Category: kmiz-local-news

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Efforts to preserve historic properties in Columbia are gaining attention as new owners look to redevelop former Columbia College properties and city officials consider additional ways to protect historic buildings from demolition.

During a Historic Preservation Commission event Tuesday, officials discussed an ongoing survey of the Benton-Stephens neighborhood that could help identify potential historic districts and landmarks needed in order to get the neighborhood on the National Historic Registry.

The work comes as the city explores ways to give preservation officials more time to respond to demolition requests. On Monday, the Columbia City Council unanimously approved a request to explore a nine-month administrative delay on demolition permits for properties individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll requested the report outlining the city’s legal options. She said the effort was prompted primarily by concerns about nine properties Columbia College sold at auction in June for roughly $2 million, rather than the recent sale of Katy Station.

“It wasn’t prompted by the Katy [Station], although the Katy [Station] certainly added to the bucket of concerns,” Carroll said during Monday’s meeting. “My concern was with the Eighth Street properties from Columbia College, which of course aren’t on the National Historic Registry.”

The former Columbia College properties are located near downtown in the Benton-Stephens neighborhood. The new owners of three properties near the corner of Eighth and Lyon streets have explored redevelopment options that include multifamily or single-family housing.

Because the properties are not listed on the National Register of Historic Places, they would not be covered by the proposed administrative delay as currently described.

The commission discussed pursuing a historic district designation for the neighborhood, which could help identify buildings with historic significance and potentially lead to additional preservation protections.

A consultant is surveying the Benton-Stephens neighborhood to identify potential historic district boundaries and document structures within the area. The work began in recent days and is part of a broader effort to understand the neighborhood’s historic resources.

LG2 Environmental Solutions Inc., a Jacksonville, Florida-based firm, was selected to conduct the survey. The work includes photographing and researching structures throughout the designated area.

Buildings at least 50 years old can be considered for historic designation, meaning the neighborhood’s structures, which date from the 1800s through the 1970s, could be evaluated for their historical significance.

Representatives from LG2 said they have received positive feedback from residents, who have been engaging with the survey process.

Russell Palmer, a senior planner and staff liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission, said the council’s action could give the city more time to consider alternatives to demolition.

“In terms of historic preservation, it’s obviously a goal for the commission to do what we can within our powers to offer alternatives to demolition,” Palmer told ABC 17 News. “That’s kind of the first step. Sometimes the process moves a little faster than we’re able to respond and that will help us in that regard.”

The city currently has 33 properties individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, listing alone does not prevent demolition. Under current city code, the Historic Preservation Commission generally has 45 days to review demolition applications for properties considered historic resources, but it cannot prohibit demolition.

City staff told the council Monday that state law allows Columbia to establish an administrative delay, provided an ordinance defines the properties covered, establishes a reasonable time frame and provides a process for exceptions, including dangerous structures or substantial economic hardship.

The council’s request calls for a potential nine-month delay to give the commission time to develop preservation recommendations and allow the council to consider additional measures. Any ordinance implementing the delay would need to be introduced at a future meeting.

Palmer said interest in preservation has grown as Columbia has faced several high-profile demolition requests and property sales.

“Our comp plan has a component already that indicates that preservation is an overarching goal for the city. I do think, currently there’s a lot of support on council and just around the city at large to preserve properties. We’ve had a lot of high-profile demolition requests and, properties being sold lately. So it’s a point of focus recently.”

The city is also preparing a Historic Preservation Plan that would outline preservation goals and objectives for the next 25 years. The plan is in its final stages of preparation before being released for public comment, which Palmer said is expected to last about 30 days.

The plan could help the city identify historic districts and landmarks eligible for additional local protections. Palmer said the commission’s approach is to work with property owners voluntarily to establish those designations.

“The plan will lay out a lot of our goals and objectives and kind of how we see moving forward over the next 25 years. The outcome of the plan, though, is that we can then focus more on establishing historic districts and designating landmarks and things of that nature that allow us to then regulate the property. And those are always going to be voluntary,” Palmer said. “That’s always been our approach. So we will work with property owners to establish those. And we like to keep it a friendly approach, as our commissioners have called it in the past. So yeah, that’s the point of the plan is to tell everybody where we’re going and then hopefully they’ll hop on and go with us for the for the road trip.”

City staff expects to submit a final version of the plan to the council in January or February 2027.

The Benton-Stephens survey and the proposed demolition permit delay are separate efforts, but both could help inform how Columbia identifies historic properties and considers future preservation measures.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Demolition on the grain towers in Moberly are nearly complete.

Work to begin demolition started last month. Just the bases of the buildings remained on Tuesday.

City spokesman Scott Garvey told ABC 17 News the “high-reach work” was completed on Monday.

“Most of what will happen going forward is sorting of metals and reducing concrete down to fill rock,” Garvey’s statement says. “The work so far has been typical of a demolition project of this size and we’re grateful that there haven’t been any out of the ordinary issues.”

Garvey said the project is still in line with its original timeline and budget and that work should wrap up in the next few weeks.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday released a facial reconstruction tied to a 13-year old discovery of human remains.

The new image shows what is believed to be John Dixon Doe, whose skull was found in October 2013 along Highway 28 in Dixon, Missouri.

In a social media post, Sheriff Stacy Ball said the rendering was made by a Forensic Imaging Specialist with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The post shared a link to the NCMEC that contained the image of the rendering.

Investigators hope someone may recognize his description or recall information that could provide investigators with a valuable lead in the case.

NCMEC said the boy is believed to have been between 8-13 years old. It is estimated he had been dead at least one year prior to the recovery, but its unknown how long the skull had been there.

Through advanced DNA testing, it was also determined he was of Asian ancestry with possible connections to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Qatar/Yemen. 

IN 2013, the sheriff’s office told ABC 17 “there are no current missing adolescent cases in the country that match the time frame of these remains.”

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Marie Moyer

VIENNA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Maries County is waiting to be refunded more than $13,000 in Blue Shield Grant funds from Flock Safety after ending its automatic license plate reader project with the company Monday.

“I was a big fan of it, absolutely, it’s a shame that it didn’t work out,” Maries County Sheriff Mark Morgan said.

Morgan initially announced the terminated contract, effective immediately, on Monday on Facebook. Morgan told ABC 17 News that a Flock Security representative confirmed with the county to appear on Zoom during a public input session on Oct. 15 to address residents’ concerns about Flock.

“I wanted them to be able to explain the security protocols and explain to the citizens how that data is protected, because a lot of the citizens’ concerns are not necessarily with having cameras,” Morgan said. “They were like, ‘Listen, Sheriff, we don’t have a problem with you having the data, we have a problem with what the company is going to do with the data.’ And I feel like that Flock should be able to explain that a lot better than me.”

Morgan adds that he even notified the representative of the call about 10 minutes before the meeting, but they never showed.

Following the meeting, the Flock representative claimed their calendar never alerted them of the meeting.

“That was the reasoning, and I found that to be unacceptable,” Morgan said.

Despite public scrutiny over the cameras, Morgan holds strong that the decision to end the partnership was due to the Flock representative. He adds that after speaking with other law enforcement agencies on the technology, he was more supportive of their use.

“The vast majority, in my opinion, of Maries County likes the idea of it, because people want us to be able to, when someone robs them or when someone takes something away from them, they expect us to be able to, they want us to go out and do our jobs,” Morgan said. “As a sheriff, I have an obligation to try to give law enforcement in my county every tool that I can possibly give them.”

Due to permitting issues, Maries County was unable to implement any Flock ALPR cameras. Morgan, however, reports the agreement with Flock Security was around $13,300. According to Flock Camera Locations, there are more than 3,000 ALPR cameras in Missouri.

The county now has to wait for advice from the state on what to do with the unused Blue Shield Grant.

“Whether we send it back to the state or whether the state tells us to find something else to use it for, it’s really whatever the state advises us to do,” Morgan said.

This comes as the City of Columbia plans to host its own public input meeting on Flock Safety technology on Nov. 9.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Central Methodist University has ended the suspension for one of the six football players it suspended last week after two athletes were charged with assaulting a teammate.

The university did not give the name of the player it reversed the suspension for, nor has it named four of the six players suspended since it was announced last week. CMU Vice President of Enrollment Management Melissa Mace confirmed to ABC 17 News on Tuesday that the suspension against one of the players was lifted.

Mace said the player who had their suspension lifted “did not engage in violence toward the injured player.”

Two players — Kamarrion Ferguson, 20, and Michael Hourel, 22 – were charged on Oct. 13 with third-degree assault. They were both booked into the Howard County Jail.

Hourel posted his full $10,000 bond, per court filings. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 10.

Ferguson posted 10% of his $5,000 bond on Oct. 15. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 27.

Court documents in previous reporting say the victim told police a team rule requires anyone late for practice to fight another player. The victim’s injuries were serious enough to require a consult with a concussion specialist “due to the possibility of a brain bleed.”

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Stephi Smith

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cole County Commission is considering an ordinance that would prohibit residents from leaving storm debris in the public right-of-way for the county to remove.

Cole County Western District Commissioner Harry Otto said the proposal follows a July 4 storm that left fallen trees, branches and other debris throughout the county.

Cole County Public Works Director Eric Landwehr said crews initially focused on clearing debris that blocked roads. They returned July 7 and 8 to remove debris along road edges and within the county right-of-way, Landwehr said. 

Landwehr said residents and volunteer groups later left additional debris along roads, apparently expecting county crews to collect it.

Otto said he does not believe removing debris from private property should be the county’s responsibility. Landwehr said he believes residents were well-intentioned but misunderstood the county’s expectations.

The county did not have a policy clearly defining its responsibilities or those of property owners, Landwehr said. Otto said the storm also did not qualify for a federal disaster declaration, meaning the county will not receive federal assistance for cleanup.

“The good news is it wasn’t bad enough to call in the feds and have it declared a disaster area. The bad news is we don’t get any federal money to help clean it up because it wasn’t bad enough,” Otto said. 

Landwehr cited one pile of debris the county may have to mulch at an estimated cost of $10,000.

Otto said the goal is to establish clear expectations for residents and county employees while allowing public works crews to focus on their other responsibilities.

“We really didn’t have a policy in place to address this and now that we’ve experienced it, we see that we should have some kind of a written policy,” Otto said. 

Otto said the goal of this ordinance is to ensure county employees are focusing on appropriate projects. He said he does not want the county to enforce significant fines for violating this ordinance. 

Otto said rural communities across Cole County experienced storm damage, particularly Osage City in the eastern part of the county. He said officials are working to determine how to identify the hardest-hit areas and prioritize cleanup assistance after future storms.

Landwehr said the county has not yet determined how the proposed ordinance would be enforced. He said enforcement could involve the sheriff’s department or county prosecutor.

Landwehr said the commission hopes to have a final draft ready next week.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Supreme Court disbarred Columbia attorney Matthew Alexander Perry on Tuesday.

The Missouri Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel had wanted to disbar Perry for violating “multiple rules of professional conduct relating to competence, diligence, communication, meritorious claims, expediting litigation, following court orders, misrepresentation, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.” Perry was looking for just a suspension.

Perry was accused of not appearing at more than 50 court hearings for his client between March 2023-April 2025, filings from the court and previous reporting show. Perry was handling more than 140 cases at the time, according to the state’s high court.

Some of his cases involved lawsuits against the Columbia Police Department and the University of Missouri Police Department.

Perry’s attorney, Gregrey Alan Pfeiffer, said in a statement that his client is disappointed by the court’s decision but will respect it.

“He respects the Court’s authority and recognizes the seriousness of the professional responsibilities owed to his clients,” Pfeiffer said in a statement. “His career also includes substantial service to people unable to afford counsel.”

The statement includes a letter from Maggie Johnston, the former director of Missouri State Public Defender Case Contracting Division, from Feb. 7, 2024, recognizing Perry for his work on 180 assigned cases in 2023.

Pfeiffer stated Perry is committed to making a positive contribution to the community.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Highway 54 overpass in Kingdom City that goes over Interstate 70 will closed at the end of the month as crews demolish old bridges as part of the Improve I-70 Project, according to a Tuesday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

MoDOT crews will demolish “the two no-longer-used bridges in the middle of the new roundabout” at I-70 and Highway 54 from 7 p.m. Friday, Oct.30 through 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, the release says. The roundabout will be closed and there will be no access over I-70 through Highway 54. The ramps at Exit 148 will stay open, the release says.

As demolition occurs:

I-70: Both directions of I-70 will narrow to one lane and drivers will be directed up and over the ramps at Exit 148 and back onto I-70. Soutbound Highway 54: While the ramps will remain open, traffic on Highway 54 will not have access across I-70. Eastbound Highway 54 traffic will be detoured via eastbound I-70 to Callaway County Routes A/Z (Exit 155) to westbound I-70. Westbound Highway 54 traffic will be detoured via westbound I-70 to Callaway County Route M (Exit 144) to eastbound I-70. All ramps at Route M/Hatton will be open for the duration of the demolition. After the demolition is complete, the eastbound ramps will close again. Click here to follow the original article.

Ellyse Edwards

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Interim Commissioner of Education Stacey Preis resigned effective immediately on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the State Board of Education selected a firm to assist with its search for a permanent commissioner.

Preis did not provide a specific reason for her departure. In a statement, she said she submitted her resignation to the board on Tuesday afternoon after accepting the interim position in June to provide “leadership and stability during a time of transition.”

“The responsibility for selecting the next commissioner rests with the State Board of Education,” Preis said. “Leading Missouri’s diverse and complex public education system requires substantial knowledge and experience, sound judgment, and the respect and confidence of those who serve our schools and students.”

It was not immediately clear who would lead the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education following Preis’ departure or when the board would appoint another interim commissioner.

The State Board appointed Preis as interim commissioner on June 15 following the retirement of former Commissioner Karla Eslinger. Preis previously served as a DESE deputy commissioner and as executive director of the Missouri General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Education. She had previously said she did not intend to seek the position permanently.

Earlier Tuesday, the board voted to hire The K12 Search Group to help recruit Missouri’s next permanent education commissioner. According to DESE, the firm will help develop a position profile and recruitment strategy, identify and engage potential candidates and assist with reviewing applicants. The board will retain responsibility for evaluating candidates and making the final selection.

DESE said philanthropic organizations are providing funding for the search firm, with the National Association of State Boards of Education serving as the funding intermediary.

The department identified the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, Regional Business Council, The DeBruce Foundation and Town Branch Foundation as organizations supporting the search. DESE said the organizations will not participate in recruiting, evaluating or selecting candidates.

The department’s release did not disclose the search firm’s cost, how much each organization contributed or whether any additional donors were involved. It also did not provide a timeline for selecting the next commissioner.

Preis also highlighted DESE’s work on Missouri’s new A–F school and district grading system in her resignation statement.

The State Board approved the original grading framework in September, allowing DESE to begin modeling school data, discussing the system with stakeholders and evaluating the accuracy of its calculations.

DESE presented potential changes to the framework Tuesday based on that analysis and stakeholder feedback. The board did not vote on the proposed changes. Department officials said they expect to return with formal recommendations for adjustments in December.

“The grade card presented to the State Board today reflects our commitment to high achievement for every child while recognizing the important contributions schools make to growth in student learning,” Preis said.

Preis added “labels and scores do not improve schools.” She said improvement comes from identifying what schools need, providing effective support and directing resources toward strategies that help students.

The State Board’s announcement about the permanent commissioner search said it would provide updates and opportunities for public involvement as the process continues. The announcement did not address Preis’ resignation or identify who would lead DESE following her departure.

The board is responsible for appointing Missouri’s commissioner of education. The commissioner leads DESE and oversees policies and programs affecting public schools, educators and students across the state.

The State Board has not announced when it will meet to select another interim commissioner.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia has launched a BeHeard page to collect public comments on the use of Flock cameras.

The City Council on Monday unanimously approved to hold a public hearing on the cameras at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9 at city hall.

The Flock camera system was first approved in October 2024.

This hearing comes as more communities nationwide have been ending their contracts with Flock over concerns of its use. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a bill last month targeting the technology.

In August, Pulaski County terminated its contract with Flock after holding a community forum to receive feedback on Flock. Maries County ended its agreement on Monday after a Flock representative failed to show up to a public meeting on Oct. 15.

Jefferson City renewed its own agreement in August.

Columbia’s public comment page has seven comments as of 3 p.m.

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