Author: KMIZ

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Drivers in Boone and Callaway counties should prepare for several road closures and traffic changes as construction projects continue across Mid-Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Transportation announced Friday that crews will make several changes to traffic patterns beginning this week.

While drivers will have to navigate more construction, there is some good news ahead. MoDOT said the St. Charles Road Bridge is expected to reopen next week after it was demolished in April.

I-70 traffic changes in Callaway County

Drivers traveling on I-70 through Callaway County will see a new traffic pattern starting on Friday night.

Eastbound traffic will shift into the newly paved median between Callaway County Route M and Highway in Kingdom City. The shift will allow crews to begin reconstructing the existing eastbound lanes.

Eastbound I-70 will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Lanes will be narrowed to 10 feet, and the speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph.

Drivers should also expect limited access to Exits 144 and 148 for the next several months, MoDOT announced. The ramp from Exit 144 to eastbound I-70 will close during the traffic shift. The eastbound I-70 ramp to Exit 148 will also be closed for about two months, per MoDOT.

For some Mid-Missouri drivers, the continued construction has become part of their daily commute. Brooklyn Strickland, who travels through several Mid-Missouri communities for work, said the construction can be stressful.

“Especially having a job that you have eight counties that you have to travel to,” Strickland said. “So I’m going in between Jeff City, Kingdom City, Audrain and Mexico,” she said.

Route H is closed west of Fulton to replace the bridge deck over Middle River. MoDOT said drivers should use Route J and Highway 54 to get around the closure. The project is scheduled to be completed next month.

North Outer Road 70 is closed at Cedar Creek, west of Route J near mile-marker 136.6. Signs are posted ahead of the closure to alert drivers and direct them to use an alternate route. The closure is expected to remain in place through January.

Additional closures in Boone County

Drivers in Boone County should also be aware of additional road closures.

I-70 Drive Southeast is closed from just west of Woodridge Drive to Glenstone Drive while crews work on a new underpass. The project is expected to continue into January 2027. The entrance to Woodridge Drive from I-70 Drive Southeast is also closed.

MoDOT says the westbound I-70 ramps at Exit 117 — which connect to Routes J and O — are also closed. Those ramp closures are expected to remain in place through the end of November. MoDOT is advising drivers to use alternate routes and plan for additional travel time while the construction is underway.

Peyton Cooper recently moved to Columbia and said navigating the city has required him to stay more alert while driving.

“I haven’t known Columbia without the construction, so I can’t really talk about what it was like before,” Cooper said. “But coming from where I came from, I do have to pay attention a lot more, and it always seems like there’s some kind of hold-up or detour.”

The agency also said it still plans to reopen the Providence Road Bridge by late October.

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Collin Anderson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Head coach Eli Drinkwitz brought in 30 new transfers to his squad ahead of the 2026 season.

With all of that change across both sides of the ball, the biggest challenge won’t be strictly performance based, but a question of how well they integrate into the system.

“We have a big group of new players coming in,” new quarterback Austin Simmons said on Friday. “So just building that chemistry over time, getting connected to all the players, including the offensive linemen.”

You can watch Friday’s full press conference with Simmons and the rest of the players in the video player above.

That offensive line is one of the most-consistent groups on the roster, returning several players from last year’s unit. However just because there is that consistency, doesn’t mean they’re not still mentoring the guys set to take their spots in the future.

Senior Dominick Giudice moved to center in the offseason and is now in complete control of the front five. He is focused on making sure the Tigers have the best O-line in the country.

“I think the biggest thing is just the comfortability and being able to trust each other,” Giudice said. “There’s no doubt in our capabilities and what we could do. We all know what we could do, and we all know what we’re looking to do this year: Be the best offensive line. So we’re pushing each other each and every day to get to that.”

Having a talented roster is one thing, but ensuring that this team can come together as a unit and compete at the highest level is a whole different thing. Senior safety Santana Banner is taking many of those new pieces in the secondary under his win and is teaching them how to be a part of the Mizzou system.

“[I’m] just making sure I hold them to the standard we have up here,” Banner said. “We hold everybody to it no matter who you are. Like we say every day, come in the building with your cool suit off. Make sure you’re humble and got your head on straight.”

With fewer than four weeks until season opener, there is still plenty of time for the new transfers to fully adapt to the new system. But according to the returners, they already look like seasoned vets.

“They came in dialed in, it’s like it’s their second year here the way they’re locked in,” senior edge rusher Darris Smith said. “Especially the DB room, I feel like that’s my favorite, those guys came in, they locked in, they’re just ready to go.”

Up Next – The Tigers open their season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3 at Faurot Field.

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Sutton Parker

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Respect Missouri Voters held a rally on Friday at the Missouri Secretary of State Office this afternoon.

The rally comes after Secretary of State Denny Hoskins decided on Tuesday to reject the group’s proposed constitutional amendment from appearing on the November ballot. The group filed a lawsuit on Thursday in an attempt to get it on the ballot.

The proposed amendment is designed to protect voter-approved ballot initiatives by making it much harder for Missouri lawmakers to alter or repeal them without approval from voters.

Co-founder of Respect Missouri Voters Benjamin Singer said Friday was about bringing everyone together to stand up to Missouri lawmakers.

“We are here today as Republicans, Democrats and independents saying that the 367,000 Missourians who signed the ‘Respect Missouri Voters’ petition deserve to have their voices heard and have it placed onto the November ballot,” he said.

Singer said the amendment is only one page and seeks to do a few things.

“First, requiring ballot language to be clear so that voters understand exactly what they are voting for; secondly, it makes it harder for politicians to change or undo things after we have voted on them,” he said.

Singer added he is confident that the amendment will pass, if it’s put on the ballot. .

“We fully expect that the Respect Missouri Voters amendment will go on the November ballot. And ultimately, the people of Missouri will be heard just like they were heard at this past election,” he said.

Hoskins argued that the amendment violated constitutional requirements limiting petitions to a single subject and changes to a single article.

Chuck Hatfield, the attorney representing the group in the lawsuit, said that the decision to sue was easy.

“Every citizen has the right to challenge the Secretary of State’s decision on certification of initiative petitions. And so we represent three citizens who have done that. They think the Secretary of State was wrong to keep this measure off the ballot for constitutional reasons,” he said.

Hoskins argues that the amendment violated constitutional requirements limiting petitions to a single subject and changes to a single article.

Essentially, the amendment has too broad a scope, and it can not be confined to the single subject of “initiative petition.”

On Sept. 8, the state has to certify its ballot for the November election. With the lawsuit still in the courts Hatfield said he is not worried they will miss the deadline.

“We have had that happen, and the courts made decisions even in early September about whether it would be on the ballot. So I think we’ve got enough time. I think the courts are used to it, and they’ll move quickly,” he said. “His job is to count the signatures. And then if there are enough signatures, put it on the ballot. If there are enough signatures, you don’t put it on the ballot.

Hatfield said he is confident that the group will win in the courts.

There have been dozens of cases where the courts have looked at the single subject issue, and they always err toward putting things on the ballot, and they’re going to here,” he said.

More than 50 people traveled to Jefferson City on Friday for the event.

One of the demonstrators was Judy McNiece.

“Well, in my opinion, I believe it’s sour grapes. When he found out that Amendment Four failed, suddenly they decided that our amendment can’t be on the ballot. What does that tell you?,” McNiece said.

ABC 17 reached out to the Secretary of State’s office on Friday afternoon.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick’s Office announced in a Friday press release that the Bellflower Fire Protection District in Montgomery County will be audited after a request from law enforcement was made.

The release says the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office “raised concerns about possible inappropriate purchases and fuel cards being used to purchase fuel for personal vehicles.”

The release says the auditor’s office did an initial review to determine if the complaints were credible “and identified several issues that potentially constitute improper government activity.”

“We appreciate the efforts of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the work they did to investigate the issues with the Bellflower Fire Protection District and bring them to our attention. Our own investigation identified potential issues with the misuse of district fuel cards as well as purchases that appear to be personal in nature. Our audit will now delve deeply into the operations of the district as we work to uncover any possible waste, fraud, or abuse,” Fitzpatrick is quoted in the release.

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Nate Splater

ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Days have been issued through Saturday for a dangerous heat wave that has and will continue to drive heat indexes into the triple digits.

An Extreme Heat Warning is in place where confidence is highest in heat indexes between 105 and 110 degrees through Thursday. Both the Extreme Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories extend through Friday south of HWY 50.

High pressure over the Desert Southwest has expanded into the Midwest over the weekend, pushing rain chances north of Mid-Missouri. Temperatures and humidity are forecast to rise as winds return from the southwest.

The heat index will soar to between 105-110 Thursday and Friday. Slight rain and thunderstorm chances will exist, but no meaningful relief is expected.

This comes as a stationary surface boundary is planted at the northern edge of the heat dome. Upper-level disturbances will come in waves and drive daily storm chances along the front. The position of the front has kept these storm chances north of us for the most part, but they return Thursday and Friday.

Isolated to scattered storms are possible Friday through Saturday and may present a risk of severe weather, but this is expected in the north near the front. While our severe threat is low, our heat and humidity remain in the forecast. The main threat with any storm will be the potential for damaging winds. Sunday’s storm chance may also bring a minor threat of gusty winds.

Heat is very likely to continue on Saturday, but as the front is forecast to lift north, so is the most concentrated humidity. Additionally, better southwest flow from our low-level jet stream will help promote better venting of dew points away from the surface. Dew points may fall to the 60s on Saturday, raising questions of just how hot we’ll feel. Saturday is still an ABC17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Day. A cold front moves in on Sunday, bringing rain and clouds that may keep extreme heat at bay.

Rain chances are low, as confidence is high in dry and hot conditions through Saturday.

Take care during this heat wave by reducing strenuous outdoor activities, staying in the AC as much as possible, and drinking lots of water. Get your plans done in the early morning or late evening, and keep kids and pets off hot surfaces.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A New Bloomfield man was charged on Thursday in Callaway County with child sex crimes after authorities say he sexually abused a child in April.

Sean James Flanery, 19, was charged with first-degree sodomy of a victim younger than 12 years old and two counts of second-degree child molestation of a child younger than 12 years old. He is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was held on Friday morning.

The probable cause statement says the youth told a parent that Flanery sexually abused them the night of April 30. The parent allegedly would have Flanery routinely watched their child while they worked overnight, court documents say.

The parent came back to the residence the morning of May 1 and found the youth with Flanery in his bed, court documents say. The victim described the assault to the parent and investigators.

Flanery was interviewed on Thursday, and first allegedly claimed he “did not have much interaction” with the victim until admitting that he would “take care of” the victim while the parent was away, the statement says.

Flanery allegedly told police that he “decided to have Victim One stay in his bedroom to watch a children’s cartoon and have a ‘slumber party,’” court documents say. He first allegedly told law enforcement that he did not remember where the victim slept before admitting they slept in his bed, and claimed “it was possible” he could have touched the victim.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was charged Thursday with seven felonies for allegedly being the driver in a weekend shooting at the Interstate 70/Highway 63 connector in Columbia.

Mechoal L. Lewis, 52, of Columbia, was in the Boone County Jail on Friday without bond after being charged with first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action, two counts of illegal gun possession and one count of unlawful use of a weapon.

The investigation that led to the charges started when police were called to the Break Time store on Conley Road, where they found a man with a gunshot wound to the mouth, according to a probable cause statement. Witnesses told police they had seen a man flee from a car on the connector, according to the statement. The car was then unoccupied and crashed into a median.

Police said Sunday that the victim’s wounds were not life-threatening.

Officers say they found a bullet hole in the front passenger door, a tooth in the backseat and a digital scale with fentanyl residue in the rented Toyota Corolla.

One witness told police that she heard five or six gunshots while she was in traffic, then saw the unoccupied Corolla roll past her car. The Corolla even scraped the witness’s vehicle, the statement says.

Another witness allegedly saw a person in another car shooting a rifle at the Corolla.

During the investigation, police found a second black Toyota that witnesses and Flock cameras had helped place at the scene. The car had bullet holes and blood on it, according to the statement.

Police then found a third car involved in the shooting, a gray Hyundai Elantra, that was driven by Lewis, according to the statement. Lewis admitted to driving the car on Sunday, but gave statements about his whereabouts that were contradicted by Flock camera hits on the car’s license plate, police say.

The statement says Lewis admitted to driving the car during the shooting, saying others in the vehicle did the shooting, after he was confronted with video evidence. Lewis allegedly told police the shooting was retaliation for a shooting at a duplex earlier Sunday.

Lewis’ first hearing is set for 1 p.m. Friday.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri Health Care’s South Providence Medical Building will close early Friday because of problems with its air conditioning.

MU Health Care stated in a news release that the building will close at noon Friday and be closed through the weekend, but the pharmacy will remain open.

MU Health Care is contacting patients with appointments to discuss telehealth or rescheduling.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 19-year-old Pilot Grove woman suffered serious injuries in a Cooper County crash Thursday.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the woman was driving a 2011 Toyota Camry southbound on Route JJ, south of Lee Road at 11:50 a.m., when she drove through water in the road. The woman began to hydroplane, went off the road and overturned.

The woman was taken to Bothwell Regional Health Center by Pettis County EMS with serious injuries.

She was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, according to online crash reports.

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