Author: KMIZ

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.

Click here to follow the original article.

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Health officials are expecting a busy flu season following the discovery of H3N2 subclade K, a variant of the Influenza A strain.

According to the CDC, of the 91 Influenza A virus samples collected since Sept. 28, almost 87% belonged to subclade K.

The genetic mutation of subclade K makes it only partially covered by this year’s flu shot. While experts haven’t found data of an increased severity of symptoms, an increased rate of spread is expected.

“Most flu viruses that affect people are the influenza A and B varieties and every year we have a different mixture of those things circulating,” Boone Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lana Zerrer said. “The flu vaccine was already decided upon with four different varieties of flu strains in them before a subclade K even showed up.”

The CDC says flu rates begin to peak in December. The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services has already seen a surge with flu cases jumping from 16 to 40 between the end of November and the beginning of December.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has also reported a state-wide increase in flu cases, rising from 181 at the start of November to 519 at the start of December.

Medical experts still recommend people get the flu vaccine, adding that it’s not to late as flu season runs through April.

“If you’re going to be around family, friends, people at Christmas who either are not at high risk or are at high risk for flu, it’s still the best thing to do to go ahead and get that vaccine as soon as you can,” MU Health Care Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Taylor Nelson said.

According to the CDC, United Kingdom data on this year’s vaccine found that hospitalization due to the flu remained 70-75% for children and 30-40% for adults, suggesting that influenza vaccination remains an effective tool in preventing flu-related hospitalizations.

Vulnerable groups to the flu include people who are immunocompromised, children and the elderly.

Experts recommend common flu precautions, including handwashing, sanitizing work areas, covering coughs and sneezes, wearing masks and staying home when feeling sick.

Both Zerrer and Nelson said if a high-risk group begins to feel flu symptoms, it’s recommended to check in with urgent care or a local physician.

“There are treatments now that can be given that can reduce the risk of hospitalization,” Zerrer said.

“There are also other respiratory viruses that we may find such as COVID, Bacterial infections like pertussis, which we’re also seeing an increased number,” Nelson said. “There are other things we might need to figure out outside of influenza.”

Flu-shot appointments are available locally through the Boone/Columbia Health Department, Boone Health and MU Health Care.

Click here to follow the original article.

Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County judge ruled Wednesday in favor of numerous defendants named in a wrongful death lawsuit over the death of MU student Riley Strain.

Strain went missing in March 2024 during a Delta Chi fraternity trip to Nashville. His body was found days later in the Cumberland River; his death was ruled a drowning, with a toxicology report finding alcohol and other substances in his system.

Strain’s family filed a lawsuit in March 2025 against the fraternity chapter and others, saying they failed to follow safety protocols during the event in Nashville. The lawsuit claimed Strain’s fraternity brothers “abandoned him” by not accompanying him back to the hotel when he was kicked out of a bar, and didn’t check on him until later.

In his ruling Wednesday, Judge Joshua Devine ruled in favor of Delta Chi, Barrister Capital Corporation — which manages the Delta Chi house at MU –and 18 fraternity members named as defendants.

The judgement from Devine said “while the Court has great sympathy for the profound and tragic loss suffered by [the Strain family], it is unaware of any court in the United States which has recognized the existence of a so-called ‘special relationship’ that might give rise to a claim for damages based on a duty owed by one adult fraternity member to another due to their shared status as ‘fraternity brothers’.”

Devine also said he is unaware of exceptions to the laws in Missouri and Tennessee that establish drinking alcohol is the cause of injuries for intoxicated people, “not the furnishing of alcoholic beverages.”

Riley Strain lawsuit judgmentDownload

Claims against nine other defendants are still pending.

A university spokesman said the school had no comment on the matter.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Another dog that fell through ice was rescued by firefighters on Wednesday, according to a social media post from the Boone County Fire Protection District.

The district wrote that crews were called to East Walnut Drive, north of Hallsville, for a report of a dog in the water. Firefighters found a beagle about 20 feet from the shore and were able to successfully rescue it.

“Members of the Boone County Fire Protection District train annually for ice rescue incidents involving both people and companion animals,” the post says. “As temperatures fluctuate like we experienced today, ice can weaken as it thaws during the day and refreezes overnight. Please remember: never venture onto ice unless it is at least four inches thick, and always have someone with you.”

This is the second dog in as many days to be rescued from the ice. Columbia firefighters on Tuesday saved a chow chow that fell through the ice of a pond in the 2000 block of Osage Drive. CFD gave an update on the dog on Wednesday, saying it had been returned to its owners.

Click here to follow the original article.

Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

On Oct. 25, 2020, Columbia Police responded to 300 W. Brookside Lane around 1 a.m. for a report of shots heard. When police arrived, they found 17-year-old Bryant Wilks II had been shot multiple times and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

“It was chaotic, there was a lot of people,” Columbia Police Lt. Matt Gremore said. “There was not a lot of information at the initial scene, so officers had to do a lot of work to preserve evidence, put up tape and make sure nobody contaminated the crime scene.”

Wilks’ family hopes someone who was at the party that night will come forward to speak with police.

“The amount of people that saw what happened that have not come forward to the police is what really hurts us and hurts the family,” Gremore said. “It hurts the investigation.”

Police say they found property damage to vehicles and buildings in the area, but no one else was hurt. Police say they collected multiple shell casings. Video of the crime scene shows at least 18 evidence markers.

Gremore wouldn’t go into detail about the types of evidence collected, but said some of it was clothing. He said the murder weapon was not there. Gremore said police don’t really know how many guns were fired.

The morning of Oct. 25, 2020, a neighbor in the area told ABC 17 News that she was awakened by the gunshots. She recorded some of the shots and shared the audio with ABC 17 News. Approximately 16 shots can be heard within 6 seconds.

Wilks’ older sister Desiree said that night, her brother went to a college party at Brookside Townhomes. Gremore estimates that between 20 and 30 people saw what happened and says a lot of those people were teenagers or in their 20s.

“We want to interview as many people as we absolutely can,” Gremore said. “And there was not a lot of witnesses that came forward in this case, which is probably one of the reasons that we’re where we’re at with it.”

Remembering Bryant Wilks II

“We never, every expected this to ever happen in our family or in our life,” Desiree Wilks said.

Bryant Wilks had three full siblings and a half-brother. Desiree Wilks says her younger brother was just months away from graduating from Hickman High School when his life was taken.

“He had huge dreams and huge goals, and he [reached] all those goals,” Desiree Wilks said. “So I know that that was just a milestone right in his life, but he would have done so much.”

She says her brother was the “goofiest person you’d ever meet” and loved making jokes. But the family said he also had an entrepreneurial spirit and started saving money at a young age.

“He taught himself how to cut hair by watching YouTube,” Bryant’s mother, Rochelle Hawkins, said. “He would cut people hair for free the first time, and then when they would come back again, they would pay.”

Bryant Wilks also had an interest in the stock market and investing. Desiree Wilks says her brother once lent her a few hundred dollars, and instead of making her pay the money back, he encouraged her to research stocks and invest her money.

His mother and sister said his entrepreneurial spirit led him to become a manager at the Dairy Queen on Forum Boulevard. The night before he was killed, Desiree and her half-brother visited Bryant at work.

“I went there and gave him a huge hug, and we said ‘I love you’ to each other,” Desiree Wilks said. “That’s a good memory to hold on to. The last words we said to each other were that we loved each other.”

Where the case stands today

In the past five years, Gremore said police have received some helpful tips through CrimeStoppers. He said police have heard varying versions of what happened that night, but “there’s also consistencies in those versions.”

Gremore said police have “persons of interest in the case.” But at the time of publication, no arrests have been made for the murder of Bryant Wilks II.

Wilks’ family remembers the joy he brought to others.

“Bryant loved to make people laugh, so a lot of my memories are surrounded by laughter and just the good times we had,” Desiree Wilks said. “Even if it was just in the house, or if it was going out or visiting relatives.”

Desiree Wilks said Bryant was loyal to his friends and his family. His mother says they are keeping her son’s memory alive.

“We do various things like Bryant wanted to do,” Hawkins said. “We are trying to keep my son’s name alive. We’re trying to find the good out of this awful, horrible situation.”

His family says they also provide buddy packs and comfort packs to families who have experienced a sudden traumatic loss, similar to what they went through.

While keeping Bryant’s memory alive, the family is still searching for answers as to what happened that night and who killed their loved one.

“We’re hearing this, and we’re hearing that, so it’s hard to really know the truth,” Desiree Wilks said. “It’s hard to read between the lines and come up with the truth.”

His mother says she leans on her faith, and she misses her son every single day.

“I miss hugging him and hearing him say, ‘Mom’. I miss everything about him,” Hawkins said. “I lean towards my faith, and that’s what’s been keeping me strong and keeping me moving forward is my faith, and I know that God knows and he sees all and he will take care of it.”

Wilks’ family is asking the Columbia community for help in finding out what happened to the teen who called the city his home since he was 3 years old. They believe someone knows something and are encouraging people to share what they know about what happened that night.

“There’s always gonna be a empty spot in all of our hearts that nothing can fill,” Desiree Wilks said. “But having somebody who is taken into custody for his murder, finding out who did it, and being held accountable for their actions, would bring some sense of relief.”

CPD is investigating 17 unsolved homicide cases with 19 victims dating back to 1985. ABC 17 News has covered seven cases in our “Mid-Missouri’s Cold Case Files” reporting.

Antonio Houston and Danielle Marine

Michael Walker Jr. & Jeffery Jones

Garbrielle Rhodes

George Showalter

Virginia ‘Ginger’ Davis

Edmond ‘Ricky’ Randolph Jr.

Jamar Hicks

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Tickets for flights from Columbia to Charlotte, N.C., will be available next week.

Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe said during a news conference at Columbia Regional Airport on Thursday that tickets for those flights will go on sale Monday. The American Airlines flights to Charlotte begin June 4.

Last month, the airport announced new flights to and from Florida with Allegiant Airlines beginning next year, including Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport and Orlando Sanford International Airport.

In September, United Airlines returned to COU after four years with two daily flights to Chicago O’Hare and Denver. United plans to have three daily flights to Chicago O’Hare in December. American Airlines also has flights to Chicago and Dallas-Forth Worth.

COU had 14,202 passengers depart from its airport in October, which is a record for the location, according to a news release.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Former Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin filed to form a campaign committee on Tuesday for a potential 2026 state house run.

Tergin served two terms as Jefferson City’s mayor from 2015-23 and was unable to run again because of the city’s term-limit rules. Filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission show she filed a committee on Tuesday in the Missouri House District 59 race and plans to run as a Republican.

The primary in the race is set for Aug. 4, 2026, and candidates can begin filing on Feb. 24.

Republicans Jacob Munson and Victor Rackers filed to create campaign committees for the same seat earlier this year.

The District 59 seat is currently held by Rep. Rudy Veit (R-Wardsville), who will be unable to run again because of term limits.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri’s general revenue collection is expected to drop in fiscal 2026 compared to the previous year, according to a revenue estimate released by Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office on Wednesday.

The estimate projects a 2.1% decrease in general revenue collection compared to the previous fiscal year. Missouri’s current fiscal year ends June 30. The release did not detail in which areas collections had lagged.

A governor’s office spokesperson was not immediately available to discuss the drop in revenue.

The projection was part of the annual Consensus Revenue Estimate released ahead of the governor’s budget plan each year. The estimate projects general revenue growth of 3.8% in fiscal 2027 compared to fiscal 2026.

Kehoe will introduce his budget during the annual State of the State Address on Jan. 13 before the Missouri General Assembly. One of his stated priorities is a plan to phase out income tax.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state safety coordinator for the Missouri Department of Transportation who was accused of pulling out a gun during a road-rage incident in September had his charge reduced on Wednesday.

Harry Adrian IV, of Tuscumbia, is now charged in Cole County with misdemeanor reckless driving. He was previously charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon. Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson did not comment on why the charge was lowered.

The probable cause statement says Adrian was accused by two people of pulling out a gun and pointing it at them during a road-rage incident around 3 p.m. Sept. 22.

A deputy wrote that he stopped Adrian’s vehicle while he was following the alleged victim’s vehicle in the 3000 block of Highway 54 East in Cole County.

Adrian allegedly told deputies that he was involved in a road-rage incident, but claimed he held a cellphone instead of a gun, the statement says. Deputies found a handgun in Adrian’s Ford F-250, the statement says. Adrian also denied the allegations through his lawyer on Nov. 3.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22.

Click here to follow the original article.

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state is asking a federal judge to reopen a dismissed redistricting lawsuit after dueling arguments made in public about when a new, legislature-approved congressional map takes effect.

The state says the map is in effect now while Secretary of State Denny Hoskins verifies the referendum to put the map on the November 2026 ballot. But People Not Politicians, the group backing the referendum, says the map was frozen when they submitted more than 300,000 signatures Dec. 9.

The state argues People Not Politicians acknowledged during the first federal court hearing that the congressional map is only frozen when Hoskins certifies the referendum.

People Not Politicians filed a reply in court Tuesday, arguing the opposite.

“What the State is actually doing is trying to police PNP’s public statements. The State’s letter preceding this motion was not subtle: It demanded, on threat of sanctions, that PNP issue a statement to the media endorsing the State’s incorrect view that PNP’s submission of signatures had no legal effect,” People Not Politicians’ response reads.

The Republican-led Missouri General Assembly approved the new congressional map last summer as part of a White House push to strengthen the narrow GOP majority in the U.S. House. Lawsuits challenging the map claim it is illegal to redraw congressional districts mid-decade, as the state constitution requires it be done after the census.

The map is likely to cut out U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) and flip his seat to Republican.

The state sent People Not Politicians a letter asking them to clarify with the media the official start date of the new congressional map.

“The State therefore demands that you immediately issue a public statement confirming your concession to the Court that HB 1 is in effect unless and until the Secretary certifies the referendum,” Louis Capozzi, an attorney with the Attorney General, wrote. “The State also demands you send a copy of that statement to all media outlets that you or your client communicated the contrary position to. If you do not do so by 12:00 P.M. on Friday, December 12, the State will ask Judge Bluestone to issue sanctions.”

People Not Politicians responded with what its attorneys argued in court.

“We never made any such “concession” and will not be issuing or circulating the public statement that you requested. Our position has always been—and remains—that People Not Politicians’ (“PNP”) submission of signatures on December 9 prevents H.B. 1 from going into effect on December 11 unless the Secretary of State issues a formal determination that the petition is insufficient,” People Not Politicians’ attorneys replied.

An attorney for People Not Politicians, Chuck Hatfield, said the federal judge doesn’t have to rule on the state’s motion since the case is dismissed. Hatfield also said the state didn’t follow the process to reopen the case.

The group held a press conference Wednesday and brought legal experts in, like Missouri Supreme Court Judge Mike Wolff.

“The matter is being referred to the people for a vote. It does not go into effect until the voters say yes. If the voters say no, then, in effect, they’ve vetoed it in a way that supersedes any veto or approval that the governor may make,” he said.

Wolff cited three previous cases that mark precedent on this specific angle.

Executive Director of the group Richard von Glahn said they haven’t filed any lawsuits.

Von Glahn also said the state has been posting on social media that the new map is in effect, but he hasn’t seen any updates to Revisor of Missouri, which is the law regarding redistricting. The last time the law was updated was in 2022 for the previous map.

Federal judge Zachary Bluestone wrote in his order dismissing the case that Hoskins can turn down the referendum, but if he verifies it, the map will be frozen until after the November 2026 election.

The Secretary of State’s Office wrote in an email to ABC 17 News that signatures will be sent out to county election officials on or before Dec. 23. County officials will until July 28 to verify signatures.

The Secretary of State will then certify the signatures and the constitutionality of the referendum.

Click here to follow the original article.