Author: KMIZ

Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A national teen driving program kicked off its teaching season in the Show-Me State.

Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe, held a total of five three-hour sessions over the weekend at the Missouri EVOC Training Center, with more than 180 students participating.

Rick Valentine, a Senior Instructor with B.R.A.K.E.S., said the program is designed to help teen drivers build confidence behind the wheel while also learning the importance of following traffic laws.

Valentine said nearly 50% of teens will be involved in a car crash before graduating high school, but students who complete the course are 64% less likely to be involved in a crash.

According to a 2021 Governor Highway Safety Association, from 2015 to 2019, speeding was responsible for nearly one-third of all deadly motor vehicle crashes. Teens ages 16 to 19 were involved in more fatal speeding crashes than any other age group, 43% of deadly crashes involving teen drivers were linked to speeding, compared to 30% for other drivers.

Based of the report, Missouri ranked among the top states for teen traffic fatalities, coming in seventh with 374 teen driver and passenger deaths. The state also ranked fourth in the nation for speed-related teen deaths, with 227 reported fatalities.

Experts said teen drivers are more likely to crash because their brains are still developing, especially the parts responsible for judgment and decision-making. While teens can learn basic driving skills quickly, it takes more time and practice to recognize dangers on the road and react safely. Studies also show teen drivers are more likely to speed and take risks, especially when other teens are in the car.

A study from the report showed teens who completed driver’s education had fewer crashes, injuries and traffic violations during their first two years behind the wheel.

The B.R.A.K.E.S. program featured several driving courses designed to simulate real-life situations, including a slalom and crash avoidance course, a panic braking ABS stop, a drop-wheel distraction course and car control recovery exercises for skidding situations.

Kailey Leesman, a Jefferson City parent, brought her soon-to-be 16-year-old son to the program to help him become more confident behind the wheel.

“I think there’s a lack of confidence in driving,” Leesman said. “Any experience that you can give [your child], behind the wheel, someone teaching them that’s not you is always a good thing.”

While students practiced on the course, parents also took part in a training session. Leesman said many driving techniques have changed since she first learned to drive.

“The ten and two is ingrained in our brain, and now it’s nine and three,” Leesman said. “Where to place the mirrors for blind spots has changed.”

Matthew Vore traveled from Fulton to bring his 15-year-old daughter to Sunday’s session. Vore said he previously brought one of his other children to the program and found it beneficial.

“The more hours they get the better,” Vore said. “I think this is good because they get to learn from people that aren’t mom and dad and maybe they’ll listen to them a little different.”

According to B.R.A.K.E.S., the organization visits the Capital City once a year. Its next stop on the training schedule is Ypsilanti, Michigan.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a Blue Alert Sunday morning for a 42-year-old Caruthersville man who is allegedly armed and dangerous.

BLUE alert 2026-7 pic.twitter.com/mMbt6HFZFC

— Missouri State Highway Patrol Alerts (@MSHPAlerts) May 17, 2026

At around 2:10 a.m., deputies said Zachary Walker shot at Caruthersville Police during a traffic stop and fled the scene. Walker is believed to have been injured when officers fired back and may have a gunshot wound.

Walker is a 5′ 9″ tall white man with blue eyes, partially grey hair and tattoos, according to MSHP. He weighs 180 pounds and was last seen wearing a navy t-shirt with a design, dark shorts and black lace-up boots. He is carrying a rifle and a handgun, the alert says.

The alert did not provide any vehicle information or specify what direction Walker was headed.

Any information on Walker should be reported to 911 or local law enforcement.

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Jessica Hafner

JOPLIN, Mo. (KMIZ)

Friday marks 15 years since a deadly, rain-wrapped tornado plowed into the city of Joplin, killing 161 people and leveling hundreds of homes and businesses.

The tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m. as many people were out doing their weekend shopping, or attending Joplin High School graduation at Missouri Southern State.

The storm rapidly gained strength after touching down, reaching EF-4 to EF-5 strength in less than 10 minutes, right as it approached St. John’s Regional Medical Center.

The tornado slammed into the building, filled with around 180 patients and even more healthcare workers. The roof gave way, windows exploded, and stairwells crumbled, making escape difficult.

Six people were killed inside the hospital, but the emergency medical response didn’t stop despite the hospital being destroyed. A M.A.S.H.-style tent hospital was quickly constructed on the hospital parking lot within a week of the tornado, with a component hospital brought in by Mercy Health System soon after.

I took a tour of the new Mercy Joplin that opened 10 years ago. The lessons learned from the storm set the standard for how hospitals are built to withstand natural disasters.

I spoke with Charis Trost, executive director of planning and design with Mercy Health System. Her team was on the ground within hours of the tornado.

“All eyes of the country were looking at us to see how we would construct a brand new hospital with the mindset of making it safe for our caregivers and for our patients, because that was a huge thing, especially for the caregivers. Wanting to feel safe in the aftermath,” Trost said.

Trost said it typically takes about 3 to 6 years to construct a hospital tower from the ground up, let alone an entire campus. It was important to find a piece of land large enough for growth, but also highly visible for those in the community and traveling through the region. They settled for a location right along I-44 on the south side of town.

Hardening the new hospital was a top priority, as the central utilities were completely dismantled, and the roof collapsed, allowing large debris to land in the building.

“The biggest goal when they built this hospital was being able to treat patients during the storm rather than worrying about evacuating. You can’t treat patients when you don’t have power, they learned that the hard way,” said Chris Butler, regional director of facilities maintenance.

“One of the big things when you look back that they wanted to do was get the power control center lower than the hospital, so even if a tornado came across, the entire power center is set down at the bottom of the hill,” said Butler.

All of the hospital’s utilities are buried a few hundred feet away from the hospital with three of four walls surrounded by a berm, all accessed by an underground tunnel.

“This hospital now has two power feeds, from different substations that are separated across town, so if a storm were to come through and take out power say on the north side of town, we still have power coming from the south,” said Butler.

All the windows in patient rooms are rated EF-2 to EF-3, while the ICU and NICU windows can withstand up to 250 mph winds. The are no windows in the stairwells, and the roof is made of 13″ of reinforced concrete.

“We had air conditioning units blow off the roof. We had cars in the building. We had air conditioning units on top of cars, so nothing is on the roof now,” said Butler.

Still, some reminders of St. John’s remain, from the stained glass from the old chapel ingrained in the floors, to the nearly unscathed stations of the cross now with a new home in the new chapel.

“It’s just something that’s powerful for me, personally. You can look, like I said, there are some imperfections in it, and  there are some imperfections in it. I don’t believe that is supposed to be there. There’s a chunk missing from the top, I’m not tall enough to see it. I really wish I could explain how it was salvaged and still in one piece,” said Butler.

It takes about ten years to get a new building code established for new construction of healthcare facilities. Research following the Joplin tornado was adopted into the international building code in 2024, mandating that all new hospitals must withstand an EF-2 tornado.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia’s 1% public safety sales tax proposal is back on the agenda Monday after being tabled in early May in a 4-3 vote.

If approved by the council, residents will be able to vote for the proposal on the August ballot.

According to city documents, the 1% tax increase is expected to bring in around $38 million for the city in the 2028 fiscal year. Funds will go to the city’s fire and police departments for equipment, renovations and staffing. The city is looking to hire 50 police officers and 40 firefighters over the next four years.

A presentation for the council on Monday reports that lower-income households making a little under $16,000 per year would expect to see an over $81 increase in spending from the tax. An upper-income household making over $1.6 million per year would expect to see an increase in spending of over $2,000. These impacts were calculated based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Columbia reports the city’s population has grown by around 49,000 residents since 2000, and the rate of officers per every 1,000 residents has decreased over the past two decades.

The City of Columbia currently stands at around 1.4 officers per 1,000 residents. Similar-sized Missouri cities like Springfield and Independence sit at around 2.1 and 1.9 officers per 1,000 residents, respectively.

The report also cites a previous local survey from January. Out of over 800 Columbia residents, 69% of respondents did not think Columbia has enough police officers and firefighters. Of that total, 55% said they would support a tax to increase the number of police officers and firefighters in the city.

The Columbia City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday.

The Boone County Sheriff’s office is also proposing a 1% public safety tax on the ballot. The County will host a public hearing on the tax increase at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the county government center.

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Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

This year’s legislative session brought a major focus on public safety, as state leaders pushed a series of new laws aimed at protecting Missourians.

In April, Governor Mike Kehoe signed two bills targeting child safety, along with legislation designed to strengthen law enforcement and public safety efforts.

One of those measures, House Bill 2273, was sponsored in part by Rep. Ed Lewis, who told ABC 17 earlier this year he expected the bill would make it across the finish line this session.

The bill is part of a broader push at the state capitol to strengthen criminal justice policies.

Under the new law, penalties for sex offenses involving minors are increased. Under previous law, prosecutors did not have a clear path to charge certain grooming behaviors on their own.

Now, grooming a minor is classified as a Class C felony. If the offense involves sexual activity, a sexual performance, or a commercial sex act, the charge is upgraded to a Class B felony.

Those convicted would be required to serve at least five years before becoming eligible for probation, parole, or any conditional release.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson said he helped draft portions of the language included in HB 2273.

“The way the enticement language has been strengthened to include other types of grooming behavior and to enhance penalties when that, grooming or enticement, leads to sexual contact with a child. That’s going to be a huge help for us,” Thompson said.

Beyond those measures, lawmakers also approved significant changes to penalties for some of the state’s most serious sex crimes. Alongside HB 2273, Governor Mike Kehoe also signed Senate Bill 888.

This bill increases penalties for several serious sexual offenses and tightens rules on parole eligibility.

According to SB 888, rape in the first degree, the law raises the punishment to 10 to 30 years in prison, and in some cases allows life without the possibility of parole, instead of giving judges more flexible sentencing options.

It also removes some previous early-release provisions, meaning people convicted of certain crimes against young children would no longer be eligible for parole after serving a set number of years under older rules.

For statutory rape in the first degree, the minimum sentence is increased from five years to 10 years, and higher penalties are also raised for more severe cases.

For sodomy in the first degree involving children under 12, the law keeps life imprisonment but removes language that allowed for parole eligibility after a set number of years, making sentencing stricter overall.

The law expands information sharing between law enforcement and prosecutors to help better track criminal cases and juvenile history.

“We took steps to stop the revolving door of violent offenders, strengthening sentence transparency and ensuring our criminal justice system has the tools needed to keep dangerous individuals off our community streets,” Governor Mike Kehoe said.

Senator Tony Luetkemeyer said the changes address concerns about offenders serving only a small portion of their sentences.

“Too often, serious offenders are released after serving only a small portion of their prison sentence, creating uncertainty for both victims and their families,” Luetkemeyer said.

New parole eligibility standards:

Class A felonies: 70% of sentence served

Class B felonies: 50%

Class C, D, and E felonies: vary based on offense type and prior history

Dangerous felonies: 85% of sentence served before parole eligibility

“This will improve transparency in sentencing by making sure that victims and families have a much more clear understanding of how long an offender is actually going to remain incarcerated.” Luetkemeyer said.

Thompson said the previous law left room for confusion unless the crime was classified as an 85% offense. He said that, in many cases, no one in the courtroom knew exactly how long an offender would actually remain in prison.

Thompson said the new law will provide greater clarity for victims and their families.

“It helps us give victims a lot more peace of mind,” Thompson said. “Now, being able to go to a victim and say look ‘the defendant is going to plead guilty to X amount of years. That means he will serve Y amount of time before he would even become eligible for parole.”

Thompson noted the new laws will not take effect until Aug. 28 unless otherwise specified. Some provisions included in SB 888 are not scheduled to go into effect until 2028.

The governor also highlighted more than $14 million in public safety funding to support drone countermeasures and security preparations ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Missouri.

He said the funding will help ensure the state is ready for a safe and successful tournament in Kansas City.

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Alison Patton

Editor’s note: this story has been corrected to fix where Kayla Huff’s memorial service will be held.

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Moberly community gathered Saturday night for 16-year-old Kayla Huff, who was found dead in the Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area on Wednesday night.

The Immanuel Baptist Church held space for people to pray, cry and talk about Huff together.

“Her memory doesn’t stop with tonight, or even with her memorial service next Wednesday,” Pastor Randy Paxton said at the vigil.

Over a hundred people from Huff’s school, church and family showed up–even her parents, Mike and Renee Huff, although they didn’t speak at the vigil.

Christina Wilson, a friend of Huff’s through church, did address her friend’s parents.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done to raise her the way she is. She is the sweetest, loving girl, and I don’t understand why somebody wanted to take this poor girl’s life,” Wilson said.

Huff went missing for about a week, with volunteers and law enforcement searching the Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area in the days after her disappearance until a Randolph County resident found her body on Wednesday evening.

Four adult suspects were charged Thursday, and those charges were updated Friday.

Alyana Mason, 20, and 19-year-old Hunter Ames have been charged with first-degree murder. Ames is also charged with evidence tampering. Christopher Hull, 23, and Julian Mason, 26, were both charged with first-degree kidnapping and tampering with evidence. A bond hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday.

A 17-year-old boy was also arrested in connection with Huff’s disappearance.

Paxton said the vigil was about being together during grief and remembering Huff.

“You know when Jesus said to love everyone, to love your neighbor as yourself, Kayla lived that out in every single day of her life,” Paxton said.

An ABC 17 News reporter was asked not to do interviews at the vigil, given the sensitivity of the situation. Paxton said he and Huff’s parents are considering releasing a statement at a later time.

Details on what led up to Huff’s disappearance are limited, but court documents allege that Alayna Mason and her group of co-conspirators took Huff in the trunk of a car to the conservation area. Mason allegedly told law enforcement that the group beat and shot Huff.

According to court documents, Julian Mason allegedly poured motor oil into Huff’s gas tank and disposed of the baton reportedly used in the crime near the Chariton and Carroll County line.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday at the MACC Activity Center, located at 101 College Ave. Visitation will start at noon and end when the service begins at 3 p.m.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri commencement ceremonies are set to continue through the weekend as nearly 6,000 students have earned degrees.

The majority of ceremonies are taking place on Saturday in Jesse Auditorium and Mizzou Arena:

College of Health Sciences – 8:30 a.m. in Mizzou Arena

School of Medicine – 10 a.m. in Jesse Auditorium

College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources – Noon in Mizzou Arena

College of Health Sciences (Professional/Clinical) – 2:30 p.m. in Jesse Auditorium

College of Arts & Science (part 1) – 3:30 p.m. in Mizzou Arena

School of Law – 5:30 p.m. in Jesse Auditorium

College of Arts & Science (part 2) – 6 p.m. in Mizzou Arena

Ceremonies will also continue through Sunday:

Trulaske College of Business – 9 a.m. in Mizzou Arena

Graduate School (PhD/EdD) – Noon in Mizzou Arena

Honors College – 1 p.m. in Jesse Auditorium

Army ROTC – 2:30 p.m. in Monsanto Auditorium

Graduate School (Master’s/Education Specialists) – 3 p.m. in Mizzou Arena

Over 4,700 students will receive bachelor’s degrees, and over 1,000 will receive master’s degrees, according to the university’s website. The class of 2026 is also made up of over 1,000 first-generation students, 80 active-duty military and over 70 student athletes.

Traffic impacts are expected, with the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau reporting hotels in the area are at around 75-80% occupancy. Drivers should expect many graduates and families on campus. This includes traffic on Conley Avenue, Ninth Street, Tiger Avenue and Rollins Street.

Major roads, including South Providence Road and Stadium Boulevard, are also expected to see some backups.

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Euphenie Andre

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Randolph County community came together Friday to offer mental health support and healing resources for those grieving the loss of 16-year-old Kayla Huff.

The first “Day of Healing” comes as the Randolph County Prosecutor’s Office announced new charges in the case. Twenty-year-old Alayna Mason and 19-year-old Hunter Ames are now both charged with first-degree murder in connection to Huff’s death. Two others are charged with kidnapping and tampering with evidence.

Licensed counselors, social workers and a crisis incident team from the state shared their services at the church throughout the day.

The Rev. Randy Paxton, of Immanuel Baptist Church, said the idea for the event “Day of Healing” began during the community’s search for Kayla.

As hundreds of people searched for the missing teen, Paxton said he could see the emotional toll it was taking on friends, families and even strangers across the community.

“They needed something.” Paxton said. “Whether it was a shoulder to cry on, whether somebody to talk too just somebody to wrap their arms around them and let them feel loved,”

Family friends said Immanuel Baptist Church was like a second home to Kayla. Now, it has become a place where people are gathering to grieve together and support one another through heartbreak.

Huff’s best friend, Christina Wilson, said she learned about her death Thursday.

“I did what any person would do,” Wilson said. “I started crying, and I was like, this can’t be real.”

Wilson said as the hours turned into days during the search for Kayla, she began to feel something was wrong. She said she stopped sleeping and lost her appetite while hoping her friend would be found safe.

“There were days my mom would tell me, ‘You’re drained, kid. Get some sleep,’” Wilson said. “But I couldn’t. I just wanted to find Kayla.”

Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Luntsford said the case has deeply affected the community because Huff reminds people of someone they know, a daughter, a friend or the girl next door.

“It hits home,” Luntsford said. “Something like this happened in our own backyard.”

Ann Elliot and Dana Woods were among those providing mental health services Saturday. Woods said the Crisis Intervention Team deployed counselors and crisis intervention services to Huff’s school to support both students and staff.

“Not only the children but the staff, because the staff are kind of in autopilot right now, and they’re going to need somebody to kind of be there to help them deal with the situation,” Woods said.

The “Day of Healing” will continue 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Immanuel Baptist Church. Organizers said they expect an even larger turnout as more people are able to attend after school and work. A vigil honoring Huff is also scheduled for 7 p.m.

“People can write messages to Kayla, or actually this will go to her parents, to show how much people cared about her and the impact she made in her young life, especially in this church,” Elliot said.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Around 6 p.m. Friday, lawmakers threw their papers in the air and began filing out of the House chamber after the Missouri General Assembly wrapped up its 2026 legislative session.  

Missouri lawmakers passed 100 bills during the session, the highest total since 2019 and a sharp increase from the 81 bills approved during the 2025 session. The total includes 42 House bills, 41 Senate bills, and 17 appropriations bills. 

Bills that passed Friday include SB 1408, which cleared the House by a 93-46 vote. The bill will allow officials to increase the speed limit to 75 miles per hour on rural, divided highways where the limit is currently 70 mph.

Another bill that passed Friday with overwhelming bipartisan support was SB 1135, also known as “Bentley and Mason’s Law.” Of the 129 votes cast in the House, only two lawmakers voted against it. 

The bill requires courts to order anyone convicted of a DWI crash that kills a child’s parent to make child maintenance payments within one year after being released from prison. 

The House also passed SB 1421, which automatically expunges misdemeanors after one year and nonviolent felonies after three years. The bill also places restrictions on flying drones and unmanned aircraft over stadiums. 

One of the most significant measures to advance during the 2026 session was a proposed constitutional amendment that would ask Missouri voters in August or November whether to eliminate the state income tax.

Supporters say the proposal could attract new businesses to Missouri and leave more money in residents’ pockets. Critics, however, argue it would shift the tax burden onto lower- and middle-income Missourians through expanded sales taxes.

Following the end of the session, Missouri House Democrats held a press conference, while House Republicans did not. Much of Democrats’ media availability focused on Gov. Mike Kehoe’s income tax proposal, which was advanced by Republican lawmakers.

“We’re confident that when the GOP sales tax hike goes on the statewide ballot, voters will overwhelmingly reject it and punish Republican candidates who supported it,” House Minority Leader Ashley Aune said. 

Aune also added she believes Democratic voter turnout will be the highest the state has seen in years. 

However, Aune did praise some of the bipartisan legislation passed during the session, highlighting a bill that was signed into law by Kehoe that prohibits pregnancy from preventing a divorce from being finalized.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several roadwork projects in Columbia are set to begin Monday, according to several press releases from the City of Columbia and the Missouri Department of Transportation.

I-70 ramp work

The westbound on-ramp to Interstate 70 from Range Line Street and the off-ramp at Providence Road will be closed from 8 p.m. Monday-2 a.m. Tuesday, according to MoDOT.

Rollins Street west of South College Avenue

Ameren will begin replacing a 6-inch gas main under Rollins Street, just west of the intersection.

Crews will excavate across Rollins Street and will require a road closure from Monday through Friday, June 5, according to a press release from the city.

Additionally, the crosswalk on the west side of South College Avenue will be closed.

West Rollins Road

On Monday, city crews will close the westbound lane of West Rollins Road near the intersection with South Scott Boulevard, according to a release from the city.

A closure will occur that day from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. to repair two traffic islands adjacent to 4208 West Rollins Road, the release says. Lane closures should be expected.

Eighth and Walnut Garage

Crews on Monday will begin a summer maintenance project at the parking garage at Eighth and Walnut streets.

The project, which is expected to last through early August, includes, “cable repairs, concrete repairs, and sealant and expansion joint replacement work throughout the garage,” the release says.

The garage will be restricted to permit parking only. Hourly public parking will not be available.

Juror parking for the courthouse will be moved to the Fifth and Walnut parking garage, the release says.

South Sixth Street, East Stewart Road

Parts of South Sixth Street and East Stewart Road will be closed to traffic, parking and pedestrians beginning Monday “pedestrians to accommodate construction of the University’s new Engineering Innovation Center,” the release says.

Short- and long-term closures are scheduled.

Short-term closures: May 18-Aug. 14:

South Sixth Street to through traffic between Elm Street and Conley Avenue.

East Stewart Road between South Fifth Street and South Sixth Street.

The sidewalk on the east side of South Sixth Street between Elm Street and East Stewart Road.

Parking closed on the west side of South Sixth Street between Elm Street and East Stewart Road.

Parking closed on the north side of East Stewart Road between South Fifth Street and South Sixth Street.

Long-term closures: May 18, 2026-March 31, 2028

South Sixth Street between Elm Street and East Stewart Road.

The sidewalk on the east side of South Sixth Street between Elm Street and East Stewart Road.

Parking closed on the west side of South Sixth Street between Elm Street and East Stewart Road.

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