Category: kmiz-local-news

Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A small memorial of flowers and a teddy bear now rests at the edge of a county road where a 9-year-old boy lost his life after being struck by a pickup truck. The child was hit by a 21-year-old woman while crossing a section of the Katy Trail on Thursday.

Cyclists who frequently ride the trail say they’re heartbroken, but not surprised.

“When i saw the news it was kind of shocking, but I wasn’t surprised, sadly,” Tyler Renn said.

The stretch of road near the Katy Trail crossing is surrounded by thick brush, making it difficult to see approaching traffic or trail users. Cyclists said visibility is a major issue and the lack of signage warning drivers only makes it worse.

“That spot’s kind of sketchy,” Renn who has been cycling for five years said. “When you’re on the Katy Trail, you can’t really see the road until you’re basically on it. And there are no signs warning drivers that cyclists or pedestrians could be crossing.”

Renn believes more maintenance could help solve the problem.

” Maintenance with that brush around that area. Maybe people that are driving should be aware in those areas that people are cycling. And I mean Jeff City’s implemented all of these little bike lanes and I feel like most people are conscious of that. But I mean, there’s still some people who are just ignorant to that fact and don’t really care or think they control the road,” Renn said.

Callaway County’s Road and Bridge Department said it is exploring several options to improve safety along the roadway.

An ABC 17 News reporter found no signage posted to warn vehicles approaching the crossing. However, the Katy Trail itself includes signs advising trail users to slow down, yield at crossing, and wear helmets.

Nothing on the road alerts drivers to trail traffic.

“I was always taught that like pedestrians, people on foot or bicyles have the right of way and you need to be aware of them and the the other vehicle,” Renn said.

Local residents also expressed frustration to ABC 17 News stating, tragedy could have been prevented with better traffic controls.

Casey Seam also frequently bikes near the katy trail in Hunstdale.

“I think there’s also a lot of responsibility on drivers,” Seam said. “Especially if you’re coming up on a crossing like this (the intersection down Burr Oak Roa), you should be very cautious and looking out for all directions for there could be someone coming up.

At the Katy Trail in Huntsdale, an ABC 17 News reporter observed a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour, unlike the crossing on County Road 391. However, the sign did not include any warning about pedestrians or cyclists crossing.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was killed after being hit by a truck in Boone County Sunday morning.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the crash occurred on Route AB, east of U.S. 63 around 5 a.m. A 20-year-old Columbia man was driving a 2021 Ram 1500, when the vehicle crossed the center of the road and hit a 2020 Toyota camry.

The Camry was parked partially in the eastbound lane in the ditch, the report says.

The Ram then crashed into a 23-year-old Columbia man who was standing near the Camry.

He was pronounced dead on scene.

The driver of the Ram suffered moderate injuries. The age and injuries of the driver of the second vehicle are not listed in the report.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mizzou football is opening fall camp ahead of the 2025 season.

Watch coach Eli Drinkwitz take questions from reporters.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people were injured in central Columbia Saturday night after a reported stabbing, according to a Sunday morning press release from the Columbia Police Department.

Officers were called to the 300 block of Park Avenue around 10 p.m., according to CPD Lt. Anthony Bowne. One person left the scene with minor injuries, and the other was found with injuries from a weapon and taken to a hospital.

The suspect fled the scene and was found later with stab wounds and taken to a hospital, the release says. The victim was found with injuries to their hands.

Police identified the suspect as Glenn Bennett, 36, of Columbia. He’s since been released and transported to the Boone County jail pending formal charges. He was arrested for armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.

Investigators have confirmed that Bennett was intoxicated at the time of the incident, the release states.

At the scene, Bowne said police were unsure what type of weapon was used. It also is not clear if the first victim was injured with the same weapon.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw several Columbia Police Department vehicles and crime scene tape in the area around 10 p.m.

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Nia Hinson

AUDRAIN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Centralia man was injured Saturday when his dirt bike crashed into a horse and buggy in Audrain County.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the man, 21, was riding a 2025 Honda CR125X on the wrong side of Audrain Road 124. The man then braked, causing the dirt bike to slide under a horse and buggy.

The man was then hit by the horse and buggy, the crash report says.

He was taken by ambulance to University Hospital with serious injuries.

The other person involved in the crash– a 32-year-old man from Sturgeon was not injured.

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Euphenie Andre

Columbia, MO. (KMIZ)

A group of Columbia residents gathered Saturday afternoon to share personal stories and frustrations about the challenges of renting in a city that’s growing faster than many can afford to keep up with.

Organized by the Columbia Tenants Union, the meeting gave renters a platform to voice their concerns and propose solutions. Among them was Pamela Hildebrand, a senior resident who says the cost of living is making it harder for working families to stay afloat.

“Most of us live month to month,” Hildebrand said. “We don’t have the money to invest in another place, so we’re kind of stuck.”

Hildebrand said the rising cost of rent is becoming impossible to manage.

“When I first moved in, rent was $593. Now it’s $908, and next year it’s going up to $971,” Hildebrand said. “What’s going on? Why are all these properties increasing like this? It doesn’t make any sense. A lot of us are at the brink of homelessness because we just can’t afford it anymore.”

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2023, 51.5% of Columbia residents were renters, while 48.5% owned their homes. That means rental issues impact the majority of the city’s population, and many of them are feeling the pressure.

Columbia First Ward Councilwoman Valerie Carroll attended the meeting and said the concerns raised are ones she’s heard many times before.

“I’ve heard a hundred stories like this, and I know it’s an issue.” Caroll said. “It makes me feel like the time is right to empower renters, and to make sure we have city ordinances that protect them.”

Across Columbia, new housing developments are rising rapidly, something residents said can be positive, but only if tenants are treated fairly and not priced out of their own neighborhoods.

On Thursday, realtors and developers appeared before the Columbia City Council, requesting zoning changes to allow them to build more housing or divide properties into smaller lots for sale. The goal? To meet the growing demand.

Younger renters, particularly students, say one of the most stressful challenges they face is the gap between leases.

“I’m subleasing an apartment downtown, and my lease ends July 31st,” said college student Benji Shafiro. “But the semester starts around August 16th, so I’m really on my own trying to find somewhere to live in the meantime.”

The pressure on Columbia’s housing market has only intensified in recent years. Between 2018 and 2020, an estimated 9,000 people moved to the city. Since 2021, that number has jumped to over 24,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

As Columbia continues to grow, renters say they want to grow with it, not be left behind.

“We have a ton of new development going on and I think that’s extremely positive,” Carroll said. “But I also think we need legislation that connects units to affordability. We need more legislation supporting affordable housing and connecting that to creation of affordable dwelling units that are reserved below median incomes so that some can afford it on 30% of their salary.”

The Columbia Tenants Union plans to continue meeting with city officials, pushing for rent control measures, shorter lease gaps, and stronger legal protections for tenants.

“I am just so thrilled to be able to get this feedback from the community and be able to organize just our thoughts first and for everyone to be heard,” said Leader Organizer, Jack Dobbs, “We’re dealing with a lot of tough problems and we have a lot of issues that make us really frustrated as a group.”

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Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Animal Shelter says it’s at capacity for dogs after taking in several following an animal abuse investigation.

Casey Logsdon, Jessica Morgan, Ashley Ousley and Henry Ousley Jr. were charged on Thursday with 19 counts of accessory to animal abuse.

Logsdon, 33, and Morgan, 41, were booked into the Cole County Jail on Friday morning and are being held on $10,000 bonds. Neither of the Ousleys were listed on the jail roster on Friday evening, though court records for both say a warrant was served and $10,000 bonds were set.  

The probable cause statement says deputies were called to a mobile home for a welfare check when they were told about the animals. Court documents in previous reporting say kennels were found throughout the home that contained animals and were covered with urine and feces.

No fresh water or food was made available and all of the animals appeared to be malnourished, the probable cause statement says.

“There were multiple issues—infestation, animals not being provided with food or water, unbathed, completely malnourished,” Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson said. “It’s questionable whether some of these animals will survive.”

The court documents explained that Casey Logsdon owned some of the animals in the home of Henry Ousley, Jr.. Logsdon allegedly had regular access to Ousley’s home, knew the living and health conditions of the animals in Ousley’s care but failed to intervene, provide basic food and water or remove the animals from him.

“I think this case, with the condition those animals were in, more or less led us to say: This is more than just neglect. This is so egregious that it has to be considered abuse,” Thompson said.

Court documents say Henry Ousley Jr. was previously cited for similar reasons in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

ln 2019, Henry Ousley relinquished four Chihuahua or Chihuahua mix dogs to the animal shelter after an inspection, the statement says. Ousley had 19 dogs on the property at that time. ln 2021, Cole County Deputy Stockman responded to the same address to check on animals after a utility company called and reported two dead dogs in the yard, the statement says.

A number of animals saw signs of improvement after they were given proper nutrition for two days at an animal shelter, while at least five had to be euthanized for either aggressive behavior or poor health, the statement says.  

The Jefferson City Animal Shelter wrote in a Friday evening social media post that adoption fees will be waived from July 28-Aug. 1 on all animals. The Brenna Siebert Fund is sponsoring the payment of the adoption fees and does so “a couple of times a year,” the post says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A building the City of Sedalia is seeking to demolish after structural concerns were raised suffered more damage after storms rolled through on Thursday, the city said in a social media post.

The vacant building at 207 West Main St. in Sedalia saw its sidewalk and nearby traffic shut down last month after structural concerns were brought up. The city in a June 4 social media post said the building was in a “state of collapse” and would need immediate repairs or be demolished.

The city wrote in a Thursday social media post that all traffic from South Kentucky Avenue to South Osage Avenue will be closed because of the damage.

The city filed a petition on Wednesday to have a court declare the property an immediate danger and have it demolished. A hearing was scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday and summons were issued for the building’s owners Dana Melton and Travis Dixon.

“Over the past several weeks, the City has explored multiple options to address the condition of the building and has remained in regular contact with the property owners’ legal representatives. While additional safety inspections are still planned, the City has determined that initiating the court process is a necessary step to ensure public safety,” the city said in a Wednesday social media post. “The sidewalk and street closures in the 200 block of West Main Street will remain in effect until the area is deemed safe. The City appreciates the public’s continued patience and understanding as we navigate this complex situation with public safety as our top priority.”

The city later wrote on its social media that it has taken precautionary safety measures to assist businesses across the street from the building.

“Maintenance crews provided boards to help secure windows and assisted with their installation. These steps are intended to help protect nearby properties in the event of a collapse,” a social media post from the city says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City woman was charged Friday in Cole County after she was accused of stabbing a man in his face.

Mia Guthrie, 29, was charged with first-degree domestic assault, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. She is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says Jefferson City police were called to an apartment on Alpine Court for a report of a domestic assault with a weapon. The victim allegedly called police and said he was stabbed in his face by Guthrie with a kitchen knife.

Police found the man lying in the middle of the road with a “severe” cut on his face that was “heavily bleeding,” court documents say. The statement says Guthrie arrived home about four hours late while she was drunk and started arguing with the victim before grabbing two kitchen knives.

A witness allegedly tried to restrain Guthrie, but she was able to swing around them and stab the victim, the statement says. The victim allegedly told police he grabbed a bat for protection.

The witness allegedly told police that the victim hit Guthrie with a bat and Guthrie stabbed the victim, the statement says. Police spoke with Guthrie who appeared to be drunk and “uncooperative with the investigation,” the statement says.  

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