Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The parking lane on Stadium Boulevard outside of Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City will be closed for a few days next week as sidewalk repairs occur, according to a Friday press release from Jefferson City Public Works.

Crews will work from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.

Lane closures are also planned for the northbound lane of Myrtle Avenue, which is also next to Helias. Crews will work 9 a.m.-noon Monday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday.

Message boards and signage will be in place. Helias’ academic calendar shows the school’s Thanksgiving break begins Wednesday.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The group backing a referendum to get the new congressional map on the ballot filed its second lawsuit against the Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, according to court documents.

People Not Politicians is arguing Hoskins wrote misleading and biased ballot language for the group’s referendum.

This is the ballot title Hoskins approved, and posted to the official Secretary of State website:

“Do the people of the state of Missouri approve the act of the General Assembly entitled ‘House Bill No. 1,’ which repeals Missouri’s existing gerrymandered congressional plan that protects incumbent politicians, and replaces it with new congressional boundaries that keep more cities and counties intact, are more compact, and better reflects statewide voting patterns?”

According to court documents filed by the group, People Not Politicians argues the word “gerrymandered” is biased and argumentative. The group argues the whole ballot title is argumentative.

“It’s the latest attempt by desperate politicians seeking to break the rules and justify their power grab and try to manipulate an outcome around what should just be a fair and free election,” Executive Firector von Glahn said.

People Not Politicians is asking a Cole County judge to throw out the ballot title and write a new one, according to court documents.

People Not Politicians contracts another group, called Advanced Micro Testing, to help collect signatures, according to a People Not Politicians spokesperson. AMT makes up less than 10% of People Not Politicians’ workforce.

AMT filed its own, separate lawsuit Tuesday in federal court against four other campaign companies, according to court documents. AMT is alleging these other companies “poached” 28 AMT employees.

Those other companies are Let The Voters Decide, Vortex Elite, Synergy Wise Solutions and Onest Marketing.

According to the court documents, these other companies started a campaign to block the ballot measure, and allegedly tried bribing employees and created a smear campaign.

“The Smear Video indicates that AMT did provide its employees with a hotel with working water or food or money,” the court documents read.

AMT wants the judge to bar the other companies from soliciting, encouraging contract breaks, employing with AMT’s employees, remove all smear videos and stop using confidential trade information from AMT, according to court documents.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Organizers are expecting a large crowd for Saturday’s NCAA Cross Country Championship, and that could mean heavy traffic around the Gans Creek Concourse.

Fans planning to attend must purchase parking passes online in advance—no passes will be sold on-site. Tickets for the event are still available and can be purchased online the day of the meet.

The University lists three parking options for sale—Red, Orange, and Purple—all within a 10-minute drive of the course:

Red Lot: 2800 Maguire Blvd, $12

Orange Lot: 2810 Lemone Industrial Blvd, $6

Purple Lot: 3101 Lemone Industrial Blvd, $6

Shuttles will run from each lot to the course starting at 6:30 a.m.

Additional parking is available at 4210 through 42240 Phillips Farm Road and 4780 Discovery Drive. Those lots are booked from 5:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. that day. Shuttle buses will run from the lots.

There will be two main points of entry: One designated for shuttle drop-offs and two parking lots close enough for attendees to walk. Organizers said pedestrians will be guided to cross at supervised points where public safety officers can help direct them to the ticketed access area.

Megan McConachie, spokeswoman for the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said safety has been the top priority throughout the planning process. She said several city departments have been involved in coordinating traffic flow and logistics leading up to race day.

“We working with our streets department, our parking folks, or public safety so that– A, they know what’s going on and B, they can also advise us because that’s their area of expertise on moves we might need to make,” McConachie said.

McConachie added that the satellite parking setup is designed to reduce congestion and get fans to the course safely.

“So having those satellites parking places as well as is just going to alleviate some of that traffic. It’s going to be mostly people coming in on shuttles and they’re going to kind of stop at a point that’s before where they’re going to encounter any athletes,” she said.

Drivers will see signage along Highway 63, Discovery Parkway, and East Gans Creek Road reminding them to watch for pedestrians. The Columbia Police Department will have three officers on site to manage traffic. Officials advise drivers to allow extra time and follow law enforcement directions.

Beyond the crowds and traffic, the championship brings a major economic boost to the area. According to the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, this weekend’s event is expected to generate $1.2 million in revenue for local businesses, from restaurants and hotels to shops and attractions.

Organizers say that careful planning of parking and shuttles helps ensure fans can enjoy the event safely—and support the community at the same time.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman described as the treasurer of the Cole Camp R-1 Parent-Teacher Organization has been accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the group.

Andrea Butler, of Cole Camp, was charged Friday in Benton County with stealing more than $750. A criminal summons was issued on Friday and an initial court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.

The probable cause statement says Butler became the PTO’s treasurer on Sept. 11 and that from Oct. 16-Nov. 6, she “cashed checks and made withdrawals that did not correspond with any PTO events as well as withdrew money for PTO events but did not deposit back the cash withdrawn or the cash made on the event.”

The statement also alleges she made several purchases on Amazon. The total amount of money stolen was $4,138.43, according to court documents.

Butler is not currently listed as the treasurer on the PTO’s website.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City has announced that the Madison Street Parking Garage will officially close on Dec. 29.

A social media post from the city says the City Council approved a demolition contract at its meeting this week. A portion of the parking garage closed last month after an inspection “identified severe deterioration to decking, ramps, and supporting columns, creating safety concerns.”

The city says more than 900 on-street parking spaces and several off-street lots will be available as the parking garage is demolished

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former corrections officer at the Morgan County Jail has been charged after they were allegedly in a sexual relationship with an inmate while they were employed.

Ashley Jacobson, of Jefferson City, was charged with sexual conduct in the course of public duty. A warrant was issued on Friday and a $25,000 bond was set.

The probable cause statement says a detainee told officials about seeing Jacobson and another inmate kissing in public and telling other detainees in the cell block to look away. The inmate reported the behavior on Sept. 30 and Jacobson was fired that same day after she declined to interview, the statement says.

Other jail staff noted Jacobson’s behavior was “suspicious” and that she would visit the cell block “in a flirtatious manner,” the statement says.

The inmate in question was interviewed and he allegedly admitted to being in a relationship with Jacobson, claimed they were get married and he would adopt Jacobson’s daughter, the statement says.

A family member of Jacobson also spoke with officials, claimed Jacobson was in a sexual relationship and reiterated the information from the inmate, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Pulaski County substitute teacher and paraprofessional charged with 19 felonies a year for allegedly offering children money, drugs and alcohol for sex has been sentenced to prison.

Carissa J. Smith, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to one count of child endangerment and two counts of having sexual contact with a student.

Smith worked in the Dixon School District but resigned a few months before charges were made public in November 2024. The investigation started when detectives interviewed a victim who said they had been coerced into sex with Smith — including her supplying marijuana, alcohol and money — on multiple occasions, according to a probable cause statement.

The statement identified at least five victims.

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Matthew Sanders

EDITOR’S NOTE: Charges against Jimmy Kenda were dropped after officers learned that the suspect gave a false identity. The suspect’s name will be released after formal charges are filed, police say.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A report of a man repeatedly harassing a woman at a gas station kicked off a high-speed pursuit early Friday in Jefferson City.

Jimmy Kenda was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, aggravated fleeing a stop and first-degree harassment, all felonies.

Officers were called to the Break Time at 326 Ellis Blvd. at about 2:45 a.m., where a woman said a man repeatedly made unwanted advances that included touching her and offering to pay her for sex, according to a probable cause statement. The man followed her to the drink station and continued to touch her inappropriately, the victim told police.

Officers soon found the suspect’s vehicle at another gas station. An officer began to question Kenda, who took off down Route C at speeds up to 100 mph in heavy rain, the statement says. Kenda crashed at the intersection of Route C and Rock Ridge Road and was arrested, police say.

Kenda was taken to University Hospital with a compound fracture of his leg. He was not in Cole County Jail custody on Friday morning.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The sole occupant of a boat on the Lake of the Ozarks was not hurt in a Thursday afternoon explosion and fire.

Firefighters were called to the 3.5 mile marker a little after 4 p.m. Thursday for a call of a boat and dock fire, the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District stated in a news release. The boat was on fire in the middle of a cove when firefighters arrived.

The lone occupant of the boat had been rescued by people on another boat, the release states.

Information about what started the fire and the victim’s name was not released.

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Matthew Sanders

People in Mid-Missouri were sickened to learn the macabre details after a Boone County woman had been charged with animal abuse.

Under Missouri law, no authorities were under an obligation to inspect Sanders’ operation, legally classified as a “hobby,” unless complaints were filed.

Do you think the state should have tougher requirements? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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