Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 35-year-old man suffered moderate injuries after a boat exploded and sank at the Lake of the Ozarks on Friday.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol report indicates a 1986 Wellcraft Cabin Cruiser exploded after the driver – a 70-year-old St. Joseph man – started the motor. The 35-year-old man from St. Joseph was brought to Lake Regional Hospital by ambulance, the report says.

A press release from the Mid-County Fire Protection District says that first responders were called to the 5-65 Marina off of Twin Rivers Point Road in the Greenview area. People in the area initially pushed the boat away from the dock so damage wouldn’t occur to the dock or other boats, the release says.

The fire was brought under control in minutes, but the boat sank in about 40 feet of water, the release says. A fireboat marked the GPS coordinates where the boat sank for a salvage company, the release says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Southern Boone School District is considering a schedule change for the 2026-27 school year.

The district said in a Friday press release that it is considering changing its school week to four days. The release cites teacher recruitment and retention and enhancing student engagement for possible reasons. No changes will be made for the upcoming school year.

“We know how hard our educators and staff work, and we are committed to supporting them,” Superintendent Tim Roth said in the release. “Exploring a four-day school week is about recognizing the challenges of today’s educational environment and being proactive in finding ways to support our team while continuing to prioritize student learning.”

The release says that it is creating surveys for parents and staff to gain their input. The district will also host presentations and forums in the coming months.

If a change does occur, the Board of Education will make the decision during a vote, the release says.

For questions or to share feedback, community members may contact the district by sending an email to communications@sbschools.us.

Click here to follow the original article.

Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Renovations planned for the Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center are aimed to improve accessibility and enhance the experience for families, according to city officials.

City officials on Friday afternoon held a public input meeting at the pool and will be accepting input online through July 24.

Proposed renovations at the Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center include upgrades to the plumbing and mechanical systems, the addition of an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant zero-depth entry pool, new water features, expanded shade structures and updates to the diving boards and ADA pool chair lift.

The project has a budget of $4 million, with construction expected to begin in the fall and completion targeted for next summer.

The Parks and Recreation Park Services Manager Mitchell Dooley said ADA improvements are a key focus of the renovation.

“It improves accessibility and makes it easier to get into the water, particularly for kids and those with disabilities,” Dooley said.

Joy Sweeney, who is the CEO of Woodhaven — an organization that advocates for individuals with disabilities — told ABC 17 News in a statement the group strongly supports the city’s efforts to improve the pool.

Residents who showed up to the meeting were supportive of the changes.

“I think it’s great. Anything that makes it more accessible to the handicapped or people that have needs, even like myself, I think would benefit from it,” Columbia resident Christine Watermon said.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A portion of Business Loop 70 in Columbia will experience a traffic shift on July 3, according to a press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Release says crews working on the Improve I-70 Project will divert westbound traffic – near Eastland Circle and Hinkson Creek – to the center lane. The release says there will be no turn lane during the traffic shift.

The release says crews are preparing to build a new roundabout that will connect Business Loop 70 to Interstate 70.  

A date for the end of that portion of road work was not announced in the release.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A second man has been accused of stealing Mizzou football merchandise and gear from an athletic facility in March.

Victor Decunha, of Columbia, was charged on Friday with first-degree burglary and second-degree burglary. He is not listed on the Boone County Jail roster and a $50,000 bond was set.

He and Jace McKernan were accused of going into the Mizzou Football South End Zone Facility several times from March 2-25 with “other unidentified individuals.” They allegedly took boxes of Mizzou football athletic gear, clothing, alcohol, paintings and other items.

McKernan was also charged with first-degree and second-degree burglary and posted a $5,000 bond on April 1. An arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. June 30.

Court documents say McKernan listed the name “Victor” as an associate and Decunha was identified through “several anonymous persons with ties to Rock Bridge High School.” A school resource officer was also able to identify him and gave a cellphone number to police, the statement says.

Decunha was also allegedly seen in a Facebook profile picture with McKernan when he tried selling the stolen items on Facebook Marketplace, the statement says. Decunha’s cellphone number was also identified by police during a text exchange with McKernan in which they discussed the heist, court documents say.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia woman was charged on Friday after police say they found her with 17 pounds of methamphetamine.

Asia Schafer, 23, was charged with first-degree drug trafficking. She is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says that a Columbia police officer was monitoring traffic around 1:30 p.m. Thursday when a Tesla Cybertruck with dark windows was seen heading eastbound on Interstate 70 near the Stadium Boulevard exit. The statement says the tint in the windows was too dark and tested at 11% light transmittance, with state law requiring 35%.

The officer pulled over the vehicle at Broadway and Keene Street, the statement says. Schafer allegedly told police that she was coming from the park for lunch, but the officer wrote that he “had prior knowledge that the vehicle was coming from Kansas City and Schafer was lying.” She eventually stated she came from Kansas City, the statement says.

A K-9 was used and drugs were found. Law enforcement found about 17 pounds of methamphetamine in a diaper bag.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was charged with three felonies after he allegedly shot at a woman in a home and yard on Thursday.

Cody Gore, 29, was charged on Friday with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

An initial court appearance was held on Friday afternoon and Gore appeared by video from the jail. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, July 3; while a preliminary hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 22.

According to the probable cause statement, police were called on Thursday to a residence on Bonny Linn Drive for a report of gunshots and a woman screaming. Police saw the victim run behind a home and Gore in the driver’s seat of a vehicle, the statement says.

Police found a gun in the car that was still hot, along with a magazine that could hold six rounds with one left, the statement says. Police wrote that three shell casings were found in the front yard and two more, along with new bullet holes were seen in a room in the home.

The victim allegedly told police that she woke up Gore, he started yelling and an argument ensued, the statement says. Both people fell and Gore allegedly threatened to kill the victim before firing shots, the statement says.

Gore allegedly told police that an argument started and initially denied firing shots or assaulting the victim, before saying he fired shots, the statement says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Monroe County woman was taken to University Hospital with serious injuries after a crash that closed a lane of a Boone County highway Friday.

The 39-year-old woman was riding in an SUV when a compact car tried to make a U-turn on Highway 763 near Prathersville Road. The SUV hit the car as the car tried to make the turn, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The 69-year-old SUV driver had minor injuries and was taken by private vehicle to Moberly Regional Medical Center. The driver of the car that tried the U-turn refused medical attention, the report states.

The SUV passenger was not wearing a seat belt, the report states.

The crash led authorities to close the southbound lane of Highway 763.

Boone County emergency dispatchers sent an alert to the public at about 2:15 p.m. warning about a collision at Highway 763 and Wagon Trail Road, just north of Prathersville. A second alert about an hour later said the road was fully reopened.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman charged with second-degree murder for the 2021 death of an 8-month-old girl has been arrested in Arkansas after being mistakenly released.

Jennifer A. Johnson, of Fayette, was arrested and jailed in Pulaski County, Arkansas, according to online court records. A Boone County prosecutor confirmed Johnson was in custody. An extradition order was filed Friday, according to court records.

An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson earlier this month after she was released on parole from a Missouri prison. Johnson was supposed to be turned over to Boone County custody to face trial for second-degree murder in the baby’s death but was not, said Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Roger Johnson.

“The defendant was in custody at the Boone County Jail on a warrant that had been issued in the original case. She was delivered at Department of Corrections,” Roger Johnson told ABC 17 News. “Department of Corrections let her out of custody with a ticket to go down to Arkansas. Once our assistant noticed that, she filed for a warrant to be issued, and we didn’t want to comment during the time that the warrant was out because our hope was that she would get located and taken into custody before she realized that there was a warrant.” 

A relative of Jennifer Johnson, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation from the victim’s family, said Johnson moved to Arkansas to live with her sister after being released from the Department of Corrections. According to the family member, that location was approved as part of her home plan because it aligned with the supervision of her assigned parole officer.

“The victim’s family, this has been a difficult week for them because they’ve been concerned about this issue,” Roger Johnson said. “We’ve been in communication with them  to let them know as well that she’s in custody.” 

Roger Johnson said this is the first time he’s seen something like this occur. 

“We’ve talked with officials from the Department of Corrections, and she really shouldn’t have been let out of custody because we have the pending case, and she was in custody on our warrant,” Roger Johnson said.  “We’re working with Department of Corrections and with the jail to make sure that we can address the issues that we had at Department of Corrections and make sure that doesn’t happen again.” 

Roger Johnson added that Missouri law requires the Department of Corrections to check for any outstanding warrants before releasing an individual from custody.

“We’ve talked to Department of Corrections, and they said they actually did that. They called the clerk’s office here, and they checked, and they weren’t able to locate a warrant. So it looks like they did the search that they were supposed to, but they didn’t identify that she should have also been in custody on our murder warrant,” Johnson said. 

Columbia police arrested Jennifer Johnson in April 2021, after being called to a home in the 1000 block of Elleta Boulevard in north Columbia. 

According to court documents, police were dispatched to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Columbia on the morning of April 18, 2021, where they were informed that an 8-month-old, Hannah Kent, who was under her care, had died. 

Jennifer Johnson allegedly told police that she last saw the infant alive at 2:15 a.m. after giving her a bottle, the probable cause statement says.

Jennifer Johnson was previously charged with two counts of assault in Howard County in 2019. The complaint in the case states she strangled and bit another woman.

Click here to follow the original article.