Category: kmiz-local-news

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the state asking the judge to reject the referendum that would put Missouri’s new congressional map on the ballot.

The state sued “People Not Politicians” in an effort to prevent the group from getting a question about a redrawn congressional map on the ballot. Lawmakers recently pushed forward a map that would redraw lines determining who would represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives.

According to Judge Zachary Bluestone’s decision, the lawsuit doesn’t have standing in federal court, noting that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins can reject the referendum during post-submission review.

 “Critically, PNP concedes that Plaintiff Denny Hoskins has the authority as Secretary of State to reject their petition as unconstitutional during postsubmission review and to defend that decision based on the very same constitutional arguments the State advances in this case,” Bluestone wrote in his decision. “Moreover, PNP agrees that, absent a successful court challenge, this determination would obviate the need for signature verification, publication, or a vote, and it also would prevent the displacement of the new map—the only redressable harms the State identifies.”

Once People Not Politicians — the group backing the referendum — submits its final petition, Hoskins must review the legality and verify signatures, Bluestone writes. If approved, Hoskins will have to hold a public hearing and take comments, prepare the ballot initiative and publicize the referendum.

Bluestone also wrote in his decision that the governor’s “Missouri First” Map is frozen until after the referendum, “which could significantly disrupt the 2026 elections.”

This decision also comes three days before the deadline for People Not Politicians to submit signatures.

Republican lawmakers had suggested redrawing lines sooner than the state’s typical period of every 10 years after it was requested by President Donald Trump ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Critics of the map have called it gerrymandering and it is expected to give Republicans an additional lawmaker to represent the state. The area at the center of the discussion is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver.

This comes hours after a Cole County judge heard arguments in another court case People Not Politicians filed against the state. The group argues the state violated Sunshine Law because Hoskins didn’t approve the referendum for circulation until after the governor signed it.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman recently spent $60 on lottery tickets and ended up taking home a $2 million prize.

A press release from the Missouri Lottery says the scratcher ticket was bought at the Casey’s location at 326 Morely St. in Moberly.

The lottery winner – who was not named in the release – won $60 on a scratcher previously and used that money to buy the winning ticket.

She played the ticket while in her vehicle at the station and brought it back into the store to have the cashier double-check if she did win, the release says.

“He turned the screen around and showed me the $2 million, and I just started shaking and crying!” the unidentified winner was quoted in the release.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council during a Monday work session called into question the value of recent public safety meetings with University of Missouri System President Mun Choi.

During the discussion, City Council officials confirmed meeting with Choi in two prior meetings. However, members voiced concerns at the meeting structure that barred the public and limited contact with the council to only a few members.

Members also allege that leaders from Stephens and Columbia College have also not been at the meetings. Choi also met with Gov. Mike Kehoe last week to discuss public safety and a number of city leaders noted they were not invited.  

“They are at the beck and call of Mun Choi, we aren’t able to make them open, we aren’t able to have counsel there, which means the vast majority of us have no idea what’s going on,” Ward 2 Councilwoman Vera Elwood said. “He is making claims about my ward and then I’m not getting an invite to the table.”

Tensions over public safety in Columbia began after Choi started asked city leaders to crack down on crime after a Stephens College student was shot and killed in late September. With Choi then sent an 11-step action plan to officials.

City officials during Monday’s meeting added that no council action has been made to adopt the 11 suggestions.

“They are things that have been happening for a long time and now there is suddenly an idea that it’s only happening because he stepped into the conversation,” Elwood said. “That power is being taken away from our staff and the efforts that they’re putting into it.”

“We need to find a way to get him in our circle and be collaborative, but he’s not reciprocating that,” Ward 3 Council Member Jacque Sample said.

According to City Manager De’Carlon Seewood, public safety has been the highest priority for the city with more than 50% of the city’s general fund going to police and fire operations. The city will also fully staff the Columbia Police Department at the graduation of the upcoming class.

“We have additional police officers downtown, in addition to that, they’re doing more proactive work,” Mayor Barbara Buffaloe said. “We have more officers issuing like Class B misdemeanors citations for things.”

The Columbia Police Department’s Crime Trends Dashboard has reported crime has gone up by nearly 50% since 2024, however the city says the upward trend is due to heavier police police presence and not increased offenses.

“We start driving the doggone bus instead of it being driven over us, because that’s (what) I think (is) three-quarters of the frustration in this room, because we feel like somebody else is driving the bus,” Ward 5 Councilman Donald Waterman said.

Other public safety suggestions brought up Monday include closing off major streets to traffic and parking and implementing metal detectors on Friday and Saturday nights, banning sales of $1 alcohol shots and implementing a curfew.

Seewood added that the alcohol restrictions were something the city could do. Members of the city as said CPD Chief Jill Schlude was opposed to a curfew.

“She couldn’t enforce it, there’s no way to enforce it, I mean the kids aren’t willing to do it and the parents aren’t willing to support it,” Ward 6 Councilwoman Betsy Peters said.

During the meeting, the city leaders shared that Choi voiced interest in a January meeting but no formal request has been made. Buffaloe is also scheduled to meet with Kehoe in January.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Fire Department responded to three fires in three days over the weekend, two of which have not yet had their cause determined.

Mores Boulevard barn fire

Firefighters started off their weekend responding to a fire in the 1600 block of Mores Boulevard on Saturday. CFD received calls from people in the area around 1 p.m. who reported seeing a large amount of smoke in the area. Chief Brian Schaeffer told ABC 17 News on Monday that firefighters were unsure of what was on fire when they arrived on scene.

Schaeffer said they eventually determined it was an older, unoccupied barn with historic value that had already burned down and was beginning to spread into the woods. Crews were able to contain the fire from expanding, but the barn is considered a total loss.

No injuries were reported in the fire and the cause is undetermined. Schaeffer also said there were not any witnesses of the fire that he is aware of.

The burning of the historical barn has sparked outrage and calls for more answers from some in the community on social media, including from Columbia resident and mayoral candidate, Tanya Heath.

“The fact that it survived the civil war, the depression, World War II, and Vitenam and it burnt on a Saturday morning in the winter time, is just very sad,” Heath told ABC 17 News on Monday. “It’s sad for the family. It’s sad for the community and it’s sad for the historic nature of the barn.”

A Columbia firetruck at the scene of a fire on Mores Boulevard on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. [KMIZ]

StorageMart fire damages 14 units

The following day, firefighters were called at 12:30 p.m. to a structure fire in the 2500 block of West Worley Street.

Schaeffer said there was a large amount of smoke in the area that initially appeared to be coming from the Dick’s Sporting Goods. However, it was determined the fire was coming from the StorageMart facility behind the store.

According to Schaeffer, there were 30 units within the building that had caught fire. However, firefighters were able to contain damage to 14 of those.

“There were a lot of tactical challenges for us. The site was very secure, so our truck companies had to force entry and we laid about a little over 1000 feet, four inch large diameter supply line which when it’s charged is extremely heavy,” Schaeffer said.

No one was injured in the fire and the Columbia Police Department is handling the investigation, which Schaeffer said is standard.

“We’re focused clearly on the cause of the fire and where the fire originated. The police department is responsible for the criminal investigation. They assume everything is criminal until it’s determined not to be so,” Schaeffer said. “The video footage, the access logs, any interviews that may have taken place, that’s the responsibility of the police department….in this case, our cause and origin has already been completed.”

Schaeffer said the two agencies will continue working together to determine the cause, which could potentially take weeks to nail down.

In a statement sent to ABC 17 News via email on Monday afternoon, Senior Vice President of Marketing Sarah Little said the fire affected approximately 20 units. Little said all of the affect customers have been contacted.

Little said the business is cooperating with the fire department who is working to determine the cause.

According to Little, the fire began shortly after a tenant briefly visited their unit to retrieve their items. However, that person was no longer at the property when their unit caught fire.

“We never expect accidents to happen, but are prepared in the event they do. StorageMart offers supplemental coverage, and those who were enrolled in that program may submit a claim by contacting our property manager at 573-556-8423,” Little wrote. “We also encourage customers to review their homeowner or renter insurance policies for potential off-site coverage.”

Worley Street fire deemed accidental

The final fire occurred early Monday in the 1400 block of West Worley Street, and shut down the road for about an hour.

Schaeffer said firefighters received calls from residents who said they smelled smoke just after 4 a.m. Crews found fire coming from the attic of the home and were able to put the fire out within 10 minutes. The fire was ruled an accidental electrical fire.

“Firefighters aggressively searched and determined that occupants were present and met us outside and they worked with our partners to keep them warm while we removed some of the ceiling, went in and extinguished the fire that was in the attic,” Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer said the home is not considered a total loss, but the ceiling sustained significant damage.

One person was evaluated on scene, but denied medical care.

Firefighters on the scene of a house fire on West Worley Street on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.

Fire officials urge caution during colder months

The No. 1 cause of fires in Columbia remains cooking fires, but firefighters say during colder months, they start to see an increase in other kinds of fires.

One of those includes people using portable heaters to try and heat their homes as temperatures drop. However, problems can occur when people use these too close to combustibles. Schaeffer said he encourages people to ensure their heaters are at least three feet clear in all directions.

People should also opt to buy heaters that turn off automatically when they are knocked over, especially if they have larger dogs. Schaeffer also said they tend to see more children and dogs receive burns from heaters during colder months.

Schaeffer also encourages people to have their chimneys cleaned and inspected, as crews tend to respond to chimney fires as the temperatures drop as well.

“It doesn’t take very long for that carbon monoxide to accumulate and carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and can truly kill kids and families very quickly,” Schaeffer said. “Make sure that your alarms work and that includes smoke alarms outside of every living space on every floor and then the carbon monoxide to be that second set of eyes and nose for you.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Danville man was charged with 10 felonies after he allegedly tried to attack his family on Sunday in Montgomery County.

Trysten Jones, 20, was charged with three counts of first-degree domestic assault, one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, three counts of unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of armed criminal action. He is being held without bond, though a mugshot was not immediately available. A bond review is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The probable cause statement says law enforcement was called at 6:53 p.m. Sunday for a report of an attack with a knife. Jones allegedly tried to break down the door of a room where three victims, including a 6-year-old, were hiding.

Jones had run away from the residence by the time law enforcement arrived and deputies found a knife stabbed into a kitchen island, the statement says.  

One of the victims told deputies that Jones had been asleep on a couch, woke up and yelled at and shoved the 6-year-old before grabbing the knife, the statement says. One of the adult victims then grabbed the child and barricaded themselves in one of the bedrooms while Jones tried to break down the door, the statement says.

Jones apparently stabbed a hole in the door, the statement says. Jones left when he heard one of the victims call law enforcement, the statement says. The family came out of the room after one of the victims looked through the hole in door and saw Jones leave the home, the statement says.

Deputies learned Jones ran to another family member’s home and a short standoff occurred before deputies were able to make an arrest, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Stover woman was charged in Morgan County after she was accused of choking a youth on Friday morning.

Stacy Jackson, 52, was charged with child abuse and giving marijuana to a child.  She is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $150,000 bond. An arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The probable cause statement says Jackson choked a child on Friday morning after multiple youth in a residence were not ready for school.

Jackson seemingly admitted to putting her hands on the victim’s neck and throwing them to the ground and claimed it was a “disciplinary action,” according to the statement.

Jackson was then accused of repeatedly giving marijuana to youth in the residence, court documents say.

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Mitchell Kaminski

MONTGOMERY CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Hundreds of people attended a townhall on Monday evening at Montgomery City Elementary School to once again voice their concerns over proposed data centers suggested for the county.

The meeting followed a contentious County Commission session last Thursday, during which dozens of residents packed the commission room to protest the project, known as Project Green.

A panel made up of the county chair, representatives from Ameren, the Greater Montgomery County Economic Council, school district and a local wastewater representative fielded questions from a crowded gymnasium on Monday evening from concerned residents.

Though a lot of questions were asked, many who attended the meeting felt the panel failed to answer them.

“They really don’t give any answers. It’s like, ‘We really don’t know,’” area resident Jan Seper said.

The meeting began with an official alleging mthat isinformation about the project had been pushed.

“I think there’s a lot of information out there that’s not accurate, that gets people really nervous about change in development,” Steve Etcher, of the Greater Montgomery County Economic Development Council, told ABC 17 News. “There are so many economic values this project brings. We’re talking thousands of construction jobs for multiple years. We’re talking hundreds of permanent jobs for our graduating students out of the local schools. We are talking tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue. We will increase the county tax revenue for taxing jurisdictions by a factor of many multiples from a factor of two in the initial phases to a factor of ten . By the time we get full buildout, what you can do then with that revenue is create this dynamic community with excellent service education systems that are just, you know, top of the line.”

An Ameren representative said says no rate increase has been requested yet and while it doesn’t have an estimated watt usage, Ameren claims it is looking at what they can do to make sure the data center doesn’t affect customers.

The Missouri Public Commission recently approved an agreement — that involved Ameren – which puts new rules on “large load customers,” or large-scale operations, that use 75 megawatts or more of energy per month. This includes data centers that help train and run artificial intelligence models.

When asked about potential water usage, officials again did not have an exact number but estimated it would be close to 100,000 gallons a day. 

The lack of information frustrated residents who felt like the county should not be this far ahead on the project without having all the information; which is why many in attendance called for a moratorium.

“If we try to put a moratorium in right now like you’re wanting to do, and the lawsuits will fly,” County Commissioner Ryan Poston told the town hall.

The Montgomery County Commission has received an administrative review confirming land approval for the proposed data centers near the I-70 and Highway 19 interchange.

Project Green is being led by NorthPoint Development LLC, a Kansas City real estate company. Steve Etcher with the Greater Montgomery County Economic Development Council said Amazon plans to build a data center just north of I-70 between New Florence and High Hill.

The project would cover about 1,000 acres and include four initial buildings, with 13 more planned in a second phase. Power would come from Ameren under its new “large load tariff” model, and water service would come from the Montgomery County Public Water District.

While the Amazon project has received the bulk of the attention, a separate proposal, Project Spade, comes from a New York–based company, Spade Property Owner LLC. That data center campus would cover about 780 acres and include three primary buildings, each exceeding 1 million square feet. Plans also call for a security station, a visitor center with parking, a pump house and a water-filtration building.

Building permits have not yet been secured, according to the County Commission. The next step in the process is the purchase of the land.

Test wells have already been drilled in the county with officials hoping to break ground on the data center in early 2026. 

“I would hope that we could see some activities on power line and power infrastructure being built in January, side grading shortly thereafter, and building construction as soon as weather permits,” Etcher said. “There’s a lot of due diligence making sure all the environmental impacts are addressed, making sure we’ve got the right amount of due diligence on our water systems, on our wastewater systems, doing the financial modeling, on the tax revenue. That’s all part of the due diligence, then executing the agreements with the power provider. Until that is done without power, these projects don’t exist.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

There were a total of 111 fans thrown out of Mizzou football home games this year.

Ejection cards for the final two home games of the season show eight attendees were thrown out in the Tigers’ Nov. 8 contest against Texas A&M and nine were tossed during the Nov. 15 game against Mississippi State.

The ejection cards show six people on Nov. 8 were told to leave for alcohol-related reasons, while one was for urinating in public and another was for vaping.

In the Nov. 15, six people were ejected for alcohol-related reasons, one person allegedly threw items onto the field, one person was caught smoking and another snuck in an item.

The Alabama game on Oct. 11 saw the most ejections for the year in a single game with 31.

The total ejections of fans by game this year are:

Aug. 28 vs. Central Arkansas – 4

Sept. 6 vs. Kansas – 24

Sept. 13 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette – 3

Sept. 20 vs. South Carolina – 21

Sept. 27 vs. UMass– 11

Oct. 11 vs. Alabama – 31

Nov. 8 vs. Texas A&M: 8

Nov. 15 vs. Mississippi State: 9

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No charges will be filed against a deputy who shot and killed a Columbia man in September in the 200 block of Railroad Street in Harrisburg.

A press release from the Audrain County Prosecutor’s Office – which was named the special prosecutor for the investigation – says lethal force by Boone County Deputy Kevin Stroer was justified.

Stroer fired seven shots at Ty Lewis after Lewis pointed a loaded gun at the deputy on Sept. 7, according to the release. Five of the shots hit Lewis, according to the release.

“Deputy Stroer was dispatched to a domestic call reporting a person in the home threatening with a firearm. As Deputy Stroer arrived on scene, he was investigating the premises before making exigent entrance into the location of the domestic call based on a threat to the life of a third person,” the release says. “Suspect Ty Lewis was located inside the residence at a range of less than fifteen feet from Deputy Stroer. After six clear, direct commands from Deputy Stroer where Lewis verbally resists the commands, Lewis twisted his body towards Deputy Stroer with his arm rising and his hand containing a firearm.”

The loaded gun was found near Lewis after the shooting, the release says. The release says the incident was caught on a body-worn camera by the deputy.

“Upon review, I have found the use of force to be justified under Missouri law, and believe Deputy Stroer’s actions, and the actions of the other responding Deputies, were appropriate, proportional, swift and conscientious to attempt to avoid further danger to life, body and health of citizens and officers alike,” Prosecutor Jacob Shellabarger wrote in the release. “The Boone County Deputies’ professional response was consistent with professional law enforcement standards and instruction.”

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge is reviewing arguments in a redistricting lawsuit after Monday’s trial.

People Not Politicians argues Secretary of State Denny Hoskins failed to follow Missouri open records laws by not approving the referendum language.

The state argues that because the governor hadn’t signed the new congressional map into law during the initial submission of the language, he couldn’t approve it.

There’s a third party in this case, intervenor Put Missouri First that was added into the mix at the last trial.

Attorney for the group Marc Ellinger says his client’s campaign funding and advocacy are at stake in this lawsuit.

Ellinger also brought the state’s Director of Elections Chrissy Peters in for questioning.

Peters was able to clear up what happens if People Not Politicians submits signatures that the state believes to be invalid.

She said all signatures from before Oct. 14, when the referendum was approved for circulation, will be seperated and reviewed at a later time.

Peters couldn’t say what that review will look like.

When Hoskins approved the referendum, he said in a press release that any signatures collected before that could subject the group to a misdemeanor election offense.

Ellinger requested ballot signatures and additional information from People Not Politicians, which the group argues is irrelevant to this case, according to court documents. The judge sided with Ellinger.

People Not Politicians attorney Chuck Hatfield didn’t provide Ellinger with the signatures, claiming he and his client wouldn’t be able to collect them in time.

Ellinger asked the judge to push the trial again, but the judge said he would move it to trial and could make a decision later on if the signatures prove to be crucial.

People Not Politicians Executive Director Richard Hatfield said after the trial that he’s fighting back against people who want to suppress Missouri voices.

“We have one side arguing that every Missourian who signed a petition asking for their voices to be heard, and we’re saying should be heard,” von Glahn said. “We have one side using legalese or bureaucratic measures, or whatever they want to do to say ‘no, those voices don’t count.'”

The judge asked all parties to submit proposed rulings by Wednesday.

The case was supposed to be heard at the beginning of November but was postponed because the judge was ill. It was supposed to go to trial again two weeks later, but an intervenor stepped in and requested a new judge, which was granted.

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