Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman accused of murder in the death of an 8-month-old girl in 2021 has been charged again.

Jennifer Johnson, 49, was charged with misdemeanor sexual abuse in Phelps County after she allegedly exposed herself to another inmate at the jail. She is currently being held without bond. She is charged with second-degree felony murder and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child in Boone County.

The probable cause statement says the inmate told authorities of the situation on Wednesday and video footage allegedly backed up their claim.

Columbia police arrested Jennifer Johnson in April 2021, after being called to a home in the 1000 block of Elleta Boulevard in north Columbia. 

According to court documents in previous reporting, police were dispatched to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Columbia on the morning of April 18, 2021, where they were informed that an 8-month-old, Hannah Kent, who was under her care, had died.

Johnson allegedly told police she last saw the infant alive at 2:15 a.m. after giving her a bottle, the probable cause statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Rolla man was charged with first-degree rape and other charges in Phelps County on Thursday.

Ronald Rehm Jr., 49, was charged with first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sodomy and a count of third-degree domestic assault. He is being held at the Phelps County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says the victim was interviewed by police at a hospital on Tuesday after the assault allegedly occurred. The victim claimed they arrived at Rehm’s residence, where he was cooking before he started assaulting her, the statement says.

During the course of the sexual abuse, the victim allegedly said they needed to get a drink and ended up leaving the residence and going to the hospital, the statement says. She left several items behind, including clothing, the statement says.

A SWAT team was used to serve a search warrant that same day, but Rehm was not at the residence, the statement and a press release says. Police found the victim’s belongings at the residence, the statement says.

The victim was interviewed again the next day and reiterated the same story to law enforcement, but added that Rehm had also pulled out a gun after he was concerned the victim’s ex-boyfriend could show up, the statement says.

Rehm was eventually arrested at the Walmart at 500 South Bishop Ave., court documents say. Rehm allegedly admitted to hitting the victim, but alleged the sexual encounter was consensual before saying he grabbed a gun and threatened to kill the victim and her ex-boyfriend, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The death of a Jefferson City man in a commercial parking lot will result in no charges against his shooter, the Cole County prosecuting attorney said Thursday.

Prosecutor Locke Thompson said in a news release that no charges will be filed against Spencer Scrivner for the Nov. 1 shooting death of Erik Spencer II outside Old Navy. Several shots were fired, and some shattered the plate glass in the storefront.

Scrivner, an employee of the Missouri Department of Corrections, was put on leave during the investigation.

Thompson said a grand jury declined to indict Scrivner for manslaughter, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. The grand jury found Scrivner’s actions were done “in lawful defense of another,” Thompson wrote in a news release.

Scrivner’s defense attorney, TJ Kirsch said the grand jury’s decision reflects what they believe truly happened that night.

“We appreciate the grand jurors and the time they put into their consideration. Since the day this occurred, there have been rumors and outright lies spread online and on social media in an attempt to misrepresent what actually happened. What actually happened is my client acted lawfully to defend someone in need.” Kirsch said.

Police records obtained by ABC 17 News show that officers were called to the area around 7:52 p.m. after a caller reported witnessing a man assaulting a woman. The caller and the dispatcher noted screaming coming from a vehicle. Within minutes, gunshots were reported, and by 8:02 p.m., emergency responders were performing CPR.

Jefferson City police repeatedly said that Scrivner was cooperating with the investigation.

ABC 17 News reached out to the Spencer family for comment but has not yet heard back. The Spencer family has called for transparency and criminal charges during multiple public appearances.

The Cole County Prosecutor’s Office is set to hold a press conference Friday at 9 a.m. at the Jefferson City Police Department.

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Keriana Gamboa

MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ)

Power is slowly being restored around Mid-Missouri after strong winds knocked down trees and power lines earlier today, according to officials.

Ameren continues to report outages in Cooper and Camden counties.

Earlier, Mexico, Missouri, officials said multiple power lines on the south side of town were affected by the storms. One power line at the intersection of Lakeview Drive and Osage Road remains under repair.

Crews on scene told ABC 17 News residents should check Ameren’s outage website for the latest updates on restoration efforts. Roughly 866 customers in Audrain County lost power earlier in the day.

Consolidated Electric reports the storm caused brief power outages for some customers, but all services have since been restored.

At least 100 addresses along Route B between Hallsville and Centralia lost power. 

Officials in Centralia said the storm knocked down three utility poles, and caused a tree to fall onto a house. The damaged house was located at the 200 block of West Sims Street in Centralia. Tree removal crews working in the area told ABC 17 News they were working on the storm damage early in the morning. Brett Vandiver said he was going to remove the fallen tree from the house. 

“When we first got into town here this morning, we saw limbs and branches all over the streets. Not any more on houses, but we’ve seen plenty broken out in the yards,” Vandiver said. 

He added this area was one of several locations where they were working in response to storm damage.

“It’s just crazy what all high winds can do. You know, these are big, strong trees…And it really shows the importance of getting your trees trimmed and properly maintaining them to prevent that from happening,” Vandiver said.

The Boone County Office of Emergency Management wrote in a press release that it activated the Emergency Operations Center at Level 3 early this morning due to strong wind gusts and severe weather across central Missouri.

In Kingdom City, Callaway County EMA officials said strong winds caused several electric poles to lean, leading to additional outages. A MoDOT traffic signal was also bent, and MoDOT says crews are working to restore all three affected signals.

Kingdom City officials say some water pumps are currently down, but the city has sufficient water stored in its tower to last until power is fully restored and no long-term issues are expected.

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Alison Patton

MONTGOMERY CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Montgomery County Commission gave unanimous approval Thursday to a framework that lays out property tax incentives for a new Amazon data center.

The tax break package could amount to $1 billion in incentives if the company fully constructs its 17-building data center campus.

The hearing over Chapter 100 bonds was held in a packed Montgomery County courtroom. Scores of people filled seats, leaving the chamber standing room only. Some spoke in support of the project while others were skeptical or opposed.

Amazon plans to use about 1,000 acres north of Interstate 70 between New Florence and High Hill to build a data center for its web services.

Amazon could see a minimum of about $244 million in personal property tax breaks, and a maximum of $982 million through Chapter 100 bonds.

According to previous reporting, Amazon’s personal property taxes would break down as follows:

A $3 million payment each year from 2028-32

Paying 5% of the personal property taxes on the equipment from 2033-42

Paying 25% of the personal property taxes on the equipment from 2043-52

This proposal doesn’t include tax breaks for real estate. Amazon would also pay $1.5 million in 2026 and 2027 to help the county upgrade its 911 center and any other infrastructure needs the county saw fit to use.

Avery Ridgely is one of many people opposed to the data center. She said her grandparents’ farm is near the proposed construction site.

“I do not think that this trade-off of valuable farm ground to industrial sites is worth it in the slightest because 5000 acres is a lot of productive agricultural soils that have maintained this community for generations,” Ridgely said, referencing another construction build near her hometown of Jonesburg.

Ridgely and her mom both spoke against the data center during public comment. A lot of people were asking the commissioners and Amazon representatives for more information and transparency.

County Commissioner Doug Lensing said the commission is trying to look at all the facts while also keeping the tech companies’ interest.

“It’s a dance trying to keep a potential economic opportunity in place while still getting the answers we need for the public,” Lensing said.

An Amazon representative said Thursday there are opportunities for the company to open a line of communication with the public.

Montgomery County residents at the Dec. 8 meeting expressed concerns over environmental impacts, including water pollution and usage.

ABC 17 News obtained a letter from the County Commission that Amazon sent, noting that one building is expected to use about 2.9 million gallons of water annually for cooling, and the whole 17-building campus would use about 50 million gallons a year. A letter from engineering firm CDM Smith attached to Amazon’s letter said the water source, the Cambria-Orodvician aquifer, recharged water at a great enough rate to handle the project.

Check back for updates.

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Matthew Sanders

President Donald Trump addressed the nation in prime time on Wednesday from the Oval Office.

The speech touched on a variety of topics, with Trump touting accomplishments at home and abroad. You can watch the entire thing here.

Did you watch the address on Wednesday night? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Hundreds of people on Wednesday came out to support the Holiday Food and Fund drive at the Columbia Mall and Buchheits in Jefferson City.

The Food Bank For Central And Northeast Missouri has raised more than $125,000 to help local families.

People donated items like peanut butter, canned fruits, canned meats and cereal. For every $1 donated, The Food Bank says it can provide three meals.

The Food Bank is still accepting donations through the end of the year. 

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Nia Hinson

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some local businesses in Jefferson City worry that increased parking fines in the city might lead to less people choosing to travel downtown.

On Monday night, the Jefferson City Council introduced a bill that would significantly raise the fines associated with parking around the city. If passed, parking fines across the board would increase to $25.

The change could mean that a fine for parking at a meter whose time is expired could rise by $19. That’s something businesses, like Cold Cocked Frozen Liqueurs worry will become problematic for small businesses.

“Downtown businesses and small businesses downtown are already struggling with inflation right now and parking is already an issue,” owner Angela Santarelli said. “You wouldn’t want to see anything deter additional customers from coming in and supporting local businesses and bringing their business downtown.”

Santarelli said many businesses in the downtown area already experience slow nights throughout the week. She said she thinks the price hike could lead to people choosing not to come downtown anymore out of fear they’ll be hit with the increased fees.

Co-owner Cason Shane said he also finds a possibly $19 jump extremely high, and said he thinks the increase would make local people suffer.

The Jefferson City Finance Committee met on Wednesday night to discuss a fiscal year 2026 parking budget amendment. Ward 3 Councilwoman Treaka Young told ABC 17 News following the meeting that the committee did not discuss the proposed fine increase, but rather talked in general about new meters coming to the city that will allow them to better gauge parking payments.

Young said it isn’t clear when or if the council will vote on the proposed changes. Santarelli said she also believes the city should explain to its businesses why the city is proposing the changes.

“I mean $19 is a substantial increase. I think as a local business owner that we all deserve to know where this money is going, where is this additional money from these fines being spent, those types of things,” Santarelli said.

Young did not elaborate on where the funds will be spent, but said that the city is hoping to ensure people are not over-occupying spaces in the downtown area due to the Madison Street Parking Garage closing.

“We are way behind market rate on the fines and the fees that we were charging residents,” Young said. “What we found is that a lot of people were going downtown and they would park their car there all day and and they’ll just say ‘I’ll get this ticket and it really doesn’t matter.”

Young said she inquired about what other cities similar to Jefferson City’s size were charging for parking fees during Monday night’s meeting and was told $25 was roughly the going rate.

Jason Bernard has lived in Jefferson City for roughly five years and was shopping in the downtown area on Wednesday night. Bernard said he had heard about the city possibly increasing parking fines, and doesn’t agree with it.

Bernard said he thinks if the city is going to make the change, it should do it in smaller increments but said overall, he has a hard time thinking the bump in fines is at all necessary.

“I think that they should at least put that money back into the streets. The potholes around town don’t seem to be getting any better,” Bernard said. “There’s so many other places where they can find ways to earn money and I mean earn it, not just take it from the people who are out here trying to shop at these stores.”

New Bloomfield resident Danielle Worthington said she’s originally from Denver, Colorado, so she has more patience when it comes to heavy traffic and struggling to find parking while downtown. However, Worthington said she thinks change in a small town is usually more difficult for people to accept and thinks transparency on the city’s end about where the money is going could help people be more understanding.

“I think from a business standpoint, I understand why the city needs to increase parking fees but from a community standpoint, it makes it difficult to access these businesses anyway,” Worthington said. “If the goal is to bring money back into downtown, then I would understand that but as it is right now, I worry about that this will push people away from these businesses which in a small town, no one wants to see that.”

Young said she wants all people and businesses in the city– including local churches and funeral homes — to know the city is looking into all aspects of the possible change.

“It was simply introduced to us as a bill, it was not anything we voted on yet,” Young said. “We’re looking at all aspects and how it’s going to impact Jefferson City residents as well.”

You can view a list of the proposed fine changes below.

Check back for updates.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 20-year-old man from Tipton, Missouri, died Wednesday in a crash on Route B in Cooper County at Elkstown Road near Bunceton, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the 2007 Ford Mustang was heading northbound went it went off the right side of the road, became airborne and hit several trees.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene by a Cooper County paramedic, the report says. The man was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, according to the report.

The vehicle was totaled.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia is working on a major update of its building codes, proposing to adopt the 2024 International Building Codes that govern residential and commercial construction, safety, energy efficiency and plumbing standards.

The city currently operates under the 2018 codes.

On Wednesday, the city’s Community Development department hosted a public forum, in which more than 20 people attended. The forum offered attendees an opportunity to ask questions about the proposed changes. The Building Code Adoption is currently in a 90-day public comment and review period, which ends Feb. 17. 

Columbia’s Building Regulation Supervisor Aaron Decker said the department did not know what to expect heading into the meeting, but was pleased with the turnout. 

“I think it was a very enlightening meeting as a lot of our commissioners had said in the past that, as we go through the review of these codes, we don’t get a lot of outside participation or we haven’t in the past. And this was a new endeavor, something that we haven’t tried before,” Decker said. “I thought it was a great opportunity to  get the  individuals that are dealing with this stuff daily out in the field  in here  to give their feedback and to give their input.” 

City officials say the updated codes are designed to improve building safety, fire prevention, energy efficiency and long-term resilience. The 2024 standards cover a wide range of areas, including structural design, plumbing, mechanical systems, fuel gas installation, electrical wiring, property maintenance and requirements for renovations to existing buildings. Energy conservation standards are also updated, with the goal of reducing energy use and lowering long-term utility costs for building occupants.

Several city departments — including Community Development, the Office of Neighborhood Services, the Fire Marshal’s Office and the Building and Construction Codes Commission — have spent months reviewing the changes and drafting local amendments. The process includes multiple public meetings, a formal recommendation from the commission and a minimum 90-day public comment period before the City Council considers final adoption.

Decker said the review of the codes started in November 2024, with the community development department going through 21 reviews of the codes section by section. 

“The codes are reactionary, so there are things that happen and that trigger a code revision to go into place. One of the examples I gave in the meeting, and one of the examples that I like to stand behind, is the lithium battery situation, previous renditions 2018, 2015, there’s not a lot of lithium battery guidance in the fire code or in the building code,” Decker said. “However, with where things have gone with electrification and the risk associated with high-volume lithium batteries, there is an inherent risk to protect occupants of a building and or occupants of a structure that is within. And so, the building codes continue to evolve and it’s important that a community continues to evolve with them so that they can stay up to speed and up to availability with the materials, the products, everything that’s out there in the economy that’s moving forward.” 

One of the primary concerns raised by property owners and property builders during Wednesday’s meeting revolved around the energy code. 

One concern raised: The code will require industrial and retail properties to have solar panels, which one man argued will force companies to move to neighboring communities. 

“I would agree with that statement that the energy code has been a kind of the hot topic of all the changes, and it’s going to continue to be as things move forward because it does drastically impact building,” Decker said. 

Industry concerns raised 

As part of the public comment period, the Home Builders Association of Columbia submitted a detailed letter to Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll to pause the adoption of the 2024 codes until further analysis is completed.

In the letter, Executive Officer Jami Clevenger raised concerns about increased construction costs tied to updated energy efficiency standards, particularly for residential housing. The association estimates the changes could add thousands of dollars to the cost of new homes, disproportionately affecting starter homes and first-time buyers. The letter argues that projected energy savings would not offset the upfront costs for many families.

Clevinger argues the 2024 residential energy codes will increase building costs by $8,000-$12,000 while only saving $10 per month in utility savings.

Clevenger also highlighted provisions in the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code that would require on-site renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, for certain commercial buildings. The association warned those mandates could significantly increase costs for small businesses, developers and renters.

The group called for independent, university-led research to evaluate the true cost-benefit impact of the proposed codes on housing affordability, commercial development and economic growth. It also questioned how national building codes are developed, citing concerns about industry influence and the lack of localized economic analysis.

The association asked city leaders to delay implementation while conducting further study, arguing the long-term impacts on affordability and development warrant additional review.

Decker said that once their review and data collection are finished, they will send a summary to the council, but added there is no set date for when that will take place.

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