Category: kmiz-local-news

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 32-year-old man has died after he was shot near the McDonald’s on Nifong Blvd. in south Columbia Sunday afternoon.

The Columbia Police Department announced that Derek Gonzalez, 32, of Columbia, died at a local hospital after he was shot on Sunday in the 500 block of East Nifong Blvd.

Police said in a news release that officers found two people shot and both were taken to a hospital.

A CPD police officer on scene told ABC 17 News a man and a woman were shot. Police said the woman suffered serious injuries but is now in stable condition.

A person was detained at the scene but was released from custody without charges.

According to a social media post from CPD, there are no outstanding suspects.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw at least 10 Columbia Police Department vehicles, three Boone County Sheriff’s Office vehicles and several ambulances around 12:50 p.m. in the McDonald’s parking lot on Nifong Blvd.

Several evidence markers were also seen in the parking lot of the McDonald’s.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than 30 items are on the agenda for Monday’s Columbia City Council meeting, ranging from million-dollar infrastructure projects to DEI initiatives.

The items are under the “consent agenda” section of the meeting, meaning that the City Council members will not discuss the items and instead either vote on them or move them to a later date for discussion.

According to meeting memos, the majority of the projects fall under infrastructure and public works. The most expensive project being considered Monday is the Henderson Branch extension, a $5.4 million construction plan to add a sewer line west of town. While expensive, supporters argue that it would help with future expansion.

The City is also considering constructing another salt dome on the south side of town. The project costs $4.7 million and plans to help with snow-clearing in the winter by giving salt trucks a second location on the other side of town to refill. Construction would be complete for the 2026-27 winter season, if approved.

A cost-share agreement with MoDOT is also up for vote. If passed, the little over $1 million plan will add pedestrian safety features like sidewalks and signals around the Interstate 70 and Route 63 connector.

Two paid studies are also on the table, one with Black & Veatch for $133 thousand to review costs for a South Side power line project. The review will be used for plans to improve the power line system to prevent blackouts.

The second study would come out of federal grant funding and hires Great Rivers Engineering for $500 thousand to review Business Loop 70 for transportation needs and opportunities.

Also on the docket is an item that would assure that whenever a federal grant is accepted, the City would file “assurances and certifications.” This means the City complies with government-wide requirements. While the bill does mention age, race, and disability, and sex discrimination, critics worry that modern DEI practices will be pushed aside.

Another notable item would make the city a Blue Shield City, an initiative launched by Gov. Kehoe in March that would give state grants to cities for law enforcement training and equipment.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday at Columbia’s City Hall.

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Nia Hinson

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A St. Ann man was seriously injured when his van crashed in Camden County Saturday morning.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the 60-year-old man was driving a 2013 Ford Transit on St. Croix drive just after 5 a.m. The crash happened when his van crossed the center line– went off the left side of the road– and hit two trees.

He was transported by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital with serious injuriess.

The report states he was wearing a seatbelt during the time of the crash.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Saturday marked the second day of commencement ceremonies on the University of Missouri’s campus, celebrating the accomplishments of students in multiple fields.

Roughly 6,000 students are expected to graduate from the university this weekend. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate held steady at 4.2% in April. While unchanged from previous months, it is slightly higher than it was in May of last year.

Among this year’s graduates is first-generation student Noe Damia, who says the workforce can be intimidating, but he’s ready for it.

“I think it’s really scary, but I think it’s also really exciting to finally, like, get into the real work after, like all these 14 years of studying and all that,” Damia said. “So, I think it’s pretty, pretty overwhelming, but pretty rewarding as well.” He plans to begin an internship after graduation.

The unemployment rate for recent college graduates with a bachelor’s degree currently sits at 15.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, several Mizzou graduates already have plans in place.

Jordyn Gegg, a graduate from the Trulaske College of Business with an emphasis in Finance and Real Estate, is launching his professional journey close to home.

“After graduation, I’m happy to be working on my real estate investing business here in Columbia,” he said.

Some graduates are continuing their education. Madelyn Williams, who earned her degree in Agriculture, plans to attend the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine and hopes to pursue a career in equine medicine.

Others are headed abroad.

Audrey Cousins, a Communications graduate, said that she will be moving to the Philippines for the next three years to join the staff team of a ministry organization.

The healthcare industry added 51,000 jobs in April, closely aligning with its monthly average of 52,000 over the past year. The federal government employment continued to decline, dropping by 9,000 jobs last month and down 26,000 since January.

Out of the 1.2 million graduates aged 20 to 29 who earned their bachelor’s between January and October last year, nearly 70% had secured employment by October 2024.

The unemployment rate for recent college graduates with a bachelor’s degree is at 15.3%, and 8.4% for those with advanced degrees.

The number of people who have been jobless for 27 weeks or more increased from 179,000 to 1.7 million. Long-term unemployment now accounts for 23.5% of all unemployed people.

The highest unemployment rate in the past 20 years was recorded in April 2020 at 14.8%, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Graduation ceremonies at MU are expected to wrap up by Sunday afternoon.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three honorary degree recipients received Doctorates of Science from the University of Missouri this spring.

This year’s recipients are Harriet Haynes, James Nave, and Stuart Wesbury.

Haynes graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s in Nursing and focused on psychology and mental health professionally. She served as Director of the University of Minnesota’s Counseling and Consulting Services for 15 years and president of the Minnesota Psychological Association.

Nave is also a University of Missouri alumnus, receiving a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Nave served in the Vietnam War as a captain after receiving his degree and earned a Bronze Star. He was president of the Nevada Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Wesbury studied at Temple University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Florida, pursuing health care administration. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service and as director and professor in MU’s graduate program for health services management.

Saturday’s commencement ceremonies cover Arts and Sciences, Health and Medicine, Law and Agriculture.

College of Arts & Sciences (divided by major) – 8:30 a.m. and noon at Mizzou Arena

School of Medicine – 11 a.m. at Jesse Auditorium

School of Law – 2 p.m. at Jesse Auditorium

College of Health Sciences – 3:30 p.m. at Mizzou Arena

College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources – 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena

According to the university, 6,428 degrees will be awarded this weekend. Around 4,500 will be bachelor’s degrees, around 1,000 will be master’s and education specialist’s degrees, and a little under 700 will be doctoral and professional degrees.

Traffic is expected to be heavy and guests are asked to follow graduation policies during ceremonies.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Sedalia man was charged with several felonies after he allegedly shot into a home while trying to shoot a man who was driving.

Jubyris Jordan, 30, was charged with first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, illegal gun possession, misdemeanor illegally shooting a gun and misdemeanor second-degree property damage. An arraignment was held on Friday.

The probable cause statement says that Jordan got into an argument with the victim at an apartment building and hit the victim’s truck with a pole as he drove away. Witnesses heard yelling before seeing Jordan hit the truck with a pole, the statement says.

The man then noticed Jordan driving behind him on West Broadway Boulevard in Sedalia, the statement says. Jordan allegedly followed him for several blocks before firing two or three shots, the statement says.

Two bullets hit a nearby house occupied by a family, with one going through the wall of the home and into the living room, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Eighty members of Missouri Task Force 1 are heading to St. Louis to help with storm damage recovery.

Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp confirmed through text message that Task Force 1 will soon head out to St. Louis, which saw significant damage from storms.

St. Louis officials had confirmed during a press conference that at least five people were dead and more than 5,000 homes were damaged after severe storms hit the area on Friday.

Task Force 1 is based at the Boone County Fire Protection District Headquarters. The task force had been deployed within the state twice last month after flooding and tornadoes damaged a southeastern Missouri town and Pilot Grove in Cooper County.

Task Fore 1 later stated in a press release that members who are already based in the St. Louis region are on scene “conducting advanced area reconnaissance in the hardest-hit neighborhoods.”

The remainder of the 80-person team, including a four-member the Disaster Situation Awareness and Reconnaissance team will leave Boone County by 10 p.m. and are expected to arrive by midnight.

“This deployment prioritizes search and rescue operations in North Saint Louis City, where the tornado caused the most severe damage. The advanced element will respond directly to the impacted zones, while the main body of the team will report to a designated City of Saint Louis Fire Department staging location,” the release says.

Included in this deployment are six live-find K-9 units, four human remains detection K-9s, task force leadership and structural engineers and more than 100,000 pounds of equipment.

Ameren’s outage map shows a significant number of people without power in the St. Louis areas, with St. Louis County seeing 45,342 customers without power; St. Louis City having 40,103 and Jefferson County totaling 11,568.

Check back for updates.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The North Callaway Fire Protection District is down 13 people after the department’s board of directors voted to fire the current fire chief and another volunteer.

“[The Board] was regrettably forced to vote to terminate the current fire chief and another volunteer after several months of attempts to address unacceptable behaviors,” the Board’s lawyer, Frank Flaspohler, said in a written statement.

Former department lieutenant Lucas Stassel joined in resigning from the FPD, who left Friday after a public meeting was canceled for lack of sufficient notice.

Stassel, who has worked with the department for over 10 years, said the initial firing happened Tuesday. He said the board wanted to allow members of the department to talk during a board meeting on Thursday, which was cancelled since meetings must be reported within 24 hours of notice.

“I’m furious beyond words. They lied to us,. They said that they were going to give us an opportunity to come in at a board meeting and talk. They did not give everybody that option,” Stassel said. “I am so sorry to the community.”

Stassel adds that the firings came with no warning, leaving personnel in the dark on what’s next and the updated chain of command. Additionally, two months ago, the chief was given a positive review from the board with no actions needed.

“What was explained to me was that they had an option: either they retired now or they’d be fired. No other indications on what happened, why it happened, nobody will tell us anything,” Stassel said.

Flaspohler wrote that the department followed policies and procedures. He also says fire protection coverage will continue through additional volunteers and mutual aid from neighboring departments.

The board is also beginning recruitment efforts for the fire department and invites anyone over the age of 18 to apply.

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CNN Newsource

By Mary Gilbert, Emma Tucker, Taylor Ward, Zoe Sottile, CNN

(CNN) — A storm that produced a tornado in the St. Louis area Friday afternoon has left at least four people dead and at least ten injured, according to local authorities.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed the four deaths at a Friday news conference. Ten patients are being treated at St. Louis’ Children’s Hospital, with one in “critical condition,” hospital spokesperson Laura High told CNN.

The deaths follow an incredibly dangerous day of severe thunderstorms, including the potential for long-lasting, powerful tornadoes and hurricane-strength wind gusts in the eastern half of the United States.

The threat of tornadoes and damaging winds escalated Friday after the same system produced destructive storms and tornadoes in the Midwest and Great Lakes Thursday.

It’s all part of a multi-day threat of widespread severe weather that will stretch into early next week.

Here’s the latest:

Storms are underway: Severe thunderstorms are moving through parts of Missouri and Illinois with more storms expected to develop in the region through the afternoon and evening. An “extremely dangerous tornado” tracked through part of St. Louis Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said it was “aware of damage throughout the City.” More than 100,000 customers are without power in Missouri, mostly in the eastern part of the state, according to PowerOutage.us.

Severe weather outbreak expected: Nearly 9 million people from Missouri to Kentucky are under a level 4-of-5 risk of severe thunderstorms Friday with extensive wind damage, large hail and tornadoes possible. “Several strong tornadoes are expected and a long-track, high-end tornado will be possible,” the Storm Prediction Center warned.

Extensive wind damage possible: Friday’s storms will form in an “exceptionally volatile environment,” the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, warned. These storms will have a high threshold for damage and could produce widespread damaging wind gusts stronger than 75 mph starting in the early evening.

Tornadoes and wind cause widespread damage: Thursday’s powerful storms left nearly 400,000 homes and businesses in the dark across multiple Midwest states Friday morning as communities deal with the aftermath. Wisconsin’s Dodge County was hit particularly hard. Significant damage was reported in the county and at least one person was taken to the hospital with injuries.

Powerful storms are roaring to life

The atmosphere is supercharging a new round of severe thunderstorms after stormy weather that stretched from Arkansas to Kentucky Friday morning cleared out of the area.

Those morning storms shifted east into parts of the Appalachians in the early afternoon, leaving the door open for explosive thunderstorm development across the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.

“A regional outbreak of severe thunderstorms is likely this afternoon into tonight,” the SPC warned Friday, adding some people in the path of storms will see “intense supercells.”

More than 70 million people in the eastern half of the US are under at least a level 2-of-5 threat of severe thunderstorms on Friday, but the greatest risk of long-lasting, EF3-plus tornadoes and widespread damaging winds is centered on parts of the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.

“All severe weather hazards are on the table, including damaging winds, large hail, tornadoes, and torrential rainfall,” the National Weather Service in Louisville, Kentucky, warned. “A few strong tornadoes and instances of very large hail are possible.”

Severe thunderstorms in Missouri and Arkansas in the afternoon were already posing a tornado and hail risk, with additional storms expected to develop from Texas to Illinois. Storms will expand rapidly in scope as they push east. Initial storms are those most likely to become supercells capable of producing tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and large hail.

That threat will continue into the evening before some storms start to form unbroken lines. The wind threat will increase once storms form lines, with gusts stronger than 75 mph and damage possible over hundreds of miles.

Dangerous storms could continue after dark, particularly in parts of Kentucky and areas east. It’s a threat to be especially mindful of as nighttime tornadoes are nearly twice as likely to be deadly as those occurring during the day, a 2022 study found.

Severe weather leaves damage across Midwest

At least 11 tornadoes were reported in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan as thunderstorms roared through the Midwest Thursday.

Significant damage was reported in Dodge County, Wisconsin, as a cluster of storms around the county prompted shelter-in-place alerts and displaced residents, according to Sheriff Dale Schmidt.

One person was taken to the hospital with injuries in Juneau, the sheriff said Thursday, adding there “may have been another minor injury or two that occurred.”

Many streets and highways in the county are closed due to downed power lines and trees, Schmidt said. Multiple homes in Juneau were damaged and at least one house suffered a roof collapse. Everyone inside was able to get out safely, he added.

Powerful winds also roared through multiple states. A weather reporting station on Lake Michigan near Chicago’s Navy Pier recorded a hurricane-strength wind gust of 79 mph in the evening.

Storms also slammed into Michigan, taking down trees and power lines while damaging homes and businesses.

Multiple areas suffered “structural damage” in western Michigan’s Allegan County, according to the sheriff’s office. Martin Township was among the places impacted: Storms caused “vast amount of damage,” with many downed trees and power lines, though no injuries had been reported as of Friday, according to Martin Township Fire and Rescue. Firefighters responded to 34 calls overnight, the agency said.

More than 300,000 homes and businesses across four Midwest states were still without power Friday afternoon, including more than 200,000 in Michigan, according to PowerOutage.us. Michigan utility company Consumers Energy said assessments on power restoration are still waiting to be made, according to CNN affiliate WNEM.

Damaging storm risks persist for days

Severe thunderstorms are possible in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Saturday as the same storm driving Thursday and Friday’s threats pushes east. Damaging wind gusts and hail are the greatest threats for now, but a tornado can’t be ruled out.

New storms could bring damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes to parts of the southern Plains starting Saturday afternoon.

The Plains will remain the main focus of severe weather on Sunday and Monday as well, with damaging storms possible in much of Oklahoma and Kansas. The severe thunderstorm threat will then shift back into parts of the Mississippi Valley on Tuesday.

More details about the exact risks these storms will pose and the populations under threat next week will become clear in the coming days.

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