Author: KMIZ

Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools argues in a new lawsuit that the Missouri State Board of Education violated state law in its approval of a Frontier Schools charter school in April.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, CPS asks the court to throw out the vote and Frontier’s license to operate in Boone County.

The city argues that Frontier failed to notify CPS of the charter school’s plans ahead of its submission to the new school’s sponsor, St. Louis University, and failed to submit its application as being sponsored by SLU to the state Board of Education on time.

CPS also claims the state board did not review applications from Frontier or SLU and instead watched a presentation by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on how Frontier meets state qualifications, which CPS alleges has several factual errors, including that Frontier inaccurately fulfilled application requirements.

“Because they’ve met all the requirements which we have said they’re required to meet, we have no other option but to support this,” Board Member Brooke Smelser said during the meeting, according to court documents.

CPS also argued that an improper vote was used to approve the Frontier school, with the board using a general “All those in favor?” vote instead of an individual roll call. The board also later inaccurately posted in meeting minutes that the vote was unanimous.

CPS vs Missouri charter approval lawsuitDownload

According to prior reporting, Democrat Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge voted against the application.

“They [Board of Education] abdicated their role in reviewing and properly vetting the application and instead delegated that to DESE, which is a violation of state statute,” Waters said.

The Missouri Board of Education has been notified of CPS’ second lawsuit.

Columbia Public Schools was also back in court Tuesday for a hearing in the months-long battle over rules on charter school eligibility.

The fight centers on Senate Bill 727. Passed in 2024, it states that charter schools can operate in counties “between 150,000 and 200,000 inhabitants.” While the bill does not name Boone County, it is the only county in the state that fits this description.

During Tuesday’s arguments, the state argued that Boone County is a good candidate for the public school for several reasons including the the population guidelines. Additionally, there is a large population in the area to staff the school, well-educated parents who are more likely to express an interest in additional school choice and the presence of a doctoral research university.

“Boone County’s unique achievement gaps, its high proportion of college-educated adults, andthe presence of the University of Missouri’s flagship campus. These all make BooneCounty unique as compared to other counties,” the state said in court documents.

They added that counties with populations larger than 200,000 like St. Louis County or Jackson and Clay County already have a variety of public and private schools.

“St. Louis County has both twenty-four separate public-school districts and the highest concentration of private schools in the State, making it reasonably unlikely that charter schools could reach any level of sustained success,” the state said in court documents.

CPS argued the law is unreasonable because charter schools affect individual school districts, not entire counties. They also questioned why the state’s law only focused on population size and not better signifiers like accreditation score or district need. The district also argued that Frontier School’s charter would not address the achievement gap the state cited as a reason for the law.

While Boone County has the largest achievement gap in the state, Frontier would operate within CPS, which has the state’s second-highest accreditation score at about 89%. Sturgeon, meanwhile, has the lowest accreditation score at about 60%, but a relatively small achievement gap.

Additionally, Boone County school districts range in population from 18,000 to 300 students, with some schools being staffed with out-of-county residents, calling into question the importance of a specific population.

CPS also argued that parent education and the presence of higher education should not be a factor in providing school choice options.

“It was somewhat offensive to say that only parents that are educated care about their own child’s education; I think all parents care about their own child’s education,” Columbia Board of Education Vice President Suzette Waters said. “Mizzou is not a charter sponsor right now, so Frontier had to look to St. Louis for a sponsor; the arguments the state was trying to make that there’s interest, somehow the presence of Mizzou is somehow a favorable for a charter, just didn’t make sense.”

CPS also argues the requirements are arbitrary because SB 727 only adds the population threshold to state law, not the additional higher education-related criteria or an achievement-gap threshold to target.

CPS adds that even if those criteria are considered, other counties meet them but were left out of the law. Greene County, for example, has a similar achievement gap of about 17%. However, it has around 300,000 people and hosts Missouri State University, which is not an R-1 doctoral research school like MU.

Phelps County also qualifies in all areas except in population. The county has around 45,000 people according to the U.S. Census and features the Missouri University of Science and Technology, which is an R-1.

Judge Emily Fretwell took arguments into consideration and set a deadline for optional post-hearing briefs for two weeks.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was seriously injured in a crash on Tuesday morning on Route B, just south of Route HH in Boone County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The 23-year-old man rode his 2026 Kawasaki Ninja southbound and rear-ended a stopped 2019 Tesla Model S that was driven by a 77-year-old Columbia woman, the report says.

The motorcycle overturned and the man fell off the bike, the report says. Both vehicles had moderate damage.

The man was brought to University Hospital by ambulance. He wore a helmet and the woman wore a seatbelt, according to the crash report.

MSHP reports do not state the names of those involved in crashes.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Affordable housing remains a challenge in Columbia and Boone County, and the latest housing numbers show some of the same pressures identified in a 2024 countywide housing study.

Close to 14% fewer homes were sold in Boone County last month than the year before, according to the Mid-Missouri Board of Realtors.

August real estate statistics released on Monday show a 13.5% drop in single-family home sales compared to August 2025. Median sale prices remained relatively flat, at $350,000 in Boone County and about $356,000 within Columbia city limits.

Sales were down 20% from July, while the average number of days a home stayed on the market increased 9% to 42 days. Pending listings were also down 12%, with pending sales in Columbia falling 9%.

However, building permits increased 97% and 170% within the Columbia city limits. The board attributes the local lag to national factors, such as the rise in mortgage interest rates to 7.5%.

Sales also declined statewide, with the Missouri Realtors reporting a 5.2% drop in pending sales compared to August 2025 and a 5.4% drop in closed sales. The median sale price was up about 7%.

The lowest median sale price in Mid-Missouri was in Moniteau County, at $160,000. Boone County had the highest price.

Mid-Missouri real estate market reportDownload

The numbers come as the city continues working through the recommendations of a 2024 housing study that outlined 24 steps aimed at addressing housing affordability and availability in Boone County.

The study identified shortages in both homes for purchase and rental housing, with some of the largest gaps involving homes priced between $150,000-$300,000.

Its recommendations went beyond simply building more homes. The study called for expanding the types of housing being built, including townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, while also preserving existing affordable housing.

It also recommended changes to zoning and the development process, including making permitting more predictable, encouraging infill development and creating a local housing trust fund.

Other recommendations focused on helping residents access and maintain housing, including homeowner education, financial-literacy programs, skilled-labor training and improvements to public transportation.

William Rataj has been Columbia’s director of Housing and Neighborhood Services for one year. He said one of the first things he did after taking the job was review the study, and the city now meets quarterly to track its implementation.

“I would say that affordable housing is still a problem not only in Colombia, but in Boone County and throughout the country. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that aren’t under our control, like interest rates, for example, that are over 7% now,” Rataj told ABC 17 News. “That can add a couple of hundred dollars to mortgage payments than it would be otherwise.”

Mortgage rates have climbed to about 7.5%, according to the Mid-Missouri Board of Realtors, a factor Rataj said is contributing to people delaying home purchases.

“It’s something we monitor,” Rataj said. “Interest rates again are a big part of the problem. I think people are deferring buying houses right now because the rates are so high. I don’t know if anybody really knows when they’re going to come down again.”

The 2024 housing study also recommended specific construction targets for different types of housing over a five-year period.

Rataj said Columbia has already surpassed that goal just one year into the process. He said the city not only met the target last year, but “blew it out of the water.”

The city has also used leftover federal ARPA funds and other federal funding to help finance affordable housing projects, including construction involving the Columbia Housing Authority.

“Specifically, we’ve funded a lot of projects with some of the leftover ARPA funds and some of the federal funds that we have. You may have seen construction that’s taking place through the Columbia Housing Authority,” Rataj said. “A lot of those units have funds from the city and the county as well. Those are all affordable units.”

The city has also made permitting and zoning changes that allow for more accessory dwelling units, another recommendation from the housing study intended to expand the types of housing available.

Those efforts are aimed at addressing one of the study’s broader findings: Adding housing overall does not necessarily mean there is enough housing at the price points residents need.

The latest real estate data shows that distinction.

While Boone County had more than three months of housing supply overall, homes priced below $650,000 had fewer than than 2 1/2 months of inventory.

Construction costs are another challenge facing the local housing market.

Rataj said labor and materials remain more expensive than they were before the pandemic, while tariffs have added to the cost of some building materials.

“Another problem is the cost of construction materials. Those have skyrocketed really since the pandemic and they haven’t gone down. They’re not going up at the rate they were during the pandemic, but they haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels,” Rataj said. “That’s really adding to the cost of construction. Even tariffs played a role as well, because sometimes it’s important to have certain building materials that cost a lot more now as well. Those things unfortunately are out of the city’s control.”

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Engaging more with people who are at risk of getting involved in gun violence is one of the main takeaways of a report released by the City of Columbia on Tueday.

The City of Columbia’s Office of Violence Prevention presented findings from a Community Violence Intervention Landscape Analysis on Tuesday morning. The report identified three areas of focus, starting with more community engagement.

According to the report, this could include expanding community violence intervention services to street outreach and violence interruption in schools and hospitals.

The report also found that a lack of funding has resulted in some services requiring fees, and those services should be available for free. The report also found that excessive paperwork for various agencies can also be a barrier, and that reporting requirements should be streamlined and shared.

The repot also asks Columbia’s community-based organizations to work on collaboration and coordination between organizations.

“Although many [community-based organizations] in Columbia have built strong relationships, work across the ecosystem as a whole remains segmented. A contributing factor to this disconnection has been a lack of trust between organizations,” the report found.

Columbia Missouri_LandscapeReport_V5_9.7.26Download

“We all want to see a reduction in violence. We want to see safe neighborhoods, safe individuals, things of that nature,” Office of Violence Prevention administrator D’Markus Thomas-Brown said. “We can allow our differences and our expertise to flourish at the table and realize that we don’t need everybody trying to recreate the same thing.”

The report asks that the Office of Violence Prevention provide guidance to the organizations to help them collaborate, get to know one another, build trust and share similar values.

Thomas-Brown said the next steps for the city are to start strategizing how each organization can contribute.

“It’s developing a working rhythm and then a strategy to look at who’s going to do what,” he said.

After the meeting was an interactive workshop, guided by the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform to allow community organizations to interact and see how each can fit in the “ecosystem.”

Julian Jackman is the executive director of P.E.A.C.E., which stands for People Embracing Another Choice Effectively, an organization that works with young people who have gotten out of prison and provides resources so they don’t go back. Jackman described his organization as boots on the ground, doing street outreach.

He agreed that collaboration is needed across the community organizations that work with people that have a high-risk for gun violence.

“Columbia lacks collaboration. We lack unity in the resources that we have. Columbia is very resource-rich, but these resources are coming together,” Jackman said. “We still have people that are working in silos.”

There were about 20 people in the meeting, representing many different organizations, including members from the Columbia City Council, Love Columbia, Moms Demand Action and many others. They were given a task to meet with each other, without the city, to discuss how they can work together.

Jackman said he wants to see consistency following this meeting.

“Now it’s about keeping us together. We got to talk. We got to bring it all together ourselves, and we have to do it without the city,” he said. “We have to do this ourselves and then bring back to them what we found. Hey, these are the resources that we have and this is everybody’s niche.”

The Community Violence Intervention Landscape Analysis was conducted with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. The City of Columbia Office of Violence Prevention contracted with the institute in January to explore ways the city can curb violent crime.

In the following months, the Office of Violence Prevention met multiple times with community members, awaiting data from the institute to form a multi-year plan.

In June, the institute provided the city with an update as it works on two reports: a “Gun Violence Analysis Report” exploring the drivers of gun violence in the city and the Community Violence Intervention Landscape Analysis, which will be presented Tuesday.

The institute plans to deploy a multi-year plan that incorporates all of the research in an effort to boost violence reduction and intervention.

Check back for updates.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No charges will be filed after a gun was found at Blair Oaks Schools on Monday.

Cole County Sheriff’s Office said in a release that deputies were contacted around 9:30 a.m. on Monday for a possible weapon offense on school property.

Deputies found a student had left an unloaded, small-caliber firearm in a locked car after hunting the day before, according to the release. The gun was covered by clothing in the back seat of the car, not visible.

“There was no brandishing of the firearm, and no threats were made,” the release states. “The firearm was inadvertently left in the vehicle and was not intentionally brought onto school property for any improper use.”

The Sheriff’s Office said the incident was documented, but after reviewing the case, the Cole County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office “was not interested in pursuing criminal charges.”

Prosecutor Locke Thompson said in a statement the Sheriff’s Office did not refer the criminal case to his office after a conversation.

“They spoke with us about the situation and both our office and the Sheriff’s office were in agreement that the situation did not rise to the level of criminal conduct,” Thompson said in an email.

A letter was shared with Blair Oaks parents Monday from Superintendent Ben Meldrum.

“Blair Oaks families: This morning, District administration was notified that a firearm was located in a student’s vehicle on campus. A search was conducted immediately and a firearm was located,” the statement to parents reads. “We appreciate the individual who made the report so quickly and law enforcement’s prompt response. Though this incident did not involve any threat of violence to students or staff, the Safe Schools Act requires specific action on the part of the District, and we are moving forward with next steps. We cannot share additional information regarding this incident due to student privacy laws.”

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Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol are investigating a tractor-trailer crash on westbound Interstate 70 in Cooper County.

An ABC 17 News videographer arrived at the 109.8-mile marker at 6:45 a.m. and saw a tractor-trailer hauling two loads of cargo in a ditch on the side of the road, with caution tape around it.

The Highway Patrol’s Troop F posted on X about the crash, saying no injuries were reported. The post asks drivers to be careful when traveling through the area.

🚨Crash on WB I-70 at the 109.8MM🚨

Troopers are investigating a non-injury crash this morning, involving a tractor trailer, on westbound I-70 in Cooper County.

The truck is off the roadway. Crews are still on scene, so please be careful when traveling through the area. pic.twitter.com/oQBmmjoTvj

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) September 29, 2026

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia’s Office of Violence Prevention will present a Community Violence Intervention Landscape Analysis Tuesday morning.

The presentation on Columbia violence data will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club at 1200 North Seventh Street.

The Community Violence Intervention Landscape Analysis was conducted with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. The City of Columbia Office of Violence Prevention contracted with the institute in January to explore ways the city can curb violent crime.

In the following months, the Office of Violence Prevention met multiple times with community members, awaiting data from the institute to form a multi-year plan.

In June, the institute provided the city with an update as it works on two reports: a “Gun Violence Analysis Report” exploring the drivers of gun violence in the city and the Community Violence Intervention Landscape Analysis, which will be presented Tuesday.

Once both reports are presented, the institute plans to deploy a multi-year plan that incorporates all of the research in an effort to boost violence reduction and intervention.

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Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Attorney General’s office says Reign Bar has responded to Catherine Hanaway’s letter from last week addressed to the establishment.

ABC 17 News asked for a copy of the letter, but a spokesperson at the AG’s office said they would not provide the letter.

Hanaway sent a letter to the business last week, asking it to address “nuisance conditions.” Reign Bar was previously targeted by University of Missouri System President Mun Choi, who warned students to avoid the area.

The group Race Matters, Friends held a press conference today to address downtown public safety governance, municipal accountability and the recent scrutiny Reign Bar has faced.

RMF Vice President Traci Wilson-Kleekamp said on Monday that the AG’s letter puts blame on the business, when the crime is not actually happening inside the business.

“And also putting the blame on business owners when there’s nothing happening in their businesses; it’s happening on the streets,” Wilson-Kleekamp said.

A number of incidents have occurred on East Walnut Street since July that caught attention of community members. In late July, a large street brawl resulted in seven arrests. About two weeks later, in August, shots were fired in the same area. In September, a man assaulted a security guard in the same area as well.

City of Columbia spokesman Christopher Ave previously told ABC 17 News that the area has been the site of early morning gatherings before Reign Bar opened.

Reign Bar opened in October 2025, according to business information filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. In August 2025, Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude had noted a “hot spot” for gun violence shifted from the 900 block of East Broadway in 2024 to the 800 block of Walnut Street in 2025, previous reporting shows. Multiple incidents were reported in the 700 and 800 blocks of East Walnut that spring and summer.

As for the next steps in the matter, Wilson-Kleekamp claims it is in the city’s hands

“It’s pretty intense. We need to understand what’s driving violence. I can tell people I can recommend books to read, but apparently, until our municipal administration takes it seriously and until the council holds them accountable, there will be no change,” Wilson-Kleekamp said.

Wilson-Kleekamp went on to say that the group will continue holding these press conferences and spreading awareness about the need for safety until there is change for the better.

“So the questions we need to ask as citizens is, if I don’t like homelessness, why would I be okay with cutting things that would make it worse, right? If I’m concerned about the jail, why would I cut $1 million from the municipal court?” said Wilson-Kleekamp

ABC 17 News reached out to the City of Columbia for comment regarding the press conference. A city spokesperson declined to comment directly on the conference, but stated that the city treats all businesses fairly.

The group said that all City Council members were invited to the meeting, but none appeared.

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Ryan Shiner

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Prep work to demolish the Stamper Grain Towers in Moberly started on Monday.

The city had announced in January that the grain towers would be demolished. Previous reporting shows the project will cost $422,375, with $321,000 coming from a Community Development Block Grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

The city wrote in a Sunday social media post that the project is expected to take “multiple weeks.”

“The crew will utilize high-reach excavator arms to ‘nibble’ away at the towers,” the post says. “Once the structure is below a level where it could pose an impact to the RR tracks or associated power lines, they may employ other measures.”

The rebar and steel from the building will be recycled and the concrete will be “ground into gravel” and is expected to be used in other projects, the posts says.

The demolition will also be livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel.

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Ellyse Edwards

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Zach Williams, 23, was killed in a hit-and-run crash near Camdenton over Labor Day weekend on Sunday, Sept. 6.

His cousin, Kelsey Trower, is asking anyone with information to contact investigators.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says a vehicle struck a pedestrian on westbound U.S. Highway 54 near Cedar Heights Drive, just west of Camdenton, and the driver left the scene. The driver has not been identified.

Trower told ABC 17 that Williams was dropped off around 11 p.m. Sept. 6 near the entrance to the Cedar Heights condominiums, off Highway 54. She said investigators are looking at the time between 11 p.m. Sept. 6-4:15 a.m. Sept. 7.

Trower said Williams had been on his way home from Camdenton and got out of the vehicle after a dispute. She said investigators are reviewing nearby camera footage, including Flock cameras and a camera at a golf course across the road.

“Zachary was a light. I mean, he smiled, and he just lit up the room,” Trower said.

She said Williams was loving and devoted to his two daughters.

“He had two little girls, which were his world,” she said. “Zach was a good dad. They have to grow up without a dad now.”

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Kyle Green told ABC 17 that the investigation is active and the Highway Patrol cannot release any information at this time. He said any statement, if one is released, will be posted on X, but no statement is expected soon.

“Any information is helpful at this point because we don’t have a lot to go on,” Trower said.

The family is asking anyone who saw something in the area or noticed new damage to a vehicle around that time to contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

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