Category: kmiz-local-news

Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several Columbia police officers responded to the Woodstock Mobile Home Park on New Haven Road on Monday.

An ABC 17 News crew saw at least five Columbia Police Department patrol cars at the scene shortly before 8 p.m. The Columbia Fire Department confirmed several of its crews responded to the same scene but deferred to CPD for details on what happened.

A police sergeant at the scene confirmed someone fired at least one gunshot during what he described as a dispute between neighbors. No injuries were reported, and one person has been detained.

This is a developing story, we will update you as more information becomes available.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boonville man was charged on Friday with a pair of felonies after authorities claim he broke into a building by crawling through a hole that housed an office air conditioning unit.

Joshua Allen Kautzman was charged with second-degree burglary and first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. A warrant was issued and a $25,000 bond was set. He is not listed on the Cooper County Jail’s roster, but court documents say he was detained in Illinois.

The probable cause statement says an employee of a business – whose identity was redacted, but court documents say is located in the 1400 block of West Ashley Road — reported a white Chevrolet 1500 was stolen when they arrived to work on Thursday, May 21.

The statement says the employee found an air conditioning unit on the floor of the main office. They reviewed video and saw the unit fell around 9:25 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, court documents allege. Kautzman was allegedly seen crawling through the hole into the business at 5:37 a.m.

The Chevrolet was found at 7:24 a.m. Friday in Benton, Illinois, the statement says. Kautzman allegedly admitted to pushing in the air conditioning unit, entering the business, taking keys and stealing the vehicle, court documents say.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Hundreds of parade-goers on Monday packed East Broadway in downtown Columbia for the Gold Star Memorial Day Parade.

Parade founder Sherry Wyatt marked the second year since the event’s return after a six-year hiatus, honoring fallen service members on Memorial Day.

“This is extremely important to us because the greatest sacrifice that any of us can give, of course, is our lives for the people who love and we care for, defending the freedom of our country,” Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 280 and parade member Charlie Brown said. “The families that are affected by that, our Gold Star families, are worthy of the highest honors that we can give.”

The Gold Star title honors the immediate family members who have experienced losing an active-duty military service member.

“To have all of these people to support us and to love on us, it’s been wonderful,” Gold Star family member Rhonda Fingar said.

Rhonda and David Fingar were in the parade honoring their son and U.S. Army Specialist Jason Fingar. Jason Fingar enlisted in 2008 and served in Afghanistan before being killed in action on May 22, 2010, after his military vehicle hit an IED.

“Jason was the first person in the convoy,” Rhonda Fingar said. “Even though he passed, he saved all those people that were behind him.”

“He was the moral compass,” David Fingar said. “He didn’t want to have that attention of, ‘he’s someone important.'”

The parade was also organized with the USTF Veterans Foundation and featured chapters for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, American Legion Riders, and Mid-Missouri Vietnam Vets and the Nurses Honor Guard of Mid-Missouri, among other groups.

“My son went to Afghanistan and he also came home, so we have a lot to be thankful for and I definitely like to honor those who didn’t make it back,” Parade-attendee Sarah Brilhante said.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A partial mistrial was declared on Friday in a Boone County child molestation case involving an Iowa man.

Fred L. Fox, 56 of Humeston, Iowa, was originally charged with two counts of child molestation, one count of child enticement and sexual misconduct involving a child younger than 15 years old. He is being held at the Boone County Jail.

Court filings show the jury on Friday found Fox not guilty of the child molestation counts, but could not come to a verdict for the other two charges.

Previous reporting indicates Fox was accused of abusing a child during a two-year period in Iowa and Missouri. Court documents in previous reporting say a parent of the victim or victims told investigators that Fox had been visiting and stayed for anywhere from three to 14 days at a time.

The court declared a mistrial on the child enticement and sexual misconduct charges on Friday. Fox was granted a reduced bond of $25,000.

A status hearing in the case is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday, June 22.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A restaurant near the Lake of the Ozarks caught fire on Monday morning, according to a social media post from the Mid-County Fire Protection District.

The post says crews were called at 2:51 a.m. Monday to Pebble Bay Club Restaurant off of Good Neighbors Road, west of Camdenton. About 25% of the building was seen on fire when crews arrived, the post says.

The fire was brought under control after about 45 minutes of crews arriving, the statement says. The state fire marshal is investigating the cause and origin.

No injuries were reported.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The United States Exercise Tiger Foundation will honor six U.S. Army soldiers from an Iowa unit who died during the Iran conflict in March at a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony Monday morning in Columbia.

“No matter what anybody may think of what we’re doing or why we’re doing it. We honor the sacrifice the men and women who are somebodies fathers, sons, daughters who are lost. Those six from Iowa are the closest that we know of today, and so we’re honoring them and the others as well,” Walter Domanski, a USETF public affairs deputy director, said.

The Iran conflict started at the end of February, and negotiations to end the conflict have been ongoing.

The wreath ceremony will also honor Columbia’s own Sterling Wyatt, who was killed in Afghanistan, Domanski said.

Wyatt’s mom, Sherry Wyatt, brought back the Gold Star Memorial Parade last year after a six year hiatus, according to the parade website.

“When a family loses a family member while in service to our country, the family becomes a Gold Star family. Thus, the reason for changing the name of the parade to the Gold Star Memorial Day Parade is to recognize the sacrifice of our loved ones’ deaths and to remember, honor and recognize them for their service to our great country,” Sherry Wyatt wrote.

The day will start with the Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at 9 a.m. at the Boone County Courthouse. The ceremony is expected to last about 40 minutes, with local veterans’ organizations presenting wreaths and music from the Columbia Community Band, the Boone County Fire Protection District Pipes and Drums, and the American Legion Post 202 Honor Guard will do the military fire arms salute.

The parade will follow that ceremony, starting around 10 a.m., and it will step off on East Broadway Street, with VIP seating in between North Eighth and Ninth Streets.

Parade map courtesy of the CoMo Gold Star Parade.

The Gold Star Wreath Laying Ceremony will follow the parade and is estimated to start around 11:15 a.m. back at the Boone County Courthouse. This ceremony will be for gold star families.

The title “Gold Star” is reserved for families of military members who died in the line of duty. It is meant to honor the service member’s ultimate sacrifice while acknowledging their family’s loss, grief and continued healing.

A flag ceremony and the 21 gun salute will follow.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Fulton man was charged on Friday with multiple counts related to child sex crimes.

According to a Facebook post from the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office, Phillip Likes, 29, was arrested Friday in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving a juvenile that was reported in early March.

Likes was charged with two counts of statutory rape of a victim younger than 14 years old, one count of statutory sodomy of a victim younger than 14 years old, one count of sexual misconduct involving a child under 15 years old and one count first-degree child molestation.

He is being held in the Callaway County Jail without bond, according to the post.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As over 650,000 people are expected to arrive in Kansas City this summer for the anticipated FIFA World Cup, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has partnered with national nonprofit Safe House Project to address human trafficking.

Hanaway reports that large-scale international events have led to spikes in trafficking activity.

“Protecting victims and preventing exploitation are core public‑safety responsibilities of my office, and we will use every tool available to catch traffickers and hold them accountable,” Hanaway said in a press release.

Safe House Project developed the program, Simply Report. The program can be accessed online, through an app, or by calling 1.833.5.BESAFE without an account. Users are taken to a chat box where an AI records their report or any tips they provide.

“When a Missourian sees something, they now have a way to act on it,” Kristi Wells, CEO and Co-Founder of Safe House Project, said in a press release.

Missouri has consistently ranked among the top states nationally for human trafficking, and prior reporting has also found that the state saw a spike in human trafficking cases in 2024.

The state sits at the center of the U.S., intersecting with major interstates and railways, a hotspot for trafficking activity. In previous years, Missouri averaged more than 240 human trafficking cases. In 2024 alone, the state recorded 272 cases, the highest total since 2020, when 270 cases were reported.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733.

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Olivia Hayes

PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

An 18-year-old Plato man is seriously hurt after a crash on Highway AW south of Highway TT Friday night, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

A 13-year-old boy was minorly hurt and a 39-year-old man was also moderately hurt in the crash. Both were from the St. Robert area.

The report said the collision happened just after 9:20 p.m. when the 18-year-old crossed the center line in his 2014 Dodge Dart and struck a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado truck driven by the 39-year-old man. The young boy was his passenger.

All crash victims were transported to nearby hospitals. MSHP crash reports do not name the victims involved.

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Alison Patton

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Hundreds of Moberly residents gathered to ride motorcycles, cars, and some people even watched the procession nearby in memory of 16-year-old Kayla Huff on Saturday night.

People met outside of Moberly City Hall, located at 101 W. Reed St., and hit the road in memory of Huff around 8 p.m.

Organizers Dustin Ritch and Kristina Stockton sent out a press release noting the ride was approved by the Huff family and would be police escorted.

Huff went missing at the beginning of May and was found dead at the Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area one week later. Four adult suspects and a juvenile have been charged in connection with her death and disappearance.

Alayna Mason, 20, and Hunter Ames, 19, both of Moberly, are charged with first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping in the death of Huff. Ames faces an additional charge of tampering with evidence. Christopher Hull, 23, and Julian Mason, 26, both of Moberly, are charged with kidnapping and tampering with evidence.

Alayna Mason is also charged with stealing a vehicle, stealing a gun and escaping confinement after she allegedly stole a Randolph County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle. A fifth adult, Skyler Powell, 24, of Moberly, was accused of helping Alayna Mason evade police and was charged with hindering the prosecution of a felony. 

“I’m hoping, one, that we pull together as a community and help each other be there in whatever struggles we have, kind of open our big hearts again and stop being so closed off. We can be there for each other, like a community should,” Stockton said in an interview with ABC 17 News.

Huff’s dad, Mike Huff, briefly addressed a crowd of over 50 people Saturday, with more in their vehicles nearby listening, before the group took to the streets.

“I just want to thank everyone for being here,” Mike Huff said. “You guys are holding us up right now, and I really appreciate it.”

He posted a longer message on Facebook earlier in the day.

“I would like to ask a favor of everyone today. Please post only positive posts this weekend. Fill Facebook with love in honor of my daughter Kayla Huff. She wanted to spread love and happiness into this world and if we would join her in that, maybe we would be able to start seeing the world as she wanted to see it,” Huff wrote.

Donations to help the family with funeral costs, lost wages and medical bills were accepted at the event.

The Gilded Lily Tattoo Shop also hosted a fundraiser that started at noon and ended at 8 p.m. Over $4,500 will be donated to the Huff family from that fundraiser, Stockton said.

The community raised a total of $5,951, according to Ritch.

Shop owner Hailey Redding said the shop saw over 200 customers Saturday, who received tattoos from a flash sheet that represented Huff in some way. One option was a phrase: “Justice for Kayla.” Other options included a purple ribbon, ladybugs, the date she went missing–May 6–angels and a basketball hoop.

The Kayla Huff Memorial Scholarship also accepted donations at the event. Heather Cleavinger, one of the scholarship founders and vice president of the Moberly School District, said as of Saturday afternoon, it had already raised more than $1,500.

The scholarship will be awarded to at least one student, starting with Huff’s graduating class of 2028, and will be at least $1,000.

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