Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was accused of having a gun on Hickman High School’s property on Sept. 4.

Sanji Ellis, born in 2007, was charged on Friday with carrying a loaded weapon onto school premises. He was detained that day and posted a $1,500 bond on Sept. 8. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The probable cause statemtn says a police officer saw a 2013 Honda CR-V with a broken taillight and no rear window leaving Hickman High School at 10:25 p.m. after a football game.

The officer pulled over the vehicle near the Waffle House on Vandiver Drive, recognized Ellis as the passenger and claimed that he knew he regularly carried a gun, the statement says.

The officer asked Ellis to get out of the vehicle and the officer allegedly found a handgun with a loaded magazine, court documents say.

Multiple incidents of guns being found on district property occurred in September. The first of which was a gun being found in a student’s vehicle on Sept. 16 at Rock Bridge High School, and a Hickman student was found with a gun in their backpack on Sept. 28.

ABC 17 News reached out to Columbia Public Schools on Friday afternoon.

Click here to follow the original article.

Stephi Smith

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bridge that has been closed to vehicles since 2018 could reopen as Jefferson City seeks state funding to replace it and improve access to Washington Park.

The Jefferson City Council will vote Monday on a grant application to replace the Ohio Street bridge.

The bridge, which crosses Wears Creek to South Boulevard, closed to vehicles in 2018 after the Missouri Department of Transportation conducted a structural inspection. It remains open to pedestrians.

Replacing the bridge would cost about $845,000, per city documents. A state grant focused on smaller municipal bridges that could cover up to 80% of the project, or about $676,000.

The city would be responsible for the remaining cost. City spokeswoman Molly Bryan said most of the city’s share would come from sales tax revenue.

The High Street viaduct, which spans Missouri Boulevard and also needs to be replaced, is not eligible for the grant, Bryan said.

In 2024, the city added eight pickleball courts to Washington Park at 805 Ohio St. The city also put up concession stands for evening visitors earlier this year.

The parks department is also planning a proposed $4 million inclusive playground that would replace the tennis courts behind the ice arena at Washington Park. The parks department is also planning a new entrance sign for Washington Park off Missouri Boulevard and upgrades to the ice arena’s HVAC system.

“Due to all the redevelopment and investment that JC Parks has been putting into that Washington Park area, we thought this would be a good opportunity to put our hat in the ring to get some funding,” Bryan said.

Bryan said replacing the bridge also would benefit emergency responders. To access the pickleball courts from Missouri Boulevard, Bryan said a vehicle must take another street, which delays how fast an emergency responder could reach the scene.

“When seconds could matter, you want to make sure you have that one-way access down to those pickleball courts,” Bryan said.

Lyric Phelps frequently visits the Washington Park pickleball courts. He said he often stops at Will West Music and Sound on Missouri Boulevard before playing pickleball.

If the Ohio Street bridge were open to vehicles, Phelps said he could drive directly from the music store to the courts. Instead, he must turn left onto Missouri Boulevard and then turn left again onto Michigan Street or Kansas Street.

“I have to go all the way through the Boulevard and then back around to come play pickleball. It’d just make it a lot easier,” Phelps said of possibly reopening the Ohio Street bridge.

If the city receives the grant funding, Bryan said the project would likely begin in 2027.

Click here to follow the original article.

Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County and Columbia’s animal control partnership with the Central Missouri Humane Society is coming to an end.

The city and county announced a plan last month to buy the former site of Columbia Animal Hospital at 1300 East Boone Industrial Dr. The Columbia Animal Hospital closed in March.

Public Health and Human Services would use the space for an animal shelter for the city and county’s animal control services. Animals that are currently in animal control’s custody are housed at the Central Missouri Humane Society.

A CMHS representative told ABC 17 News on Friday that the move will bring the partnership to an end.

According to Michelle Casey, the Associate Director of CMHS, animal control and CMHS have worked together for years, but with their new purchase, it would not be a sustainable decision to continue working with animal control.

“They asked if we would be willing to provide animal care services in a new facility,” Casey said. “After careful consideration by our board, we determined that it’s not operationally or financially sustainable for CMHS to be operating and staffing two separate locations.”

The property on 1300 Boone Industrial costs $995,000. In a council meeting on Sept. 21, the proposal was for the City of Columbia to pay $595,000 and Boone County to pay $400,000. But for documents set for a meeting on October 5, the city will now be taking the full total out of reserves, and Boone County will contribute $400,000 at a later date.

CMHS is also building a new facility of its own. Casey said CMHS was unaware that PHHS was looking into buying a new shelter and was only informed of the purchase on Sept. 11. She said this new shelter brings up a lot of questions.

“What happens to the animals after their stray build? Who’ll be responsible for animal care?,” Casey said. “I’m curious to learn more, especially about how veterinary care would be provided and who’s going to be responsible for the animals at that facility.”

Casey claims PHHS has provided little information to CMHS about plans, operations and time frame for the shelter they are wanting to purchase/open.

“I don’t really have any details about their plans if the purchase does go through for this facility. I don’t know what their operating model would look like. I don’t know who would be providing services,” Casey said.

ABC 17 reached out to the city, animal control and county commission. The council will meet on Monday to discuss the PHHS proposal.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One person was treated for smoke inhalation and a firefighter was shocked by electricity on Thursday night after a house caught fire in the 1200 block of Rainbow Road in Boonville, according to a Friday social media post from the Boonville Fire Department.

Crews were called at 8:27 p.m. and saw “heavy smoke pushing from the residence” and downed power lines in the backyard after a tree branch fell, the post says.

A fire was found in the kitchen and was quickly put out, the post says.

“Fire suppression and overhaul operations were complicated by electrical lines that had fallen onto the residence, creating a dangerous electrical hazard and the potential for electrical back feed into the structure. During operations, one firefighter received an electrical shock and was evaluated on scene,” according to the post.

Ameren crews eventually removed the line. Crews were on scene for about four hours and the fire was determined to be caused by an electrical issue, the post says.

Two people were displaced and the Red Cross is assisting those affected, the post says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Webster County judge has denied a Benton County woman’s request to waive her right to a jury trial in a Benton County murder case.

Kourtney Aumen is charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, child endangerment and assault of 4-year-old Jessica Mast in December 2020.

Aumen waived her right to a jury trial on Sept. 23. Judge M. Brandon Baker did not accept this order, according to an order filed Wednesday.

The judge wrote in his order that he was not accepting the waiver due to the seriousness of the charges against Aumen.

Aumen was one of four people arrested in connection with the girl’s death. Jessica’s parents, James and Mary Mast, have entered guilty pleas but have not been sentenced, according to online records.

Ethan Mast pleaded guilty in 2022 to second-degree murder and assault. His defense team blamed Aumen for leading the abuse, claiming she wanted to keep a “demon” from possessing the girl.

A pre-trial conference hearing is set for Thursday for Aumen. Her jury trial is scheduled to start on October 26 and last five days.

Click here to follow the original article.

Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia mother whose son was robbed and shot to death in 2025 is calling for more home outreach in schools and better policing, after a new report identified the need for community intervention and collaboration.

Faith Mejia lost her son Zarian Simpson in June 2025 after he was pistol-whipped and robbed in downtown Columbia and was later shot to death by his attackers.

Three teenagers and 34-year-old Steven Paden are accused in Simpson’s death. Rodney Moore Jr., 16, was certified and charged as an adult in February. Both are charged in Boone County with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and second-degree murder. They remain jailed without bond.

Video footage from a business showed four people robbing Simpson at gun point in the 900 block of East Broadway, court documents say.

Court documents in Paden’s case says Simpson called Boone County Joint Communications at 7:50 p.m. June 15, 2025, saying he was hit in the face with a gun and his bag was stolen. Simpson allegedly told EMS he was following the suspects while he was in his vehicle. Dispatchers heard shots ring out during the call and Simpson stopped responding, the probable cause statement says.

Mejia said many issues with the teens leading up to her son’s death started at school.

“We don’t have a conflict mediation program in Columbia Public Schools and I think we really need it,” Mejia said.

She thinks more can be done to carry resources over into the homes of students.

“There’s too much focus on chastising kids and not enough focus on the root problem of what’s going on,” Mejia said. “Homeschool communicators, I think that they their job could go a little bit deeper, maybe helping parents with resources.”

Mejia said she also sees accountability missing from parents.

“You’ve got too many parents who are just trying to be their kid’s friend,” Mejia said. “I referred two of my kids to the juvenile office and it hurt, but when we came out of that, we came out on top. I had a kid who was determined to graduate and get a job and make as much money as he could to reach those goals.”

She also claims there is not enough youth-friendly activities in the community that could help them stay out of trouble.

“The fun thing to do is to go to so-and-so’s house whose parents aren’t home, or have so-and-so pick me up who’s illegally driving their parents car just because they know how to drive,” Mejia said. “I think Columbia needs something free or low income for these kids to do.”

Mejia also called for more police training on building better relationships with local youth.

“A lot of these kids don’t even trust the police,” Mejia said. “They just need better training, and they’re horribly outnumbered eight times out of ten.”

Mejia suggested local police utilize other partner agencies to fill in the gaps that staffing shortages have caused until employment numbers balance out.

Moore’s next hearing is 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. A hearing for Paden is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 and a jury trial is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15.

Click here to follow the original article.

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

While the deadline for Missouri drivers to file for a refund on the state’s gas tax increase has come and gone, the Missouri Department of Revenue is still processing claims.

Since the program began, millions of dollars have been returned to drivers, but thousands of fraudulent claims have also been flagged by the state.

In 2021, the Missouri General Assembly approved Senate Bill 262, which began an incremental increase on the motor fuel tax. The rate increased by a total of 12.5 cents per gallon over five years, with the final 2.5-cent increase taking effect in July 2025. The current 29.5-cent-per-gallon rate is the final rate under the five-year increase.

Under the law, drivers can claim a refund for the increased portion of the tax by submitting receipts to the Missouri Department of Revenue. The program is available for gas purchased in Missouri, including purchases made by people who live outside the state. Qualifying fuel does not have to be purchased for a car; gas bought for other eligible uses including lawnmowers can qualify.

Since the first refunds were issued in 2022, the state has sent out roughly $4.8 million in refunds. 

The number of refund requests has fluctuated from year-to-year. The state received 15,562 requests in 2022 before that number fell to 10,820 in 2023. Requests increased to 13,527 in 2024, then jumped to a program-high 17,119 in 2025.

Of the 17,119 that filed, more than 12,000 people received refunds last year, with the average refund totaling $162.74. That was up from an average of $132.42 the year before.

Trish Vincent, director of the Missouri Department of Revenue, said the number of people who take advantage of the program can be difficult to predict because drivers do not always keep their receipts.

“When you go in to get gas, a lot of people, they don’t hang on to the receipts. They don’t accumulate them, all those things,” Vincent said. “It’s hard to imagine what the numbers are going to be this year. But I bet we break the $2 million mark.”

In total, the Department of Revenue sent out about $2.057 million in refunds in 2025.

But not every request is approved.

In 2025, the Department of Revenue identified 4,149 fraudulent refund claims, resulting in roughly $3 million in claims being denied, according to the agency. That compares with about $3.3 million in denied claims in 2024.

Vincent said the department continually updates its fraud-detection systems as technology changes.

“I hate to say that, but there’s a lot of fraud in tax, not just this tax, but every tax,” Vincent said. “I mean, we’ve already stopped in the income tax for this year, about $47 million in fraud. So, unfortunately, people don’t do what they should do all the time and they’re not following the law.”

The DOR also relies on experienced employees to flag claims that do not appear legitimate. 

“It’s a shame that we have to we just couldn’t say, ‘OK, everybody’s honest and they’re going to do what they’re supposed to do,’ but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way,” Vincent told ABC 17 News. “We work with a company that works with other states. What’s happening here can be happening in another state, so we learn from everybody else and it is a moving target all the time. So we have to stay on our toes and our vendor helps us do that. Then, we have people down in tax that have been there for 30 years, so they know when they see something that doesn’t look quite right and we look into it, make sure that it’s legit.” 

Where the money goes

While some drivers are getting a portion of the increased tax back, the motor fuel tax remains one of Missouri’s largest sources of user-fee revenue for transportation, with most of the money going toward state-maintained roads and bridges.

According to MoDOT, Missouri has collected more than $2.5 billion in motor fuel tax revenue since the 2021 increase, including $786.5 million in 2025. 

MoDOT is responsible for more than 33,000 lane miles of roadway and 10,400 bridges across Missouri. The agency said motor fuel tax revenue helps fund more than $720 million in maintenance work across the state, including pothole repairs, snow removal and road striping.

It also supports Missouri’s five-year transportation construction plan, which includes more than $9 billion in planned road and bridge projects. That includes $187 million in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program for the Rocheport-to-Columbia and Columbia-to-Kingdom City portions of the Improve I-70 project.

MoDOT said the state motor-fuel tax accounts for nearly half of all user-fee revenue used for transportation. Missouri has the seventh-largest highway system in the country, according to MoDOT. But when measured by revenue per mile, the state ranks 47th nationally.

For drivers who have used the refund program, Vincent said whether to claim the money ultimately comes down to the individual taxpayer.

“This is the eye of the beholder. If you want to get a refund, you can,” Vincent said. “I know of people that did it the first year, but they haven’t done it since. So why? I don’t know. It’s again, it’s up to the taxpayer if they want to take advantage of it.”

Missouri’s gas tax is scheduled to stop increasing after the 2026 increase.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A crash shut down both lanes of traffic on Range Line Street in northern Columbia on Thursday night.

A crash notification was sent from Boone County Joint Communications at 7:04 p.m. about a crash at the intersection with Elleta Boulevard.

Rain had been steadily falling for most of the day in Columbia, with the National Weather Service issuing a flood warning for the Missouri River that included Boone, Cooper, Howard and Moniteau counties.

A tow truck was on the scene at 7:35 p.m. At least one car was in a ditch and another crashed vehicle was in the roadway.

The northbound lane opened for traffic at 7:44 p.m. and the southbound lane reopened a minute later.

ABC 17 News is working to learn more information.

Click here to follow the original article.

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia said public safety is a top priority as the University of Missouri’s homecoming parade is set to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.

According to city spokesman Christopher Ave, Columbia police will increase their presence downtown during the parade.

“The Columbia Police Department plans to call in officers on overtime and to shift some officers from other parts of the city to provide expanded staffing downtown this weekend,” Ave wrote in an email.

During last year’s Homecoming weekend, a woman was shot and killed in downtown Columbia. Since then, the city and university have taken several steps aimed at improving safety downtown.

According to the Mizzou Alumni Association, the parade will begin at the intersection of Tiger Avenue and Rollins Street. Participants will travel along Hitt Street, University Avenue, Ninth Street and Broadway before ending at Cherry Street.

This year’s theme is “Celebrating Black and Gold.”

“We are actively preparing for the Homecoming Parade and are working closely with the City of Columbia and Missouri State Highway Patrol to support a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone,” University spokesman Travis Zimpfer said in an email.

The university is also warning attendees and drivers to expect traffic delays during the parade.

Zimpfer said no parade entries were denied this year, and the university will not release the preliminary roster for the groups that will participate Saturday.

Last year, the university was required to release its parade entry list after Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine sued MU President Mun Choi.

According to court documents, 10 organizations were not approved to participate last year. The parade included 28 invited guests, 15 sponsors, 26 community organizations and 43 student organizations. Seven bands also participated, while two groups withdrew their applications.

The university said the 10 denied entries that year were rejected for several reasons, including safety concerns, failing to explain how the entry supported the parade’s theme and missed payment deadlines.

Choi continues to face a legal battle involving MSJP.

The group was removed from last year’s Homecoming parade and later argued that the university violated its First Amendment rights by preventing it from participating.

The university said the decision was based on safety concerns. At the time, officials pointed to disturbances involving Students for Justice in Palestine demonstrations at other colleges across the country.

A federal judge later ordered Mizzou to allow the group to participate in the 2025 Homecoming parade, as long as it followed the university’s updated parade policies.

Last week, both sides presented oral arguments in the case.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is representing MSJP and argues that the university violated the group’s free speech rights.

The university is asking an appeals court to overturn several lower-court decisions, including the ruling that allowed SJP to participate in last year’s parade and the finding that the university violated the group’s First Amendment rights.

Mizzou’s homecoming football game against the Florida Gators will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Click here to follow the original article.

abc17news-Newsroom

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Osage Beach Board of Aldermen is reviewing a bill that would allow the creation of entertainment districts.     

The bill would create procedures to apply for a special license for an entertainment district and set out regulations. Osage Beach Mayor Richard Ross told ABC 17 News that the bill would enable legislation for the Oasis at the Lake of the Ozarks project.     

Regulations would include when and where alcohol can be served. 

The Missouri General Assembly authorized the creation of entertainment districts. People can walk freely with open containers of alcohol in these districts. 

Ross said entertainment districts are a valuable tool to grow the city’s tourism industry.   

The ordinance will be subject to a second reading at a future meeting.

 

Click here to follow the original article.