Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Moberly has opened applications for its chief of police.

The city made the announcement Wednesday on its Facebook page and included a link to apply. Former Police Chief Troy Link announced his retirement at the end of March.

The city wrote that it would conduct a comprehensive search for its next chief after conducting an internal needs assessment.

“The Chief will foster a culture of trust, officer wellness, and consistent decision-making while advancing a vision of modern, community-oriented policing,” the job posting reads. “The Chief is expected to lead with honesty, communicate effectively, and act decisively in alignment with the department’s mission and the values of the City of Moberly.

The application was posted at 2 p.m. Wednesday and the posting states that it will be open until it’s filled. The salary range is $80,000-$92,000, the job posting shows.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Lake Ozark man was charged on Wednesday in Camden County with sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child pornography.

Zachery Todd Gramm, 30, is being held at the Camden County Jail without bond. A court date has not been set.

According to the probable cause statement, Gramm allegedly abused and photographed a child between March 1-April 16. The youth was interviewed by officials at Kids Harbor House and described a sexual assault and being photographed by Gramm, the statement says.

Gramm allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he took inappropriate photos of the child.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bill is heading to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk that would end income taxes on capital gains.

The Missouri House approved HB 594 on a 102-41 vote Wednesday. The bill, already approved in the Senate, would exempt proceeds from sales of assets from income taxes. The legislation was a priority for Republican leadership in the General Assembly.

The bill could reduce state revenue by more than $500 million, opponents say.

“The new exemption would send hundreds of millions to Missouri’s wealthiest,” the think tank Missouri Budget Project stated in a news release. “[Eighty] percent of this tax giveaway goes to the top 5 percent of Missouri taxpayers, with more than two-thirds going to the top one percent – or those with incomes averaging $1.9 billion a year.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

STURGEON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people were seriously injured in a crash Monday on Highway 22 in northern Boone County, just outside of Sturgeon, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the crash occurred as a 2003 Toyota Avalon – driven by a 39-year-old Sturgeon woman – was heading eastbound when it hit a 2021 Toyota Corolla – driven by a 31- year-old Columbia man – in the eastbound lane.

Both vehicles went off the right side of the road and crashed again, the report says. The man was wearing a seatbelt and the woman was not, the report says. The man was flown to University Hospital with serious injuries. The woman was brought to University Hospital by ambulance, the report shows.

Both vehicles were totaled. A lane was shut down while first responders worked in the area for multiple hours.

Click here to follow the original article.

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools’ Adult English Language Learner program could face significant setbacks as the Trump administration’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget includes cuts to adult education state grants.

The proposed budget includes a 24% cut to adult education funding, reducing it from $642 million to about $486 million.

CPS’s program provides free online and in-person classes for adult students trying to improve their English language skills. The director says these resources are crucial because the program serves hundreds of immigrant, refugee, and working-class families in Mid-Missouri.

“To prepare them for employment, having their children in schools, just the other social stuff that goes into being in a new environment, that’s kinda of what we do. We’re sort of language triage,” program director Noah Siela said.

“These cuts would hit our classrooms, but the ripple effects extend far beyond education. We’re talking about workforce readiness, child success in K–12, and access to health care and jobs for people who are doing everything they can to contribute to their communities,” Siela added.

The program has been serving Columbia for about 20 years and is funded through a combination of state and federal grants. Federal funding pays about 75% of the cost of the approximately $350,000 program.

Siela says the program runs simply and. Part of the grant pays for space and technology, but the majority is used to cover salaries for two full-time staff members, two full-time teachers and a few part-time instructors.

The program serves 200 to 250 people a year and students are required to have a current placement test on file before classes begin. Currently, the program has 150 people on a wait list. But, Siela says that if the proposed budget cuts go into effect, they would be forced to reduce enrollment.

“Teachers would have to be cut drastically, so not only the quality of the program would be diminished, we just wouldn’t serve as many as people as need. I mean, we have to waitlist people as is already,” Siela said.

Students enrolled in the program came from all over the world, Siela said.

“The Middle East, continental Africa and Central America, those are the three big ones,” Siela said.

One of those students, Hui “Vivian” Shi, has been in the program since January and comes from China. She says the program has made a life-changing difference.

“I feel so motivation,” Shi said. “When I first got here in the United States, I cannot understand what they are talking [about] and I cannot join in to talk. I feel sad.”

Shi said the language barrier led to depression and she felt disconnected from society. Her daughter attends an elementary school in Columbia and Shi said the girl’s English improved quickly. But Shi struggled before enrolling in the program.

Siela says there have been discussions about other funding, but nothing is set in stone.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a similar program called Adult Education and Literacy. It provides free virtual and face-to-face classroom instruction in reading, language, mathematics, English language competency, workplace literacy and more.

Adult students also receive preparation for Missouri’s high school equivalency exam

“The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is awaiting further information and guidance from the U.S. Department of Education to understand how these potential budget changes related to Adult Education may impact programs and funding administered by DESE,” the department said in a written statement.

The MU Intensive English Program will close May 31, due to declining enrollment, according to its website.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The REAL ID deadline is Wednesday. The form of identification has been described as something residents need to board planes, though CNN reported that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday those without a REAL ID will still be allowed to fly, but did not clarify how long those without a REAL ID will be allowed to fly.

Have you already obtained a REAL ID? Let us know in the poll and in the comments.  

Click here to follow the original article.

Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Conference Committee on the state budget went to recess less than a minute into hearing and will reconvene at 10 p.m. Wednesday night.

According to Chairman Rep. Dirk Deaton, the committee can not be in conference while session is taking place in either chamber and due to the Senate’s plans on working until 10 p.m.

Both chambers gaveled back into session at 10 a.m.

This comes as the Missouri House of Representatives and the Senate work to finalize the state budget bill while the deadline looms to have all spending bills approved by May 9.

The Senate approved the state’s 13 budget bills, but the House rejected them last week. Because of this rejection, the budget discussions will head to the Conference Committee.

The Senate budget is about $50 million more than the one the House approved. The Senate Appropriation Committee’s plan included $300 million more for public schools than was recommended by Governor Mike Kehoe. The Missouri House of Representatives passed a $47.9 billion state budget on April 3.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Former Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Brian Yearwood is again a finalist to assume the same role at another school district.

The Jefferson County School District in Kentucky shared in a press release on its website on Tuesday that Yearwood is one of its two finalists to lead its district. Yearwood is referred to as Dr. H. Brian Yearwood in the release and the school’s social media.

Yearwood stepped down from his position as CPS superintendent in November and was paid $667,268.90 in a contract buyout. Yearwood was hired by CPS in 2021. He was under contract through June 2027, making about $260,000 per year. Chris Belcher was named the district’s interim superintendent before Jeff Klein was hired.

CPS announced in November that Yearwood would step down immediately “to spend time with family in Texas,” previous reporting indicates. Yearwood announced in August that he had been diagnosed with cancer. That diagnosis was not mentioned in his resignation letter.

Yearwood’s separation agreement with CPS states that he agreed to the mutual public statement between the two parties and cannot make any further public statements.

Yearwood was recently a finalist for a superintendent position in Garden City, Kansas, and at the Christina School District in Newark, Delaware last month.

The Jefferson County press release says the finalists will partake in a pair of public question-and-answer sessions that will be livestreamed on the district’s YouTube page from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, May 20. A second session will occur later in the evening.

“Both individuals have a wealth of experiences and credentials that have prepared them for a leadership opportunity such as the superintendency of JCPS presents,” Corrie Shull, chair of the JCBE, is quoted in the release. “Both individuals are capable of elevating student learning in our district, ensuring students continue to excel and our district will continue to flourish.”   

At a community forum held by Garden City school district in January, Yearwood was asked what his most-vocal critic would say about him as a school leader.

“They would say he doesn’t have much patience for red tape that slows down the process of getting things done to benefit scholars. I’ve had to sort of temper because there, there, there are rules you must follow,” he said in the video. “And again, I’m not talking about circumventing rules or doing anything. That’s not it. But sometimes, when we know something is great for a scholar or scholars or school, sometimes the process gets bogged down.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The incumbent runners in Rocheport’s municipal election on Tuesday retained their seats.

Mayor John Zondca ran unopposed and collected 81 votes. Ward 2 Alderwoman Lois Connor won her election against Roman Clarkson 20 votes to 9.

In the Ward 1 race, Alderman Conrad Yates totaled 28 votes to Sara Lemberger’s 26.

Boone County’s results on Tuesday night showed the race had a 50.6% voter turnout with 84 votes cast.

May 6 voter turnoutDownload

Click here to follow the original article.

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Those without a REAL ID on Wednesday can still board a plane, but a TSA spokesman says it may take longer.

The federal government will require travelers 18 years and older to present a REAL ID or passport when boarding a plane or visiting certain federal offices or facilities.

Transportation and Security Regional spokesperson Mark Howell said the TSA is recommending people who have not yet obtained their REAL ID arrive at the airport three hours before their flight. Howell said those who haven’t yet received a REAL ID will experience extra screening at checkpoints to have their identity verified.

“It’s going to be random and unpredictable, but they’re going to check your ID,” Howell said. “They’re going to ask you for other forms to try and verify your identity.”

Howell said people who aren’t able to present a real ID at the ticket counter will be given a red card and moved to a separate area for additional screening. Delay times will depend on how long it takes agents to verify each person’s identity.

If agents are able to verify your identity, there will be additional random screening done at the check point and people will be able to proceed as normal, Howell said. According to Howell, people with a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification, such as a passport should expect to fly as usual.

Howell said there is a possibility people wont be able to fly if TSA is unable to verify their identity, which is rare.

“We’re going to work with you as best we can,” Howell said. “Bring something that will help us verify your identity in addition to your legacy drivers license. Bring some other documents with you that will help us kind of put those pieces together to verify your identity.”

According to Howell, that can include any other photo ID– even if it’s not on the acceptable list– or any other personal document.

CNN reported that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also said Tuesday those without a REAL ID will still be allowed to fly, but did not clarify how long passengers without a REAL ID will still be allowed to fly. Howell also did not provide a timeline to ABC 17 News.

Dozens of people flocked inside and outside of Columbia license offices on Tuesday, as the deadline to obtain a REAL ID winded down. Some like University of Missouri sophomore Habi Mugisha said he learned about the deadline on Monday from a friend, and decided it would be a good idea to get one.

“I plan on traveling this summer so that’s really the only reason why. I just wanted to get it over with,” Mugisha said.

Alicia Molina said she frequently travels and knew she needed a REAL ID to be able to continue doing so. Molina said she tried to apply for the new identification on Monday, but ran into problems with paperwork.

She said she waited in line for 45 minutes, only to be told she would have to come back, but knew she needed to get one as soon as possible.

“My sister passed away and the funeral arrangements had been arranged so I had to get this (a REAL ID) and get ready for the trip,” Molina said.

According to Howell, 81% of people across the nation have a Real ID or acceptable form of identification.

As of April 24, roughly 45% of Missourians had a REAL ID, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

Click here to follow the original article.