Category: kmiz-local-news

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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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Tickets for flights from Columbia to Charlotte, N.C., will be available next week.

Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe said during a news conference at Columbia Regional Airport on Thursday that tickets for those flights will go on sale Monday. The American Airlines flights to Charlotte begin June 4.

Last month, the airport announced new flights to and from Florida with Allegiant Airlines beginning next year, including Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport and Orlando Sanford International Airport.

In September, United Airlines returned to COU after four years with two daily flights to Chicago O’Hare and Denver. United plans to have three daily flights to Chicago O’Hare in December. American Airlines also has flights to Chicago and Dallas-Forth Worth.

COU had 14,202 passengers depart from its airport in October, which is a record for the location, according to a news release.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Former Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin filed to form a campaign committee on Tuesday for a potential 2026 state house run.

Tergin served two terms as Jefferson City’s mayor from 2015-23 and was unable to run again because of the city’s term-limit rules. Filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission show she filed a committee on Tuesday in the Missouri House District 59 race and plans to run as a Republican.

The primary in the race is set for Aug. 4, 2026, and candidates can begin filing on Feb. 24.

Republicans Jacob Munson and Victor Rackers filed to create campaign committees for the same seat earlier this year.

The District 59 seat is currently held by Rep. Rudy Veit (R-Wardsville), who will be unable to run again because of term limits.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri’s general revenue collection is expected to drop in fiscal 2026 compared to the previous year, according to a revenue estimate released by Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office on Wednesday.

The estimate projects a 2.1% decrease in general revenue collection compared to the previous fiscal year. Missouri’s current fiscal year ends June 30. The release did not detail in which areas collections had lagged.

A governor’s office spokesperson was not immediately available to discuss the drop in revenue.

The projection was part of the annual Consensus Revenue Estimate released ahead of the governor’s budget plan each year. The estimate projects general revenue growth of 3.8% in fiscal 2027 compared to fiscal 2026.

Kehoe will introduce his budget during the annual State of the State Address on Jan. 13 before the Missouri General Assembly. One of his stated priorities is a plan to phase out income tax.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state safety coordinator for the Missouri Department of Transportation who was accused of pulling out a gun during a road-rage incident in September had his charge reduced on Wednesday.

Harry Adrian IV, of Tuscumbia, is now charged in Cole County with misdemeanor reckless driving. He was previously charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon. Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson did not comment on why the charge was lowered.

The probable cause statement says Adrian was accused by two people of pulling out a gun and pointing it at them during a road-rage incident around 3 p.m. Sept. 22.

A deputy wrote that he stopped Adrian’s vehicle while he was following the alleged victim’s vehicle in the 3000 block of Highway 54 East in Cole County.

Adrian allegedly told deputies that he was involved in a road-rage incident, but claimed he held a cellphone instead of a gun, the statement says. Deputies found a handgun in Adrian’s Ford F-250, the statement says. Adrian also denied the allegations through his lawyer on Nov. 3.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state is asking a federal judge to reopen a dismissed redistricting lawsuit after dueling arguments made in public about when a new, legislature-approved congressional map takes effect.

The state says the map is in effect now while Secretary of State Denny Hoskins verifies the referendum to put the map on the November 2026 ballot. But People Not Politicians, the group backing the referendum, says the map was frozen when they submitted more than 300,000 signatures Dec. 9.

The state argues People Not Politicians acknowledged during the first federal court hearing that the congressional map is only frozen when Hoskins certifies the referendum.

People Not Politicians filed a reply in court Tuesday, arguing the opposite.

“What the State is actually doing is trying to police PNP’s public statements. The State’s letter preceding this motion was not subtle: It demanded, on threat of sanctions, that PNP issue a statement to the media endorsing the State’s incorrect view that PNP’s submission of signatures had no legal effect,” People Not Politicians’ response reads.

The Republican-led Missouri General Assembly approved the new congressional map last summer as part of a White House push to strengthen the narrow GOP majority in the U.S. House. Lawsuits challenging the map claim it is illegal to redraw congressional districts mid-decade, as the state constitution requires it be done after the census.

The map is likely to cut out U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) and flip his seat to Republican.

The state sent People Not Politicians a letter asking them to clarify with the media the official start date of the new congressional map.

“The State therefore demands that you immediately issue a public statement confirming your concession to the Court that HB 1 is in effect unless and until the Secretary certifies the referendum,” Louis Capozzi, an attorney with the Attorney General, wrote. “The State also demands you send a copy of that statement to all media outlets that you or your client communicated the contrary position to. If you do not do so by 12:00 P.M. on Friday, December 12, the State will ask Judge Bluestone to issue sanctions.”

People Not Politicians responded with what its attorneys argued in court.

“We never made any such “concession” and will not be issuing or circulating the public statement that you requested. Our position has always been—and remains—that People Not Politicians’ (“PNP”) submission of signatures on December 9 prevents H.B. 1 from going into effect on December 11 unless the Secretary of State issues a formal determination that the petition is insufficient,” People Not Politicians’ attorneys replied.

An attorney for People Not Politicians, Chuck Hatfield, said the federal judge doesn’t have to rule on the state’s motion since the case is dismissed. Hatfield also said the state didn’t follow the process to reopen the case.

The group held a press conference Wednesday and brought legal experts in, like Missouri Supreme Court Judge Mike Wolff.

“The matter is being referred to the people for a vote. It does not go into effect until the voters say yes. If the voters say no, then, in effect, they’ve vetoed it in a way that supersedes any veto or approval that the governor may make,” he said.

Wolff cited three previous cases that mark precedent on this specific angle.

Executive Director of the group Richard von Glahn said they haven’t filed any lawsuits.

Von Glahn also said the state has been posting on social media that the new map is in effect, but he hasn’t seen any updates to Revisor of Missouri, which is the law regarding redistricting. The last time the law was updated was in 2022 for the previous map.

Federal judge Zachary Bluestone wrote in his order dismissing the case that Hoskins can turn down the referendum, but if he verifies it, the map will be frozen until after the November 2026 election.

The Secretary of State’s Office wrote in an email to ABC 17 News that signatures will be sent out to county election officials on or before Dec. 23. County officials will until July 28 to verify signatures.

The Secretary of State will then certify the signatures and the constitutionality of the referendum.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri is hosting its 19th annual One for One Holiday Food and Fund Drive Wednesday. Donated items will be going to families in need for the holidays and beyond.

Food and funds can be donated at two locations from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Columbia Mall and Buchheits in Jefferson City.

The most needed items at the One for One Holiday Drive are canned meats and protein, canned fruits and vegetables, canned soups, chili, and stews, as well as boxed meal kits, cereal, peanut butter, and pasta, according to The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri website.

The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri also welcomes monetary donations. $1 helps The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri provide three meals, according to spokeswoman Katie Geisler. That means a $25 donation will provide at least 75 meals.

The Food Bank has more than 145 partner agencies and 200 partner schools that help distribute food in its 32-county service area.

In Boone County, more than 30 agencies partner with The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, including Aging Best, Hogan House, In2Action, Powerhouse, Tiger Pantry, True North, Turning Point and Welcome Home.

In 2024, the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri raised more than $78,000 during its One for One Holiday Food and Fund Drive.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that aims to make the National Churchill Museum in Fulton a national landmark.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) made the announcement of the bill’s passage in a post on X. The museum is located on Westminster College’s campus, which was the site of Churchill’s famous “Iron Curtain” speech on March 5, 1946.

A statement from the museum’s Director and Chief Timothy Riley showed support for the vote.

“The U.S. Senate’s unanimous support for this legislation is extraordinary. We are optimistic the House will agree and make the oldest building in Missouri the nation’s newest historic landmark,” the statement says. “As we approach the 80th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s famous speech at Westminster College, we remain proud to be custodians of Churchill’s legacy.”

A press release on Hawley’s website says the legislation will also direct the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study “to consider future potential designations for the site.”

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Public buses in the City of Columbia will soon have liaisons, but people will have to wait roughly a month to 90 days before they see them in full swing.

The Columbia City Council unanimously approved a $99,840 contract to Powerhouse Community Development on Monday night. The city’s Office of Violence Prevention had planned to award the fund to the group to help deescalate situations on the city’s buses. The money is coming from funds that were set aside for the office.

According to Chief Executive Officer of Powerhouse Community Development Charles Stephenson, the nonprofit is planning to have one woman and man ride the buses within the city to help keep the buses safe.

“We’ve seen so much community violence and negativity happening in the city. It’s a positive city, but there’s so much happening in the city and so many people are restless,” Stephenson said. “Some of the experiences that we’ve encountered have really shook up the community and so Powerhouse is always trying to be involved to improve quality of life and creating a safe, healthy environment for people.”

Stephenson said it isn’t clear right now which routes the liaisons will be on, or during which hours, as the logistics of the plan are still being worked out. However, he said the city has conducted research to see which routes are a priority and when the peak times are that see the most issues occur.

Stephenson said the group plans to meet sometime next week to go over data.

The city began to have discussions on how to improve safety within buses after several people reported issues of fights, threats and drunk passengers. That led to Columbia’s Office of Violence Prevention leader D’Markus Thomas-Brown looking to step in.

The liaisons are trained in de-escalation and HEAT training, which refers to people who are able to help people who have experienced adversity, violence, poverty and discrimination. Stephenson said the liaisons are also trained in conflict resolution and said they plan to continue training as time goes along and they evaluate how things are going.

Stephenson said it’s also important the liaisons are there to help guide people in the right direction and turn a negative situation into a positive one.

“People are going through a lot in this society right now. We’ve got a lot of tension in society, a lot of division, a lot of anger and frustration with gas prices, prices of food, people are depressed. So, these navigators not only have been trained how to deescalate, but how to give guidance and assistance so that we can connect people to the resources they may need,” Stephenson said.

Stephenson said details mattered when planning, even down to the color the liaisons will wear on the bus.

“When you think of orange, you think of a lot of convicts coming out of prison…when you think of yellow, you think of policemen at stop signs directing traffic and some of them can be traumatic and triggering,” Stephenson said. “We wanted to have a neutral color that was more of an engaging color…we don’t want to look like security guards or police men. We want to look like navigators. The role of the navigator is to assist everyone on the bus. We want to create a safe environment.”

City of Columbia Transit Manager Shannon Hemenway said the city manager’s office proposed the idea of liaisons as a trial the city believed would be good to start within the transportation department.

Hemenway said most of the issues they’re seeing on buses recently stems from overcrowding due to a lack of bus drivers.

“That makes tensions higher when people are stuffed in there together. That’s one of the main things we have. People also can’t get to where they need to go as quickly as they need to go, so that makes them a little more irate as well,” Hemenway said. “We’re just hoping to take the temperatures down on things and make people have an enjoyable ride while we provide the transit we can.”

Hemenway also said she believes the liaisons will be beneficial to the city because it allows city leaders to see other areas within the city that they could be useful.

Stephenson said Powerhouse plans to conduct a study over a period of time that looks to see how effective the liaisons are in preventing disturbances and situations alike. However, he said he wants to remind people that doing this is a process that will take time to get everything laid out and evaluated.

Stephenson said the impact that he saw combining bus routes had on the city years ago, along with a personal connection he has to single mothers who ride the bus allows him to see how important buses are in the city, which is why he felt inspired to help.

“I think it’s a step in the right direction. We might put community navigators in the park… a lot of different places,” Stephenson said. “There’s a lot of visibility on this and I think with it being here with transportation, I think we’ll get a larger snapshot at it being mobile at many, many sites versus just one location.”

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