Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One of the seven people arrested following a brawl that occurred early July 26 in downtown Columbia has been charged with a felony and two misdemeanors.

Tinoz’shia Harris was charged on Tuesday in Boone County with third-degree assault of a special victim, misdemeanor resisting arrest and misdemeanor causing a peace disturbance. Court filings indicate she posted a $6,500 last month. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25.

A Columbia police officer wrote in the probable cause statement that Harris was fighting another woman at 1:24 a.m. July 26 at the intersection of North Ninth Street and East Walnut Street.

The officer used pepper spray on both women and he wrote that Harris knocked the pepper spray from his hand while the woman she fought ran away, the statement says. Harris also allegedly tried to run away and she allegedly hit the officer on the top of his head while he was detaining her, court documents say.

A video posted on social media at the time shows multiple people fighting downtown and police responding.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Multiple firefighters were treated for heat-related illness on Tuesday after they responded to a fire at the new McDonald’s at 200 South Providence Road, Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer told an ABC 17 News reporter on Tuesday afternoon.

The Columbia Fire Department later stated in a press release that two firefighters were evaluated.

The road was shut down between and Elm and Locust streets as first responders worked the area. Smoke was seen coming from the roof of the building when ABC 17 News arrived at 4:14 p.m.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw 10 firetrucks on the scene and at least three ladders were placed next to the building. Four firefighters were on the roof when ABC 17 News first arrived.

The fire at the building went from the main floor into the attic, Schaeffer said. No one who was in the building when the fire started was injured, Schaeffer said.

A cause has not been identified and Schaeffer said it’s too early to know if the fire was related to recent construction. The business is currently closed, but it is not a total loss. A day or time for reopening was not known.

Check back for updates.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, MO. (KMIZ)

Columbia voters on Tuesday approved a 1% public safety sales tax that city leaders claim would generate about $38 million each year to support police and fire services.

The measure passed 15,042 votes to 14,957.

Members of the Columbia Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 1055 gathered 7 p.m. Tuesday to watch election results as they wait to learn whether voters would approve the propositions.

During the past month, city officials held informational meetings in each of Columbia’s six wards to explain how the proposed tax would work and what the additional funding could provide if approved.

Columbia Professional Firefighters Union President Zachary Privette said firefighters, police officers and other supporters have spent weeks educating voters about what the proposed tax would fund.

Privette said he believes Columbia’s police and fire departments have fallen decades behind the city’s growing public safety needs. He said the additional funding would help both departments improve staffing, equipment and services to better protect the community.

“This new revenue generated will give us the opportunity to bring the department to 2026 and take us into the future,” Privette said.

While acknowledging that many families are closely watching their budgets, Privette said he believes the added cost of the sales tax would be outweighed by the long-term benefits. He said the investment would strengthen emergency response capabilities and improve public safety for Columbia residents.

After learning about the victory, Christian Hulan, the secretary-treasurer for Local 1055, said the funding will allow firefighters to respond faster and better serve the community.

“The new stations are going to go in areas where we have geographically long response times and certain parts of the cities where we expect growth and expected increased demand, and so ultimately, in certain parts of the cities, that’s going to mean faster response time, which is going to result in a safer community.” Hulan said.

Police department cites staffing and space needs

During one of the city’s public meetings last month, Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude said the department’s top priorities include increasing officer pay to remain competitive with other law enforcement agencies across Missouri.

In July, Schlude said Columbia has grown significantly during the past 26 years, stretching department resources.

“We’ve added about 49,000 people and about 15 additional square miles, which is a 20-28% land mass increase that we’re responsible for providing services for,” Schlude said.

According to the department, Columbia currently has 1.40 police officers per 1,000 residents, compared with 1.49 officers per 1,000 residents 26 years ago.

Schlude also said the department’s current headquarters no longer meets the needs of modern policing, making a new facility one of the department’s largest priorities.

Fire department looks to improve response times

If approved, the tax would also fund major investments in the Columbia Fire Department, including hiring 42 additional firefighters, building two new fire stations and renovating three existing stations.

Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said adding 42 firefighters would allow every fire apparatus to be staffed with four firefighters instead of three.

“Those 42 will allow us to put a fourth firefighter on all of our apparatus. We currently only have three. Adding that fourth person allows us to split crews and basically double our effectiveness when it really matters,” Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer said the department opened an interim fire station in Ward 1 in May, an area made up largely of single-family homes. While the neighborhood is considered lower risk, he said firefighters still face longer response times because of the city’s continued growth.

“We want to be at your door 90% of the time within five minutes after we get alerted,” Schaeffer said. “We used to be able to achieve that. As the city has grown, there are areas and pockets of the city where we’re no longer able to meet that goal.”

Check back for updates.

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Haley Swaino

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City businessman Jake Vogel is the GOP nominee for Missouri’s Sixth Senate District.

Six Republican hopefuls sought Missourians’ vote for the chance to advance from Tuesday’s primary race to the November general election.

Republican Mike Bernskoetter has represented Camden, Cole, Miller, Moniteau and Morgan counties in the Missouri State Capitol Building since 2019. He is leaving the seat open in January due to term limits. As it stands, Vogel will face J. Don Salcedo in the general election– the Democrat nominee who ran unopposed in District 6.

“I don’t even like to use the word politician,” Vogel said. “I know I am one now, we’re trying to fight to be one. We still have a general. But I, we’re in the community and our family business is Coca-Cola. Our job is to build relationships. That’s what life is all about. And that’s what I preach on the campaign trail to get stuff done. I’m not about noise. I’m about solutions. I want to work. I don’t need to be grandstanding. I’ll get any bill passed. If they need to put my name on it. But I have a knack for being positive and building relationships and giving back to the community, especially District 6 in the state of Missouri.”

The fifth-generation Coca-Cola franchisee said Gov. Mike Kehoe called him as final election results rolled in Tuesday night.

“He just said, ‘First and foremost, congratulations,'” Vogel said. “This is a grueling business. I’ve never done this before. I’m an old military guy. But this is a mental, grueling business. And [Kehoe said] hug your wife. That’s what we did. I shed a tear. I’ll be honest, I shared some good emotions. And we stayed positive and consistent with our message.”

The other candidates vying to fill the seat were Macks Creek restaurant owner Amber Buckles, Presiding Camden County Commissioner Todd “Ike” Skelton, former Jefferson City Councilman Derrick Spicer, former Rep. Lisa Thomas and Rep. Rudy Veit.

In mid-July, ABC 17 News asked each candidate why they believed they were the best fit for the Senator seat.

Jake Vogel wants to bring his business lens to the position.

“Just my background, I believe,” Vogel said. “I consider myself a community servant, being engaged in the community, giving back through our [Coca-Cola] products, and everything we can do to help out the schools, whether it be scoreboards. And again, I sell Coca-Cola for a living, so it’s an open, happy refreshment. So that’s how we survive in the community with the relationships that we are proud that we have built. And then my military skill set. People trusted their life with me, and that was my job. So I parlayed that, and taking care of the guys here [at Coca-Cola], I have worked with all types of guys from every walk of life here in business and in the military. I served with people from all different types of backgrounds all over the country, so I have a knack for building relationships and taking care of people.”

Rudy Veit believed his eight years of experience in the House of Representatives set him apart. He also already serves parts of Cole and Miller counties in the 59th District.

 “I have a very broad background,” Veit said. “I’ve been involved in community activities my whole life. And I can read the bills and understand the bills. I have eight years of experience. I just didn’t say, ‘Okay, I want be a senator.’ No, I took the route of going with the House of Representatives so I could learn the ropes in that … And I am also one of the few people that will stand up to establish money when I think something is fundamentally wrong. And that’s why I voted no on Amendment 5. I was one of three Republicans who voted. And I had to protect the constitutional rights of individuals to prevent us from having unlimited taxes on services, sales tax and everything. And also the spending of the Hancock Amendment, all on the promise of, ‘Trust me,’ and not any clear definition of what we’re going to do.”

Lisa Thomas believed her experience serving from 2021-25 in the House of Representatives and her background in health would help get important issues addressed.

 “I’m the only physician, so I understand healthcare, health, mental health and social services,” Thomas said. “That constitutes an enormous part of our annual state budget. I’ve had boots-on-the-ground experience, so I don’t just say, ‘We need to lower healthcare costs.’ That’s a big duh. What I can do is tell you, ‘We can do this, this and this today,’ and we can absolutely impact our costs. We need to negotiate a reasonable tort reform that’s going to lower individual and government healthcare costs tomorrow. We have a group of providers, the only ones by statute; we can tell them where to practice, and guess where that is? Rural and underserved communities. Bingo. That’s what we need to do. We need to be the welcoming state for that group of practitioners. Bring them in. Get them to work. We need to make sure that we have pricing transparency on drugs so that we can have the lowest cost. We need PBMs [pharmacy benefit managers] to be clear about what they’re doing. We need to protect the doctor-patient relationship. Government shouldn’t be interfering. You and your doctor should make decisions about your own healthcare and not be told you have to do this or that.”

Derrick Spicer said he thought he was the best choice because he was running on the basis of not being a “career politician.”

“I’m the best candidate for this seat because I’m actually for the constituents of District 6, because I’m one of them,” Spicer said. “And I want people to understand that everywhere in the district is just as important to me as the people in Jefferson City. I’m not a part of the establishment. I’m me. And I’ve been a fighter my whole life. And I want to continue to fight for the district.  I just think that it’s a situation where I have an opportunity to serve the people. I don’t have to do this. I said I’m doing this because they’re going to get one chance … to make a change. And I’m the change. If they want the same old crap, I’m not your guy. So if they want somebody that’s going to be actually for them, then I will get elected.”

Todd “Ike” Skelton said he had true passions for serving people that’s apparent in all he does.

 “I’ve been a servant most of my life,” Skelton said. “I’ve been in some sort of service through the military, through working, and through child support enforcement, family services. I was a corrections officer for a while. And then even when I was a locksmith, my last non-government profession, as it were, I still served people and helped take care of people, get them out of jams that they were in … And so I have a passion for serving people, and I am very passionate about our Constitution. I’m very passionate about small government, and I already have that in my heart. I’m not going to be a ‘yes’ person for any other politician. I’m not going to be a ‘yes’ person to leadership. I am not getting the big money from lobbyists that I’m then going to be beholden to. I’m not getting big money from corporations that I could maybe be beholden to. I’ll be beholden to the people. I’ll be beholden to the Constitution. And I truly do, I’ve had a lot of different experiences in life, which I believe give me that unique opportunity to understand where an awful lot of people are coming from.”

Amber Buckles said in a statement to ABC 17 News that her experience as an everyday, hardworking Missourian set her apart.

“What sets me apart is simple,” Buckles wrote. “I bring real-world experience, not political experience. As a small business owner, I understand what it means to balance a budget, make difficult decisions, solve problems, and serve people every day. I know what it feels like to work hard, pay taxes, and wonder where those tax dollars are going. I don’t believe government exists to control people’s lives. I believe it exists to serve the people, protect their constitutional rights—including the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment—spend their tax dollars responsibly, and stay accountable to the citizens—not special interests. If elected, I will be accessible, transparent, and willing to listen. I may not have every answer on day one, but I will always ask questions, seek facts, and make decisions based on what is best for the hardworking people of Senate District 6 and the State of Missouri.”

Polls closed at 7 p.m.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said Tuesday that a citizen-led referendum challenging a Republican-friendly map passed by the state legislature is “insufficient.”

Hoskins made the announcement at a news conference in Jefferson City about an hour before his deadline to certify the petition challenging the “Missouri First” congressional map.

Hoskins said the designation that the referendum is “insufficient, due to it being unconstitutional,” is based on court rulings and an opinion from the Missouri attorney general. The Missouri Constitution simply doesn’t allow a challenge to a congressional map, Hoskins maintained.

The “referendum itself is null and void by virtue of the fact that it is unconstitutional,” Hoskins said. He said no number of valid signatures would be enough to get the measure on the ballot.

Hoskins waited until the last day required by law to make a decision. ABC 17 News reached out to the secretary about two weeks before the deadline, and Hoskins said he was still reviewing signatures and researching the constitutionality of a referendum on a redistricting map.

The group backing the referendum, People Not Politicians, said before the news conference that it was prepared for Hoskins to call the referendum unconstitutional and is gearing up for another court battle, even though the group said it has more than enough signatures required by law.

People Not Politicians filed a lawsuit on Tuesday evening challenging Hoskins. The petition claims the referendum is sufficient.

The lawsuit argues “Hoskins did not identify the number of signatures gathered as a reason for deeming the Referendum insufficient.” It also says Hoskins’ claim “the Missouri and U.S. Constitutions prohibit subjecting a redistricting bill to the referendum” is incorrect.

26AC-CC00440 – VON GLAHN V HOSKINSDownload

Back in December, a federal judge ruled that Hoskins could declare the referendum unconstitutional, but many people are wondering why Hoskins waited until the last day to decide.

If Hoskins decides to certify the referendum, it would freeze the 2025 map, and Missouri would go back to the previous map passed in 2022. What this means for the August and November elections isn’t clear.

However, Hoskins has stuck by the 2025 map, saying it’s the “law of the land.” He reiterated those words Tuesday.

Lawmakers passed the map during a special session nearly a year ago. The 2025 map significantly alters District 5, which Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) currently holds in Congress.

The map extends the district, which was centered primarily on Kansas City, across Missouri and into northern Boone County. Republican lawmakers are anticipating the district to flip from Democratic to Republican, giving Missouri seven GOP members and one Democrat in Congress.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A migrant who was deported from the United States four times was charged with multiple felonies after he allegedly chased a woman on July 22 in Jefferson City, court documents say.

Cesar Garcia-Duarte, 41, was charged on Tuesday in Missouri’s Western District Court with being a felon with a gun, being a migrant with a gun and illegal reentry.

The affidavit says Garcia-Duarte was deported from the country in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018 and had been convicted in 2014 with reentry of a removed migrant.

Court documents say the victim called police at 12:17 a.m. July 22, indicating a man had showed her drugs at a Jefferson City gas station and eventually tried to force her vehicle off the road while chasing her.

The statement says police saw Garcia-Duarte driving in a lane for oncoming traffic on Jackson Street near East Miller Street, alongside the victim’s vehicle. Jefferson City police tried to conduct a traffic stop and Garcia-Duarte stopped his vehicle before taking off, the statement says.

Garcia-Duarte eventually crashed his vehicle on the on-ramp of Highway 54 and his vehicle was found upside down in an embankment, court documents allege. Garcia-Duarte allegedly gave a fake name at University Hospital. Police found a gun without ammunition in Garcia-Duarte’s vehicle, the officer wrote.

Additionally, police also found two ID cards, one with Garcia-Duarte’s name that was issued in 2018 and expired in 2021 that indicated he was from El Salvador, the statement says. On the second ID, police saw it named “Carlos Enrique Ramos” from Mexico and that it expired in 2027, court documents allege.

Garcia-Duarte allegedly admitted to drinking 10 beers before driving his vehicle and claimed the victim asked for drugs, money and wanted to meet with him, court documents say. The victim refuted the claims and told police that Garcia-Duarte approached her at the gas station, started talking, but she did not understand what he was saying, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man accused of shooting two people on July 25 at Douglass Park was booked into the Boone County Jail on Monday night.

Lenn Dukes, 42, was charged on July 28 in Boone County with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of illegal gun possession and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court appearance was held on Tuesday. Police wrote in a Tuesday press release that Dukes was arrested in Lincoln County.

The probable cause statement says two people were shot at Douglass Park at 9:47 p.m. July 25 and one of the victims was found at the Blind Boone Center. The second victim was not found, but a witness told police a second person was shot in their wrist, the statement says.

Officers spoke with one of the victims at University Hospital and he allegedly stated he was sitting at the same picnic table with Dukes before Dukes started “circling” the area, the statement says. The victim claimed he said something to Dukes and Dukes replied, but he did not remember what was said, court documents say.

The victim then heard four gunshots and had injuries to his back and left bicep, court documents allege.

A witness told police that they heard Dukes demand money before firing shots, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe made a last-minute pitch to drum up Election Day support for his signature policy goal — phasing out the state income tax — as he talked to reporters after voting on Tuesday.

Kehoe spoke with a gaggle of reporters outside the Masonic Lodge, where the Republican governor cast his ballot on Tuesday.

Kehoe touted the benefits of Amendment 5, which would phase out income tax in Missouri. Opponents, including many Republicans, say the amendment gives too much leeway for the General Assembly to shape tax collection.

“We certainly, we hope it passes,” Kehoe said of Amendment 5. “We think it’s a great option for Missouri. And if it does [pass], we’ll be getting our work right away with the stakeholders and various farm groups, etc., to find out, uh, what this might look like.”

Kehoe also endorsed Amendment 4, which would make it harder to get citizen-led petitions approved by requiring approval from a majority of voters in each congressional district.

Kehoe is not in a race this August — the governor’s seat will come up for election in 2028.

Polls close at 7 p.m.

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Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County is on track to see voter turnout that exceeds the last August primary election, as major statewide ballot issues draw voters to the polls along with local races, some caused by a shifting congressional map.

According to the Boone County Clerk’s Office, as of 2 p.m., Boone County had a turnout of 23%, including Election Day voters and in-person absentee voters.

In August 2024, that number was 12.7% by 1 p.m. Boone County has just more than 127,000 registered voters.

More than 5,300 people had voted early in the Aug. 4 election as of Friday, while August 2024’s election saw 4,179 early voters in Boone County.

Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon said the numbers this year are higher than average. She has predicted a possible turnout of 40%.

“They are definitely higher than average for a midterm primary. I think the amendments are really driving the turnout for this election,” said Lennon.

LINK: 2026 Voter Guide

Lennon adds, “I think the amendments are really driving the turnout for this election.”

Cole County had seen a 22.6% turnout at about 2 p.m., more than 15,000 voters, said Cole County elections head Matt Musselman. Turnout for the 2024 August election in Cole County was about 34%. He also predicts about 40% turnout.

Included on this primary ballot are Amendments 4 and 5, which would make it harder for citizens to pass statewide referenda and phase out income tax, respectively.

Location of Boone County Polls

Local races are also helping to drive voters out. In Boone County, Columbia residents are voting on a public safety sales tax and a Ward 4 city council member.

In Cole County, residents are choosing a new presiding commissioner and voting on a tax extension in Jefferson City.

Polls are open until 7 p.m.

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Matthew Sanders

Primary Election Day is here — often one of the slower elections in terms of turnout.

But not this year.

Boone County’s clerk is predicting 40% turnout for the August primary, driven in large part by a public safety sales tax vote in Columbia. But statewide Constitutional amendments are also likely to drive large numbers of voters to the polls statewide.

Is that the case with you? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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