Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Board of Education member Jeanne Snodgrass resigned from her position during Monday’s meeting.

She wasn’t at the meeting in person, but the board read her letter of resignation.

Snodgrass submitted the letter dated July 9 saying that she is moving next month “and will no longer live within the eligible boundaries.”

At Monday’s board of education meeting, members said they will put an application online for any members of the public who want to apply.The board will then review the applications and have an open meeting to discuss applicants.

At a later date, the board will invite up to give applicants to a meeting to ask questions, at which point the board will vote on a candidate.

Snodgrass’ replacement will serve the remainder of her term, or about one year. The board said they don’t expect to have anyone sworn in by the start of the fall semester.

Snodgrass was first elected to her role in 2021 and won a reelection bid in 2024. Her term was set to end next years.

“It has been a true privilege to be part of the work this board has done for over five years in supporting and advocating for public education generally and our Columbia public schools specifically,” her resignation letter states. “I am proud of the many accomplishments of the students, teachers, and staff of our district. Columbia is a community that cares about education and I leave knowing that the other current board members share a commitment to helping every child in our district succeed.”

Board Delays Moving Forward With Bullying Policy Updates

The Columbia Board of Education also delayed action on proposed changes to the district’s anti-bullying policy, saying it wants more feedback from the community before moving forward.

Board members were expected to discuss revisions to the policy Monday night, but instead opted to postpone the discussion until their next meeting after saying most of the feedback received so far has come from district staff and administrators.

“Optimally, we’d love to have more feedback from the community and not just parents. I mean, we’re supposed to be getting it from students, administrators and staff in general. We’ve gotten it from administrators and staff. We haven’t really gotten a lot of input from the community. We always want feedback from the community for our policies,” Board Vice President Paul Harper told ABC 17 News.

The proposed revisions would shift the district’s approach from primarily requiring staff to report bullying incidents to also expecting employees, substitutes, volunteers and educational contractors who work directly with students to intervene when appropriate, assist the student being bullied and then report the incident to a building principal or designee.

The draft policy also expands victim support by requiring schools to provide supportive measures during investigations, including possible safety plans, counseling, schedule changes and no-contact agreements. The proposal also directs schools to move the alleged perpetrator rather than the victim when students must be separated.

Other proposed changes would clarify when the district can respond to off-campus cyberbullying, continue accepting online bullying reports year-round and require written investigation findings to be shared with families after an investigation is completed.

Harper said the revisions are intended to make the policy easier for families and staff to understand while ensuring students receive appropriate support.

“To put it simply, the bully policy needed to be updated. We needed to ensure that the process was better known to all of our families and to our staff. So really the goal is to make it readable, to make it a process that everybody understands and also that supports some of our students when they are in these situations, both for the student who has been bullied as well as the bully themselves because we’re an educational entity.”

Harper said the board will review any additional public feedback, determine whether changes should be made to the draft and hopes to bring the policy back for approval in August or September.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City is seeing a sizable difference in the money collected from parking enforcement after changing the rates for metered parking fines earlier this year.

Previous reporting shows the city issued 4,674 expired meter citations between Jan. 6-June 30 this year, compared with 3,963 during the same period in 2025. 

From Jan. 6- June 30 this year, $94,016.40 has been collected from parking tickets, records obtained by ABC 17 News show. The total during that same period in 2025 was $37,794.50, marking a 148.75% increase.

The increase comes after Jefferson City contracted with PCI Municipal Services LLC to provide parking management and enforcement at the beginning of the year. The City Council also increased the fine for expired meters from $6 to $25.

Previous reporting shows ticket totals were higher early in the year before gradually declining each month. The city issued 998 expired meter tickets in January; 1,020 in February; 840 in March; 696 in April; 635 in May and 485 in June.

During the same months in 2025, the city issued 182 tickets in January; 639 in February; 1,110 in March; 889 in April; 546 in May and 597 in June.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missourians have been mostly spared from the diarrhea-causing illness contracted by eating contaminated produce or water.

Currently, the Department of Health and Senior Services has reported 43 cases since this time last year, and data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control show Missouri with zero reported cases of cyclosporiasis since July 9. Cases reported in Missouri are believed to be connected to travel.

“I do want to note that, although we have cases in MO, none are expected (at this time) to be related to the outbreak causing national headlines. We have cases reported each year around this time, usually related to international travel,” Lisa Cox, spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said over email.

DHSS epidemiologist Nathan Koffarnus said the cases are being investigated further, and the CDC will update national data weekly.

“I think we also have to keep in mind that because we have some other states seeing really large outbreaks and numbers of cases, that could mean that we’ve got residents that have traveled to those states, so maybe they haven’t left the country, but they got exposed elsewhere in the United States,” Koffarnus said.

The CDC reports 843 confirmed cases in the U.S. since May 1, with Michigan having the highest count, and 86 people have been hospitalized.

“CDC is aware that states are likely to report higher case counts of cyclosporiasis than reflected in CDC data and is working closely with states to update numbers as additional cases are confirmed,” the tracking map of the illness on the CDC’s website reads.

The Columbia/Boone County Health Department told ABC 17 News there were four cases reported in 2026. Spokesperson Austin Krohn said those cases are travel-related and not connected to the national outbreak.

Boone County saw 10 cases in 2023, which had the most cases within the past five years, with 2024 following with eight cases. No cyclosporiasis cases were reported in the county last year.

MU Health Care Dr. Christopher Sampson said he’s treated some patients from the Mid-Missouri area over the weekend, but couldn’t give a specific number.

Sampson said the symptoms of diarrhea can last weeks, unlike food poisoning.

“The biggest danger is really dehydration, so if you’re having large quantities of diarrhea, you can lose a lot of water and get dehydrated,” Sampson said. “Most people, thankfully, are able to be discharged home after treatment.”

Cases are likely underreported, especially if people are infected but don’t receive medical treatment, according to the CDC.

The CDC said cyclosporiasis is typically seasonal, with cases increasing between May and August, typically because people are traveling abroad or, in this case, imported fruits and vegetables are contaminated. Previously, outbreaks have been linked to basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries and snow peas.

The best prevention is hand washing and washing produce.

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Ryan Shiner

Timothy Morris/Phelps County Jail

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A St. James man was charged on Monday in Phelps County with seven counts of possessing child sex abuse materials.

Timothy Morris, 41, is being held at the Phelps County Jail without bond. He applied for a public defender on Monday. A hearing has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says law enforcement received a cyber tip on June 18 about a Yahoo account having more than 300 files of child sex abuse materials.

A warrant was served at Morris’ home on July 10 and he allegedly admitted to owning the Yahoo account and that he “collected” child sex abuse files for several years, court documents allege. An initial search by police found at least eight files containing child sex abuse.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A four-day trial has been scheduled for next spring for a woman who was charged with felony murder in connection with an officer-involved shooting.

Lois Armour, 79, of Paris, Missouri, was charged last year with felony murder and hindering a felony prosecution after she was accused of harboring a man wanted in a Ralls County homicide investigation who was eventually killed in a shootout with law enforcement. Armour is being held at the Randolph County Jail.

Armour has a trial scheduled to begin 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 2, 2027. A pretrial conference has been scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2027.

Another woman, Patty Armour, is also charged in the case with felony murder and hindering a felony prosecution. Her two-day trial is scheduled to begin 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23. A pretrial conference is set for 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5.  

Court documents in previous reporting say law enforcement went to the Armour residence in October 2025 in search of Charles Armour. The women allegedly claimed Charles Armour was not at the residence.

Officers were given permission to search the home and found Charles Armour in a bathroom with a handgun, the statement says. He then allegedly fired at the responding officers and hit a Randolph County deputy. Charles Armour, 57, was killed by return fire and identified by law enforcement as a person of interest in a Ralls County homicide investigation.

Charles Armour is accused of killing Jonathan Floyd, 55, of Perry, Missouri.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Camden County prosecutor on Monday filed a motion to revoke the bond of an Osage Beach alderman after he allegedly failed a drug test.

John Robert “Bob” O’Steen, 60, who represents the city’s first ward, was charged in May with delivery of a controlled substance, two counts of drug possession and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. He posted a $250,000 bond on May 13.

Court documents in previous reporting say O’Steen tried to buy two “8-balls” of cocaine for $500 from an undercover law enforcement officer on Tuesday. Law enforcement served a warrant at O’Steen’s residence and found drugs and nine guns, the statement says.

Prosecutor Richelle Grosvenor’s motion on Monday claimed that O’Steen violated the conditions of his bond after a urinalysis on June 29 determined O’Steen tested positive benzoylecgonine, which is a metabolite of cocaine.

O’Steen’s attorney Travis Noble denied the claims in a message to ABC 17 News on Monday.

“We deny any drug use and are complying with all conditions of bond,” the message reads.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.

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Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Task Force 1 on Monday completed its four-day deployment in Reynolds and Iron counties to respond to and help with the historic flooding in southern Missouri.

The task force was originally placed as a type 3 resource, meaning only half the team was deployed, but after seeing the severity of the flood, it was upgraded to a Type 1, deploying more than 80 members, according to technical information specialist Ryan Benedict.

Benedict said that flooding is an extremely dangerous situation, and it only takes roughly 6-7 inches of water to move a large vehicle, so what made this event so historic and catastrophic was how rapidly the water was moving.

“They talk about how it’s historic because things like this don’t happen very often,” Benedict said. “And when water comes up like that in just a short amount of time, it carries away anything in its path.”

According to a press release from the Boone County Fire Protection District, search operations were conducted throughout each day to search through flooded homes, campers and vehicles.

Benedict said the task force searched more than 100 buildings, 90 campers and 120 vehicles.

The deployment included a Disaster Situational Assessment and Reconnaissance team, which provided aerial surveillance, disaster mapping, and critical intelligence to communicate with responders, according to the press release. Because of this, the Task Force covered more than 2,000 acres and collected over 6,000 visual aids to support the response operations.

Benedict said the DSAR team was a big part of their mission and was crucial to finding and rescuing residents. He said the DSAR team was sent to fly missions early to navigate where the task force should go.

“He was there flying missions at 10 a.m., which was absolutely critical in the decision-making process that led into the rescue of the campers and counselors,” Benedict said. “The folks that they were going to rescue were in very much trouble. And it was important to get to them quickly.”

Missouri Task Force 1 arrived at the Boone County Fire Protection District Headquarters around 3:15 p.m. Monday.

Once the force arrives, they will begin the disbandment and return the equipment so it’s ready for future deployments.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Voluntary Action Center’s Opportunity Campus in Columbia officially opened the doors to its overnight shelter Monday to support people experiencing hardship and homelessness.

“I would not be at all surprised if we reached 150 overnight guests tonight,” Voluntary Action Center Executive Director Ed Stansberry said.

The 30,000-plus-square-foot facility, capable of serving over 7,000 people a year, is located in the 1300 block of Bowling Street. Construction on the $18.6 million facility began in February 2024 and part of the Opportunity Campus opened its doors as an overnight cooling center earlier this month.

“New Day, formerly Turning Point, just today started their third week of day services here,” Stansberry said. “A week ago today, Loaves and Fishes came down and started providing meal services. So the third component is the overnight shelter.”

The campus includes 150 beds, an overflow bed area with private rooms for sick individuals, a commercial kitchen and dining room area, showers and more.

“The day shelter’s had somewhere between 80 and probably 120 [visitors],” Stansberry said. “Our unsheltered neighbors have been kind of shower starved. And one of the things we designed in here was a significant amount of showers.”

The day center has been reporting about 40 showers a day, according to Stansberry.

The overnight Waypoint Shelter will now open doors to more people. It can divide up sleeping spaces for veterans, visitors with sensory issues, pet owners, etc.

While most shelters in Missouri don’t allow pets, the Opportunity Campus offers a veterinary exam area, a pet washing station, indoor/outdoor kennel runs, and more for those with pets.

“If they can’t take their fur baby, they’re not going to come. So that’s an additional group that we’ve eliminated a barrier for,” Stansberry said.

People will also have access to an on-site medical center run by Centerstone, mail delivery, laundry services, computer access and secure storage spaces.

According to Columbia’s 2025 State of Homelessness Report, 309 people experienced homelessness last year. The city’s homeless population has hovered around the 300 mark for at least three years, with 323 reported in 2024 and 270 in 2023. The report was not done during the pandemic from 2020-22.

Opportunity Campus leadership and Ward 3 Columbia City Council Member Jacque Sample believe the facility can truly transform the homeless community in the city.

“To me, success is going to be seeing the number of unhoused persons in our community decrease,” Sample said. “I think with the consolidation of these services in one place, it’s going to be a much more organized effort.”

Stanberry previously told ABC 17 News that about 30 nonprofits and organizations will be offering resources at the campus. Having a centralized location to get help, he said, is something the city hasn’t tried before.

“Communities that are most successful at addressing homelessness are those that have radical collaboration between the nonprofits in those communities,” Stansberry said.

Visitors will also work with “case managers” during their time at the Opportunity Campus.

“Case managers will begin to form relationships, and already have with our unsheltered neighbors, to make sure that we are getting them the services they need and then not duplicating those services across other nonprofits in the community,” Stansberry said.

Half an hour before the overnight shelter opened at 6:30 p.m., an ABC 17 News crew saw a line of about 20 out the door. A shuttle was also seen bringing people to the campus.

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Sutton Parker

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to show the “cuts” are suggestions based on proposals submitted by each department at the start of the process.

COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia is proposing cuts in its fiscal year 2027 budget due to a $7.37 million general fund deficit.

City documents report the city is operating on a “status quo” baseline, with the city manager’s looking at internal changes across multiple departments to guarantee a balanced budget.

During the initial draft of Columbia’s fiscal year budget, the department’s requests for continuing operations and new funding items outpaced expected revenues.

To meet mandatory balancing requirements before council consideration, the city manager and department directors held internal meetings to implement suggestions to reduce the proposed deficit.

The Columbia Police Department budget is facing almost $2 million from its proposed amount.

To capture more savings, the city will freeze hiring on eight vacant full-time positions, which would also delay the hiring of two requested Real-Time Information Center positions for CPD. Additionally, CPD will have to defer the replacement of its drone fleet.

The city manager cut $1 million in budget suggestions from the Columbia Fire Department.

Excluded from any projected revenue is a proposed 1% public safety sales tax, which awaits the August election

If approved, the city said that the tax is projected to generate an additional $38 million in funding annually for fire and police.

The funds would go to the building of a new police headquarters and the hiring of additional firefighters and police officers.

Outside of the public safety cuts, the city is also proposing the reduction of Utility Assistance Funding. Reducing the funding from $600,000 to $400,000 in 2027.

ABC 17 reached out to the Columbia City Council and the City Manager’s office and has not heard back.

Monday’s work session starts at 3 p.m.

 

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two women were seriously injured in a crash on Highway 50 in Gasconade County on Saturday night, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

A 29-year-old Union man driving a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek was stopped on the road facing west, the report says. A 1999 Ford Ranger driven by a 25-year-old Hermann man was headed west and rear-ended the stopped vehicle around 8:30 p.m.

Two passengers in the Subaru— a 25-year-old Union woman and a 29-year-old woman from Washington state— were seriously hurt in the crash. The report says both were taken by ambulance to Mercy Washington Hospital.

Both vehicles were totaled. All drivers and passengers involved were wearing seatbelts, according to the report. Neither driver was reported to be injured.

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