Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several media companies and associations have sued the Missouri State Highway Patrol to restore access to the names of those involved in crashes.

The Missouri Broadcasters Association, Missouri Press Association, Gray Local Media, Warden Public Company and editor Roxie Murphy are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit against MSHP. ABC 17 News is a member of the MBA.

The lawsuit was filed on Friday in Cole County. A summons was issued for the Patrol on Monday.

MSHP provides crash reports on its website and has previously included the names of those involved in crashes, which the lawsuit states had occurred for nearly 30 years.

Beginning on Nov. 1, 2024, MSHP stopped publishing names in its preliminary online traffic crash and boating/drowning reports after it was “notified of scam incidents across the state” that targeted crash victims or people who know someone involved in a crash, previous reporting shows. Other law enforcement agencies around the state, including the Columbia Police Department, have followed suit after MSHP’s decision.

“Crash reports help communities learn who was hurt or killed, let families and neighbors get accurate information, and help the public spot dangerous roads and intersections,” a joint press release from the plaintiffs released on Monday says. “Journalists have long used unredacted reports to verify the identities of people who died on Missouri roads and to report on public safety and vehicle safety. Without them, it is far harder to hold public agencies accountable or to tell Missourians what is happening in their own communities.”

The release and petition say “Under the Missouri Sunshine Law, the state’s open records law, these incident reports ‘shall be open records.’”

The petition states multiple crash and boating reports requested by media members were still redacted. The lawsuit accuses MSHP of violating Missouri’s Sunshine Law.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Emergency repairs to a gas line have closed an intersection in the heart of downtown Columbia.

Ameren Missouri, which maintains the gas service, closed the intersection of Seventh and Cherry for the emergency repair on Monday afternoon.

Work is expected to take several days, according to a City of Columbia news release. Drivers are asked to avoid the area during the work.

The leak was caused by “damage to the gas line from nearby backfill and is not affecting service to customers,” according to a statement from Kim Fees, who is supervisor of natural gas operations for Ameren Missouri.

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Ellyse Edwards

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia has been awarded $16.2 million in federal funding to modernize the Columbia Terminal Railroad, including a project to test self-driving trains.

U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Raymore) announced the Federal Railroad Administration grant Thursday. The grant, awarded through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, will support upgrades to the 21.4-mile COLT railroad connecting Columbia and Centralia.

The total cost of the COLT Railroad Modernization Program is $20.8 million. The remaining $4.62 million will come from the City of Columbia and private-sector partners, according to Alford’s office.

The project plan includes self-propelled autonomous railcars and a Federal Railroad Administration-approved test program. The program would move in phases, with eventual demonstrations of the self-driving technology. The project summary says those demonstrations would take place across 57 at-grade crossings.

A Department of Transportation spokesperson said the work will include research and workforce development for the phased rail technology program. The office also said the grant money has been awarded, but the funds will be sent at a later date. It did not provide a timeline for that step.

The project also calls for installing 36,000 composite rail ties, tamping about six miles of track, replacing three switches and building two charging units. It would create a training curriculum for remote operators, field engineers and maintenance technicians. DOT said the project is intended to stabilize the track, increase service frequency and ultimately support autonomous freight service.

Alford’s office described the project as the first documented demonstration of autonomous railcar operations on a regulated short-line railroad in the United States. It also said the corridor generates $670 million in sales and supports 243 jobs.

“The COLT railroad is a critical economic lifeline for Mid-Missouri,” Alford said in the news release, citing its role connecting manufacturers, agricultural producers and building-material suppliers to the national freight network.

The release and DOT’s response did not specify where testing would begin or when construction or operations would start.

The COLT line operates freight service between Columbia and Centralia and interchanges with the Norfolk Southern Railroad, according to the City of Columbia’s website. The line generally runs along Route B to Hallsville and along Highway 124 to Centralia.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A fire that started in an encampment damaged a large chunk of an advertising billboard along Highway 50 in Jefferson City on Sunday night, according to the fire department.

Firefighters were called out at about 11:30 p.m. to a camp in the 1400 block of westbound Highway 50, the Jefferson City Fire Department stated in a news release. They found a fire “involving materials and a small structure” at the camp, JCFD stated.

About 20% of the billboard was burned in the fire, and electrical service to the board was disconnected because of damage to the wiring, according to JCFD.

Firefighters used a drone with thermal imaging to examine the camp for people, but no one was located. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Open burning is illegal in Jefferson City limits.

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Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council unanimously approved purchasing a new animal control facility at its meeting Monday night.

The former site of Columbia Animal Hospital, located at 1300 Boone Industrial Drive will house animal control operations. Operations will include animal shelter services, veterinary care and facility maintenance.

The property at 1300 Boone Industrial Drive costs $995,000. In a council meeting on Sept. 21, the proposal was for the City of Columbia to pay $595,000 and Boone County to pay $400,000. But documents set for a meeting on Oct. 5 show that the city will now take the full total out of reserves, and Boone County will contribute $400,000 at a later date.

Veterinary care for animal control is currently provided through a contract with the Central Missouri Humane Society, by Animal Control staff, and by the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center.

Just recently, the Central Missouri Humane Society ended its contract with Boone County and Columbia’s animal control, making 2027 its final year providing services under the current contract. All other providers will continue to provide services, according to a memo from Monday’s meeting.

According to the memo, the Department of Public Health and Human Services plans to request proposals for new non-profit or private organizations to take over these services starting in 2028.

Currently, animal control relies on the Central Missouri Humane Society to house its animals; however, the new facility will bring those operations in-house.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

BOONVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation’s traffic shift on I-70 in Cooper County has been pushed back.

In an email to ABC 17 at 8:19 a.m., A MoDOT spokesperson said the department is meeting with the contractor Monday morning to finalize plans, but they believe it has been pushed to the week of Oct. 29.

An update release will confirm the new start date.

According to a previous press release, the shift was scheduled to start this week.

Westbound traffic on I-70 will shift onto the newly constructed lanes in the median between east and westbound traffic starting west of Missouri Route 5 at Boonville to east of Missouri Route 87.

Due to the shift, the ramps at exits 101, 103 and 106 will be temporarily closed to allow crews to adjust for pavement height differences between the new and current lanes.

The height difference of the pavement at each ramp will determine how long the exits will be closed.

All ramps are expected to reopen around one to two days after the traffic shift.

A set date and time have not yet been announced.

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Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Millions of dollars are pouring into the fight over abortion rights as Missouri voters prepare to decide the fate of Amendment 3 for a second time in two years.

Her Health, Her Future hosted its “Say Yes on 3” rally at Concord Baptist Church in Jefferson City, where speakers shared why they believe voters should repeal the reproductive rights protections approved by voters in 2024.

Five speakers addressed about 50 attendees: Dr. Robert J. Matz, Dr. Wes Fowler, Dr. Doug Richey, Stephanie Jacobson and Tom Estes. State Sen. Rick Brattin was listed as a speaker but did not attend.

Tom Estes, Political Director of Her Health, Her Future, said he believes voters who approved the original amendment were focused on exceptions for difficult situations.

“They were voting for those difficult cases that women were in,” Estes said. “I don’t think they realize that they were actually creating an abortion on demand situation in Missouri,”

A “yes” vote would support changing the Missouri Constitution to repeal the existing protections and establish new restrictions.

A “no” vote would oppose the proposed changes, keeping the current constitutional protections for reproductive freedom in place, like access to abortion up to a certain amount of weeks.

“I’m voting yes for Amendment 3 because I believe it will literally save thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of lives,” said Dr. Wes Fowler, Executive director and Treasurer of the Missouri Baptist Convention.

Stephanie Jacobson, Founder and Director of Bulletproof Alliance, also shared her personal experience. Jacobson said she grew up in the church and had two abortions by the time she was 19.

The rally comes as campaign committees report millions of dollars raised and spent in the fight over Amendment 3.

Thursday was the quarterly filing deadline for political committees to report their fundraising and spending to the Missouri Ethics Commission. The latest reporting period covered July 7 through Sept. 30.

Her Health, Her Future PAC, which is led by Missouri first lady Claudia Kehoe, supports the passage of Amendment 3.

According to campaign finance filings, the PAC raised about $1.7 million during the reporting period and spent about $2.2 million. The organization also reported approximately $797,000 in cash on hand.

“Our opponents raised about 4 or 5 times that amount during their time.” Estes said. “But we’re happy with what we have. I mean, I think that we have more than enough to run a great campaign and there’s still time,”

Meanwhile, the pro-choice group Stop the Ban reported raising about $14.8 million and spending about $8.7 million during the same period, with approximately $9.7 million in cash on hand, according to financial documents.

Tom Bastian, a spokesperson for Stop the Ban, said in an email that the proposed amendment would repeal reproductive freedom protections Missouri voters approved in 2024.

“Anti-abortion politicians continue to try to overturn the will of voters and ban abortion,” Bastin said.

Bastian urged voters to reject the proposal and preserve the reproductive freedom protections approved in 2024.

“Missourians must vote no on Amendment 3 to keep medical decisions with women and their doctors, not politicians,” Bastin said.

Missouri voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to repeal the reproductive freedom protections previously approved or replace them with new abortion restrictions.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Osage Beach woman was airlifted with serious injuries after a crash in Morgan County Saturday night.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the 32-year-old was a passenger in a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro driven by a 37-year-old man from Ivy Bend.

The pair was traveling southbound on Cup Tree Road around 8:50 p.m. The report says the car went off the right side of the road and hit a tree south of Clat Road.

The woman was seriously hurt and flown to University Hospital, according to the report. The man was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital with moderate injuries.

Neither was reported to have been wearing a seatbelt. The car had “extensive” damage.

MSHP does not name victims in its crash reports.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As the November election approaches, Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey is focusing on Proposition L, which, if passed, would establish a sales tax to fund a new county jail, but another ballot measure, which has taken a back seat, could change how a sheriff is removed from office.

Amendment 8 would establish the county sheriff in the Missouri Constitution, but the role is already outlined in state law. While Carey has other priorities this election season, he said he’s against Amendment 8.

“I’m not talking a whole lot about it, because I don’t want to confuse this issue (Proposition L),” Carey said. “I think a sheriff can be removed at a local level.”

Under current state law, a prosecuting attorney can file a removal complaint in circuit court, based on citizen input and alleged misconduct. If Amendment 8 passes, only the attorney general would be able to take legal action to remove a county sheriff.

“I think this was derived from some sheriffs that didn’t do legal things and ethical things, and then they were removed by a local judge. I think some sheriffs have an issue with that,” Carey said.

A county judge is elected by the people living in that area, and Carey said he thinks a person elected by the same constituents as the sheriff should have the authority to remove that person from office if they do something illegal or unethical.

A “yes” vote changes the Missouri Constitution and allows only the Attorney General to file a “writ of quo warranto,” which starts the legal process of removal.

A “no” vote keeps the current removal process, which can be started by the county prosecuting attorney, as outlined by state law.

The full ballot language can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Hundreds of people gathered at Stephens Lake Park on Saturday morning for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s, raising money for research and support services for people affected by the disease.

Sarah Lovegreen, vice president of programs for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Missouri Chapter, said the organization has set a fundraising goal of $195,000 by the end of the year.

“Funds help support research, but also they help support care and support programs here in the community,” Lovegreen said.

Before Saturday’s walk, the organization had raised more than $75,000 toward its goal. Walk coordinator Anthony Burt said donations collected Saturday would not be processed until Tuesday.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 122,000 Missourians ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease. The association also estimates that one in three seniors nationwide dies with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.

“In Columbia, it’s pretty similar to the rest of the state of Missouri,” Lovegreen said. “About one in nine individuals will have Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Across the state, we have 122,000 people living with the disease, and over 220,000 people who are providing unpaid care.”

Age is the most common risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. People 65 and older are more likely to be diagnosed, and the risk increases with age.

Kristan Erdman traveled from Fayette to participate in the walk in honor of her uncle, Mike, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

“I think it’s really important to be here to represent everybody that has family and is caregiving for someone that’s living with the disease,” Erdman said.

Erdman said it has been difficult to watch her uncle navigate the changes brought on by the disease.

“It’s been tough, but I think that he is strong and we are strong as a family,” she said. “We’re going to do everything that we can do to fight for Mike.”

Sisters Marilyn Porter and Michaele Moore were among the approximately 500 people registered for Saturday’s walk. Their mother lived with Alzheimer’s for more than a decade before she died three years ago.

The sisters said watching their mother’s condition decline was difficult, particularly as she eventually lost the ability to recognize them and care for herself.

“To see her go downhill like she did,” Porter said. “She didn’t know us in the end. She couldn’t do anything for herself in the end.”

Porter and Moore said participating in the walk allowed them to honor their mother while raising awareness about the disease.

Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, research continues to advance treatment options. The Food and Drug Administration has approved medications that may slow the disease’s progression, along with drug and non-drug approaches that can help manage symptoms.

Lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, received FDA approval in 2023 for treating early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The antibody-based medication targets beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, which are linked to the disease, and has been shown to slow cognitive decline in eligible patients.

Donanemab is another FDA-approved treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease. Administered through an intravenous infusion every four weeks, the anti-amyloid antibody therapy is approved for people experiencing mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Lovegreen said the organization plans to hold additional events to help reach its $195,000 fundraising goal before the end of the year.

More information about upcoming events and ways to support the Alzheimer’s Association is available through the Walk to End Alzheimer’s website.

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