Category: kmiz-local-news

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ)

Despite deer season starting up in next month in Missouri, deer have been making their presence known during the month of August. First responders have reported at least four serious vehicle crashes involving deer since the start of the month.

The crashes include a Pettis County Man driving a truck and three separate motorcycle crashes in Montgomery City and Boone and Cole County, leaving a woman, a man and one other motorcyclist with serious injuries.

A 2023 Deer Season Summary and Population report by the Missouri Department of Conservation found that the deer population has been increasing in both the Ozark and Central regions, with deer harvest increasing by 28% and 5% from 2022, respectively.

ABC 17 News spoke with multiple people in Columbia. Four people said that they have not seen a noticeable number of deer this summer, while five others said they commonly see deer on back roads or on the side of major highways. One person said they’ve seen large groups of deer in the yards of their neighborhood.

“I feel like I’ve just seen more deer recently,” University of Missouri student Ella Vuichard said.

Lieutenant Kyle Green with the Missouri State Highway Parol said in a statement to ABC 17 News that the recent crashes “are not out of the ordinary,” and the MSHP responds to deer crashes every week throughout the year.

In 2023, the MSHP reported that Missouri had consistently ranked 10th to 15th in the country in deer-related car accidents each year. There were a total of 3,591 crashes with deer with four deaths and 420 injuries reported that year.

Co-owner and mechanic of Tiger Auto Repairs and Sales, Castle Mahmood has seen a lot of deer-related accidents, both during car repairs and his own personal vehicles. Mahmood adds that most crashes he sees happen in the fall and winter.

“If its small without antlers, it’ll be damaging the bumper, hood, fender and if it’s a big one with big antlers, it could go through the windshield and kill the driver because I’ve seen those too,” Mahmood said.

Green said that deer are most active during sunrise and sunset in both rural and city areas. He recommends keeping an eye out when driving and not swerving if a deer is on the road. MoDoT also recommends being on guard after seeing a deer in case there are others.

“Many times the crashes that result from a person swerving are more severe than just hitting the deer,” Green said.

Of the people ABC 17 News spoke with, five people said that they are mindful of deer all the time when driving, regardless of the season.

“My old car, I had smoked a deer, it was very unfortunate, it was right next to my house, but yeah, it was kind of scary. Now I watch out for deer a lot more,” Columbia visitor Dylan Jacobs said.

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Ryan Shiner

BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Four people – three of which were children – were injured in a crash on Friday night on Highway 124 between Hallsville and Centralia, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report published on Saturday.

The report says a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee – driven by a 42-year-old Jefferson City man — was heading westbound from Little Creek Road and pulled out in front of 2011 Toyota Camry, driven by a 17-year-old Hallsville boy.

The Toyota was heading north and its front end hit the passenger side of the Jeep, the report says.

The driver of the Jeep had minor injuries and his passenger – a 10-year-old boy from Jefferson City – had moderate injuries, according to the report. Both were brought to University Hospital by ambulance, the report says.

Two passengers in the Toyota – both 17-year-old boys from Hallsville – had moderate injuries and were brought to University Hospital by a private vehicle, according to the report.

The crash was reported at 9:19 p.m. A Boone County Joint Communications notification at 9:25 p.m. stated the road was shut down because of the crash. Another notification was sent at 10:18 p.m. indicating the road reopened.

Both vehicles had extensive damage, according to the report. They were both towed from the scene. The Toyota had apparent front-end damage when an ABC 17 News reporter was at the scene. First responders started leaving the area around 10:10 p.m

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools is implementing a “cellphone free” policy for the 2025–26 school year, aligning with a statewide mandate.

In July, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 68 banning the use of cell phones during instructional time, lunch breaks, study halls and between passing periods, for all K-12 students.

To implement the law, during school hours cellphones must be turned off, or on silent mode, and stored in their backpacks or lockers. The change differs from last year for high school students, who were able to use them outside of class periods.

Last year, the district had a cellphone policy in place that banned phone usage for middle school students all day, including in the bathrooms, hallways and lunch.

The district says accommodations will be made for students who require a personal electronic device for medical assistance.

CPS spokesperson Michelle Baumstark reflected on last year’s policy, saying enforcing a cellphone police is nothing new to the district and this new state law broadens the restrictions.

“The premise is really about making sure that students stay connected to their learning in the classroom, to minimize disruptions,” Baumstark said. “This is really about, just enforcing our policies, using the discipline practices, behavior management, classroom management, in order to be able to ensure that they have a learning environment that is conducive to achievement,”

If a parent needs to contact their children during school hours, they can contact the main school office and the office staff will relay any urgent messages to the students, according to the CPS policy.

Baumstark says students who are caught using their cellphones can face escalating consequences.

“This will just be a reinforcement that we’re expanding, there is periods of time for warnings and you know giving reminder,” Baumstark said. “Then there’s a daily confiscation or asking parents to come get it, so it’s sort of an escalating process when it comes to disciplinary action related to cell phones.

“…We also understand that there will be some grace at the beginning as everyone is learning those new processes. But we really want our parents to be partners in this with us, it is a state law. We do have to do it.”

Baumstark said teachers will be out in the halls during passing periods to make sure students are not using their phones.

Crystal Graves, cofounder of The Bold Academy, said her children will not get a phone until they are 13-years-old and they cannot take their phones to school. She is in favor of the change.

“I think technology can be a distraction as a whole, not just for my kids, but as an adult,” Graves said. “My sister is the vice president of the the Ferguson-Florissant School District in St. Louis and they banned it three years ago. And they’ve had such a huge increase in academic scores, less bullying in school. I think it’s absolutely great they should have did it a long time ago. We went so many years without phones,”

Melita Walker, co-founder of The Bole Academy and former principal at West Middle School, said the elimination of phones in schools is a win.

“Research has shown that a lot of the kids are addicted, and any reading or reading anything in any way whether its a silent vibration, it distracts the kids from the learning and then its hard to get them back on track,” Walker said. “It’s an absolutely great band and it’s very helpful to the students and the classroom learns in general.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people were injured Friday afternoon after a 2005 Toyota Tundra crashed on Interstate 44 in Phelps County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the truck was heading eastbound and went down the left side of the road. The driver – an 18-year-old woman from Hillsboro, Missouri – overcorrected, the report says. The truck rolled over and ejected the passenger, a 49-year-old man from De Soto, according to the report.

The man was airlifted to University Hospital with serious injuries, while the woman had moderate injuries and was brought to Phelps Health by ambulance, the report says. Neither person was wearing a seatbelt, according to the report.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was charged with a dozen felonies in Cole County after a chase in Jefferson City allegedly led to him hitting an officer’s patrol vehicle.

Travion Reams, 32, of Columbia, was charged with aggravated fleeing, six counts of armed criminal action, three counts of second-degree assault, one count of first-degree property damage and illegal gun possession.

The passenger in the vehicle, Johnny Ellis, 51, of Columbia, was charged with illegal gun possession and armed criminal action. Both men are being held at the Cole County Jail without bond and court dates have not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says a Jefferson City police officer tried to stop a silver Hyundai on Thursday afternoon. The car stopped, but the driver accelerated once the officer was out of his patrol car, the statement says. The stop occurred near the intersection of Dunklin and Ewing streets, and the chase occurred throughout the city, including through a car wash bay and into oncoming traffic, the statement says.

Reams came close to hitting multiple officers who were out of their vehicles and drove through spike strips, but continued the chase with deflated tires, the statement says. He eventually turned the Hyundai and hit an officer’s vehicle, the statement says.

Reams and Ellis tried to get out of the vehicle and run away, but Reams was caught immediately and Ellis faced a cliff when he got out of the car, the statement says.

Ellis was also charged on Friday in Boone County with second-degree assault and armed criminal action.

The probable cause statement in that case says Ellis assaulted a woman after throwing a yard ornament made of stone at her head following an argument.

The victim allegedly had a 2-3 inch cut on their forehead and was bleeding when police arrived on Monday morning. Police saw video of the two arguing after the throw allegedly happened, the statement says. A no-bond warrant was issued for Ellis in that case.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Osage County man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for multiple child sex crimes, according to a press release from the Osage prosecutor’s office.

A jury trial was held on April 30 and May 1 for Matthew Johnson, who was found guilty of attempted statutory rape, second-degree child molestation and third-degree child molestation.

“This sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes committed against a vulnerable child,” Prosecuting Attorney Amanda Grellner said in the release. “My office remains committed to seeking justice for victims and ensuring that those who commit such heinous offenses are held fully accountable.”

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Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia’s recycling center is completely demolished, and city workers are testing equipment for a reopening.

However, assistant utilities director Tom Ratterman said Friday that workers are restoring power to the equipment. He said that it should be complete in two to three weeks.

“We tested it with a generator, and now it’s time to get line power to it, and that’s what we’re currently working on,” Ratterman said. “And when we get line power to it, we’ll have to go through some permitting processes, and we may be able to start it back up.”

The City Utilities Solid Waste Department says the next step in restoring recycling services is to construct a building over the sorting equipment. Solid Waste is updating the City Council on the progress Monday.

City Utilities plans to ask for $2.5 million for a new recycling center building to replace the one destroyed by a tornado earlier this year.

Ratermann said the new metal structure will be similar to the previous building. The city government will have the option to expand the building in the future.

Staff is reaching out to local contractors to explore designs. It may take a year to ship the building, then up to six months to get it standing and operational, Ratterman said.’

Rattermann said it’s still too early to know if operations can resume without the building.

“A lot of it depends on the weather and a lot of it depends on local permitting, getting electrical permits, and determining whether the equipment can be operated in the elements and whether it needs some of it may need to be replaced before we can operate it in the elements,” Rattermann said.

He said it may take until October or November.

“I usually assume by Thanksgiving the weather is going to get pretty inclement. So it’s too soon to tell,” Rattermann said.

The city has gradually resumed recycling by partnering with Federal Recycling & Waste Solutions, based in Jefferson City.

In July, the city hauled about 14 tons of mixed containers to the Jefferson City facility, where they are baled and sent to Illinois for sorting. The city will receive a rebate based on commodity prices once it reaches a full load of 20 tons.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Binder Drive in Jefferson City required an emergency closure by city crews near the intersection with Marilyn Drive after a “void” was discovered underneath the road, according to a Friday press release from the city’s department of public works.

The closure will occur between 215 and 217 Binder Drive, the release says.

The release says that section of road “will be closed indefinitely for safety so the city can take all proper precautions to repair this area.”

Signs will be posted in the area.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

When students return to school throughout Missouri, they might notice one change: no phones allowed. 

A new state law requires all school districts to establish a no-phones policy, even if the district previously had one, like Jefferson City School District. 

“We had a policy where kids didn’t have them in classrooms. So now it’s in the hallways and also in the cafeteria,” Superintendent Bryan McGraw said.

Last school year, students could have phones out during class transitions and at lunch. Come Monday, when school starts, phones aren’t allowed unless students are using them for educational purposes. 

Adalyn Long, a sophomore at Capital High School, said it’s going to take some students more time to adjust to the new policy. 

“I don’t really use my phone too much,” she said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a big problem. But for other people, I think it’ll be hard for the first few days.” 

Long is on the dance team, and she does other activities outside of school. She also has two brothers, who have their own schedules as well. 

She said last year she would text her parents and brothers during school, so she knows what the plan is. Now, all of that could be changing. 

If a student is caught using their phone, McGraw said, the consequence depends on where and how the phone was being used. It also depends on how often the student is caught using their phone.  

“It varies from a warning to confiscating it for a period of time,” McGraw said. 

Capital City High School special education teacher Cameron Grant said he’s expecting some pushback from students. 

“But once the students get acclimated to it all, as long as the teachers are staying on top of it, I think it won’t be that big of a problem,” Grant said. 

He thinks this will keep students engaged in the classroom. 

“I’m hoping and believing that they’ll be more attentive to what their teachers are talking about. More willing to take notes, which means test scores go up,” Grant said. 

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Beginning next week, several Columbia streets in residential areas will undergo pavement maintenance by contractors and city crews, according to a Friday press release from the city.

The release says city crews will resurface four streets from Monday through Thursday:

Alfred Street

Country Club Drive

Hickory Hill Drive

West Broadway from Garth Avenue to Aldeah Avenue

Contractors will resurface 13 streets from Monday through Sept. 3:

South Glenwood Avenue from Redbud Lane to the south end of the street

Lakeshore Drive from South Glenwood Avenue to the south end of the street

Redbud Lane from Edgewood Avenue to South Glenwood Avenue

West Lathrop Road from Westwood Avenue to the east end of the street

South Garth Avenue from Lathrop Road to Business Loop 70 West

East Forest Avenue from North Providence Road to North Garth Avenue

Edgewood Avenue from West Broadway to West Stewart Road

Aldeah Avenue from West Broadway to West Ash Street

Alexander Avenue from West Ash Street to West Worley Street

Hirth Avenue from West Sexton Road to West Ash Street

North Glenwood Avenue from West Broadway to West Ash Street

Ridgeway Avenue from West Ash Street to Mikel Street

Anderson Avenue from West Worley Street to West Broadway

Crews will work each day from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and “no parking” signs will be posted, the release says. Lane closures will be required and traffic control signs and flaggers will be on site, the release says.

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