Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A migrant who was deported from the United States four times was charged with multiple felonies after he allegedly chased a woman on July 22 in Jefferson City, court documents say.

Cesar Garcia-Duarte, 41, was charged on Tuesday in Missouri’s Western District Court with being a felon with a gun, being a migrant with a gun and illegal reentry.

The affidavit says Garcia-Duarte was deported from the country in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018 and had been convicted in 2014 with reentry of a removed migrant.

Court documents say the victim called police at 12:17 a.m. July 22, indicating a man had showed her drugs at a Jefferson City gas station and eventually tried to force her vehicle off the road while chasing her.

The statement says police saw Garcia-Duarte driving in a lane for oncoming traffic on Jackson Street near East Miller Street, alongside the victim’s vehicle. Jefferson City police tried to conduct a traffic stop and Garcia-Duarte stopped his vehicle before taking off, the statement says.

Garcia-Duarte eventually crashed his vehicle on the on-ramp of Highway 54 and his vehicle was found upside down in an embankment, court documents allege. Garcia-Duarte allegedly gave a fake name at University Hospital. Police found a gun without ammunition in Garcia-Duarte’s vehicle, the officer wrote.

Additionally, police also found two ID cards, one with Garcia-Duarte’s name that was issued in 2018 and expired in 2021 that indicated he was from El Salvador, the statement says. On the second ID, police saw it named “Carlos Enrique Ramos” from Mexico and that it expired in 2027, court documents allege.

Garcia-Duarte allegedly admitted to drinking 10 beers before driving his vehicle and claimed the victim asked for drugs, money and wanted to meet with him, court documents say. The victim refuted the claims and told police that Garcia-Duarte approached her at the gas station, started talking, but she did not understand what he was saying, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man accused of shooting two people on July 25 at Douglass Park was booked into the Boone County Jail on Monday night.

Lenn Dukes, 42, was charged on July 28 in Boone County with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of illegal gun possession and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court appearance was held on Tuesday. Police wrote in a Tuesday press release that Dukes was arrested in Lincoln County.

The probable cause statement says two people were shot at Douglass Park at 9:47 p.m. July 25 and one of the victims was found at the Blind Boone Center. The second victim was not found, but a witness told police a second person was shot in their wrist, the statement says.

Officers spoke with one of the victims at University Hospital and he allegedly stated he was sitting at the same picnic table with Dukes before Dukes started “circling” the area, the statement says. The victim claimed he said something to Dukes and Dukes replied, but he did not remember what was said, court documents say.

The victim then heard four gunshots and had injuries to his back and left bicep, court documents allege.

A witness told police that they heard Dukes demand money before firing shots, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe made a last-minute pitch to drum up Election Day support for his signature policy goal — phasing out the state income tax — as he talked to reporters after voting on Tuesday.

Kehoe spoke with a gaggle of reporters outside the Masonic Lodge, where the Republican governor cast his ballot on Tuesday.

Kehoe touted the benefits of Amendment 5, which would phase out income tax in Missouri. Opponents, including many Republicans, say the amendment gives too much leeway for the General Assembly to shape tax collection.

“We certainly, we hope it passes,” Kehoe said of Amendment 5. “We think it’s a great option for Missouri. And if it does [pass], we’ll be getting our work right away with the stakeholders and various farm groups, etc., to find out, uh, what this might look like.”

Kehoe also endorsed Amendment 4, which would make it harder to get citizen-led petitions approved by requiring approval from a majority of voters in each congressional district.

Kehoe is not in a race this August — the governor’s seat will come up for election in 2028.

Polls close at 7 p.m.

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Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County is on track to see voter turnout that exceeds the last August primary election, as major statewide ballot issues draw voters to the polls along with local races, some caused by a shifting congressional map.

According to the Boone County Clerk’s Office, as of 2 p.m., Boone County had a turnout of 23%, including Election Day voters and in-person absentee voters.

In August 2024, that number was 12.7% by 1 p.m. Boone County has just more than 127,000 registered voters.

More than 5,300 people had voted early in the Aug. 4 election as of Friday, while August 2024’s election saw 4,179 early voters in Boone County.

Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon said the numbers this year are higher than average. She has predicted a possible turnout of 40%.

“They are definitely higher than average for a midterm primary. I think the amendments are really driving the turnout for this election,” said Lennon.

LINK: 2026 Voter Guide

Lennon adds, “I think the amendments are really driving the turnout for this election.”

Cole County had seen a 22.6% turnout at about 2 p.m., more than 15,000 voters, said Cole County elections head Matt Musselman. Turnout for the 2024 August election in Cole County was about 34%. He also predicts about 40% turnout.

Included on this primary ballot are Amendments 4 and 5, which would make it harder for citizens to pass statewide referenda and phase out income tax, respectively.

Location of Boone County Polls

Local races are also helping to drive voters out. In Boone County, Columbia residents are voting on a public safety sales tax and a Ward 4 city council member.

In Cole County, residents are choosing a new presiding commissioner and voting on a tax extension in Jefferson City.

Polls are open until 7 p.m.

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Matthew Sanders

Primary Election Day is here — often one of the slower elections in terms of turnout.

But not this year.

Boone County’s clerk is predicting 40% turnout for the August primary, driven in large part by a public safety sales tax vote in Columbia. But statewide Constitutional amendments are also likely to drive large numbers of voters to the polls statewide.

Is that the case with you? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Parking rates in Jefferson City will change during the course of four years after the Jefferson City Council approved changes during its meeting on Monday night.

The council approved the measure with a 7-2 vote. Among several of the changes made was adding Juneteenth as a day for holiday parking exemptions.

Parking rates will change between September 2026-September 2030 to a two-tiered system that will increase rates city-wide to $1, city documents say. It would then eventually rise to $2.10 in designated “premium areas” and $1.10 outside those areas by 2030.

The changes come Sept. 1 of each year.  

Some premium areas include the 300 and 400 blocks of West Main Street, 100 block of West Capitol Avenue, 100 block of East Capitol Avenue, the 200 and 300 blocks of West High Street, 200 and 300 blocks of Broadway Street and the 100-300 blocks of Jefferson Street, meeting documents say.

Monthly parking lot rental rates also increase through 2030 between $6 and $14 per month, depending on the lot. Changes are expected to increase annual revenue by $435,000 by its third year.

2026-08-03 packetDownload

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The judge in an appeals case wrote in a Friday decision that a decades-old murder case that has been reinstated may proceed as scheduled.

William “Chris” Niemet, of Fulton, is charged with first-degree murder in a 1991 death of his classmate in Russellville.

Judge Emily Fretwell had dismissed his charge last month, but Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed an appeal that kept Fretwell “from taking further action” in the case, unless Fretwell vacated the order. 

Fretwell then vacated her order and an arraignment was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11.

A petition in the appeal was denied on Friday and ruled moot since Fretwell vacated the order as requested.

Niemet is accused of killing Greg Jones in April 1991 in Russellville. Jones was 14. Niemet also would have been 14 at the time. Niemet was charged in 2020 with first-degree murder. The trial has been delayed multiple times.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The lawsuit Boone Health filed against the Missouri Heart Center was formally dismissed on Wednesday.

Court filings show Boone Health filed to dismiss the case on July 24 without prejudice.

Boone Health announced the split with Missouri Heart Center at the end of March and subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging breaches of contract, misuse of confidential information and plans to engage in unlawful competition.

A copy of the dismissal can be viewed below.

Plaintiffs Voluntary Dismissal Without PrejudiceDownload

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Ellyse Edwards

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia residents will see higher utility bills beginning Oct. 1 after the Columbia City Council approved increases to electric, water and trash rates Monday night, while delaying a decision on proposed parking rate changes.

The council approved a roughly 6% increase to electric utility rates in a 4-2 vote. Council members Valerie Carroll and Christina Hartman voted against the measure.

According to city documents, the increase is expected to generate an additional $8.6 million to help cover higher energy procurement costs, expiring energy contracts, growing demand and deferred infrastructure improvements.

However, during the meeting, Councilwoman Vera Elwood said she wants the city’s communications department to do a better job engaging key stakeholders earlier in the process after several business owners spoke against the proposal.

The council also unanimously approved a 10% increase to water utility rates beginning Oct. 1.

City documents estimate the increase will generate approximately $3.4 million in additional revenue for maintenance, operations, capital improvements, reserve levels and debt coverage.

“As a part of Stantec’s water cost of service study, a 12% revenue increase was approved for FY 2026; the existing non-summer and summer tiered system usage was eliminated; a revised year-round tiered system usage was implemented; and the fire flow charges were combined with the monthly base charges to simplify the rate structure,” meeting documents say.

The council also approved new trash collection rates that take effect Oct. 1, but amended the proposal to keep rates for Classification 1 customers unchanged. Classification 1 includes residents using the city’s smallest curbside trash carts, while higher classifications cover larger cart sizes that will still see rate increases under the approved plan.

Jason West, communication and outreach supervisor for Columbia Utilities, said the proposed utility rate increases are intended to help maintain city infrastructure and equipment.

“Those rate increases are needed to help with infrastructure needs, maintenance on equipment, the trucks that are being driven to collect recycling and trash, the poles that we need to use and repair and replace for electrical needs, the pipes that are underground for the water system and the sewer system. All of those things require maintenance themselves… That’s where the bulk of these rate increases will go, is to help maintain and be able to stabilize and sustain service for everyone,” West said.

The council did not vote on proposed parking garage rate increases after members voted to table the ordinance and send it back to the Parking Commission for further review.

The proposal would have doubled parking garage rates from $1 every two hours to $1 per hour while reducing free parking from one hour to 30 minutes beginning Jan. 1, 2027. City officials said the additional revenue would help fund more than $1 million in elevator upgrades at the city’s older parking garages.

During the meeting, Niki Davis, executive director of The District, urged council members to reject charging for garage parking on Saturdays.

“We are very much against it,” Davis said. “ Very specifically starting Saturdays being paid in garages. It will hurt our businesses in multiple different ways. We hear about it all the time already. ‘I came in and bought a $10 pair of sunglasses, I got a ticket and now this $10 sunglasses cost however much. ’ “

Councilwoman Valerie Carroll echoed those concerns. Councilwoman Betsy Peters later proposed tabling the ordinance and sending it back to the Parking Commission to consider revisions, including maintaining free garage parking on weekends. Council members said they hope to revisit the proposal before Aug. 17 so any changes can be incorporated into the city’s upcoming budget.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

President Donald Trump has given his nod of approval to a candidate in the District 5 U.S. House Republican primary.

Trump on Monday gave an endorsement of state Sen. Rick Brattin (R-Harrisonville) on his social media site Truth Social.

“Rick Brattin has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Missouri’s 5th Congressional District — RICK WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote.

Brattin is one of several candidates in the primary for the newly drawn Fifth District, including Taylor Burks, of Columbia; Brad Patty, of Fayette; Brett Huffmeier, of Kansas City; Rick Brattin, of Harrisonville; Berton Knox, of North Kansas City; and Micah Beebe, of Lee’s Summit. Incumbent Democrat Emanuel Cleaver is running unopposed in his party’s primary. 

A breakdown of the race can be viewed on our website.

FULL INTERVIEW LINKS: Taylor Burks, Brad Patty, Brett Hueffmeier, Rick Brattin, Micah Beebe

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