Category: kmiz-local-news

Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri sent out its first MU Alert to students since move-in began for the 2025-26 school year on Monday night.

The alert said officers were responding to a shots-fired call in the 900 block of South Providence Road. The incident ended up being a vehicle backfiring on MU’s Columbia campus, according to previous reporting.

Some MU students began moving onto campus on Saturday, with a majority expected to move in on Wednesday and Thursday, according to information on the university’s website.

First-year student Kylin Woodruff moved in Saturday and said she was alone in her dorm when she got the MU Alert on Monday.

“I was in my dorm, just eating dinner and everything, and I just got a text on my phone that there were gunshots apparently reported,” Woodruff said.

Woodruff had just moved four hours away from home and said her roommate had not moved in yet when she saw the ‘shots-fired’ message come across her phone.

“Honestly, it kind of scared me,” Woodruff said. “Lately these past couple days, I’ve been hearing cop sirens or ambulance sirens practically daily. So I kind of figured something was going on.”

MU Alerts are sent out during incidents that have the potential to impact the entire campus, according to the information on the university’s website. Active threats that prompt the university to send an alert range from weather-related emergencies to possible criminal activity.

The university defines a threat to campus as “any events, man-made or natural, that threaten the safety and security of our students, faculty and staff.”

After each message is sent, the university says it reviews its policies and procedures to decide if any changes should be made in handling that type of situation in the future.

Woodruff said getting that MU Alert on Monday was scary, but made her feel protected and informed. She said she signed up for the alerts to have piece of mind on campus.

“I’m glad they have the alert system because who knows, someone could have been out there and like heading towards that direction and that could probably could have really saved somebody,” Woodruff said.

In the case of an emergency, the university alert tool will recommend an action to take. MU says not to contact MUPD, rather follow directions given in the alert, as dispatchers need to be available to respond to the unfolding emergency.

Follow-up MU Alerts will continue to be sent out as soon as new information becomes available. An “All Clear” message will be sent once campus is back to operating under normal conditions.

MU leaders say that because studies show over-notification causes people to ignore warning messages, they restrict campus-wide alerts to incidents that pose an immediate threat to campus.

The MU Alert system is tested several times each year, according to the university’s online emergency information center. The university says it often does drills to assess existing plans and policies, while also testing the emergency alert system. Every semester, all members of the campus community participate in these drills.

The current system is not able to send alerts to separate individuals or groups based on phone numbers of locations, though MU says it continues to investigate this possibility.

To sign-up to receive MU Alerts, students can register through their myZou accounts. Faculty and staff can register through their myHR accounts. Parents, community members and others who do not have an account with the university can sign up for alerts in two ways.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who has been trespassed from more than 25 businesses in downtown Columbia has been charged with a felony.

Michael Paddock, 49, of Columbia, was charged on Monday with first-degree burglary and a pair of misdemeanors: Stealing and disturbing the peace. He is being held at the Boone County Jail on a $15,000 bond. A hearing was held on Tuesday afternoon.

The probable cause statement says Shakespeare’s Pizza had been having regular issues this month with Paddock stealing food and drinks and that he had known to become violent. By Aug. 16, restaurant staff had Paddock removed about six-to-seven times this month, the statement says.

The same day, Paddock allegedly followed a manager at the business to his apartment and threatened to stab him, court documents say. The victim recorded Paddock following him home and Paddock would stop walking if the victim stopped walking, court documents say.

Paddock allegedly went back to Shakespeare’s the next day, reached over the bar and stole a cup after he was told he was not allowed in the building, another employee allegedly told police. Police arrested Paddock at Flat Branch Park later that day, where he denied being banned from the business, court documents say.

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Olivia Hayes

EDITOR’S NOTE: The story has been updated to correct information about the Puri Group’s purchase of the property.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Nearly a decade after its closure, the Truman Hotel is coming down.

Puri Group Enterprises, the building’s owner, said Tuesday that criticism from the community over the deteriorating building was the motivation behind the move.

“We get continuous harassment from people around the city that the Truman building is old, it is decrepit, it needs to be torn down. Just harassment continuously,” said Raman Puri, president of Puri Group Enterprises.

Jefferson City Mayor Ron Fitzwater describes the old hotel as a once “vibrant facility.”

“There were a lot of events done in that facility. There was a restaurant called Bingham’s, there was a kind of music area in the hotel that was the hot spot for the Capitol and people at the Capitol,” Fitzwater said.

Plans were in place to redevelop the building. The Puri Group purchased the hotel from Jeftel, Inc., according to a group spokesperson.

“We tore down half of the old Truman Hotel and developed a new hotel, and the remaining buildings there were closed down at that time because we were redeveloping a new product,” Puri said regarding his group’s original plans with the building.

However, the hotel never reopened, becoming vacant in 2015 and being declared dangerous in 2020.

“Unfortunately, the agreement that was signed didn’t have any termination dates saying ‘this will be built by a certain date,'” Fitzwater said.

Fitzwater said he and city staff found out about the building demolition on Monday, with the rest of the Jefferson City community.

“On Saturday, one of our staff saw the equipment parked behind the building getting ready for it, so that kind of got the buzz going over the weekend, and then yesterday the excitement really started,” Fitzwater said.

He feels like the possibilities for what the Puri Group could do with the land, following demolition, are endless.

“There’s 100-plus associations based in this community, plus all of state government and other organizations in town. So we know that it’ll be utilized,” Fitzwater said.

Puri said the demolition is privately funded and will cost $1.2 million. He said his group had to take out loans to pay for it.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Fulton man was charged with a pair of child sex crimes on Tuesday after authorities say he raped a child.

RolandNazarowski, 30, was charged with first-degree child molestation and first-degree statutory rape of a child younger than 12 years old. He is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says law enforcement was notified on July 9 of a possible sexual assault that occurred earlier in the summer. The child victim allegedly told authorities they were molested and raped by Nazarowski and described the assault.

Nazarowski alleged he was in the same bed with the victim and “did not like Victim One sleeping with him because of ‘things like this,’” court documents say. Nazarowski allegedly told authorities during an interview that the assault could have happened when he was asleep, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was who allegedly involved in a chase with law enforcement on Friday in Miller County died the same evening, according to a Monday social media post from the Miller County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office wrote Albert Clark, 54, collapsed after he was detained. He was brought to Lake Regional Hospital and was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m.

An autopsy was performed and a plastic bag was found in the man’s stomach, the post says.

“Toxicology testing was performed, and a urinary drug screen presumptively tested positive for THC and methamphetamine. No natural disease processes, medical issues or traumas were identified that would have placed Mr. Clark at substantial risk of sudden cardiac arrest,” the post says.

The case is under investigation by the county coroner’s office and Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than 250 electric cooperative members in the Doolittle area were without power Tuesday afternoon after a truck snagged power lines in Phelps County.

The truck snagged the lines along Interstate 44, according to a Facebook post from the Doolittle Rural Fire Protection District. The driving lane was closed. The Intercounty Electric Cooperative outage map showed 262 members without power at about 1:45 p.m.

The department said the lines had come down on the truck.

A cooperative spokesman wrote in an email to ABC 17 News that multiple crews were working to restore power. At least one pole and multiple spans needed to be restrung, Jeramy Lee wrote.

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Matthew Sanders

The Mizzou Tigers football team wrapped up fall camp this week with the season kickoff looming next week.

Coach Eli Drinkwitz and the team’s captains took questions from reporters after camp. Watch them talk in the player.

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Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

With Attorney General Andrew Bailey set to head to Washington, D.C., this September to work for the FBI after being tapped by Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, Gov. Mike Kehoe has appointed the state’s first female Speaker of the House.

Kehoe said Tuesday that Catherine Hanaway will take over Sept. 8. She will be the state’s first female attorney general.

“Catherine will be and is tough on crime, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the Attorney General’s office under her leadership and our number one priority, which is public safety,” Kehoe said.

Hanaway was a Republican House Speaker from 2003-05, the only woman to hold the post. During her time in the Missouri House, Hanaway was one of the main sponsors of a 2003 concealed carry bill. The bill was initially vetoed by then-Governor Bob Holden and later overruled by the General Assembly.

Hanaway also served as a U.S. Attorney, focusing on drug trafficking and child exploitation. She also sued the Texas company Cathedral Rock Corp. in 2007 for the mistreatment of elders in several St. Louis retirement homes.

“Working with local prosecutors, sheriffs, police and the highway patrol fighting crime is and will remain job one for this office,” Hanaway said. “I look forward to having a close and collaborative relationship with law enforcement as I did when I was United States attorney.”

Bailey, a Republican, previously challenged COVID-19 masking in schools as well as gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers. Bailey also created the anti-human trafficking task force and was a strong supporter of pro-law enforcement legislation.

Bailey also has a record as a state official loyal to President Donald Trump, supporting administration policies with dozens of legal filings since he took office in January 2023. Former Gov. Mike Parson appointed Bailey in 2022, and he was elected in 2024.

Democratic House Minority Leader Rep. Ashley Aune said in a statement Monday that the House Minority Caucus hopes Kehoe will appoint a “competent attorney general.”

“Bailey’s departure gives the governor an opportunity to appoint a competent and professional attorney general who will defend the rights of all Missourians instead of wasting taxpayer money on frivolous culture war lawsuits that regularly get laughed out of court,” Aune said.

Following Kehoe’s decision, Aune called Hanaway “a solid upgrade as Attorney General.”

“Catherine Hanaway will be a vast improvement over her incompetent and unprofessional predecessor,” Aune said in a prepared statement. “One question is which Catherine Hanaway will we get as attorney general: The one who served capably and honorably as House speaker and U.S. attorney, or the one who intensely fought to help Eric Greitens cling to power while facing impeachment. But unless she proves us wrong, House Democrats believe she can restore integrity to the office.”

Other supporters of Hanaway include Ranking Minority Member of the House Judiciary Committee Representative David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) and Ranking Minority Member of the House Crime and Public Safety Committee Mark Sharp (D-Kansas City)

“Catherine Hanaway is a solid pick and was a good Speaker of the House,” Smith said in a statement. “Hopefully, she will maintain that posture moving forward and will restore confidence in that office.”

“In today’s political climate, it can be very tempting for leaders to take part in partisan politics and it can also be tempting for opponents to focus solely on one person — the Attorney General,” Sharp said in a statement. “This appointment provides a fresh opportunity for the office to demonstrate fairness, integrity and a strong commitment to public service.”

Chair of the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit) called Kehoe’s pick “inspiring,” adding, “We look forward to working with her.”

Hanaway works for the law firm Husch Blackwell, representing white collar clients in areas such as lobbying law, fraud and money laundering. One of her clients is the Grain Belt Express, a renewable energy project that Bailey staunchly opposed.

Hanaway did not say how she plans to act as attorney general on the Grain Belt suit; however, she will remove herself from the case.

“Since I had that matter in private practice when I switched over to the Attorney General’s office, I’ll have to recuse myself, but the team that is there, the great team that is there, will be able to go forward without my input,” Hanaway said.

The Missouri Farm Bureau has previously criticized Grain Belt Express. In a statement, the group thanked Bailey for his hard work and added that they expect Hanaway to do the same.

Missouri agriculture has a true friend in Andrew Bailey, and he has been an unwavering advocate for farmers and ranchers,” MOFB President Garrett Hawkins said, “The list of issues we face as an industry is long, and we expect, as Attorney General, she will continue the work championed by her predecessors.”

Kehoe added that he continues to be a supporter of private property and will continue to work towards property protection.

“I’ve said all along,  I’m a big believer in private property rights, and if I had a century farm and somebody came and said I used eminent domain and I’m going to go across your farm now, I wouldn’t be very happy about it either,” Kehoe said.

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Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Nearly 19,000 Columbia Public School students made their way back into the classrooms for the first day of the 2025-26 school year Tuesday morning.

Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Klein told he’s excited and that this is a great opportunity as he begin this new position.

“Our focus this year is on making CPS the best place to work and the best place to learn,” Klein said. “So one of the first things we want to continue and build on is the culture and climate that’s been developed here.”

Smithton Middle School student Ellie Matthews shared with ABC 17 News how her first day back went.

“It was really good. I like all my teachers, and they were saying all the rules to like the classes and everything,” Matthew said.

Columbia Public Schools also debuted its new bus service, DS Bus Lines after it signed a three-year contract in February. DS Bus Lines brings a brand new fleet of buses that have safety features like GPS tracking for parents to track the bus in real time, and cameras inside and outside the buses.

“We’ve had a really good start to the year, and we anticipate that it’s going to be that way,” Klein said. “In September, we got some new technology that’s going to come on board. That’s going to be great for parents and help for us as well.”

Smithton Administrative Assistant Alex Schroeder said the first day went smoothly.

“Brand new buses, kids are excited. Bus drivers have some new security features in there for them. Make buses more secure and safe for kids as they’re going home,” Schroeder said. “Everything ran smoothly this morning. You know, a few hiccups, first day, but other than that, it’s been a great first day.”

The GPS tracking will be available to families in September via mobile app once routing for buses is finished. According to CPS, students can opt in to use the bus through Sept. 3 through the late opt-in process. Those who opt in late will get transportation sorted out as soon as possible.

There will be around 8,000 students taking the bus for the 2025-26 school year. As the new school year begins, students and parents are reminded of the new statewide no-phone policy that bans cellphones in every district in the state.

Michelle James described how her son is adapting to the new changes.

“He knows that he shouldn’t take it out. We do keep it on this person just in case there’s emergencies. But he’s aware of the law and the rule,” James said.

Multiple parents from Smithton shared with ABC 17 News how the first day of school drop-off and pick-up went.

Ellie Matthew’s mother, Aileigh Coles, said pickup became hectic.

“Drop off, I feel like was a little smoother… pickup, I feel like a little chaotic.  So I went ahead and just got out and went to pick up Ellie,” Ellie’s mother, Aileigh Coles said.

“We were here several times last year. And it’s very typical lines waiting to pick up the students and those to ride the bus or on that side,” Mike Holman said.

CPS is the fourth-largest school district in the state. CPS reported an increase of 74 students in this year’s enrollment. The district expects new registrations to continue in the coming days.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A vehicle backfiring led to police to respond to an area of the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus on Monday evening.

An MU Alert was sent out to students at 8:35 p.m. indicating that officers were responding to a shots-fired call in the 900 block of South Providence Road.

The Columbia Police Department wrote in a social media post at 9:25 p.m. that it had received multiple 911 calls “in reference to a report of shots being fired” in the area. There was no evidence of shots being fired, police wrote.

Officer spoke with callers and other people in the area “and confirmed that no one saw shots being fired, only heard a loud noise when a vehicle drove by. It was later confirmed by a witness that a vehicle backfiring was the source of the loud noise,” the post says.

Some MU students began moving onto campus on Saturday, with a majority expected to move in on Wednesday and Thursday, according to information on the university’s website.  

CPD wrote in its social media post that five CPD officers, a K-9 unit and MUPD officers responded to the call.

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