Category: kmiz-local-news

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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ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Hundreds of people on Wednesday came out to support the Holiday Food and Fund drive at the Columbia Mall and Buchheits in Jefferson City.

The Food Bank For Central And Northeast Missouri has raised more than $125,000 to help local families.

People donated items like peanut butter, canned fruits, canned meats and cereal. For every $1 donated, The Food Bank says it can provide three meals.

The Food Bank is still accepting donations through the end of the year. 

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Nia Hinson

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some local businesses in Jefferson City worry that increased parking fines in the city might lead to less people choosing to travel downtown.

On Monday night, the Jefferson City Council introduced a bill that would significantly raise the fines associated with parking around the city. If passed, parking fines across the board would increase to $25.

The change could mean that a fine for parking at a meter whose time is expired could rise by $19. That’s something businesses, like Cold Cocked Frozen Liqueurs worry will become problematic for small businesses.

“Downtown businesses and small businesses downtown are already struggling with inflation right now and parking is already an issue,” owner Angela Santarelli said. “You wouldn’t want to see anything deter additional customers from coming in and supporting local businesses and bringing their business downtown.”

Santarelli said many businesses in the downtown area already experience slow nights throughout the week. She said she thinks the price hike could lead to people choosing not to come downtown anymore out of fear they’ll be hit with the increased fees.

Co-owner Cason Shane said he also finds a possibly $19 jump extremely high, and said he thinks the increase would make local people suffer.

The Jefferson City Finance Committee met on Wednesday night to discuss a fiscal year 2026 parking budget amendment. Ward 3 Councilwoman Treaka Young told ABC 17 News following the meeting that the committee did not discuss the proposed fine increase, but rather talked in general about new meters coming to the city that will allow them to better gauge parking payments.

Young said it isn’t clear when or if the council will vote on the proposed changes. Santarelli said she also believes the city should explain to its businesses why the city is proposing the changes.

“I mean $19 is a substantial increase. I think as a local business owner that we all deserve to know where this money is going, where is this additional money from these fines being spent, those types of things,” Santarelli said.

Young did not elaborate on where the funds will be spent, but said that the city is hoping to ensure people are not over-occupying spaces in the downtown area due to the Madison Street Parking Garage closing.

“We are way behind market rate on the fines and the fees that we were charging residents,” Young said. “What we found is that a lot of people were going downtown and they would park their car there all day and and they’ll just say ‘I’ll get this ticket and it really doesn’t matter.”

Young said she inquired about what other cities similar to Jefferson City’s size were charging for parking fees during Monday night’s meeting and was told $25 was roughly the going rate.

Jason Bernard has lived in Jefferson City for roughly five years and was shopping in the downtown area on Wednesday night. Bernard said he had heard about the city possibly increasing parking fines, and doesn’t agree with it.

Bernard said he thinks if the city is going to make the change, it should do it in smaller increments but said overall, he has a hard time thinking the bump in fines is at all necessary.

“I think that they should at least put that money back into the streets. The potholes around town don’t seem to be getting any better,” Bernard said. “There’s so many other places where they can find ways to earn money and I mean earn it, not just take it from the people who are out here trying to shop at these stores.”

New Bloomfield resident Danielle Worthington said she’s originally from Denver, Colorado, so she has more patience when it comes to heavy traffic and struggling to find parking while downtown. However, Worthington said she thinks change in a small town is usually more difficult for people to accept and thinks transparency on the city’s end about where the money is going could help people be more understanding.

“I think from a business standpoint, I understand why the city needs to increase parking fees but from a community standpoint, it makes it difficult to access these businesses anyway,” Worthington said. “If the goal is to bring money back into downtown, then I would understand that but as it is right now, I worry about that this will push people away from these businesses which in a small town, no one wants to see that.”

Young said she wants all people and businesses in the city– including local churches and funeral homes — to know the city is looking into all aspects of the possible change.

“It was simply introduced to us as a bill, it was not anything we voted on yet,” Young said. “We’re looking at all aspects and how it’s going to impact Jefferson City residents as well.”

You can view a list of the proposed fine changes below.

Check back for updates.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 20-year-old man from Tipton, Missouri, died Wednesday in a crash on Route B in Cooper County at Elkstown Road near Bunceton, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the 2007 Ford Mustang was heading northbound went it went off the right side of the road, became airborne and hit several trees.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene by a Cooper County paramedic, the report says. The man was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, according to the report.

The vehicle was totaled.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia is working on a major update of its building codes, proposing to adopt the 2024 International Building Codes that govern residential and commercial construction, safety, energy efficiency and plumbing standards.

The city currently operates under the 2018 codes.

On Wednesday, the city’s Community Development department hosted a public forum, in which more than 20 people attended. The forum offered attendees an opportunity to ask questions about the proposed changes. The Building Code Adoption is currently in a 90-day public comment and review period, which ends Feb. 17. 

Columbia’s Building Regulation Supervisor Aaron Decker said the department did not know what to expect heading into the meeting, but was pleased with the turnout. 

“I think it was a very enlightening meeting as a lot of our commissioners had said in the past that, as we go through the review of these codes, we don’t get a lot of outside participation or we haven’t in the past. And this was a new endeavor, something that we haven’t tried before,” Decker said. “I thought it was a great opportunity to  get the  individuals that are dealing with this stuff daily out in the field  in here  to give their feedback and to give their input.” 

City officials say the updated codes are designed to improve building safety, fire prevention, energy efficiency and long-term resilience. The 2024 standards cover a wide range of areas, including structural design, plumbing, mechanical systems, fuel gas installation, electrical wiring, property maintenance and requirements for renovations to existing buildings. Energy conservation standards are also updated, with the goal of reducing energy use and lowering long-term utility costs for building occupants.

Several city departments — including Community Development, the Office of Neighborhood Services, the Fire Marshal’s Office and the Building and Construction Codes Commission — have spent months reviewing the changes and drafting local amendments. The process includes multiple public meetings, a formal recommendation from the commission and a minimum 90-day public comment period before the City Council considers final adoption.

Decker said the review of the codes started in November 2024, with the community development department going through 21 reviews of the codes section by section. 

“The codes are reactionary, so there are things that happen and that trigger a code revision to go into place. One of the examples I gave in the meeting, and one of the examples that I like to stand behind, is the lithium battery situation, previous renditions 2018, 2015, there’s not a lot of lithium battery guidance in the fire code or in the building code,” Decker said. “However, with where things have gone with electrification and the risk associated with high-volume lithium batteries, there is an inherent risk to protect occupants of a building and or occupants of a structure that is within. And so, the building codes continue to evolve and it’s important that a community continues to evolve with them so that they can stay up to speed and up to availability with the materials, the products, everything that’s out there in the economy that’s moving forward.” 

One of the primary concerns raised by property owners and property builders during Wednesday’s meeting revolved around the energy code. 

One concern raised: The code will require industrial and retail properties to have solar panels, which one man argued will force companies to move to neighboring communities. 

“I would agree with that statement that the energy code has been a kind of the hot topic of all the changes, and it’s going to continue to be as things move forward because it does drastically impact building,” Decker said. 

Industry concerns raised 

As part of the public comment period, the Home Builders Association of Columbia submitted a detailed letter to Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll to pause the adoption of the 2024 codes until further analysis is completed.

In the letter, Executive Officer Jami Clevenger raised concerns about increased construction costs tied to updated energy efficiency standards, particularly for residential housing. The association estimates the changes could add thousands of dollars to the cost of new homes, disproportionately affecting starter homes and first-time buyers. The letter argues that projected energy savings would not offset the upfront costs for many families.

Clevinger argues the 2024 residential energy codes will increase building costs by $8,000-$12,000 while only saving $10 per month in utility savings.

Clevenger also highlighted provisions in the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code that would require on-site renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, for certain commercial buildings. The association warned those mandates could significantly increase costs for small businesses, developers and renters.

The group called for independent, university-led research to evaluate the true cost-benefit impact of the proposed codes on housing affordability, commercial development and economic growth. It also questioned how national building codes are developed, citing concerns about industry influence and the lack of localized economic analysis.

The association asked city leaders to delay implementation while conducting further study, arguing the long-term impacts on affordability and development warrant additional review.

Decker said that once their review and data collection are finished, they will send a summary to the council, but added there is no set date for when that will take place.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Health officials are expecting a busy flu season following the discovery of H3N2 subclade K, a variant of the Influenza A strain.

According to the CDC, of the 91 Influenza A virus samples collected since Sept. 28, almost 87% belonged to subclade K.

The genetic mutation of subclade K makes it only partially covered by this year’s flu shot. While experts haven’t found data of an increased severity of symptoms, an increased rate of spread is expected.

“Most flu viruses that affect people are the influenza A and B varieties and every year we have a different mixture of those things circulating,” Boone Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lana Zerrer said. “The flu vaccine was already decided upon with four different varieties of flu strains in them before a subclade K even showed up.”

The CDC says flu rates begin to peak in December. The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services has already seen a surge with flu cases jumping from 16 to 40 between the end of November and the beginning of December.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has also reported a state-wide increase in flu cases, rising from 181 at the start of November to 519 at the start of December.

Medical experts still recommend people get the flu vaccine, adding that it’s not to late as flu season runs through April.

“If you’re going to be around family, friends, people at Christmas who either are not at high risk or are at high risk for flu, it’s still the best thing to do to go ahead and get that vaccine as soon as you can,” MU Health Care Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Taylor Nelson said.

According to the CDC, United Kingdom data on this year’s vaccine found that hospitalization due to the flu remained 70-75% for children and 30-40% for adults, suggesting that influenza vaccination remains an effective tool in preventing flu-related hospitalizations.

Vulnerable groups to the flu include people who are immunocompromised, children and the elderly.

Experts recommend common flu precautions, including handwashing, sanitizing work areas, covering coughs and sneezes, wearing masks and staying home when feeling sick.

Both Zerrer and Nelson said if a high-risk group begins to feel flu symptoms, it’s recommended to check in with urgent care or a local physician.

“There are treatments now that can be given that can reduce the risk of hospitalization,” Zerrer said.

“There are also other respiratory viruses that we may find such as COVID, Bacterial infections like pertussis, which we’re also seeing an increased number,” Nelson said. “There are other things we might need to figure out outside of influenza.”

Flu-shot appointments are available locally through the Boone/Columbia Health Department, Boone Health and MU Health Care.

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Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County judge ruled Wednesday in favor of numerous defendants named in a wrongful death lawsuit over the death of MU student Riley Strain.

Strain went missing in March 2024 during a Delta Chi fraternity trip to Nashville. His body was found days later in the Cumberland River; his death was ruled a drowning, with a toxicology report finding alcohol and other substances in his system.

Strain’s family filed a lawsuit in March 2025 against the fraternity chapter and others, saying they failed to follow safety protocols during the event in Nashville. The lawsuit claimed Strain’s fraternity brothers “abandoned him” by not accompanying him back to the hotel when he was kicked out of a bar, and didn’t check on him until later.

In his ruling Wednesday, Judge Joshua Devine ruled in favor of Delta Chi, Barrister Capital Corporation — which manages the Delta Chi house at MU –and 18 fraternity members named as defendants.

The judgement from Devine said “while the Court has great sympathy for the profound and tragic loss suffered by [the Strain family], it is unaware of any court in the United States which has recognized the existence of a so-called ‘special relationship’ that might give rise to a claim for damages based on a duty owed by one adult fraternity member to another due to their shared status as ‘fraternity brothers’.”

Devine also said he is unaware of exceptions to the laws in Missouri and Tennessee that establish drinking alcohol is the cause of injuries for intoxicated people, “not the furnishing of alcoholic beverages.”

Riley Strain lawsuit judgmentDownload

Claims against nine other defendants are still pending.

A university spokesman said the school had no comment on the matter.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Another dog that fell through ice was rescued by firefighters on Wednesday, according to a social media post from the Boone County Fire Protection District.

The district wrote that crews were called to East Walnut Drive, north of Hallsville, for a report of a dog in the water. Firefighters found a beagle about 20 feet from the shore and were able to successfully rescue it.

“Members of the Boone County Fire Protection District train annually for ice rescue incidents involving both people and companion animals,” the post says. “As temperatures fluctuate like we experienced today, ice can weaken as it thaws during the day and refreezes overnight. Please remember: never venture onto ice unless it is at least four inches thick, and always have someone with you.”

This is the second dog in as many days to be rescued from the ice. Columbia firefighters on Tuesday saved a chow chow that fell through the ice of a pond in the 2000 block of Osage Drive. CFD gave an update on the dog on Wednesday, saying it had been returned to its owners.

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Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

On Oct. 25, 2020, Columbia Police responded to 300 W. Brookside Lane around 1 a.m. for a report of shots heard. When police arrived, they found 17-year-old Bryant Wilks II had been shot multiple times and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

“It was chaotic, there was a lot of people,” Columbia Police Lt. Matt Gremore said. “There was not a lot of information at the initial scene, so officers had to do a lot of work to preserve evidence, put up tape and make sure nobody contaminated the crime scene.”

Wilks’ family hopes someone who was at the party that night will come forward to speak with police.

“The amount of people that saw what happened that have not come forward to the police is what really hurts us and hurts the family,” Gremore said. “It hurts the investigation.”

Police say they found property damage to vehicles and buildings in the area, but no one else was hurt. Police say they collected multiple shell casings. Video of the crime scene shows at least 18 evidence markers.

Gremore wouldn’t go into detail about the types of evidence collected, but said some of it was clothing. He said the murder weapon was not there. Gremore said police don’t really know how many guns were fired.

The morning of Oct. 25, 2020, a neighbor in the area told ABC 17 News that she was awakened by the gunshots. She recorded some of the shots and shared the audio with ABC 17 News. Approximately 16 shots can be heard within 6 seconds.

Wilks’ older sister Desiree said that night, her brother went to a college party at Brookside Townhomes. Gremore estimates that between 20 and 30 people saw what happened and says a lot of those people were teenagers or in their 20s.

“We want to interview as many people as we absolutely can,” Gremore said. “And there was not a lot of witnesses that came forward in this case, which is probably one of the reasons that we’re where we’re at with it.”

Remembering Bryant Wilks II

“We never, every expected this to ever happen in our family or in our life,” Desiree Wilks said.

Bryant Wilks had three full siblings and a half-brother. Desiree Wilks says her younger brother was just months away from graduating from Hickman High School when his life was taken.

“He had huge dreams and huge goals, and he [reached] all those goals,” Desiree Wilks said. “So I know that that was just a milestone right in his life, but he would have done so much.”

She says her brother was the “goofiest person you’d ever meet” and loved making jokes. But the family said he also had an entrepreneurial spirit and started saving money at a young age.

“He taught himself how to cut hair by watching YouTube,” Bryant’s mother, Rochelle Hawkins, said. “He would cut people hair for free the first time, and then when they would come back again, they would pay.”

Bryant Wilks also had an interest in the stock market and investing. Desiree Wilks says her brother once lent her a few hundred dollars, and instead of making her pay the money back, he encouraged her to research stocks and invest her money.

His mother and sister said his entrepreneurial spirit led him to become a manager at the Dairy Queen on Forum Boulevard. The night before he was killed, Desiree and her half-brother visited Bryant at work.

“I went there and gave him a huge hug, and we said ‘I love you’ to each other,” Desiree Wilks said. “That’s a good memory to hold on to. The last words we said to each other were that we loved each other.”

Where the case stands today

In the past five years, Gremore said police have received some helpful tips through CrimeStoppers. He said police have heard varying versions of what happened that night, but “there’s also consistencies in those versions.”

Gremore said police have “persons of interest in the case.” But at the time of publication, no arrests have been made for the murder of Bryant Wilks II.

Wilks’ family remembers the joy he brought to others.

“Bryant loved to make people laugh, so a lot of my memories are surrounded by laughter and just the good times we had,” Desiree Wilks said. “Even if it was just in the house, or if it was going out or visiting relatives.”

Desiree Wilks said Bryant was loyal to his friends and his family. His mother says they are keeping her son’s memory alive.

“We do various things like Bryant wanted to do,” Hawkins said. “We are trying to keep my son’s name alive. We’re trying to find the good out of this awful, horrible situation.”

His family says they also provide buddy packs and comfort packs to families who have experienced a sudden traumatic loss, similar to what they went through.

While keeping Bryant’s memory alive, the family is still searching for answers as to what happened that night and who killed their loved one.

“We’re hearing this, and we’re hearing that, so it’s hard to really know the truth,” Desiree Wilks said. “It’s hard to read between the lines and come up with the truth.”

His mother says she leans on her faith, and she misses her son every single day.

“I miss hugging him and hearing him say, ‘Mom’. I miss everything about him,” Hawkins said. “I lean towards my faith, and that’s what’s been keeping me strong and keeping me moving forward is my faith, and I know that God knows and he sees all and he will take care of it.”

Wilks’ family is asking the Columbia community for help in finding out what happened to the teen who called the city his home since he was 3 years old. They believe someone knows something and are encouraging people to share what they know about what happened that night.

“There’s always gonna be a empty spot in all of our hearts that nothing can fill,” Desiree Wilks said. “But having somebody who is taken into custody for his murder, finding out who did it, and being held accountable for their actions, would bring some sense of relief.”

CPD is investigating 17 unsolved homicide cases with 19 victims dating back to 1985. ABC 17 News has covered seven cases in our “Mid-Missouri’s Cold Case Files” reporting.

Antonio Houston and Danielle Marine

Michael Walker Jr. & Jeffery Jones

Garbrielle Rhodes

George Showalter

Virginia ‘Ginger’ Davis

Edmond ‘Ricky’ Randolph Jr.

Jamar Hicks

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