Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man charged with manslaughter has settled with the family of a woman who was killed in a crash in February 2024.

Court documents filed on Thursday show Matthew Shilling settled with the family of Christina Mayfield for $25,000 in her death.

Shilling is currently facing criminal charges in Boone County, including first-degree involuntary manslaughter, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of second-degree assault and a count of driving while revoked, a misdemeanor.

A pretrial conference is schedule for 9 a.m. Monday and a jury trial is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3. A motion to endorse was filed in the case on Thursday.

Shilling is accused of causing a crash that killed Mayfield, 32, on Feb. 2, 2024, on Business Loop 70 near Hathman Place. Court documents say a motorcycle driven by a person they have not identified was rear-ended by Shilling’s SUV, sending it forward into another SUV and throwing the driver and Mayfield from the bike. 

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boonville woman charged with incest in Benton County was arrested Thursday in Boone County.

Troopers arrested Kimberly D. Schnieders, 35, on a warrant for statutory sodomy, child endangerment involving sexual conduct and incest on Thursday afternoon, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol online arrest report.

Charges were filed against Schnieders on Aug. 1, and an arrest warrant was issued Aug. 6. She was booked into the Boone County Jail on Thursday on a $50,000 bond.

Schnieders was arrested at her Boone County workplace Thursday, a Boone County Sheriff’s Office spokesman said. She was released Friday morning to Benton County authorities.

The investigation began in December 2024 when a minor and the minor’s father reported to the Howard County Sheriff’s Office that the victim’s biological mother, Schnieders, had touched the victim inappropriately and shared sexual images with the minor, according to a probable cause statement.

In a follow-up interview, the victim told investigators that Schnieders forced sex on them in Benton County, the statement says.

Schnieders told investigators that she and the victim often had play wrestling matches or fights, according to the statement.

A search of the victim’s phone allegedly turned up several sexual photos of Schnieders, sent in May 2024. Schnieders admitted to taking the photos, but denied sending them to the victim, the probable cause statement says.

The court has denied Schnieders’ application for a public defender.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Contractors for the City of Columbia will conduct some pavement maintenance from Aug. 27-Sept. 12 on more than 30 streets around the city, a Friday press release from the city says.

The release says crews will use Onyx surface treatment on treats that previously used chip seal. Onyx is a thin, fast-drying protective seal made from asphalt emulsion and recycled materials, according to the release.

Crews will work each day from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. until the project is complete, with the exception of Sundays, and Aug. 30-Sept. 1 for Labor Day weekend, the release says.

Maintenance will occur on:

Prairie Lane from North Creasy Springs Road to concrete section near West Prairieview Drive

West Prairieview Drive from North Creasy Springs Road to Prairie Lane

Blue Ridge Road from North Garth Avenue to Piranha Court

Lovejoy Lane from Deer Run Court to Grace Ellen Drive

Lovejoy Lane from Blue Ridge Road to Deer Run Drive

Grace Ellen Drive from Oakland Gravel Road to Oakland Gravel Road

Parker Street from Vandiver Drive to the north end of the street

Topsail Drive from Parker Street to Grand Banks Drive

Burlington Street from Heriford Road to Vandiver Drive

Towne Drive from Whitegate Drive to Clark Lane

Hathman Place from Paris Road to Business Loop 70 East

Whitegate Drive from Paris Road to Sylvan Lane

Calvert Drive from Nelwood Drive to the end of the street

Nelwood Drive from Paris Road to Quail Drive

Spring Cress Drive from Mexico Gravel Road to Pineland Drive

Fern Flower Court from Spring Cress Drive to the end of the street

Thompson Road from North Wyatt Lane to Creve Coeur Drive

Thornwood Drive from Thompson Road to Beechwood Drive

Beechwood Drive from Thornwood Drive to Thompson Road

Daffodil Drive from Thornwood Drive to the concrete section

Pineland Drive from Beechwood Drive to the concrete section

Summit Road from Walther Court to South Fairview Road

Laurel Drive from Summit Road to South Fairview Road

Defoe Drive from Faurot Drive to Scott Boulevard

Brewer Drive from Defoe Drive to West Rollins Road

West Gillespie Bridge Road from Scott Boulevard to Chapel Hill Road

Oak Cliff Drive from Chapel Hill Road to the south end of the street

Katy Lane from Forum Boulevard to Limerick Lane

Katy Lane from Limerick Lane to Martinshire Drive

Misty Glen from Katy Lane to Valley Vista Drive

Westwinds Drive from West Boulevard South to the west end of the street

Royal Aberdeen Street from Glen Eagle Drive to Killarney Drive

Killarney Drive from Royal Aberdeen Street to the east end of the street

Sheffield Court from Forum Boulevard to the end of the street

Glencairn Court from Glencairn Drive to the end of the street

Stirling Court from Highlands Parkway to the end of the street

Stonehaven Road from Highlands Parkway to the west end of the street

Highlands Parkway from Glencairn Drive to Highlands Court

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A now-former Centralia police officer has been charged with seven felonies after he is accused of assaulting a woman over the course of several months.

Curtis Higby, of Mexico, Missouri, was charged on Thursday with two counts of first-degree domestic assault, a count of armed criminal action, tampering with evidence, third-degree domestic assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.

He is being held at the Audrain County Jail without bond. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26.

A court filing describes Higby as a Centralia police officer. A Centralia Board of Alderman meeting agenda shows Higby was appointed as a full-time officer on April 21. A Department of Public Safety spokesman told ABC 17 News in an email that Higby has a valid peace officer’s license, but is not currently commissioned by any law enforcement agency. Centralia officials confirmed he was fired on Friday.

The probable cause statement says at least three incidents occurred from Feb. 1-Aug. 9 and the victim spoke with law enforcement on Aug. 16.  

Court documents say Higby slammed the victim into a dresser on Feb. 1. During another assault in May, Higby allegedly held a gun to his head before pointing it at the victim before leaving the residence, the statement says. Higby allegedly came back to the residence and taunted the victim with the gun again, the statement says.

On Aug. 9, Higby was accused of pushing the victim and strangling her in front of a baby, the statement says. He then allegedly grabbed a gun and pushed it against the victim before pushing her out of the room, the statement says.

Higby allegedly denied pointing a gun at the victim, but claimed he hit the victim on Aug. 9 after he claimed the victim tried to smother the baby, the statement says.

Investigators learned that Higby has a camera in the room where the last assault allegedly occurred, but “gaps in recordings existed around that time period,” on Aug. 9, the statement says.

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Josie Anglin

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)
Audrain County is getting a new health center.

The Audrain County Health Department signed a new lease agreement with the county commission and the City of Mexico for the former Vandalia Medical Clinic, which went bankrupt, according to a news release. The building will be used as part of a plan to create a critical access hospital in Mexico, the release states.

The Audrian County Health Department already operates WIC and foot clinic services in Vandalia. The new building will be able to offer more services, such as vaccines. The news release says renovations to the building will start in the next few weeks, with a goal to open the clinic in the fall.

The release says the building will act as a central hub for enhanced public health services and future growth opportunities in eastern Audrain County.

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Madison Stuerman

 COLUMBIA, MO. (KMIZ)

A 20-year-old man has been indicted by a Cole County grand jury on child sex crimes.

Charles Yeager Jr. of Holts Summit was indicted on counts of first-degree sexual abuse and fourth-degree child molestation.

Court documents state Yeager had sex with a minor between June and October 2024. Documents also state he has a felony no-bond warrant for a sex offense in Callaway County, but had been avoiding contact with police.

Yeager also has an active ex parte from the victim but is still trying to contact the victim’s mother through social media, according to documents.

He is being held in Cole County jail without bond.

 

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An elderly man from Macks Creek was flown to University Hospital on Friday after he was seriously injured in a crash in Camden County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the crash occurred on eastbound Highway 54.  A 2002 Chevrolet Silverado was heading east when the driver – an 87-year-old Macks Creek man – failed to yield to a flagger and hit a 1998 Freightliner, the report says.

The man was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the report. He was brought to Lake Regional Hospital by ambulance before being flown to University Hospital, the report says.

Both vehicles had moderate damage. MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The window for bids from companies to clear out homeless camps around the City of Columbia closed on Friday.

Documents showed the city was looking for bids totaling fewer than $50,000. City spokesperson Sydney Olsen said the contractors would be on standby for when the city needs them. The contract would start in September.

“There’s not one area of town necessarily that we’re looking for assistance on. This is really sort of a blanket,” Olsen said. “If we see something that’s a concern, we can lean into this contractor, or contractors, to help address it.” 

Companies that submit bids to the city are evaluated on expected cost and experience, according to bid documents. Contractors must list the cost to the city for hiring different-sized crews, as well as materials and equipment rental, according to the bid documents.

The city is required to identify cleanup areas, notify people camping there to leave the area, alert the public when cleanup is scheduled and obtain access to private property, according to the court documents.

The City of Columbia has long struggled with how to deal with homeless camps and provide housing. This includes the removal of several camps in the past two years, though new camps frequently pop up in different spots.

The city spent more than $8,000 on a clearing out in 2023, according to a previous ABC 17 News report.

Now, the city is working with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to create a plan for waste runoff from camps that ends up in nearby rivers or streams. Approval of the plan is critical to the city’s permit for sewage discharge.

The state told ABC 17 News this spring that it was still not satisfied with the plans it had received from the City of Columbia.

“We feel it’s necessary to respond to these for a number of reasons. But largely, these encampments can pose a risk to both, individuals health and also our environmental health,” Olsen said.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A new playground will be built at Rock Quarry Park in Columbia.

A post from parks and rec said it accepted a $150,000 donation from the Cosmo Luncheon Club at Monday’s City Council meeting.

That money will go toward the development and construction of a new playground.

The 17,000 square foot playground will replace the current one. it will be designed to welcome children with disabilities, the post says. Other funds will come from the voter-approved park sales tax and possible grants.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Tuesday announced the launch of a statewide telehealth network designed to help hospitals that do not have Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners available onsite.

The department released training for the Sexual Assault Forensic Exams via Telehealth Network in August 2024 to support hospital staff across the state. Hospitals have until Jan. 1, 2026, to train staff and begin offering their own forensic programs, but the network will provide immediate support in the meantime.

Boone Health spokesman Christian Basi said the program has already made a difference.

When a sexual assault victim arrives at a hospital, staff can activate the telehealth system. The program connects the hospital to an on-call SANE nurse, who guides the provider in the room step-by-step through the forensic exam.

Basi said Boone Health sees about two-to-three sexual assault patients each month. In the past, those patients were often redirected to other facilities.

“It’s critical because when you do have a sexual assault, time is critical in collecting the evidence. And previously, or if we did not have this network, we would likely have to transfer the patient or refer them to another facility that had a SANE nurse,” he said.

Hospitals across Missouri can decide whether to rely on their own SANE nurses or use the telehealth system. MU Health Care is currently the only hospital in Columbia with certified SANE nurses on staff.

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