Category: kmiz-local-news

Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A new Missouri rule, aimed at protecting children from online pornography, has prompted Pornhub — the pornography industry’s largest platform– to block access statewide rather than comply.

Pornography websites operating in Missouri must now verify that their users are adults before allowing them access to explicit content.

The rule — initiated by former Attorney General Andrew Bailey and continued by AG Catherine Hanaway — went into effect Monday. The attorney general is taking the action under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, which requires commercial porn sites to implement robust age-verification systems for users.

Under the new regulation, any website where a third or more of its content is pornographic must confirm that users are 18 or older. Noncompliant platforms will face penalties, injunctions and enforcement actions for engaging in unfair and deceptive practices.

Hanaway called the rule “one of the most significant online child-protection victories in state history” in a statement.

She said Pornhub’s decision to bar Missourians’ access to its site proves why the rule is needed.

“If a billion-dollar corporation would rather leave Missouri than verify that children are not accessing graphic sexual content, that tells you everything you need to know about its priorities,” Hanaway said in a statement.

Instead of identifying themselves to access such sites, some Missourians seem to be turning to virtual private networks.

A VPN creates an encrypted “tunnel” for internet traffic and masks IP addresses — enhancing online privacy and security. It can make it look like the user is in another state.

The Show-Me State has reportedly seen a major spike in VPN searches.

Google Trends data showed search interest for “VPN” in Missouri surged to its highest point of the year in the days surrounding the rule taking effect.

This suggests that Missourians are looking for ways to maintain anonymity, prevent potential data leaks, or visit sites that have restricted traffic from the state.

Google Trends data shows search interest for “VPN” in Missouri surges in the days surrounding a new age verification rule for pornographic sites taking effect on Nov. 30, 2025.

Pornhub criticized Missouri’s rule as ineffective and a potential risk to user privacy.

“We [Pornhub] believe that the best and most effective solution for protecting children and adults alike is to identify users by their device and allow access to age-restricted materials and websites based on that identification. Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Missouri,” Pornhub said in a statement on its website.

The statement urges Missourians to contact state representatives and demand device-based verification solutions while also “respecting your privacy.”

“Pornhub is welcome to leave Missouri,” Hanaway said in a statement Tuesday, acknowledging the platform’s response to the new rule.

Research shows that the average age people are first exposed to pornography is 11 or 12, with many teens encountering violent or degrading content online, the Attorney General’s Office says. Studies suggest pornography can have addictive effects similar to dangerous substances, leaving children particularly vulnerable. It can also “distort young people’s understanding of sex and undermine healthy relationships.”

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A crash closed part of Highway 54 in eastern Audrain County on Tuesday morning.

The highway reopened at about noon.

MoDOT reported the closing in a news release a little before 9 a.m. The release says a crash closed Highway 54 between Route F and Highway 154 near Vandalia. Details about the crash were not provided.

It wasn’t clear when the road would reopen.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A south Boone County neighborhood is still shaken after a 15-year-old was taken to a local hospital after they were shot in the face early Tuesday morning.

The Boone County Sheriff’s office said in a release that Joint Communications received a call about a juvenile being shot in the face at 12:04 a.m. on Tuesday in the 800 block of North Parkview Court.

The release states the juvenile was conscious and transported to the hospital. They are believed to be stable, according to the sheriff’s office.

Investigators said they believe someone was shooting from outside the home.

“Based on the initial investigation, it is believed the juvenile was inside the residence when multiple rounds were fired into the residence from outside.”

ABC 17 News spoke with five neighbors in the area who all said that large scenes like Tuesday morning were uncommon for the area.

“It sounded like gunfire,” neighbor Steven Schatzer said. “We saw the whole thing, with the first responders coming in and followed by more police presence than I’ve ever seen out here in 46 years.”

One neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of retribution ran into the home following initial shots to help provide medical care.

“It was hard scene to look at, I don’t want to see that for anybody, our neighbors or youth or, you know, whatever, this neighborhood, we wouldn’t expect it,” the neighbor said.

Several neighbors also shared that up until the past few months, the area was relatively quiet.

“This neighborhood has steadily had its problems, and it seems like for the last five years alone, we’ve had a lot of intervention from the sheriff and the police and the Highway Patrol and DEA,” Schatzer said. “It looks like the migration of the problem has come from the city to the suburbs.”

An ABC 17 News reporter on scene saw four Boone County Sheriff’s vehicles and one deputy walking around a house in the 800 block of Parkview Court with a flashlight and another inside the home, just after 1 a.m.

No suspects are in custody.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Michelle Rodemeyer announced in a Monday evening press release that she will be running for a spot on the Jefferson City Board of Education.

The release says she is a certified public accountant at Estes and Associates and previously worked at the Missouri State Public Health laboratory as a budget and fiscal officer. The release says she has more than 30 years of experience in financial and grants management, budget, tax preparation and audit work. The release also says she has been involved in the Parent Teacher Organization for more than 13 years.

Rodemeyer grew up in Jefferson City, has lived in Holts Summit for 26 years and one of her two children currently attend Jefferson City schools while the other is a recent graduate, the release says.

Priorities of her campaign, according to the release, include: Staff recruitment and retention; student, family and teacher support; fiscal accountability and making sure students are ready for college or their career path.

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Mitchell Kaminski

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Moberly city crews spent the weekend battling the season’s first major snowfall after roughly 6 inches fell across the area, with more continuing into Monday. 

However, preparation for the winter weather began long before the first flakes fell.

“We’re working several months in advance, actually, into the summer,” city spokesman Scott McGarvey told ABC 17 News. “ We’re getting all of our supplies together. The juice that goes into mixing with the sand and that kind of thing. So, our guys are ready several months in advance, looking forward to this point in our season.”

The city treats streets with a 50–50 mixture of salt and sand coated with a GeoMelt product that improves salt performance in low temperatures. Moberly began the season with 600 tons of material and used nearly 250 tons on Saturday alone.

“It was pretty, pretty busy over the weekend, obviously, with a lot of moisture coming down. So we had our utilities guys come in and help out our public works department. McGarvey said. “So a lot of teamwork happening in the city right now to make sure we get the streets covered up.”

McGarvey said crews monitor the weather radar closely and keep workers on call as storms approach so plowing can begin as soon as police report slick conditions. Twelve trucks — a mix of dump trucks and pickups — were deployed over the weekend with a full staff on duty.

As conditions worsened on Monday, Moberly City Hall closed early to allow staff to get home safely. The City Council meeting was also postponed to Wednesday night, due to the inclement weather. Waste Management also pulled trucks off the streets on Monday morning, with several areas of the city still unattended.

McGarvey said Moberly is prepared for whatever winter brings, even if the weather doesn’t always follow the plan.

“It just depends on when Mother Nature throws at us. We’re ready and when it starts coming down it’s it’s kind of like you’ve got a good plan until it hits the ground and then you find out if it works or not,” McGarvey said.

He also urged residents to obey posted snow-route signs to help plows clear streets efficiently.

“If you’re seeing the signs on the street that say this is a snow route, we want you to move your vehicle off the roadway so that our trucks can get through,” McGarvey said. “The bigger dump trucks can move this stuff pretty easily. The smaller trucks, because what happened over the weekend has frozen solid, are having a little bit more difficult time moving that stuff off the ground. So if you’re living on a snow route, we want to see your vehicle off the street into a driveway or off-site off site.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 21-year-old Jamestown man died Monday in a crash on Highway 179 in Cole County, north of Route Z, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the driver was traveling northbound in a 2003 Ford Ranger when the vehicle went down an embankment and overturned. The vehicle stopped on its side.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was brought to Freeman’s Mortuary, according to the report. He was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, the report says. The vehicle was totaled.

MSHP initially reported the crash on its X page at 6:08 p.m. Monday. MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

🚨Fatal Crash on MO 179 in Cole Co.🚨

Troopers are investigating a single vehicle single occupant rollover crash on MO 179, near Route Z, in northern Cole County.

The roadway is blocked at this time. Please avoid the area and use an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/467dR1P2Gh

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) December 2, 2025

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Tuscumbia woman has been arrested and charged after she allegedly stabbed a man in his stomach on Sunday evening.

Tiffany Eden, 34, was charged in Miller County with first-degree domestic assault, third-degree assault of a special victim and armed criminal action. She is being held at the Miller County Jail on a $250,000 bond. A hearing has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says Eden stabbed a man in his stomach and called EMS to report it. She then abruptly ended the phone call and a neighbor reported seeing her threaten the man’s family, the statement says. The man was brought to Lake Regional Hospital and required stitches, the statement says.

Eden allegedly drove away from the scene before law enforcement arrived and she was arrested near the intersection of Highway 17 and Mt. Zion Road, the statement says. Law enforcement nored that she appeared to be intoxicated and a breath test determined her blood alcohol content was .185, more than twice the legal limit to drive, the statement says.

Law enforcement at the scene found a blood trail that started from the outside of the residence that went inside the home, the statement says. The victim allegedly told deputies that an argument about dishes preceded the stabbing.

Eden then assaulted a jail staff member while she was being booked into the Miller County Jail, the statement says.

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Erika McGuire

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Friends and family of Erik Spencer II, who was shot and killed in a Jefferson City parking lot, spoke during the public comment portion of Monday’s City Council meeting, as they continue to demand that officials release the identity of the alleged shooter.

Spencer was shot and killed on Nov. 1 outside of the Old Navy on Missouri Boulevard. Bullets from the shooting shattered plate glass in the Old Navy storefront.

Three people briefly spoke at the council meeting, but made it clear they did not want to discuss the investigation but rather policy, safety and transparency.

Aci Hunter asked council members about the suspect allegedly having ties to the law enforcement community.

“Rumors that November 1st suspect has relatives to Jefferson City police and Cole County DOJ, would it be appropriate for you all to investigate this crime due to its inherit conflict of interest?”

Mayor Ron Fitzwater replied, “We’re happy to take your public comments but we’re not here to explain,”

ABC 17 News has confirmed that a state employee was questioned by police regarding the incident and released. That person is on administrative leave and has not been detained. Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson has said that person is cooperating with the investigation.

Thompson said Monday afternoon that he would not comment on the case.

Reassurance about the investigation was also addressed, as Spencer’s friends and family want the investigation to be handled properly.

“We’re not here to interfere with the ongoing investigation we’re her because people deserve assurance this process is being handled with urgency, thoroughness and integrity,” Sarah Buitrago, a friend and former co-worker of Spencer’s said.

Buitrago and Spencer’s family also continues to question safety in Jefferson City. They claim the area surrounding Old Navy and other businesses in the area do not have security cameras.

“Erik was shot and killed in the busiest commercial area in out city,” Buitrago said. “The City’s infrastructure, lights and cameras, they belong to use, this has nothing to do with the investigation, I do not feel safe and no one else should,”

“I think that even handling gun violence at a public location like that should be handled way different,’ Buitrago said. “I’m feeling like there needs to be change after what occured to Erik Spencer Junior, we don’t have any answers,”

Policies around investigations in Jefferson City were also questioned.

“We would like to know what are the investigation phases as a unit, what is the standard turn around time for finalizing an investigation before jeopardizing prosecutor and misconduct?” Hunter asked.

“Justice for Erik, he is more deserving of answers and change in this community that is very much needed and was needed before this incident and it is without a doubt needing to happen,” Buitrago said.

No charges have been filed in the case.

A peaceful march was held over the weekend in Jefferson City as the family continues to ask for transparency as the investigation moves forward.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman from the Chicagoland area was seriously injured in a crash on Monday afternoon at mile-marker 166 on Interstate 44 in Pulaski County, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The report says a 2022 Infiniti QX50 – driven by a 56-year-old woman from Aurora, Illinois – was heading eastbound when it went off the right side of the road and hit a tree.

The woman was wearing a seatbelt, as was her passenger – a 68-year-old man from Carol Stream, Illinois, the report says. The woman had serious injuries, while the man had minor injuries, the report says. Both people were brought to Phelps Health in Rolla by ambulance.

The vehicle was totaled.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man has been charged with two felonies after he allegedly brought a combustible bottle of methamphetamine into a Jefferson City IHOP on Thanksgiving Day.

Jason Cross, 53, of Jefferson City, was charged with manufacturing a controlled substance and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. An arraignment was held on Monday and Cross pleaded not guilty by video from the jail. Cross also applied for a public defender.

The probable cause statement says police were called around 6:23 p.m. Thursday to the IHOP on Missouri Boulevard. A witness allegedly told police that Cross had been talking about a bomb, and police removed one person from the restaurant and then evacuated the building, the statement says.

Cross allegedly referred to having a bottle that he called a “shake and bake,” or a way to make meth “that is extremely combustible,” court documents say. Cross allegedly told police he brought the bottle of meth to the restaurant “to possibly make it safe,” the statement says.

Cross allegedly told police that “he did not think he brought a bomb into the restaurant but thought it could be,” the statement says. One of the people described as a victim was a teenager who worked at the restaurant, the statement says. The teenager and another person described as a witness told police that Cross had called the bottle a “bomb” and had been shaking it in the building, the statement says.

A counsel status hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday, while a preliminary hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.

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