Category: kmiz-local-news

Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (Kmiz)

The Columbia Fire Department held a Traffic Incident Management training session on Wednesday to review safety protocols for road incidents.

Firefighters gathered at the Columbia Fire Training Academy for the training led by Battalion Chief Roger Mertenmeyer.

The entire department has completed this course, which is offered a few times a year. The training is open to dispatchers, media, tow truck companies and any personnel who work with accident scenes.

The course teaches emergency personnel vehicle placement strategies and methods to keep traffic flowing and reduce the risk of any secondary crashes.

“Training is solely geared around roadway incidents and the safety of responders for one, and then the general public passing through it,” Mertenmeyer said.

According to data from the 2015 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Report and the National Fire Protection Association, an average of 10 officers, four firefighters and an estimated 40 to 60 towing and recovery professionals are killed each year from being struck at a scene. Mertenmeyer also said that on-site responders are highly susceptible to being hit by moving traffic and distracted drivers.

An example took place in Boone County in 2021, when Boone County Fire District Assistant Chief Bryant Gladney was struck and killed while responding to a tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 70.

Mertenmeyer also said that traffic backups, especially in construction zones, make the area even more dangerous for responders because of high-speed traffic approaching stopped vehicles.

“Anytime we’re on the roadway, it’s dangerous, and so when we extend that time period we’re on the roadway, it extends the amount of exposure we have to moving traffic,” Mertensmeyer said.

The safety of the responders is Mertensmeyer’s main goal in these trainings, and he urges the public to stay alert when driving, especially near a roadside incident.

“Everyone seems to want to look and see what’s going on on our emergency scenes as they go by, and I understand that for a lot of people, they don’t get to see that all the time,” Mertensmeyer said. “However, when you take your eyes off where you’re supposed to go, then that’s what causes you to drift and perhaps hit another vehicle next to you or hit one of our responders.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Firefighters rescued a worker who was stuck on an elevated lift on Wednesday morning in the 1800 block of Vieth Drive, according to a press release from the Jefferson City Fire Department.

Crews found a man on a lift that “become inoperable after being damaged by falling debris,” the release says. He was standing on a platform that was about 30 feet in the air.

Firefighters were able to get the man down by using the manual hydraulic override system, according to the release.

No injuries were reported.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A second fireworks show this weekend involving a company from Buffalo, Missouri, has been canceled.

Lake Valley Golf Club in Camdenton wrote on its Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon that AM Pyrotechnics told the club “us they are unable to fulfill their obligation to provide this year’s display. With only days remaining before July 4, and with the display already prepaid, Lake Valley is unfortunately unable to secure another fireworks show in time.”

The display and “related festivities” have been canceled.

“This is deeply disappointing for all of us. Lake Valley’s fireworks have been a long-standing community tradition, bringing together members, families, neighbors, and friends from across the Lake area,” the post reads. “Each year, hundreds gather in the parking lot, along the course, and throughout the surrounding area to enjoy an evening that has always been about more than fireworks — it has been about community.”

The golf tournament will still be held, but no other Fourth of July activities will occur.

The City of Osage Beach announced on Tuesday that it would delay its Independence Day celebration to July 11 after AM Pyrotechnics “stopped communicating despite multiple efforts to reach them by phone, email, and text.”

The company allegedly told the city on Tuesday it was not able to “execute the display.”

KY3 reported on Monday that a Fourth of July fireworks show in Mountain Home, Arkansas, was affected after the same company stopped communicating with Mountain Home’s chamber of commerce.

AM Pyrotechnics claims an accident at its facility in November “significant affected” its operations and that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

“The company is also operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which is a legal process intended to preserve operations, protect creditors, and allow the business to complete as much work as possible,” a statement sent to ABC 17 News in an email says. “We have continued using available resources to support operations, maintain required insurance and licensing, pay crews, secure fireworks, and complete the displays we are able to perform safely and professionally.”

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A group calling itself the Missouri Licensing Advocacy Group is suing the Missouri attorney general and other state officials to stop an enforcement campaign targeting businesses that operate video gambling machines.

The group filed its lawsuit in Cole County last week, saying that Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and Missouri Alcohol and Tobacco Control overstepped their authority in seizing video gambling machines and prosecuting owners of stores that use them.

The petition filed Friday in Cole County is similar to a lawsuit against Hanaway filed June 18 by Turners Bar & Girl. MOLAG’s lawsuit states that the group wants the issue of whether video gambling machines are legal under state law to be decided by courts before seizures and prosecutions continue.

The lawsuit also takes issue with Alcohol and Tobacco Control’s use of the liquor license process to target businesses with gambling machines.

MOLAG’s petition says it will not identify the group’s members becuase of threats of criminal charges, civil litigation and seizure of equipment.

At least two Mid-Missouri convenience store owners — Anthony Gier of Eldon and Keith Winscott of Ashland — have been charged criminally after video gambling machines were seized from their stores.

Civil asset forfeiture actions against each owner were also filed in state court. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office was in possession of machines from Winscott’s Woody’s Bar and Grub, along with aboiut $8,000 in seized cash, as of the filing in late May.

The machines along with about $17,000 in cash seized from one of Gier’s Eagle Stop store was in the Columbia Police Department’s possession.

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Alison Patton

PORTLAND, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an agreement Wednesday at the Callaway Energy Center nuclear power plant with the Federal Permitting Council to allow the state and federal government to start the permitting process for FAST-41 projects, like nuclear plants, at the same time.

The permitting council coordinates and improves federal environmental reviews and authorizations for some infrastructure projects, according to its website. It also aids in the permit process and establishes clear timelines for projects.

The permitting council doesn’t list specific projects that are eligible, but eligible sectors include AI, broadband, mining and conventional energy production.

Kehoe said the agreement doesn’t necessarily fast-track the permitting process, but brings it back to business standard.

“Quite honestly, the country has not invested in it just because investors, utilities or whoever wants to invest in these; no one wants to invest in these because the permitting process is just way too long,” Kehoe said.

Kehoe signed one copy of the agreement, and the executive director of the permitting council, Emily Domenech, signed another at the Callaway Energy Center. The agreement could open the door for more nuclear plants in the state.

Callaway County has the only nuclear plant in the state, and it produces about 15% of Missouri’s energy, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Alaska, Idaho, Tenessee and Utah have signed similar agreements, and Domenech said she wants more on board.

“I want to say yes to every state, actually,” Domenech said. “Our hope is that we will partner with every governor in the country to be able to bring more power online, to allow for more manufacturing, to build critical infrastructure that helps us compete nationwide.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An 18-year-old man from Moberly was seriously injured Tuesday in a motorcycle crash on Highway 63 in Cairo, a Missouri State Highway Patrol report says.

The report says the man rode a 2006 Harley Davidson southbound and failed to yield to a 2010 Toyota Sienna that was driven by a 43-year-old Madison, Missouri, woman.

The man had serious injuries and was brought to University Hospital by ambulance, the report says. The bike had extensive damage and the Toyota had minor damage, the report says. The man wore a helmet and the woman was wearing a seatbelt, the report says.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man proposed to a woman at the top of the Empire State Building after unfurling a flag that preached the power of love.

The couple had not been identified early Wednesday afternoon.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A lane closure on eastbound Interstate 70 in Columbia caused by emergency pavement repairs is expected to reopen before Thursday morning’s rush hour, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

One lane of eastbound I-70 and an eastbound off-ramp closed Wednesday after a large pothole developed near the construction zone, prompting emergency repairs.

Contractors closed the ramp from eastbound I-70 to Providence Road and the driving lane of eastbound I-70 near mile marker 126.5 beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday. MoDOT expects the closures to remain in place through early Thursday morning.

Spencer Robinson, MoDOT’s Improve I-70 program director for the Rocheport-to-Columbia project, told ABC 17 News the agency decided to accelerate repairs after conditions deteriorated in recent days ahead of the holiday travel period.

“We had a large pothole start forming over the weekend and progressively got worse over the last few days,” Robinson said. “This thing is 20-feet long and about a dozen feet wide, so a very large area we’re talking about was creating a very rough patch.”

Robinson said the timing of the repair was driven in part by anticipated Independence Day travel and reduced staffing availability later in the week.

“Heading into a busy holiday season where we have a lot of crews that take off for a long weekend, we’re not going to be able to respond as quickly,” Robinson said. “We felt the need to get in there and get this addressed now ahead of Thursday morning before the busy travel rush.”

According to Robinson, the damaged section is among the oldest remaining pavement within the construction limits.

“We’ve replaced several of the other pieces surrounding it in the area,” Robinson said. “This is one of the older pieces of pavement on I-70. It’s probably in the neighborhood of 50-to-60 years old, so it’s definitely past its design life.”

Robinson said backups caused by the deteriorating pavement increased travel times through the area to roughly 15-20 minutes compared with the typical three-to-four-minute trip.

MoDOT said the ramp from Providence Road to westbound I-70 will remain open and will no longer close overnight Wednesday as previously planned.

The emergency repairs come as crews continue work on the larger Improve I-70 project between Rocheport and Columbia, which includes replacing the Providence Road bridge and expanding portions of the interstate.

MoDOT is monitoring a small number of other aging pavement sections in the corridor but does not expect widespread issues before reconstruction work reaches those areas.

Just before 7 p.m. Wednesday, Robinson told ABC 17 News the department remained on track to reopen the right lane before Thursday morning’s commute.

Despite weather delays earlier this year, Robinson said construction of the overall project remains on pace.

“We are on or ahead of schedule in every phase of construction right now,” Robinson said. “We’ve been fighting a lot of rain through the early part of this year. That slowed us down more than we’d like, but crews have been powering through and working around it.”

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department issued at least one citation Wednesday after residents protested the city’s median ordinance.

An ABC 17 News reporter in the area saw around a half-dozen residents protesting at 10 a.m. in medians at the intersection of North Providence Road and Business Loop 70.

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I mean, none of us do, but we’re denying people the right to make a living, they have that freedom of speech,” said Jeff Stack, who is with the Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Protesters argued the rule violates the First Amendment and unfairly targets unhoused people, disguised as pedestrian safety.

“The city spent almost $100,000 on an independent study about pedestrian-related traffic accidents, and the vast majority of them happened near campus, especially on College Avenue, where there are students,” Columbia resident Dirk Burhans said. “So, this is really about getting homeless people out of view.”

“People have the [right to] panhandle, it may be a little bit uncomfortable for the mayor or for some city leaders, for Mun Choi maybe and other university officials,” Stack said. “They don’t like seeing people on the streets in such a way because it gives our city a bad name, a bad image. Well, there is poverty in our community.”

Burhans and other protesters were later escorted off the medians by CPD around 11 a.m., with the protest ending around noon.

Burhans later told ABC 17 News the officers were polite and gave him several chances to leave the median, with Burhans asking for a citation to move. An officer was seen giving Burhans a ticket, which Burhans confirmed was for a later court date.

According to the ACLU, panhandling does fall under the First Amendment. However, cities can police how and where people do it.

The Columbia City Council passed the ordinance Feb. 2 on a 5-2 vote. Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll and Ward 2 Councilwoman Vera Elwood voted against the measure, while Mayor Barbara Buffaloe was among those who voted in favor.

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Buffaloe acknowledged residents had a right to protest while also pushing the safety benefits of the ordinance.

“I also supported this ordinance because I believe we can protect free expression while also addressing serious safety concerns on our busiest roadways,” Buffaloe said in the post.

Buffaloe added that her car accident in June reinforced her safety concerns about roads in town.

The City of Columbia outlined the ordinance’s criteria and identified the areas where it applies on its webpage:

Prohibits crossing a major road anywhere except in a crosswalk, a pedestrian-control signal, or an intersection if those things aren’t available.

Prohibits being on a median fewer than six feet wide except when crossing the road.

Prohibits getting out of cars while in a traffic lane or within a major intersection.

Prohibits approaching cars on a major road unless the car is legally parked.

Prohibits people in vehicles from engaging with pedestrians at major intersections.

Intersections that are affected include:

Intersections with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or greater.

Traffic volumes greater than 15,000 vehicles per day.

Medians less than six feet wide are designated as a major corridor intersection.

Those who violate the ordinance can face a fine of up to $500, but no one would face jail time for a violation. The 47 identified crash areas where data shows the highest risk of pedestrian-vehicle crashes are where officers will prioritize enforcement, according to the city. Some of those areas include:

College Avenue and University Avenue

College Avenue and Rollins Avenue

Stadium Boulevard and Monk Drive/Champions Drive

Business Loop 70 and Providence Road.

Several intersections in the city are affected, with the five busiest intersections being:

Providence Road and Stadium Boulevard

Providence Road and Broadway

Broadway and Stadium Boulevard

Broadway and College Avenue

Broadway and Old Highway 63

Drivers can no longer hand items to pedestrians from their vehicles. The ordinance also prohibits drivers from stopping in travel lanes in a way that creates a traffic hazard or from allowing occupants to exit a vehicle in a travel lane or major corridor intersection, except during an emergency.

CPD will release the number of citations they received Wednesday on Thursday after all reports are collected.

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Matthew Sanders

An ordinance that prevents people from standing on medians along busy roads in Columbia is taking effect.

The police have been on an education campaign, informing panhandlers about the ordinance ahead of Wednesday’s effective date. But the ordinance is still meeting political resistance from people who say it unfairly targets those same panhandlers and restricts civil rights.

A protest is scheduled for Wednesday morning against the restrictions taking effect.

Do you think enforcement of the new ordinance will keep people off the medians? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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