Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, (KMIZ)

A man has been charged with a felony and three misdemeanors after he is accused of threatening the lives of multiple people at a distillery on Thursday morning as he poured himself a beer.

Ashraf Habimana, 39, of Columbia, was charged with first-degree burglary, two counts of misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and a count of misdemeanor stealing. He was listed on the Boone County Jail roster on Friday morning and a motion to hold him without bond was filed. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says police were called to Six Mile Ordinary around 9 a.m. and victims claimed that Habimana entered the business while it was closed that morning, though the door was unlocked. Court documents say the business is open from 3-10 p.m. on Thursdays.

People inside the building were setting up for an event when Habimana allegedly asked them for a beer, the statement says. The two people allegedly said they did not work at the establishment and Habimana threatened to kill them, the statement says.

Habimana then allegedly grabbed a glass and poured himself a beer that was worth about $5, the statement says. Habimana then allegedly continued to make threats toward the two people in the building, including that he would “turn them into a pile of meat,” court documents say.

The two victims then allegedly went to the back of the building where there was an enclosed fence and Habimana walked around the building and threatened to jump the fence and kill them, the statement says. A witness also allegedly heard Habimana make threats, the statement says.

Habimana allegedly admitted to police that he threatened to kill the people in the building, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri’s annual security and fire safety report showed sharp declines in reported rapes and liquor arrests in 2024 from the previous year.

The report was shared by the university on Friday. The report shows there were nine reports of rape in 2024, which is half the total of 2023’s 18 reported incidents. Three of 2024’s reported rapes occurred in student housing, which also declined from 2023 when 11 were reported.

There were fewer reports of domestic violence reported to MUPD in 2024. Fifteen incidents were reported last year, which declined from 19 reported incidents in 2024. That continues a trend where 21 were reported in 2022.  

There was also a declines in liquor law arrests. In 2023, there were 254 arrests compared to 207 in 2024, which is close to 2022’s number of 208.  It also resulted in fewer “liquor law violations referred for disciplinary action,” in 2024 where 219 were reported compared to 2023’s 265, though 2024’s total is still higher than the 153 reported in 2022.

Drug law arrests saw a significant increase from 2023. There were 101 arrests in 2024 compared to 2023’s 68, though it’s still roughly half the amount reported in 2022 (206).

2025-Annual-Security-and-Fire-Safety-Report-Crime-Statistics-1Download

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Political action committees on the opposite ends of Missouri’s abortion debate each reported large fundraising totals to end the week.

Stop the Ban Missouri, a coalition aimed at defeating Amendment 3 in November 2026, announced in a news release on Friday that it has raised more than $800,000 since its formation in May.

Amendment 3 would overturn an amendment that voters added to the Missouri Constitution in November 2024, guaranteeing access to reproductive health care, including abortion. The ballot question was done in response to Missouri’s abortion ban that went into effect immediately when Roe v. Wade was struck down.

Stop the Ban has yet to submit a report that reflects this fundraising. However, a newly formed PAC that supports Amendment 3 reported a large contribution on Thursday.

Drury Displays Inc. in St. Louis donated $50,000 to Her Health, Her Future PAC. The anti-abortion PAC has first lady Claudia Kehoe as treasurer.

Stop the Ban formed in May after the Republican-led legislature voted to put Amendment 3 on the ballot. Her Health, Her Future was formed earlier this month.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine student organization posted on social media Thursday that they will be marching in the University of Missouri Homecoming Parade on Saturday.

MU had denied MSJP the ability to march in the parade, citing “safety concerns,” according to previous ABC 17 reporting. This was the second year the group had been denied.

A court decision from Sept. 19 forced MU to allow the group to participate, according to previous reporting. The federal judge sided with the student group, noting that there was evidence to show MU President Mun Choi violated the group’s freedom of speech.

Shortly after the court’s decision, MSJP resubmitted its application, and the university accepted it, according to Ahmed Kaki, a staff attorney from the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

CAIR attorneys represented the student group in court.

The judge allowed MSJP to march in the parade as long as the group followed the parade guidelines.

Kaki said the student group intends to do just that.

“They’re going to wear black and gold, they’re going to exhibit Palestinian culture,” Kaki said. “They’re really excited to do that, especially after being stripped of that last year.”

The parade policy states the event is for celebrating MU and the football team and shouldn’t be used to express political opinions.

The university said there would repercussions if MSJP strays from this.

“MSJP is scheduled to participate with specific conditions to use approved displays,” a spokesperson said in an email. “Deviations can result in disqualification from parade participation and student conduct review and sanctions for individuals and the organization.”

Out of the 149 organizations in the parade, MSJP is the second to last group in the line up.

Nine other groups were denied walking in the parade, according to previous reporting. The university said denials were issued because of safety concerns, failure to support the “Celebrating Black and Gold” theme and for missed deadlines.

Check back for updates.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council held a special session on Thursday to review plans for the new downtown conference center.

A design report outlined the 189,420-square-foot facility, which would be built between Madison and Monroe streets, with the main entrance on East Capitol Avenue.

The project includes a 200-room hotel, bar, conference room, grand ballroom, restaurant, coffee shop, and 526 parking spaces. City officials said the design aims to attract more visitors downtown and boost local business activity.

Designers are in talks with hotel brands including Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton, though Jefferson City will make the final decision on which brand is selected. The hotel will operate year-round, 24 hours a day, on behalf of the city.

The center is projected to generate a $584 million economic impact in its first decade, along with 372 jobs and $14 million in new local tax revenue, according to the report. City leaders hope the development will drive traffic to nearby restaurants, cafés, and shops, spurring further economic growth.

This is despite the project losing $20 million that was supposed to help pay for the center after state lawmakers cut the funds during its special session in May. During the planning process, hotel rooms were cut down from 250 to 200, but will not dip below 200, according to representatives of Looney and Associates, an interior design firm working on the project. 

As part of the construction of the center, the capital city will also lose out on 400 parking spaces due to the demolition of the Madison Street parking garage. During the meeting, Councilman Aaron Mealy raised constituent concerns about parking, noting that businesses fear the demolition of the Madison Street garage will make it harder to find spaces.

The city has hired a parking operator, Parking Concepts Inc., to look into figuring out a ratio that will allow for the space to be used in the most efficient way. 

Project designers said the conference center will provide one parking space per hotel room, leaving 326 spaces available. Looney and Associates added that most conference events are scheduled in the evening, outside normal business hours, which could help ease parking concerns.

Jefferson Center Mayor Ron Fitzwater told ABC 17 News in July that the center is slated to cost $130 million, but could change throughout the design phase of the project. He also said the city is considering other ways to make up for the loss, including “squeezing the project” to try and close the gap, or having good luck with interest rates falling over the next few years.

The project began in 2024 with planning and research. This year, the city moved forward with final design and construction plans. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion expected in 2028.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Shelby County woman was seriously injured in a crash Thursday morning near the intersection of Westbound Highway 54 and Route TT in Callaway County, a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol says.

The report says a 2021 Peterbilt 579 – driven by a 59-year-old Russellville man – was trying to cross westbound Highway 54 when it was hit by a 2012 Nissan Juke, which was heading westbound. The Nissan was driven by a 34-year-old Emden, Missouri, woman.

The woman had serious injuries and was brought to University Hospital by ambulance, the report says. Both people in the crash wore their seatbelts, according to the report.

The Nissan was totaled while the Peterbilt had minor damage. MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman who was accused of soliciting prostitution from an undercover police officer was allegedly found with 29 grams of fentanyl in July.

Amy Hill, 47, of Columbia, was charged on Thursday in Boone County with second-degree drug trafficking, misdemeanor prostitution, two counts of felony drug possession and a single count of delivery of a controlled substance. She is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

Two probable cause statements were filed in the case. The first document says an undercover Columbia police officer found a website on July 24 where Hill allegedly advertised “adult services,” for a listed price.

The officer allegedly contacted Hill with a phone number that was listed on the website to set up a meeting at an Airbnb, the statement says. The officer met Hill in the 800 block of East Broadway in downtown Columbia and discussed a price, documents say. The officer allegedly asked if he could pay a larger amount than the originally listed price, court documents say.

She was then taken into custody and was allegedly found with 29 grams of fentanyl and about a gram of methamphetamine in her purse, the statement says. The DEA’s website says 2 milligrams can be a lethal dose.

A second probable cause statement says the Boone County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at a motel room on Business Loop 70 on Sept. 9, which was occupied by Hill. Law enforcement allegedly found 29 grams of meth and 4 grams of cocaine, along with a scale and baggies, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman was charged with a felony in Macon County on Thursday after authorities claim she stole $4,000 from her employer’s safe last month and fled to Alabama.

Ashlynn Ross was charged with felony stealing. A warrant was issued on Thursday and a $10,000 bond was set. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says Ross is accused of taking $4,000 from the victim’s safe on Aug. 2, a day when the business was closed. Video footage allegedly showed the victim accessing the safe that day while holding a bank bag and concealing something in her shirt after making “erratic movements,” the statement says.

Ross allegedly then went to the office at 8:40 a.m. Aug. 7, left at 10:58 a.m. and never came back, the statement says. Ross then called in sick to work the next day and traveled to Alabama, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to sign the new congressional map within the state into law this Sunday, according to a Thursday press release from the governor’s office.

The new congressional map – named the “Missouri First” map – was approved during a special session earlier this month. The new map has faced criticism for occurring outside of the 10-year census, which is the period it is typically done. Multiple lawsuits were filed in response to the bill.

President Donald Trump gave praise to Missouri Republicans last month for considering the move as Republicans seek to maintain control of the U.S. House in the 2026 midterms. Texas, California and other states have also considered redrawing their district boundaries.

The new map splits Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Fifth District and is likely to give an edge to Republicans during the next election cycle.

“After a thorough bill review process with our team, I am prepared to officially sign the Missouri First Map into law,” Kehoe said in Thursday’s release. “Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values should be truly represented at all levels of government, and the Missouri First Map delivers just that. We appreciate the work of legislators in the General Assembly in getting this bill to my desk, as well as passing critically needed IP reform to give Missouri voters the opportunity to protect our Constitution at the ballot box.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A crash that caused a couple of lanes to close on Wednesday evening on the Missouri River bridge in Jefferson City led to one person having minor injuries, according to a crash report from the Jefferson City Police Department.

The report says three vehicles were heading northbound. The driver of a 2015 Nissan Frontier made a lane change and ended up hitting a 2024 Buick Encore, the report says. The Encore then hit the wall of the bridge, the report says.

Another vehicle – a 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage — was hit by debris that came off the trailer being towed by the Nissan, the report says. The Nissan had extensive damage, while the Buick had moderate damage and the Mitsubishi had minor damage, according to the report.

The driver of the Nissan — a 61-year-old woman from Columbia – had minor damage and was brought to an area hospital by ambulance. A Missouri Department of Transportation camera showed multiple first responders arriving in the area.

A RAVE alert was issued at 9:21 p.m. for the crash and traffic was back to normal by 10 p.m. Two lanes were closed during that period.

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