Category: kmiz-local-news

Euphenie Andre

Editor’s note: Megan McConachie’s title has been corrected.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The NCAA Cross Country Championships is expected to bring in $1.2 million in revenue to the city this weekend, according to the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau .

From hotels to restaurants, local businesses are anticipating a significant economic boost as hundreds of athletes compete for a national title.

The Gans Creek Cross Country Course is hosting its fourth national event this weekend. The Columbia and Visitors Bureau said the influx of athletes, coaches and fans will have a notable affect on the local economy.

“More people are dining in our restaurants, staying in our hotels, and shopping in our stores, which is a great influx of money into our economy,” Convention and Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Megan McConachie said. “But then there’s also the long-term effect—the exposure from an event like this helps establish Columbia as a premier destination,”

The Park Restaurant Bar and Grill, which is steps from TownePlace Suites, has already seen a surge in guests. Since Thursday, reservations have doubled, including a 24-person cross country team tonight. The restaurant reports larger groups and more frequent reservations throughout the weekend.

“It’s great to see Columbia hosting the NCAA Cross Country Championship this weekend,” said Caleb Rowden, who is a spokesperson for the restaurant and is the former pro tem of the Missouri Senate. “We’re expecting a welcome uptick in traffic at Park, but we’re even more eager to help showcase the hospitality, energy, and community spirit that make this city such a strong host. It’s a great moment for Columbia, and we’re glad to play a small part in it.”

An ABC 17 reporter visited the restaurant at 6:30 p.m., and it was filled with cross country teams as well as regular guests.

The championships will occur Saturday and are expected to bring 3,000-5,000 spectators, in addition to the 32 men’s and women’s teams who will compete, according to previous filings from the city. 

Past events have demonstrated the economic impact of hosting major championships. According to McConachie:

The 2021 SEC Championship generated more than $165,000 for Columbia.

The 2022 NCAA Midwest Regionals generated more than $562,000 for Columbia.

The 2024 NAIA Nationals brought in more than $918,000.

This year’s Missouri High School State Championships contributed more than $343,000.

“It’s an honor for Mizzou to host the championship for the first time at Gans Creek, the state-of-the-art cross country course,” Mizzou Cross Country assistant coach Paige Duca said in a statement. “This event serves as a powerful platform to unite our local community and welcome teams and fans from across the nation—while generating meaningful economic momentum for local and growing businesses. We look forward to hosting championship events year over year.”

According to McConachie, a significant portion of the cost to host a meet of this size is reimbursed by the NCAA.

“Some of that is related to ticket sales. Some of that’s related to the organization. So for us, this was kind of a no brainer that once we had this premiere facility, that this was the kind of event we could go after,” McConachie said.

Compared to football, which can generate a couple hundred thousand dollars from home games, McConachie said cross country isn’t as lucrative.

“It’s definitely going to look a like like kind of the concentration of the number of people is going to look the same. But of course, the event is a little bit of a shorter time and it’s a litte bit more niche. A lot of those fans will go in and come out,” she said.

The first race is scheduled to begin 9:20 a.m. for the Women’s 6 kilometer run and 10:10 a.m. for the Men’s 10 kilometer run on Saturday.

The Chamber partners with 17 hotels across the city, and while final occupancy numbers won’t be available until the races conclude, some hotels are already fully booked through Saturday.

McConachie said the Columbia Police Department will assist with traffic control:

“There’s only a few way to get into the actual footprint of the even and so that’s why for this, we have coordinated a tremendous amount of satellite parking and shutting into the facility,” McConachie said.

Attendees are reminded that parking passes must be purchased in advance. Passes will not be available on-site the day of the event.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A representative for Columbia in Missouri’s state house plans on prefiling legislation about dog-breeding facilities.

Democratic State Rep. David Tyson Smith wrote on his social media on Thursday that he plans on prefiling a bill that would require regular inspections at dog-breeding facilities.

The announcement comes after Melissa Sanders, 26, of Columbia, was charged last week with three counts of felony animal abuse and 15 counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. Sanders runs Magnum Opus German Shepherds and a large number of dogs were found either dead or in poor condition when officers served a search warrant last week.

“Based on the events in recent weeks surrounding the local dog breeding facility, I am planning on filing legislation requiring regular and thorough inspections of all classifications of dog breeding facilities,” Tyson Smith wrote on his social media.

Tyson Smith made the announcement to prefile the bill, an hour after ABC 17 News anchor Meghan Drakas spoke to him about viewer concerns surrounding the case.

The probable cause statement stated that Animal Control had previously asked Sanders about doing a “walkthrough” of the facility, but claimed Sanders was hesitant. Officers found the dogs while serving a search warrant.

Sanders appeared in court on Thursday by video from the jail. The defense argued her bond should be reduced to $5,000 because she’s not a flight risk, but that motion was denied. A hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26. A preliminary hearing was set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30.

“The issue of animal cruelty is something for which the people in Missouri have absolutely zero tolerance. It is time to pass legislation that will require transparency from all animal breeders regardless of how big or small,” Tyson Smith wrote in a text message to ABC 17 News.

The Central Missouri Humane Society announced on Wednesday that it could not accept any more dogs and it was looking for more foster families after several dogs from the case were brought to the facility.

The prefiling deadline in the Missouri Legislature is Dec. 1.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man was arrested and charged after authorities claimed he possessed and sent child pornography.

Nathaniel Devalle, 19, was charged in Cole County with first-degree promoting child pornography and two counts of child porn possession. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says the Boone County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Task Force received Cyber Tips about child porn being uploaded to multiple platforms from accounts belonging to Devalle.

Jefferson City police began investigating and found a number of images of child porn associated with the accounts and saw Devalle’s account shared child porn with another account, the statement says. A search warrant was conducted at Devalle’s residence on Wednesday and more files were found on his electronic devices, the statement says.

The statement also claims Devalle was accused of having child porn in 2022.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman from Montgomery City has been charged with a plethora of felonies after she was accused of abusing three children.

Shelley Denese Haislip, born 1968, was charged Wednesday in Montgomery County with four counts of abusing a child younger than 14 years old, three counts of first-degree kidnapping and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Court records show she posted bond on Thursday.

A hearing was held on Thursday and Haislip waived her arraignment. A counsel status hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16.

The three child victims were interviewed in September about the possible abuse and allegedly stated they were “spanked” with a tennis racket, leather belts, a wooden hanger and a horsewhip, according to the probable cause statement. The youth also described getting hit on their bare feet with the horsewhip, the statement says.

The children also claimed Haislip would lock them in a room and not allow them to leave, even if they needed to use the bathroom, the statement says. Children allegedly told investigators that some of them would “go” in their pants or try to sneak out a window in order “use the bathroom,” the statement says.

One of the children would also sneak out the window in order to get their siblings food, the statement says. The youth claimed they would be locked in the room for days and the only way for them to eat was to sneak out when Haislip was sleeping, the statement says.

The children were put in foster case, and the foster parent allegedly told authorities “the eating habits of Juvenile 3 concerned (them) due to them eating so much so quickly that they would often choke or even get sick,” and that it took weeks to help them “curb this behavior,” court documents say.

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Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy who allegedly robbed a Phillips 66 on Paris Road on Thursday morning, the Columbia Police Department wrote in a press release.

Police say the teenager was arrested after a search warrant was served in the 2600 block of Quail Drive.

Police claim the teenager is tied to other robberies that occurred at the same Phillips 66 location on Oct. 30 and another armed robbery that occurred in the 1600 block of Towne Drive on Nov. 5.

“Clothing and other evidence were found at the residence that tied the suspect to the Paris Road robbery and to robberies that occurred Oct. 30 at the same location and Nov. 5 in the 1600 block of Towne Drive. A firearm that was used in the robberies also was located at the residence and was previously reported stolen out of Bonne Terre,” the release says.

Police wrote that evidence was found that also connected the youth to two burglaries reported on Nov. 14 in the 2700 block of Paris Road.

The teen was arrested on suspicion of three counts of first-degree robbery, three counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of second-degree burglary, one count of felony property damage, two counts of misdemeanor stealing, one count of misdemeanor property damage, one count of obstructing government operations and one count of felony tampering with evidence.

 A man, Keveon Johnson, 41, was also arrested at the Quail Drive residence on suspicion of drug possession.

An ABC 17 News reporter arrived at the scene around 7 a.m. and saw around 10 Columbia Police Department patrol vehicles and a crime scene investigator van at the scene.

Sgt. Meyer with the Columbia Police Department told ABC 17 News at the scene that an employee called police, saying the store had been robbed and the suspect took an undisclosed amount of money. No injuries were reported and Meyer says there is only one suspect, who is not in custody.

It is unclear if a weapon was involved. The yellow tape surrounding the parking lot appeared to be unrelated to the robbery, as there is working being done in the parking lot of the gas station.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County dog breeder is set to be in the Boone County Courthouse Thursday afternoon for a bond hearing.

Melissa Sanders, 26, has been charged with three counts of felony animal abuse and 15 counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. Sanders will be in front of Judge Kayla Jackson-Williams at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Boone County Courthouse.

Sanders owns Magnum Opus German Shepherds. Animal control, assisted by Boone County sheriff’s deputies, found 17 living but severely malnourished dogs, with two on the brink of death, according to court documents. Five “intact” dead dogs were found in black garbage bags along with about a dozen dog skulls.

Authorities also found four dead dogs outside the building.

The Central Missouri Humane Society is asking for help in fostering dogs, due to limited space following Sanders’ case.

Michelle Casey, of CMHS, wrote in an email that the shelter has more than 30 dogs available for foster care, including four from Sanders’ case. Some other dogs from the case have been placed in foster homes, Casey wrote.

Information about fostering or adoption can be found on CMHS’ website and social media.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, MO. (KMIZ)

Two people were seriously injured and another had moderate injuries in a Wednesday early evening crash on Highway 40 in Boone County, just east of Ivy Lane, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says a 2003 Honda CR-V – driven by a 40-year-old Columbia man – was heading eastbound when it pulled into the path of a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado and hit it head-on.

The Chevrolet was driven by a 38-year-old Columbia man, the report says. He wore a seatbelt and had moderate injuries. He was brought to University Hospital by a private vehicle.

The driver of the Honda and his passenger – a 45-year-old woman from Columbia – did not wear seatbelts and they had serious injuries, the report says. They were brought to University Hospital by ambulance.

The Chevrolet had extensive damage, while the Honda was totaled.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Bike and Pedestrian Commission voted to write a letter of opposition to the Columbia City Council on a proposed ordinance that would regulate the use of medians, road crossings and islands. 

On Wednesday, the Columbia Bike and Pedestrian Commission reviewed the ordinance that had drawn large crowds at a City Council meeting earlier in the week.

“We’re trying to focus on the traffic issues related to pedestrians and bicycles and not on the other issues,”  Bike and Pedestrian Commission Chair Elke Boyd said. So from the transportation perspective, yes, there were many problems with that ordinance.” 

Council members on Monday night voted 6-1 to table the issue until Feb. 2, with Ward 5 Councilman Don Waterman being the sole “no” vote.

The ordinance would regulate the use of medians, road crossings and islands by both motorists and pedestrians at intersections with speeds of 35 miles per hour or greater, average daily traffic volumes of 15,000 vehicles or greater, or where the median width is fewer than 6 feet wide.

If adopted, the ordinance will:

Prohibit crossing a major road anywhere except in a crosswalk, a pedestrian-control signal, or an intersection if those things aren’t available.

Prohibit being on a median fewer than 6 feet wide except when crossing the road.

Prohibit getting out of cars while in a traffic lane or within a major intersection.

Prohibit approaching cars on a major road unless the car is legally parked.

Prohibit people in vehicles from engaging with pedestrians at major intersections.

However, members who attended Thursday’s Bike and Pedestrian Safety meeting unanimously opposed the idea.

Multiple commission members called it a “Panhandling Ordinance” that was masked as a “median ordinance” to protect the city from possible First Amendment conflicts. 

Others cited issues with “vague definitions” while saying that the ordinance needed more focus on enforcing traffic violations. 

“Our biggest concerns with the ordinance were that they don’t really consider conditions on the ground a thing.  For example, the requirement to cross a road only at intersections is a dangerous proposition and also inconvenient,” Boyd told ABC 17 News. “There are long stretches of some of our major roads without an intersection, so pedestrians would have to walk maybe half a mile out of their way each direction to cross the road.”

The commission reported there have been three traffic fatalities this year, with two of those being motorcycle crashes. While the number of fatalities is on pace to drop, the number of crashes is on the rise. The commission reported 53 crashes in Columbia so far this year, compared to 51 at the same time last year.  

An email was sent to members of the commission by Carrie Gartner in October, a representative from the Business Loop CID, in support of the ordinance. 

The email cited frequent near-misses and unsafe conditions the group observed during a safety survey of the Business Loop. 

Observers saw drivers stopping unexpectedly to give money to people on medians and pedestrians darting into traffic, both creating crash risks. Crowded medians also discouraged pedestrians—especially students—from using crosswalks, leading to more jaywalking.

The CID also noted that the ordinance targets safety, not homelessness; those in need should be directed to established local support services.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Fire Department held a demonstration on turkey safety Wednesday at its training academy on Big Bear Boulevard.

Thanksgiving is next week and firefighters showed the dangers of improperly frying a turkey.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency, five people die each year and dozens more are injured in accidents linked to turkey frying. 

“So if you do decide to fry a turkey this year, just remember to be safe. Don’t fry in your garage. Move the turkey out away from the structure, and again, make sure it’s thawed,” Assistant Fire Marshal Colin Wright said.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Public Service Commission has set an intervention deadline of Dec. 12 for a certificate of need and necessity that was requested by Ameren to build a 28-mile transmission line in Montgomery and Callaway counties.

The release says Ameren believes the transmission line “is necessary to connect the Grain Belt Express LLC’s Tiger Connector transmission line to the Burns substation, thereby fulfilling Ameren Missouri’s obligation to facilitate the interconnection of the interstate transmission line into the existing transmission system.”

Applications to intervene and participate must be filed with the Secretary of the Missouri Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102-0360, or by using the Commission’s Electronic Filing and Information System at psc.mo.gov, according to the release.

The release says residents wishing to comment can contact either the Office of the Public Counsel (Governor Office Building, 200 Madison Street, Suite 650, P.O. Box 2230, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102-2230, telephone 866-922-2959, email mopco@opc.mo.gov) or the Public Service Commission Staff (P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102, telephone 800-392-4211, email pscinfo@psc.mo.gov).

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