Brune said the state is seeing increased ridership in Jefferson City “on some of the trains corresponding with matches and activities in Kansas City.” The train’s capacity is increased by 25%.

An April press release says the expansion will last until Sunday, July 12.

Business Class tickets for the early train on Tuesday were sold out in Jefferson City, according to AMTRAK’s website.

The World Cup website for Kansas City shows the city’s game schedule is as followed:

8 p.m. Tuesday, June 16: Argentina vs. Algeria

7 p.m. Saturday, June 20: Ecuador vs. Curacao

6 p.m. Thursday, June 25: Tunisia vs. Netherlands

9 p.m. Saturday, June 27: Algeria vs. Austria

8:30 p.m. Friday, July 3: Round of 32 game

8 p.m. Saturday, July 11: Quarterfinal game

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Sutton Parker

COLUMBIA MO. (KMIZ)

After a skydiving pilot and 11 skydivers we killed after their plane crashed after takeoff Sunday in western Missouri, skydiving businesses and pilots across the state are providing there reaction.

Jake Strain, co-owner of Skydive STL, says the accident hits home.

“It is deeply tragic, most things are a lot of time unpreventable. It is super sad because we know a lot of those people that died,” he said.

Additionally he added the most common aircraft used for skydiving across the state are the Cessna 182, a single propeller plane that can carry up to 5 people on skydiving trips.

Strain also said at Skydive STL experiences usually last around two-to-two-and-a-half hours from start to finish. With the customers arriving and completing required paperwork, then going through mandatory safety and emergency procedure trainings, following by instruction on how to skydive properly.

In addition to customer safety, Strain said all planes before takeoff go through a structured pre-flight inspection before leaving the ground.

The crash over the weekend comes two years after another skydiving incident occurred near the same location.

According an NTSB report, in May 2024 a Cessna U206 crashed during a skydiving flight after a jumper’s emergency parachute accidentally deployed after its handle caught on something pulling him into the airplanes horizontal stabilizer causing him serious injuries.

The report says the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft until all of the divers were able to exit, after which the damaged aircraft went into an uncontrolled decent, allowing to pilot to safely escape via parachute before impact. One passenger sustained serious injuries, while the remaining six individuals on board escaped safely, according to the report.

Daniel Southerd, a flight instructor at the Columbia Jet Center, said while the NTSB has not released an official cause of this weekend’s crash, he suspects the plane lost power during its climb, and as the aircraft slowed down, any attempt by the pilot to hold altitude would have dropped the airspeed, causing the fatal crash.

“When you are at a low altitude, stalling like that in a plane that is loaded to bear with skydivers, enough fuel for the flights, and skydiving packs. Once you stall right above the ground there is no recovery from that,” he said.

When it comes to FAA regulations for skydiving, Southerd said there are not many technical differences outside of modifications allowed to the aircraft.

“So you can take the seats out of the aircraft and use the floor as a seat, as long as there is a seatbelt for each skydiver to use,” he said. “And then you have to have an altitude transponder for a flight that is above 10,000 feet.”

While regulations are very similar between regular and skydiving aircraft, the build can be very different.

Southerd said most planes are approved to take off doors or have special jump doors added to them.

“Usually those planes are more stripped down, taking out extra seats. If the plane has wheel pants, they will take the streamline wheel pants off, just to make the plane as light as possible — as empty on the ground as you can — so you can put more equipment and people on it,” he said.

He added that no amount of modifications can prepare a pilot for every emergency, “there is no higher pressure than losing power with a plane full of people a couple hundred feet above the ground.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council on Monday approved a number of items, including the movement of funds.

The council last year authorized a call for bids to build a Municipal Services Center near the intersection of West Nifong Boulevard and Sinclair Road, just south of Mill Creek Elementary School.

Previous reporting shows the master concept plan includes a salt storage building, storage for snowplows and salt distribution equipment, vehicle parking, an office, electric vehicle charging stations and a refueling facility.

Documents for Monday’s meeting say, “The bids have come in and additional funds are needed to complete the work.”

The council will transfer $1.5 million from the Forum Boulevard Project to this project.

Street closures for new park

The council also unanimously approved closing a number of downtown sidewalks and lanes as crews work to build a new park at a former superfund site.

A sidewalk and parking lanes along Orr Street, St. James Street, Ash Street and Park Avenue will need to be closed through Nov. 27, council documents say.

The empty lot at Orr Street and Park Avenue used to be owned by Ameren. Previous reporting from 2023 says the site was determined to be a contaminated Superfund site and was cleaned up starting in 2014.

New radio system for police, fire, airport

The council will also approved an agreement with Boone County Joint Communications for its emergency services to partake in a radio upgrade.

Meeting documents say it is part of the county’s upgrade from “the legacy VHF radio system to a countywide interoperable 800 MHz Project 25 (P25) Phase 2 radio system.”

The Columbia Police Department will get 237 portable radio and 119 mobile radios. Meeting documents say that value of the equipment is around $2.5 million.

The Columbia Fire Department will receive 71 portable radios, 55 mobile radios, and 32 pagers valued around $1.28 million.

Columbia Regional Airport will get eight portable radios, four mobile radios and two pagers valued at $106,140.72

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man who pleaded guilty in April to first-degree child molestation was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, Cole County Prosecuting Attorney Locke Thompson announced in an afternoon press release.

Gary Owens, 60, was originally charged in 2024 with two counts of first-degree child molestation, first-degree sodomy, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and incest. 

The release says Owens’ attorney asked for the minimum sentence of 10 years, but Judge Cotton Walker imposed the maximum sentence.

Court documents in previous reporting say the victim told law enforcement that they had been abused by Owens for at least four years.

Owens confessed to authorities when he was confronted, but claimed he “only” did it once before admitting to more assaults, previous reporting shows.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Osage Beach announced in a Monday press release that it is canceling its Independence Day parade.

“This decision was made after feedback from the affected businesses and careful consideration of potential impact during this busy weekend in our community,” the release says.

Other festivities for the Heart of the Lake FreedomFest will still occur, the release says. A festival will occur from 3-9 p.m. July 4 at Osage Beach City Park and will include bounce houses, a hot dog eating contest, beer garden, live music and more, according to information on the city’s website.

A fireworks display is scheduled for 9 p.m.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

EDITOR’S NOTE: The victim’s name has been corrected.

Prosecutors have filed two new charges against two suspects in the death of a Moberly teenager whose remains were found in a conservation area last month.

Christopher Hull, 23, and Hunter Ames, 19, both of Moberly, were charged Friday with first-degree property damage and first-degree burglary for allegedly pouring oil or antifreeze into Kayla Huff’s gas tank the night of her death, according to court documents.

The two were already charged with kidnapping and evidence tampering, and Ames is charged with first-degree murder. Alayna Mason is also charged with first-degree murder, while Julian Mason has been charged with kidnapping and evidence tampering.

A juvenile has also been charged in the case.

Huff was last seen May 6 before her body was found about a week later.

Ames and Alayna Mason allegedly told police that the group killed Huff by shooting her.

Hull had a hearing Monday afternoon, and Ames has a hearing set for July 23.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man was charged on Monday after authorities claim he forced himself on a woman he walked home on Saturday night.

Nathan Huff, 43, was charged in Cole County with first-degree burglary, first-degree sexual abuse and third-degree assault. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A mugshot was not available on the jail roster.

Court filings show an attempt at holding an arraignment occurred on Monday but were “unable to complete initial appearance because of defendant repeated interruptions.” The arraignment was rescheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, June 22.

The probable cause statement says Huff walked the victim home on Saturday night and she allowed him to go into her home to use the restroom. Huff then allegedly started assaulting the victim and repeatedly tried removing her clothing, despite the victim telling him to stop and to leave, court documents say. Huff also allegedly threw the victim into a bathroom mirror, the statement says.

Police noted in the probable cause statement that, “The defendant was placed into custody and taken to the Jefferson City Police Department for an interview. The defendant was uncooperative and became agitated, and was unable to conduct the interview.”

Police also noted the victim had bruising on her neck and arm when she spoke with authorities.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man was charged with four felonies on Monday after he allegedly admitted to shooting his girlfriend during an argument on Saturday.

Jerome Malone, 60, was charged in Cole County with first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and illegal gun possession. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond.

An arraignment was held on Monday and Malone pleaded not guilty by video from the jail. Malone stated he wanted to hire private counsel for the case during the arraignment, court filings on Monday show. A counsel status hearing will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday and a preliminary hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 14.

The probable cause statement says Malone called first responders at 11:26 a.m. Saturday and stated he shot his girlfriend.

Malone allegedly told police that the victim was upset “with him regarding his relationship with other women,” the statement says. He allegedly told police that the victim pushed him, which caused his hand to get caught in an “already broken windowpane,” the statement says.

He then allegedly went to a different room, found a gun and then went back to shoot the victim, court documents allege. Police wrote that Malone appeared to be intoxicated and he admitted to drinking alcohol before the shooting, the statement says.

The victim allegedly told police that she did not push Malone and that he “was upset about her relationship with other men,” the statement says.

Police wrote that they found a gun, the bullet and a broken windowpane covered in blood, the statement says. The victim was brought to University Hospital for the gunshot wound, the statement says.

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