Category: kmiz-local-news

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia and local union LiUNA 955 remain locked in wage negotiations, with the next bargaining session scheduled for July 24. The union has criticized the city for only offering a 1% cost-of-living adjustment. 

Talks have been ongoing since April as union members continue to push for higher wages, citing low pay and heavy reliance on outsourcing by the city.

On Monday, LiUNA Local 955 and Missouri Jobs With Justice held a press conference outside Columbia City Hall, where roughly 20 people — most of them city employees- carried picket signs and called for better pay. Union leaders argue that the city spends more than $6 million annually on outsourced labor that could be handled in-house by union employees.

The union’s economic proposal includes a cost-of-living adjustment, a 7% scale adjustment, and step increases for all union-eligible employees. The estimated cost of the proposal, excluding benefits and retirement contributions, is approximately $938,000.

Krista Murray, a paratransit driver who has worked for the city for three years, said wages for many union-represented workers fall below the poverty line.

“It is absolutely an atrocity for anyone who works full-time for their city to not be able to afford to live in their city,” Murray said. “I’m from here. All I want is for Columbia to hold true to its own promises. I work for the city. Why aren’t they working for me?”

“If the city invests in us, we will turn around and invest right back in the city. No more poverty wages, reasonable cost-of-living increase, 1% does not pay the rent,” she added. “Our working conditions are everyone’s living conditions.”

Andrew Hutchinson, a LiUNA Local 955 union representative, said low pay and morale have forced many employees to work multiple jobs.

“I think there would have been more people here, to tell you the truth. But so many of our members are working second jobs or they’re unable to afford child care right now,” Hutchinson said. “I think there’s a real sad morale in the city right now.”

Hutchinson pointed to the city’s temporary labor contracts — over $1.25 million combined for 22nd Century Technologies Inc. and PeopleReady Inc. during 2023 and 2024 — as evidence of misplaced priorities.

 “The less staffing we get, the more willing we are to fill with outsourcing,” Hutchinson said. “The work has to get done, but we need to invest it in our own people to get the work done so that folks are paid well and it’s sustainable.”

City Manager De’Carlon Seewood said negotiations are ongoing and the 1% cost-of-living adjustment offered so far is not final.

 “It’s not a hard line. So we’re in the process of doing negotiations for a contract,” Seewood said. “With the contract negotiations, you start low, you get high, and it’s just a back-and-forth process. So we have not put the line in the sand and said it’s only a 1%. It’s just part of a negotiation process.”

Seewood defended the city’s use of outsourcing, citing both cost efficiency and the challenge of maintaining services with current staffing levels.

“You have to look at the bottom line of your expenses. So we don’t outsource just for the sake of outsourcing,” Seewood explained. “When you look at the city, you look at the number of parks that we’ve now acquired, we don’t have the staff to do that all in-house and so you do outsource some of that.”

Seewood emphasized that outsourcing has not been used to cut city jobs.

“We have not outsourced to eliminate jobs,” Seewood said. “We’re actually adding some staff. But the goal is just to be able to provide the jobs that our residents are calling for as expeditiously as possible.”

According to city records, Columbia spent a combined $8 million on outsourced fleet maintenance during the last two fiscal years. Additional outsourcing costs from the 2024 fiscal year included:

Fleet Operations: $2.1 million

Water Distribution: $1.8 million

Solid Waste: $468,000

Parks and Recreation: $423,000

Sewer and Stormwater: about $58,000 combined.

Union leaders claim city employees averaged nearly 100 hours of overtime annually due to understaffing. The number of unfilled union positions has fluctuated between 51 and 87 in recent years. Hutchinson fears that the recent progress they have made could backslide unless the cost-of-living adjustments improve. 

Chris Scott, a city employee, also criticized the city’s approach to managing funds.

 “The city does not have a revenue problem, they have a spending problem,” Scott said. “They make easy choices to outsource, waste paper money instead of handing management choices on how to do more with less.”

Seewood said he hopes to wrap up negotiations before the city begins presenting its fiscal 2026 budget.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man electrocuted while tampering with power lines in Moberly nearly a week ago had copper wire with him and was using pliers, according to a police report.

The report identifies the man as Gary W. Keehart. Other personal information, such as his age, is redacted.

Keehart was found last Tuesday morning in the 1800 block of Leah Lane and flown to a hospital, where he later died.

A police officer found Keehart’s bicycle on the ground at the scene with copper wire and other items in a basket attached to the seat, the report states. Police also found a pair of pliers with a burn mark on them.

A ground wire had been detached at the top of the utility pole and come in contact with a live wire, the report states. Police also found blood on the ground and the bicycle.

Moberly police did not respond to a message seeking more information.

Moberly electrocutionDownload

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A county official in Mid-Missouri has given up his seat after being charged with child sex crimes.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a news release Monday that Richard Renno, Benton County treasurer, had resigned his office. Renno submitted his resignation after Bailey took legal action last week to remove him from office in a process known as “quo warranto.”

Renno, 62, of Lincoln, was charged in Benton County with child enticement and sexual misconduct involving a child younger than 15 years old. The probable cause statement says that Renno used the dating application Grindr in August to speak to a child younger than 15 years old. A witness allegedly gave a screenshot to law enforcement of Renno’s face and a nude photograph he sent through Grindr, court documents say.

A family member was able to identify Renno to law enforcement, the statement says.

“At this time, I have decided to take time to spend with my family and friends, as personal time is a valuable asset, not to be taken for granted,” Renno wrote in his resignation letter.

Benton County Treasurer Resignation LetterDownload

Renno remained out on bond Monday with special conditions, including no contact with anyone under age 18 except for supervised contact with family members, according to court records. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 22.

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Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A boom that triggered emergency dispatchers to send out a warning about an “underground explosion” in a residential area of Columbia might have been fireworks, a city employee told ABC 17 News on Monday.

” I think maybe a firework, somebody probably threw one into the storm drain, ” City of Columbia stormwater supervisor Derek Altus said when asked what might have triggered the response that closed down part of Worley Street on Sunday.

Ronald Mooney, who lives in the area, said firefighters told him they had seen smoke coming from the sewer shortly after the initial reports.

“Well, I was sitting in my rocking chair watching TV, and I heard an explosion which sounded like an M-80 or cherry bomb or something like that,” Mooney said. “And it frightened me because I wasn’t expecting it.”

Columbia firefighters found no physical evidence to support the theory that fireworks caused the incident, and therefore could not verify that claim.

The Columbia Fire Department responded to reports of smoke and a loud noise coming from a storm drain at the corner of West Worley Street and Pennant Street.

Initial calls to 911 described it as an “underground explosion,” prompting Boone County Joint Communications to send an alert to residents.

The message read, “BCJC Urgent: Worley from Stadium to at least West Blvd is closed due to an underground explosion. Choose alternate route.”

Boone County Joint Communications director Christie Davis said Monday that the responding supervisor decided to send out that message due to the information they received at the time.

However, when crews arrived, they found no visible hazards, no injuries and no damage to nearby homes or infrastructure. It has been described since as a “non-event.”

“‘Nonevent,’ we mean that upon arrival and a thorough investigation, fire crews found no hazards present, no damage to homes or infrastructure, and no injuries. There was nothing active for our crews to mitigate,” CFD spokeswoman Katherine Rodriguez said in a statement.

City crews conducted routine inspections of a manhole and storm drain near the area Monday.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman found dead Saturday night in her car was shot in her vehicle after an argument with her boyfriend, according to court documents.

Isaiah N. Goins, 26, of Columbia, was arrested Sunday at work on suspicion of killing the woman, whose name has been kept under wraps by the sheriff’s department. She is identified by the initials “M.G.” in the statement.

Goins was charged Monday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. He was in the Boone County Jail on no bond.

M.G. had been out of town and returned to Columbia on Saturday night, the statement says. Goins had accused her of being unfaithful, investigators say.

Goins met M.G. and got into her car Saturday night before pulling out a gun on Lake of the Woods Road and demanding that M.G. let him out, the statement says. When M.G. pulled onto Geyser Road and stopped, Goins allegedly shot her during an argument and ran from the scene.

A deputy later found the car next to a house, where it had rolled to a stop but not hit the building, the statement says.

No court hearings for Goins are scheduled.

This marks the third homicide reported outside city limits in Boone County so far in 2025. For comparison, there were only two homicides recorded in all of 2024, one in February and another in June.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A ranger for Missouri State Parks was charged Sunday with three child sex crimes.

Prosecutors charged Billy G. Stephens III, 34, with child molestation, second-degree statutory sodomy, second-degree statutory rape, witness tampering and evidence tampering.

The Camden County Sheriff’s Office began investigating on Saturday after park ranger command staff told them about an interview with a victim, the sheriff’s office says in a news release.

“Rangers’ command staff cooperated fully with the investigation and assisted in devising a plan to take Stephens into custody,” the release states.

One victim told investigators that Stephens commits the abuse nightly and the abuse is accompanied by physical threats if the victims tell anyone, according to a probable cause statement.

It’s not clear where Stephens was arrested — the location is redacted in the probable cause statement. Stephens refused to speak with investigators without a lawyer, the statement says.

Stephens was booked into the Camden County Jail on Saturday and remained there Monday on no bond, according to online jail records.

Camden County Sheriff Chris Edgar said in the news release that the allegations against Stephens “are disturbing and, frankly, a betrayal of the trust our community puts in its law enforcement efforts. This office is committed to the equal administration of justice regardless of a suspect’s status as a law enforcement officer.”

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Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council voted to accept an almost $60,000 grant for the purchase of a new drone for the Jefferson City Police Department.

The grant is from the Jefferson City Missouri Police Foundation, a non-profit formed by local businesses to support the JCPD.

“We currently have drones, but they are outdated and old, and we can’t get the replacement parts for it, so we decided to purchase a new one,” Jefferson City Police Department Lieutenant Jason Payne said.

Payne said the grant will cover the entire drone purchase.

The drone will be from the BRINC company and has thermal imaging and third-party mapping capabilities. Drones are equipped with two-way communications so police and communicate with people during a scene or rescue. It can also deliver small items like defibrilators, Narcan and EpiPens in emergency scenarios. JCPD plans to use drones for search and rescue and crowd monitoring scenarios.

“They can cover large areas in rough terrain,” Payne said. “If there was a disaster, we can use them for assessing their disaster areas … also for safety, reduce the risk of officers going into potential areas of unknown suspects.”

“The truth is just drones lead to better outcomes,” David Benowitz BRINC Vice President of Strategy & Marketing Communications said. “Having those first eyes on scene without having to put a body in the way, being able to create distance, being able to get that information and being able to communicate with people remotely just leads to better outcomes.”

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 36-year-old man accused of running over a motorcyclist, who later died from his injuries, was charged Monday with murder.

Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Roger Johnson told ABC 17 News in an email that charges against Donald J. Legleiter had been changed to include second-degree murder in the death of Jeffrie W. Cash, replacing an earlier assault charge.

Legleiter, who is also charged with armed criminal action and leaving the scene of an injury crash, remained in the Boone County Jail on Monday on no bond. He was arrested a week ago following the incident on Allen Street in McBaine.

Witnesses told deputies that Legleiter had backed up in his SUV and run over the motorcycle with Cash on it, the statement says. Legleiter allegedly drove from the scene and abandoned the 2024 Toyota Highlander in a bean field.

Authorities later found and arrested him nearby.

Legleiter allegedly told deputies that he wanted to destroy Cash’s motorcycle.

Cash’s family told ABC 17 News last week that he died from his injuries Thursday night. Cash’s daughter, Makayla Cash, told ABC 17 News that her father would have needed constant care had he been able to survive the injuries he suffered to his head and body.

Makayla Cash said her father was defending a woman from Legleiter, which led to the fatal confrontation.

Legleiter made his first court appearance Wednesday. His next appearance is scheduled for Aug. 19.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Ashland man was charged with five felonies after he was accused of hitting a person with his car in Columbia early Monday morning.

Steven Brunstrom, 28, of Ashland, was charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action, third-degree domestic assault, property damage and resisting arrest.

Columbia Police said officers were dispatched to the 1500 block of Vandiver Drive for a crash with a pedestrian just before 2 a.m. on Monday.

Court documents state that Brunstrom allegedly hit his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend before threatening to kill them.

Police said the woman told officers Brunstrom used his car to hit the man and pinned him against a house on Parker Street.

The man told police while at the hospital that he had stopped Brunstrom from hitting the woman before he started hitting him and allegedly threatening to kill them both.

Officers said the man told police Brunstrom tried to hit him with his car but missed before he turned around and hit him.

Court documents state the victim reported being on the hood of the car while Brunstrom drove it until he hit the house. The victim reported having his ankle pinned between the car, house and gas meter.

Brunstrom allegedly left the scene in his car he used to hit the man. Police said officers arrived at his house in Ashland and saw damage to a car matching the victim’s description.

Brunstrom is accused of trying to run from an officer and Boone County Sheriff’s Deputies while trying to arrest him. He ran about 20 yards before he was caught by officers, court documents state.

Police reported seeing tire marks in the front yard of the house on Parker Street and damage to the front corner of the siding and gutter. Officers also reported a broken gas meter at the house.

The woman victim had swelling around her right side of her face with a large red mark, according to court documents. The man was reported to have swelling on his face along with large cuts on his knees and lower legs and a possibly broken right ankle.

Investigators believe the crash was intentional, according to a press release.

Court documents state Brunstrom is currently out on bond for domestic assault and kidnapping in one case and possession of a controlled substance in a second case.

Brunstrom is currently being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date was not set as of 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A grant awarded to the Missouri Department of Transportation and the City of Columbia by the federal government has been canceled for the second time.

In a news release, Loop Community Improvement District spokesperson Carrie Gartner said a $2.13 million grant that would be used to improve Business Loop 70 in Columbia has been canceled.

“Federal Highway Administration has been told to withdraw the funds and close out the grant so we are unable to go forward with this important step towards a better street and a more welcoming gateway into Columbia,” the release states.

The grant was frozen in early March but was unfrozen within two weeks.

Gartner said the city and MoDOT were told on Friday the grant was canceled.

According to City of Columbia Engineering Manager Allison Anderson, the cancellation came as a result of President Donald Trump’s “One, Big Beautiful Bill” passing.

“Once that bill went through we kind of saw what was going to happen but Friday was when we got the official notice from federal highway,” Anderson said.

Gartner told ABC 17 News via email that about 60 communities across the nation were impacted as a result of the bill, accounting for $2.4 billion in funding.

“The people of Columbia and the City of Columbia have been amazingly supportive of our efforts to improve the Business Loop—which is not just an economic engine for the city but our main gateway into Columbia,” the statement reads. “Despite this setback, the Loop Community Improvement District hopes we have this same support as we explore all our options for funding this important redevelopment project.”

In a statement sent to ABC 17 News, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it plans to continue reviewing grant selections to ensure they align with the president’s executive orders.

The release from the Loop CID states that it plans to reapply for another federal grant if given the oppertunity but is also preparing if that does not happen.

“If federal funds are no longer available, we will work with the city to explore other locally-initiated funding tools that are not reliant on grants”

The grant was awarded in 2024 as part of the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant program. The grant was to be used to do a study of Business Loop 70 between Stadium Boulveard and Eastland Circle to find ways to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians.

“It’s kind of a gateway off of I-70 to our community and to have a really great looking business loop to just draw people, wanting to get them to stop in Columbia,” Anderson said. “Just really make business loop a quarter where people want to be again. Make it great for traveling in your car, but also for walkers and bikers.”

City officials requested $2.5-3 million for the study, according to the application filed in 2023. In October the City Council approved $500,000 in funds from the capital improvement sales tax to be used for the study along with the federal grant.

City spokesperson Sydney Olsen told ABC 17 News that the city plans to hold onto that funding in the project account as it explores other possible grants or funding mechanisms.

Owner of Woods Auto Spa on the Business Loop, Dimetrious Woods said hearing the news brings frustration for not only his business, but for the many small business owners in the city. He also said it raises the question of why.

“I’ve heard a couple things of Trump being involved in, or inflicting upon certain people. Me being myself, whenever it inflicts me, of course I’m going to open my eyes,” Woods said. “It doesn’t feel good hearing that it’s Trump. It’s been a lot of great policies but I’m not hearing a lot of great as of a thing like this. Who does a grant hurt? It only helps the community.”

The federal grant for the road safety audit of Business Loop 70 is still moving forward, according to Anderson.

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