Category: kmiz-local-news

Madison Stuerman

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Residents in Jefferson City will have to wait one extra day to visit the public outdoor pools this year.

JC Parks said on Wednesday that the outdoor aquatic facilities will open on Sunday, May 25, instead of the original date of May 24.

The adjustment is to allow last-minute adjustments at the centers after recent repairs, along with training for its staff.

“This decision allows us to provide essential, in-water training and final certifications for our seasonalaquatic staff,” Ashley Wiskirchen said in a news release.

The updated timeline allows crews to finish repairs and repainting at the main pool basin.

A company was contracted to restore cracks and chips in the concrete, sandblast, pressure wash and repaint the basin.

The JC Parks staff also spent time repainting the catch pool and splash pad areas in-house.

The release states JC Parks leaders are evaluating a transition to open on Memorial Day in 2026.

Jefferson City has two public outdoor pools, the Memorial Park Family Aquatic Center and Ellis-Porter Riverside Pool.

JC Parks staff told ABC 17 News they are fully staffed for the summer.

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Matthew Sanders

Missouri’s Republican legislative leaders took extraordinary steps to repeal sick leave requirements approved by voters in November.

The chamber’s GOP majority invoked a “previous question” motion to shut down debate and force a vote on the bill that would make changes to Proposition A, which more than 57% of voters approved in November.

The bill approved Wednesday would repeal the paid sick leave requirements and tamp down minimum wage increases. Businesses back the bill, saying the sick leave provisions of Proposition A created a regulatory nightmare.

The governor must sign the sick leave repeal.

Republicans also used the previous question to shut down debate on a ballot question to appeal Amendment 3. The amendment, which enshrines abortion rights in the state constitution, passed with a smaller share of the vote — 51.6%.

Do you agree with the move to repeal sick leave requirements? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Juvenile Justice Center currently houses 19 youth, although the facility holds 45 beds.

Justice Center Superintendent Tara Eppy said she thinks there’s discussions every few years about whether detention is intended to be correctional, restorative or rehabilitative.

She said she thinks it’s a mix of them all.

“I think first and foremost it’s for safety and security. Detention is supposed to be used for safety and security of the community,” Eppy said. “Once a kid gets here though, it’s really about trying to find out what gaps are going on and trying to bridge those gaps so that there’s not that higher level of recidivism.”

Eppy said Boone County has many resources throughout the county that work toward prevention and rehabilitation. The center works with providers that come into the facility and evaluate the youths before they are released into the community.

One of those providers is Destiny of H.O.P.E, a nonprofit organization in Columbia that works closely with youth.

Lonnie Lockhart Bey said he and Julian Jackman — who he also works at the nonprofit — are considered to be continuum navigators that work with youth connected with the justice program. He said the organization works to give children resources they need to break the cycle of making poor decisions.

That work can include anything from talking to children or visiting their homes.

He said he thinks much of the youth violence and crime is due to poverty and children not knowing how to process the pain or trauma they’ve experienced. That’s something they work closely with children to fix and eliminate.

Lockhart Bey said he has a special connection toward wanting to help these children because he was once them.

“I was the child without resources. I was the child that people had given up on,” Lockhart Bey said. “Ultimately, I fed into the narrative. I became what they told me I was and I know that with young children if you’re not careful, you create the monster you don’t want to see.”

Destiny of H.O.P.E offers an active learners day program for children who have been expelled from Columbia Public Schools. The program allows them to still learn and finishes classes even after expulsion.

Cornell Harris has been enrolled in the program since January. He says the program has helped turned his life around.

Harris said he ran into problems at school after skipping class and failing to complete school work. Months later, he said he’s now completed two of his classes and has A’s and B’s in the two. Harris said he thinks it’s a program students in similar situations should consider.

“It’s really going to help. I really feel like we could really make the world a better place,” Harris said.

Destiny of H.O.P.E is also offering several summer programs and other opportunities for youth. More information can be found on its website.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boil water advisories were issued throughout the day on Wednesday for several areas within Columbia Water and Light’s coverage area.

The City of Columbia’s outage map showed 131 customers under boil advisories around 9 p.m.

Utilities spokesman Matt Nestor wrote in an email that two of the advisories were planned outages and one “was a service repair that ended up not being able to be fixed without shutting down the water main.”

Two advisories were issued for areas near East Leslie Lane – one at George Court and another at North Providence Road — in northern Columbia at 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. Spokesman Jason West indicated in an email that those outages were planned.

An area of Smiley Lane – including Derby Ridge Elementary — was put under an advisory at 3 pm. because of a water main break, according to Nestor.

Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark wrote in an email that families have been informed and the city has provided the school with bottled water for staff and students to use during the advisory.

An advisory was also issued at 2:30 a.m. for a portion of College Avenue between Windsor Street and Paris Road. An area of west Columbia – Stallworth Court and Reedsport Ridge – had an advisory issued at 9 a.m.

A neighborhood on East Dawn Drive – north of Interstate 70 – had an advisory issued at 5:30 p.m., but the map states it is expected to expire at midnight. Nestor wrote that occurred after a “contractor hit.”

An outage on Westwind Drive – just north of Stadium Boulevard – was put under an advisory on Monday.

By Thursday afternoon, the total number of customers impacted was reduced to 51 and just three advisories were left on the outage map — East Leslie Lane, Derby Ridge Elementary and Dawn Drive.

A screenshot of the City of Columbia’s outage map around 9 .m. Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three men were charged on Tuesday after they allegedly stole a fire hydrant and other parts in Jonesburg.

Kristopher Sumner, of Jonesburg, and Albert Meidel, of Moscow Mills, were charged with felony stealing and are being held on $5,000 bonds. Jonathan Nash, of Perry, was charged with felony stealing and driving while revoked and is being held on a $1,500 bond. Court dates have not been set for the men.

The probable cause statement says Montgomery County deputies were called to the back of the Jonesburg Fire Department at 8 p.m. Monday. Court documents say the men stole a 6-inch fire hydrant, a 5-foot burry with 6-inch ductile pipe, a 6-inch hydrant stem and shoe, a scrap manhole frame, a useable manhole frame and “miscellaneous steel.” The items totaled more than $1,000.

“Defendants used a come-along to pull the long pipe to a fire hydrant and into the back of the white Ford truck. The manhole items are also heavy and require multiple people to lift,” court documents say.

A witness saw all three men “loading things” into a white Ford truck, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Dixon Elementary School in Pulaski County will not be in session again on Thursday as the school district is still dealing with storm damage.

The Dixon R-1 School District announced on its social media that class would not be in session again for elementary students. The middle and high schools will be in session.

A statement shared with families says that the elementary school sustained “significant damage” from storms on Monday evening.

“The high winds caused heavy damage to the roof and walls in the 4th and 5th Grade hallway, and several classrooms in that wing sustained significant damage to their ceilings. Given the extent of the damage, our insurance provider is completing a thorough review of the facility to ensure the building is safe before we return to in-person learning on this campus,” the letter says.

Another letter on Wednesday says the building tested negative for all environmental contaminants.

“This result means we are beginning clean-up and mobilization of impacted classrooms with all haste. We know the closure of this building is an inconvenience to our school community, but our staff is working diligently to prepare the building for a return to in-person learning,” the letter states.

The middle and high schools were not damaged.

Storm damage statementDownload

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia police officers on Wednesday arrested two juveniles allegedly connected with an armed robbery at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

A press release from the Columbia Police Department says someone was robbed at gunpoint near the intersection of Jack Estes Way and North William Street. The intersection is south of Lions-Stephens Park.

Police wrote in an earlier press release that a youth was arrested on Wednesday, and announced in a second press release that a second juvenile was taken into custody around 8:50 p.m.

Police wrote the youths were arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.

The names and ages of the juveniles were not provided.

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Erika McGuire

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

State funding for a new juvenile center in Cole County is uncertain after the Missouri legislature failed to pass House Bill 19 on Wednesday.

About $4 million of the more than $14 million project would have come from the state.

The project has been in works since 2022 and would have been built at 2204 St. Mary’s Blvd.

Cole County Commissioner Sam Bushman said in an email Wednesday morning that having a new facility built is critical. Bushman said the original plans included eight detention cells and a half-court basketball gym.

“This could be shrunk down to a good-sized exercise room, with a basketball goal outside.” Bushman said.

However, Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler said making the facility smaller and reducing the number of detention cells is not an option.

“If they can come up and do it for $10 million, I would be all for it. But I am not supportive of reducing the programing that we have invested or designed in the facility I am not for reducing that at all,” Wheeler said. “It would be more ridiculous to spend $12 million and then still house juveniles out because it’s not big enough.”

The current facility on Stadium Boulevard in Jefferson City is more than 30 years old and only has three detention cells.

Wheeler said only having three cells forces the county to move juveniles to other facilities, costing thousands in transportation and housing expenses.

“If you get certified as an adult, you have to remain at the juvenile center and I have to pay for it. I am paying if the  juvenile goes to Cole County juvenile. I have to pay Cole County juvenile because its my prisoner,” Wheeler said.

Safety is also a key priority for a new facility. Wheeler says the current center’s setup has led to numerous injuries for officers.

“How many juvenile officers have been injured because of the way the set up is, its quite a bit, how many assault there has been there of the juvenile officers,” Wheeler said.

The remaining $10 million for the project would come from the American Rescue Plan Act and Cole County. However, Wheeler says he’s unsure where the funding would come from for the remaining $4 million.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two juveniles who escaped from the Juvenile Justice Center in northern Boone County earlier this month did so by climbing a recreation area fence, court documents revealed.

Documents claim one of the juveniles involved in the escape is 17-year-old Ja’mez Thompson-Bey. Documents alleged that he, along with another juvenile, climbed over a fence in the recreation area and ran away from the center.

The two were later caught after a search involving several law enforcement agencies and brought back to the center. Initial information said the youths were being detained for charges of first-degree assault and murder.

A motion to have Thompson-Bey transferred to an adult jail was filed on Monday over claims he’s escaped from custody several times, though he is listed on the Boone County Jail’s online roster. A court hearing is scheduled for Monday, May 19.

Justice Center Superintendent Tara Eppy said she is not able to provide details on how the youths escaped because the matter involves juveniles. Eppy said the area where juveniles have outside recreation is secure.

“It is really hard to juggle that transparency with the rights of the juveniles and easing any concerns that the the the community may have in that situation,” Eppy said. “That is a struggle but we have really good resources, law enforcement partners that are willing to assist us.”

Eppy said construction at the center was already underway before the incident occurred to add fences to new areas on the grounds. That work is expected to be complete by Friday.

There are also plans in the works to have cameras inside the building switched from analog to digital, Eppy said.

Thompson-Bey is charged with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of armed robbery. He was charged in connection with a November shooting.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Morgan County man has been charged with several felonies after he allegedly admitted to child sex crimes to law enforcement.

Matthew Bell, 24, of Rocky Mount, was charged with four counts of sexually exploiting a minor, five counts of child porn possession and four counts of second-degree sodomy. He is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $250,000 bond. A court date has not been set.

Marie Bell, 50, of Rocky Mount, was charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. She is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $50,000 bond. A court date has not been set. She is accused of knowing about the alleged assaults.

The probable cause statement says that Morgan County sheriff’s deputies were called to a residence about an assault that was not in progress. Matthew Bell allegedly said that he was assaulted after getting pushed by another individual, the statement says.

Deputies wrote that they were previously notified about the residence being an unsafe condition for a youth. Marie Bell allegedly claimed that Matt Bell and a girl were “in a relationship.”

The youth and Matthew Bell allegedly gave conflicting statements about their living situation before Bell admitted to having sex with the child, the statement says. Bell allegedly repeatedly told deputies that it was “consensual.”

Bell also had child porn saved from the youth on his SnapChat account and showed it to law enforcement, the statement says.

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