Author: KMIZ

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The office of Attorney General Catherine Hanaway received a win Wednesday in the battle over gaming machines after a Cole County judge dropped a lawsuit against them. However, the group suing the office is ready to refile.

The suit was filed by the Missouri Licensing Advocacy Group at the end of June, with the group asking the judge for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to pause seizures of machines until a definition of gambling machines is determined.

Currently, during Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control inspections, any convenience store proprietor who operates a gaming machine is at risk of losing their liquor license. The ATC also considers “no chance gaming” or “gray” machines which pre-reveal the next outcome to the user free of charge against the law.

Missouri Licensing Advocacy Group argued that the state cannot make a blanket definition of what makes a gaming machine illegal, since gray machines often operate with different payouts and algorithms compared to a random number generator. They add that even the General Assembly had difficulty creating a definition for “gaming machines.”

“If the State’s position is that every machine with an electronic screen, customer payment, amusement value, and possible prize is automatically an illegal gambling device, then the State’s theory sweeps far beyond the machines now being targeted,” according to the lawsuit.

MOLAG’s goal was not for a judge to determine which gaming machines are or are not illegal, but instead to give all possible license violations due process.

“You’re the judge, you’re the jury, you’re the executioner, that’s another thing that we are fighting right here is that posture,” Samuel Trapp with MOLAG said. “One guy that has the power over your license  says ‘you’re breaking the law, and if you don’t, I’m going to take your license.’ What’s your choice?”

Trapp adds that some businesses who are a part of MOLAG had lost income and even had to shut down locations due to unplugging gaming machines.

“The label is these people are criminals, they’re not criminals, they’re business people and they’ve been in the business of this type of machine for a number of years,” Trapp said.

Ultimately, Judge Richard Green ruled in favor of the state’s motion to drop the case, claiming MOLAG’s argument had no standing since there was no local business owner whose liquor license was threatened or pulled.

“There’s a lot of people afraid to stand up, but if they come through MOLAG, we’re trying to make it where they don’t have to necessarily become a target and give their name, because targeting is real,” Trapp said.

MOLAG’s attorney, Travis Noble, later claimed Green saw the group’s argument, with the group now looking to refile with a key witness who has been affected.

Trapp adds that MOLAG plans to refile this week with several people willing to come forward by name.

The suit follows a sweep of lawsuits filed by the Attorney General’s office in February and March.

“Businesses that allow illegal gambling to operate under their roofs are making a deliberate choice to put profit over public safety,” Hanaway said in March. “My Office is committed to dismantling illegal gaming operations, ensuring they have no place in our communities. We will enforce the law and protect our neighborhoods in every county.”

At least two Mid-Missouri convenience store owners — Anthony Gier of Eldon and Keith Winscott of Ashland — have been charged criminally after video gambling machines were seized from their stores.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Video obtained by ABC News shows what happened when a deck on a Huntsville apartment building collapsed last month, sending eight U.S. Marshals and county deputies plummeting to the ground.

Seven law enforcement officers were hurt in the fall, including four deputy U.S. Marshals. None of the injuries were life-threatening.

The team was serving an arrest warrant at a second-floor apartment when the walkway collapsed.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Constitution does not allow citizens to challenge congressional maps approved by legislators through a ballot measure, a Cole County judge ruled Wednesday.

That won’t stop People Not Politicians, the group backing the referendum to get the 2025 congressional map on the November ballot. Executive Director Richard von Glahn said he plans to file an appeal.

“Everyone knows Cole County is not where this is decided. I appreciate that Judge Green moved it along swiftly,” von Glahn said over text with ABC 17 News.

People Not Politicians went head-to-head with Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and an attorney representing the Republican National Committee in a Cole County courtroom Wednesday to determine whether a referendum challenging the 2025 congressional map can go on the November ballot.

Judge Daniel Green ruled for Hoskins and the Republicans a few hours later.

The state argued that state and federal law prohibits a referendum on a map, it’s too late to change the districts voters are tied to for the November election and that Missouri lawmakers were within their rights to redistrict mid-decade.

“Plaintiff Richard von Glahn’s Petition is, frankly, crazy,” the Missouri Attorney General’s Office stated in a pretrial filing. “Von Glahn says he cares about democracy. But then, his Petition alleges that approximately 3.3% of Missouri voters can temporarily repeal a duly enacted congressional map — even before the People vote.”

In court, Solicitor General Louis Capozzi argued that changing the districts after millions of Missourians voted in the August primary could be chaotic and confusing for voters. Especially when voters selected candidates using the 2025 map.

If the referendum is certified, it would have required the state to use the 2022 congressional districts until voters can weigh in on it. Capozzi argued that could open more cases where people try to overturn or freeze congressional districts.

“Every time Missouri redistricts, the minority political party will easily be able to freeze the redistricting map and force the state to temporarily use the old map,” Capozzi said.

Richard von Glahn is the executive director of People Not Politicians, the group that has backed the referendum on the 2025 congressional map since the special session on redistricting last fall. The Missouri General Assembly’s Republican supermajority passed the map at the urging of the Trump administration, seeking to flip the Fifth District held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver in Kansas City.

The group is asking Cole County Judge Daniel Green to overturn the secretary of state’s rejection of their referendum. They’re also hoping for a speedy trial Wednesday, and with any appeals following, because the last day to add anything to the November ballot is Sept. 8.

In court Wednesday, their attorney Chuck Hatfield argued Missouri law allows a referendum on any act of the legislature, and House Bill 1, the law establishing the new map, calls it so.

“I don’t know how we can say that the Missouri Constitution doesn’t authorize a referendum on this act of the General Assembly,” Hatfield said.

The Republican National Committee, along with two other Republican political action committees, has also joined the battle, siding with Hoskins.

The trial was supposed to happen Tuesday, but it was pushed to Wednesday at 10 a.m. to allow the attorney representing the Republican PACs, John Gore, to come out from Washington, D.C., to make the trial.

Because the deadline to add anything to the November ballot is fast approaching, Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent Powell has asked Green to ensure he delivers a speedy trial. Powell expects this lawsuit to end up in the high court.

The state and Republican groups have made it a point to argue that the clock is ticking, and any changes to the November ballot or maps could be confusing to voters.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Fire Department responded to an apartment complex Wednesday morning after a dryer caught fire.

Fire crews were called to the Grindstone Apartments in the 3100 block of Old Highway 63 just after Midnight Wednesday.

Columbia Fire Shift Commander Shawn Noordsy told ABC 17 News that an appliance dryer caught fire and was extinguished within 20 minutes. Residents were evacuated and there were no injuries.

ABC 17 News crews saw four CFD fire trucks and EMS on scene, along with heavy smoke coming from the apartment.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia is looking to expand designated rideshare and taxi zones downtown in an effort to reduce traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety, according to the city.

The proposed ordinance would expand the amount of dedicated curb space downtown while giving rideshare drivers and customers more clearly defined locations for pickups and drop-offs.

Under the proposed ordinance, the city would:

Increase designated taxi and rideshare spaces from 34 to 66.

Start operating the zones at 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m.

Include food and package delivery drivers.

Limit loading and unloading to 15 minutes.

Allow emergency-services parking to be designated in the areas while the ordinance is in effect.

The proposed zones would operate from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

According to the city, the proposed rideshare zones would include several locations throughout downtown:

East Walnut Street: About eight spaces.

East Broadway: About six spaces in front of FieldHouse, seven in front of Pickleman’s, six in front of India’s House, and six in front of Wynsome.

Cherry Street: The entire block in front of Pizza Tree would be dedicated to rideshare pickups and drop-offs.

North Ninth Street: About eight spaces.

South 10th Street: About eight spaces.

The Columbia Police Department began looking at the issue in Aug. 2025 after noticing an increase in traffic violations and congestion involving rideshare drivers and customers during overnight hours.

Police said part of the problem was a lack of designated areas for rideshare pickups and drop-offs.

The Akerson sisters use rideshare services about twice a week to get downtown. They said they’ve experienced some of those challenges firsthand.

“Sometimes, like, it can be in the middle of the street when there’s no parking,” Ruby Akerson, a rideshare rider, said. “Then they try to drop you off on the street. That can be a safety concern with other cars around and stuff not being able to pull over to the side.”

Akerson said expanding the designated areas could make rideshare pickups and drop-offs safer and easier.

“I think it’s definitely a good idea,” Akerson said. “Just like they have places to park, and it’s easier for pickup and drop-off for them because so many people are using it. So expanding it would be more beneficial to the people.”

Last fall, the city tested out five additional rideshare locations in an effort to help keep traffic moving.

The city said they tested potential solutions during two Mizzou football weekends last fall.

In Sept. 2025, the city temporarily blocked off metered parking to create a rideshare pull-off area. In October, officials again restricted metered parking and worked with Uber and Lyft to test designated pickup and drop-off locations.

During the October pilot, Uber and Lyft directed customers to the designated locations through their smartphone apps.

According to the police department, both pilot programs resulted in a significant reduction in traffic violations and an overall improvement in pedestrian safety.

Officials also gathered feedback from rideshare drivers and customers. Police said the response was positive, with drivers reporting that the designated pickup and drop-off areas made it safer and easier to serve customers.

However, ABC 17 spoke with rideshare drivers who said navigating the area during that time was still difficult.

Police said the earlier start time reflects a change in how people use rideshare services. Officials said rideshare trips are increasingly being used to arrive downtown earlier in the evening, rather than primarily leaving downtown at the end of the night.

The earlier hours would also give police an opportunity to address parking violations sooner.

The Community Improvement District previously provided positive feedback on an earlier version of the ordinance, and a majority of the CID supports updating the current rules.

Police said the proposed changes are based on observations from officers, feedback from the pilot programs and heat-map data provided by Uber and Lyft.

One rideshare driver told officials that drivers primarily need clearer direction on how to operate downtown.

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Melissa Houston

As Columbia Public Schools begin class on August 25, the Missouri Highway Patrol is warning motorists and parents to prepare their students for road safety as student drivers return to morning commutes.

According to a press release from MSHP, the state had 834 traffic crashes involving a school bus in 2024. Of those crashes, seven people were killed and 345 were injured.

MSHP’s Troop F Sergeant Kyle Green said the buses themselves are generally not the source of road dangers, but rather the drivers and pedestrians around them.

“The buses themselves really don’t, are not dangerous,” Green said. “It’s just the fact that people are not paying attention around them.”

Green said that most crashes occur when distracted drivers hit stopped buses or fail to stop when children run into traffic near bus stops. He is advising drivers to leave earlier, reduce speeds in rural areas where buses may be stopped past hills or curves, and follow state laws requiring cars to stop for buses picking up or dropping off passengers.

A 2025 report done by ConsumerAffairs ranked Missouri as the fourth-worst in the nation for teen drivers, reporting a teen driver fatality rate of 22.9 per 100,000. This is nearly double the national average. This report also ranks Missouri as the second-worst in the nation for fatal crashes involving teens speeding.

Green said that with inexperienced teen drivers on the roads, parents should speak with their students about the dangers of the roadway and be vigilant during morning and afternoon school commutes.

“Often kids don’t understand some of these things and they don’t understand the severity of the consequences, if they make a mistake,” Green said. “The parents really need to spend time to make sure that these children, whether they’re younger kids or even a little bit older, are paying attention to those things.”

Green adds that student drivers may also need time to adjust to the new schedule.

“They [students] find themselves in a hurry to get to class and of course, then speed on the way there,” Green said.

Green is asking that parents ensure teenagers get adequate sleep, leave with enough time to avoid rushing, and avoid cell phone distractions while behind the wheel.

“We want to encourage them to make sure all of their attention is focused on the task at hand, which is driving and not trying to make a phone call to their friends or update the social media account or something like that,” Green said.

Columbia parent Erin Innes said that while she is in favor of adding additional safety measures for younger students, her local school buses have taken precautions to ensure the safety of the children in her neighborhood.

“I can agree that the buses should have the seatbelts for kindergarten to maybe third grade,” Innes said. “I live in a trailer park, so when our bus does, they back up in it, or they pull into it, so the kids are getting on the bus in the park and not on the road.”

Green advises all motorists to remain alert in school zones, allow extra travel time during peak pickup and drop-off hours, and follow Missouri’s hands-free driving laws.

“We want, obviously, our kids to get there safely, but they’ve got to know what to do when they approach an intersection,” Green said. “A signal, you know, making sure that the indicator says walk, you know, before they walk, or when it says stop, that they stop.”

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Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) –

The head of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop F is getting a promotion.

The patrol announced Monday morning that Capt. Jason Crites would become a major in the department, and begin leading the Executive Services Bureau. That branch oversees services like records, budget, research and the governor’s security.

Crites started his career with the Missouri State Highway Patrol in 1998, where his first assignment was covering Howard and Cooper counties in Mid-Missouri’s Troop F. Crites then went to his native southeast Missouri in 2001, where he worked until 2015. Crites moved back to Troop F territory before becoming the head of the patrol’s research division in 2020.

Crites then transferred to lead Troop F in September 2022. The troop covers much of Mid-Missouri, including Columbia, Jefferson City and the Lake of the Ozarks.

Troop F spokesperson Sgt. Kyle Green told ABC 17 News that a new Troop F leader had been selected and will start Sept. 1. Green said a news release announcing that decision would come later this month.

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CNN Newsource

By Kara Scannell, CNN

(CNN) — The New York judge overseeing the state murder case against Luigi Mangione has effectively postponed his September trial by giving prosecutors nearly two months to contest defense claims their client will be unlawfully prosecuted under double jeopardy grounds should it proceed.

In an order Monday, Judge Gregory Carro ordered Manhattan prosecutors to respond by October 9 to Mangione’s motion to dismiss the state murder case on double jeopardy and constitutional grounds. He scheduled the next court hearing for December 10.

On Friday, Mangione pleaded guilty to two federal counts of stalking and admitted to fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson. His attorneys immediately filed a motion to dismiss the state case, in which he faces second-degree murder and weapons charges.

The guilty plea came less than one month before jury selection was scheduled to begin in the state trial on September 8. Judge Carro’s order doesn’t explicitly adjourn the trial but it can’t go forward until a decision on the motions is made.

The next court hearing, which may signal when the judge will issue his decision on the motions, is eight days before Mangione will be sentenced on the federal charges.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office said they would continue to litigate the issues around double jeopardy and they remain committed to seeking justice for Thompson’s family.

Carro’s eventual ruling on the constitutional and legal issues could be appealed.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several changes are coming to the “Wildlife Code of Missouri” for this upcoming deer season, the Missouri Department of Conservation announced in a Monday press release.

Among those changes includes reduced antlered buck limits for nonresidents from two to one. The release says nonresident deer hunters in the state have increased nearly 50% in the past 10 years “and there has been an increasing number of resident hunters who have expressed concern about the impacts to land access and their hunting experiences.”

The youth portion of deer season was moved up a week to Oct. 24 and 25 “to help avoid conflicts with Halloween activities at the end of October,” the release says.

Also, the antler-point restriction was removed for the 18 counties who most-recently put it in place, the release says. MDC also removed designation of chronic wasting disease management zones. The CWD portion of firearms season was also removed “to simplify the structure of the season while not significantly affecting deer harvest,” per the release.

The mandatory CWD sampling during the opening weekend of firearms season will become a four-year county rotation, making sampling “be conducted in every county of the state once every four years,” per the release. This season it will be conducted in 28 counties on Nov. 14 and 15.

Placing feed and mineral for deer has been banned in counties close where CWD has been detected, the release says. Additional, the minimum acreage requirement for CWD management permits has increased to 20 continuous acres and the application process has been simplified, according to the release.

The release also says targeted deer removals will not occur after the season ends.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 20-year-old Columbia man is now charged with first-degree assault in addition to other felonies in connection with an incident Aug. 9 in which gunshots were fired in public downtown.

Prosecutors added the charge against Tavan Williams-Patrick on Friday, dropping a fourth-degree assault charge. Williams-Patrick was initially charged Aug. 10, accused of firing shots near Ninth and Walnut streets in downtown Columbia. He is also charged with two counts of armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and illegally firing a gun, a misdemeanor.

A new complaint filed in the case states that Williams-Patrick shot at “Victim 1” in an attempt to kill him or cause serious injury.

According to a probable cause statement, Columbia police officers were working a separate incident near Ninth and Walnut around 1:13 a.m. Aug. 9 when they heard three to four gunshots coming from west of the intersection. The statement says the shots were heard in proximity to several officers.

An officer allegedly saw Williams-Patrick put a gun down on the sidewalk in front of a bar. Other officers also found .40-caliber ammunition in the area.

In 2022, Boone County prosecutors accused Williams-Patrick, who was 16 at the time, and three other teenagers of taking part in a shooting that killed a teen girl on McKee Street. Charges were dropped last year.

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