Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No injuries were reported after a fire was reported Tuesday at a Jefferson City apartment building in the 100 block of Amador Avenue.

Firefighters found a fire on an upstairs apartment patio and quickly got it under control before it spread, a press release from the Jefferson City Fire Department says.

The release says the damage was limited to the outdoor patio area.

“Residents are reminded to use caution with any outdoor cooking or smoking that those items be extinguished and disposed of in a noncombustible container on balconies and patios, as these areas can present a significant fire risk if not properly maintained,” the release says.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a mid-decade redrawing of Missouri’s congressional districts does not violate the state constitution, though one judge issued a strong dissent.

In the lawsuit brought by Suzanne Luther against Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, Luther and other voters argued that the map approved last summer by the Missouri General Assembly is unconstitutional.

The Republican-dominated General Assembly approved the new map on a party-line vote after the White House started a campaign to get more House seats from red states and increase the party’s majority. Democratic states followed with their own gerrymandering efforts.

The Missouri map splits up the current Fifth District — a Democratic stronghold represented by Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City.

Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh ruled the map constitutional, with the case then appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court.

“The obligation to legislate congressional districts once a decade does not limit the General Assembly’s power to redistrict more frequently than once a decade,” the majority wrote. “Simply put, ‘when’ does not mean ‘only when.'”

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Judge Paul C. Wilson authored a dissenting opinion, saying the map is unconstitutional.

“Respondents contend the general assembly can draw congressional districts immediately after the apportionment and census are reported to the governor and then come back one day later and redistrict again, and that it may repeat this exercise – with no new census or apportionment – as often as it likes,” Wilson wrote.

“This is not what the constitution says, and it was not what anyone – not the framers, the voters, or more than 70 years of legislators – has understood it to mean.”

The court on Tuesday also issued an opinion that the NAACP lacked standing in its lawsuit challenging the new map.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Amtrak train hit and killed a man trespassing on the tracks Monday night near Sedalia.

The impact happened near Highway 50 and Route TT, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman. The 59-year-old Sedalia man was on the tracks in front of a westbound Amtrak, Cpl. Justin Ewing.

No passengers were hurt, he said.

The train was traveling from Chicago to Kansas City and carrying 143 passengers. The train was delayed about 2 hours and 30 minutes, Amtrak said.

Pettis County Sheriff Brad Anders said two people were crossing the tracks, but only the 59-year-old man was hit.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating.

About 1,000 vehicles go through the crossing per day, according to U.S. Department of Transportation files. About eight trains travel the track during daytime hours, and another seven during overnight hours. The maximum speed at the crossing is 65 mph.

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Jessica Hafner

Missouri has started the spring season with rainfall totals just under 2″ above normal for the first three weeks of March. This wet weather has erased the rain deficit recorded during a drier than normal winter.

The Climate Prediction Center expects the warming trend to continue, forecasting a warmer than normal spring for the region. In Columbia, the average spring temperature is around 54 degrees, but every spring since 2015 has been warmer than average. The city’s average spring temperature has increased 3.4 degrees since 1970, with 16 more warmer than normal days occurring between March and May.

Missouri is coming off an active period of severe weather. In 2025, the state recorded 98 tornadoes, which was significantly higher than the seasonal average of 30. These storms resulted in 16 deaths, the highest number of tornado fatalities in Missouri since the Joplin EF-5 tornado in 2011. Approximately 28% of those tornadoes were rated EF-2 or higher, which is well above the historical average.

The severity of the storms led to five FEMA disaster declarations within the state. Beyond the frequency of tornadoes, Missouri ranked third in the nation for the total number of tornado warnings issued during that season.

Last spring was also characterized by mild temperatures, averaging about three degrees warmer than normal.

We’re currently monitoring a transition from a weak La Nina to ENSO neutral conditions. This shift means sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific will move closer to historical averages. For Mid-Missouri, this pattern typically brings variability as the polar jet stream stays to the north and the subtropical jet remains to the south across the Southeast.

Drought conditions are expected to improve across the region but will likely persist in parts of the Missouri Basin to our northwest. Seasonal river flooding is not expected this spring due to a lack of snow pack in the northwestern portion of the basin. However, repeated rounds of rain and storms may cause temporary water level rises on local streams and tributaries.

The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team expects spring temperatures to land between 1-3 degrees warmer than normal through the end of May. Rainfall is projected to be two to three inches above average for the season. The neutral global pattern is expected to produce more severe weather events than average with quiet stretches in between.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Senate Education Committee heard public testimony Tuesday morning on a bill to codify bathroom use in private schools and a performance-based bill that could affect schools across the state.

Senate Bill 1558, sponsored by Rep. Dane Diehl (R-Butler), proposes that private schools should not be held civilly liable for having single-sex bathrooms and changing rooms.

According to the bill, the only people who can enter single-sex facilities are maintenance staff, emergency medical assistance or parents accompanying children aged eight or younger with school permission.

In addition, local governments are prohibited from passing rules that would stop private schools from establishing single-sex facilities. Any local government that violates the act will cover the private schools’ legal costs in any resulting lawsuit.

Several public testimonies were heard over the course of the meeting. Those who supported the bill were grateful that the bill was put forward and were disappointed that this was even a topic of conversation. Speakers who opposed the bill said that this would be very difficult to enforce and that it would discriminate and exclude transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming and intersex children.

House Bill 2710, sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Henderson, was also up for discussion and proposes new accountability measures for public schools, charter schools, and school districts by creating the “Show Me Success Program” to provide performance-based funding to schools and districts.

There were multiple testimonies regarding HB 2710, both in support and opposition; however, the most consistent concern mentioned was the state-issued standardized test, MAP. Committee members and those who gave testimony agreed that the MAP test is too flawed when it comes to knowing a school’s performance.

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Matthew Sanders

The Mizzou Tigers gymnastics squad has spent another year among the best teams in the country, and that’s where it begins the postseason, as well.

The Tigers earned a No. 2 berth in their regional tournament, which starts next month. If they win there, the team will advance to the NCAA Championship Semifinal, just a step away from a shot at the top.

This marks yet another year where the gymnastics team has been one of Mizzou Athletics’ top-performing programs.

Do you think the Tiger women can make it? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two Wendy’s locations in Columbia have closed, the company confirmed to ABC 17 News in an email.

The locations near the mall on Bernadette Drive and on Ninth Street are no longer listed on the company’s website. The business still has franchise locations in town on Scott Boulevard, East Nifong Boulevard and Clark Lane.

There’s also two locations in Jefferson City, one in Fulton, one in Boonville, one in Osage Becah, one in Macon and one in Moberly, according to the company’s website.

The email from a Wendy’s spokesperson says the closures are part of the company’s “turnaround plan, Project Fresh.” The email says the company plans on “strengthening restaurant performance across the Wendy’s System.”

ABC News reported last month that the fast food business planned to shutter 5-6% of its US locations during the first half of this year. The same article says Wendy’s had an 8.3% decrease in total global sales during the fourth quarter of 2025. Another 240 restaurants were closed in 2024.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

EDITOR’S NOTE: The City of Columbia originally provided the wrong contract cost.

The City of Columbia is looking across the nation for the new leader of its communications department.

According to Assistant Director of Human Resources Heather Russell, the city hired Affion Public LLC to lead the search for its new communications director. The deal is worth $28,000, Russell said. According to Linkedin, the salary for the new job ranges from $110,000- $169,000 per year and 36 people have applied so far.

The city voted to approve the creation of the department during its March 2 after City Manager De’Carlon Seewood presented the idea to the city council in February.

The department will consist of 25 full-time permanent positions and four part-time temporary positions with the hopes of improving communication in the city. According to a presentation from a March 9 City Council work session, the department will work toward the goal of creating consistent citywide messaging by utilizing a “decentralized newsroom approach.”

The department’s main goals include: Enhancing external communication, media and public relations and crisis and reputation management, the presentation states.

The presentation also says that the department would form an updated communication policy and states that all communications will be grounded in the city’s strategic plan. The department will be informed by initiatives such as the city’s annual community survey, community summit feedback and the city’s comprehensive plan, the presentation says.

Ward 5 Councilman Don Waterman said he finds the hiring of a search firm allows the city to broaden its search and ensure that the best candidate is selected.

“There’s a sentiment among some in the community that we don’t communicate well. I think we’re definitely making some improvements like the Let’s Talk Local and other things of that nature…and I think this will just be another step in that direction,” Waterman said.

Waterman also said he’s hopeful the new department will also help the city to better coordinate its messaging. According to city documents, the department will also work to coordinate a monthly communications plan with input from all departments within the city, as well as work to improve the flow of communication across departments.

Documents also state the department will respond to resident inquiries and “proactively share topics of interest to our residents” and create a citywide crisis communication plan.

The creation of the new department comes as the city’s current spokeswoman Sydney Olsen plans to leave at the end of the month. Waterman said the department will be tasked with similar work, but will play a bigger role in coordinating the city’s messaging.

The city used a search firm in 2023 to hire Police Chief Jill Schlude after Geoff Jones retired from the position. The contract with that firm cost the city $60,000. A national approach was also used to hire Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer the following year after the former chief Clayton Farr announced his retirement.

Waterman said he isn’t sure when the new department will officially be in the works in the city, saying that will likely depend on how the search goes. He estimated that it could take roughly six months.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ) 

Missouri election officials have verified enough signatures for a proposed referendum that would give voters the final say on the state’s newly redrawn congressional map. 

The redrawn congressional map,  backed by President Donald Trump, is designed to shift political control in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District, currently represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, potentially giving Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House.

In October, a referendum petition seeking to repeal the redistricting legislation was submitted to the office of Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. Hoskins approved the referendum on Oct. 15, allowing the sponsoring group, People Not Politicians, to begin collecting signatures from registered Missouri voters.

According to the Secretary of State’s verification report, People Not Politicians submitted more than 305,000 signatures, nearly three times the roughly 110,000 valid signatures required under Missouri law. 

“We sort of knew that this day was going to come when we turned in over 305,000 signatures back in December,” said Richard von Glahn, who is the director of People Not Politicians Missouri. “We know that there’s going to be tens of thousands of more signatures that are still waiting to be validated.” 

To qualify for the ballot, supporters also had to meet minimum thresholds in at least six of the state’s eight congressional districts.

According to the Secretary of State’s verification report, that requirement has been met:

1st District: 24,720 valid signatures (15,596 needed) — 158.5%

2nd District: 28,454 valid signatures (21,570 needed) — 131.9%

3rd District: 27,869 valid signatures (20,062 needed) — 138.9%

4th District: 23,843 valid signatures (18,544 needed) — 128.6%

5th District: 24,025 valid signatures (16,700 needed) — 143.9%

7th District: 18,978 valid signatures (18,599 needed) — 102.0%

If ultimately certified by the secretary of state, the referendum would place the map approved by Republican lawmakers last year on the November ballot. Under Missouri’s Constitution, qualifying a referendum suspends the law until voters decide whether to uphold or repeal it.

“This isn’t a Republican issue or Democratic issue,” von Glahn said. “Voters around this state want a democracy that focuses on them and our needs. And so we want to make sure that politicians are accountable to us. And that means that we get to pick them through elections every two years. This was a process in which politicians were trying to pick voters instead of voters picking politicians and no matter what your politics are, you know that’s wrong.”  

Despite the signature milestone, the referendum still faces several hurdles before appearing on the ballot.

The secretary of state must formally certify the results, a process that could continue for months as county clerks review signatures to confirm voter registration and accuracy. The office has until early August to determine whether the petition meets all constitutional requirements.

At the same time, multiple lawsuits could impact whether the measure ultimately goes before voters. One case before the Missouri Supreme Court challenges the legality of the redistricting plan itself, arguing the mid-decade map changes may violate the state Constitution. Another legal dispute has already resulted in a judge ordering changes to the ballot summary language after finding it could unfairly influence voters.

“There’s still some court cases that need to get worked out,” von Glahn said. “We shouldn’t have to be in lawsuits against our officeholders whose job is to simply uphold the Constitution and the process that’s outlined there. Unfortunately, we’ve had to do, and I expect we might continue to do to force them to to do their jobs. But if that’s what’s required, that’s what we’ll do.” 

Von Glahn said the effort drew widespread public participation, with thousands of volunteers helping collect signatures across the state.

“We had over 2,000 people sign up to volunteer within the first two weeks after the legislature passed this map. So we ran trainings  all across the state  multiple times a week,” von Glahn said. “Ultimately, thousands of Missourians went out and did this. Some this was their first time and they might have gathered ten signatures. Others might have been veterans of multiple campaigns and gathered hundreds of signatures.” 

Even with the remaining legal and administrative steps, von Glahn beleives the effort reflects strong public interest in the issue and a desire to let voters decide.

“The important thing about a referendum is it’s just about allowing people to decide,” von Glahn said. “I think it’s very telling that politicians are so afraid of people having the final say.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman has been charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors after she allegedly bit two Jefferson City police officers while she was being detained after a road-rage incident.

Bridgett Tallent, 36, of Jefferson City, was charged on Monday in Callaway County with second-degree assault, two counts of fourth-degree assault and one count of resisting arrest. She is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. A mugshot was not available on the jail’s website on Monday.

The probable cause statement says Jefferson City police were called after noon on Sunday for a reported road-rage incident involving Tallent and a tow-truck driver.

Tallent allegedly drove a vehicle into the rear axle of the tow truck and ran it off the road, the statement says. The driver had allegedly towed a vehicle that belonged to Tallent, the statement says.

Tallent then allegedly sat in the towed vehicle and would not come out when police told her to get out, the statement says. Police had to use pepper spray and Tallent did get out of the vehicle, but continued to resist police, the statement says.

She allegedly bit two officers on their hands before being detained, court documents say.

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