Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri has again declined an application submitted by Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine that would have allowed the group to participate in this year’s homecoming parade.

A university spokesman wrote in an email on Friday that the group was declined participation because of “safety concerns.”

MSJP was barred from participating from last year’s parade for similarly cited reasons. Previous letters to the group issued by UM President Mun Choi cited disturbances at other campuses, as well as “actions of some MSJP members at Speakers Circle on Oct. 7,” previous reporting shows.

“Yes, the Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine application to participate in the 2025 Homecoming Parade was not approved due to safety concerns for members of the organization and other homecoming participants,” university spokesman Travis Zimpfer wrote in an email to ABC 17 News. “Given the university’s commitment to the right to freedom of expression, the university has offered to provide another location on the day of Homecoming Parade for the group to share their perspectives.”

This comes as the university says it has updated its policy on what is accepted at the parade and a lawsuit was filed last month by CAIR — the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the country.

According to the policy, the purposes of the parade are to: 

Celebrate MU’s traditions and accomplishments

Cultivate alumni connections

Honor University-selected achievements of MU students, personnel and alumni

Rally support and enthusiasm for the homecoming football game

The policy also reads: 

“It is not an open forum for expression on topics identified by participants, but rather is limited to expression on topics identified by the University for the purposes noted above. The University provides ample other opportunities for participants to express themselves on topics of interest to them.” 

Previous reporting indicates MSPJ argued that before the group’s application was denied for last year’s parade, the university asked the student group to not carry a banner reading “END THE GENOCIDE,” despite allowing fraternities to display “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” banners. 

ABC 17 News has reached out to MSJP.

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Ryan Shiner

Editor’s note: The headline and lead have been clarified.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson will not file charges in a fatal shooting that occurred in May at the Nifong Boulevard McDonald’s.

No charges will be filed against Ryan Woods. Johnson in a letter to the Columbia Police Department claimed that Woods shot in self-defense after a fit of road rage was reported.

“We have concluded that Ryan Woods’s actions were justified as self-defense and defense of another,” Johnson wrote in the letter.

A man and a woman were shot the afternoon of May 18. Police previously said Derek Gonzalez, 32, of Columbia, was pronounced dead at an area hospital after he and another driver “encountered each other in traffic” that day. The drivers pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot and fired shots at each other, police wrote earlier this year.

“The incident began on Grindstone Parkway near Hawaiian Brothers, where a blue Hyundai Elantra driven by Derek Gonzalez pulled out in front of a black Dodge Caravan driven by Ryan Woods. Woods stated he had to swerve to avoid a collision. Gonzalez then got behind the Caravan and began following Woods and Crawford. Woods continued to the McDonald’s parking lot where he pulled into the drive-through line,” the letter says.

The letter goes on to say that Woods fired a warning shot at the McDonald’s building after Gonzalez punched out the driver-side window of Woods’ vehicle. Gonzalez then fired a shot into Woods’ vehicle multiple times, hitting a woman in Woods’ vehicle.

In an interview with ABC 17 News, Johnson described how he thinks Gonzalez could have felt like he was defending himself following Wood’s warning shot.

“If you’re the initial aggressor in a fight, you can’t use self-defense. So if you start a fight, or start even threatening that you’re going to injure somebody, you can’t use self-defense unless you withdraw and clearly communicate to the other person that you want to end the fight,” Johnson said.

Woods then allegedly got out of the vehicle while Gonzalez had his gun pointed at him, the letter says. Woods then fired a shot and kicked away Gonzalez’s gun, documents say. The letter says Woods then put his gun away in his car and immediately called 911.

Johnson called the state’s self-defense laws broad and emphasized the importance of understanding them.

“In Missouri, if somebody believes that they’re in imminent risk of deadly force, that could be if you’re pointing a gun in their direction,”John said. “Under some circumstances you could open yourself up to getting shot.” 

Police at the time claimed that no charges would be filed, but said in May the investigation was ongoing.

“After a thorough review, we have determined the evidence does not support criminal charges against Mr. Woods. This is a tragic loss of life, and our hearts go out to Mr. Gonzalez’s family. At the same time, the evidence shows Mr. Woods acted in lawful self-defense under the laws of Missouri,” the conclusion of the letter says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Prosecutors in Boone County are considering reducing charges for a man charged with murder in a 2023 overdose death

Derek Miltimore, 33, of Columbia, is charged with second-degree felony murder, delivery of a controlled substance, second-degree drug trafficking, two counts of drug possession, one count of unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. He is being held without bond at the Boone County Jail.

Prosecutors on Thursday filed a proposal to get rid of the charges of murder and delivery of a controlled substance.

Miltimore is one of two people accused in the May 2, 2023, death caused by fentanyl overdose.

Chase Rieves, 34, of Columbia, was also charged in the case with second-degree felony murder, delivery of a controlled substance and drug possession. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. He has a jury trial scheduled for June 2026 and an arraignment set for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Pulaski County school was put on a temporary lockdown on Thursday as a man was getting arrested.

Ronald Brown, of Orrick, Missouri, was charged with resisting arrest. A warrant was ordered on Friday and no hearings have been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says law enforcement tried to serve a warrant at a Crocker, Missouri, address for Stephen Jenkins in relation to drug charges. That man was not home but he was found in a vehicle later with Brown.

As police served that warrant, they asked for Brown’s information and he started walking away, the statement says. Police told him to stop, but Brown then ran away to a wooded area near the Crocker School District, the statement says.

The school was put on a lockdown as Brown was detained, the statement says. Brown allegedly told law enforcement that he ran away because he had an active warrant, court documents say.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Republican senators passed a new congressional map and reformed the way citizens can get constitutional issues on ballots, over Democrats’ objections, during a special session in the Capitol on Friday.

The vote was 21-11 in favor of a new congressional map submitted by Gov. Mike Kehoe and titled the “Missouri First” map. A bill to set a higher standard to pass statewide ballot measures passed the Senate by the same vote.

The day began with Democratic stalling in the Senate. In the end, the Republican majority closed debate against Democrats’ wishes and held their final votes.

The map approved on Friday, which had already passed through the House, would redraw the state’s congressional map, splitting up the Democratic-safe Fifth District.

“Per instructions of the federal government the [legislature] has passed the DC drawn gerrymander exactly as instructed without a single Senator ever having a chance to file a bill or offer an amendment. Complete capitulation to Donald Trump,” Sen. Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) wrote on the social media website X after the vote.

Sen. Doug Beck (D-St. Louis County) said Friday morning he intended to offer an amendment to start the proposed congressional map when the federal government releases the Epstein files. However, he didn’t get the chance to do so.

A Senate committee on Thursday heard testimony on the “Missouri First” map, and no one showed up in support of new congressional districts.

A lawsuit was filed in Cole County court on Friday challenging the new map before its approval. The plaintiffs include a Cole County resident and residents of U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Fifth District. They contend the map is unconstitutional because the Missouri Constitution says districts should be redrawn every 10 years.

“We absolutely have the authority to do this,” Sen. Brad Hudson (R-Cape Fair) said. “Matter of fact, I would say not only do we have the authority, we have the responsibility to update to the congressional districts in Missouri to make sure that it reflects the will of Missourians.”

Hudson said the map will withstand any challenges.

Democrats want to overturn the map through a referendum or, as Beck calls it, a citizen’s veto.

“Everything outside the capital is set to start happening,” Beck said. “I am already going to start cutting up all campaign signs to put petitions online and petitions on there and start going out and collecting signatures.”

The current districts were approved in 2022.

HJR 3, which reforms Missouri’s intiative petition process, would require any constitutional amendment be passed by a majority statewide and in each of the state’s eight congressional districts.

The map bill will become law with Kehoe’s signature. Initiative petition reform will be voted on statewide.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A suspect in the deadly shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was identified Friday morning as a man from Utah.

Kirk was killed on Wednesday on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, where he was kicking off a national speaking tour of college campuses. Investigators say he was shot in the neck with a high-powered rifle.

Utah and federal law enforcement officials said Friday that the suspect is Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah. President Donald Trump had broken the news of the arrest earlier Friday during a Fox News appearance.

Robinson’s father, who recognized him from photos the FBI distributed Thursday, convinced Robinson to turn himself in, ABC News reported.

Officials said Friday that Robinson had etched “Hey, fascist! Catch!” onto a shell casing.

Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, a political organization that sought to bring young adults into Republican politics. The group has chapters on campuses across the country, including the University of Missouri.

A student group was working to bring Kirk’s tour to campus before he died, an MU spokesperson said Thursday.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Friday is the last day for sports teams and casinos to send in applications to offer on-site betting to Missourians.

After all applications are submitted, the Missouri Gaming Commission will review them and allow for temporary licenses to those it chooses. This would allow suppliers to test their systems before the launch date.

In August, the Missouri Gaming Commission voted to give DraftKings and Circa Hospitality the state’s first two mobile sports betting licenses. However, those two platforms can not get those licenses until all sports teams and casinos that want on-site betting send in their applications by the end of the day Friday.

All licenses are expected to be issued in mid-to-late October, but Missourians will still have to wait until December to legally wager on sports. The state’s new gaming rules won’t take effect until the end of November, so Missourians will not be able to bet on sports until the official launch date on Dec. 1.

The Missouri Gaming Commission had to create pages of rules from scratch to prepare for the application process, coming up with the following criteria for applicants: 

Expertise in online sports betting

Integrity, safety and sustainability of the platform

Past relevant experience

Advertising and promotional plans to increase and sustain revenue

Ability to generate, maximize and sustain revenue for Missouri

Commitment to and plans for promotion of responsible gaming

Capacity to increase the number of bettors on the platform

Missourians voted to have sports betting last November under Amendment 2. On the ballot, it stated that 10% of wagering tax revenue received would go toward public schools across the state. Missouri also must allocate at least $5 million in licensing fees and taxes to problem gambling programs in the state.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mizzou Athletics announced Thursday that Saturday’s football game will be pushed up to noon, instead of the originally scheduled 3 p.m. start.

The school says the change is to avoid the worst of the extreme heat forecast this weekend. After consulting with the National Weather Service, Mizzou decided moving the game earlier would help protect both players and fans.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Jon Carney said temperatures at noon will still be hot but slightly cooler compared to mid-afternoon.

“During that time period, the hourly temperature forecast is 92 at noon, then 95 and 96 versus 97 at 3 p.m., 97 at 4 p.m., and then 96 at 5 p.m. So there is a little difference,” Carney said.

Fans told ABC 17 News they first heard about the change through an email from the university. Others said they were glad about the decision, while some said the change didn’t affect their plans.

“Mizzou was looking out for us and they actually sent out a campus wide reminder. So it’s great,” Ryan Aheran said.

An ABC 17 reporter tested field temperatures with a thermometer, comparing grass to turf similar to the surface the Tigers will play on Saturday. The results showed turf was more than 20 degrees hotter than grass.

Medical experts are warning fans to watch for signs of heat exhaustion.

“Headache would be one of the first signs of dehydration. Also, if you stop sweating, become confused, dizzy, disoriented, or just overall do not feel well,” said Jackie Beshears, who is a nurse practitioner at Boone Convenient Care.

Beshears encouraged fans to prepare ahead of time.

“Some things I would say before the game is making sure that they’re wearing sunscreen, making sure they’re wearing hats, light clothes, hydrating more than they think they need to before the game, and avoiding alcohol,” Beshear said.

Beshears said anyone experiencing those symptoms should seek help right away and get water or ice to cool down. She added that anyone experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion should seek help immediately and cool down with water or ice.

Carney said while conditions will be hot, the heat index isn’t expected to reach dangerous levels.

“Heat index around 105 (degrees) as being dangerous to do strenuous activity with and defiantly 110 is where we start to really get concerned is where we start issuing excessive heat warning at that level,” Carney said.

The new kickoff time, however, did cause some adjustments for the city bus schedule. Columbia spokesperson John Ogan said the revised Saturday schedule will be available Friday morning between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., after being finalized with bus supervisors.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The University of Missouri has made changes to its application process for its homecoming parade, following a dustup with Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine last year. 

On Aug. 27, the group posted on social media that CAIR — the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the country — had filed a lawsuit on behalf of the group for President Mun Choi’s decision to deny their application to participate in the 2024 homecoming parade. 

Records obtained by ABC 17 News show Choi cited what he called “disturbances”  from students at other universities as the reason for denying MSJP’s application.  In his letter to the group, he wrote: 

“A review of SJP events around the country indicated that significant disturbances have occurred. Some of the disturbances were caused by members and/or supporters of SJP. In other cases the disturbances were caused by members of the public or by counter-demonstrators. Ensuring the safety of members of the MSJP and homecoming participants is my paramount concern

“These facts, combined with the concerning actions of some MSJP members at Speakers Circle on Oct 7, led me to my decision. Given our commitment to your right of freedom of expression, we’ll provide you another location on the day of Homecoming Parade to share your perspectives.” 

Letters obtained by ABC 17 News also show the University denied applications to LiUNA and the League of Women Voters, as part of the five denial letters obtained in the records request. However, those denial letters cited the influx of registration, concerns about parade length and priority given to MU student groups as the reason why.  

Choi_MSJP_Email_Redacted (1)Download

MSPJ argues that before denying their application, the university asked the student group to not carry a banner reading “END THE GENOCIDE,” despite allowing fraternities to display “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” banners. 

“MSJP’s exclusion from the 2024 Homecoming Parade was a blatant violation of the First Amendment,” Gadeir Abbas, deputy litigation director at CAIR National, said in a statement. “In addition to seeking relief from the court for that constitutional violation, we are also demanding that the University not repeat its mistake by excluding Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine again in this year’s parade.” 

The University has since updated its homecoming parade policy, with the theme of “Celebrating Black and Gold.” According to the policy, the purposes of the parade are to: 

Celebrate MU’s traditions and accomplishments

Cultivate alumni connections

Honor University-selected achievements of MU students, personnel, and alumni

Rally support and enthusiasm for the Homecoming football game

The policy also reads: 

“It is not an open forum for expression on topics identified by participants, but rather is limited to expression on topics identified by the University for the purposes noted above. The University provides ample other opportunities for participants to express themselves on topics of interest to them.” 

Choi was asked about the decision during Thursday’s MU faculty council meeting. 

“The major difference from last year is that we have a theme, and we ask that all of the parade participants to tailor the displays, tailor their performance if they’re going to perform in the parade, using the theme of Black and Gold and themes of celebrating our alums because it is homecoming,” Choi said. 

A spokesman for the university told ABC 17 News in a statement that the decision to change the rules was not related to SJP. 

“We make changes to the parade rules every year and this year is no exception,” MU spokesperson Christopher Ave wrote in an email. “Adherence to the theme is not limited to any one group, and the rules do apply to all participants.” 

ABC 17 News reached out to MSJP.

Check back for updates.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Missouri House speaker who resigned in disgrace a decade ago admitted Thursday to fraudulently getting a COVID-19 pandemic loan.

John J. Diehl Jr., 60, pleaded guilty in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud. Federal prosecutors accused Diehl of using money from a COVID-19 business loan to pay for personal expenses, including cars, a mortgage, country club dues and college tuition.

Diehl is a lawyer with the Diehl Law Group in St. Louis.

He was elected to the Missouri House in 2008 and became speaker in 2015. Diehl resigned from that position after the Kansas City Star published a report detailing sexual text messages exchanged between Diehl and a House intern.

The Missouri Ethics Commission found in 2023 that Diehl held unreported campaign contributions worth up to $52,000 in a personal bank account, violating state ethics rules.

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