Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

There have been a total of 45 cases of cyclosporiasis in Boone County as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services.

A PHHS spokesman told ABC 17 News on Monday that there were 37 cases of the diarrhea-causing illness reported and Cole County had five cases, according to its health department on Monday.

The University of Missouri said last week that it has pulled iceberg lettuce from its dining halls in response to a recall.

Walmart had removed four bagged lettuce brands from its shelves in 27 states, according to previous reporting.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has reported 216 cases in the state this week.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Shane Kampeter is a Republican running for Missouri’s 60th House District. Kampeter is a lifelong Jefferson City resident and current Jefferson City Fifth Ward council member. He formerly worked as a civilian employee in the Missouri Army National Guard before creating his small business, Kampeter Remodeling.

Kampeter’s platform includes being anti-abortion, supporting religious liberty and gun rights, and supporting strong border control. Spencer is also focused on growing Jefferson City’s economy and infrastructure.

The 60th District covers Jefferson City south of the Missouri River. The seat is being left vacant by outgoing Rep. David Griffith. Kampeter is running against Kyerra Johnson and Scott Spencer.

Suzanne Luther is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Marie Moyer: My first question is, why are you running?

Shane Kampeter: Yeah, so, I’m on city council now, and so I’ve learned a lot more about how the city and the state operate together. And then I think the state doesn’t always treat the city the right way. And so, you know, want to fight for Jeff City, want to be involved with, as a state representative that comes back and works with the city as well, talks to the city council.

And then I’ve got three children, and they’re all going to be small business owners in Jeff City. And so, just looking for the future and how I can help support small businesses in town, and so it’s not the red tape. Make it easier for them to operate, to run, to start up, the whole gamut of small businesses. And then just on all of it, you know, work with public safety, work with the state offices. I just want to fight for Jeff City and get out there more of a common-sense middle-ground guy.

Moyer: And then maybe could you expand on, I guess, kind of the issues in that connection with Jeff City and the state and the needs that need to be met?

Kampeter: Jeff City is the, you know, the capital is here in Jeff City. And so there’s a lot of stuff that comes into Jeff City, and everybody’s always asking for needs of the state. And so I feel like being on the city council, having that good working relationship with with the mayor, with the city administrator, with the current council, that I could I could be that guy that can be the middleman, knows what the city wants before they really ask for it, because I would still attend city council meetings, still talk to the council and still talk to the mayor all the time.

And so that way, you know, I’m in tune with what the city wants, and then try to fight for that while fighting for the whole state. But, you know, the 60th District is Jeff City, so somebody needs to fight for it.

Moyer: And then I guess to clarify, what right now, do you see that the city needs, at least from the state?

Kampeter: Grants. We’re trying to find work for grants for the High Street Viaduct, you know, is one of the big ones. But there’s tons of grants that we’re always applying for to try to get things done in Jeff City, and so I think just having that voice up there would definitely help.

Moyer: And then how is the campaign currently going?

Kampeter: I feel like it’s going great. I’ve got my family helping me out, we’re knocking doors every night. If I can’t be there because I’ve got an event, my wife and son or my daughters are out doing it. I got some great friends, and my parents are helping me knock doors. So we’ve made it through Round 1, we’re going on Round 2 knocking on doors now, meeting lots of people. I mean, people always say, you know, “What is it like?” And it’s, I think it’s fun. Meeting all these people, getting to talk to them, you know, seeing what their needs are and how what they think, what they look for in a representative. Just learning a lot, enjoying talking with everybody out there.

Moyer: And then if you were to be elected, what would your first priority be?

Kampeter: So I’m not going in with an agenda. I want to go in there if I can get elected, to you know, right off the bat, it would be just learn how everything works, get to know everybody, figure out who the people are you need to work with. So that way, when some of the stuff that I want to do comes up, I can get it done the correct way. But I’d say first thing going in there is just, you know, always fighting for the citizens of Jeff City.

Moyer: While on the campaign trail, kind of going back to that, what issues have you heard from constituents?

Kampeter: Well, I think, you know, a lot of people are confused. They’ll give you the stuff that they want more, and the streets to be better, well, that’s a city thing. But one of the biggest things is Amendment 5. People, you know, a lot of them are just worried that, what’s it going to look like? And so that’s, I will say, the biggest topic that is brought up. And a lot of people bring up Jeff City and the state of Missouri, I feel like the backbone is small businesses. So, you know, I’ve talked to a lot of small business owners that see that red tape. And just listening to them to figure out ways that they think we can change things as a state to make it easier for them to operate, or easier to start up, or continue or grow, and so I think those are the biggest issues.

Moyer: And then kind of already leading into it a little bit, the ballot issues. So I guess for the first one, for Amendment 4, that’s also kind of being talked about. How do you feel about Amendment 4? So changing the number of votes required for citizen petitions and just voter reform?

Kampeter: Yeah, so I think there definitely needs to be an IP [initiative petition] reform done. I don’t think this one, the wording and the way it’s done, I don’t think it’s the correct way to do it. You know, I haven’t delved into exactly what would be. Like I said, it needs to be done, I don’t think this is it. I see where the rural people are saying that, you know, they need more of a voice, so, you know, right now it’s 50/50. Maybe we can make it 55% or 60%, and that still gives them maybe a little bit more of that chance or even 51%. But there needs to be some reform. But out knocking doors, it’s pretty well hard to know with everybody you know, I haven’t heard anything.

I’m not for it for the reason of, like I said, I don’t think this is, the way it’s written, is going to work for the state. But we’ll see what happens. Just like 5, I’m glad it’s going to the voters, because, you know, that’s what we’re here for, to listen to what they want.

Moyer: And I’m sorry to be clear, what you’ve heard is no on 4?

Kampeter: Correct, yeah.

Marie: And then turn to Amendment 5, what are your thoughts, and do you think the state should eliminate income tax?

Kampeter: So same thing as 4, I think there definitely needs to be a real tax reform, but this one being open-ended, you don’t know what the next five years are going to look like. As a small business owner, you don’t know if you’re going to be the one that has to start paying, you know, charging taxes on your services. I deal a lot with real estate. That was a promise that they won’t go to real estate, but there’s nothing down in writing, same thing with agriculture, there’s nothing down in writing.

So I think a lot of people, including myself, we don’t see how this is going to work because you don’t know. You get rid of one tax, that’s going to have to come somewhere else, and so that’s where, you know, everybody’s worried. What is it going to be on? Is it going to be on that? You know, your haircuts, your lawn care, your food at grocery stores? Will it hit that real estate and agriculture? It’s been promised, but you know, who’s going to say you can keep a promise if it’s not down in writing?

So same thing knocking doors, I haven’t heard one person say they were there for it. It’s a “no” there and, you know, I’m going to agree with them. I don’t see how you can vote on something that you don’t know what you’re voting on.

Moyer: And I know you mentioned there should be some reforms, I guess, because I’ve also been asking all the candidates, what could the state utilize or cut to kind of make up for it?

Kampeter: So you mean if it did pass?

Moyer: I guess other solutions.

Kampeter: Yeah, I think one of the solutions would be, you know, looking at the property tax, that would be one that we could do, we could definitely change some stuff on. And getting rid of the state income tax, I think could work, it’s just, I don’t see how you can vote on it if there’s no plan. I know in Florida it’s worked, but, you know, they have tourist taxes, they have oil, so it’s worked there.

Everybody’s using this example of Kansas, they had a plan, so they passed it, and then the next year they got rid of it. So I think it’s just one of those things that you’ve got to, as a state, you’ve got to look into a little bit more, figure out. I think it definitely could work, we just got to have more of a plan. We can’t let five years of legislators try to figure that out with nothing in writing.

Moyer: And then still kind of on the money topic, budget was a hot topic in the General Assembly this year. The state auditor even said the state had a spending problem. So, I guess how would you approach either proposing or supporting new legislation with this in mind?

Kampeter: So definitely, you know, we’re struggling in the budget. I mean, everybody is, not just the state, the city, I mean, everybody’s struggling. So you’re having to find those niches or small different ways to spend money. Definitely need to cut a lot of stuff that we’re wasting money. There’s a lot of wasteful spending. And I don’t think all of it was meant to be, it’s just, you know, you test the water here and you figure out, “okay, that was not the thing.” So we got to go back to some of that stuff and pull it off the shelf and say, “hey, you know, this didn’t work, what we said, so we need to get rid of that.”

And that will save some money here, and just look at different, innovative ways to grow economic development. You know, we’ve got to have economic development, grow it as much as possible to get that budget up, and then look at those spots where we’ve got that wasteful spending.

Moyer: Could you maybe expand on where some areas that you’ve seen that maybe count as wasteful spending?

Kampeter: Oh, I would say in several different programs, I mean, it’s across the board, and that’s not just an answer, it’s literally across the board. I think every program, you could find spots in, and I think that’s just what somebody is going to dive into those programs, each one of them, and say, “Hey, yeah, this is not doing anything.” You might have something in here that says, it’s a bill, “We’re going to spend this much money to educate people on this bill,” or something, but everybody may already know it, and they just put that in there because they thought it was needed. But now they’re spending money on it, and they’re not doing the education, but the money is. It’s just all different types of things that can be can be cut.

Moyer: And then is there anything else that you might want people to know about you?

Kampeter: I’m just a local small business owner here in Jeff City. I’m more of a doer than a talker. So, you know, I just show people what I do. Very involved with the city, volunteer everywhere, doing a lot of development, trying to redevelop the East Capitol, the downtown area, and just putting all my time and effort and money into Jeff City. I love it, I live it, I want my kids to stay here, I want more youth to come into Jeff City, and so that’s why I can say that’s a big thing, is to fight.

I love Jeff City, and so I want to fight for it and just to continue the growth there.

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Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No-excuse absentee voting opened Tuesday, giving all registered Boone County voters the chance to cast their ballots early in person.

The Boone County Clerk’s Office says on its website that no-excuse absentee voting allows any registered voter in the county to cast a ballot in person just like on Election Day.

No-excuse absentee voting will be available every weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Boone County Government Center.

For additional weekend hours, the Clerk’s Office will hold no-excuse absentee voting on:

Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Columbia Mall (across from Bath & Body Works)

Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Douglass High School

Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Southern Boone Public Library and Centralia Public Library

Aug. 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Columbia/Boone County Health Department

When voting with an absentee ballot in person, you must show an acceptable form of photo ID. Acceptable forms are:

Missouri driver’s license

Missouri non-driver’s license

U.S. passport

Military ID

Early voter Abel Richardson, who cast a ballot Tuesday at the Boone County Government Center, said voting is vital to democracy.

“I think an important feature of our democracy is making sure that everybody’s voices get heard, no matter what the circumstances are, and early voting allows for that,” Richardson said. “Because there are a lot of things at stake. There are simple civil liberties that are at stake. Your taxes are at stake.”

Another early voter, Dan Vinson, has used this option before. ” Yeah. I don’t remember which election, but we were going to be out of town, so we just voted early.”

Regarding the benefits of early voting, Vinson shared his thoughts: “I think voting is an opportunity as well as a responsibility.”

“There are a couple of issues on the ballot as well for every voter in Boone,” he said.

No-excuse absentee voting will end on Aug. 3, and Election Day is on Aug. 4.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City inmate was charged with first-degree murder and other charges after authorities claim he killed another inmate on June 4.

Brandon Cole Smith, 43, of Licking, was charged on Tuesday in Cole County with first-degree murder, violence to an inmate and armed criminal action after a grand jury indictment was filed. Department of Corrections records show he is being held at Jefferson City Correctional Center.

The indictment claims Smith killed the victim, SK, after “striking” him. A probable cause statement was not filed in the case on Tuesday.

Smith is already serving a more-than-1,000-year sentence after he was found guilty in 2018 in Wester County for 11 counts of first-degree assault, one count of child abuse and six counts of armed criminal action.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson told ABC 17 News the victim’s name is Stanley Kenaga.

A June 5 press release from the DOC says Kenaga was pronounced dead at Jefferson City Correctional Center at 6:30 p.m. June 4. He was 36 years old.

The release says Kenaga was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, along with sentences for first-degree burglary, stealing, second-degree arson and abandoning a corpse from Jasper County. He was received by the DOC on Aug. 30, 2023, the release says.  

Check back for updates.

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Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cole County Prosecutor’s Office has dropped charges against a man who was accused of driving under the influence in a fatal crash after his blood sample came back clean.

Jervontaye I. Warmack was charged in November with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and driving while intoxicated. Police said he hit a person riding an electric scooter in the 3600 block of westbound Highway 50 on Oct. 31.

The victim died and was identified as 15-year-old Antony Reyes.

Police had allegedly smelled marijuana on Warmack and said his speech was slurred, court documents in previous reporting say. Officers also described him as “giggly” when they spoke to him after the crash. The probable cause statement said Warmack failed a field sobriety test. A blood sample was taken when he was arrested.

Prosecutor Locke Thompson said the blood sample was to have more-accurate results on Warmack’s state.

“Generally those [field tests] are pretty reliable, but they’re not always 100% accurate,” Thompson said. “With us also having a deceased victim, we went ahead and asked for the blood draw as well.”

Warmack allegedly told officers he had not smoked marijuana and that he didn’t see the victim before the crash, the statement said.

Thompson said evidence an back up in the testing lab caused a delay in getting the results sooner. Nearly nine months after the incident, the results revealed Warmack was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.

A crash reconstruction by Jefferson City Police also played into the decision. Thompson said police found the scooter rider cut across the divided median and across oncoming traffic.

“It is clear from the crash investigation that he was not at fault for the accident,” Thompson said.

Thompson said the case is closed. ABC 17 News requested a copy of the crash recronstruction.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The defense in a child murder case out of Benton County claims a woman accused in the case should be held by the Department of Mental Health.

Kourtney Aumen, 26, of Lincoln, Missouri, is charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, two counts of armed criminal action, two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and one count of first-degree assault. Her case was moved to Webster County last year.

She and others were accused in the beating and killing of 4-year-old Jessica Mast in December 2020, previous reporting shows.

A court filing from Monday by the defense claims Aumen was deemed competent in January 2025, but the defense requested she stay at a hospital because she had 11 medications. She was allegedly ordered to the DMH’s custody on May 14, 2025, but the filing says she was never moved from the jail.

A doctor allegedly determined she was incompetent to stand trial during an evaluation at the jail on July 9, 2026, the filing says.

“It is apparent that if Defendant Aumen is to be restored to competency, those efforts must be administered in a hospital setting,” the filing states. “Additionally, to stem further the deterioration of Defendant’s mental health prior to and during the resolution of this case, her return to a Department of Mental Health facility would be in Ms. Aumen’s best interest as well as the interest of justice.”

Jessica Mast’s parents – Mary Mast and James Mast – previous pleaded guilty to a number of crimes in the case, previous reporting shows.

Aumen is being held at the Benton County Jail without bond, online jail records show. A hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Republican candidates hoping to represent Jefferson City in the Missouri House say they’re hearing a lot on the campaign trail about one issue — a ballot measure that would phase out state income tax, if approved by voters.

Missouri’s 60th District covers Jefferson City south of the Missouri River. The seat is being left vacant by outgoing Rep. David Griffith, who is running for Cole County Clerk. Republicans Kyerra Johnson, Scott Spencer and Shane Kampeter are vying for the seat.

FULL INTERVIEWS: Kyerra Johnson; Scott Spencer; Shane Kampeter

Suzanne Luther is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

The tax measure, known as Amendment 5, was put on the ballot by Gov. Mike Kehoe, who is leading an initiative to eliminate income tax and create the legal power to place taxes on more goods and services.

The measure also comes as the state’s budget reserves are predicted to hit new lows. The state is expected to spend more than $1.7 billion for the year, with reserves expected to shrink from around $5.8 billion in fiscal 2023 to around $600 million by the end of fiscal 2027. The fund will be fully depleted by early fiscal 2028, according to the state auditor’s estimates.

Questions linger because of the uncertainty of how sales taxes would be expanded, with no concrete plan in writing from the General Assembly or Kehoe. All three Republican candidates for Missouri’s 60th District have heard voters asking for more clarity.

“Their [voters’] concern is that it’s very open-ended legislation, leaving it up to future legislative bodies to decide what sales taxes are going to be increased,” Spencer said. “The legislature is asking them to trust them, but the legislative body only has a 45% approval rating, so I think there are some real concerns that they’re going to do the right thing.”

Kampeter pointed out that taxes could be expanded to services that are currently sales tax-exempt. For example, the Missouri Realtors are fighting the plan because it could put sales taxes on real estate sales.

“A lot of them [voters] are just worried that, what’s it going to look like?” Kampeter said. “You get rid of one tax, that’s going to have to come somewhere else, and so that’s where, you know, everybody’s worried, what is it going to be on? Is it going to be on that? You know, your haircuts, your lawn care, your food at grocery stores?”

Johnson said the public needs more transparency around the process.

Individually, the candidates vary in their stances towards the measure. Both Kampeter and Spencer said the amendment, as proposed, is not ready for a vote.

“I deal a lot with real estate. That was a promise that they won’t go to real estate, but there’s nothing down in writing. Same thing with agriculture, there’s nothing down in writing,” Kampeter said. “I know in Florida it’s worked, but, you know, they have tourist taxes, they have oil, so it’s worked there.”

Spencer said the ballot issue is neither “well-defined” nor “narrowly focused.”

Johnson voiced support for Kehoe adding the measure; however, she said voters need to be more informed.

“I will say that when it comes to sales tax and removing the income tax, we have to make sure that we’re clear on what the angle is, where the tax is going to be picked up at,” Johnson said. “I want to understand that also, because I, too, my family, were going to be affected by that as well.”

For economic solutions, Kampeter suggested reviewing the state spending and making cuts to unnecessary state programs and looking at other innovative ways of economic development.

Both Johnson and Spencer similarly supported cuts to state programs across the board. However, Johnson also touched on keeping state funding focused on Missouri and its residents.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State ID Access Coalition is demanding that the Missouri Department of Revenue provide public disability accommodations.

The coalition sent a letter to the DOR director in May asking for ADA accommodations on the department’s website, over the phone and in person at licensing offices throughout the state.

The coalition is made up of 22 organizations, including CoMo Mobile Aid Collective, Empower Missouri and Services for Independent Living.

About a month before the coalition sent its demands, the Department of Justice extended the deadline for state and local governments to bring websites and apps to standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The coalition acknowledged that the DOR has made accommodations for people who are homebound or can’t physically make it to the in-person office, according to the letter. However, the coalition is asking for permanent solutions, including a section on the DOR’s website that details homebound citizens’ rights, a dedicated contact form and a phone number to request accommodations.

Coalition director John Stamm said the requests are simple.

“We just want a very easy-to-find form on the website, a phone number that folks can call, an easy-to-find email, so that people can just reach out to the Department of Revenue directly and say, ‘Hey, I can’t get to a license office. I need an ID. What’s next? Help me figure out this process,'” Stamm said.

DOR Director Trish Vincent responded with a letter in June and said the “Department of Revenue does not plan on expanding any additional services on-line that are not already available to every citizen in the state of Missouri.”

Vincent said accommodations for homebound people in extreme cases will continue to be the same. People can email DLBmail@dor.mo.gov to get more information on those services.

The coalition said in Tuesday’s release that it will spam Vincent’s office with mail demanding the accommodations, along with sending formal letters and having in-person conversations with state lawmakers.

Services for Independent Living spokesperson Karen Sicheneder said the DOR website already complies with federal ADA requirements, but some people might need additional help.

“Some of the things that they [the coalition] were asking for is an easy way to make a reasonable accommodation, especially for people who have disabilities that require them to be homebound,” Sicheneder said.

Stamm said his coalition receives reports from its members of a couple of hundred homebound people needing help accessing the license offices a year.

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Matthew Sanders

HUNTSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)

Seven law enforcement officers were injured after eight SWAT team members fell through the deck of a Randolph County apartment building Tuesday morning while serving a felony warrant, according to Steven Lewis, the United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri.

“Someone described it almost as if a trap door opened and it fell that way,” Lewis said. “Not away from the structure, but straight down, which gave them almost no time to react.”

Four hurt were Deputy U.S. Marshals, two North Missouri Drug Task Force members, and one county deputy, Lewis said. All seven were taken to hospitals for treatment, and none of the injuries were life-threatening.

“All received injuries that would be consistent with a pretty serious fall. Some broken bones, some other type injuries,” Lewis said.

Lewis said some may need surgery. Randolph County Sheriff Andy Boggs told ABC 17 News that no deputies were hurt in the SWAT raid, but rather a Moberly police officer.

The sheriff’s office wrote in a news release that the team, made up of North Missouri Drug Task Force members, local SWAT officers and U.S. Marshals, was serving a high-risk warrant at 402 Vaunita St. in Huntsville when the collapse occurred.

Lewis told ABC 17 that two people were taken into custody Tuesday— one in the morning at the apartments and another who wasn’t home during the raid but was found later in the day.

An ABC 17 News reporter arrived on scene around noon and was told by a woman who identified herself only as a “caretaker” of the property that management was not allowing media on the property. The reporter saw half the deck of a two-story apartment was missing. Three of the six upstairs units no longer had access to their doors.

A group of people were seen using a ladder to bring down some belongings from an apartment and load them into a car.

The woman said management has helped find accommodations for upstairs units 10-12, where the porch collapsed, but did not elaborate. She also said tenants in apartments 8 and 12 were arrested.

The reason for the porch collapse is being investigated, according to the release.

Multiple nearby residents told ABC 17 News they were not surprised at all to see a SWAT team zooming down their street.

“The drugs that are in and out of here [the apartment complex], it’s terrible,” Huntsville resident Melanie Foster said. “And I won’t be sad if it goes.”

She said it’s not just the activity there that worries her; it’s also how badly the building seems to be falling apart.

“It is a hazard, it’s a danger,” Foster said. “If that happened, as you can see, the next half is getting ready to go.”

An ABC 17 reporter noticed the remaining half of the deck had at least one portion where it appeared to be slightly caving in.

The Tuesday release from the sheriff’s office did not provide the reason for the warrant being served. The U.S. Marshals spokesman also could not provide further information Tuesday.

ABC 17 News is awaiting a statement from property management. The city does not require building inspections for apartments.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department, Columbia Fire Department, and Boone County Office of Emergency Management will work together to ensure security policies are in place ahead of the first day of the Boone County Fair.

The Boone County Fair begins Tuesday at 5 p.m. and runs daily until 10 p.m., ending July 25, located at 5212 Okland Gravel Rd. in Columbia. Fairgoers must be aware of the security policies in place to ensure safety.

Boone County Fair manager, Jessie Kempf said they plan to utilize the same safety measures as last year because that system worked well for the fair.

“Everything is pretty much the same as we had last year. Our safety protocols are very standard,” Kempf said. “We didn’t have many incidents last year, so we just rolled with the same plan.”

No backpacks or large bags will be allowed into the fairgrounds. Only the following bags will be permitted:

Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12 inches x 6 inches x 12 inches.

Guests may use a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag.

Small clutch bags cannot be larger than 4.5 inches x 6.5 inches with or without a handle or strap.

All alcohol, illegal drugs or paraphernalia will be confiscated.

Loitering in the parking lot will not be permitted and loiterers will be asked to leave the premises.

No reentry will be allowed into the fairgrounds.

Weapons, facemasks, and face coverings are strictly prohibited.

The weapons detection system used by Columbia Public Schools will be at the entrances of the fairgrounds.

The procedure for entering the fair with the weapons detection device is simple and non-invasive, according to Kempf.

“You’ll pay, walk a few feet, walk through the weapons detection. It’s non-intrusive,” Kempf said. “And then if there is a further search that’s needed, then you can do that.”

In the event of an emergency, there are prepared procedures for multiple different hazards such as:

Active shooter/gun shots

Bomb threats

Fire/explosion

Tornadoes

Lost person

Trespassing

Kempf said most of these procedures have not happened, but in place to prepare all staff in the event one of them does.

“We have not had any issues with that,” Kempf said. “But they’re there in place. If we ever would need something like that. Boone County Emergency Management does a great job to make sure that we’re all safe,” Kempf said.

The Columbia Police Department will be patrolling throughout the fairgrounds, while The Columbia Fire Department will be on-site to provide fire protection and emergency medical services. The Boone County Office of Emergency Management will handle all incidents and act as the proper authority when Fair personnel are not available or if an incident is escalated.

Portable camera trailers will be placed throughout the fairgrounds, including drones that will be used for aerial surveillance. Overnight security will be placed at livestock barns for the safety and security of youth exhibitors and their animals, according to the Boone County Fair Safety Plan. There will also be a central command on the grounds with emergency personnel at all times.

ABC 17 spoke with personnel of the City of Columbia who were inspecting the fair rides and other activities to ensure they were up to safety codes.

The safety inception report was requested by ABC 17, but it has not been provided.

Kempf said, at the time, she had not received word about the inspection but had not faced problems ride inspection before.

“We haven’t run into any issues in the past, so we kind of get everything tied up and buttoned up before they leave,” Kempf said.

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