Author: KMIZ

Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three 18-year-olds charged in a deadly shooting in southwest Columbia on Sunday will make their first appearance in a Boone County courtroom Thursday afternoon.

Alexis Baumann, of Hallsville; Kobe Aust and Joseph Crane, both of Columbia; were charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and first-degree robbery.

A juvenile is also facing the same charges along with felony theft.

Baumann, Aust and Crane will be in front of Judge Kayla Jackson-Williams at 1 p.m. in the Boone County Courthouse.

Officers responded to a shots fired call in the 1400 block of Ridgemont Ct. around 8:15 p.m. Sunday. When officers arrived, they found Michael Burke, 42, with life-threatening injuries. He later died at the hospital.

Court documents filed in the case say that Baumann and the group arranged to buy a phone from the victim, Michael R. Burke. The group had already met with and stolen from at least two other victims in the two days before the confrontation that led to Burke’s death, documents say. Those incidents occurred on Claudell Lane and Northampton Dr.

Baumann told police that the juvenile would set up a meeting with someone through Facebook Marketplace to buy a phone. The group would then steal the phone and sell it for cash at a local ecoATM.

Baumann allegedly told officers that the juvenile and Crane went into Burke’s home and minutes later, she heard three gunshots. They then took his iPhone and sold it at an ecoATM at the Walmart on Conley Road.

The juvenile appeared before a Boone County judge on Wednesday for a detention hearing. The state requested that he be kept at the juvenile detention center until an adult certification investigation can be completed. The defense requested in-home detention.

The judge ordered the juvenile to stay in juvenile detention until his next court hearing on Tuesday.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Sedalia announced a temporary closure for Ohio Street on Wednesday after a Union Pacific train derailed.

No injuries were reported in the freight-train derailment, but the Ohio Street Crossing and W.T. Morris Avenue was blocked, the city announced on its social media. All other railroad crossings in the city remained open, the city wrote.

The city for motorists to avoid the Ohio Street crossing and use alternate routes while crews worked in the area, and claimed “they will likely be there most of the night and moving back and forth.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Gravois Mills man was charged with 17 counts of possessing child pornography on Wednesday in Morgan County.

Matthew Steenrod, 38, is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $250,000 bond. His mugshot was not available on Wednesday evening. A court date has not been scheduled. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says a victim spoke with authorities on Nov. 25 detailing an alleged sexual assault by Steendord. Authorities met with an older victim on Dec. 1, claiming they found wiring and cameras and believed they were being recorded.

The next day, authorities searched for open sources online and IP addresses used by Steenrod and found a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the statement says. Steenrod allegedly uploaded a photo of child pornography to Pinterest in 2016, the statement says.

A search warrant was conducted at Steenrod’s residence on Dec. 12 and authorities allegedly found small cameras throughout the home, the statement says. Law enforcement allegedly found child porn on electronic devices found at the home, the statement says.

He was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty on Jan. 3, 2023, to drug possession and resisting arrest. The sentence comes with a four-year suspended sentence. A disposition hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, March 9.

He is also charged in Morgan County in another case with two counts of illegal gun possession. Court information shows he pleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2025, and has a sentencing hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, March 23.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man accused of killing a man in 2023 near Vandalia had his case moved to Warren County.

Charles Armour, born in 2006, of Paris, Missouri, was charged in Audrain County in 2025 with first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of first-degree robbery in the Nov. 30, 2023, death of Matthew Stewart. Stewart, 23, was found dead with gunshot wounds on County Road 556 near Vandalia.

On Wednesday, a case review was scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19.

Another person, Christopher Brickey, was charged in Audrain County with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. He has a case review scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 18.

A probable cause statement says deputies found Stewart bleeding in a ditch from his head and torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement also found shell casings at the scene, the statement says.

Stewart allegedly planned on selling a gun to Brickey and Armour and the three left a home to “range test” it, the statement says. Stewart’s roommate called him after some time and Stewart allegedly stated he was shot by the defendants, the statement says.

The statement says Brickey told deputies that Armour planned on killing Stewart, but planned on Brickey shooting first. Brickey allegedly admitted to shooting Stewart with Stewart’s gun.

Click here to follow the original article.

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick gave the Missouri Lottery Commission an overall “good” rating, even as a newly released audit shows lottery funding for schools dropped by more than $35 million while advertising spending increased by $5 million during fiscal year 2024.

The audit, released Tuesday, found advertising expenditures jumped from $399,973 in 2023 to $5.4 million in 2024. During that same time, total revenue also saw a drop of $49 million, meaning despite higher advertising spending, both revenue and transfers to education declined.

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick said Wednesday, there have been fluctuating transfers to education and money spent on advertising in the past.

“We’ve suggested that the lottery consider the value of the advertising and whether it’s really driving increased activity for the lottery,” Fitzpatrick said. “That activity is more tied to larger jackpots and things like that, that are kind of unrelated to advertising,”

In 2023, according to the audit, $425,038,869 was transferred to education compared to 2024 when $389,788,014 marking a $35 million drop.

The $35 million that would went to schools would have averaged $63,000 per school district. Fitzpatrick emphasized that while the drop is notable, lottery funding makes up a small share of education spending and did not affect total state funding for schools.

“There’s a pretty small number, even with that decline in funding from the lottery, schools are still receiving record amounts of money from the state,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s not a situation where that is like $35 million is what well under 1% of what we’re spending on K-12 education right now,”

A previous audit report from 2018-23 found the lottery’s advertising budget decreased by $16.7 million during that time frame while transfers to education increased by $53 million, highlighting advertising spending and money toward education remained steady in that stretch of time.

Fitzpatrick said the “good” rating he gave Missouri Lottery reflects the lottery’s operation as whole and not money sent to schools across the state.

“The rating is an indication there weren’t a lot of other findings. We didn’t have any internal control findings about making sure the prize money paid out appropriately or that there were issues with verifying winners or anything like that,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think it’s an indication the lottery itself is a well-run enterprise,”

According to a news release, lottery officials indicated the changes in advertising expenditures are not only the factor that affects lottery sales, and other factors can play a substantial role in lottery sales.

For example, according to Fitzpatrick, Lottery officials say national jackpots can draw more media attention and boost sales, especially when jackpots are greater than $500 million.

Fitzpatrick noted the Missouri Lottery is increasingly competing with slot machines now found in many convenience stores, where most lottery ticket sales occur.

Missouri’s advertising spending remains low compared to other states. For fiscal year 2024, the Lottery’s advertising budget of 0.31% of sales ranked 44th out of 46 states that sponsor a lottery. In fiscal 2023, the lottery had the smallest advertising budget of any state and the District of Columbia at 0.02% of sales.

Missouri Lottery cited their reason for the significant increase in advertising spending in a Dec. 22 statement to Fitzpatrick.

“Lottery advertising plays a key role in maintaining the current customer base and helping to attract new customers just as any billion-dollar business would do. It helps keep lottery games relevant in a marketplace climate of rising prices and increasing gaming/entertainment options, particularly with sports betting going live in Missouri earlier this month and the amount of money sports betting companies are spending on advertising.”

An annual report for Missouri Lottery broke down their advertising budget of $5.4 million and laid out its positive effects.

Advertising aware is 55% up from 35% in fiscal year 2023 when advertising budget was $400,000

Advertising helps to grow approval of the Missouri Lottery. Approval improved from 64% in fiscal year 2023 when the advertising budget was $400,000 to 66% in fiscal year 2024 when the advertising budget was $5.4 million

The perceptions that the state of Missouri should continue offering lottery games that Lottery is a good way to raise money for education, and that Missouri Lottery proceeds help support public education increased from 2023-24 with the increase in advertising budget.

Since 1993, Missouri law has require that lottery proceeds be transferred to education.

Click here to follow the original article.

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. 

The City of Columbia Sewer Utility is proposing to replace a privately maintained sewer system near the intersection of South West Boulevard and West Stewart Road. 

If approved, the utility would construct a new public sanitary sewer to serve the affected property owners.

According to Assistant Utilities Director Tom Ratermann, the project will affect just five homes on West Stewart Road and one on South West Boulevard. The plan calls for a new sewer line that would connect each property to the public system.

“These private sewers, they don’t have a lot of access points to them. So, if there is some kind of stoppage in the line, there’s no good way to  remove it and to clean it and to get the stoppage out,” Ratermann said. “So what the city plans on building will have a structure at least every 400 feet, and every place where there’s a bend in the line so that they can be maintained.” 

Ratermann added the city is at least a year away from starting construction, as officials still need to finalize the design and secure easements from property owners. No major traffic disruptions are expected, aside from a possible lane closure on South Greenwood Avenue.

The project is part of the city’s ongoing Private Common Collector Elimination program, which started in 2008. Private common collectors are major sources of stormwater inflow and infiltration into the sewer system, and the city says replacing outdated private sewers helps prevent backups and overflows.

“This project is more preventive maintenance,” Columbia Utilities spokesman Jason West said in an email. “There have not been any major issues yet, but these private common collector systems can cause bigger problems because the city is not able to properly maintain them. The PCCE program helps the city perform regular maintenance to hopefully avoid major problems down the road.”

West said the PCCE is funded through an enterprise fund included in the city’s budget.

Since 2008, the PCCE program has included multiple projects throughout the city, though officials do not have a total cost available for all 18 years of work. Currently, the city is working on nine PCCE projects, with at least five more planned.

“The overall system is functioning well and as intended,” West said. “While there are newer parts that are functioning at a high level, we are also focused on repairing and updating older parts such as this one to keep the system functioning properly.”

The city held a public meeting Wednesday at City Hall to discuss the proposed sewer improvements.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former employee of Columbia Public Schools has been arrested on suspicion of multiple child sex crimes, according to a social media post from the Columbia Police Department.  

CPD wrote that officers on Wednesday arrested Zachary Hutchinson, 38, of Columbia.

He was charged on Wednesday with three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, one count of child enticement, sexually exploiting a minor, giving pornographic material to a minor (a misdemeanor), second-degree promoting child porn and possessing child porn.

He is being held without bond at the Boone County Jail. A court date has not been scheduled.

Educator credentials were listed for Hutchinson at West Middle School for the 2025-26 school year on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website. Information for educator credentials dates back to 2021 for Hutchinson on DESE’s website. Additionally, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s public pay database lists Hutchinson as a teacher at West Middle School.

The probable cause statement also identifies Hutchinson as a teacher at West Middle School at the time the document was written.

A spokesperson from the school district told ABC 17 News in an email that Hutchinson had worked at West Middle School, but that the incident did not involve the school or any of its students. The district spokesperson did not confirm his position or dates of employment.

Police wrote that it became aware of Hutchinson having “a potentially inappropriate relationship” with a girl on Jan. 15.

“The investigation has determined that Hutchinson and the juvenile victim did not meet as a result of his employment, nor did any known contact occur on school property,” police wrote on its social media.

The probable cause statement says Hutchinson encouraged the victim to go into his vehicle to perform sexual acts. The victim’s mother allegedly found nude photographs of Hutchinson on the victim’s phone and additional messages appeared to show Hutchinson making plans to meet with the youth.

Text messages described in court documents took place over the course of several days and showed explicit conversations and details of illicit photos between Hutchinson and the victim.

Check back for updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man from Salisbury, Missouri, has been charged after authorities claim he molested a child in November.

Gregory Calvert, 28, was charged on Wednesday in Chariton County with second-degree child molestation of a child younger than 12 years old. He is being held at the Randolph County Jail on a $5,000 bond. A court date has not been set.

The probable cause statement says law enforcement was called on Nov. 20 after a child allegedly told an adult that Calvert bathed with them and touched them inappropriately.

Calvert allegedly spoke with law enforcement on Nov. 25, claiming he assisted bathing the youth because of a medical issue the child faced, but denied bathing with them, the statement indicates. Calvert then allegedly claimed the child had a “history of dishonesty,” court documents say.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One person had moderate injuries after a vehicle crashed into an RV Wednesday afternoon in southwest Columbia.

A vehicle was seen turned on its side on Coats Lane, a road just off of West Gillespie Bridge Road.

Boone County Fire Protection Chief Battalion Chief Clint Walker told ABC 17 News that a vehicle had slid off the road, hit an RV and damaged a transformer. First responders showed up to the crash at 2:07 p.m.

Boone Electric’s outage map shows outages affected 40 customers was reported around 2 p.m. Crews are currently working to restore power to the area and roughly eight members were still affected at 2:53 p.m., according to the map.  

The person in the vehicle that crashed into the RV was brought to an area hospital, according to Walker.

Click here to follow the original article.

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

People now have to be 21 years old to buy intoxicating hemp products within the city of Holts Summit.

The Board of Aldermen passed the ordinance 3-1 to increase the age limit at its Jan. 13 meeting, according to City Clerk Rachel Anderson. The age limit went into effect immediately after passage.

City Attorney Dave Bandre said this is to end a previous city law that would allow businesses to sell hemp products to people who are at least 18 years old.

Manager Brad Sibeneck at Up In Smoke smoke shop, located at 168 W. Simon Blvd., told an ABC 17 News reporter that they don’t sell to people under 21. There are at least four signs at the entrance that tell customers so.

According to the bill language, hemp-derived products are unregulated by federal and state agencies, which means these products go unchecked for product testing, don’t have an age limit and can be sold in a variety of places, like gas stations and vape shops.

New federal rules regulating the products go into effect in November, and state lawmakers are working on rules for Missouri in the current legislative session.

These products are sometimes designed after popular snacks and candies, which often target a younger audience, according to the bill language. The bill cites this as being double the legal limit for adult-use marijuana.

Sibeneck said he doesn’t sell look-alike candy.

“The City finds it necessary to enact regulations related to the sale of intoxicating cannabinoids found in hemp-derived products to protect the general public health, safety, and welfare, and specifically to protect those under the age of twenty-one from the adverse effects associated with the consumption of intoxicating cannabinoids,” the bill reads.

The bill also includes nonintoxicating CBD products.

Ward 2 Alderman Thomas Wulff voted against the measure.

“I’m one of those that believe that at 18 years old, you become a man because you can fight for your country, and you should have every right there is, whether it’s drinking or voting or being able to purchase hemp,” Wulff said. “But that’s not what my constituents want.” 

Wulff said he was last to vote, and if he thought his vote would matter, he would have voted in favor.

Intoxicating hemp products use a type of THC derived from hemp plants, which are closely related to marijuana plants. The compound is similar to the THC in marijuana, but many users say it delivers a milder high.

Click here to follow the original article.