Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 20-year-old Stover woman was seriously injured Tuesday in a crash on Ivy Bend Road in Morgan County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says a 20-year-old Stover man and the woman were riding on a 2006 Yamaha Road Star 1700 motorcycle that was heading northbound. The man failed to negotiate a curve, causing the bike to cross the center line, go off the left side of the road and overturn, the report says.

Both people were thrown from the motorcycle. Neither person wore a helmet, according to the report.

The report says the woman had serious injuries and the man had moderate injuries. Both people were brought to Lake Regional Hospital by ambulance, according to the report.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Commission on Tuesday passed a multi-million-dollar contract for gravel road pavement throughout the county.

The commission unanimously approved a $4.62 million purchase order with Capital Paving and Construction LLC.

The total and locations, according to meeting documents, includes:

Location
Dollar Amount

Boothe Lane (North) upgrade)
$516,099.90

Boothe Lane (South)/Brennen Drive/Finnegan Court upgrade
$842,121.05

Coats Lane upgrade
$539,648.94

James Sapp Road upgrade
$428,105.80

JD Sapp Road/Franklin Road upgrade
$438,020

Robbie Forbls Road upgrade
$275,324.55

Willet Road upgrade
$1,160,679.75

10% Contingency
$420,000.00

TOTAL
$4,619,999.99

The commission also approved a contract with In2Action for a re-entry coordinator for Boone County Community Services and the Boone County Jail.

Boone County Community Services Director Joanne Nelson told ABC 17 News in an email the person in that position “will support individuals transitioning from the Boone County jail back in the community. The navigator will help these individuals to connect with recovery services, housing, employment support with the goal to help them to be successful when they transition back into the community.”

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Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (Kmiz)

Missouri leaders are getting ready to discuss further restrictions on transgender athletes following Tuesday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The higher court upheld the power of the states to ban transgender athletes from participating in certain sports, ruling that these restrictions do not interfere with Title IX regulations.

Missouri state Rep. Brian Seitz (R-Branson) is in support of the Supreme Court ruling, saying “it is the biggest win for women’s sports since Title IX.” Seitz said the ruling is in line with what Missouri did just a few years prior.

“I’m just glad that the Supreme Court saw fit, what, to rule on what we saw in Missouri as a no brainer three or four years ago,” Seitz said.

The decision saw support online from a number of GOP members in the state, including Gov. Mike Kehoe, State Sen. Rock Brattin (R-Cass County) and US Rep. Bob Onder.  

Under current state law 163.048, Missouri’s public, private, charter and higher education institutions are permitted to only let student athletes compete in designated sports that align with their biological sex as listed on their birth certificate.

The only exception stated to this law is when a female student participates in an athletic competition designated for male’s students if the school does not have a corresponding female sport offered.

This law was enacted in 2023, and the Missouri Senate placed a sunset clause to give officials more time to research. This law is set to end on Aug. 28, 2027.

With the sunset clause ending in a year, Seitz is looking to make this law permanent and said the ruling from the higher courts has caused a “greater sense of urgency.”

However, a local LGBTQ+ community center The Center Project is not in support of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“I am incredibly disappointed to see the Supreme Court uphold what I would consider to be a discriminatory ruling,” said Vera Elwood, who is the Youth Project Coordinator at The Center Project and the Ward 2 City Councilwoman.

Elwood said this law is seen more than just a restriction on sports teams, it is affecting the lives of those who are already at high risk.

“I think for some people they can look at it and think, ‘well, it’s just a soccer team,'” Elwood said. “But when you’re being singled out in this kind of way, we might, you know, we might lose kids.”

Elwood said the stakes for transgender youth is higher due to them being more at risk for mental health illnesses. She hopes that the state representatives can prioritize the well-being of students.

“I hope that we as a state and as a community can find ways to protect our most at risk our most at need youth,” Elwood said.

As state leaders prepare to revisit the law, a discussion over whether a middle ground even exists starts to be seen.

Seitz claims participating in co-ed sports is an appropriate alternative, but “as far as women’s sport, I think biological sex has to be protected, it’s a matter of fairness.”

And for Elwood, there is no compromise on an issue that she says goes beyond just sports.

“I also don’t see a middle ground on inclusion in sports, inclusion in school activities,” Elwood said. “You either get to be on the team, or you don’t.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department announced on a Tuesday evening social media post that it was looking for an at-risk man with dementia.

Police were looking for John Linder, 76, of Columbia. He was last seen around 6:15 p.m. in the 200 block of North Stadium Boulevard while driving a dark gray 2025 Jeep Cherokee.

Police wrote at 8:08 p.m. that they had found Linder.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has sent its proposed “A-F” grading system for school districts to the governor’s office.

A Tuesday release from DESE says this submission responds to an executive order signed in January. The release says DESE will give annual grades for districts, school and charter schools.

“The goal for the A–F school grading framework is to provide families and communities with a simple, comparable, and rigorous picture of school performance,” DESE Interim Commissioner of Education Stacey Preis is quoted in the release.

Kindergarten through eighth grade will have “student academic achievement, value-added growth, and growth toward proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA), literacy, mathematics, and science,” the release says. High school grades will include “student academic achievement and value-added growth in ELA, mathematics, and science, as well as Success Ready Graduate measures and four-year graduation rate,” the release says.  

EO 26-01 Response 2026-06-30_AOD_0Download

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Sutton Parker

COLUMBIA MO. (KMIZ)

The Salvation Army hosted its annual fan drive on Thursday, giving away 190 free fans to the public.

The group said the donation was a community effort, with partners at the Westlake ACE Hardware donating the fans to the Salvation Army for distribution. The drive comes as temperatures have started to rise across Mid-Missouri, with air temperatures remaining in the low-90s throughout the rest of this week and the heat index eclipsing 100 degrees.

Nancy Powers, a core officer with the Salvation Army, said the goal of Tuesday’s event was to be able to help people stay cool in the summer heat.

“What we are folks that maybe don’t have air conditioning or maybe can’t afford to turn on their air conditioning, really need in these hot, hot days some air moving around,” Powers said.

Powers noted for many residents, the fear of a high utility bill outweighs the discomfort of the heat.

“A lot of folks don’t dare turn air conditioning on because they just can’t cover that expense, or they may just have air conditioning in that one room,” Power said.

Powers added that Tuesday’s drive was critical, as utility and rent assistance are in high demand.

“Utility and rent assistants are iis in high demand, and most agencies are either out or running very low on these kinds of assistance,” she said.

Earlier this year, the City of Columbia ran out of its $800,000 assistance fund that goes to help people pay for their utility bills. While the city ran out, other organizations like the Central Missouri Community Action Group have other resources to help bridge the gap.

Specifically, the initiative provides struggling families with up to $300 per season to help with seasonal energy costs. Even with the extra money, Brooke Eskridge, the Director of Family & Community Services, said that it may not be enough to fully cover all expenses.

Eskridge added a growing number of people maxing out assistance funds, adding the group can only pay for people’s utility bills after all other expenses are paid off.

“We can’t pay any non-electrical charges, so people have to pay their trash and sewer, and then we can pledge on the electric portion of it. If that’s $310, then they have to pay the $10 before we can pay the $300,” she said.

When it comes to what other resources are available, Eskridge said that the CMCA also has a team of people who are ready to help.

“We have what are called public family success coaches here at CMCA, and those are individuals who can work closely with a family that is willing to sit down and go through their situation. Oftentimes when we call on their behalf, we can get a bit further,” she said.

Officials at the Salvation Army said if you are struggling to pay utility bills, the best way is to get ahead and reach out to the utility companies.

They add that companies are willing to put people on budgets or payment plans, adding that you should seek assistance early rather than wait for the bills to pile up.

Additionally, the Salvation Army says that all of their facilities operate as cooling centers for individuals who might not have air conditioning to come and cool down in their buildings.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri saw an increase in the turnover and vacancy rates for nurses in 2025, according to data provided by the Missouri Hospital Association.

A report shows the nursing turnover rate was at 18.9% in 2025, compared to 16.1% in 2024, bucking a four-year downward trend. The vacancy rate also increased 10.9% in 2025 compared to 10.1% in 2024. The vacancy rate also was seeing a downward trend the same four years.

Central Missouri has the highest turnover rate in the state for the registered nurse workforce at 28.8%. West Central Missouri is second with 22.1%, while the Northeast region is 21.1%. Mid-Missouri’s vacancy rate sits at 9.7%

Overall for the healthcare workforce, the state saw a 23.7% turnover rate, which is 1.5% higher than 2024. The vacancy rate sits at 10.1%, which increased from 9.7%.

26_Workforce_Report_FINALDownload

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Osage Beach’s Independence Day celebration has been postponed to July 11, the city announced in a Tuesday afternoon press release.

The city wrote that it has to reschedule its Heart of the Lake FreedomFest because “the City’s contracted pyrotechnics company was unable to fulfill its contractual obligation to provide the fireworks display on July 4th.”

Assistant City Administrator April White told ABC 17 News in an email that the company providing the fireworks – AM Pyrotechnics LLC from Buffalo, Missouri – “stopped communicating despite multiple efforts to reach them by phone, email, and text.”

The company allegedly confirmed on Tuesday they were not able to “execute the display.”

“We understand how much our residents and visitors have looked forward to this event and we sincerely apologize for the rescheduling inconvenience,” Parks and Recreation Manager Eric Gregory was quoted in the release. “Rather than canceling the celebration altogether, we felt it was important to reschedule so families can still enjoy an evening of community, entertainment, and a spectacular fireworks display celebrating our nation’s 250th year!”

The festival will take place from 3-9 p.m. July 11 at Osage Beach City Park, with a fireworks display starting at 9 p.m., the release says.

Two weeks ago, the city had announced that it was canceling the parade it had scheduled because of “feedback from the affected businesses and careful consideration of potential impact during this busy weekend in our community,” previous reporting shows.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

With the new fiscal year set to start on Wednesday, Gov. Mike Kehoe on Tuesday signed a fiscal 2027 state budget of about $50 billion, while vetoing or restricting about half a billion dollars in funding, including money for major local projects.

Among those projects are the University of Missouri’s Energy Innovation Center and a new campus agriculture center. Kehoe decided to restrict $2 million meant for the innovation center and $5 million meant for the ag center. That money could be spent later if state finances improve.

Overall restrictions totaled about $441 million.

FY 27 VetoesDownload

Kehoe’s actions align with priorities he first outlined in January, when he called for significant spending restraint as Missouri faces what his administration described as a long-term structural budget imbalance.

His proposed fiscal year 2027 budget cuts roughly $600 million from the state’s core operating budget compared with the prior year. It aimed to reduce overall spending from $55.1 billion to $54.5 billion while returning state finances closer to pre-pandemic spending levels.

State officials have pointed to shrinking reserves, the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief dollars and years of spending growth as reasons for tighter budget controls.

At the same time, Kehoe preserved funding in areas his administration identified as top priorities. The budget includes about $2 billion for public safety initiatives, including Missouri Blue Shield grants, Operation Relentless Pursuit and law enforcement scholarships; $338 million for economic development and workforce programs; $59.4 million for agriculture investments; $9.8 billion for education, and $24.8 billion for healthcare and Medicaid-related services.

Kehoe has repeatedly warned about too much spending by the General Assembly, and echoed that sentiment in a statement released Tuesday.

“State government doesn’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem, and continuing to spend faster than we grow our economy is not a sustainable path forward,” Kehoe said in a news release. “Our work doesn’t end with balancing this year’s budget. By maintaining fiscal discipline and continuing to grow Missouri’s economy, we are building the foundation for an even more strong and resilient Missouri.”

The budget included using $179 million in one-time funding to pay for ongoing costs, Kehoe’s office stated in the release.

Kehoe vetoed 65 line items worth more than $52 million in revenue. That money included $250,000 for Mid-Missouri-based Coyote Hill Foster Ministries and $500,000 for Powerhouse Columbia, both budgeted through the Department of Social Services.

Another $250,000 was voted for substance abuse and mental health treatment courts.

The governor vetoed $500,000 for a security grant program for nonprofit organizations. Joran Kadosh, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League Heartland, said in a prepared statement that such funding was critical right now.

“At a time when hate-fueled threats and violence continue to target Jewish institutions and many other faith-based and community organizations, investments in nonprofit security are not optional—they are essential,” Kadosh wrote. “We are disappointed that funding for Missouri’s nonprofit security grant program was vetoed. These grants would have provided houses of worship, schools, and community organizations with critical resources to strengthen their security and help protect the people they serve.”

Restrictions total about $441 million.

FY 27 July 1 RestrictionsDownload

Kehoe preserved $15 million for Jefferson City’s downtown conference center project. City leaders praised the action, and Mayor Ron Fitzwater emphasized in a prepared statement that the conference center will leverage the city’s status as the state capital to attract visitors and business.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

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Ryan Shiner

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two men from Columbia were run over by a vehicle on Monday at the intersection of Idlewood Drive and Route C in Jefferson City, according to a crash report from the Jefferson City Police Department that was sent to media on Tuesday.

Police later on Tuesday said the driver, a 43-year-old woman, was in custody on suspicion of two counts of leaving the scene of a crash, failure to register a vehicle and driving without insurance..

Jesus Contreras, 32, and Roberto Gutierrez, 26, were injured in the crash, the report says. JCPD Lt. Curtis Finke clarified the men had moderate injuries.

The report says JCPD was called at 10:49 a.m. Monday for a hit-and-run crash that involved a Lincoln MKC. Both men were brought to an area hospital.

Police then posted a video to its social media showing the crash. The video shows two people walking in the intersection and seemingly stop as a vehicle turns and hits them.

Both men were flown off the hood of the vehicle and the vehicle appears to stop as the men are outside of both sides of the vehicle, the video shows. The vehicle is then seen driving away.

Finke told ABC 17 News that the driver of the vehicle is in custody.

Check back for updates.  

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