Category: kmiz-local-news

KRDO

WASHINGTON (KRDO) — The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed federal charges against Mohammed Sabry Soliman, the 45-year-old man accused of setting people on fire in Boulder on Sunday.

The FBI called it a targeted terror attack, as he allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at people gathered for a demonstration in support of the Israeli hostages. Soliman’s criminal complaint alleges he yelled “Free Palestine” during the attack.

The DOJ is seeking federal hate crime charges, according to court records.

pic.twitter.com/GmmP5VddGr

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2025

“(Soliman) stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” the criminal complaint read. “Soliman stated he would do it (conduct an attack) again.”

According to the complaint, Soliman had allegedly been planning the attack for a year and waited until his daughter graduated to carry it out.

“The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world,” read a statement from Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe.” 

He reportedly traveled from his Colorado Springs home, where he lived with his wife and five kids, to Boulder.

Editor’s note: Previous information from the FBI spelled the suspect’s name as “Mohamed.” The criminal complaint spells his name “Mohammed.” Because a criminal complaint is a legal document, KRDO13 is currently reporting that spelling unless other information comes to light.

Click here to follow the original article.

Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than 20 state employees in the Secretary of State’s Office were laid off on Friday.

According to a spokesperson, 17 full-time employees from the Archives and 5 full-time employees from the State Library were let go.

A letter from Secretary of State Denny Hoskins that was shared with employees still employed stated this was due to recent legislative actions and budget cuts to the office.

“After exhausting all currently available alternatives, we have been forced to make the painful decision to reduce staffing in certain divisions,” Hoskins said in the email. “These decisions were not made lightly and do not reflect the value or dedication of those impacted.”

The Missouri Senate and House passed House Bill 12, which includes 25 full-time employee positions cut from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Conference Committee documents show no other elected officials had positions cut from their budget, except one other position from the Lieutenant Governor’s office.

The Secretary of State’s Office now has 194 employees as of Monday.

Hoskins was elected in November after defeating Democratic candidate Barbara Phifer.

Click here to follow the original article.

Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe issued a proclamation Monday afternoon recognizing the value of self-directed supports.

The proclamation made the city the first in the state to recognize SDS.

Part of a Medicaid-funded program for Missourians with developmental disabilities, SDS is a service that allows individuals to directly hire their own care staff.

“Rather than putting the decision making in the hands of an agency to send their staff out, they become the employer and can direct their care,” Executive Director of Acumen Fiscal Agent, LLC Laura Brownlee said.

“In Columbia and Boone County, many residents with developmental disabilities rely on Self-Directed Supports to remain in their homes and stay engaged in their communities,” a spokesperson from Acumen said in a press release. “The model puts the individual-not -not an agency-at the center of care decisions.”

Acumen has partnered with the City of Columbia in this effort, the release states.

In 2023, about 3,031 Missourians were using SDS to fund their at-home caregivers, according to the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

People with a developmental disability waiver who live in their own home or with family may choose SDS. It can empower individuals with disabilities, as it gives more choice and control over supports. Without the Medicaid option, some of those individuals would likely require inpatient care.

“Individuals with disabilities, like all Missourians, are entitled to the pursuit of happiness, freedom and self-determination, embodying the spirit of independence and choice,” Buffaloe said.

Brownlee said that by formally acknowledging the impact and importance of self-directed care, Columbia becomes a leader in promoting independence and decision-making for people with disabilities.

“Columbia is a city that’s always led with compassion and inclusivity,” Brownlee said.

The SDS program is overseen by the Missouri Division of Developmental Disabilities.

Acumen and the MDDD told ABC 17 News their hope is that within a year, they will be able to connect with Governor Kehoe and make this a statewide proclamation.

The first-of-its-kind proclamation was delivered inside the Council Chambers of Columbia City Hall at 12:15 p.m. on Monday.

Click here to follow the original article.

Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

An 18-month process begins on Monday for the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force appointed by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

The 16-member task force, established by Executive Order 25-14, is looking to modernize the state’s K-12 foundation formula and recommend updates to the state’s foundational funding structure.

Missouri’s school funding formula was last updated in 2005, following its earlier versions established in the mid-1970s and revised in the early 1990s.

The current formula is designed to reflect what is considered necessary or adequate to provide a quality education. To determine that amount, the state analyzed spending levels in high-performing districts that met state academic expectations.

Gov. Mike Kehoe kicked off the task force’s inaugural meeting with a few words of appreciation. Kehoe asked them to develop a new formula that would be sustainable long-term and consider funding for non-traditional public schools.

“The current model is just not sustainable,” Kehoe said. “You can have the best intentions, but if you don’t produce results, that’s what the world’s all about. I think the kids going through our school systems need to know that.”

The task force includes educators, economists, business leaders, and nonprofit representatives. Over the next 18 months, they are expected to review data, explore best practices from other states, and conduct stakeholder engagement before submitting recommendations.

Karla Eslinger, Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said during Monday’s meeting that she feels confident that everyone that’s part of the task force has the same end goal.

“I don’t care if it’s a charter. I don’t care if it’s public, I don’t care if it’s ABC School of Wonderful. I don’t care, I just want great schools for all children,” said Eslinger.

A final report is due to the governor by December 1, 2026. The task force will hold its next meeting on June 23.

Click here to follow the original article.

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri lawmakers reconvened in Jefferson City on Monday for a special legislative session called by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

Kehoe called the special session after lawmakers failed to pass several proposals during the regular session. A total of 17 bills were introduced on day one of the special session.

During a press conference, Kehoe emphasized what initiatives he wants the special session to focus on. One top priority is stadium funding to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri.

The Show Me Sports Investment Act would give the state’s professional sports teams access to state funding for stadium projects through new bonds, but only if certain requirements are met.

The project must cost at least $500 million and involve stadiums with more than 30,000 seats. The state could cover up to 50% of the total cost, and eligible teams could also access a tax credit worth up to 10% of their investment.

The state is facing competition from Kansas, which has offered to fund up to 70% of new stadium costs under new tax revenues. The teams have until June 30 to decide whether to extend their leases past 2031 or move to Kansas.

Senator Rick Brattin introduced Senate Bill 10 during the first day of the special session.

The bill would push back on using taxpayer dollars to fund new or renovated stadiums and propose the “no taxation, no donation act.” The proposal would allow Missourians to voluntarily donate toward stadiums, and depending on how much they donate, they would receive perks like free parking.

The measure would also cap food and beer prices at stadiums to avoid price gouging.

Senate President Pro-Tem Cindy O’Laughin said it comes down to the teams’ owners.

“People want to bring the owners into the conversation, but for them it’s a business decision, but for me it boils down to do you want to make an offer that you think is reasonable, do you want to keep the chiefs and royals, then they have to decide,” O’Laughlin said.

Other priorities to be addressed in the special session include assistance for families affected by recent severe storms across the state. Kehoe wants lawmakers to approve a tax deduction for insurance deductibles paid by homeowners repairing damage from this spring’s storms, including a proposed $25 million in emergency housing aid and a $5,000 tax deduction for tornado victims.

Budget appropriations are also a priority during the special session, including funding for the NextGen MURR project — a proposal that failed to pass during the regular legislative session. The original allocation in House Bill 19 included $50 million for the University of Missouri Research Reactor, but Kehoe is now asking for half of that amount.

Stephen Webber (D) Columbia and Minority Floor Leader Doug Beck are both pushing for more funding for MURR.

Webber introduced Senate Bill 12 on Monday, which he said is similar to the house bill that originally called for $500 million in state projects like MURR.

Webber said the bill passed out of the senate with nearly unanimous support from senators in the regular session, and he’s now asking for an increase in funding for MURR.

“I am filing it at $75 million because if there is going to be a $25 million off of deals made in this chamber, I figure we might as well vary it in the other direction,” Webber said.

Other budget appropriations included in House Bill 19 are funding for a mental health facility in Kansas City and livestock barns at the state fairgrounds.

“We’re hoping to get the full amount for the cancer research, we’re hoping to keep the mental health hospital in there, and then we need that relief for the victims. If you’ve been in North City, it’s troublesome we’re not out there with more resources for these folks,’ Beck said.

Governor Kehoe hasn’t given a specific timeline for when he wants lawmakers to wrap things up, but under the law, special sessions can last up to 60 calendar days.

Click here to follow the original article.

Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Blue Alert was issued Monday morning by the Missouri State Highway Patrol after a police officer was shot in Lee’s Summit.

MSHP put an alert out around 8:45 a.m. after a suspect was named in a shooting in Lee’s Summit.

A Blue Alert is issued after a member of law enforcement is killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.

Officials are looking for Thomas Eugene Tolbert, 27, after he allegedly shot at an officer during a chase.

Lee’s Summit police said officers were called to a domestic disturbance around 11 p.m. Sunday night. The first officer arrived at the scene and while waiting for another officer, they saw Tolbert running from the scene.

Police said the officer was shot multiple times by Tolbert. The officer was taken to an area trauma center with serious injuries.

The Highway Patrol said he left the scene in a car that was found in Grandview, Missouri. The alert also stated Tolbert has a history of aggravated assault and shooting at law enforcement.

The alert was sent to phones in Northwest Missouri; specifically, Cass, Clay, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Platte and Ray Counties.

This is a developing story.

Click here to follow the original article.

Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A St. Louis man charged after a five-hour-long standoff with the Columbia Police Department made his first court appearance Monday.

Octavious Bradshaw, 29, appeared virtually from the Boone County jail in the Boone County Courthouse on Monday.

Bradshaw was charged with second-degree domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and child endangerment.

According to court documents, police were called to the 2700 block of Summit Road early Saturday for a domestic disturbance.

Upon hearing his charges, Bradshaw was confused and asked why he was charged with armed criminal action and child endangerment, claiming he never had a gun.

Police said Bradshaw ran into the house upon their arrival. Officers found a female victim with bruising to her face, small cuts on her face and hands and a chipped tooth.

Officers said the victim told them Bradshaw was intoxicated and got angry with her before he started hitting her. Bradshaw allegedly pulled a handgun and held it to her head. The victim told police she was holding a child, the second victim, when this happened.

While not mentioned in court documents, at court Judge Kayla Jackson-Williams said that Bradshaw’s child endangerment charge came from him threatening the female victim while she held a 17-year-old minor. Jackson-Williams also confirmed in court that the female victim shared a child with Bradshaw.

While trying to leave the home, police said the victim told officers Bradshaw racked the slide of the handgun and threatened to kill her. The victim also said he threatened to kill the second victim.

Court documents state Bradshaw is also accused of pushing the victim into a glass door, along with punching and kicking her while she begged him to stop.

Prosecutors said in online court documents that Bradshaw ran inside the home even though he was told to stay outside. This is when Bradshaw allegedly locked himself inside the victim’s home with the second victim.

According to Jefferson City’s Rape & Abuse Crisis Service, Missouri is ranked third in the nation for domestic abuse cases.

“I think part of it is domestic violence for a long time, and in some parts of the state, but still to this day, is not recognized as a crime necessarily, it’s seen as a family matter and it’s something that stay within the family,” Executive Director of RAC Angela Hirsch said.

Documents stated officers would not go into the home as Bradshaw was armed.

Another person and a second child were inside the home, according to police.

“Oftentimes, we see children caught in the crossfire of domestic violence, the kids that we serve here in RAC who come in to shelter with their non-abusive parents have been physically harmed because they’ve been held during a violent act,” Hirsch said.

Sergeant Ryan Brunstrom told ABC 17 News that when officers arrived, they encountered a female victim and a male suspect who barricaded himself in the residence.

“We called in our SWAT team and our crisis negotiation team were able to basically talk him out of the residence. He surrendered peacefully, no injuries,” Brunstrom said.

Bradshaw came out of the home willingly after a five-hour standoff with police.

He was booked into the Boone County Jail without bond. His bond hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on June 9.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

Summertime is here, and that always means more road work.

This year, a couple of big projects are causing travel headaches in Mid-Missouri. One is the work to improve Highway 54 in Jefferson City, and the other is the project to expand Interstate 70 to three lanes throughout the region.

These projects affected thousands of people on their daily travels to and from work and home or other destinations. Are you one of them?

Let us know by voting in the poll.

Click here to follow the original article.

Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Construction crews are moving into Phase 2 of improvements on Highway 54. Drivers may be affected by road and ramp closures.

Beginning on Tuesday, four ramps will be closed for road work on the stretch of highway near Linden Drive and Stadium Boulevard.

Closures include:

The eastbound off-ramp to Madison Street

The westbound off-ramp to Stadium Boulevard

The Madison Street on-ramp westbound

The Christy Drive on-ramp eastbound

Crews will narrow down that portion of the highway to one lane in both directions.

The Ellis Boulevard Overpass Bridge is also due for maintenance. Local crews will close down that bridge for nightly maintenance Sunday through Wednesday.

These improvements are a part of The Missouri Department of Transportation Bridge Bundle for Jefferson City. The Bridge Bundle aims to address driving surface issues on 11 bridges in Jefferson City, including deck repairs and overlays. MoDOT says the road work will help extend the life of many Jefferson City overpasses.

The Bridge Bundle is expected to be complete by October 2025.

Click here to follow the original article.

Haley Swaino

BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A house fire in northern Boone County Thursday night started in an electric outlet on the back side of the house, Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp told ABC 17 News in an email Saturday.

BCFPD was called to a home in the 14300 block of North Old Number 7, just south of Highway 124, between Harrisburg and Hallsville, at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Around 10:40 p.m., the fire appeared to increase in size. Around 40 firefighters responded to the fire, and there were no casualties, according to Blomenkamp.

Fire crews left the scene around 5:15 a.m. Friday, after battling the flames throughout the night. Firefighters returned just before 6 a.m. to find more smoke coming from the home.

“We did not go back out today,” Blomenkamp said in an email Saturday. “Investigators were there yesterday [Friday] and determined the fire started in a GFCI [ground fault circuit interrupters] electric outlet on the back side of the house.”

Crews battled hotspots for several hours before leaving the scene, according to previous reporting.

Blomenkamp spoke to ABC 17 News on the scene, explaining how difficult it was to put out the house fire due to limited water supply from a lack of hydrants in the area. He said crews were able to get their water trucks refilled and back to the scene in order to maintain operations.

Blomenkamp further explained the difficulty of fighting this house fire on Friday, expressing that it was similar to dealing with four separate structure fires.

“A lot of separate hidden attic spaces and fake dormers that are on the front of the structure. Those are very difficult to extinguish,” Bloemnkamp said. “The roof was on fire by the time we really arrived and got to work. So when the roof’s on fire, it’s hard to put that out from below.”

An ABC 17 News reporter on scene when the firefighters returned saw eight Boone County Fire Protection District trucks, one Columbia Fire Department ladder truck and a Boone Health EMS ambulance.

Flames were still coming out of the home at 10:30 p.m. An ABC 17 News photographer saw three firetrucks, seven service vehicles and an EMS vehicle.

Click here to follow the original article.