Category: kmiz-local-news

Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge is set to hear arguments Friday morning in a lawsuit against Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and multiple lawmakers over language used for the ballot question of eliminating state income tax.

Jill Owens from Kansas City, who is spearheading the lawsuit, claims that the ballot question violates a section of the Missouri Constitution because it amends multiple articles and “embraces more than one subject.

Friday’s bench trial on the lawsuit is set to begin at 9 a.m. in the Cole County Courthouse with Judge Chris Limbaugh.

Owens is seeking for the state to either get rid of the question or rewrite the ballot language, which currently reads:

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

Phase-out the individual income tax based on revenue growth;

Reduce personal property and other local taxes when local revenues increase;

Modify the sales and use tax to eliminate income tax and reduce local taxes; and

Protect local funding for public schools and other purposes?”

The Secretary of State’s office argues that eliminating Missouri’s state income tax has been done by other states such as Texas, Tennessee and Florida. It also argues that Owens provides no evidence that eliminating the state income tax would “increase levy in taxes” or “a direct expenditure of funds generated through taxation,” according to the state respondent’s pretrial brief.

Last week, Gov. Mike Kehoe chose to put the measure on the August ballot instead of the November general election ballot.

The measure would phase out income tax and create the legal power to place taxes on more goods and services. It would also require local governments to reduce property taxes to offset tax increases.

Local governments have already started putting sales tax increases on ballots, in part in anticipation of the measure becoming law, if approved. Columbia and Boone County each plan to seek public safety sales taxes in August.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman accused of killing a Jefferson City child in 2018 pleaded guilty Friday in a Cole County courtroom. 

Quatavia Givens pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, child abuse, and abandoning a corpse in the death of 4-year-old Darnell Gray. She had been charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and abandoning a corpse in relation to the death.

The agreement included a life prison sentence for murder, 15 years for child abuse, and four years for abandoning a corpse, to be served concurrently.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson says that under the agreement, Givens will be eligible for parole. 

“It is an 85% offense in Missouri, basically at 30 years,” Thompson said.  “That is what they calculate, a life sentence, so to speak, to be in Missouri.  They will have the option, though, to keep her beyond that.” 

Before opting to withdraw her not guilty plea, Givens was scheduled to go on trial in Pulaksi County on July 23. 

Givens was deemed mentally competent to stand trial last year after initially being found unable to assist in her defense in August 2023. 

After being read her rights on Friday, Givens told the judge she was taking medication from the state hospital but was in a clear state of mind and understood and admitted to the charges.

“I think that there were a few unique circumstances that kind of caused us to get to where we are here today. For one thing, it took a significant amount of time for the autopsy report to come back, took close to a year, which is highly unusual,” Thompson said. “That obviously caused a delay in the case, and then the finding of incompetence to proceed a couple of years ago, and then the delay in Miss Givens getting to the Department of Mental Health. That put the case at a standstill for some time.” 

When asked why it took so long to get the autopsy report, Thompson said that the examiner wanted to do studies on Gray’s brain to check for neurological damage and that they would not send him a complete report until they got the results back. However, Thompson said that it was the longest he has ever had to wait to see an autopsy in his career.  

Several of Gray’s family members and community members who helped search for him attended the sentencing, many holding back tears as Givens was sentenced.

“This case represents one of the most painful tragedies our community has faced and the loss of an innocent child whose life was taken far too soon,” Thompson said. “But in the days, months and years since Darnell’s death, Jefferson City has also shown what it means to care for one another,  to stand with a grieving family,  and to speak for a child who could no longer speak for himself.” 

Members of Gray’s family politely declined a request for an interview, but Thompson said the family felt “a sense of relief that this is done.” 

Court documents say Givens allegedly struck and smothered Gray, resulting in his death. Gray’s body was found in the 2100 block of Louis Circle after several days of searching, involving police and volunteers. Givens, who was caring for the boy at the time, initially told police he was missing, according to court documents.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man was arrested on Thursday in connection with an April 26 shots-fired scene on Vandiver Drive in Columbia, according to a social media post from the Columbia Police Department.

D’Monte Lee, 19, was arrested by Jefferson City police on suspicion of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. His information did not appear on the Boone County Jail’s online roster on Thursday night and charges have not yet appeared on Casenet.

No injuries were reported in that shots-fired call.

Columbia police wrote that Flock cameras and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network were used in the investigation.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City leaders are moving forward with proposed ordinances aimed at curbing illegal street takeovers and minibike use on public roads after being flooded with complaints from residents across the city. 

The Jefferson City Public Safety Committee discussed and approved the wording of the proposed ordinances on Thursday, though both measures still require approval from the City Council before taking effect.

One ordinance targeting minibikes would prohibit stunt driving and street takeovers within city limits, while another would ban minibikes from operating on public streets and establish new noise restrictions.

Jefferson City Police Chief Eric Wilde said complaints surrounding street takeovers have increased significantly in recent months.

“We generally see that pop up usually in the spring of every year. It’s just that this year it seems to be more prevalent. We’ve had a lot more complaints about it, so we’re looking to take proactive action to try to get that to stop,” Wilde said of street takeovers.

In 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 442 fatalities in crashes involving street racing or speeding on public roads. 

While Wilde said the city has not seen any major accidents tied to street takeovers, he described the activity as a growing nuisance and said the proposed ordinance is intended to prevent someone from eventually being seriously injured.

The proposed street takeover ordinance would prohibit activities including burnouts, donuts, drag racing, drifting, wheelies and racing on public streets and parking lots. The ordinance would also make it unlawful to participate in a street takeover event.

Violations would carry minimum fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense and $400 for a third or subsequent offense, along with additional penalties for repeat offenders. However the ordinance would not apply to sanctioned events approved by the city or property owners.

Wilde said the behavior has escalated over the last several years.

“The display driving that we’re seeing is more about dangerous driving in the form of wheelies on motorcycles, doing donuts with your cars, you know, burnouts, that sort of thing. So it’s just escalated a lot over the last couple of years, and it’s something that we’ve taken notice of. But our community has as well, and they’ve really sent some complaints our way,” Wilde said.

According to police, some of the activity has involved car “clubs” traveling into Jefferson City from outside the area. Officials also noted the ordinance would extend to parking lots because of concerns about vehicles losing control in crowded areas.

Ward 1 Councilman Randy Hoselton voiced support for the measure during the meeting.

“This is very needed,” Hoselton said. “It’s a shame we have to make a law to tell people don’t drive like a nut but here we are.”

Hoselton added he recently had his own encounter with group of drivers participating in a street takeover in Jefferson City.

“There are 20 of them just going down the access way. No regard. There was nowhere else for me to go but the My Time,” Hoselton said, adding that he got out of the way just in time.

The committee also approved the wording of a proposed minibike ordinance that would prohibit certain two-wheeled motorized vehicles from operating on city streets.

The ordinance defines minibikes as vehicles not registered for street use, including dirt bikes, pocket bikes, pit bikes, trail bikes and mini motorcycles.

Under the proposal, first-time offenders would face a minimum $75 fine, while subsequent violations would carry a minimum $150 fine. Police would also be authorized to tow or remove minibikes found operating illegally on public streets.

Wilde said the city has struggled to enforce existing rules because of the wide variety of minibikes currently on the market.

“A lot of citizens have been having issues with those just because of how prevalent they are right now. But it’s been a challenge because of the types of mini-bikes that are out there. They’re so varied. And so we want to make sure that everybody understands that if you buy one of these for your children, they are not street legal to do so. We just didn’t have a mechanism in place of the city to enforce it,” Wilde said.

City officials said they have received complaints about minibikes from residents in every ward of Jefferson City.

If the ordinances are ultimately approved by the City Council, Wilde said police plan to begin with an education campaign before issuing citations.

“We’d certainly like to utilize the first few months if this passes, to educate the public about the legality of it and also that it’s just unsafe to do so,” Wilde said. “We see a lot of children that are under the age of 16 that are driving these in the middle of the streets. And you can’t do that without a driver’s license because it’s just unsafe to do so.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Roughly 170 employees at Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson City will see a delayed payment for their overtime.

A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections said the affected employees can wait until June 15 to receive their payout or get a paper check this week that could have some additional income tax withheld.

“The issue that arose pertains to an annual mandatory payout of accumulated compensatory leave. Throughout the year, staff who work overtime can accumulate overtime hours and choose to be compensated in pay or in leave,” a Thursday statement from spokeswoman Karen Pojman says. “Once a year, the department issues a one-time mass payout of overtime balances. (Staff can choose to retain a balance of up to 80 hours by submitting a form to the worksite personnel office and/or may request to retain a balance exceeding 80 hours under special circumstances.) This one-time mass payout was scheduled to occur this week, with the payments showing up in the May 29 paycheck.”

Pojman wrote that a “clerical error led to a delay in providing the proper paperwork to the Office of Administration.” About 140 employees will receive their OT payment on June 15 and about 25 are picking up a check, Pojman said.

The difference in tax withholdings is the results of “standard tax regulations not a system penalty,” according to Office of Administration spokesman Shayne Martin.

“Running an expedited supplemental cycle requires adherence to IRS supplemental payroll guidelines, which dictate a flat federal withholding rate of 22 percent plus state taxes,” he wrote.

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Ryan Shiner

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

No foul play is suspected in the death of a trooper, according to a Thursday media release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office and MSHP are investigating the death of a trooper on Callaway County Road 395, which is just off of Highway 63 in an area north of Jefferson City.

The sheriff’s office received a 911 call at 2:55 p.m., the release says. There is no danger to the public.

Crime scene tape was seen at the scene by an ABC 17 News photographer.

Callaway County Death Investigation pic.twitter.com/7mWizXpw8J

— MSHP General HQ (@MSHPTrooperGHQ) May 28, 2026

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Drivers traveling through Columbia should prepare for major traffic changes this weekend as crews begin demolishing the Providence Road bridge over Interstate 70.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said starting at 9 p.m. Friday, crews will demolish the existing bridge. That work is expected to finish by 9 a.m. Sunday.

Traffic in both directions on I-70 will be reduced to one lane for about 36 hours, according to MoDOT. Drivers also will not be able to get on or off the interstate at Providence Road during the demolition.

At certain points during the process, traffic will be routed up and over the Exit 126 ramps before merging back onto I-70. The westbound ramp from Range Line Street onto I-70 also will be closed.

Once demolition and cleanup are completed Sunday morning, traffic on I-70 is expected to return to normal. However, drivers will still need to use detours for the estimated five months it will take to replace the overpass. During construction, the ramp from westbound I-70 to Providence Road will remain closed, while all other ramps are expected to stay open.

There also will be no way to cross over the interstate on Providence Road, including for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. MoDOT project director Spencer Robinson said officials chose this weekend to begin demolition because school is out of session, which is expected to help reduce traffic impacts.

Robinson said drivers can still use nearby exits to get around Columbia.

“The closely spaced Range Line interchange to the east and West Boulevard interchange to the west are both still open, except for the westbound on-ramp from Range Line,” Robinson said. “Drivers can utilize those to get in and out of Columbia, to both the north and south side of I-70.”

While the detour may only add a few extra minutes for drivers, pedestrians who rely on the bridge daily say the closure will have a bigger impact.

“It just affects me personally because I walk, I don’t have a car, so I’m a foot person,” Columbia resident Xavier Powell said.

Powell said he uses the bridge every day to get to work and access resources along Business Loop 70.

“It’s going to make my days longer and me more tiring and wear me out more,” Powell said.

MoDOT said the new bridge is being designed to better handle future traffic needs along I-70.

“The new overpass bridge will be longer to accommodate three lanes in each direction on I-70,” Robinson said. “It will also be raised to increase the vertical clearance for taller vehicles to pass underneath.”

The new bridge also will include sidewalks on both sides for pedestrians, lighting and additional design features aimed at improving safety and appearance.

Residents said those upgrades are needed.

“Yeah, I do say they need to add a little more safety to this bridge,” Powell said. “Like some more lights and stuff because I hate walking at night. It’s a little scary.”

A second bridge project on Providence Road is occurring a few miles south at Hinkson Creek. MoDOT is taking public comments on that project through June 11. It can begin as early as February 2027, according to MoDOT documents, but will likely start after spring graduations in 2027. That project is expected to be completed by December that year.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who pleaded guilty last year to a federal gun offense was sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday.

Lajuan Martin, 32, pleaded guilty on Nov. 17 to being a felony with a gun.

A press release from the Department of Justice says Martin was arrested by Columbia police on Oct. 16, 2025, for driving without a license. A gun and drugs were found on him when he was brought to the Columbia Police Department.

Martin has prior felony convictions and is not allowed to own a gun.  

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who pleaded guilty earlier year to a federal gun crime was sentenced to nearly five years in prison on Wednesday.

Gerrell Lawrence, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court on Feb. 3 to illegal gun possession.  He was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison.

A press release from the Department of Justice says he admitted to having a handgun on Oct. 1, 2025, in Columbia.

He is not allowed to possess guns because of a prior felony conviction, the release says.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State High School Activities Association is under scrutiny from the state and federal governments, as a discrimination lawsuit against the association progresses and a bill looking to change who has the final say on appeals sits on the governor’s desk.

The legal battle began when Cassville R-IV School District Superintendent Merlyn Johnson was denied the chance to run for an at-large position on the MSHSAA board in March 2025 after receiving an email from Executive Director Jennifer Rukstad.

“The current Board of Directors, after taking out members whose terms are up, has a majority of males,” MSHSAA Executive Director Jennifer Rukstad wrote in an email to Johnson. “Since you are a male, you do not meet this requirement. The ethnicity of the board has a majority of white, non-hispanic [sic] members. Without knowing your ethnicity or race, we ask you to respond with a minority ethnicity or race group in which you identify, if you applicable.”

In that email, Rukstad included the board policy that explains two at-large seats are reserved for members who represent a gender or ethnicity without a seat on the current board.

The board has eight members who represent districts throughout Missouri and two at-large seats.

Following that email, the Missouri state auditor opened an investigation into MSHSAA before getting Attorney General Catherine Hanaway involved. Hanway and Johnson filed a lawsuit about a year later, in February 2026, in federal court. The U.S. Department of Justice also filed to intervene in the case on Johnson’s side and was approved.

“It’s illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender or race. That’s clearly what they’re doing here, and that’s why we filed the lawsuit,” Hanaway told ABC 17 News.

In an interview with ABC 17 News, Rukstad said the at-large race and gender requirements were added in 2004 when the board of directors looked at the association as a whole and who it serves.

“[Board members] said our board seems to be representing only a portion of our membership. We’ve got to figure out a way to have people that can speak from a different perspective,” Rukstad said.

From when MSHSAA was founded in 1926 until the early 2000s, a woman had never served on the board, and a person of color hadn’t served in an elected position, Rukstad said.

Rukstad declined to comment on the lawsuit. However, MSHSAA’s attorneys filed court documents backing the policy.

“It prevents gaps in representation and helps ensure the Board reflects the diverse student population it serves by creating two more seats at the table (out of 10), not by removing or restricting access to existing ones,” the document reads.

Hanaway said her office wants MSHSAA to stop.

“If they would be willing to open those two at-large slots up to any qualified person, our lawsuit would go away,” she said.

MSHSAA’s attorneys have requested that the case be dismissed, claiming it was filed in the wrong court and that the state doesn’t have standing to sue, only Johnson. A federal judge will have to decide whether to continue in Missouri’s Eastern District, and a decision hasn’t been made.

MSHSAA has another hurdle in front of it.

A bill sitting on the governor’s desk could add what lawmakers have called an “interscholastic athletic oversight commission.” The governor-appointed commission would have five members who oversee appeals that have either exhausted MSHSAA’s appeals process or appeals that were made directly to the commission.

The MSHSAA board and the oversight commission would review appeals on student-athlete eligibility and in-game calls.

Senate Bill 863 was introduced by Sen. Jason Bean (R-Holcomb), who says the commission is intended to give students and families an independent voice.

“What people felt like is when they went through the appeals process through MSHSAA, that MSHSAA was making judgment calls on their officials,” Bean said.

The bill has changed a lot since it was first introduced at the beginning of the session, but Rukstad said she is happy with the final edition of the bill.

“If we can figure out ways to be as fair as possible, and if our state government wants to have some say in that, ultimately that’s not a bad thing,” Rukstad said.

She also said no government intervention would be ideal since MSHSAA is a private, nonprofit.

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