Category: kmiz-local-news

Matthew Sanders

The Department of Health and Senior Services on Wednesday introduced a pilot program to collect information about autism.

The program would harvest data from Medicare and Medicaid, including insurance claims, medical records and smartwatch data. It’s part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pledge to find the causes of autism by September.

The plan has drawn pushback from autism and privacy advocates.

Do you have concerns about the program? Let us know by voting in the poll.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Conference Committee will reconvene on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. after a late night of discussions over the state budget, as the deadline looms to have all spending bills approved by Friday.

The Senate planned on working late Wednesday, so the Conference Committee hearing could not start until they were finished. The hearing did not begin until 8:40 p.m. and adjourned just before 11:30 p.m.

Thursday’s initial meeting was planned for 10:30 a.m., but had a recess at around 11:30 a.m. and then moved to the afternoon.

“Appreciate all conversations and I think we’re pretty close on finishing this thing up, so give us a couple of hours and we’ll back,” co chair of the committee Sen. Lincoln Hough (R-Springfield) said before adjournment.

There was supposed to be a hearing Wednesday morning, but it went into recess less than a minute after it began. That is because the committee could not be in conference while sessions are taking place in either chamber.

This comes as the Missouri House of Representatives and the Senate work to finalize the state budget bill before Friday’s deadline.

Of the 17 budget appropriations, only HB 14 has been truly agreed on by both the House and Senate and is ready for the governor’s approval. The final agreement for HB 14 was a little under $2 million for supplemental opportunities like grants, refunds, and extra expenses across state government departments. The remaining bills are left for budget discussions in the committee.

The Senate budget is about $50 million more than the one the House approved. The Senate Appropriation Committee’s plan included $300 million more for public schools than was recommended by Governor Mike Kehoe. The Missouri House of Representatives passed a $47.9 billion state budget on April 3.

Hough said that despite the increased budget, there is still over $1 billion left in reserves.

“This is all about compromise, it’s all about working with your colleagues,” Hough said. “A lot of people have a lot of priorities and a lot of programs they want to see funded and it’s still coming together, but I feel pretty good about the end product right now.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Macon County Sheriff’s deputy was charged on Thursday with several felonies after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend.

Brody Clarence Lewis, 26, of Tina, Missouri, was charged in Macon County with second-degree domestic assault, third-degree domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon and misdemeanor fourth-degree domestic assault. He is being held at the Randolph County Jail without bond. A court date has not been set.

According to the probable cause statement, the Missouri State Highway Patrol was notified by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday that Lewis was accused of assaulting his girlfriend. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office asked MSHP to investigate the claims. Law enforcement met with the woman at Troop B headquarters and she had several bruises.

Lewis is described as a deputy in the probable cause statement, but is referred to as a former deputy in a Missouri State Highway Patrol press release. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office also shared the release on its social media.

The woman allegedly told troopers that she had fought off multiple assaults from Lewis since December, including 10-15 times over the past three weeks.

She allegedly described a February encounter where Lewis called her a demeaning name, she slapped him and he choked her, court documents say. She allegedly said that he also pointed a gun at her “in an angry and threatening manner” up to five times and also threatened to kill himself at least once, the statement says.

Lewis allegedly assaulted the woman on Monday after learning items from the woman’s previous relationship were in her home, the statement says. Lewis allegedly punched the victim in the back of her head and kicked her in her back, the statement says. The victim told law enforcement that she was afraid Lewis would kill her while he kneeled on her, court documents say.

An incident where Lewis threatened the woman with a baton was also described in court documents.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people with active warrants were arrested following a standoff in north Columbia on Wednesday evening.

Columbia Police Department Lt. Neal Segwick said at the scene that the street crimes unit received a tip that someone with a warrant in the area. The man was not from Columbia. The man barricaded himself in a home in the 1400 block of Lambeth Drive and after several hours, he came out peacefully.

Segwick said a second person who was detained also had a warrant for their arrest. An ABC 17 News photographer saw three people detained, however Segwick said the third person was let go.  

Caution tape was up around the home in the 1400 block of Lambeth Drive. At least seven Columbia Police Department and Boone County Sheriff’s Office cruisers were at the scene and some law enforcement officers were armed with rifles.

Police told an ABC 17 News reporter that the scene remained active just before 6:30 p.m. The reporter saw a man being led away by police in handcuffs earlier at the scene. SWAT team and negotiators were on scene, as well as a K-9 unit.

Police tape came down around that 7:55 p.m. and officers started leaving shortly after.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some Columbia residents may have noticed the water from their faucets looking a bit different on Wednesday.

The City of Columbia wrote in a press release that it is aware of “widespread water discoloration” and stated the water is safe to drink. The release says that “contractors performed some significant work on the main transmission line” as part of the McBaine Water Treatment Plant upgrade.

Callers told ABC 17 News that their water looked brown coming out of their faucets. An ABC 17 News reporter showed the water at her residence was yellow since about 4 p.m.

The release says that excess minerals in water pipes and storage facilities were “causing discoloration to the drinking water. The discoloration is an excess of calcium bicarbonate; it is safe to drink. The excess minerals should flush through the system in the next 24 hours.”

The Columbia outage map indicates that a boil advisory was issued at 1:15 p.m. for residents on Oak Street, south of West Worley Street.

The city wrote in an April 30 press release that water main flushing would occur in parts of central and west Columbia. That release said crews will flush pipes from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day for about two weeks beginning on May 5.

The next phase of the City of Columbia Water Utility’s water main flushing will begin on Monday, May 5, 2025. Crews will flush pipes from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day for about two weeks.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three boys were detained at a track meet on Tuesday night at Rock Bridge High School.

One of the children was accused of threatening to shoot a Columbia Public Schools staff member, according to Columbia Police Department Assistant Chief Mark Fitzgerald. The other two boys were taken into custody for fighting.

Police were initially called just after 8 p.m. about multiple fights occurring, Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said that no one ever reported seeing a gun and officers did not find a gun at the scene. A CPS middle school calendar shows that an eighth-grade track meet took place at the high school.

CPD Lt. Derek Moore told an ABC 17 News photographer at the scene on Tuesday night that the three main people in the fight were detained, no injuries were reported and no shots were fired.

Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark reiterated in an email that there was no gun used in any threat to staff and that it was a verbal threat.

“Yesterday, we experienced an unfortunate incident at our meet. There were words exchanged between several students and an altercation between a small group of students occurred that required adult intervention. We recognize this incident, which took place toward the end of our meet, may have been alarming,” an email to families provided by Baumstark says.

The email to families said the incident was quickly resolved and the students involved will “receive appropriate consequences from both the school and MSHSAA for their behavior.”

The statement says officers also responded to a second disturbance that took place off campus.

Check back for updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Moberly has opened applications for its chief of police.

The city made the announcement Wednesday on its Facebook page and included a link to apply. Former Police Chief Troy Link announced his retirement at the end of March.

The city wrote that it would conduct a comprehensive search for its next chief after conducting an internal needs assessment.

“The Chief will foster a culture of trust, officer wellness, and consistent decision-making while advancing a vision of modern, community-oriented policing,” the job posting reads. “The Chief is expected to lead with honesty, communicate effectively, and act decisively in alignment with the department’s mission and the values of the City of Moberly.

The application was posted at 2 p.m. Wednesday and the posting states that it will be open until it’s filled. The salary range is $80,000-$92,000, the job posting shows.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Lake Ozark man was charged on Wednesday in Camden County with sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child pornography.

Zachery Todd Gramm, 30, is being held at the Camden County Jail without bond. A court date has not been set.

According to the probable cause statement, Gramm allegedly abused and photographed a child between March 1-April 16. The youth was interviewed by officials at Kids Harbor House and described a sexual assault and being photographed by Gramm, the statement says.

Gramm allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he took inappropriate photos of the child.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bill is heading to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk that would end income taxes on capital gains.

The Missouri House approved HB 594 on a 102-41 vote Wednesday. The bill, already approved in the Senate, would exempt proceeds from sales of assets from income taxes. The legislation was a priority for Republican leadership in the General Assembly.

The bill could reduce state revenue by more than $500 million, opponents say.

“The new exemption would send hundreds of millions to Missouri’s wealthiest,” the think tank Missouri Budget Project stated in a news release. “[Eighty] percent of this tax giveaway goes to the top 5 percent of Missouri taxpayers, with more than two-thirds going to the top one percent – or those with incomes averaging $1.9 billion a year.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

STURGEON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people were seriously injured in a crash Monday on Highway 22 in northern Boone County, just outside of Sturgeon, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the crash occurred as a 2003 Toyota Avalon – driven by a 39-year-old Sturgeon woman – was heading eastbound when it hit a 2021 Toyota Corolla – driven by a 31- year-old Columbia man – in the eastbound lane.

Both vehicles went off the right side of the road and crashed again, the report says. The man was wearing a seatbelt and the woman was not, the report says. The man was flown to University Hospital with serious injuries. The woman was brought to University Hospital by ambulance, the report shows.

Both vehicles were totaled. A lane was shut down while first responders worked in the area for multiple hours.

Click here to follow the original article.