Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State Highway Patrol announced in a Tuesday press release that it is launching a new website for residents to report suspicious activity.

The release says showmeshield.gov, also known as Missouri: Show-Me Shielf, is replacing the SafeNation app.

The release says the website should be used to report “unusual items or situations they encounter, persons attempting to elicit information at a level beyond simple curiosity about a building’s purpose, operations, security procedures and/or personnel, when shift changes occur, etc.”

The patrol also announced the anti-bullying hotline can be accessed online at courage2reportmo.com or calling 1-866-748-7047. The previous Courage2Report app has been deactivated, the release says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An 81-year-old man died from injuries he suffered in a crash with a cement truck on Monday in Jefferson City, according to a Jefferson City Police Department crash report.

The report says officers responded at a two-vehicle crash at 9:22 a.m. near the intersection of Route C and Veith Drive.

The report claims the 81-year-old Jefferson City man drove his 2011 Chevrolet Silverado southbound through a red light when it was hit by the 2025 Kenworth. The cement truck was driven by a 60-year-old California, Missouri, man.

The 81-year-old man died overnight at University Hospital, police wrote. The crash remains under investigation.

The Kenworth driver wore a seatbelt and had no reported injuries. The vehicle had minor damage. It was not stated in the report if the Jefferson City man wore a seatbelt. The Chevrolet had severe damage.

Public JCPD reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

When Missouri voters approved legal sportsbetting in November 2024, Winning for Missouri Education, backed by millions of dollars from DraftKings and FanDuel, touted millions in new revenue for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The Missouri Gaming Commission initially estimated the state would collect more than $6 million in its first year of legalized sports betting for education, with that figure expected to climb to about $20 million annually throughout the following four years.

However, despite $3.213 million being transferred into the Missouri Education Fund during fiscal year 2026 — the first year of legalized sports betting — school districts say they do not expect to see an increase in their budgets as a result.

After $1.084 million was transferred to the Sports Wagering Education Fund on June 9, ABC 17 News reached out to several Mid-Missouri school districts to find out when they expected to receive the funding.

As of Aug. 13, a spokesperson for Southern Boone County R-I School District told ABC 17 News the district had not received any payments from the Missouri Education Fund.

Under the Missouri Constitution, sports betting operators are required to pay 10% of their monthly gross gaming revenue to the state for education. However, sportsbooks can deduct certain expenses, including player winnings, promotional wagers and federal taxes, before that tax is calculated.

In June alone, sportsbooks deducted $244.5 million for those expenses. But those deductions are not the primary reason school districts are not expecting to see additional funding.

According to DESE Chief Communications Officer Lucas Bond, lawmakers have already designated how sports wagering revenue will be used in the state’s budget.

House Bill 2, the state’s appropriations bill, includes $6.805 million from the Sports Wagering for Education Fund for the foundation formula, which provides funding to school districts. It also includes $1.2 million for career-readiness assessments and $400,000 to establish an online parent portal.

Bond said if sports wagering revenue continues to come into the state as projected, those appropriations will be funded. However, the money going toward the foundation formula will not result in a net increase for schools.

“It should be noted that the Sports Wagering Fund dollars appropriated to the foundation formula would be part of the regular distribution,” Bond said. “Since the foundation formula appropriation for FY27 is the same as for FY26, this would not represent a net increase in foundation formula money to schools.”

In other words, sports betting revenue can help fund existing education appropriations without necessarily increasing the total amount of money schools receive.

Columbia Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Heather McArthur said districts also do not receive a breakdown showing exactly where each dollar in their state payment originates.

“When districts receive the monthly payment from DESE, it just lists the various revenues (Basic Formula, Classroom Trust Fund, Proposition C, Transportation, etc.) on the payment transmittal,” McArthur told ABC 17 News in an email.

McArthur said gaming revenue earmarked for education is generally included in the Classroom Trust Fund line on district payment statements. However, those funds are currently being distributed based on the state’s original budget appropriation.

She said that could change later in the fiscal year as the state gets a clearer picture of total revenue and DESE makes additional distributions or withholdings.

The distinction is important because the campaign supporting the passed amendment repeatedly highlighted education as a major beneficiary of legalized sports betting.

The amendment’s passage did create a new source of state revenue dedicated to education, but the amount ultimately reaching schools and whether it represents additional funding depends on how lawmakers appropriate that money through the state budget.

For fiscal year 2027, at least some of that sports wagering revenue is already accounted for in existing appropriations rather than being added on top of the state’s foundation formula funding.

As a result, Missouri schools are not expecting to see a budget windfall simply because sports betting revenue is now flowing into the state’s education funds.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge ruled on Monday that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins was allowed to toss out signatures that were gathered on a petition before a certain date.

Judge Christopher Limbaugh’s ruling was in relation to one of the lawsuits over the ongoing showdown between the state and a group trying to fight the “Missouri First” congressional map that was put in place in 2025.

The group People Not Politicians began gathering signatures prior to Hoskins approving a petition for circulation. Hoskins had argued that those signatures before Oct. 15, 2025, would not count.

Court filings show that People Not Politicians filed a notice of appeal in the case on Tuesday in the Western District Court.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge heard arguments Tuesday afternoon on another initiative petition that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins determined was insufficient. Judge Daniel Green said he would have a decision on whether the initiative petition will go on the November ballot Wednesday.

The group Respect Missouri Voters submitted signatures for an initiative petition that, if approved, would make it harder for lawmakers to overturn citizen-led initiative petitions. It would require 80% of each chamber to change or pass laws to undo what citizens approved.

This stems from Amendment 4, which Missourians saw on the August ballot. Amendment 4 would have made it harder for initiative petitions to pass. That measure failed.

The Aug. 4 election was also the last day for Hoskins to approve or turn down initiative petitions, and he issued a certificate of insufficiency for the Respect Missouri Voters’ ballot measure and the initiative petition the group People Not Politicians turned in.

Both groups are now asking Cole County Judge Green to overturn the secretary’s decision before Sept. 8 — the last day to add ballot measures to the November ballot. Respect Missouri Voters has its first trial at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Along with a certificate of insufficiency from Hoskins, a legal opinion from Attorney General Catherine Hanaway was also attached. Hanaway argued that Respect Missouri Voters’ ballot language touches on too many topics. She said it deals with ballot title reform, initiative reform and alters powers that lawmakers have to pass laws and amend the constitution.

Respect Missouri Voters claims the initiative petition addresses only one subject: how citizens can pass laws through the initiative petition and referendum processes.

“The people are tired of the legislature immediately undoing things that the people just passed,” Hatfield said during a press conference after the trial. “That’s what this measure is about. It’s about enshrining into the constitution protections of the power of the people to write and change laws.”

Hoskins made changes to the ballot title first approved in May, on the chance that a judge required the measure to be put on the ballot.

The state argues, in pretrial briefings, that the original version of this initiative petition violates the republican form of government, as set forth in the U.S. Constitution, which requires citizens to rely on representatives to pass laws for them.

“It [the initiative petition] binds the hands of future voters and revokes the General Assembly’s power to legislate on — and the right of future voters to vote on — an untold number of subjects,” the court document argues.

Kathleen Hunker, an attorney with the AGO, reiterated a similar statement in court.

“The initiative petition damages the people’s ability to effect change. It imposes the will, again, of today’s and yesterday’s voters on the people of tomorrow,” Hunker said.  

However, in court documents filed by Respect Missouri Voters, the group argues the secretary’s sole job is to decide if the intiative petition falls within Missouri law.

“The Secretary is not empowered to reach beyond Section 116.120.1 and ask the Attorney General to present novel legal theories on which to base an insufficiency determination,” court documents read.

If either party appeals Green’s decision, it’s likely to go to the Western District Court of Appeals.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A boy was arrested Tuesday in connection with an assault that occurred Monday evening near City Hill Court, the Columbia Police Department announced in a Tuesday night social media post.

Police wrote the boy assaulted a woman on a walking trail at 6:40 p.m. Monday. The woman had minor injuries.

The boy was arrested on suspicion of fourth-degree assault on Tuesday, police wrote.

The victim and the boy did not know each other, according to police.  

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Housing Authority is working alongside its partner organizations and the Columbia Police Department to address “serious concerns” at its Kinney Point Housing.

The affordable housing complex finished moving its residents into 34 homes in January. It’s located at Garth Ave and Sexton Road in central Columbia, and cost a total of $13 million to be build.

In a letter posted on resident’s doors Tuesday morning from CHA, CEO Randy Cole identified “severe lease violations” that were being looked into. However, detail as to what those specific violations are or who the violator’s are was not provided.

In CHA’s lease addendum “B” for crime-free housing condemns tenants, any members of their households and any guests they may have from engaging in criminal acts on or off the leased property at any time.

Violations include: All violent criminal activity, drug-related crimes, sexual crimes – including prostitution, gun crimes, domestic crimes, stealing, gang activity, driving under the influence and animal abuse.

According to the document, a single violation can be deemed a “serious violation” and label the tenant as “non-compliant” with the lease. That can lead to eventual termination of that person’s lease.

Police have been called to the 800 block of North Garth Ave area, where Kinney Point is located, a number of times since Jan. 15 when it finished moving residents in.

Most recently, officers responded to the buildings for gunshots fired on Saturday.

Criminal charges were filed the day before on Friday tied to a different incident in the same complex. Court documents allege Dolijamar Baskett threatened to shoot a female and admitted to grabbing a BB gun from his vehicle. Baskett allegedly told police he only pointed his weapon at his neighbor out of fear she might have one.

On July 28, another big scene had the parking lot to the complex blocked off as officers were serving a warrant in connection with something that happened the previous weekend.

CPD Dispatch logs show no officers were called to Kinney Point in January. In February, officers were called to the 800 block of North Garth Ave for reports of “Larceny” on Feb. 14, a “Suspicious Car” on Feb. 19 and a ‘Disturbance’ on Feb. 28. CHA records show only one official report resulted.

The complex saw officers called out once in March for reports of “Vandalism” on March 27, but no reports resulted.

April saw officers being called out four times for reports of a “Disturbance.” A call for someone trespassing and a “Suspicious Incident” also brought police out, reports were filed all six times.

In May, CPD was dispatched for two reports of a ‘Disturbance’ and one report of a ‘Suspicious Vehicle’ with two reports being filed for that month.

June saw more calls for disturbances with officers being called to the buildings four times. Police were also alerted to a “Suspicious Incident” in the area and responded to a harassment call, but only two reports resulted from those incidents.

In July, dispatch logs show officers reported back at the Kinney Point address for reports of a “Disturbance” three different times and another harassment call. CHA data does not have how many reports resulted for incidents at Kinney Point yet for July or Aug.

Between Aug. 5-13 police were called again three more times to respond to a “Disturbance.”

Jessie Jones was at Kinney Point Tuesday visiting a friend. He lives nearby at Oak Towers and said he likes the area. Jones described living in Columbia for about 20 years.

“Well, you know, sometime people can act a clown, but I don’t be in it,” Jones said. “Me and my girlfriend when we come home we stay up in my apartment, look at the TV and go to sleep.”

Jones said he tries to avoid any trouble in the area.

Cole said CHA has expanded to four full-time safety employees as a part of agency-wide redevelopment effort that’s been in the works over the past five years. Cole said Kinney Point also has extensive security camera coverage which is assisting with ongoing enforcement efforts.

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Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The St. Charles Road bridge is set to open to traffic at 4 p.m. Friday, but the Missouri Department of Transportation says the bridge will not be open to pedestrians until mid-to-late September.

The bridge will open to cars while construction is still underway on the sidewalks. It has been under construction since mid-April and was first expected to open in late September.

Spencer Robinson, a project director for the Improve I-70 Project from Rocheport to Columbia, said Friday afternoon that crews were waiting on fencing they can install.

As for cyclists, Robinson said there is a shoulder on the bridge where they can ride, and that they can use the sidewalk once it’s open.

“There’s about a 3-foot shoulder or so on the side that bikes can use to get across, or they’re more than welcome to use the sidewalks once those are open as well,” Robinson said.

Sidewalks will be installed on both sides of the bridge.

Robinson said other Interstate 70 projects will have improved pedestrian connections.

“We will be upgrading all of those with construction and making wider, safer pedestrian connections across I-70 at all of those locations,” Robinson said.

These projects include:

Connector overpass

Paris Road overpass

Providence Road interchange

Stadium Boulevard

Midway interchange

Starting the morning of Aug. 24, MoDOT will close Clark Lane at the intersection with Hanover Boulevard for 60 days to build a roundabout and new pavement.

Robinson said that the city of Columbia came to MoDOT with extra grant money to add additional features to the roundabout that were not in the original project.

“Through a grant that they had, to add some additional width to the roadway and sidewalks, some additional sidewalks that we did not have in the original scope of the project,” said Robinson.

According to a report from Columbia Public Works, $10,520,310 has been agreed upon for the Clark Lane pedestrian, bicycle, capacity, and safety improvements initiative

“Improvements as part of the I-70 project include initial completion of a 10-foot shared-use path and a bicycle lane on the north side between Hanover and near Golden Bear and a two-lane roundabout with pedestrian accommodations at Hanover,” the report states.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia announced in a Friday press release that elevators at two downtown parking garages are out of service.

The elevator at the southwest corner of the Eighth and Walnut parking garage will be out of service for at least two months for maintenance and repairs, the release says. Residents should use the elevator in the southeast corner, according to the release.

Additionally, the elevator at the northwest corner of the Short Street Parking Garage will be out of service “for an indefinite period for maintenance and repairs,” the release says. Residents should use the elevator in the southwest part of the building, the release says.

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Melissa Houston

SEDALIA, Mo. (KMIZ).

The 2026 Missouri State Fair got underway Thursday, with the day’s events including celebrations of two major projects.

Fair officials held ribbon-cutting ceremonies of new additions to the fairgrounds, including the new Governor Michael L. Parson Arena and an upgraded State Fair Fire Station.

State officials and university leaders gathered at the 150,000-square-foot arena to launch the annual event. Notable figures in attendance included Gov. Mike Kehoe, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi, and Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway.

The new facility cost roughly $30 million dollars, according to Kehoe, and will be used as an all year round facility to host events like rodeos, livestock shows and sporting events.

Kehoe also mentioned the arena’s potential regional draw and said legislatures have already approved funding for the second phase of construction.

“The legislature has approved kind of a second phase for this,” Kehoe said. “It will include some stalling facilities and different things to be able to host those world-class shows.”

The arena was called a “world-class facility” by Kehoe, who also said other states want to create similar facilities in their fairgrounds.

Kehoe said this facility will really lean into its “multipurpose” title and have a diverse array of events hosted in it.

“This is for RV shows, this is for equipment shows, this is for livestock shows of all sorts,” Kehoe said. “So the multi-use part of this arena truly will be multi-use. It would be fantastic.”

The other ribbon-cutting ceremony happened not too far from the arena to open the official fair grounds fire station.

Officials described this station as the world’s first 11-day station because it will only be in use as a fire station during the fair.

State Fair Assistant Fire Chief Larry Eggen, who works full time with the Johnson County Fire Protection District, said all personnel in the facility are volunteers coming from other stations in Missouri.

With the volunteers coming from different parts of Missouri, they also bring equipment to supply the fair station with what they need.

“Our member agencies, fire departments, and ambulance districts supply us with their equipment, and they supply the supplies and things to use at the fair,” Eggen said.

Emergency personnel at the new station are equipped with six ambulances, three fire engines, two tankers, three squads, two command vehicles, and several utility vehicles patrolling the grounds.

On average, there are roughly 87 volunteers active per day throughout the fair. These volunteers stay in bunkers in the new station. There are seven bunk rooms located in the station, split by gender.

The station includes a first aid medical room to treat minor heat-related illnesses and other medical situations.

Eggen said that in the case of an emergency, if the first aid room is not fully equipped, there is a fully equipped medical care team located on the campgrounds ready for more serious medical emergencies.

The station is also a goof place for fair-goers to come if they need a break from the heat according to Eggen.

“We can seat over 100 people, so we get them in and have them get some drink, some water, or something. Just to cool down,” Eggen said. So it’s a good refuge from the hot weather, so it makes our job so much easier.”

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