Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Camden County prosecutor on Monday filed a motion to revoke the bond of an Osage Beach alderman after he allegedly failed a drug test.

John Robert “Bob” O’Steen, 60, who represents the city’s first ward, was charged in May with delivery of a controlled substance, two counts of drug possession and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. He posted a $250,000 bond on May 13.

Court documents in previous reporting say O’Steen tried to buy two “8-balls” of cocaine for $500 from an undercover law enforcement officer on Tuesday. Law enforcement served a warrant at O’Steen’s residence and found drugs and nine guns, the statement says.

Prosecutor Richelle Grosvenor’s motion on Monday claimed that O’Steen violated the conditions of his bond after a urinalysis on June 29 determined O’Steen tested positive benzoylecgonine, which is a metabolite of cocaine.

O’Steen’s attorney Travis Noble denied the claims in a message to ABC 17 News on Monday.

“We deny any drug use and are complying with all conditions of bond,” the message reads.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.

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Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Task Force 1 on Monday completed its four-day deployment in Reynolds and Iron counties to respond to and help with the historic flooding in southern Missouri.

The task force was originally placed as a type 3 resource, meaning only half the team was deployed, but after seeing the severity of the flood, it was upgraded to a Type 1, deploying more than 80 members, according to technical information specialist Ryan Benedict.

Benedict said that flooding is an extremely dangerous situation, and it only takes roughly 6-7 inches of water to move a large vehicle, so what made this event so historic and catastrophic was how rapidly the water was moving.

“They talk about how it’s historic because things like this don’t happen very often,” Benedict said. “And when water comes up like that in just a short amount of time, it carries away anything in its path.”

According to a press release from the Boone County Fire Protection District, search operations were conducted throughout each day to search through flooded homes, campers and vehicles.

Benedict said the task force searched more than 100 buildings, 90 campers and 120 vehicles.

The deployment included a Disaster Situational Assessment and Reconnaissance team, which provided aerial surveillance, disaster mapping, and critical intelligence to communicate with responders, according to the press release. Because of this, the Task Force covered more than 2,000 acres and collected over 6,000 visual aids to support the response operations.

Benedict said the DSAR team was a big part of their mission and was crucial to finding and rescuing residents. He said the DSAR team was sent to fly missions early to navigate where the task force should go.

“He was there flying missions at 10 a.m., which was absolutely critical in the decision-making process that led into the rescue of the campers and counselors,” Benedict said. “The folks that they were going to rescue were in very much trouble. And it was important to get to them quickly.”

Missouri Task Force 1 arrived at the Boone County Fire Protection District Headquarters around 3:15 p.m. Monday.

Once the force arrives, they will begin the disbandment and return the equipment so it’s ready for future deployments.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Voluntary Action Center’s Opportunity Campus in Columbia officially opened the doors to its overnight shelter Monday to support people experiencing hardship and homelessness.

“I would not be at all surprised if we reached 150 overnight guests tonight,” Voluntary Action Center Executive Director Ed Stansberry said.

The 30,000-plus-square-foot facility, capable of serving over 7,000 people a year, is located in the 1300 block of Bowling Street. Construction on the $18.6 million facility began in February 2024 and part of the Opportunity Campus opened its doors as an overnight cooling center earlier this month.

“New Day, formerly Turning Point, just today started their third week of day services here,” Stansberry said. “A week ago today, Loaves and Fishes came down and started providing meal services. So the third component is the overnight shelter.”

The campus includes 150 beds, an overflow bed area with private rooms for sick individuals, a commercial kitchen and dining room area, showers and more.

“The day shelter’s had somewhere between 80 and probably 120 [visitors],” Stansberry said. “Our unsheltered neighbors have been kind of shower starved. And one of the things we designed in here was a significant amount of showers.”

The day center has been reporting about 40 showers a day, according to Stansberry.

The overnight Waypoint Shelter will now open doors to more people. It can divide up sleeping spaces for veterans, visitors with sensory issues, pet owners, etc.

While most shelters in Missouri don’t allow pets, the Opportunity Campus offers a veterinary exam area, a pet washing station, indoor/outdoor kennel runs, and more for those with pets.

“If they can’t take their fur baby, they’re not going to come. So that’s an additional group that we’ve eliminated a barrier for,” Stansberry said.

People will also have access to an on-site medical center run by Centerstone, mail delivery, laundry services, computer access and secure storage spaces.

According to Columbia’s 2025 State of Homelessness Report, 309 people experienced homelessness last year. The city’s homeless population has hovered around the 300 mark for at least three years, with 323 reported in 2024 and 270 in 2023. The report was not done during the pandemic from 2020-22.

Opportunity Campus leadership and Ward 3 Columbia City Council Member Jacque Sample believe the facility can truly transform the homeless community in the city.

“To me, success is going to be seeing the number of unhoused persons in our community decrease,” Sample said. “I think with the consolidation of these services in one place, it’s going to be a much more organized effort.”

Stanberry previously told ABC 17 News that about 30 nonprofits and organizations will be offering resources at the campus. Having a centralized location to get help, he said, is something the city hasn’t tried before.

“Communities that are most successful at addressing homelessness are those that have radical collaboration between the nonprofits in those communities,” Stansberry said.

Visitors will also work with “case managers” during their time at the Opportunity Campus.

“Case managers will begin to form relationships, and already have with our unsheltered neighbors, to make sure that we are getting them the services they need and then not duplicating those services across other nonprofits in the community,” Stansberry said.

Half an hour before the overnight shelter opened at 6:30 p.m., an ABC 17 News crew saw a line of about 20 out the door. A shuttle was also seen bringing people to the campus.

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Sutton Parker

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to show the “cuts” are suggestions based on proposals submitted by each department at the start of the process.

COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia is proposing cuts in its fiscal year 2027 budget due to a $7.37 million general fund deficit.

City documents report the city is operating on a “status quo” baseline, with the city manager’s looking at internal changes across multiple departments to guarantee a balanced budget.

During the initial draft of Columbia’s fiscal year budget, the department’s requests for continuing operations and new funding items outpaced expected revenues.

To meet mandatory balancing requirements before council consideration, the city manager and department directors held internal meetings to implement suggestions to reduce the proposed deficit.

The Columbia Police Department budget is facing almost $2 million from its proposed amount.

To capture more savings, the city will freeze hiring on eight vacant full-time positions, which would also delay the hiring of two requested Real-Time Information Center positions for CPD. Additionally, CPD will have to defer the replacement of its drone fleet.

The city manager cut $1 million in budget suggestions from the Columbia Fire Department.

Excluded from any projected revenue is a proposed 1% public safety sales tax, which awaits the August election

If approved, the city said that the tax is projected to generate an additional $38 million in funding annually for fire and police.

The funds would go to the building of a new police headquarters and the hiring of additional firefighters and police officers.

Outside of the public safety cuts, the city is also proposing the reduction of Utility Assistance Funding. Reducing the funding from $600,000 to $400,000 in 2027.

ABC 17 reached out to the Columbia City Council and the City Manager’s office and has not heard back.

Monday’s work session starts at 3 p.m.

 

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two women were seriously injured in a crash on Highway 50 in Gasconade County on Saturday night, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

A 29-year-old Union man driving a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek was stopped on the road facing west, the report says. A 1999 Ford Ranger driven by a 25-year-old Hermann man was headed west and rear-ended the stopped vehicle around 8:30 p.m.

Two passengers in the Subaru— a 25-year-old Union woman and a 29-year-old woman from Washington state— were seriously hurt in the crash. The report says both were taken by ambulance to Mercy Washington Hospital.

Both vehicles were totaled. All drivers and passengers involved were wearing seatbelts, according to the report. Neither driver was reported to be injured.

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Alison Patton

EDITOR’S NOTE: A change has been made to note that the board will not be voting on the policy in July.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Public School Board is set to continue discussion about a policy change regarding who reports and intervenes in bullying incidents during the year. The policy has been under consideration since April.

According to the board’s agenda for Monday, the new policy would allow school employees, substitutes, and educational contractors who work with students to intervene and provide support to students who are being bullied.

Currently, school employees and staff are only allowed to submit a report of bullying to the principal or a designee within two days of the bullying incident, and the bullied student will be offered support during the investigation.

The school district has limited jurisdiction when it comes to off-campus bullying, according to the document. The document clarifies that the school can intervene when cyberbullying starts on campus, at a school event or uses district technology.

The document also lists a couple of ways that the school district can take action, including contacting parents, explaining what behaviors are allowed on campus, letting relevant staff know about the incident and alerting law enforcement or social media companies about inappropriate behavior.

The school district will continue to accept online bullying reports throughout the year, but the investigation might take longer during breaks, according to the document. Investigations will continue to be completed within ten days of receiving a report.

Columbia Public School Board Vice President Paul Harper told ABC 17 News in an email that the policy is not up for a vote Monday. He said the policy has received comments as required by law, but they haven’t been added to the draft. The board will instead receive an update on the policy.

Monday’s meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Aslin Administration Building.

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Erika McGuire

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Kansas City’s FIFA Fan Fest reached capacity Saturday afternoon as fans gathered to watch the city’s final World Cup quarterfinal match, featuring Argentina and Switzerland.

Organizers posted on “X” around 3:30 p.m. that general admission entry to Fan Fest had been temporarily paused because the venue had reached capacity. Premium Garden and Legacy pass holders continued to receive guaranteed admission.

About 10 minutes later, general admission was back open for fans.

The match between Argentina and Switzerland will kick off at Arrowhead Stadium at 8 p.m.

Fans from all over the world traveled to Kansas City to be part of the FIFA World Cup that began on June 16.

Ryan Peritchett and Andrew Ionsu made the trip from Toronto, Canada, to watch Argentina play, saying the experience has been well worth the journey.

“It’s been amazing the city is so welcoming, people are so nice and super chill, and it’s incredibly clean,” Perichett said.

Transportation during Argentina’s first match against Algeria left many fans frustrated, with some waiting hours to reach Arrowhead Stadium.

Since then, transportation has become much more efficient.

The shuttle ride itself takes about 25 minutes each way. From the time of arrival at Fan Fest to reaching the area outside the stadium gates, the entire trip takes nearly an hour. That includes waiting in line, boarding the bus and making the final walk toward the stadium.

However, since that first match ,transportation around the city has improved.

“I love how organized it is,” Ionsu said. “When we got to the airport we took the shuttle to downtown beautiful, and then the tram, free right to where our hotel was it was so easy and quick,”

“It’s been unreal honestly super smooth, no issues that fact that it’s free has been crazy, I think we got off the plane they gave us soccer balls, it’s super easy to take the bus no problems,” Perichett added.

The pair are also fans of Lionel Messi who has scored eight goals in the 2026 World Cup, making it a priority to be in Kansas City to watch Messi score another World Cup goal.

“Messi’s last World Cup greatest player to ever live, that’s a dream of any soccer fan to see it,” Ionsu said.

“We have to see him in person, it’s a once in a lifetime, you gotta do it,” Perichett added.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County Fire Protection District’s Missouri Task Force One has been supporting statewide flood response operations in Reynolds and Iron counties, where flash flooding overwhelmed roadways, campgrounds and waterways following historic rainfall.

BCFPD Chief Doug Westhoff said search teams are moving segment by segment along the Black River.

“There are four segments of that area of the river that they’re working on. They just subdivided it. Two of the four that they’re focused on today are between 75 and 90% complete. The other two on the far north end and far south end of the river will be checked tomorrow,” he said.

Westhoff adds that while moving through the segments, crews are documenting property damage and making sure no survivors are left behind.

“We have to run those river banks and all of the places that could have been impacted by that high water to make sure that we don’t have people that are impacted, that maybe didn’t have any form of communications or any way to ask for help,” he said.

Friday, a specialized helicopter team with the task force assisted in the evacuation of over 100 campers from Camp Taum Sauk in Reynolds County.

Westhoff said that roads were blocked in the area, with the only way out of the camp being by air.

“They were isolated, and the roads were all damaged, so it was an airlift operation by the Missouri Guard, and we had a couple of rescue technicians who were on board one of those aircraft that helped facilitate that exact situation,” he said.

Westhoff expects the task force to wrap up operations within the next few days.

“Well, it is purely just an estimate; for tomorrow’s operational period, we will not have state or mutual aid assets. So it may slow the workload just a little bit, but we feel confident that by tomorrow or midday Monday, we should have things wrapped up,” he said.  

In Crawford County, the missing woman who was swept away by flood waters yesterday has been located.

According to a Crawford County Sheriff’s Office press release, Faith Gregory was found dead 1.8 miles downstream from her residence around 11:30 Saturday morning.

Assisting the sheriff’s office in the search were the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Steelville Fire Protection District, and Quad County Fire Protection District. The Crawford County Coroner later arrived to recover the victim.

“This is not the outcome that any of us were hoping for. Our thoughts and prayers are with Faith’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss,” the office said in a press release.

The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office also took the time to thank the emergency personnel who spent countless hours on the hazardous search operation, as well as the community members who provided them with refreshments.

The sheriff’s office said that out of respect for the family’s privacy, no additional information about the search will be released at this time.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Parts of Mid-Missouri saw another round of rain Saturday morning following severe storms and damaging winds the night before.

The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team is tracking a wet Saturday morning before the rain clears up for the rest of the week.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw some water-covered roadways in Paris around 6 a.m., and a fast-flowing Middle Fork Salt River.

Middle Fork Salt River on Saturday morning.

Just after 7 a.m., Boone County Joint Communications sent a text message to residents, letting them know that a downed tree was in the roadway in the 7000 block of North Buckingham Square, creating a traffic hazard.

A tree is shown on top of one car, and another car two spaces over on North Buckingham Square.

Another ABC 17 News reporter saw a tree blown over onto the Heather Ridge apartment complex in west Columbia. ABC 17 has reached out to management to see if anyone was hurt, although an ambulance wasn’t spotted on scene.

A tree leans against a Heather Ridge apartment complex in west Columbia. A utility truck is seen removing parts of the tree.

Strong storms also knocked out power for thousands of Mid-Missourians on Friday night, and a couple of hundred Boone County residents were still in the dark early Saturday morning. Those storms knocked down about eight power line poles on Highway NN in Boone County.

An old power line pole is broken on the grass in front of the new pole that utility crews put up early Saturday morning.

Dee Stidhan lives on that road, and she said new poles were put in, and power was restored around 3:30 a.m.

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John Ross

Strong storms moved through the area on Thursday evening, producing scattered high winds, hail, and a few brief rotations. Flooding remains a concern south of I-70 as storms have continued this morning. Some storms are strong-to-severe this morning.

A Flash Flood Warning is in place for Phelps and Maries counties through 9 a.m., where over 5 inches of rain may have fallen in some locations.

An ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Day has also been issued for Friday afternoon and evening for the threat of damaging winds and flooding.

SETUP

A wave moved over the area late Thursday, producing scattered strong storms along and south of I-70. Leftover boundaries from this activity will keep rain going into Friday, when another disturbance is set to move overhead during the day. Friday’s setup will be very similar to the day before, with scattered storms developing in the heat of the day south of I-70, carrying a risk of damaging winds, hail, and flash flooding.

FUTURETRACK

Storms will continue near I-44 through Friday morning, then a brief break is possible for everyone in the late morning and early afternoon. Storms will ignite midday after 3 p.m. and continue into Friday night, where all severe hazards are possible. Heavy rain persists in southern Missouri into Saturday morning, before showers finally exit this weekend.

IMPACTS

Impacts may include hail and wind damage; storms capable of 60 mph winds will be the greatest concern. Flash flooding is also likely, with localized 3 to 4 inch totals around Miller, Maries, Pulaski, and Phelps counties.

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