Category: kmiz-local-news

Steven Lambson

CENTRALIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – The City of Centralia will seek a sales tax increase to be approved by voters in the April 2026 municipal election.

Centralia City Administrator Tara Strain said the increase would take the city’s sales tax from 1% to 2%. As of now, the additional revenue would go to the city’s general revenue fund and not to any specific project or purpose.

Strain said the Centralia Board of Aldermen will vote whether to send the measure to the ballot. If approved, the board will send the ordinance and sample ballot to the Boone County Clerk by January 27. Strain said the board would also post the measure in the newspaper for the election notice.

According to Strain, the city’s one-percent sales tax generated revenue over the past three years in the following amounts:

Fiscal year 2022-23: $502,118.51

FY 2023-24: $582,459.28

FY 2024-25: $559,789.01

Strain said projections for tax revenue in FY 2025-26 weren’t available.

If voters pass the tax, the rate will remain at 2% until or unless it goes before voters again, according to Strain. She added the last general sales tax increase for Centralia was passed in 1981.

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Matthew Sanders

The Southern Boone Board of Education in Ashland is wrestling with whether to make a big change to the rhythm of life in the small community.

For now, the board has put off a decision on whether to change from a traditional five-day school week to a four-day cycle.

Some school districts have seen success in making the change. They say it has helped them attract and keep better talent while saving money. Hallsville voters first decided to make the switch in 2022. They reaffirmed that decision with a big majority this year.

The idea has also worked in bigger districts. Voters in Independence just approved keeping the four-day week.

Would the four-day school week work with your family’s schedule? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council on Monday night approved a resolution to enter two agreements for homeless services in the city for the next year.

The city will pay two entities more than $1 million to provide overnight shelter services. The council memo states $584,956 will go to the Voluntary Action Center for overnight shelter services, while $431,978 will be paid to Turning Point for homeless drop-in center services and an overnight warming center.

The resolution was moved off the consent agenda and amended because the council memo did not have the correct total listed, however the contracts listed on the agenda did have the correct totals.

“These services reduce the risks associated with exposure to the elements, provide safe spaces for individuals experiencing homelessness, and address immediate shelter and stabilization needs,” the council memo states.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council on Monday night approved to annex more than 45 acres of land into the city that will eventually become a trucking facility.

The agreement was made with KW COU, LLC for a property on the north side of Enterprise Drive, east of Route Z. The 45.15-acre area was not considered within the city before and as a result was not able to connect to the city’s sewer system.

The sewer that would serve the property was also discussed last year during a sewer extension agreement between the city and Setzer Properties.

“Per the Extension Agreement, compensation for the installed improvements to KW COU, LLC would be generated from future connection of the 35 properties within a defined 675-acre ‘service territory,’ the council memo states. “Distribution of collected revenue to compensate KW COU, LLC for the sewer main extension expenses is only permitted to occur once approval of the attached annexation agreement has been given. Distribution of collected revenue to off-set incurred expenses to KW COU, LLC has a specified term of 20 years following approval of the annexation agreement.”

Proposed trucking facility has an estimated investment value between $35 million-$40 million, per the memo. A number of FedEx signs were seen at the property on Monday.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The field for the Jefferson City Board of Education race continues to grow.

Cierra Griffin, in a Monday press release, announced her bid for one of the open seats on the board. Ryan Towner, Gretchen Duckworth, Trent Vallandingham and Michelle Rodemeyer announced their candidacies earlier this month. Three seats on the board are up for election.

Griffin’s press release says she is the assistant director of school counseling services in the Office of College and Career Readiness at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

She has lived in Jefferson City for 16 years and is a graduate from Lincoln Universty, holding a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education and a master of education degree in school counseling, the release says. Her son is a current student at the school district.

Griffin describes herself as an advocate for public schools and listed transparency and “student-focused outcomes” as focuses of her campaign.

“I’ve seen the power of strong teachers, supportive school environments, and open communication. I want to help strengthen public education, elevate student success, and support the transformational work happening in our schools. I bring a unique perspective shaped by both personal and professional experience,” she is quoted in the release. 

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council on Monday night opted to move forward with its petition to form the Downtown Jefferson City Conference Center Transportation Development District.

The council sought to authorize a lawsuit to be filed in the Cole County Circuit Court to form the Downtown Jefferson City Conference Center Transportation Development District. Information from the meeting packet says a 1% sales tax in the district would be utilized for transportation improvements for the downtown conference center.

The council approved the measure 7-3, with dissenting votes coming from Ward 2 Councilman Aaron Mealy, Ward 3 Councilman Derek Thomas and Ward 5 Councilwoman Mackenzie Job.

Previous reporting says 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.

A judge has to approve the decision. The city is listed as both a plaintiff and a defendant in the petition, and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission is also listed as a defendant.

The city expects roughly $170,000 to be generated from the sales tax each year, according to the petition. The downtown conference center transportation district will have five board members, with two members having three-year-terms, two having two-year terms and one with a one-year term, according to court documents.  

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boonville man was charged in Boone County on Monday after authorities say he rammed his SUV into a police officer’s patrol vehicle on Dec. 3.

Devin Maupin, 36, was charged on Monday with aggravated fleeing, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of first-degree assault, second-degree drug trafficking, two counts of drug possession, one count of first-degree property damage, misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident and misdemeanor second-degree property damage.

He is being held without bond at the Boone County Jail. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says an MU police officer tried to stop a Honda SUV on South Providence Road for speeding around 1 a.m. Dec. 3. The driver would not stop the vehicle and allegedly drove through multiple red lights.

Maupin eventually stopped the vehicle at the intersection of Hermitage Road and Waverly Court and rammed into the officer’s patrol vehicle twice, the statement says. He then later hit a parked car in a parking lot while trying to get away, the statement says.

Maupin then allegedly drove through several yards and parked between two duplexes before getting out of the vehicle and running away, the statement says.

The officer then got out of his vehicle and pulled out a gun before Maupin ran away, the statement says. Maupin allegedly broke a window of one of the duplexes and the officer held him at gunpoint until Maupin gave himself up, the statement says.

Maupin allegedly told the officer he tried to overdose on fentanyl. Officers found drugs in the vehicle, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Bob Nolte in a Monday press release announced his intent to run for reelection next year for his position as the Boone County Recorder of Deeds.

Nolte, a Democrat, was first elected to the position during the November 2022 election. His quarterly filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission in October shows his campaign collected $4,979.64 for the upcoming election cycle and has $2,666.41 on hand.

“I am incredibly proud of my accomplishments during my first term as Recorder, from increasing participation in our Deed Watch program to making it easier to apply for marriage licenses online. I look forward to continuing my service to the people of Boone County,” Nolte said in the release.

The release says Nolte spent nearly a decade working for Mizzou Athletics and ended his tenure as the director of compliance. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Binghamton University and a master’s degree in education administration from the University of Southern California.  

The release says during Nolte’s first term, the recorder’s office launched a new online search system and he has advocated for state legislation for homeowner protection from property fraud. He’s been a member of the Recorders’ Association of Missouri and served on the legislative committee and chair at the 2025 conference.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was convicted of rape in Cole County nearly 20 years ago has been committed to the Department of Mental Health after he was classified as a sexually violent predator on Nov. 20, according to a Monday press release from the Attorney General’s Office.

Calvin Lamar Miller, 58, of Farmington, was convicted of forcible rape by a Cole County jury on May 14, 1999, according to court filings. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 14, 1999. He is currently being held at Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston, Missouri, according to information from the Department of Corrections.

The press release says Miller was accused of raping a woman who taught at the Department of Corrections in 1998.

A psychologist during the recent trial claimed “Miller has a present diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, which is a mental abnormality that makes him more likely than not to commit future predatory acts of sexual violence if not confined to a secure facility,” the release says.

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Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia has long said it is working to curb violence and gun crimes, especially crimes involving youth, even as stories of young people and guns seem to be a regular occurrence.

Part of that policy push has been the creation of the Office of Violence Prevention, whose onset has seen a drop in youth gun violence.

According to Missouri State Highway Patrol data, as of Dec. 10, Columbia gun crimes involving youth offenders this year have dropped by more than 50% from 2024. The number of youth gun crime victims also dropped by more than 50% as well.

MSHP gun-related crimes

Gun crimes involving youth (10 to 17 years old)

2025: 33

2024: 71

Age group with the most offenders

2025: Age 18-24 with 81 gun crimes

2024: Age 18-24 with 84 gun crimes

Gun crimes by sex

2025: 88% male

2024: 83% male

Youth victims of gun crimes (10 to 17 years old)

2025: 32 victims

2024: 70 victims

In the last year, the City of Columbia created its Office of Violence Prevention. Administrator D’Markus Thomas-Brown is the first person to lead the office and stepped into the role on March 31, 2025.

“My duties in the role are really to coordinate and collaborate with community-based organizations and the place of intervention and prevention,” Thomas-Brown said. “[We’re] educating the public on what that is and what the different lanes of prevention and intervention are.”

He says the office aims to develop community-based organizations that can be run locally. Thomas-Brown says multiple organizations such as Job Point, Flourish Initiative, Columbia Supreme, P.E.A.C.E. and H.O.P.E. Center for Youth, Powerhouse Community Development Corporation and Connections to Success, provide examples.

“There’s a couple of programs or initiatives that are looking to identify this age range and those kids that tend to be most at risk,” Thomas-Brown said.

But he said a big gap in these programs is that parents have to have some involvement and motivate the children. “But we’re missing the shooters,” he said. “We’re missing those who are actually the ones most at risk of being shot or shooting someone.”

He said the group of children who are missing from these programs are “already kind of removed from school,” so getting these intervention measures in front of this missing group is something the office needs to focus on.

Thomas-Brown said the access juveniles have to assault rifles is very surprising.

“It’s just wild seeing juveniles with that access to those weapons. I think that’s been kind of not a norm in years prior.”

This fall and winter have seen multiple shootings involving youth shooters and victims:

December

A Columbia teenager was charged with allegedly threatening a family with an AR-15.

On Dec. 2, a 15-year-old was shot in the face while inside a Boone County home on North Parkview Court. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office said the shots came from outside the home.

November

17-year-old Anthony K. Marine was charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Police say Marine shot and killed a person with the initials Z.N. in May.

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy who allegedly robbed a Phillips 66 on Paris Road. Police say this teen was linked to other robberies in the Columbia area.

October

Police arrested 19-year-old Jordan Hunt and a juvenile for allegedly robbing a person at gunpoint on Talon Road.

Thomas-Brown says he wants to break the barrier of access the younger group and also get parents involved.

On Dec. 9, Thomas-Brown sat down with Columbia’s Youth Advisory Council to explain his work in the Office of Violence Prevention. At the meeting, he said giving kids in the community a voice to tell people what is going on in the area is crucial.

“Starting out in this office, I made it a point that I want CPS to be recipients of what we do at this office,” Thomas-Brown said. “Thanks to Dr. Klein and some of the administrative staff there, we are getting closer partnerships with them, with one of their admin being on the advisory committee for the Office of Violence Prevention.”

Thomas-Brown stressed the importance of kids having a good role model in their lives and how this can create a major difference in the path a child takes in life.

Columbia Police Lt. Matt Gremore said he has seen the same effect.

“One of the most important things you can have is a good role model, whether that be a parent or a guardian,” Gremore said. “That is a full-time, all-day and night job. That’s not just a meeting with someone or a one-time basketball game or something, it’s got to be consistent.”

In the next year, Thomas-Brown said he would love to see a rapid response team to get individuals in front of people who have been shot or shot at. He also said he wants community organizations to collaborate more, so groups can play to their strengths and stretch funding and available resources.

Thomas-Brown says the office has applied to the Department of Justice for a grant that would add at least three full-time employees. He said the DOJ did not provide a date when a decision would be made on the funding, and the office is still waiting to hear back on a decision.

Unsolved youth shooting: Bryant Wilks II

On Oct. 25, 2020, Columbia Police responded to the 300 block of West Brookside Lane at around 1 a.m. for a report of shots heard.

They found 17-year-old Bryant Wilks II had been shot, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was hurt. Police say there was a party in the area involving teens and young adults.

Bryant Wilks II

CPD is investigating 17 unsolved homicide cases with 19 victims dating back to 1985. ABC 17 News has covered seven cases in our ‘Mid-Missouri’s Cold Case Files’ reporting.

Michael Walker Jr. & Jeffery Jones

Garbrielle Rhodes

George Showalter

Virginia ‘Ginger’ Davis

Edmond ‘Ricky’ Randolph Jr.

Jamar Hicks

Antonio Houston and Danielle Marine

Watch the latest “Mid-Missouri’s Cold Case Files: The Case of Bryant Wilks II” at 10 p.m. Wednesday on ABC 17 News.

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