Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was charged with murder last month in a fatal Boone County crash is facing more charges.

After a grand jury indictment was filed on Friday, Donald Legleiter, 36, is now charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of first-degree property damage and a count of tampering with evidence.

He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An arraignment for the new set of charges will be held at 9 a.m. Monday.

The crash occurred on Allen Street in McBaine on July 14. Previous reporting indicates Legleiter had backed up in his SUV and run over a motorcycle with Jeffrie W. Cash on it. Legleiter allegedly drove from the scene and abandoned the 2024 Toyota Highlander in a bean field, according to court documents in previous reporting.

Cash died from his injuries on July 17. Makayla Cash said her father was defending a woman from Legleiter, which led to the fatal confrontation, previous reporting says.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state revoked a Columbia liquor store’s license to sell alcohol this week after the owners failed to answer multiple allegations.

The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control revoked Spring Creek Liquor and Convenience Store’s license on Thursday after the owners did not appeal, a state spokesperson told ABC 17 News. An appeal could still arrive via traditional mail.

The store is owned by Liquor Vault LLC, according to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office business records. The company did not respond to messages from ABC 17 News seeking more information.

State regulators had leveled 12 charges against the store: several counts of false answers on applications, two counts of violation of oath, a count of failing to report a change of fact, two counts of not disclosing an illegal financial interest and lack of good moral character.

The store was closed Thursday and Friday during normal business hours.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 42-year-old man from Valley Springs, South Dakota, was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash in the westbound lane of Interstate 44 in Pulaski County on Friday, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the man was driving a 1997 Ford F-150 that was heading westbound when it went off the left side of the road and hit median cables. The truck then came back to the roadway, went off the right side of the road and overturned, the report says.

The man was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the report. He was brought to Mercy Hospital in Springfield by ambulance, the report says. The truck was totaled.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An 80-year-old man from Warsaw, Missouri, was killed in a crash Friday morning on Highway 65 in Benton County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the crash occurred when a 1997 Ford F-150 – driven by the 80-year-old – was heading northbound, crossed the centerline and hit a 2013 Kenworth head-on. The Kenworth – driven by a 22-year-old Fortuna, Missouri, man – stopped on the shoulder of the southbound lane, while the Ford skid across the northbound lanes and overturned in a ditch, the report says.

The Kenworth driver wore a seatbelt and had no reported injuries.

The 80-year-old man was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, the report says. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The man’s body was brought to the Benton County Coroner, according to the report.

Both vehicles were totaled, according to the report. MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was charged with two felonies after he allegedly attacked a youth on Wednesday in Camden County.

Kenneth Shumate, 36, of Jefferson City, was charged Thursday in Camden County with first-degree domestic assault and child abuse. He is being held at the Camden County Jail without bond. A bond hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The heavily redacted probable cause statement says Shumate attacked a youth after they called someone or something a swear word. The victim was brought to an area hospital and required staples.

Law enforcement found blood in the parking lot of the incident, the statement says.

Shumate allegedly admitted to assaulting the victim to law enforcement, court documents say.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A state psychologist testified Friday that a woman charged with murdering a 4-year-old boy in Jefferson City in 2018 is mentally competent to go to trial.

Tiffany Harris, a forensic examiner and senior psychologist for the Missouri Department of Mental Health, testified during a hearing in the Cole County Courthouse that Quatavia Givens’ behavior shows she is competent. She has been diagnosed with PTSD, but that does not affect her ability to stand trial, Harris testified.

Givens was deemed mentally incompetent in 2023 and, since then, has yet to stand trial.

Quatavia Givens, 32, was charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and abandoning a corpse in relation to the death of 4-year-old Darnell Gray in 2018. She is listed on the Cole County Jail online roster, but was admitted to Fulton State Hospital last year.

The state argued Friday before Judge William Hickle that Givens understands the legal process and the charges against her. Medication has improved her psychological symptoms, prosecutors claim.

Givens’ defense claims that its experts believe she has not received proper treatment to render her competent for trial. They say Givens needed individual intervention not group classes like “Court Education” and “Seeking Safety” that she is apart of at FSH. The defense also argued that Givens’ PTSD makes it hard for her to confront the details of the case and participate in her defense.

Court documents say that Givens allegedly struck and smothered Gray, resulting in his death.

Hickle said he will consider the arguments before issuing his ruling. A decision is expected early next week.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The former head cook of the Jefferson City Boys and Girls Club has been charged with a child sex crime in Cole County.

Scott Minor, 45, of Jefferson City was charged on Thursday with child enticement. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

Court documents say Minor tried to entice a 12-year-old, but reference inappropriate conversations he had with other children. Text messages recovered by law enforcement allegedly show Minor admitting to “dating” a 14-year-old. Minor allegedly communicated with children with an app, as well as the website Omegle.

The Pea Ridge, Arkansas, Police Department also allegedly obtained communications between Minor and one of the children.  That information was obtained after the victim’s mother consented to have data from the victim’s cellphone extracted by law enforcement, the statement says.

Court documents say Minor was taken into custody on July 25 for unrelated warrants. Law enforcement asked him about his employment status and he allegedly said he was fired from the Boys and Girls Club on July 20 after they heard about the allegations against him.

The Boys and Girls Club confirmed he is not currently employed with them in an email to ABC 17 News.

“The safety and protection of the young people we serve is—and will always be—our highest priority. We are aware of the arrest of a former staff member involving alleged inappropriate behavior toward a minor. We are deeply disturbed by these reports, as no harm should ever come to any child. While the reports do not involve any Boys & Girls Club members, our thoughts and support are with the victim and their family,” the email says.

A social media post from the Jefferson City Boys and Girls Club indicates he was hired in July 2024.

Court documents say Minor thought he was being interviewed by law enforcement about a separate instance of having inappropriate communications with a youth on Omegle, but claimed he did not know that girl’s age. Omegle is a website where people can video chat with each other.

Minor alleged he did not talk about anything sexual with the 12-year-old, despite law enforcement gathering evidence showing otherwise. He allegedly told law enforcement that by the time the child is 18 years old, he will be older than 50 and “would have probably forgotten about her,” according to the probable cause statement.

Law enforcement gathered more messages from Minor’s electronic devices from May 29-June 25 that show a number of inappropriate conversations between Minor and the youth.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

With the first day of school just weeks away, many families are bracing for rising school supply prices.

On Friday, Unity in the Community and Powerhouse Community Development teamed up to help ease that burden by handing out hundreds of backpacks filled with school supplies to help students get ready for the new school year.

According to the Yale Budget Lab, new tariffs of 10-40% on imports could drive shoe prices up 40% and clothing up 38%. The threat of increased prices has also drawn shoppers to stores quicker for back-to-school supplies. 

The National Retail Federation reports nearly 70% of shoppers started back-to-school shopping as early as July, up from 55% last year.

After serving 1,800 people last year, Powerhouse Community Development and Unity in the Community moved the start time of their annual back-to-school event to noon, responding to long lines that formed well before the 2 p.m. kickoff last year. But the earlier start times still drew large crowds. 

“When we got here at 8 am, they were actually already standing out here before then,” Erika Budford, the executive administrator of Powerhouse Community Development, said. “We started at 12 (p.m.) and by 1:40 we had already given out 1,400 backpacks.” 

By the end of the day, Powerhouse had handed out nearly 2,000 backpacks filled with school supplies. 

“I’m definitely here for the free backpack and school supplies that they’re handing out.” Molly Burrows, a parent with multiple children in Columbia Public Schools, said. “Both my kids are in need of backpacks.” 

The event also featured more than 30 community resource agencies, including free sports physicals, haircuts and dental screenings. 

“I’ve actually learned a lot of different programs around Columbia that I didn’t even know existed that help people for free. So I’m super excited that I was able to make it out here today,” Burrows said.

Powerhouse budgets year-round to buy these supplies and also depends on donations to make it happen. 

“We know that they may just go with a notebook and pencil to high school but we really try to make sure we get them at least 10-to-12 items in their backpacks when they’re starting out,” Buford said. “Prices are going up, and then we just have everyday families that this actually helps them, whether it’s needing new clothing, new shoes.” 

“I love what Powerhouse has been doing. It’s monumental in the community,” said Lorenzo Powell, who is a case manager at Powerhouse. 

Many companies ordered supplies ahead of the tariffs to try to offset rising costs, but retailers like Target and Walmart are already posting signs warning shoppers that higher prices on back-to-school essentials are just weeks away.

Powerhouse will be holding several other back-to-school events ahead of the school year. There will be a back-to-school immunization clinic from 9 .m.-noon Saturday at the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services building on Worley Street.

Another event will be on Aug. 17 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Armory in Columbia. Powerhouse will hold an additional event in Marshall, Missouri, from noon-3 p.m. at the CL Stephenson multipurpose building on Aug. 14.

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Matthew Sanders

The Missouri State Fair opened for its 123rd year on Thursday, continuing a Midwestern summer agricultural and cultural tradition in the Show-Me State.

Gov. Mike Kehoe is promoting the fair as the “Great American Fair” and “Show-Me 250” to coincide with the coming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The crowds streamed into the fairgrounds in Sedalia to begin the 11-day event Thursday, with people sampling fair food such as funnel cakes and fried Oreos. For many fairgoers, the fare is the best part of the fair.

Are you a fan of fair fare? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Macon on Thursday wrote on its Facebook page that it has let go City Administrator Scott Meszaros.

“After long deliberations among the Council, we believe the best interests of the City would be better served by moving in a different direction,” Mayor Tony Petre is quoted in the release. “We appreciate Mr. Meszaro’s hard work, professionalism, and dedication to our city. We wish him success in his future endeavors.”

The post says additional comments from the city will not be given for a “personnel matter.” The city will soon begin talks on who will serve as the interim administrator, the post says.

A previous Facebook post from the city indicates Meszaros was hired on Jan. 31 and started in the position on March 3.

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