Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council on Tuesday night voted 8-2 to create the Downtown Jefferson City Conference Center Transportation Development District.

Meeting documents say qualified voters of the district will be asked to approve a 1% sales and use tax “to assist in the funding of public improvements, blight remediation activities and other services within the District.” Previous reporting says it primarily means transportation improvements for the downtown conference center.

Ward 5 Councilwoman Mackenzie Job and Ward 2 Councilman Aaron Mealey were the “no” votes.

The city brought up a petition last month for a judge to approve the formation of the district.

Previous reporting says the city expects roughly $170,000 to be generated from the sales tax each year, according to the petition. The district and funding would run for a maximum period of 27 years before being reapproved, documents say.

The downtown conference center transportation district will have five board members, with two members having three-year-terms, two having two-year terms and one with a one-year term, according to court documents. The first set of board members will be appointed by the mayor with City Council approval, meeting documents say.

Previous reporting says a design report outlined the 189,420-square-foot facility, which would be built between Madison and Monroe streets, with the main entrance on East Capitol Avenue.

The project includes a 200-room hotel, bar, conference room, grand ballroom, restaurant, coffee shop, and 526 parking spaces. City officials said the design aims to attract more visitors downtown and boost local business activity.

Additionally, the council on Tuesday night approved a special permit for the conference center to exceed 100,000 square feet.

The council also unanimously approved to put a question on the Aug. 4 ballot to extend the half-cent capital improvements sales tax. The current capital improvement sales tax is expected to expire on March 31, 2027, the new approval by voters would extend the tax through March 31, 2037.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cole County R-1 School District will not hold class on Wednesday and Thursday because of widespread illness.

The district made the announcement in a Tuesday evening social media post. The school district did not say what illness caused the closure and said it would monitor the situation before making a decision about class on Friday.

“Due to an increase in illnesses, the Cole County R-I School District will not be in session on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, or on Thursday, January 22, 2026,” the social media post says. “We will continue to monitor illnesses, as well as potential inclement weather, as we make decisions regarding Friday, January 23, 2026, and will communicate any updates as soon as they are available.”

ABC 17 News has reached out to the school’s superintendent.

Russellville isn’t the only school district that has face this issue recently. The Paris R-2 School District called off classes for a day last week because of widespread illness.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia woman is being held without bond at the Boone County Jail after she was charged on Tuesday with first-degree domestic assault.

An initial court appearance for Tachelle Welch, 32, was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Boone County Courthouse.

The probable cause statement says police were called at 2:47 a.m. Monday for a reported domestic assault. Court documents say Boone Hospital staff told police the victim had a concussion and had a possible broken hand and jaw. Police noted in court documents that the victim had several injuries to their face, head and arm.

The statement says Welch was intoxicated and started assaulting the victim after an argument. The victim believed Welch was trying to kill them and claimed that Welch attacked them to the point that they lost consciousness, the statement says.

After the victim regained consciousness, Welch allegedly strangled the victim, the statement says. The victim was able to get away by kicking Welch and running, but believed Welch was still after them, the statement says.

When interviewed by police, Welch allegedly claimed the victim should have been arrested, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jonesburg, Missouri, man was charged with 10 felonies after authorities claim he assaulted a woman several times.

Joey Glass was charged this week in Montgomery County with three counts of first-degree domestic assault, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of first-degree kidnapping, one count of endangering the welfare of a child and pair of counts of third-degree domestic assault.

The probable cause statement says deputies were called on Sunday to an apartment complex in Montgomery County for a reported assault. Someone described as a witness had allegedly seen Glass assault a woman in the back of a maroon vehicle, the statement says.

A youth, who was also described as a victim, allegedly told law enforcement that Glass had been assaulting the victim for months, the statement says.

The child had described an assault that occurred earlier in the day at a residence that led to Glass assaulting the victim in the vehicle and then allegedly trying to run her over, the statement indicates.  The youth had allegedly tried to separate the two during the assault. The child then described an assault that occurred on Saturday.

Another witness described a public incident where they allegedly had seen the victim “running for her life” through a parking lot while Glass chased her, the statement says.

Glass denied all allegations when he was arrested, the statement says.

A judge was assigned to the case on Tuesday and an initial court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

SSM Health and UnitedHealthcare reached a deal to keep the insurance giant’s customers in-network for “multiple years.”

SSM Health didn’t say how long the agreement will be in effect in a news release Tuesday, instead labeling it simply a “multi-year” deal. SSM Health operates St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City.

UnitedHealthcare has about 140,000 customers across the state, according to the release.

The announcement follows up a temporary extension of the companies’ old agreement that was reached Dec. 31, 2025. Prior to the agreement, UnitedHealthcare said in an online release that it was negotiating to keep care affordable and uninterrupted, citing rising hospital costs as a factor driving higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.

However, SSM Health argued that instead of working with them on an agreement, “UnitedHealthcare is prioritizing its own profits over what its members truly deserve: high-quality, accessible care.” SMM Health also claimed UnitedHealthcare “hasn’t demonstrated a willingness to collaborate on a new, fair agreement, and the expiration date of our current contract is quickly approaching on December 31, 2025.”

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The lawyer for a Columbia man charged with 10 felonies after a late-November standoff with police has filed paperwork to have his client undergo a mental evaluation.

Kaitlyn Bullard filed the motion for a mental evaluation for Rodquel R. Jones, 21, last Thursday. The motion states that Bullard has concerns about Jones’ ability to understand his case and help in his own defense.

Rodquel Jones, 21, of Columbia, was charged with six counts of first-degree harassment and one count each of unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action, resisting arrest and stealing a gun after a standoff that lasted about six hours at a residence on Sieville Avenue.

Jones remained in the Boone County Jail without bond on Tuesday. A hearing scheduled for Tuesday was rescheduled for March 16.

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Ryan Shiner

Andrew Birkby

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Edgar Springs man has been arrested after he was accused of picking up a former student and bringing her to his home.

Andrew Birkby, 25, was charged on Saturday with child kidnapping in Phelps County. He is currently being held at the Phelps County Jail without bond. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Birkby is described as a former teacher of the victim, but court documents do not say where he was employed. A superintendent of an area school district confirmed Birkby met at Kaleidoscope Discovery Center in Rolla.

The superintendent of a Phelps County school district contacted law enforcement about Birkby allegedly picking up a girl and purchasing a tablet to communicate with the youth, the statement says. Law enforcement asked the girl for the tablet on Jan. 13 and she handed it over, the statement says.

The tablet allegedly showed Birkby arranging meetups with the child, the statement says. After Birkby was arrested he allegedly admitted bringing her to his residence about 10 times and having physical contact with the youth, court documents allege.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman who is charged with 29 counts of felony animal abuse is expected to go to trial in April.

Melissa Sanders, 26, of Columbia, is scheduled to go to trial on Tuesday, April 28 at the Boone County Courthouse, according to Prosecutor Roger Johnson. She has been held at the Phelps County Jail. She is being held without bond.

Sanders ran Magnum Opus German Shepherds and a number of dead dogs, including a dozen dog skulls, were found at the property of the business when law enforcement served a search warrant in November, according to court documents in previous reporting. Several malnourished dogs were also found at the property.

Court documents say at least two living dogs that were found were on the brink of death. A number of dogs have been returned to owners or are being fostered.

Sanders is also facing a case from several dog owners from around the country and abroad.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A fifth-grade student in the Moberly School District died after an accidental shooting over the weekend, the district said in a statement Tuesday,

“Our hearts are with the student’s family, friends, classmates, and all those affected by this tragic loss,” Superintendent Cristina Wright wrote in the statement. “The district is providing counseling and supportive services for students and staff and will continue to make these resources available for as long as they are needed.”

Wright wrote that multiple organizations have stepped in to help students and staff in the aftermath of the death, including churches, neighboring school districts in Renick, Sturgeon and western Randolph County, and mental health professionals at Burrell Behavioral Health.

Wright wrote that the district would not share other details out of respect for the family. The district did not release the student’s name.

The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that it is investigating the shooting, which happened at a residence outside Moberly.

Deputies tried to save the child, who later died at a hospital, the release states. The sheriff’s office says the investigation is ongoing and no other details will be immediately released because minors are involved.

Randolph County Prosecutor Stephanie Lunsford says she is unable to confirm the child’s name at this time.

Lunsford said the sheriff’s office will conduct a thorough investigation before any decision is made on whether charges will be filed, adding that incidents like this have been rare during her time in office.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Lawyers for the ACLU argued in court Tuesday that voters’ rights under the Missouri Constitution are being trampled if a new mid-decade congressional map is active.

The ACLU and the State of Missouri met in the Cole County Circuit Court on Tuesday for a hearing in a lawsuit asking for a preliminary injunction to pause the redistricting map.

The ACLU, which is representing two Kansas City voters, is asking the Cole County courts to suspend House Bill 1, a bill passed during a special session that redrew the state’s congressional map mid-decade. The suit, filed in December 2025, follows the state’s claim that the activist group People Not Politicians inaccurately announced that Missouri’s new congressional district map was frozen.

The ACLU is looking for an expedited trial, and if that is not possible, a preliminary injunction to prevent the state from using the new congressional map.

The state and political action committee Put Missouri First are looking to have the case thrown out.

The ACLU claims that the Missouri Constitution suspends a law when a referendum on it starts. They argue that when the secretary of state received 305,000 signatures to put the new congressional map on the ballot on Dec. 9, the new congressional map frozen and will be unusable until it’s voted on in November.

“Is House Bill 1 suspended right now? That’s it, it’s a straightforward question,” attorney for the ACLU Johnathan Hawley said.

The group added that if the map is frozen, the state claiming it is not active goes against voters’ rights to petition the government to suspend a law. The ACLU also argues that since the current status of the map is unclear, the voters they represent have voiced confusion about which district they are represented in.

“Missouri voters of the state, we have the right to referendum, and that’s the interest that is being infringed upon right here,” Tori Schafer, the director of policy and campaigns for the ACLU of Missouri, said.

The new districts will also affect candidate filing on Feb. 24 for the upcoming 2026 midterm election, with candidates needing a clear map to know what districts to file for and who they are representing.

“This problem will get worse the closer we get,” Hawley said.

The Attorney General’s Office claims that the ACLU and People Not Politicians are promoting a false narrative, arguing that the freeze only occurs when the signatures are validated by the secretary of state. The office claims that at this time, it has not been confirmed that enough signatures have been submitted. Referendum petition signatures must equal 5% of legal voters in each of two-thirds of the congressional districts in the state to pass. County election offices have a deadline of July to verify the signatures.

Louis Capozzi, representing the state, argued that the ACLU has the right to sue the state but only after signatures are certified by the secretary of state.

“The plaintiffs are trying to circumvent the statutory process,” Capozzi said.

The group Put Missouri First was allowed to join the lawsuit as a defendant. The group filed a motion to intervene, arguing that they should be allowed as a defendant in the lawsuit because it opposes the redistricting referendum and plays a role in funding and shaping opposition efforts, according to court documents.

A bench trial has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 18.

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