Category: kmiz-local-news

Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Eighty-five ballots separate the “yes” votes from the “no” votes cast for Columbia’s Proposition 1 and there are still some ballots still waiting to be counted in Boone County.

The measure garnered 15,042 votes in support and 14,957 votes against. It is a 1% public safety sales tax that is projected to generate $38 million each year.

The results are still considered unofficial as the certification process does not start until Friday, according to Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon. There remain 62 provisional ballots and another seven ballots from polling places around the county still need to be processed, Lennon told ABC 17 News in a message on Wednesday.

On Friday, the clerk’s office will also learn if they have any military or overseas ballots to count.

The slim margin and remaining votes lingering overhead didn’t stop city officials from sharing their victory sentiments with local media on Wednesday. Police Chief Jill Schlude revealed City Manager De’Carlon Seewood had already emailed her about finalizing the paperwork for a city-owned south Columbia building CPD wants to renovate into a new headquarters.

“I would say 24-to-30 months is what they’re they’re estimating,” Schlude said of the timeline for the new location.

Schlude said the department’s newly established police training academy would also be moved to the new building on Lemone Industrial Boulevard, once finished. The academy is currently in the basement of the Turner Jones Building in downtown and would be repurposed.

“Moving the academy down to the new building, the new remodeled building, and then repurposing that space as kind of a central station,” Schlude said. “It will be a presence that’s tailored to just meet the needs of the central city area with staffing, because getting emergency vehicles in and out of downtown is extremely difficult.”

The current CPD headquarters building is more than 90-years-old. Seewood said Wednesday the city has known of the department’s need for a new building for about 20-years. Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said CFD plans to fully level and rebuild fire stations 2, 4 and 6. Two new fire stations will be announced towards the end of 2027, according to Schaeffer.

However, staffing is the first, and top, priority for both departments with a number of retirements looming.

“We’re hiring 42 people, getting them trained, getting them in the field,” Schaeffer said. “What normal will look like for us is constant training and we’ll have a lot of new faces and it’s going to be like that for probably five to 10 years, it’s going to take a long time to get that experience.”

Schlude said more staffing will help cut down on overtime.

“A patrol number staffing that would allow us to transition from a 12-hour to a 10-hour shift, then start building out the units that we’ve had to either make smaller or just dissolve completely,” Schlude said.

Schaeffer said better staffing would allow CFD to add a fourth person to every truck. He used a Tuesday fire at the new McDonald’s on Providence Road as an example as to why the fourth firefighter is needed.

“It would have allowed us not only to facilitate the evacuation of the people that were in the structure during the fire, but also be able to fight the fire at the same time for people allows us to break into two teams to do two different tasks simultaneously,” Schaeffer said.

Seewood said years of putting off small projects snowballed into the present-day problems that moved the city to push for the sales tax. However, he said city officials did look at other revenue sources.

“Revenues were declining, our revenues weren’t keeping pace with expenditures. In order to address that, you started to cut,” Seewood said. “We looked at maybe a property tax along with a smaller sales tax. There was definitely different ways to get there, all of those cost some type of impact and so this made the most sense.”

Mayor Barbara Buffaloe said asking voters for a sales tax was a last resort.

“It’s really hard to ask people to pay more in taxes, it’s not a popular thing for any elected official,” Buffaloe said. “But it needed to be done, so it was really important to put that that council. That’s why they [the City Council] voted 7-0, was they wanted to put the question to the voters and ask them for their support.”

Across Columbia, sales tax will range from a little under 9% to nearly 10% after the increase.

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, when added to current sales tax rates, areas of Boone County that aren’t shopping centers or districts will have the lowest sales tax set at around 8.97%.

The Columbia Mall and downtown will be at 9.47%. The Shoppes at Stadium has one of the highest sales tax rates at 9.97%. The highest sales tax rate in Missouri is at 12.23% in parts of St. Louis County.

An ABC 17 News reporter spoke with 15 businesses downtown. All of them declined to speak on the increase except for Ian Morgan, owner of Sole Bros.

“It does take a little bit of impact, but I don’t think it’s going to greatly throw people away from shopping, everything’s in the voters’ hands,” Morgan said.

Morgan added that adjusting tax increases is part of business and being a good business owner.

“Our local government is going to do what it’s going to do in order to fund other places in the state and Missouri,” Morgan said. “We’re just kind of one small part of that.”

The tax is set to go into effect in January and the first round of funds will be collected in March, according to Seewood.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two 13-year-old girls were seriously injured in a UTV crash on Wednesday afternoon on Warren School Road in Miller County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the two girls were in a 2013 Polaris Ranger that was heading southbound when it went off the left side of the road, went up an embankment, hit a tree and overturned.  

Neither girl utilized a safety device, the report says. Both girls were brought to Lake Regional Hospital with serious injuries. A girl from Brumley drove the vehicle, while a Lake Ozark youth was an occupant, the report says.

The UTV had minor damage. MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Ellyse Edwards

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The new McDonald’s on Providence Road remains temporarily closed after a fire Tuesday forced people to evacuate the restaurant.

The investigation into what caused the fire is still ongoing. Columbia Fire Department Chief Brian Schaeffer said crews arrived within two minutes and found heavy smoke coming from the building.

“There were vehicles that were in line, waiting for food and to make their orders,” Schaeffer said. “It was pretty chaotic. People were trying to evacuate, and interestingly, people were also trying to go inside.”

Schaeffer said firefighters first focused on evacuating the restaurant and making the area safe while other crews worked to locate and extinguish the fire.

“So their first priority is rescue, and in this case, evacuation,” Schaeffer said. “They evacuated the store, made that area safe to work. Simultaneously, we were putting ourselves in a position to locate and extinguish the fire.”

Schaeffer said the fire was burning inside concealed spaces in the building. Firefighters cut openings into the exterior to reach and extinguish it.

“You’ll see squares throughout the building on that address side where firefighters had to cut into,” Schaeffer said. “They did it in a way to preserve the stability of the structure itself. It gave us access to where the fire was and allowed us to extinguish it.”

Schaeffer said the department’s quick response saved the building.

“The fact that we were able to arrive within two minutes, get the fire exposed from the outside, fight the fire and stop its progress from entering that horizontal space really did save the building,” Schaeffer said. “They were really racing against the clock when they arrived, and they just did a spectacular job.”

Two firefighters received medical attention at the scene after experiencing heat exhaustion, Schaeffer said. He said both later went home and had recovered by Wednesday morning.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Schaeffer said investigators are reviewing forensic information and surveillance video to determine the cause.

In a statement to ABC 17 News, local McDonald’s owner/operator Ryan Ruprecht said, “The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and we are continuing to assess the extent of the damage. Our restaurant remains temporarily closed as we evaluate the next steps, with the safety of our employees and guests as our top priority. We are incredibly grateful to the firefighters and all first responders for their swift response, professionalism, and dedication to keeping our community safe.”

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cases of cyclosporiasis continue to climb in Missouri, with health officials confirming Wednesday that the Show-Me state is among 15 affected states included in the nationwide outbreak linked to lettuce from central Mexico.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Missouri has reported the third-highest number of illnesses in the country, with 568 cases. The CDC said that figure includes people who were exposed through recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico lettuce or at Taco Bell locations, as well as people who traveled to Missouri before becoming ill.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has reported 1,095 confirmed cases statewide as Sunday, an increase of nearly double the previous week’s total. In Boone County alone,  Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services says 96 cases have been reported as of Wednesday. 

Columbia resident Chris Sonksen was one of those reported cases. 

Sonksen told ABC 17 News that he purchased romaine lettuce from the Walmart on West Broadway about three weeks ago. A few days later, he began experiencing symptoms.

“I started getting symptoms about two days after I ate romaine lettuce and I didn’t have the explosive diarrhea like everybody was talking about. My symptoms were very mild, but I did have diarrhea for about three weeks,” Sonksen said. “Then finally I went to the doctor and they did a stool sample and they did confirm today that it was cyclosporiasis.”

While Sonksen’s illness was relatively mild, he said the symptoms persisted long enough that he eventually sought medical treatment.

“I did hear where people got hospitalized, for up to 10 days for it. I did not have that. I just had the diarrhea part of it and really didn’t have a whole lot of other symptoms. The reason why I went to the doctor the other day was because it was just lingering. It comes in waves. It’ll quit for a couple of days and then it comes back again and then it quit and, I knew I needed to get some antibiotics for it,” Sonksen said. 

The experience has also changed the way he shops for produce. Before contracting cyclosporiasis, Sonksen said he was trying to avoid iceberg lettuce. Now he says he is leery of buying lettuce altogether. 

“It does kind of make me hesitant to buy I know it has the last few weeks for sure. Even going forward, I’m still a little hesitant about it. Especially since this happened to me,” he said. “They keep reporting that it was only the iceberg lettuce and I had the romaine and got it.”

The outbreak has also turned deadly nationally. Michigan health officials announced Monday that two people died after contracting cyclosporiasis, marking the first deaths associated with this year’s outbreak. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, both individuals had “significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration.”

The CDC is advising consumers not to eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, including Marketside-brand products sold at Walmart, because the lettuce may be contaminated with the parasite. The recall includes more than 30 chopped salad and shredded lettuce products sold under multiple brand names. 

The FDA is advising consumers to throw away any recalled products or return them to the store where they were purchased.

According to the CDC, symptoms of cyclosporiasis typically begin about a week after consuming contaminated food and commonly include frequent watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, fatigue and, in some cases, vomiting or a low-grade fever. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks or even months.

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Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Voters in Jefferson City approved Proposition 1, a capital improvement sales tax, during Tuesday’s election.

The sales tax won with 75% of the vote and will be renewable in 2036. This half-cent sales tax was first introduced to Jefferson City in 1986 and has been approved every time it has appeared on the ballot.

According to Improve Jeff City, “Sales Tax I will continue to fund critical projects and improvements in the following categories. The sales tax is estimated to generate approximately $79 million over 10 years.”

The estimated $79 million will be split into five categories, with each category receiving a different percentage of the money:

Public works: 59%

Public safety: 20%

Parks and recreation: 10%

Contingency: 9%

Technology: 2%

Improve Jeff City provides a link to YouTube videos detailing these plans. The half-cent sales tax was last approved in August 2021. The newly approved version will last 10 years.

Brad Bates, co-chair for the proposition, said the tax lasting a decade will allow for the city to plan bigger projects.

“That gives the city the option to help plan more and look at bigger projects more down the road. So it’s very beneficial to the community,” Bates said.

Bates said this sales tax has funded major projects,

“You look at the Edgewood extension was funded by this half-cent sales tax, The overpass over Lafayette Street or the federal courthouse was built, was funded through this project. So it’s very beneficial to the community,” Bates said.

A future priority project is the High Street Viaduct, which Bates said is a top priority,

“I would think at the very top, the High Street viaduct has some real structural issues that they that needs to be addressed rather quickly. So I think that’ll probably be the first thing that they tackle.” Said Bates.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The man found guilty of causing the 1993 Missouri flood was given parole during a hearing last week

James Robert Scott, 58, was found guilty decades ago of causing a catastrophe. He is being held at Jefferson City Correctional Center. He was sentenced to life in prison on July 6, 1998.

According to Adam Pitluk, who is a friend of Scott’s and attended the private hearing, Scott has a release date scheduled for July 6, 2028.

Scott’s lawyer James Wyrsch said his team is researching options to work on a possible earlier release.

Scott was accused of causing the West Quincy levee to fail. Scott spoke with ABC 17 News in 2018, where he again denied the accusation.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

After Tuesday’s primary election, heads turn toward November.

An amendment challenging the state’s abortion rules, known as Amendment 3, will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. If passed, Amendment 3 would reinstate an abortion ban statewide.

Multiple contributions have been made this week that triggered the 48-hour reporting window for the Missouri Ethics Commission, which occurs when contributions exceed $5,000.

Former New York Mayor and media mogul Michael Bloomberg contributed $1.25 million on Monday to “Stop The Ban,” a committee that opposes Amendment 3. Before Bloomberg’s donation, the group raised nearly $5 million this election cycle and had $3.65 million on hand, as of the Missouri Ethics Commission report it filed on July 15.

Bloomberg’s donation was posted by the MEC on Wednesday.

Additionally, the Health Forward Foundation out of Kansas City contributed $100,000 on Monday and Ross Boucher, of San Francisco, California, gave $50,000. Both donations were posted on Tuesday.

Political Action Committee “Her Health, Her Future” – which supports Amendment 3’s passage and has Missouri first lady Claudia Kehoe as its treasurer – had raised nearly $1 million, according to its July 15 MEC report. The group had nearly $800,000 on-hand, according to the report.

The conservative PAC had two donations that met the 48-hour reporting threshold after the July 15 report. Conservative Solutions for Missouri PAC, of Clayton, contributed $15,000 on July 23, while Columbian Charities of Missouri Inc., of O’Fallon, gave $25,000 on July 28.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people were charged on Tuesday after they were accused of stealing $1,600 from a pair of cash collector machines at a northeast Columbia car wash on Monday.

Todd Harget, 37, of Edgar Springs, and Sierra Claxton, 30, of Joplin, were each charged with two counts of organized retail theft and two counts of first-degree property damage. They are both being held at the Boone County Jail, with Harget having a $40,000 bond and Claxton having a $25,000 bond. Initial court appearances were held on Wednesday.

The probable cause statements say Claxton drove a Jeep to Lighthouse Car wash on Clark Lane with Harget in the vehicle. The Jeep was allegedly used in a previous burglary at the same location on July 22, court documents say.

Harget was allegedly seen on video using a crowbar on two cash collectors, causing about $6,000 worth of damage and taking $1,600 in cash.

Another probable cause statement for the July 22 incident states Harget caused roughly $7,000 in damage to cash collecting machines and netted $1,100 in cash.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia is holding a news conference on the results of the vote on Proposition 1 — a 1-cent sales tax for public safety that passed with 85 votes on Tuesday.

The final total won’t be certified until next week.

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Melissa Houston

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cole County Jail is holding 14 inmates who have been court-ordered for psychiatric care, but officials are saying they do not have enough facility resources to provide mental health care to inmates.

In a Facebook post by Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler, the Cole County Jail has 160 inmates, and 14 of them have been found incompetent to stand trial. Two of the 14 have been determined permanently incompetent.

Wheeler said that one inmate has been waiting since March 19, 2025, and another since April 19, 2025.

Those inmates have been court-ordered to a Missouri Department of Mental Health facility. However, there is a shortage of psychiatric beds, so those inmates are still located in the Cole County Jail, waiting for a spot in a facility.

Emily Loesch with the Missouri Department of Mental Health said that statewide 560 people are waiting for admission into the DMH. Of those 560 people, 132 are on bond in the community.

Loesch said the average wait time for admission is approximately 14 months.

Wheeler said that the Department of Mental Health provides counseling services to the inmates, but the facility is not staffed or equipped to deliver extensive care to the inmates.

“Our facility is not designed or staffed to provide the level of psychiatric care these individuals require. As a result, several continue to decompensate while awaiting placement in an appropriate treatment facility. Their care requires extensive staff time, specialized attention, and additional resources, placing an even greater burden on an already overextended workforce,” wrote Wheeler in the Facebook post.

Because the jail is operating beyond capacity, Cole County is paying to send 26 additional inmates to outside facilities, which is about $1,300 per day or $39,000 per month.

Wheeler said that those inmates weren’t sent to various counties like Moniteau, Callaway, and Osage. But, to send inmates to stay in these seperate counties it costs Cole County everyday.

“Those organizations charge me so they don’t hold them for free. So, on average, it’s about $50 a day per inmate,” said Wheeler.

As of last year, Wheeler spent around $452,000 to house inmates. He said based on the trends he is seeing this year is looking to cost roughly $502,000 for inmate housing.

“Cole County taxpayers are bearing the financial burden of these delays,” wrote Wheeler.

Wheeler said it is possible to expand the Cole County jail but that would cost more money that they do have.

“I do have an area in my facility that I can build out. Another 160 beds  is what we need to do, but that’s going to cost about $38 million and we’re going to have to go back to the citizens for sales tax to be able to build that out. “

Cole County judges have done their legal duties by issuing the commitment orders, and Wheeler wrote that the issues are not with them.

“The challenge is not with the courts — it is with the lack of available placement and timely action by the Department of Mental Health,” wrote Wheeler.

Wheeler also says that if the 14 inmates waiting to be sent to a Mental Health facility were transferred, that “would significantly reduce costs to Cole County taxpayers.”

The issues for the jail go beyond overcrowding and costs, according to Wheeler. He says it is important to ensure inmates receive timely treatment in places with the resources to meet their needs.

Wheeler said that there are two solutions: first, for the State of Missouri to add more beds for psychiatric care. And second, for the state to pay the jail for the time frame inmates are in jail after they are committed.

Loesch said the DMH is not able to make any further comment on this matter because of pending litigation.

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