Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A traditional day off for students at the end of the fall semester is at risk of being eliminated next school year.

The University of Missouri is at the beginning stages of reviewing its academic calendar for next year to be in compliance with its mandated number of academic hours for classes that meet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, according to an email from Director of Undergraduate Studies James Crozier.

The school could remove “Reading Day”, also known as “Stop Day” by students and alumni, for the fall 2026 semester because of a law signed earlier this year that would make Veterans Day a holiday for UM System employees, according to an email from a university spokesman.

At its meeting on Thursday afternoon, the MU Faculty Council voted to remove Stop Day from the fall 2026 calendar. Members had to suspend their traditional rules to take the vote immediately, since the decision must be finalized before fall enrollment begins.

Crozier told ABC 17 News in an email that the change would only affect the 2026 fall semester, and would not require cancelling the spring semester’s Stop Day, or any future Reading Day.

The university is required to have 29 academic days scheduled for Tuesday/Thursday classes and 43 for Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes. Crozier indicated that Veterans Day falling on a Wednesday in 2026 is what led to the discussion, but noted that Veterans Day could again impact future Stop Day schedules, depending on how the calendar falls. He said those decisions would be made on a year-to-year basis.

A statement attributed to MU spokesman Christopher Ave indicated after the Faculty Council votes to recommend removing the day from the academic calendar, it would then go to the chancellor and president for review. If UM System President Mun Choi also recommends the change, it would be submitted to the Board of Curators for final approval.

Stop Day has been a long-standing MU tradition that gives students a day off before finals to study and catch up on classwork. However, it’s also become widely known as a social day for students.

“What I’ve heard its a great time and I’m still looking forward to it,” MU freshman Brendan Cline told ABC 17 News.

“It would be kind of a bummer if it got taken away but it would also be nice to get the day off school,” MU freshman Joshua Fenter added. “I’m sure we would still be able to do some fun stuff at the end of the year.”

Last May, large crowds on East Campus brought an increased police presence, and Columbia police handed out flyers reminding students about the city’s nuisance ordinance. Despite the possible change, many students told ABC 17 News they expect some kind of replacement event to happen if Stop Day is canceled.

“Being replaced by Veterans Day is kind of a bummer as it is, but Veterans Day is Veterans Day. You always got to honor them, but not being able to have a stop day is kind of a negative point,” MU freshman Garen Simpkins said. “I will be highly shocked if students don’t participate in that given how big a culture there is around it, even if it is Veterans Day.”

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Olivia Hayes

MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mexico’s Public Safety Department says it saved a woman and a child from a house fire Wednesday afternoon.

According to a press release from the department, MPSD responded to the 1000 block of Robinhood for a house fire after neighbors reported seeing smoke and flame coming from a home nearby. The neighbors got two dogs out “before the fire became too intense,” the release said. First responders found the fire coming from the south side of the home, and the fire was starting to catch the neighbor’s house.

The release said that during the response, a woman called Audrain County Joint Communications about she and a child trapped in the basement of the home.

Virgene Higby, the home’s owner, tells ABC 17 News the two people rescued were her daughter-in-law and grandson.

“Major Thompson an Officer Goodman saved my daughter-in-law and my grandson,” Higby said.

Rescuers got the woman and child out of the basement through a window on the north side of the home, the release said. Medics said they did not need further medical attention. The original house suffered serious fire damage; the neighboring house had minor fire damage.

Investigators believe “the accidental loss of embers while smoking” caused the fire.

“It burned the underside of the stairs,” Higby said, gesturing at the stairs in her garage. “That’s what tells them that the fire originated right here.”

Higby said investigators told her a cigarette likely sparked the fire and that paint and aerosol cans in the garage accelerated it.

She said she is speaking with insurance Thursday to figure out her next steps. Higby is leaning on her friends, family and faith during this time as she looks to rebuild.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Board of Education gave an update Thursday morning regarding a working conditions survey, which was administered to teachers and staff.

The administration reviewed the results of the survey and found different strengths and areas to grow. According to the meeting agenda, the survey identified four areas:

District Leadership

Assessment and Accountability

Strengths and Retention

Student Behavior

CPS Chief Human Resource Officer Michelle Holz told ABC 17 News that those four areas will be the main priorities of the district.

Each area identified recommendations made from the work conditions survey. District leadership recommendations from teachers and staff were to continue strengthening trust, leading transparently, open communication and focusing efforts where they matter most.

With assessment and accountability, recommendations were made to partner with principals and teacher leaders to reach academic goals and protect uninterrupted planning.

Strength and retention recommendations to continue to elevate and celebrate teacher leaders. Also, to continue strengthening retention by fostering a school environment where staff will feel connected and valued, with practical supports like timely maintenance, reasonable class sizes, trust in teachers’ practice, and strong support for effective building leaders.

In the area of student behavior, it is recommended that the district keep building on what is working in student behavior so classrooms stay safe, focused and supportive.

Holz said there is no set timeline for when these recommendations will be put in place. “I would say it’s an ongoing process that we continue to get our teachers, our educators’ feedback to make sure that we’re listening to their voices and that we’re taking their concerns very seriously,” said Holz

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Conservation announced in a Wednesday press release that hunting at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area in Boone County will be limited this fall compared to other years.

The release says the limited capacity for hunters was “caused by the failure of one of the two original Missouri River water pump stations that are critical for water control on the area. Construction efforts are ongoing to replace the river pumps, but supply chain issues have caused a delay in their arrival. Until the new river pumps arrive and are installed – expected in early 2026 – MDC staff cannot control water levels to maximize hunting opportunities.”

“These river pumps supply over 75% of Eagle Bluff’s water, so they are an important part of our infrastructure to help us manage water on the area,” MDC District Supervisor Chris Newbold said in the release. “It is unfortunate to have limited water capacity at this point in the season, but we expect to have nearly half of the normal hunting positions available this season.”

The release says that in a “typical year,” the conservation area relies on water pumped from Missouri River, rainfall and treated water from the City of Columbia’s wastewater treatment facility.

Access to the Missouri River parking lot will be closed for safety reasons during the construction, the release says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boonville man was charged with several felonies after authorities say he raped a woman in Fayette on Tuesday morning.

Christopher Neal, 41, was charged in Howard County with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and third-degree domestic assault. He is being held at the Howard County Jail on a $30,000 bond. A judge was recused and another was assigned. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says the victim assisted someone as a caregiver and was approached by Neal while on assignment. Neal works part-time at the same employer so the victim “did not think much about it” when she saw him, according to the statement.

Once the victim started to leave, Neal then allegedly began the assault and raped the victim, the statement says. The victim called law enforcement and her employer after Neal left, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A traffic crash in Columbia caused traffic to back up on Wednesday night on Interstate 70.

A crash occurred before 8:40 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of I-70. Boone County Joint Communications shared a notification at 8:42 p.m. saying a crash occurred near the exit at Range Line Street at mile-marker 127. The scene cleared at 9:25 p.m.

Cameras from the Missouri Department of Transportation showed traffic slowed near the Highway 63 Connector around the time of crash

Information from MoDOT indicates that the passing lane was closed and traffic was expected to be delayed for about an hour.

MoDOT wrote online that two vehicles were involved in the crash, though additional information about the status of the vehicles or their occupants were not shared.

ABC 17 News reached out to law enforcement

Check back for updates.

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Marie Moyer

BENTON COUNTY, Mo, (KMIZ)

Some ranchers and Republican lawmakers are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s announcement considering beef import deal with Argentina on Sunday.

Details of the plan, like import costs or implementation dates were not mentioned; however, the deal hopes to bring down U.S. beef prices.

According to the USDA data, beef prices have gone up for all cuts across the board. From August 2023- August 2025, ground beef increased from around $5.07 per pound to $6.32 per pound. Sirloin also saw a jump from around $11.43 per pound to around $14.32 per pound.

“I helped them [U.S. cattle ranchers] a lot, I put tariffs on things coming into the country, including beef, and that gave them a chance to finally have a decent industry,” Trump said Wednesday to national media. “They’ve been able to have an industry, but I also want to keep the beef prices low.”

Opponents of the plan argue that cheaper beef may come at the cost of the nation’s $112 billion beef industry and local ranchers across the nation. Missouri ranks in the Top 10 of the nation’s leading beef producers.

“I felt like we actually got kicked in the stomach when he announced that,” Ozark Valley Farms Owner Robert Howell said.

Located in Windsor, Missouri, Howell has been working with beef and dairy cattle since 2010. He doesn’t expect to see a major drop in prices if Trump goes through with the deal, adding that major beef corporations will most likely be the only ones to see savings.

“We’ve always imported beef, but a big import dump like this would cause major damage, and the prices in the store will really not be affected,” Howell said.

Howell added the move would go against Trump’s “America First” promises, with corporations seeing wide profit margins and local mid-size to small beef producers seeing profit go down. Howell explained that just in the past few years, farmers started to see profits, and said that the plan would be a generational hit to ranchers.

“I’m in total agreement with a lot of most of everything that he has done, but turning against American farmer ranchers, his base, America’s base of food and security, is just not where it should be,” Howell said. “For years, the American farmer and American and the rancher has not turned a profit, just barely squeezed by, we’re just now at these prices, able to make something so it’s very important that we don’t get crushed right now.”

In a letter signed by eight Republican members of Congress on Tuesday, legislators argued for American beef in grocery stores and voiced concern for inspection standards outside of the U.S.

“America’s cattle producers are among the most resilient and hardworking in the nation,” the letter said. “They’ve endured droughts, blizzards, and volatile markets while continuing to raise safe, high-quality beef that feeds families across America and around the world.”

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U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) also announced on X Tuesday that legislators are working to pass a bill to help smaller cattle farmers.

“It is imperative that the government does not manipulate the markets in a way that would directly impact local ranchers,” the post said.”

pic.twitter.com/xLq8V0i8Q4

— Rep. Eric Burlison (@RepEricBurlison) October 21, 2025

Patrick Westhoff, University of Missouri professor and director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, said for there to be a significant change to beef prices, there must be a drastic increase in Argentinian beef.

According to the USDA, Argentina produces 5% of the world’s beef, with the United States leading production at 20%.

“It depends on how much additional beef we’re talking about, unless there’s a huge increase in our existing export sales the effect on the U.S. markets will probably be relatively small,” Westhoff said.

According to CNN, Trump is planning on speaking with ranchers about the trade plan; however, he did not share which groups he will speak with.

“I think any of us [farmers] would be happy to sit down with any representative or any of Trump’s staff, and I think this is nationwide,” Howell said.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

First responders in Boone County will partake in active shooter incident management training from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri on Vandiver Drive.

A Wednesday press release says the Boone County Office of Emergency Management and Boone County Public Safety Advisory Committee are hosting a series of similar trainings.

Emergency vehicles will be seen in the parking lot of the Food Bank, and the Office of Emergency Management is letting the public know that there is no emergency.

“These trainings build on Boone County’s efforts to strengthen unified command and improve coordination among all responder disciplines,” Emergency Management Director Chris Kelley said in the release. “Our goal is to ensure responders can make fast, coordinated decisions that save lives.”

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Mitchell Kaminski

“With all that’s transpired in the past few days, he’s not holding up well. Frankly, it’s a tough place.  The conditions are horrible. The food, the water aren’t drinkable or edible.  It’s violent all the time. You never know what’s going to happen next minute. And there is no medical help. There’s no medication being given out. It’s a bad place for any human being.”  — Robert Olson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

A Columbia man detained by ICE in September after returning from a trip to Europe is scheduled for his first court hearing.

Owen Ramsingh — who has had a green card since the 1980s according to his family — has a court date set for Nov. 6 after being detained at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport after he returned from visiting family in the Netherlands. He has since been moved to a holding facility in El Paso, Texas.

Ramsingh’s family says he was not eligible to ask for a bond hearing because he was labeled as an “arriving alien” when the Department of Homeland Security filed his paperwork. 

“He pretty much has the same rights as someone with no papers at all,” Owen’s wife, Diana, told ABC 17 News.  

The family has been working with attorneys, but says they don’t know what to expect from his next court appearance. Ramsingh was originally given a court date of Oct. 15, but the family claims attorneys later told them that date was a “gingerbread date.”

“Day-by-day. it’s something different,” Diana Ramsingh said.  “So it’s getting your hopes up, and then getting crushed over and over again.” 

Ramsingh’s best friend, Robert Olson — who went on the trip to Europe with Ramsingh before he was detained — said they have been speaking to him each week, but the harsh living inside the El Paso facility has been taking its toll. 

“The emotional roller coaster that we’ve all been going through has been intense. (We) kind of all need off this ride,” Olson said. “With all that’s transpired in the past few days, he’s not holding up well. Frankly, it’s a tough place.  The conditions are horrible. The food, the water aren’t drinkable or edible.  It’s violent all the time. You never know what’s going to happen next minute. And there is no medical help. There’s no medication being given out. It’s a bad place for any human being.” 

Ramsingh has lived in the U.S. since moving here as a child and was initially issued a green card as a child of a U.S. Citizen in 1986, which has since been renewed. According to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, he was detained because of past convictions for possession of marijuana and cocaine.

Court records obtained by ABC 17 News show Ramsingh was charged with drug possession in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1998 when he was 17. He pleaded guilty the next year to attempting to commit a felony. The following year, records show he was cited for having fewer than an ounce of marijuana in Nebraska and fined $100. 

On Wednesday, his family and friends gathered at the Columbia Elks Lodge to start setting up Halloween decorations for one of two fundraisers aimed at helping cover Ramsingh’s legal fees. The first will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday at Columbia’s Rose Music Hall, where Ramsingh served as the head of security. 

“We’re having a concert benefit for Owen, open to the public,” Olson said. “There’s going to be four bands, a DJ, fire dancers, food trucks. It should be a great day, and the weather looks good for it.” 

Another ‘Bring Owen Home’ event will take place at the CBO Event Center on Elk Park Drive on Oct. 31. The Halloween-themed celebration will include trick-or-treating for all ages from 4:30-6:30 p.m., followed by an 18-and-up event inside the Elks Lodge. Admission is free, with donations accepted at the door.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Sedalia Board of Appeals says the owners of two buildings in the city have 60 days to fix their buildings, or they will be torn down.

The board unanimously approved the motion on Wednesday, after citing concerns that the upcoming winter months could create more problems down the road. The city has been actively collecting demolition bids for the buildings owned by Dana Melton and Travis Dixon at 207 and 209 W. Main St.

Bids must be submitted to the city clerk’s office by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29. The City Council is expected to approve a bid at its Nov. 3 meeting.

The city is looking to preserve other buildings that could be damaged in if those two were to collapse.

Chief Building Official Bryan Kopp had determined the building at 207 West Main St. needed to be demolished to “protect the public,” court documents say. However, the owners had argued that the buildings can be saved, and accused the city of damaging the building during sidewalk repairs that occurred three years ago.  

A judge ruled in July that the city had the authority to demolish a building within city limits.

The board on Wednesday heard arguments from Kopp, an engineer who inspected the building and a representative for the property owners on Wednesday. Kopp argued the owners had been notified in November 2024 that the roof of the building needed repairs, but failed to do anything about it.

“They’ve had ample time and if they’ve had any resource at all, if they wanted to repair the roof, they could have,” Kopp said. “There was notification and documentation of the wall dating back at least that far.”

The engineer Justin Andrus-Bearden also stated that come winter, he believes the conditions of the building will worsen and could become more dangerous for the public. He also claimed the roof would need to be replaced entirely and said the floor of the building is buckling to the point where people are unable to walk on it.

Bearden said he believed weather, as well as the lack of maintenance on the building played the biggest factors into the building’s current state. He also said that demolishing the building would be cheaper than repairing it.

“I personally was not able to inspect every inch because I did not feel it was safe for myself,” Andrus-Bearden said. “The entire wood flooring is buckling to the point that you can’t even walk on it without fear of tripping, it’s very squishy. Majority of that wood frame would have to be replaced to the point of being able to be usable to the public.”

The owners’ representative Steve Fritz argued that he hired someone to inspect the building, who claimed it could be saved and asked for time to save the buildings. He argued that making any repairs to the buildings would not be feasible within 30 days.

“If you look around, I’m sure most of you know better, or at least as good as I do how many buildings in this town are in bad shape and how many have bad roofs and water just constantly gets in. That’s the downside,” Fritz said. “The good side of these old buildings is they stay together and they hold up under the worst conditions. You rarely see one just come down and collapse.”

After about an hour of discussion, the board ruled to give the owners 60 days to make repairs to the buildings or face demolition. One board member stated he believed time was being stalled, and pointed out that traffic near the buildings has been blocked for months due to their condition.

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