Category: kmiz-local-news

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several parents of University of Missouri students are growing worried about sending their children off to school in Columbia, records show.

Email records obtained by ABC 17 News show several parents have reached out to UM System President Mun Choi in the wake of a deadly downtown shooting. Stephens College student Aiyanna Williams was killed after she was shot on Sept. 27.

Parents’ concerns also follow an email Choi sent to several city leaders— including Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, City Manager De’Carlon Seewood and Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson– calling for action to address crime.

Choi also sent that email to the Board of Curators, DNR director Kurt Schaefer and business leaders Jim Yankee and Erica Pefferman, among other.

Two days after the shooting, records show a parent and alumni of the university reached out to Buffaloe, Seewood and Choi regarding a concern for safety in the city. The parent’s name is redacted in the email.

The parent wrote that their child is a junior at the university, but recent violence and the homicide that occurred the day prior to the email has left the parent “deeply concerned.”

“Columbia has long been known as a safe and welcoming community, yet the increase in violent incidents undermines that reputation and, more importantly, threatens the well-being of its citizens and students,” the email states.

The parent also wrote that they are equally concerned about the growing homeless population in the downtown area, claiming the concentration of encampments and homeless people creates an unsafe environment. The email urges leaders to address the issues with urgency and create a plan of action to address violence and homelessness.

Another parent wrote in an email on Sept. 29 that they had a child graduate from the university recently and were torn about whether or not they should send their second child, due to violence over the years. The parent wrote that regret sending their second child and will not be sending their third.

The parent wrote they frequently receive alerts from the university about shootings and called the university’s reputation “tarnished.”

“Students getting injured and now killed by gun violence is horrifying and I cannot understand why the city lets this go on,” the email states. “I hope you are not waiting for more students to get shot.”

Records also show a parent reached out to president Choi in April, claiming they were in Columbia the weekend prior when multiple alerts were sent out by the university for shootings. Two men were shot the weekend prior, according to previous reporting.

The university responded, asking the parent for a phone call.

The same parent wrote again following Williams’ death, writing the fear of something like that happening was the reason she had written to Choi in April. The parent called the violence unacceptable, and called for change, saying Choi’s emailed response was too late.

“I have read your email this morning. I feel it’s too little, too late. We were screaming from the rooftops last April and now someone is dead,” the email says.

According to emails exchanged between Choi and Boone County Northern District Commissioner Janet Thompson, the two had discussed efforts to help curb crime and issues within the city before the shooting. Records show Thompson sent an email to Choi about data sharing platforms the university and county could get involved.

Thompson wrote the platform is being used in Johnson County and could be used as a possible solution to issues Boone County faces. Thompson said the county had been “touting the My Resource Connection that Johnson County built out and shared with Douglas County for some time now” and thanked Choi for advocating for the platform.

Choi responded and asked Thompson to share more information about the platform that he later forwarded to colleagues. Thompson noted the county has been working with the Missouri Hospital Association, Missouri Sheriff’s Association and other agencies.

Thompson told ABC 17 News on Wednesday the data sharing would address multiple issues, including crime. She said University Health Care and their law enforcement are key players and that she Choi have spoken about the platform since the deadly shooting.

“We think Dr. Choi’s help at this point will be able to move this project forward as Dr. Choi understands the need for everybody to be working together across systems and across agencies,” Thompson said.

Records also show Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick had sent an email to MU CFO Ryan Rapp following the deadly shooting, indicating he did not plan to go on a planned trip to South Carolina in the wake of the shooting.

Kendrick told ABC 17 News via email that after several conversations, including a meeting at the university last week, he decided to go.

“Much of the conversations in Columbia, South Carolina, revolved around public safety, law enforcement, and downtown safety. President Choi ended up sending Chief Weimer on the trip as well to be part of the conversations. I’m glad that I went,” Kendrick said.

ABC 17 News reached out to MU.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Schnucks announced in a Wednesday press release that it is recalling smoked mozzarella penne salad because of a possible listeria contamination.

The recall was announced for stores in Missouri, Indiana and Illinois. Schnucks has three locations in Columbia and one store in Jefferson City.

Affected products have the UPC code 21287100000 and would have been purchased on or after Aug. 29. It also applies to the same product purchased in bulk from the deli case, the release says.

Customers should either throw out the food or bring it back for a refund.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three people have died from West Nile virus in Missouri this year, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The DHSS also says there’s been an increase in human cases of the virus this year with 16, compared to 15 reported last year. There was one fatality reported in the state in 2024. There have been 15 hospitalizations from the virus this year compared to 13 last year.

One fatality this year was reported in St. Louis County, while the other two were reported in Grundy and St. Charles counties, respectively. All of the people who died had contracted the virus from within the state in August, the data shows.

A Wednesday press release from the DHSS says, “West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the contiguous United States. This infection often causes no symptoms, but about 1 in 5 people may develop a flu-like illness with fever, headache, and/or body aches. In rare cases, especially in older adults or people with weakened immune systems, it can cause serious problems like swelling of the brain or spinal cord and/or paralysis.”

The release says residents can protect themselves by:

Using insect repellent with DEET, picaridin or IR3535;

Wearing long sleeves and pants;

Getting rid of standing water;

Making sure windows and door screens “are in good repair to keep mosquitoes out;” and

Reporting dead birds to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council on Monday night approved its $86,836,166budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Revenue for the city is expected to match expenditures.

The total budget decreased by nearly $10 million from the 2025 “actual” budget, though it’s a very similar number to the adopted 2025 budget, according to information from the city.

The city is seeing a roughly $6 million increase from the “actual 2025 budget,” a $700,000 increase in materials and supplies and a roughly $5.4 million decrease in contractual services.

The 2026 budget also does not have “Other Non-Operating Expenses” described, compared to 2025’s $833,196.

There was also a $1.3 million decrease in capital purchases, while capital projects is expected to have a more than $11 million decrease.

The city’s police department is seeing a roughly $800,000 increase ($9.7 million) from the 2025 budget ($8.9 million). Personnel services makes up the bulk of the increase, with 2026’s budget seeing $8.5 million compared to 2025’s actual budget of $7.5 million, though it’s similar to the adopted budget from 2025. More than half of that total comes from salaries.

The city is also spending roughly $100,000 more on a school resource officer in 2026 ($988,101 compared to 2025’s $885,864).

The fire department is also expected to get about $800,000 more in 2026 ($10.7 million) than it did in 2025 ($9.9 million), with a bulk of the increase also coming from salaries.

Courtesy of Jefferson City.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Employment and education center Job Point hopes to establish a charter school in Boone County.

The organization has submitted a letter of intent to the state-run Missouri Charter Public School Commission, which will be voted on Thursday.

If approved, Job Point will be invited to apply to establish a charter school.

Job Point has been in operation since 1965 and provides services like affordable housing, disability services and job assistance. The center helps connect people to certification and technical skill programs.

Losing federal funds is Job Point’s YouthBuild program, which provides on-site construction training to at-risk and low-income youth aged 16 to 24.

“This would be doing what we’re doing, just finding a way to keep it going,” Job Point President and CEO John Scalise said.

According to Job Point, YouthBuild has nationally served over 200,000 young people who have built over 36,000 affordable housing units. The organization claims 75% of U.S. YouthBuild participants have reported earning a diploma or credential, and 45% reported transitioning to jobs or postsecondary education.

Scalise adds that the program has sees around 80 students annually. Job Point also partners with Hallsville, Southern Boone and Columbia Public Schools through the program.

“A lot of the youth that we’re working with may be dealing with some significant adult life situations, even though they’re still youth, and don’t have the time to spend in school,” Scalise said.

Scalise said in an email to ABC 17 News that operating as a charter school would be a viable option for continuing the program because of federal funding issues through the Department of Labor.

“The grant funds are in the last cycle and will be used by 2028,” Scalise said. “There presently are no funded future grants for YouthBuild. We see this change as an opportunity to pursue opening the Charter School.”

According to Job Point’s letter of intent, the YouthBuild Workforce Charter School of Columbia will “pair YouthBuild’s existing vocational training and educational programs with the Missouri Option Program (MO-Options) for high school graduation.”

YouthBuild will help provide vocational and construction training, while MO-Options helps students navigate high school diploma and career guidance.

The letter states that students who are at-risk or have dropped out of high school will be the focus of enrollment. During its first five years of operation, the school will serve students in grades 9 through 12, with plans to eventually offer technical school apprenticeships for individuals beyond high school once it reaches full capacity. The charter school will also continue its current partnership with local public schools.

“What they have told us so far shows us that it is worth our time to take a look at a proposal from them, and we don’t do that with everybody,” MCPSC spokesperson Jeff Rainford said.

Job Point expects to have an enrollment of 45 students in the first year, 95 in the fifth year of operation, and over 200 students when at capacity.

YouthBuild has also partnered with charter schools in other states, including California, where it operates 18 school sites.

According to Job Point, the YouthBuild program has a $600,000 annual budget. The organization expects operating costs to increase when partnering with MO-Options.

YouthBuild Workforce Charter School is currently the only application submitted from the Columbia/Boone County area.

The charter school commission sponsors 21 charter schools in the state, primarily in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas. Six schools have an approved letter of intent and are in various stages of the application process.

Democratic Representative Kathy Steinhoff of Columbia is supportive of Job Point’s work but hopes the center works with Columbia Public Schools to be a sponsor.

“When the school district is the sponsor, the locally elected school board continues to make the decisions about local funds and is accountable to the public,” Steinhoff said.

The YouthBuild charter school would open for the 2027 school year.

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Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man accused in a domestic shooting was denied bond Wednesday.

Michael Anthony Davis, 40, will remain in the Cole County Jail after Cole County Judge Joseph Shetler ruled against allowing him out on bond. Davis is charged with first-degree domestic assault, three counts of armed criminal action and one count each of first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

The probable cause statement says Jefferson City police were investigating a crash in the 1800 block of Highway 50/63 East when they heard multiple shots being fired nearby.

Two women with life-threatening gunshot wounds were found in a vehicle in a wooded area in the 110 block of Cordell St., the statement says. They were brought to University Hospital in Columbia.

A witness described seeing a woman arguing with Davis, and Davis allegedly pulled out a long gun, the statement says. The witness did not see shots being fired, but they heard several shots in a row, the statement says. Police found roughly 30 shell casings in the 900 block of Harding Street, and Davis was arrested shortly after.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson confirmed one of the woman was the wife of Davis, the other woman was her friend. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that there have been more than 200 victims of domestic violence in Jefferson City in 2025 so far, 75% of those victims were women.

Thompson said cases of domestic abuse can come with their own type of challenges.

“You’ll have individuals in those cases who are caught up in the cycle of domestic violence. There’s a certain type of manipulation that goes on by the defendant and that can make it very difficult sometimes,” Thompson said.

He explained the different ways the prosecutor’s office could approach a domestic assault case.

“We do the best we can. We try to, when we may not have a cooperative victim, go with evidence based prosecution. Photographs of injuries, witness statements, things like that,” Thompson said.

Lori Haney, Executive Director for Citizens Against Spousal Abuse – Sedalia, says the cycle of domestic abuse starts with emotional abuse.

“Trying to control what the victim wears, where they may go, who they communicate with, losing resources, losing their job, losing access to transportation, access to money,” Haney said.

She explained how things can escalate even further from there.

“Then, you have that explosive phase where that abuse incident or incidents occurs and then there’s kind of a calming down period where an abuser may even feel remorseful and apologetic,” Haney said.

Haney said that have a safety plan is the first step to getting away from an abusive situation.

“Legal documents and identification are your first and foremost priority,” Haney said. “From there, where is going to be a safe place to go and I really have to highly recommend contacting victim service agencies in and around your area.”

Thompson said the prosecutors office has resources for those experiencing domestic abuse. He said local and county law enforcement in the area can also help victims find available resources.

Davis appeared through video call from Cole County Jail Wednesday and was read his charges. Davis did not have an attorney present.

Judge Joseph Shetler said Davis was a danger to the community due to the nature of the charges. Davis is scheduled for another bond review on Friday and a hearing on Oct. 30.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As the government shutdown enters its second week, food banks across the country are preparing for increased demand.

One Washington, D.C., food bank estimated roughly 75,000 federal workers are living paycheck-to-paycheck. And in the event of furloughs, if the shutdown extends for an extended period, affected households may need assistance.

Most federal employees work outside of the Washington metropolitan area — 57,100 federal employees were working in Missouri as of January, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

Food banks in the Show-Me State are preparing for possible increased need.

“We want to do our due diligence and plan for the worst,” Katie Adkins, a spokesperson at the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, said.

Food insecurity is already at the highest level in nearly a decade, according to Adkins.

“At the same time, we are serving a lot of people,” Adkins said. “We are seeing that need is continuing. We haven’t seen a lull, and now we have the holiday season right around the corner. And that often brings some additional challenges because people are thinking about how they’re going to put food on the table for Thanksgiving.”

While need has stayed relatively consistent at The Food Bank through the shutdown’s first week, Adkins said they’re expecting to see more people seeking help if it extends to a point of delayed paychecks or benefits.

“Many people in our community are one last paycheck away from from needing some help,” Adkins said. “And we’re rapidly approaching a first missed paycheck with the government shutdown.”

Military members are in danger of missing a paycheck on Oct. 15, if the shutdown drags on.

ABC 17 News reached out to Armed Services YMCA in Fort Leonard Wood to see how it’s preparing.

“With nearly 25 percent of junior enlisted military already experiencing food insecurity, the need is always urgent. We’ve seen a significant increase in our food pantry distributions and needs. The ASYMCA is working to expand our distribution across our many branches to ensure military families have reliable access to food and resources during this difficult time,” an ASYCMA spokesperson said in an statement.

The shutdown could also disrupt key programs such as SNAP, according to previous reporting.

“We are prepared for some new folks, especially people who may never have had to come to a pantry or soup kitchen, coming to visit for the first time.”” Adkins said.

In fiscal year 2022, 603,930 people in 296,276 households received SNAP benefits in Missouri, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Right now, food is expensive, transportation is expensive. And so we’re working with more limited resources than we have in the past,” Adkins said.

The shutdown comes as there’s already a strain on food banks. Adkins said The Food Bank has seen donations decline over the last few years.

“Manufacturers are just becoming very good at estimating what supply and demand is going to look like for them,” Adkins said. “We have known that that’s a challenge that we faced, we have continued to increase our retail rescue efforts.”

The Food Bank works with retailers across all 32 counties it serves to rescue items that may be nearing the end of their usable life.

“They’re good items,” Adkins said. “Typically, they’re the more nutritious items because they’re perishable. But those retailers, those stores, can’t get them out quickly enough. We serve around 100,000 people every single month, so we’re able to move them very quickly.”

Adkins said The Food Bank continues to look for new sources for rescue retail.

People needing support can visit The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri’s website.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

EDITOR’S NOTE: The meeting was moved to Oct. 22.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Sedalia Board of Appeals will meet on Wednesday to review the city’s dangerous building notice and demolition order, as the property owners argue that their properties are not in danger of collapsing.

The city has been actively collecting bids to demolish the buildings owned by Dana Melton and Travis Dixon at 207 and 209 W. Main St. Sedalia is looking to preserve other buildings that could be damaged in if those two were to collapse.

The city’s bids for demolition will end on Oct. 29 and the city council will review the bids in November.

A judge in July ruled the city has the ability to order a building to be demolished within its city limits.

Chief Building Official Bryan Kopp had determined the building at 207 West Main St. needed to be demolished to “protect the public,” court documents say. The city has described the building as being in “a state of collapse.”

However, an engineer hired by Melton and Dixon said in a report that the buildings can be saved and that the foundation was damaged from sidewalk work done by the city in 2022.

Melton and Dixon are asking the Sedalia Board of Appeals to go over and pause the demolition order while their evidence is considered.

According to the City of Sedalia, the owners submitted a proposal via their attorney in August. Melton and Dixon requested that the city hire and pay demolition contractors, reimburse the owners for engineering and attorney fees, permit the owners’ private engineer to oversee the work on-site and after demolition, backfill the lot to prepare it for future construction, among other conditions.

The city rejected the proposal, arguing that it shifted responsibility to the city and would have used public funds to improve a privately owned property.

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Matthew Sanders

The issue of violent crime is again dominating public conversation in Columbia this fall.

A Stephens College student from Columbia was killed last month as a random bystander in a shooting. The suspected killer used a handgun and allegedly fired 11 shots at innocent people.

Since then, University of Missouri President Mun Choi has called for action, and the Columbia Police Department has stepped up its patrols downtown on weekends.

Local officials have said they’re taking action, such as the increased patrols to tamp down on violent crime in Columbia, along with working with community groups. They also point out that guns are pervasive in the city, as police have found during their increased patrols.

Do you think city leaders are on the right track to reduce violent crime? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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