Category: kmiz-local-news

Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

On Friday, Good Morning America will be stopping in St. Louis for its “50 States in 50 Weeks” tour, leading up to the 250th birthday of the United States of America.

Each week, a GMA anchor or correspondent will visit a new state, following the order in which they joined the United States. The tour kicked off in July and GMA has already visited many states including Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Georgia.

Ahead of the stop on Friday, ABC News correspondent Rhiannon Ally, sat down with ABC 17 News to discuss her ties to Missouri and recent trip to Fantastic Caverns in Springfield. Fun fact: Missouri features the only ride-through cave in the entire country. Ally spoke about her ties to the Kansas City area as well as what surprised her most about the Show-Me State. She said she’s excited to be at the Gateway Arch which is where GMA will be live on air on Friday.

Watch Good Morning America at 7 a.m. Friday on ABC 17 News to catch the crew in St. Louis.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 20-year-old man was arrested in east Columbia on Wednesday after authorities claimed he pointed a gun at two minors last month.

Lee Jones III, of Columbia, was charged on Thursday in Boone County with unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond and an initial court appearance was held on Thursday.

The probable cause statement says a SWAT team was used to serve a search warrant to Jones at his residence on Wednesday. Police spoke to the alleged victims on Dec. 11, where they claimed Jones pulled out a gun and pointed it at them on Nov. 23 after one of the victims allegedly told him to leave, court documents say.

One of the victims gave police a video, that allegedly showed one of the victims arguing with Jones about a vape product, the statement says. Jones then allegedly pointed a gun in the air before pointing it at the victim, police wrote in the statement. Victims reported seeing a laser from the gun through a peephole of the door, the statement says.

After Jones was detained, he admitted to being in the video when police presented it, the statement says. Jones allegedly told police that he did not think the victim was being serious when she told him to leave the residence until she picked up a knife, the statement says.

Jones allegedly told police that he went outside to wait for an Uber, but then started to get angry about the situation, the statement claims.

Court documents claim Jones told police that he pointed the gun at the victim “because she was taking a video of him and that he ‘played it off for the video.’”

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Safety and a strong learning environment is a top priority for Columbia Public Schools’ new Eagle Bluffs Elementary.

The district broke ground on the project in the spring of 2024 and remains on track to be completed by fall 2026.

The new two-story, $36 million facility will span 76,500 square feet and is located on 5400 S. Sinclair Road next to John Warner Elementary School. The new facility was approved by voters in two bond issue elections. One in 2018 to purchase land as part of the planning for John Warner Middle School and one in 2022 to construct the school.

The school offers six color-coded learning pods, each with its own unique theme and color scheme. The names for the pods includes Field, Lake, Cave, City, Prairie and Woodlands to go along with the Eagle Bluffs Conservation area. The emphasis on color throughout the building will allow students to have a collaborative learning environment.

“There’s been a lot of research that’s been done about color and clutter in school buildings and so our goal is to make a colorful building that can still remain clutter free,” Eagle Bluffs Elementary School Principal Sarah Sicht said. We’re building a place where the school is going to fit the kids instead of making kids fit a school. Lots of opportunities for collaboration, open space and integration.

Once complete, the school will accommodate up to 740 students and 140 staff members. Sicht is anticipating the school to open with about 400 students and up to 70 staff members.

All of the furniture in the building will be on wheels and casters, allowing easy furniture arrangements in order to fit the needs of students, Sicht said. The school will also include dedicated elective spaces for art and music learning.

The cafeteria area, Sicht said, was designed more like a secondary cafeteria. It offers bar-height tables and chairs along a window and there will be booths along a large wall. The tables will be interchangeable, allowing different shapes and different seating options.

Three playgrounds are also offered that are up to ADA standards.

The design of the building is not the first to be used for a school. According to Project Director Nichole Vonderhaar with Rinehart Wilson, a nearly identical school, Crestview Elementary, was built in north Kansas City.

“We actually have a prototype building that we can go and see and use what lessons were learned. A construction issue that they ran into that we can fix and make sure we do right on this one,” Vonderhaar said.

The school’s gymnasium was also designed to serve as a storm shelter.

“It’s a storm shelter for the school. So if there was an emergency situation, all the students would file into the gym. This is all precast concrete, so it’s like a food thick, so nothing’s coming through these walls. The doors are also rated to withstand certain level of wind speed and projectiles,” Vonderhaar said.

The building features numerous windows designed to bring in natural light while still maintaining safety measures throughout the building.

“The school will also have a secure vestibule with bullet resistant glass. We also have protocols in place where they have shades that if we go into a security situation where there would be somebody that got past the secure vestibule, all the students and teachers would file in their classrooms, get in a spot where they couldn’t be seen by the windows,” Vonderhaar said.

The school will also have the Raptor System that CPS has throughout all district buildings, that requires all guest to check in with a photo ID.

Sicht says she is thrilled to be a part of opening Eagle Bluffs Elementary School and hopes everyone feels a sense of “awe” when they enter the building.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman is in custody after a search was conducted by law enforcement after they issued an Amber Alert on Thursday afternoon.

The alert was canceled at 4:42 p.m. Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A spokesman Justin Ewing said troopers stopped the blue 2005 Lincoln Aviator and detained the woman. MSHP also confirmed in a follow-up alert that the children were found safe.

A social media post from MSHP says 24-year-old Joy Ariel Smith was with the children when they were found.

AMBER ALERT 2025-9 CANCELLED: CHILDREN HAVE BEEN LOCATED SAFE AND THE SUSPECT IS IN CUSTODY pic.twitter.com/OkEbYn72dB

— Missouri State Highway Patrol Alerts (@MSHPAlerts) December 18, 2025

A social media post from the Columbia Police Department, posted just before 11 p.m., states two children, 1 and 3 years old, were reported as kidnapped around 3:45 p.m. from the 1600 block of N. Providence Road. An Amber Alert was issued immediately, accoridng to the department.

Columbia police say MSHP located the car on I-70 near the Higginsville exit around 4:30 p.m. and got the children out of the car safely. Smith was arrested by CPD on charges of two counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count of first-degree tampering.

MSHP originally sent the Amber Alert at 4:18 p.m., looking for a Lincoln Aviator that was heading westbound on Interstate 70. The notification was sent out in the jurisdictions of MHSP’s Troop F – which covers much of Mid-Missouri – and Troop A, whose coverage area is in the western part of the state.

In Missouri, an Amber Alert is activated when the following happens:

Law enforcement officials have a reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred, which meets the definition in RSMo. 565.110 or 565.115.

Law enforcement officials believe there is a credible threat of serious bodily injury or death.

Enough descriptive information exists about the victim and the abductor for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert.

The victim of the abduction is a child age 17 years or younger.

The child’s name and other critical data elements – including the child abduction (CA) flag – have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.

According to online court records, Smith was charged with fourth-degree assault in November. She posted bond on Dec. 10. A probable cause statement says a victim told police that Smith’s biological son was placed with their mother by Children’s Division and that Smith did not have custody of the child.

Court documents claim someone tried to take the child back after it was placed in the car with Smith, which led to Smith allegedly shutting the door on the person and punching them. Smith told police that she did not touch the victim, court documents say.

AMBER ALERT 2025-9 WEA: COLUMBIA I-70 WESTBOUND BLUE 2005 LINCOLN AVIATOR MO PLATE GL7B2S Updates will be posted as they are known. Refresh this page or click the following link to ensure that you are viewing the latest alert information: https://t.co/UoXX3KdhG2

— Missouri State Highway Patrol Alerts (@MSHPAlerts) December 18, 2025

According to data from the Missouri Department of Public Safety, from Dec. 1, 2024, through Nov. 30, 2025, Missouri issued a total of eight AMBER Alerts for 11 children. All 11 children were found safe.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman accused of murder in the death of an 8-month-old girl in 2021 has been charged again.

Jennifer Johnson, 49, was charged with misdemeanor sexual abuse in Phelps County after she allegedly exposed herself to another inmate at the jail. She is currently being held without bond. She is charged with second-degree felony murder and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child in Boone County.

The probable cause statement says the inmate told authorities of the situation on Wednesday and video footage allegedly backed up their claim.

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 in previous reporting, 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.

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

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Rolla man was charged with first-degree rape and other charges in Phelps County on Thursday.

Ronald Rehm Jr., 49, was charged with first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sodomy and a count of third-degree domestic assault. He is being held at the Phelps County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says the victim was interviewed by police at a hospital on Tuesday after the assault allegedly occurred. The victim claimed they arrived at Rehm’s residence, where he was cooking before he started assaulting her, the statement says.

During the course of the sexual abuse, the victim allegedly said they needed to get a drink and ended up leaving the residence and going to the hospital, the statement says. She left several items behind, including clothing, the statement says.

A SWAT team was used to serve a search warrant that same day, but Rehm was not at the residence, the statement and a press release says. Police found the victim’s belongings at the residence, the statement says.

The victim was interviewed again the next day and reiterated the same story to law enforcement, but added that Rehm had also pulled out a gun after he was concerned the victim’s ex-boyfriend could show up, the statement says.

Rehm was eventually arrested at the Walmart at 500 South Bishop Ave., court documents say. Rehm allegedly admitted to hitting the victim, but alleged the sexual encounter was consensual before saying he grabbed a gun and threatened to kill the victim and her ex-boyfriend, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The death of a Jefferson City man in a commercial parking lot will result in no charges against his shooter, the Cole County prosecuting attorney said Thursday.

Prosecutor Locke Thompson said in a news release that no charges will be filed against Spencer Scrivner for the Nov. 1 shooting death of Erik Spencer II outside Old Navy. Several shots were fired, and some shattered the plate glass in the storefront.

Scrivner, an employee of the Missouri Department of Corrections, was put on leave during the investigation.

Thompson said a grand jury declined to indict Scrivner for manslaughter, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. The grand jury found Scrivner’s actions were done “in lawful defense of another,” Thompson wrote in a news release.

Scrivner’s defense attorney, TJ Kirsch said the grand jury’s decision reflects what they believe truly happened that night.

“We appreciate the grand jurors and the time they put into their consideration. Since the day this occurred, there have been rumors and outright lies spread online and on social media in an attempt to misrepresent what actually happened. What actually happened is my client acted lawfully to defend someone in need.” Kirsch said.

Police records obtained by ABC 17 News show that officers were called to the area around 7:52 p.m. after a caller reported witnessing a man assaulting a woman. The caller and the dispatcher noted screaming coming from a vehicle. Within minutes, gunshots were reported, and by 8:02 p.m., emergency responders were performing CPR.

Jefferson City police repeatedly said that Scrivner was cooperating with the investigation.

ABC 17 News reached out to the Spencer family for comment but has not yet heard back. The Spencer family has called for transparency and criminal charges during multiple public appearances.

The Cole County Prosecutor’s Office is set to hold a press conference Friday at 9 a.m. at the Jefferson City Police Department.

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Keriana Gamboa

MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ)

Power is slowly being restored around Mid-Missouri after strong winds knocked down trees and power lines earlier today, according to officials.

Ameren continues to report outages in Cooper and Camden counties.

Earlier, Mexico, Missouri, officials said multiple power lines on the south side of town were affected by the storms. One power line at the intersection of Lakeview Drive and Osage Road remains under repair.

Crews on scene told ABC 17 News residents should check Ameren’s outage website for the latest updates on restoration efforts. Roughly 866 customers in Audrain County lost power earlier in the day.

Consolidated Electric reports the storm caused brief power outages for some customers, but all services have since been restored.

At least 100 addresses along Route B between Hallsville and Centralia lost power. 

Officials in Centralia said the storm knocked down three utility poles, and caused a tree to fall onto a house. The damaged house was located at the 200 block of West Sims Street in Centralia. Tree removal crews working in the area told ABC 17 News they were working on the storm damage early in the morning. Brett Vandiver said he was going to remove the fallen tree from the house. 

“When we first got into town here this morning, we saw limbs and branches all over the streets. Not any more on houses, but we’ve seen plenty broken out in the yards,” Vandiver said. 

He added this area was one of several locations where they were working in response to storm damage.

“It’s just crazy what all high winds can do. You know, these are big, strong trees…And it really shows the importance of getting your trees trimmed and properly maintaining them to prevent that from happening,” Vandiver said.

The Boone County Office of Emergency Management wrote in a press release that it activated the Emergency Operations Center at Level 3 early this morning due to strong wind gusts and severe weather across central Missouri.

In Kingdom City, Callaway County EMA officials said strong winds caused several electric poles to lean, leading to additional outages. A MoDOT traffic signal was also bent, and MoDOT says crews are working to restore all three affected signals.

Kingdom City officials say some water pumps are currently down, but the city has sufficient water stored in its tower to last until power is fully restored and no long-term issues are expected.

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Alison Patton

MONTGOMERY CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Montgomery County Commission gave unanimous approval Thursday to a framework that lays out property tax incentives for a new Amazon data center.

The tax break package could amount to $1 billion in incentives if the company fully constructs its 17-building data center campus.

The hearing over Chapter 100 bonds was held in a packed Montgomery County courtroom. Scores of people filled seats, leaving the chamber standing room only. Some spoke in support of the project while others were skeptical or opposed.

Amazon plans to use about 1,000 acres north of Interstate 70 between New Florence and High Hill to build a data center for its web services.

Amazon could see a minimum of about $244 million in personal property tax breaks, and a maximum of $982 million through Chapter 100 bonds.

According to previous reporting, Amazon’s personal property taxes would break down as follows:

A $3 million payment each year from 2028-32

Paying 5% of the personal property taxes on the equipment from 2033-42

Paying 25% of the personal property taxes on the equipment from 2043-52

This proposal doesn’t include tax breaks for real estate. Amazon would also pay $1.5 million in 2026 and 2027 to help the county upgrade its 911 center and any other infrastructure needs the county saw fit to use.

Avery Ridgely is one of many people opposed to the data center. She said her grandparents’ farm is near the proposed construction site.

“I do not think that this trade-off of valuable farm ground to industrial sites is worth it in the slightest because 5000 acres is a lot of productive agricultural soils that have maintained this community for generations,” Ridgely said, referencing another construction build near her hometown of Jonesburg.

Ridgely and her mom both spoke against the data center during public comment. A lot of people were asking the commissioners and Amazon representatives for more information and transparency.

County Commissioner Doug Lensing said the commission is trying to look at all the facts while also keeping the tech companies’ interest.

“It’s a dance trying to keep a potential economic opportunity in place while still getting the answers we need for the public,” Lensing said.

An Amazon representative said Thursday there are opportunities for the company to open a line of communication with the public.

Montgomery County residents at the Dec. 8 meeting expressed concerns over environmental impacts, including water pollution and usage.

ABC 17 News obtained a letter from the County Commission that Amazon sent, noting that one building is expected to use about 2.9 million gallons of water annually for cooling, and the whole 17-building campus would use about 50 million gallons a year. A letter from engineering firm CDM Smith attached to Amazon’s letter said the water source, the Cambria-Orodvician aquifer, recharged water at a great enough rate to handle the project.

Check back for updates.

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Matthew Sanders

President Donald Trump addressed the nation in prime time on Wednesday from the Oval Office.

The speech touched on a variety of topics, with Trump touting accomplishments at home and abroad. You can watch the entire thing here.

Did you watch the address on Wednesday night? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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