Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council on Monday night unanimously passed its budget for fiscal year 2027.

The fiscal year for the city begins Nov. 1 and ends Oct. 31. The total budget is $88,573,996. with the General Fund expected to be $45,542,623 per city documents.

City information and previous reporting show it’s an increase from last year’s budget.

Some highlights include a 2.5% raise for employees covered by the FOP or IAFF contracts and Fire Command Staff and a 2% increase for other employees. There will be a 6% increase in health insurance costs and 5% increase in dental insurance costs.

Public safety is seeing funding for 10 more police vehicle leases, body-worn cameras for police and “Funding for professional services related to Police and Fire union negotiations,” city information says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The cause and origin of a Sunday night fire at a mobile home in the 1500 block of Vandiver Drive is still under investigation, according to a Monday evening press release from the Columbia Fire Department.

The release says crews were called at 8:33 p.m. No injuries were reported.

After firefighters went into the mobile home, a smoke explosion occurred, the release says.

“A smoke explosion is when unburned fuel particles and gases (smoke) mix with air and meet an ignition source,” the release says. “Smoke explosions are often controlled with ventilation and flow-path management in residential occupancies; however, when the structure is compartmentalized, it can be more difficult to control.”

A crime scene investigator truck was on the scene around 10:15 p.m., according to previous reporting.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A cyclist was injured after a vehicle overturned on them Saturday night on East Business Loop 70 and Bowling Street, according to a Monday evening press release from the Columbia Fire Department.  

The release says firefighters were called at 7:36 p.m. Saturday after learning a bicycle rider was trapped underneath a vehicle.

Firefighters saw a rolled-over vehicle sitting on its roof with someone trapped underneath. Crews were able to lift the vehicle within about 25 minutes, the release says.

The patient was safely removed and taken to a trauma center, the release says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 7-year-old boy from Versailles was seriously injured Monday morning in a crash on North Mt. Zion Road in Morgan County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says a 15-year-old boy rode a tractor northbound and the 7-year-old – who was riding a bicycle – tried to “overtake” the tractor.

The tractor then went into a ditch, came back to the road and crashed into its own towed units, according to the report. The towed unit then hit the 7-year-old and his bicycle, the report says.

The 7-year-old boy was flown to University Hospital. He was not wearing a helmet. The tractor had no reported damage.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Demetra Alarcon

KINGDOM CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A homicide investigation is underway in Kingdom City.

Maj. Curtis Hall with the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday that an arrest was made in connection with the investigation.

Jonathan G. Houston, 44, was booked into the Callaway County Jail on Sunday night on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping. Callaway County Prosecutor Sandra Colhour confirmed to ABC 17 News on Monday afternoon that those same charges were filed against Houston.

Court documents describe Houston as a former probation and parole officer and former corrections officer.

A social media post from the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office says a 911 call was made at 10:27 a.m. Sunday to the Baymont Inn and Suites in Kingdom City.

The probable cause statement says a girl called dispatchers at 10:27 a.m. Sunday by a female who was whispering and claimed she needed help after her father “captured them and siblings for five years.”

When deputies arrived and met with Houston, he allegedly allowed authorities to search his room at the hotel. One of the victims made a “hand signal” to deputies indicating they wanted to speak, court documents say.

That victim claimed Houston killed their mother in late 2025. Another one of the children allegedly told law enforcement that Houston told them of a plan to kill their mother the day before he did it, court documents say. That child told deputies they saw Houston kill the mother, the statement says.

That victim told deputies that Houston then wrapped the woman in “exercise bands,” put her in a trash bag and tossed her out in a dumpster at the hotel, according to the probable cause statement.

Houston allegedly admitted to authorities that he killed his wife of 17 years because he was “worried that he was going to lose his kids,” court documents say. He admitted to the attack, telling the children his plan before and then using a dolly to transport the body to a dumpster, the statement says.

Houston also allegedly stated that during the assault, he told one of the children to cover the woman’s mouth and had another youth pour hot water on the woman’s legs, the statement says. He then allegedly told them to play music from “KPop Demon Hunters” very loud to cover the sound.

Hall confirmed an arrest was made Sunday in the case after a 911 call, and the sheriff’s office was awaiting the filing of charges Monday morning.

Seven children were found with Houston when deputies arrested him. The sheriff’s office says “, deputies developed information indicating that a woman had been killed approximately 10 months earlier at the hotel.”

No charges were publicly visible in the CaseNet online court record system. Officials have not confirmed the name of the victim.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Saline County authorities captured a kangaroo on Sunday after it escaped a petting zoo the day before at the Saline County Fairgrounds, according to a Monday press release from the Marshall Police Department.

The release says on Saturday, a child walked out of the kangaroo enclosure and the gate was accidentally left “unsecured” and the animal escaped.

A resident saw the kangaroo on Sunday and contacted police. MPD, an animal control officer and “another citizen with prior experience raising and handling exotic animals” safely captured the kangaroo, the release says.

The kangaroo was brought back to its owner in Warrensburg, the release says.

“The Marshall Police Department would like to thank the citizen who located the kangaroo and remained in the area until authorities arrived, as well as the citizen with experience handling exotic animals who assisted officers and Animal Control personnel at the scene,” the release says. “Their assistance and cooperation helped bring this unusual situation to a safe conclusion.”

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Lucas Geisler

WARSAW, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman on Monday afternoon pleaded guilty to helping kill a child in Benton County.

Kourtney Aumen, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault. She will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21.

The hearing appeared suddenly on the CaseNet court records website Monday morning ahead of Aumen’s trial, which was set to begin on Oct. 26.

Aumen was previously charged with first-degree murder, assault, armed criminal action, child abuse and child endangerment. Deputies in Benton County say Aumen influenced three other adults to abuse two children at a rural property. One of the children, 4-year-old Jessica Mast, died in December 2021, according to law enforcement, after the adults forced her into a pond outside.

Deputies say they also found several bruises on Jessica and another young boy.

Court documents in the case claim the parents of the children, James and Mary Mast, told them Aumen and their neighbor, Ethan Mast, put them through the abuse to rid them of a “demon.” James, Mary and Ethan Mast have all taken plea deals in the case.

Aumen is currently being held at the Benton County Jail.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No one was injured, but a highway was blocked in Cooper County temporarily on Monday when a tractor-trailer rolled onto its side.

The truck rolled on Highway 179 near Big Lick Road, south of Wooldridge, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The road was blocked for more than 30 minutes while the truck was moved.

The Patrol posted photos of the truck on social media, showing the front windshield had been removed. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the truck to roll, or what it was carrying.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia woman was arrested over the weekend after new charges were filed against her in a man’s 2024 beating death.

Felicia Hay, 35, was charged earlier this summer with first-degree assault after a manslaughter charge was dropped in the November 2024 death of Antonio Davis, 56, of Columbia. Davis died in a hospital days after being pistol-whipped and hitting his head on the ground. Police say he developed a brain bleed.

Authorities allege Hay helped Alexander Aklan assault Davis and kicked the victim while he was on the ground. Aklan remains charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and drug trafficking.

Aklan’s trial is scheduled for March 2027. Aklan and Hay are also named in a wrongful death lawsuit that Davis’ daughter filed last month.

Hay remained in the Boone County Jail on $10,000 bond on Monday. She has a hearing set for Monday afternoon.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department has responded to at least seven reports of vandalism to Flock cameras in the city from the beginning of this year through Sept. 30, according to documents obtained by ABC 17 News.

However, CPD redacted all the locations, citing protections in Missouri’s Sunshine Law that allow police to keep information about surveillance from the public. ABC 17 News has requested clarification.

Dave Roland, a senior legal adviser for the Freedom Center of Missouri, said this could be a violation of the Sunshine, but it would require a lawsuit and convincing a judge that the information doesn’t endanger public safety or an individual.

The first report was filed on July 22, with six other reports filed in August. The bulk of the August reports were filed within one week, and two reports were filed on Aug. 19.

In late September, a Flock camera appeared to be cut down in Cosmo Park. However, the records request didn’t return a report associated with that incident.

CPD also redacted suspect information in the reports. ABC 17 News has reached out to the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office to see if any charges have been referred.

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This comes as people protest Flock camera use across the U.S. Some protesters claim the AI-powered cameras violate privacy. Many law enforcement agencies claim the data helps combat crime, including CPD and the Jefferson City Police Department.

Karen Sicheneder a volunteer with “Get the Flock Out Como” said the group doesn’t condone vandalism.

“Our goal is to remove Flock from Columbia through public pressure, civic engagement, and action by our elected officials. At the same time, damaged cameras should not become a distraction from the larger issue,” Sicheneder said.

The group would like Columbia’s contract with Flock to expire and not be renewed after data abuse and privacy concerns have risen.

Rep. Kathy Steinhoff (D-Columbia) said privacy concerns are valid; however, guardrails need to be in place to avoid misuse of the data.

“There’s the fact that we can solve crimes in a way that can help our law enforcement to keep our community safe, but we want to protect private citizens in the process. So, how we find that balance is really important,” Steinhoff said.

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an executive order to put in some restrictions on how Flock camera data is used, but the General Assembly will have to make the laws.

Steinhoff said Republicans and Democrats seem to understand that guardrails need to be in place.

“I know there’s definitely been a lot of conversations on both sides of the aisle about concerns about Flock cameras. We’ve seen around the country some security breaches that are not what we expect when approving these in our local communities,” Steinhoff said.

She said Flock cameras are among the top concerns of citizens and will likely take legislative priority.

A protest against the automatic license plate readers was held in Jefferson City on Sunday.

Some agencies have begun to terminate contracts with the camera company, including the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office in Mid-Missouri.

CPD operates a network with dozens of the cameras placed through Columbia.

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