Category: kmiz-local-news

Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia Solid Waste Utility announced Thursday that it will resume curbside recycling collection on Monday, April 28.

While collection will restart on the city’s green recycling routes, officials say all materials picked up will temporarily be taken to the landfill. Despite this, the City is asking residents to keep separating recyclables from trash.

“Fortunately for a period of time, it’ll go [recyclables] to the landfill, but we’re hoping we can, whether it’s back up some of our own operations in some temporary manner or work with another vendor to do some of the process some of the recycling and accept some of the recycling,” Columbia interim director of utilities Erin Keys said.

Keys added that the city wants to maintain consistency for both workers and residents.

“I’m sorry that we had to cancel this week’s, but I think by keeping things in a habit and constant, then that provides a lot more security not only for our employees, but for the public,” she said.

Recycling drop-off centers will remain closed until further notice. Recycling was suspended in Columbia after its recycling facility was damaged by a tornado on Sunday.

“The damage from the storm included more than 20 transmission poles. Destruction of the Material Recovery Facility and all the power and communication lines for the solid waste and biogas energy plant facilities,” Keys said.

City officials are now evaluating cost-effective and efficient solutions for managing recyclable materials while the facility remains is out of service.

“There’s operation in Jeff City and Kansas City and St.Louis. So it’s look– it’s working with, and talking to those different, companies to see if it makes financial sense for us to, truck material there, and allow them to process it.” Keys said.

As for long-term plans, the city is considering a redesign of its recycling program, including the potential for automated recycling services and eventually building a new facility.

Boone County’s drop-off centers were also impacted.

“Boone County Government will await word from the City of Columbia as to when they will begin accepting recyclable material from outside entities. It has not been made clear at this point if the contracted agent for Boone County will be able to deliver recyclable materials to the facility. Our contracted agent as well as Boone County Resource Management are exploring options at this time,” Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick wrote in an email.

The city is asking residential curbside customers to place recycling at the curb as usual starting April 28 on the green route. Residents should place glass containers in the trash, as glass can contaminate other recyclables.

A feasibility study conducted before the storm estimated that building a new, upgraded recycling facility could cost more than $22 million.

The city had originally planned to build a new recycling center by 2027 or 2028, but City Manager De’Carlon Seewood said this week that the storm may accelerate that timeline.

Key has not provided a timeline for rebuilding the facility, stating the current focus is on demolishing what remains.

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Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce predicts the state will rank among the Top 10 in tech manufacturing within five years and outlined how to get there in its Technology2030 report that was presented to the General Assembly Wednesday morning.

The report was a partnership with tech leaders, local business owners and state policy makers, including the Legislative Technology and Innovation Caucus. The extensive document features an analysis of Missouri tech data and recommendations for improvements.

“I’m curious to see what exciting things are inside of the report and what we can do to continue to make Missouri a better place for everybody to come here and do business,” said Sen. Kurtis Gregory (R-Marshall), who is the Legislative Technology and Innovation Caucus co-chair. “Because at the end of the day, when someone’s looking to move and locate, I want them to say, ‘Why not Missouri?’ instead of, ‘Why we would go to Missouri?'”

The report found that Missouri ranks the seventh-fastest state for tech-manufacturing jobs. Missouri also ranks ninth in tech-workforce diversity and 12th in women in tech. Tech added more than 14,000 jobs for the state within the past five years and in 2023, the industry earned more than $19 billion in income.

“There’s continuing manufacturing technology growth here, it’s a state that has the fundamentals for manufacturing, it’s one of the best states for business taxes, it’s one of the best states for low cost of doing business, low cost of living in the state, low cost of housing,” report author Ted Abernathy said.

The report recommends drawing more business to the state by giving tax breaks to tech companies relocating to Missouri, giving tax credits to working residents or those moving back and improving the state’s broadband internet.

The report also hopes to put a focus on emerging technologies like agricultural technology, financial technology, cybersecurity, and generative artificial intelligence, the latter getting a recommendation to establish a state-backed AI research center.

“I’m really excited to see not only younger legislators getting involved in these issues, but all of our legislature are coming together and better understanding why it’s so crucial that we not only focus on these issues in our state, but we encourage more growth in these sectors,” said Rep. Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City), who is the Minority Floor Leader and Legislative Technology and Innovation Caucus co-chair.

Dean of State Technical College of Missouri Shawn Berhorst agrees that Missouri has been trending towards tech. Berhorst added the school has a beneficial loop with in-state employers.

“They come in twice a year and they tell us what to teach in the program,” Berhorst said. “That has made us much more efficient at teaching exactly what the employers are looking for.”

Digital marketing student Corinn Karst said that she understands the appeal.

“The goal is to find a job in Missouri, preferably Jefferson City, I want to stay close to home,” Karst said. “We have so many employers who show up that want to hire like the students who go here.”

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than 30% of Flock cameras have been installed throughout the City of Columbia, about six months after city leaders approved them.

According to Columbia Police Department Assistant Chief Lance Bolinger, 31% of Flock cameras have been installed in the city, which is ahead of what was anticipated. Bolinger said about 60 more cameras are expected to be installed within the next month.

Although the city is just six months into the process, Bolinger said the benefits of the technology is already paying off.

“We are just scratching the surface of what this system can do,” Bolinger said. “A lot of what we got to do on the back end is not only just the installation of the cameras, but it’s the training with the officers. We got to teach the officers how to use the system, and the more they use it, the better they get with it.”

According to Bolinger, police have started pulling data from the Flock system in some recent shootings.

A chaotic scene unfolded at Cosmo Park earlier this month, leaving two people shot, one of which was critically injured. Bolinger said police do not have any suspects in custody in connection with the shooting.

Bolinger said the investigation is complex because hundreds of people were on the scene and they have not had many witnesses come forward with information. However, he said the Flock system has helped police determine what vehicles were on scene, as well as which ones were not.

Even months after the approval, some Columbia residents still are not on board with their use.

Anthony Willroth, of Hold Como Accountable, said his main issue remains with the collection of peoples’ data, something he says has only grown since the Trump administration took office.

“I’m more concerned now than I was when they were approved,” Willroth said. “A lot of the fears that I have surrounding a program like Flock I think have been realized. You know, something like DOGE where we see reports every week about them coming into different places, government agencies and demanding data.”

He also said he believes many variables are involved in solving cases, and he thinks police could utilize methods other than Flock to do so.

Flock Safety cameras are designed to capture images of license plates under various conditions, including nighttime and severe weather, according to its website. Flock claims the cameras do not capture identifiable images of people or faces. CPD also says that the cameras are not used for traffic enforcement. 

According to Bolinger, within the past month, 14 different stolen vehicles have hit off of the Flock system.

“We average about 500 stolen vehicles a year, which is quite a few,” Bolinger said. “I really think technology like this will really help curb some of that.”

Attorney Dan Viets, with Mid-Missouri Civil Liberties Association, was a main critic of the cameras the night they were approved.

Viets described the use of the cameras to George Orwell’s “1984,” claiming they put the city under constant watch. Viets also said he is concerned there is no independent evidence that the cameras help prevent or help solve crime.

“There may be anecdotal instances but it’s very expensive. If you can solve one crime, it does not justify spending the money that they cost,” Viets said. “We could hire several police officers with the money that those cameras will cost the city and will cost the tax payers.”

Bolinger reiterated that the cameras are only pointed at the road.

He expects all cameras will be installed in the city by mid-to-late summer.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

City of Columbia officials are still assessing the total damage to its recycling operations after an EF-1 tornado tore through the northeast part of the city Sunday evening, destroying the city’s recycling facility and prompting a disaster declaration.

The city announced on Sunday that curbside recycling pickup would be paused and drop-off locations around the city would close. Boone County also suspended drop-off recycling operations, as much of the county uses Columbia’s facility.

Jason West, from Columbia’s Risk Management Office, said the city is in the process of determining the replacement value of the destroyed facility and settling the insurance claim. While officials have been meeting with insurance adjusters, West noted that media access to those meetings is restricted.

A feasibility study conducted before the storm estimated that building a new, upgraded recycling facility could cost more than $22 million. The original facility, known as the Columbia Material Recovery Facility, was built in 2002. A 2023 evaluation found the aging plant was inefficient, costing the city revenue from recyclable materials. Between 2019 and 2023, Columbia generated an average of $1.044 million annually from recycling sales.

The city had originally planned to build a new recycling center by 2027 or 2028, but City Manager De’Carlon Seewood said this week that the storm may accelerate that timeline. Officials are also exploring temporary solutions, including hiring an outside service to manage recycling collection during the recovery period.

West told ABC 17 News that the city’s top priority was getting operations back up and running, but it will take time and careful planning. The city has not yet determined the final insurance settlement or the full cost of replacing the facility.

City crews have been working around the clock to restore electricity and fiber connections to the landfill site, where the recycling center once stood. At least 1,200 Columbia Water and Light customers were without power on Sunday, and thousands were without power in Boone County. On Wednesday evening, outages in Columbia were limited to 17 customers in northeastern Columbia, with a restoration time not yet determined.

The National Weather Service confirmed winds peaked at 110 miles per hour on Sunday when the tornado hit the facility around 5:23 p.m., as part of a brief but powerful storm that lasted just 7 minutes.

At 5:18 p.m., winds reaching 76 mph began snapping tree limbs and uprooting trees. By 5:22 p.m., gusts had intensified to 96 mph, damaging electric transmission lines and breaking wooden utility poles. A minute later, 110 mph winds struck the city’s recycling facility, causing severe damage. Although winds subsided to 70 mph by 5:25 p.m., they continued to fell trees across northeast Columbia.

Check back for updates.

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