Author: KMIZ

Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state auditor said in a report Monday that Missouri’s budget surplus could be depleted within a couple of years if changes aren’t made quickly.

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick reported in an analysis of the state’s general revenue fund that a $6 billion deficit in fiscal 2023 will be gone by fiscal 2028 on the current trajectory.

“I applaud lawmakers for making decisions that caused the General Revenue Fund balance to soar to unprecedented levels, but state spending has also increased to an unsustainable level that will rapidly deplete the balance in the fund very soon if it is not brought under control,” Fitzpatrick said in a news release accompanying the report.

A large chunk of the budget surplus came from one-time federal funds awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers voted to spend $960 million of the surplus in fiscal 2024 and $480 million in fiscal 2025, leaving the surplus at $4.3 billion this summer, Fitzpatrick reported. He predicts deficit spending of more than $2 billion this fiscal year if changes aren’t made.

Meanwhile, tax cuts at the federal and state levels will continue to reduce general revenue, Fitzpatrick says. He included those changes in his projections, he wrote.

General revenue analysisDownload

Missouri House Budget Chair Dirk Deaton (R-Seneca) said in a news release that he agrees with Fitzpatrick’s findings.

“His analysis confirms what I have said both in private and public comments over the past year about the long-term condition of the state budget,” Deaton said. “Specifically, the concern about a structural deficit created when ongoing General Revenue spending exceeds what the state collects within a given fiscal year.”

Lawmakers will return to the Capitol next month to start the legislative session. Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to lay out his budget plan, including the phasing out of income tax, in his Jan. 13 State of the State speech.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was shot by Columbia police on Christmas Day has been charged with several counts, including arson.

Boone County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Buchanan told ABC 17 News in an email that Marc Lucas has been charged with first-degree trespassing, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of armed criminal action, two counts of fourth-degree assault and a single count of first-degree arson. Bond has been denied for Lucas.

Court documents and a case number have not yet been shared to Casenet.

The Columbia Police Department wrote in a Friday social media post that Lucas, 31, who is from the state of California, as a possible suspect in two incidents prior to police shooting him on Thursday. Police wrote that Lucas allegedly tried to attack a patron inside of a Break Time in the 3200 block of Stadium Boulevard.

Officers allegedly tried to use a stun gun while detaining Lucas, but Lucas then allegedly tried to attack one of the officers with a knife and he was shot, police wrote. Lucas was hospitalized after the shooting. He was not in the Boone County Jail on Monday afternoon.

The two officers who fired at Lucas during the encounter were placed on administrative leave while the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigates, previous reporting shows.

According to Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Show Me Crime data from 2021 for the CPD, there were 361 reports of aggravated assault so far in 2025. This is around a 16% decrease from 2021, when there were 434 reports. In that dataset, non-firearm assaults saw around a 28% increase with 122 in 2025 and 95 in 2021.

Arson overall was uncommon, with 12 reports so far in 2025. The highest number of reports between 2021 and 2025 was 30 cases in 2024.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An embattled restaurant whose owner has been accused of arson has officially moved out of its south Columbia location.  

Workers were seen emptying Casa Maria’s at 1305 Grindstone Parkway on Monday. The restaurant had announced on its Facebook page that Sunday would be its last day, but indicated it could reopen at another location and as a food truck.

“While we are stepping away for now, it doesn’t mean that’s the end. Come see us at our food truck,” the Saturday social media post says.

Court documents in previous reporting say Grindstone Plaza Development issued Crystal Umfress and Marion Spence a notice of default on June 18 and a notice to terminate the lease on July 24 after rent had gone unpaid for months. Documents show the landlord declared the lease terminated the next day.

A Boone County judge ruled in favor of Grindstone Plaza Development earlier this month in its motion for default against Umfress. A writ of possession order filed on Dec. 17 says the restaurant was ordered to vacate the property after owing $120,750.04 in unpaid rent and $8,926.61 in fees and costs.

Umfress is charged with felonies in two cases. The first of which she is charged with second-degree arson after she was accused of hiring Kerry Raymond to burn down Lupita’s Mexican Restaurant in 2023 in Dunklin County.

In another case, she is charged with two counts of filing false documents and three counts of forgery after she was accused of impersonating county officials and restaurant owners.

A jury trial is scheduled in both cases for 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Butler County, with a pretrial conference set for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two men were seriously injured in a Monday morning crash on Highway 63 in Phelps County, about three miles south of Edgar Springs, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report.

The report says a 2018 Ford Focus – driven by an 18-year-old Plattsburgh, New York – was heading southbound when it crossed the center line and hit a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado head-on. The Chevrolet was driven by a 48-year-old man from West Plains, Missouri, according to the report.

The New York man wore a seatbelt, while the West Plains man did not, the report says. The driver from New York was flown to Cox Hospital in Springfield, while the West Plains man was flown to University Hospital in Columbia, according to the report.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has agreed to resume publishing the “disparity index” with its annual vehicle stops report after reaching a settlement with the state NAACP.

The NAACP sued the attorney general’s office in May, alleging the office broke the law by not publishing the index in the yearly reports. The disparity index is a measure of how much drivers of a particular race or ethnicity are stopped compared to their white counterparts.

Nimrod Chapel, president of the Jefferson City NAACP, said Monday that the attorney general’s office agreed to start publishing the index again, including adding it to the 2023 and 2024 reports.

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office is required by law to publish the vehicle stops report each year by June 1. The office stopped publishing the disparity index in the 2023 report under then-Attorney General Andrew Bailey, saying it was of “limited analytical value.”

Chapel said that dealing with new Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a former state House speaker, is a “breath of fresh air.”

“It’s important to know that there’s integrity in that office, and I believe that to be the case,” Chapel said of Hanaway’s leadership.

Chapel said the NAACP’s lawsuit against the University of Missouri, alleging open records violations related to the vehicle stops report, is ongoing.

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Matthew Sanders

AUXVASSE, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three people were hurt, one seriously, when a vehicle pulled into the path of another at a Callaway County intersection.

A 42-year-old Mexico, Missouri, woman suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to University Hospital after the crash just before noon at Highway 54 and Country Road 1408 near Auxvasse. The Missouri State Highway Patrol initially reported a helicopter had been called to the scene, but no patients were flown from the crash.

The woman was driving a Dodge Ram that pulled into a Chevrolet Impala’s path, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The truck driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered serious injuries. A passenger in the car, a 22-year-old Fulton woman, was wearing a seatbelt and suffered only minor injuries, the report states.

The Impala driver, a 72-year-old woman from Fulton, was taken to University Hospital for moderate injuries. She was not wearing a seatbelt.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Howard County man was charged Sunday in Cooper County with carjacking, armed robbery and other felonies for allegedly taking a vehicle at gunpoint Saturday.

The victim reported the carjacking to police at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday on Main Street in Boonville, according to a probable cause statement. Officers later arrested Carl Landrum III, 34, and prosecutors charged him with first-degree robbery, three counts of armed criminal action, carjacking, attempted first-degree assault and illegal gun possession.

A witness told investigators that he was stopped at Main and Morgan streets and saw the car, a black Nissan, rocking back and forth before one person got out and ran, and another person fired shots from inside the vehicle, the statement says.

The witness allegedly told officers that he then saw a man exit the passenger side of the car, get in the driver’s seat, and drive off.

Howard County deputies were soon sent to a home in New Franklin, where Landrum told them someone was trying to kill him, according to the statement. Deputies found the stolen car nearby on Highway 5, and a dog tracked Landrum’s scent from the vehicle to the home in New Franklin, the statement says.

The victim identified Landrum from a photo lineup, authorities say. Landrum allegedly claimed to be the victim during interrogation.

Police did a gunpowder test on Landrum’s hands and clothes, but have not found a gun, court documents state.

An initial hearing is set for Tuesday. Landrum remained in the jail on Sunday without bond.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One man was arrested after he allegedly led officers on a chase in a semi-truck on Christmas Day.

State troopers report the chase started on Highway 19 near Montgomery City when 42-year-old Francisco Portillo did not stop for state troopers. The chase lasted for more than 40 miles and ended on Highway 61 just south of Hannibal. Portillo allegedly hit a patrol car and other vehicles, but no injuries were reported.

According to a MSHP arrest report, Portillo was charged with resisting arrest, assault, careless driving, driving the wrong direction on a highway, and armed criminal action. He was booked into the Audrain County Jail.

🚔Troop F Pursuit Involves Tractor🚔

The operator of a tractor (no trailer attached) failed to stop for troopers in Troop F and a pursuit ensued. Tire deflation devices were deployed and the pursuit came to a safe ending.

Online Arrest Information:https://t.co/eMhmFSxEmV pic.twitter.com/8HPaoRGGhC

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) December 26, 2025

A hearing is set for Tuesday.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 14-year-old boy from Linn, Mo. suffered serious injuries after a UTV crash in Osage County on Sunday morning.

According to online crash reports, a 12-year-old boy was driving a 2006 Polaris Ranger UTV on County Road 203 at 10:50 a.m.

The UTV overturned on the gravel road with the 12-year-old driver and 14-year-old passenger. The 14-year-old was thrown from the UTV, according to the report.

The 14-year-old suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Children’s Mercy Hospital. The 12-year-old had moderate injuries and was taken to University Hospital by Osage County EMS.

According to crash reports, the 12-year-old was wearing a safety device, but the 14-year-old was not.

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Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo.

Prolonged exposure to cold can lead to hypothermia, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.

According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, certain groups are at higher risk, including the homeless, outdoor workers, children, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions.

Warming centers provide short-term shelters that open during dangerously cold or severe weather to help prevent death and injuries from exposure.

Mid-Missouri warming centers available for anyone seeking shelter from the cold:

Boone County

Salvation Army Columbia Harbor House Shelter – 602 North Ann Street, Columbia

St. Francis House – 901 Rangeline Street, Columbia

Columbia City Hall – 701 East Broadway, Columbia

Daniel Boone Regional Library – 100 West Broadway, Columbia

Salvation Army Columbia – 1108 West Ash Street, Columbia

Columbia Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services – 1005 West Worley, Columbia

ARC Columbia – 1701 West Ash Street, Columbia

Southern Boone County Public Library – 109 North Main, Ashland

Centralia Public Library – 210 South Jefferson Street, Centralia

Cole County

Salvation Army – Jefferson City 927 Jefferson Street, Jefferson City

Missouri River Regional Library – 214 Adams Street, Jefferson City

Cooper County

Cooper County Courthouse – 200 Main Street, Boonville

Boonville Library – 618 Main Street, Boonville

Cooper County Public Health Center – 17040 Klinton Drive, Boonville

Open Bible Praise Center – 16991 MO-87, Boonville

Otterville City Hall – 204 North Cherry Street, Otterville

Callaway County

Community Services, Inc. Nodaway County – 710 Court Street, Fulton

Holts Summit Public Library – 188 West Simon Boulevard, Holts Summit

Audrain County

Mexico Audrain County Library – 305 West Jackson Street, Mexico

Audrain County Shelter Resource Coalition – 626 East Summit Street, Suite A, Mexico

Martinsburg Branch Library – 201 East Washington Street, Martinsburg

Ed French Memorial Library – 406 East Second Street, Laddonia

Farber Branch Library – 113 West Front Street, Farber

Vandalia Branch Library – 312 South Main Street, Vandalia

Moniteau County

Price James Library – 104 East Morgan Street, Tipton

Miller County

Miller County Library Service – 308 East First Street, Eldon

Eldon Senior Center – 926 East North Street, Eldon

The HUB – 1371 C Bagnall Dam Blvd, Lake Ozark

Friendship Hall – 205 East Main Street, Iberia

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