Category: kmiz-local-news

Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Advocacy groups are taking two routes to block potential redistricting, which was approved Friday by Missouri’s general assembly and is awaiting Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe’s signature.

The NAACP sued Kehoe, Senate Pro-Tem Cindy O’Laughlin (R-Shelbina) and Speaker of the House Jon Patterson (R-Lees Summit) around the start of the special session earlier this month, arguing that the special session and redistricting were unconstitutional and a waste of taxpayers’ money.

The group plans to push on with the lawsuit. Court documents allege Kehoe’s actions to call the special session were unconstitutional since redistricting wasn’t an eligible reason to call an extraordinary session.

“COVID, COVID is extraordinary, right? There’s been a devastating storm that wiped out half the state a la St. Louis or Joplin, Right? That’s extraordinary,” Attorney Nimrod Chapel Jr., representing the NAACP, said. “The idea that there may be a lawsuit one day brought by somebody, and we can’t identify anybody doing any of the above is anything but extraordinary; it’s ordinary.”

The group also claims Kehoe overstepped his bounds as governor by calling the special session to change legislation, which goes against the executive branch’s responsibility to carry out laws and not create them.

“If he signs it, then we have a measure that’s been passed in violation of the Constitution that is critically important, and it doesn’t matter what party you are, if you’re a voting person in this state, it’s important to stop that,” Chapel said.

The attorneys representing the state declined to comment. However, they did argue that Kehoe was within his rights to call a special session and that several arguments from the NAACP were irrelevant since the session ended, adding that the money had already been spent and lawmakers had returned home.

If signed by Kehoe, the new congressional map will be in place for the 2026 election. This will reduce Missouri’s Democrat congressional seats from two to one.

At the end of the special session on Friday, the advocacy group People Not Politicians sent in a referendum petition request to the Attorney General’s office. The group has until Dec. 11 to get signatures equal to 5% of the last governor’s race turnout in at least six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.

Courtesy: People Not Politicians

People Not Politicians began collecting signatures for the referendum petition on Monday and are confident they can make the tight deadline, adding that more than 800 people across the state are helping with petitioning.

“On the abortion campaign, in less than three months, we collected over 380,000 signatures,” Tori Schafer, Director of Policy and Campaigns of the ACLU of Missouri, said. “It’s Democrats, Republicans, independents, regardless of political party, people are excited to collect on this.”

Referendum petitions are similar to initiative petitions and require approval by the attorney general. Signatures are later verified by the Secretary of State, who writes how the petition will appear on the 2026 ballot for voters if enough signatures are collected. Signatures can be collected in advance before the attorney general’s approval.

“Missourians should pick our elected officials. Elected officials shouldn’t pick who they wish to represent in Missouri.” Richard Von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians, said. “The people that are going to put this issue on the ballot are Missourians and then the people that are going to have the final say on this are Missourians.”

Cole County Judge Christopher Limbaugh accepted both the NAACP suit and the state’s motion to dismiss the case on Monday. Future court dates have not been set.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man has been charged with three felonies after he allegedly pulled out a gun and took a Rolex from someone who was selling it in a Casey’s parking lot.

Deon Webb, 21, is charged with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A hearing was held on Monday.

The probable cause statement says the victim and a witness drove to a Casey’s location on Clark Lane in Columbia in order to sell a watch to Webb.

Webb allegedly went into the witness’ car, tried on the watch and walked away while flashing a gun, court documents say a witness said. The victim allegedly told police that Webb pulled out the gun, but did not point it at him, the statement says.

Video from the scene allegedly showed Webb having his hand near his pocket, but court documents did not describe a gun being seen in the video, the statement says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A chimney on a building on the University of Missouri’s campus was damaged “from a possible lightning strike,” Monday evening, according to an email from a Columbia Fire Department spokesperson.

CFD spokeswoman Katherine Rodriguez wrote that firefighters were called to an MU fraternity in the 500 block of Kentucky Boulevard, at 6:45 p.m. for reports of a fire. TKE had visible damage to its chimney when ABC 17 News was at the scene around 10:45 p.m.

No fire was found and no injuries were reported, but Rodriguez wrote the building’s chimney building was damaged.

Crews cleared the scene by 7:11 p.m.

A resident told a reporter that power went out after lightning hit and the Wi-Fi in the building was still out at 10:45 p.m.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The goal post in the south end zone of Southern Boone High School’s football field was damaged Monday afternoon after storms rolled through the area.

District spokesman Matt Sharp wrote in an email that that the goal post was damaged after 5 p.m.

“The school district is in the process of evaluating the damage, make the necessary repairs and/or replace the goal post,” the email says.

The base of the goal post appeared to be upright in a photo Sharp sent, but the uprights and cross bar were detached from it.

A junior varsity football game was scheduled for Monday afternoon, but was canceled after the storm.

Southern Boone’s varsity team is scheduled to host Boonville on Friday night.

“I don’t have an update at this time regarding this Friday night’s home football game,” Sharp wrote. “The school district will be working this week to try to have the broken goal post replaced before Friday night’s home football game against Boonville.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Olivia Hayes

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Westminster College is upping security measures for its Hancock Symposium, following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s death on a Utah college campus.

Over Tuesday and Wednesday, the symposium, themed “Justice: For All?”, will feature 17 speakers that will discuss topics including law, critical race theory and transgender rights. Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon will also be giving a special presentation as a part of the John Findley Green Foundation Lecture.

Attendees are asked to not bring large bags or backpacks. Along with those restrictions, the college has also upped its number of security on site. Students tell ABC 17 News the extra measures make them feel safer.

“I’m glad that Westminster and its in its staff are focusing on that and keeping an eye out for students,” said Isaac Thomas, who is a junior at Westminster College.

“Especially with all of the preventative measures that they’re taking and I know they take those things really seriously. I trust our security people here,” Westminster junior Lulu Howser said.

Westminster spokeswoman Stephanie Wells said multiple safety groups are helping out with the event safety plans.

“We are working with the Fulton Police Department,” Wells said. “Our director of security has also worked with several national and federal agencies to run to assess risk levels for our various speakers.”

Howser said that some students may find the extra measures frustrating, but it’s worth it.

“A lot of us are expected to take notes and do work during symposium, so not having a bag can be a little frustrating, but we all have iPads and phones and we can get around that,” Howser said.

University officials said medical and diaper bags will be allowed as well as strollers, but they will need to be searched before they are allowed in.

Click here to follow the original article.

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council unanimously approved its $608 million budget on Monday evening following months of planning and public hearings.

However, some feel that the process of presenting the budget could be improved. 

A candidate from this past August’s Ward 2 council race, Ken Rice, raised concerns about the “lack of transparency” during the budget process, saying the way that it was presented was too difficult for the public to understand. 

“They have a lot of meetings, but if you noticed, even the council members are getting frustrated with how things are,” Rice claimed.  “A lot of it has a lot of accounting terms.  They don’t go through the whole process. And I said, ‘You got to make it like a fifth-grade level.’  And it’s not it’s not easy to do. I’ve been doing budgeting for a lot of years, and  I’m telling you, I was sitting there confused by the information that they put out.” 

Ward 5 Councilman Don Waterman defended the city’s transparency during the budget process, saying the city held multiple public meetings and made the budget draft available for the public. However, he agreed that it should be easier for the general public to understand. 

“The total budget with all capital outlays and everything else is over $600 million. So it’s going to be big printed out. It’s, I think, 400 and some odd pages,” Waterman said. “For me personally, and every cycle that I’ve been through, we’ve done this, is said,  ‘You’ve got to understand you’re used to working with these phrases, this terminology, and kind of by virtue of a great deal of experience, understanding what goes where.  The majority of the council we’re not accountants and many citizens that read this aren’t. We need to work on trying to make it  where it’s more easily understandable.” 

According to city documents, the total budget sits at around $608 million. There are also around $64 million in expected Capital Improvement Projects. According to previous reporting, Capital Improvement projects often fluctuate between budgets due to large one-year purchases.

In the General Fund for daily operations, the costs are in the red, with revenue expected to be around $132 million and expenses expected to be around $135 million. This came after expected tax revenue fell by around 3% last year. City plans also expect the budget to dip into the city’s available cash.

“It seemed like they [the budget office] did a good effort to try to keep it balanced from the beginning.  Then we decided to go ahead and follow through with the raises to our workers,  which put us a little bit into the red. Fortunately, we’ve got some of the cash reserves that we can take advantage of to do it.  Yes, it’s not sustainable, but it’s something that we can do this year,” Waterman said. “We’re definitely monitoring it.  And I think it’s legitimate that it be a concern.” 

“It concerns me because that’s not how anything should run, whether it’s a business and people say, well, a city is in a business. I beg to differ. First of all, a good part of our income is a true business because the utilities is a true business,” Rice added. “I find it very disingenuous that they’re not talking at some point about saying ‘we need to raise taxes.

$5 million allocated to Fire Station 5

One of the biggest changes from the initial proposed budget was allocating $5 million to replace Fire Station 5, one of the city’s busiest and oldest fire stations. The station was built in 1971 and is the third-busiest station overall in the city. However, it was also built near a coal mine, which has caused the current building to subside.  

“The current Station 5 is aged. It’s well over 50 years old. It doesn’t have the needs for the community 20 years ago, much less today for our workforce and the emerging growth that we’ve seen over the past 20 years in that area,” Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said. “We’ve ran the different scenarios.  Where it’s at is the best strategic location for us today and tomorrow,  and that’s based on future road network, future growth and current situations, including traffic. So  the challenge is we know that there used to be mines in that area.” 

The deteriorating and sinking conditions of the station are taking a toll on firefighters, who have to spend time documenting and repairing the station.

There is no current timeline for how long it will take to build the station. Schaeffer says the city still wants to address any geological concerns before breaking ground on the new station. 

“What we’ve been able to determine thus far is that the mines are not of consequence to the station itself, that it was mostly the road network that came through the back of the station that likely caused a subsidence,” Schaeffer said.  

The plan is to build the new station in the same location, located on Ballenger Lane, but adjacent to the old station. The current fire station will still be used while the new station is being built. 

The new fire station plans to have increased technology, auxiliary lighting, fire sprinklers, and individual dorms for firefighters, things that the current station lacks. 

Other budget highlights

Other major changes in the budget include utilities, expected to see around 12% increase in funds, around $200 thousand, and capital seeing an almost 127% increase, around $1 million. Intragovernment costs also saw a decrease of around 20%, around $2 million.

General fund changes by departments stayed relatively similar from 2025. However, supporting activities, which manage community relations and facility management, are expected to have a 9% decrease, approximately $500,000.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man has been charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor after authorities say the man pleasured himself on the porch of a residence where multiple women live.

Christopher Harrison, 64, was charged with three counts of first-degree harassment and a count of misdemeanor first-degree sexual misconduct. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was held on Monday afternoon.

Court documents say women at a residence were told by neighbors on Wednesday, Sept. 10, that a man was seen touching himself on their porch the night before. Harrison was allegedly seen on a RING camera early Sept. 11 and the next evening exposing and touching himself while he was naked. He allegedly showed up and committed similar acts several times throughout each morning, court documents say.

Harrison allegedly lives in an apartment in the same building, the statement says. Court documents say he was convicted of indecent exposure twice.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

EDITOR’S NOTE: Attribution to a Charlie Kirk quote has been added.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two employees of the Hallsville School District have been placed on paid administrative leave following public pushback over social media posts about political commentator Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, a divisive figure who was the founder of Turning Point USA – a group aimed at promoting conservative viewpoints — was shot and killed during an event last Wednesday at a college campus in Utah. Events were held around Mid-Missouri in the past week for Kirk, including in Boonville and on the University of Missouri’s campus, where Kirk was expected to appear later this month.

The school district wrote in a letter to parents that the employees were on leave pending the outcome of a review.

“We want to clarify that social media posts made by employees of the school district in their personal capacities and outside of their school duties do not reflect the opinions of the District or the Board of Education, nor are they endorsed in any way by the District. As a public school district, we recognize that our role is to create a learning environment where all students feel safe and valued,” the letter says.

Public discourse around Kirk’s shooting has ramped up, mostly around Kirk’s statements. National reports say several people have been targeted by an anonymous doxing website, which has led to some being fired from their jobs.

Comments and reactions around the two Hallsville School District employees emerged on social media after multiple posts were shared by “The Real Columbia Missouri,” a popular Facebook page and website where users frequently engage in political discussions.

State Rep. John Martin (R-Columbia) had commented about the situation on his social media page, demanding that the employees be fired.

“To extend no empathy means you don’t care about someone’s pain, utter disregard, blaming, ridiculing or dismissing someone’s struggles or tragic situations. So, when these two teachers say they do not care that a person was assassinated in our country, they are promoting violence against people with whom you disagree,” Martin wrote on Facebook.

Kirk, a prominent figure in the modern conservative movement, had previously called empathy a “made-up, new age term.” Kirk went on to say on his Oct. 12, 2022, show that he preferred the term “sympathy.”

Screenshots shared around social media of the Hallsville employees had included both employees sharing the same post that called Kirk a white nationalist while calling for an end to gun violence.

“May all of our children grow up to live in a country that values their lives enough to take gun violence seriously and reject any person who would try to justify senseless gun-related deaths – especially the deaths of children,” the post shared by the employees says.

The quoted post was shared from a social media page called “So Informed,” and screenshots do not show the employees giving additional comments.

The school district wrote in its letter that the employees had “voluntarily removed the posts.”

Director of Litigation Freedom of Missouri Dave Roland says the First Amendment plays in a role in situations like this, but it often depends.

Statements that are made outside of school will receive more protections than statements made in the classrooms or during school hours, according to Roland.

“If a teacher makes a social media post while they are on the clock, then arguably they are acting in their capacity as a public employee rather than as a private citizens, who you, wishes to make a statement on a matter of public interest that really needs to wait until after you’re off the clock,” he said.

The post shared by the two employees did not promote illegal activity or illegal relationships, Roland said.

When it comes to sharing a post instead of writing one of your own, Roland says that could also play a factor.

“If you are simply reposting what somebody else said, at least in a defamation context, that’s not usually attributed as the speech of the person who’s doing the reposting. You might just be sharing that so other people will be aware of what that person said, it not necessarily your speech or intentions,” Roland said.

Click here to follow the original article.

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia welcomed home 70 area veterans Monday night after a day trip to Washington D.C.

Central Missouri Honor Flight’s embarked on its final flight Monday morning, a trip that gave veterans the opportunity to see memorials in Washington D.C. years after their service. 69 Vietnam veterans were on board the flight, as well as one Korean war veteran.

One of those veterans was Steve Achenbach, who served in the Vietnam War in 1970 and 1971, working in the air force as an aircraft mechanic.

“I had a wonderful day and then boy, to come in here like this, when we come off the bus and there’s 50 plus motorcycles and then be followed by state police and they stopped every car on every intersection, it was great,” Achenbach said.

Honor Flight asked the public to attend the veteran’s arrival Monday night at the Columbia Courtyard by Marriott, located at 3301 Lemone Industrial Dr. Hundreds of family members and first responders flocked to the area, holding American flags in their hands and posters.

Veterans arrived in buses around 9:30, escorted by around 50 motorcycles and were greeted by community members and several first responders.

Achenbach said the day was jam-packed, consisting of veterans getting to view the Vietnam wall, Korean War and World War II Memorial. He said he viewed the day as a chance for veterans to receive the respect they’ve earned.

He was influenced to go on the trip by his friend, Gregory Kam who attended flight 68.

Kam surprised four of his friends on Monday, greeting them at the Courtyard when they arrived. After his experience, he said he knew it was something other veterans should experience.

“You never forget it, never forget it at all. It’s a nice way to honor those who serve for you,” Kam said. “When I was in service going home every year, dressed in uniform, going to the airport, there was no Hi, nothing. It was like we weren’t there so this is good closure.”

Patricia Grimes and Michelle Wamble were one of the many family members who greeted their family member at the hotel on Monday. The two stood alongside 9 of their other family members.

“It was just amazing,” Grimes said. “My grandpa was in the Vietnam War so they didn’t get something like this and so it feels nice that after this many years, we can kind of repair that and give him back some of what he didn’t get before.”

Wamble became visibly emotional after reuniting with her father, crying as the two embraced.

“It’s a big healing process and I hope this has healed him. I don’t see my dad cry very often but I seen him in tears tonight so that’s awesome. I think he’s begun to heal,” Wamble said. “

Spokesperson for the group Shelley Becker told ABC 17 News via text message Monday afternoon that the buses were expected to arrive in Columbia around 10 p.m.

According to Becker, hundreds of motorcyclist were planning to stage at the Firefighters Memorial in Kingdom City ahead of the veterans’ arrival. Greeting and crowd announcements were also expected to be conducted when the buses arrived at the 174 mile-marker on Interstate 70 near Hermann and the buses slowed down near Kingdom City as they were escorted, Becker said.

“Tonight is all about these 70 veterans who have waited a long time to get closure,” Becker said.

Since launching flights in 2009, Central Missouri Honor Flight has taken nearly 5,600 veterans on flights to the nation’s capital.

Organizers told ABC 17 News on Sunday that a lack of applicants, as well as rising costs played a role in the organization deciding to stop the flights.

Click here to follow the original article.

Sam Roe

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Monday marked the was the first day of the annual University of Missouri homecoming blood drive, the largest student-run blood drive in the nation.

The drive will run daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day through Thursday at the MU Rec Center. Organizers hope for 5,000 units of blood to be donated.

“We can help up to three people with your blood donation,” Ann Vastmans, spokesperson for the American Red Cross said.

“A trauma patient may need more units of blood. And somebody who gets elective surgeries needs blood. People that are fighting sickle cell, that are fighting cancer. Pregnant women that are going through labor. There are so many different ways that your blood can be used to have a positive impact on someone’s life.”

This year, the blood drive is partnering with the “Peanuts” franchise in celebration of its 75th anniversary. Those who donate blood will receive a free Snoopy t-shirt as well as other various merchandise.

The Red Cross brings in employees from across the state of Missouri for this drive.

Click here to follow the original article.