Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri System crucial materials crossroads was picked by the U.S. National Science Foundation to receive $160 million in funding, according to a Tuesday release from the university.

The grant is the largest award in the state’s higher-education history, the release says.

“NSF Engines investments in critical technologies and future industries will transform America’s innovation infrastructure for decades to come,” acting NSF director Brian Stone was quoted in the release. “This NSF Critical Materials Crossroads Engine will be a substantial resource in the Midwest to onshore and sustain production capacity for critical minerals used across the transportation, energy, communication and national security sectors.”

The Critical Materials Crossroads was started at the UM System in 2022 and has more than 260 partners spanning higher education, industry, entrepreneurship, government and community workforce development organizations in Missouri and Kansas, the release says

“Critical Materials Crossroads is expected to create approximately 10,000 jobs by 2036 across manufacturing, research and development, logistics, engineering, construction and workforce training that will generate real economic growth for Missouri and the broader region,” the release says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The westbound on-ramp to Interstate 70 from Providence Road in Columbia will close July 27 for several months, according to a Tuesday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Construction on the Providence Road bridge started in May and led to the closure of the off-ramp, which will stay closed for the whole construction project.

An end date for the on-ramp closure was not listed in the release.

The two eastbound ramps are still open, but they are expected to close at some point this summer, the release says.

The work is part of the Improve I-70 Project, which aims to make I-70 a three-lane highway across the state.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Moberly police officer who was found guilty of murder in June for his role in a 23-year-old woman’s death is back in jail after his bond was revoked.

David “Kip” Heyde, 69, of Moberly, was found guilty on June 26 of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Bailey Scott. The Moberly Police Department announced in a social media post on Tuesday that Heyde’s pre-sentencing bond was revoked.

A SWAT team arrested Heyde after he was seen in a vehicle that was heading north on Highway 63. The vehicle was stopped by officers in the 1300 block of Gratz Brown Street, the post says. The Moberly Area SWAT Team is a multi-agency team consisting of officers from the Moberly Police Department, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the North Missouri Drug Task Force, and Brookfield Police Department.

Randolph County Sheriff said Heyde was taken into custody “without incident.”

“We had him in custody in a short period of time. We had no issues taking them into custody and he’s in the Randolph County Jail,” Boggs said.

Heyde is currently being held at the Randolph County Jail without bond. A July 10 court filing says Heyde’s post-conviction bond was revoked “pursuant to Section 544.671 RSMO.” The statute states certain defendants are not entitled to bail for certain offenses.

Heyde initially bonded in Nov. while the investigation was still ongoing and had maintained his freedom until Tuesday.

The probable cause statement in previous reporting says Moberly police were called to a report of shots being fired in the 900 block of East Logan Street on July 6, 2025. Heyde allegedly claimed self-defense in the shooting when he spoke with police.

Heyde claimed Scott hit him during an argument after she alleged he was “attempting to kill birds at the front of his property,” court documents say. Neighbors had talked with ABC 17 News the week of the shooting about ongoing allegations that Heyde put bird feed in the street in front of his home.

Heyde allegedly told police he fired two shots at Scott, court documents say. Scott was found with a gunshot wound in her right torso, the statement says. The statement says Scott “had no obvious signs of trauma or injury to either of her hands.”

During the trial, state pushed back on claims that Heyde was hit by Scott, noting that in several interviews, Heyde used different language to describe the encounter.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21.

ABC 17 News has reached out to the county’s prosecutor for further comments but has not heard back.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man has been charged in Boone County after he allegedly pulled a gun out on an Uber driver on Saturday night.

Kevin Bennett, 52, was charged with carjacking, first-degree harassment and fourth-degree assault. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

The probable cause statement says the victim picked up Bennett at the Columbia Goodwill and drove him to Greyson Cottages on Nifong Boulevard. Bennett allegedly started screaming “no” and threatened to shoot the driver if she did not bring him to a Greyhound station, court documents say.

The driver was able to call for help with an ADT panic alarm in the vehicle, the statement says. Officers found Bennett in the driver’s vehicle with a stolen gun, the statement says. He was identified by his North Carolina driver’s license, police wrote.  

Bennett allegedly denied threatening the victim, but police told him there was an audio recording, the statement says. Bennett then allegedly claimed he was referring to someone else shooting at the vehicle, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cooper County Fair announced on Tuesday on its social media that the carnival company it had contracted has closed.

The Cooper County Fair is scheduled to be July 21-25.

The fair stated on its Facebook page that it received a letter on Monday afternoon from Amusement Associates indicating the company had closed “effective immediately as we are unable to insure our rental amusements and rides.”

“We understand that Amusement Associates LLC has outstanding contracts, with several event holders and we recognize the importance of ensuring that planned events continue to be serviced without unnecessary disruption,” the letter posted online states.

The fair wrote that its board is “looking in to every possibility and option.”

ABC 17 News reached out to Amusement Associates.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A decision on a bond motion for an Osage Beach alderman will decided next week, a Camden County judge decided on Tuesday.

Osage Beach Ward 1 Alderman John Robert “Bob” O’Steen, 60, was charged in May with delivery of a controlled substance, two counts of drug possession and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. He posted a $250,000 bond on May 13 after he was arrested for allegedly buying drugs from an undercover officer.

Prosecutor Richelle Grosvenor filed a motion on Monday to revoke O’Steen’s bond, claiming that he violated the conditions of his bond after a urinalysis on June 29 determined that O’Steen tested positive for benzoylecgonine, which is a metabolite of cocaine.

Camden County Judge Heather Miller stated the bond decision will be heard at a Wednesday, July 22 hearing. The case was also bound over to the circuit court on Tuesday.

O’Steen’s attorney, Travis Noble, denied the claims in a message to ABC 17 News on Monday.

“We deny any drug use and are complying with all conditions of bond,” the message reads.

Court documents in previous reporting say O’Steen tried to buy two “8-balls” of cocaine for $500 from an undercover law enforcement officer on Tuesday. Law enforcement served a warrant at O’Steen’s residence and found drugs and nine guns, the statement says.

O’Steen’s defense argued in the courtroom that his charge of distributing a controlled substance should be dismissed. After hearing the testimony of two witnesses, the judge decided that all charges against O’Steen would stand.

One of the witnesses on the stand was the undercover officer that O’Steen allegedly bought cocaine from. In the testimony, the undercover officer said that the sale happened inside the officer’s car. The undercover officer and O’Steen were in the car for about 20 minutes, said the witness and O’Steen told him that he would hand out cocaine to his friends and people he liked at parties held at his home.

According to a second witness who was a member of the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force, O’Steen’s phone was searched. The witness testified that there were text messages and pictures confirming that O’Steen would hand out drugs to other people.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Board of Education on Monday discussed possible changes to its policy on addressing bullying.

Do you think a new policy will be effective at addressing bullying in the school district?

Let us know in the poll and in the comments.

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Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia city council members discussed next year’s budget at a work session Monday evening.

In a presentation to the council, members heard the city is expecting a 1% increase in its general fund. But the city is looking at more than $7 million in cuts to department requests in order to balance the budget.

City staff also mentioned seeing record amounts of marijuana sales tax coming into the city so far this year.

The budget for FY 2027 has to be finished and passed by September 30. The fiscal year starts October 1.

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Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Callaway County Public Library, a branch of the Daniel Boone Regional Library located in Fulton, opened back up to the public Monday, following an extended closure for HVAC replacement.

“We can now control the building’s temperature and make it comfortable for everyone,” Callaway County Public Library manager Sara Henry said in a news release.

The library building has been in service since 1912. After the building closed in April, the library used a temporary location to continue to serve library patrons.

Funding for the HVAC replacement came in part through donations.

The library invites the community to a reopening celebration on July 17 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department is getting $1 million in the newly signed state budget to use specifically on downtown public safety.

When exactly the money hits the city’s account depends on Gov. Mike Kehoe releasing the funds, according to State Sen. Stephen Webber.

Webber said a conversation with Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude and his local roots prompted his push to secure the funding during this legislative session.

“I went to the Senate Appropriation Chair Rusty Black and I asked Rusty if he put $1 million in the budget specifically for the Columbia Police Department specifically to be spent on public safety in downtown,” Webber said. “I’m concerned about crime and I want it to be a thriving area.”

ABC 17 News reached out to Schlude to discuss the funds and she deferred us to Webber.

Webber said what the money is used for may be influenced by August elections, as a 1% Public Safety Sales Tax is up for a vote. The tax is projected to generate an additional $38 million in funding for police and fire.

However, Webber said the $1 million dollars in funds coming to police should not influence voters’ decisions.

“It’s significantly more money, that’s for ongoing expenses,” Webber said. “This is just an extra thing I could do as a state senator, from the state level, to bring some more resources to our community and try to do my piece of the puzzle, but it’s certainly not the entire puzzle.”

City leaders also gathered Monday to discuss the 2027 fiscal year budget proposal that includes nearly $2 million in funding cuts for police. On her way into the meeting Ward 1 councilwoman Valerie Carroll told ABC 17 News that city council was aware of the incoming funds, but discussions around what the money will be used for are still ongoing and nothing has been voted on yet.

Along with funding resources for downtown safety, Webb also filed legislation related to restricting juvenile gun access. That legislation did not make it through to Kehoe’s desk, but Webber said he plans to refile.

“I think people don’t believe that it’s the policy in Missouri right now that a 15-year-old can can drive around in backseat of a car with a handgun at two in the morning and nobody can do anything,” Webber said.

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