Author: KMIZ

John Ross

An ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Day has come to an end early Saturday morning after a line of strong to severe storms tracked through the area.

Severe storms were most widespread in western Missouri, where 70+ mph wind gusts were reported near Kansas City. The line of storms weakened as it rolled through Mid-MO in the early overnight, but flood alerts were still activated as heavy rain pounded parts of the area.

The weekend ahead will carry more scattered chances of rain, but no severe storms are expected.

SETUP

An upper level trough will drag a surface cold front into northeast Kansas and northwestern Missouri late Friday. We will be hot and humid ahead of this, which will contribute to high levels of instability ahead of the front. The front is not incredibly strong but it will serve as a focus for storm development through the evening. As the evening progresses, the storms will grow and spread to the southeast with access to just enough energy and wind support.

The timing of storms locally will greatly impact the expected hazards. A later arrival gives us a short window of instability (energy) before much of it is lost with sunset. If storms develop closer to mid-Missouri, we can expect them to be stronger.

Either way, the storms will be strongest in the northwest, and weaken with time as they spread southeast. Columbia and Jefferson City will have a chance for severe storms, but the main concern will be gusty winds.

FUTURETRACK

HAZARDS

The greatest risk area will be along and north of a line from Marshall to Paris. This is where surface instability, or storm energy, will be greatest near these storms. This is where an isolated tornado will be possible. However, a more likely impact will be localized hail and damaging winds. These are the threats that may linger with the strongest storms as they weaken and push southeast towards Columbia and Jefferson City. The overall threat for severe weather in Columbia and Jefferson City is very low. The severe impacts from Friday’s storms are largely expected north of I-70.

Strong winds are the main concern, but a tornado cannot be ruled out early in the evening. The tornado threat will likely end early and will not require you to stay up all night.

A secondary risk would be the potential for areas of isolated flash flooding as some storms could move over the same areas more than once, and we’ll see strong low level winds coupled with high atmospheric moisture content to aid in higher rainfall rates.

Make sure to have the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather App downloaded if you have outdoor plans Friday night.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe has repealed certain provisions of Proposition A, by signing House Bill 567 into law.

Kehoe signed the measure into law Thursday afternoon at the State Capitol.

Proposition A passed in November 2024 with support from more than 57% of Missouri voters, and it took effect on May 1. It guaranteed workers one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. However, two weeks later, on May 14, Republicans forced a vote to repeal the sick leave portion of the bill.

There were concerns about Proposition A’s legality, and a lawsuit was filed shortly after it was approved by voters. The lawsuit claimed that voters were misled in the initiative petition used to get Prop A on the ballot.

Yellow Dog Bookstore owner Joe Chevalier has been in business for 12 years and has three part-time employees. He says he will continue to offer paid sick leave, but the overturn is a disappointment.

“I’m really disappointed with the Republicans in the legislature and overturning the will of the voters,” Chevalier said.

However, Chevalier said the change in law puts other workers in a tough spot.

“You have to make that choice of working while you’re ill and getting paid and staying home and getting paid and for many people, that’s really not an option,” Chevalier said.

President and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce Kara Corches believes the change will protect Missouri’s economy overall.

“We applaud Gov. Kehoe signing this bill into law because it was incredibly vital to protect our business climate,” Croches said. “By signing this bill, we knew Prop A as passed in 2024 was indeed a job killer, so we are really pleased to see this across the finish line and signed into law to protect businesses and jobs in our state.”

Mandated sick pay will no longer be required for businesses after Aug. 18. It will then be up to each employer to decide whether to continue offering the benefit.

Corches said the law created limits for employers, especially in certain industries.

“You can’t ask why they are sick, which is problematic if you think about a health care setting or a food setting where you do have to know why someone is out sick in case they have communicable disease,” Corches said.

For Chevalier, he says if his small Columbia bookstore can offer paid sick leave, so can other businesses. He says it helps businesses in the long run.

“Your success depends on the people who work for you, and if they’re happy, if they feel taken care of, they’re going to do better work and the business will prosper from that,” he said.

However, Corches says mandatory paid sick leave would have hurt Missouri businesses’ budgets. She said more than 550 businesses joined the chamber to oppose Prop A.

HB 567 raises the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour this year, then to $15 starting in 2026. Thursday’s signing, however, eliminated a future increase to minimum wage.

Supporters of Prop A have filed papers to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot during the 2026 election cycle. If passed, it would reinstate the paid sick leave mandate and the increase to minimum wage.

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Matthew Sanders

Holts Summit police made it public this week — the department’s officers cooperated with federal authorities in an immigration enforcement operation that led to three arrests.

Details were scarce on the Homeland Security operation — the local government referred questions to the federal government, which provided no answers. However, it’s part of an enhanced immigration enforcement effort that is taking place across the country.

Some argue local police have no place in immigration enforcement. Others think they’re vital.

What do you think? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Task Force 1 has been assigned with conducting searched in Kerr County, Texas, the Boone County Fire Protection District wrote in a Wednesday social media post.

Fifty-two members of Task Force 1 were deployed on Monday and arrived in Texas on Tuesday.

The post says that Task Force 1 will conduct primary searched in Kerry County and will examine “every structure, vehicle, and debris pile they encounter to ensure no individuals are missed,” the post says.

Team member will use “search cameras, seismic listening devices, Human Remains Detection (HRD) Canines, and other specialized tools,” according to the post.

Nearly 120 people are dead and more than 160 are missing after historic flooding in Texas, according to reporting from CNN.

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Mitchell Kaminski

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

On Monday, friends of Bailey Scott first saw a Facebook post from Moberly police about a shooting in the 900 block of East Logan Street.

Later that day, they learned the 23-year-old was the victim of the deadly shooting.

“I never thought in a million years it would ever be someone so close to our hearts. That is such an outgoing person who would cause no harm to a fly,” BriAnna Nickerson, who had been friends with Scott for two years, said. “She was a social butterfly.  She always made you feel welcome  no matter if she knew or not.” 

Friends describe Scott as kind, passionate, social and always carrying a big smile on her face.

Scott moved to Moberly from the West Coast in 2019, and in just a few years, she had already left a lasting impact on the small community.

“I was more so just an acquaintance of Bailey. But if that doesn’t go to show you how many lives she touched,” said Kaylee Delaney, who is a waitress at a restaurant Scott and her family regularly attended. “She is just a light to so many lives. She wasn’t even from this community and touched so many different people in the six years that she was here.” 

Sabrina Johnson worked with Scott at Ravenwood Terrace, an assisted living community in Moberly. She said Scott often came back to visit, even after she stopped working there.

“It was a great job for her. She was the kindest soul. She took care of everyone, she knew no harm,” Johnson said. “She went back to Ravenwood several times. She just couldn’t leave her people.” 

Scott had a young son named Bentley, who Johnson described as “the happiest boy” — always wearing a big smile, just like his mother. Friends say that Bentley was asleep in her home when Scott was shot. 

“All you see on her social media and especially, her Snapchat,  you know, were coffee dates with her son”, Delaney said. 

Scott and her son were regulars at Scooters Coffee, so much so that friends placed a Scooters coffee cup at a memorial outside of her home. 

“Her and her son, it was kind of like a morning routine for them. We’ve come to find out and it’s just we’ve  been a part of their morning routine,” Moberly Scooters General Manager Corbyn Childs said.

To honor Scott, Scooters will donate 20% of its sales on Friday to Scott’s family. After announcing the fundraiser, Childs called the social media response to the fundraiser overwhelming. 

“Our owner found out about the loss that our town has suffered, and he just wants to be able to give back the best way that he can,” Childs said. “We come from a very small, tight group community and  this is a tragic loss and  the town is really coming together and it’s something to be proud to be a part of.” 

Scooter’s isn’t the only Moberly business rallying around Scott. The Boozy Badger Bar is organizing a balloon release in her honor outside the bar at 7 p.m. Friday. Following the event, 30% of all bar sales will be donated to help cover funeral expenses.

Scott’s friends are also hosting a remembrance walk at 7 p.m. Sunday, beginning at the Auto Zone parking lot on Morley Street. Attendees are encouraged to wear purple, which was one of her favorite colors. Her friends will also be accepting donations for Scott’s family. 

“This isn’t going to be a one-time thing,” Johnson said. “We would love to see more faces each and every time. We welcome everyone with open arms just like she does.” 

“Justice will prevail,” Delaney added. “She was an amazing person. Her character speaks for itself.” 

Several Moberly residents have openly discussed the name of a possible suspect in Scott’s shooting. ABC 17 News attempted to confirm the name with the Missouri State Highway Patrol — which is handling the investigation — but was told the patrol cannot release that information at this time.

“As with many cases, to maintain the integrity of the investigation, I am unable to confirm the identity of the shooter,” Sgt. Bradley Germann told ABC 17 News in an email. “Division of Drug and Crime Control investigators are actively following up on several leads in the case. Investigators will conduct a thorough and exhaustive investigation regarding this incident. Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be forwarded to the Randolph County Prosecutor’s Office for review and determination of formal charges are filed.”

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department said it is increasing speed enforcement along Scott Boulevard in southwest Columbia in an effort to bring speeds down after catching drivers going nearly 100 miles per hour.

A CPD spokesperson confirmed in an email that the traffic unit will be increasing enforcement on the road. In a Facebook post Tuesday, the department said speeding drivers are turning a routine drive into a “high-risk situation.”

In the post the department said, “let’s all commit to slowing down, reducing traffic collisions, and ensuring everyone gets home safely.”

On Wednesday, ABC 17 News used a radar gun on Scott Boulevard near Georgetown Drive to see how fast drivers were going.

Drivers were clocked going anywhere from 40-67 miles per hour in the 45 mph zone. Driver Sandtara Johnson said speeding in the area has been a concern for a while now.

“People are going pretty fast, I’ve seen 80-85 at least going down Scott Boulevard,” Johnson said. “It’s extremely dangerous I mean people are just passing each other when they really don’t need and people are getting real close,”

Tom Cantley, who lives off Chapel Hill Road, said drivers frequently speed in that area, but on Scott Boulevard, he’s especially concerned about how fast people are going.

“I just ask them what in the world are they thinking and why are they in such of a hurry on basically a residential street,” Cantley said.

“It seems like regularly I am not the fastest one going down,” driver Kent Van Landuynt added.

On the stretch of the street the speed limit abruptly changes from 45 to 40 mph hour near Gillespie Bridge Road. Drivers say the speed should be consistent to avoid the confusion.

“45 seems to be a good sign in my opinion, any faster would probably cause some more issues,” Johnson said.

Cantley believes changing the speed limit won’t reduce the problem. Instead, he thinks more police presence and enforcement are needed.

“Police probably need to be out here a little bit more than they are and try to catch them speeding because I don’t think changing the speed limit on the road is going to do any good,” Cantley said. “Pull them over and give them a ticket or give them points or take their license.”

There are also only a handful of speed limit signs along Scott Boulevard. Johnson believes adding more signs would make the area safer, reduce confusion, and help keep drivers more aware of how fast they should be going.

“There’s one way up there and threes one way down, we need some more like in the middle,” she added.

ABC 17 News did a search of the Columbia Police Department’s 2024 traffic stop data and found 193 entries for Scott Boulevard.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Maries County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a social media post on Wednesday that it was missing more than $5,000 in cash.

“In late June, I was informed by staff that over $5,000 in cash was missing. Upon learning this, I immediately made a formal request to the Missouri State Highway Patrol to investigate the matter. The Maries County Prosecuting Attorney was also made aware of the incident,” the post says. “I requested the Highway Patrol’s involvement to ensure accountability and transparency throughout the investigation. Unfortunately, due to the fact that this is an active investigation, I am unable to release many details at this time.”

Sheriff Mark Morgan wrote that he requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol to investigate and that more information will be released later. The patrol wrote in an email that its Division of Drug and Crime Control will investigate.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Police responded to a a report of shots fired late Tuesday night in the 200 block of Apple Tree Court in Columbia.

Management of the property told ABC 17 News this was a drive-by shooting. Dispatch logs show Columbia police were called to the neighborhood around 11:45 p.m. for a shots-fired call. Police have not released the identity of a suspected shooter. CPD confirmed the shooting happened to ABC 17 News, but said it could not share further details.

Around 12:15 a.m., officers are seen on doorbell camera footage — shared to ABC 17 News by a neighbor — knocking on doors to try and get information from residents. That same neighbor shared video of the what the building looked like at 7 a.m. Wednesday. Glass windows and doors could be seen with damage to them.

When an ABC 17 News reporter arrived to the scene at around 11 a.m. Wednesday, the damaged glass windows and doors had been boarded up. A resident, who asked to not be identified due to fear of future threats, said he was sitting on his couch watching a movie when he heard what sounded like four or five gunshots.

Another neighbor — who wished to remain anonymous for similar reasons — said their sliding window to their apartment was shot.

The property’s management confirmed to ABC 17 News that nobody in the complex was hurt in the shooting. They also ask anyone with information to contact the Columbia Police Department.

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Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Audrain County leaders said Wednesday that they back an effort by Boone Health to find a “strategic partner” to help grow its operation.

The Audrain County Commission, County Health Department and Boone Health signed a letter of intent in October 2024 to begin building a Medicare-certified critical access hospital in Mexico.

Audrain County Commissioner Alan Winders said the county fully supports Boone Health’s efforts to find a partner, noting it could bring expanded resources to them.

“Our goal is an E.R. and hospital here in Audrain County,” Winders said. “We commend the leadership. We are encouraged by the efforts, and we’re in full support of those efforts.”

Boone Health announced Monday that it’s actively seeking a strategic partner to help expand its services and reach across Central Missouri — but leaders say it’s not because the health system is in financial trouble.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Jerry Kennett said Wednesday that selling the health system is at the bottom of the list of options and remains an unlikely outcome.

“We think that by growing with this strategic partner, we can provide additional services, expand our emergency room, and build stronger relationships with the communities in central Missouri at a much faster rate,” Kennett said.

Kennett said that Boone Health’s day-to-day operations remain financially stable, and the push for a partner is about accelerating long-term growth.

Dr. Kennett says Boone Health is considering more than 15 potential entities, including MU Health Care.

While the full process could take up to a year, Kennett said he hopes to have a list of interested health systems by August or September.

Kennett also said that if Boone Health doesn’t find a partner that aligns with its goals and expectations, the organization will continue to grow independently, though at a slower pace.

In April, ABC 17 News reported that Boone Health was working its way out of operational debt. Financial records obtained by the station revealed a nearly $30 million operational loss in 2024. However, that figure marked a $7.7 million improvement over 2023.

Early data from 2025 suggests a continued upward trend. Boone Health reported positive financial results for the first two months of the year, signaling a potentially significant turnaround.

Boone Health has operated as an independent health system since ending its partnership with BJC HealthCare in 2021. The county government owns the hospital.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Veterans Day will now be considered a paid holiday for University of Missouri System workers following Gov. Mike Kehoe’s signing of House Bill 419 on Wednesday.

Local union LiUNA 955 released a statement in favor of the signing on Wednesday.

“This is a huge victory for our union and for all UM-System workers.” Representative for LiUNA Andrew Hutchinson said in a press release.  “Two of our longtime stewards, Mark Perrigo and Darrell Dillon, took off from work to speak at a senate hearing about the need for this holiday. We are so grateful that the legislature and Governor respected their service.”

The bill also the Missouri State High School Activities Association to waive the minimum practice requirement for all students who are active-duty military, which includes the National Guard and Army Reserve.

The bill also allows the Department of Health and Senior Services to approve more medical training programs for loan repayment.

It also allows military personnel and their families to be considered Missouri residents while being enrolled in a state college or university. The bill also states that it creates a separate custodial account with the State Treasure to deposit money from the UM seminary fund, which a release from the governor’s office says will support agriculture programs.  

The bill also creates the Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act, which provides college tuition for some public safety personnel and their legal dependents.

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