Category: kmiz-local-news

Haley Swaino

Editor’s note: The sentence referring to the percentage of families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch has been corrected.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Leaders at Columbia Public Schools are looking at how to best tackle the more than $90,000 of student meal debt.

The conversation continued at the Columbia Public Schools’ Finance Committee meeting Tuesday evening. According to agenda documents, as of June 18, there were 1,673 student accounts that lend to the district’s $91,283.36 in unpaid school lunch debt.

Of the accounts with unpaid lunch debt, 247 are from students who receive free or reduced lunch and 1,426 are from students with paid accounts.

The Lunch for Learners fund is used to cover delinquent lunch accounts for families who do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals but face short-term financial hardship.

Approximately 42% of students in Columbia Public Schools qualify for free or reduced-price meals, according to previous reporting. However, many families find themselves just below the threshold, leaving them to face difficult decisions regarding daily essentials such as food, gas, and utilities.

The district serves all students hot meals regardless of lunch status, CPS spokesperson Michelle Baumstark told ABC 17 News in April. The cost of a meal is $3.10 for elementary and $3.30 for middle and high school.

With tens of thousands in unpaid school lunch debt, CPS and a Pennsylvania-based debt collection agency agreed earlier this month to go after unpaid student lunch balances and other delinquent payments beginning July 1.

The Columbia Board of Education approved the agreement with Ability Recovery Services LLC at its June 9 meeting with a 6-1 vote. Baumstark said the debt then was $92,403.72.

Board member Suzette Waters said CPS received an outpouring of donations to the Lunch for Learners fund after that announcement. But who gets that money is now being decided.

“There never has been a formalized process for determining eligibility for the fund because there wasn’t very much money in the fund,” Waters said. “There’s never been more than like $5,000.”

She said there is now more than $75,000 in the fund. But because it is only for families who do not qualify for free or reduced meals, the CPS Finance Committee is looking to create another way to decide which families can access that money, besides income.

The committee is now looking to other CPS leaders to help identify who needs money by sending them a list of students with accounts who owe that are not on free or reduced lunch.

“If those building staff know that actually this student, they just had this going on in their family, they might need some help, then we can make a personalized phone call to that family,” Waters said.

But though the Lunch for Learners fund is growing, the debt may also.

“What we really need to communicate to the community is although we have raised a lot of money through the generous donations of so many community partners and community members, we may not see a huge reduction in the the debt balance that CPS carries because most of those families don’t qualify for funds because they don’t have a need,” Waters said. “Even though we’ve raised $75,000+, we could raise $200,000 and next year there will be more debt.”

According to previous reporting, Board member April Ferrao said in the June meeting that 95-97% of outstanding debt is from families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch or have not applied.

In an emailed letter home to those who owe, a paragraph already mentions the fund.

“A paragraph has now been added to the letter saying if you have had a circumstance like an unexpected medical bill or a temporary change in an employment and you have a need, please let us know because funds may be available to you,” Waters said.

The Lunch for Learners fund was created in 2010 by Nutrition Services Director Laina Fullum and Chris Belcher, who was the superintendent at the time. Its initial funding came from donations made by the United Way, the Columbia Public Schools Foundation, and various local organizations.

The district encourages donations to the Lunch for Learners fund year-round. Information about the fund and how to donate can be found at cpsk12.org.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Waynesville firefighter suffered minor injuries after a firetruck crashed Monday morning on Interstate 44, according to a social media post from the Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District.

The truck blew out a tire near mile maker 156, causing the truck to go into an embankment, hit a sign and stop on the shoulder, the post says. The windshield on the driver’s side shattered and the driver was brought to an area hospital with minor injuries, the report says.

Two other firefighters in the vehicle had no reported injuries. The firetruck was totaled, the post says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 63-year-old Gravois Mills woman was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash on Tuesday morning on Highway 5 in Morgan County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the woman was driving a 2009 Yamaha XVS650 southbound on Highway 5 when she lost control of it while trying to navigate a curve. The motorcycle went off the right side of the road, overturned and ejected the woman, the report says.

She was flown to University Hospital by ambulance, the report says. She was wearing a helmet and the report says the bike had moderate damage.

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Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives are drumming up support for a resolution curbing President Donald Trump’s military strikes in Iran.

Reps. Ro Khanna (D-California) and Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) filed a resolution last week to end the United States’ strikes against Iran, “unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force against Iran.” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) has also filed a similar resolution in the upper chamber.

Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel on Monday may put a pause on the immediate debate over the resolution. Khanna said the resolution was “making a difference.”

The 1973 War Powers Resolution requires the White House to notify Congress 48 hours ahead of any military strike, and limits how long armed forces can remain to 60 days. Congress can also direct the removal of any troops from hostilities outside of the U.S. in the absence of legislative approval.

The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the ability to declare war, while making the president the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. University of Missouri Professor Charles Zug told ABC 17 News that division of responsibility creates a “contest” for power, with presidents after World War II exercising their power as the head of the military to engage in world affairs more often.

“The president doesn’t really have much of an incentive to care what Congress really thinks,” Zug said. “Because the likelihood that Congress is going to do much about it, at least in the short term, is pretty low. It’s just hard for Congress to do anything to get any measure passed through both chambers.”

ABC 17 News asked several Missouri representatives and both senators for comment via email on the War Powers Resolution.

Rep. Mark Alford (R-Raymore)”While I respect Congressmen Massie and Khanna, their War Powers Resolution is unnecessary, counterproductive, and potentially dangerous. Targeted strikes are not the same as a declaration of war. Since World War II, the vast majority of American uses of military force have been conducted without prior congressional approval. In a perilous world, Congress should not tie the President’s hands when it comes to national security. I have deep reverence for our Article I powers, but at the same time, we cannot undermine the executive’s clear legal authority to protect the American people and our interests.”

President Trump’s show of STRENGTH has delivered PEACE!

We pray it will be a just and lasting peace. pic.twitter.com/rbfWNjTdjn

— Rep. Mark Alford (@RepMarkAlford) June 23, 2025

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri)

Sen. Eric Schmitt praised President Trump as the “peace president” on Fox News on Monday night following the ceasefire announcement.

They’ll be writing books about the way President Trump ended the 12 Day War.

He executed a successful limited strike — obliterating Iran’s nuclear program. Protected core American interests. Then he secured peace.

Incredible. pic.twitter.com/mGR1fvhVF9

— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) June 24, 2025

Neither of Missouri’s House Democrats, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) or Wesley Bell (D-St. Louis) have sent statements or posted on social media as of Monday night about the ceasefire. Both criticized President Trump’s lack of notification to Congress ahead of the weekend military strikes in Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on his social media at 7:46 p.m. CST, however, that an agreement has not been reached. He wrote that Iran would stop firing if Israel also halted.

As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around.

As of now, there is NO “agreement” on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations. However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no…

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 24, 2025

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Morgan County man who entered an Alford plea in April after a deadly crash was sentenced on Monday.

Larry Lunnin Sr., 43, was sentenced to nine years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for second-degree involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child abduction.

Court records show that Lunnin was sentenced to three years for each charge, all counts running consecutively to each other.

Lunnin was charged in 2022 after he was driving a jeep when it crashed in Morgan County, resulting in the death of his 3-year-old son. He had told investigaors he took his two sons from Nebraska between January-March 2022 and were traveling until he bought property in Rocky Mount that summer.

Lunnin entered an Alford plea in April on three counts. Prosecutors dropped charges of second-degree murder, driving on the wrong side of the road and an infraction for not properly securing a child into a car seat.

Lunnin and a 7-year-old boy were also hurt in crash, according to troopers.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several witnesses took the stand on the second day of a jury trial for a deadly shooting in 2023 at a former Columbia nightclub.

The four-day jury trial for Kimo Spivey began Monday morning. Court reconvened around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, where the prosecution called several witnesses to the stand.

Spivey, 35, of Columbia is charged with first-degree murder, illegal gun possession, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action.

He’s accused in the shooting death of Melvin Hooker III outside Plush Lounge in Columbia in May of 2023.

The prosecution in the case called several witnesses to the stand on Tuesday, including current and former Columbia Police Department officers who responded to the night the shooting occurred.

A Trooper from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control spoke about digital evidence from the lounge the night of the shooting.

Assistant Boone County Prosecutor Tony Gonzalez said Monday in court that Spivey is a felon and should not have had a gun. The state called the Boone County Circuit Clerk, as well as the record keeper from the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center, to further its claim that Spivey has a history of felonies. They both spoke on Spivey’s previous convictions in felony cases from 2013 and 2009.

Three people were charged in the shooting. Samuel Moss Jr, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to unlawful use of a weapon and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Justin Lamar Simpson, 42, is charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of armed criminal action and illegal gun possession. His next court date was not listed on Casenet.

Two CPD crime scene investigators who responded to the scene also testified on the stand Tuesday to discuss photos taken on scene, along with how the process helps with the collection of evidence. The longest of the witnesses came from a Plush Lounge Security guard, who was on the stand for about an hour and a half.

The man– who asked that his identity not be revealed– claimed he was working as a security guard the night of the shooting. The man claimed he was notified of a disturbance in the parking lot that night, and went outside to find Hooker hitting his girlfriend. He claims he fought with Hooker after asking him to leave the club, who pinned him against a vehicle. He said he eventually believed the situation was under control.

The security guard said he heard Hooker say “y’all got guns I got guns too” at some point during an altercation between a group of people including Spivey, Moss, Simpson and Hooker. He said he heard what sounded like “war” when describing the amount of gunshots that were fired off.

The man claimed he saw Spivey and Moss with guns in their hands that night and claims he saw Spivey shoot his gun. However, he was unsure of who shot first. He also claimed he fired off two rounds from his own gun after being shot at when gunshots rang out.

The prosecution also played surveillance video in the courtroom of the roughly six minutes before the shooting occurred. Gonzalez asked the security guard various questions, including identifying which man was which in the video.

The defense cross examined, emphasizing that the security guard did not know exactly who shot Hooker. He also questioned why he shot his own gun, claiming he didn’t know who he was shooting toward. The man responded by saying he shot out of self-defense.

Spivey’s attorney said on Monday that Spivey acted in self-defense. The defense did not call any defenses to the stand on Tuesday.

Court documents in previous reporting say a witness allegedly told police that they saw “Spivey shoot and kill hooker” after an argument between a group of people.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man is in custody after being charged with nine felonies after he is accused of robbing a person at gunpoint.

Aaron Jones, 24, of Columbia, was charged with first-degree robbery, four counts of Armed Criminal Action, two counts of unlawful possession for being a dangerous felon, unlawful use of a weapon – exhibiting and one count of stealing a gun.

Court documents state officers were called to the parking lot of a Dollar General on June 14 for a report of a robbery. Police said the victim told them he was robbed by Jones on Orchard Lane after meeting up to buy ammunition.

Officers said the victim told them he was meeting with Jones to buy ammunition for his gun. The victim allegedly told police that while showing Jones his gun, he pulled his gun and pointed it at the victim’s head.

The victim told police he was scared for his life and left the scene before he called 911, according to court documents. The victim said he knew Jones through a family member. Documents state he showed police text messages agreeing to meet with Jones, along with a photo. The officer confirmed Jones was the person using the photo from the Department of Corrections.

Prosecutors wrote in court documents that Jones has prior convictions resulting in probation, including stealing a gun in 2019 and unlawful use of a weapon while in possession of drugs in 2020.

A spokesperson with the Department of Corrections told ABC 17 News Jones was in custody from October 2022 until April 18 and he is currently on parole supervision.

An initial appearance is set for Tuesday afternoon at the Boone County Courthouse.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Local first responders have responded to multiple heat-related service calls since Friday.

The Columbia Fire Department told ABC 17 News on Tuesday that firefighters have responded to five calls. Cole County EMS said on Monday it had responded to three heat-related calls.

“Folks are out there doing yard work, hottest time of the day, they’re not drinking enough water, not even enough food, they start to feel faint and everything,” CFD spokesperson Katherine Rodriguez said. “That’s when we come in and we try to get that person feeling better.”

Boone County Fire Protection District also posted a warning of heat-related illness as Mid-Missouri faces a summer heatwave.

The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team is forecasting temperatures to feel like 100 degrees on Wednesday.

The Mayo Clinic found that heat-related illness can take effect within 15 minutes, with common symptoms including nausea, a high heart rate and feeling faint or dizzy. Individuals experiencing these symptoms should drink water and seek shelter indoors.

Heat stroke, which can be fatal, also includes symptoms of a high body temperature more than 100 degrees, no sweating and a headache. EMS should be called immediately, and the person should be moved to a cooler area until help arrives.

Rodriguez added the dangers often don’t stop at heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

“This extreme heat can play a huge contributing factor to a lot of our incidents, especially our cardiac events or respiratory issues,” Rodriguez said.

It’s also recommended to wear a hat and light clothing, drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen to avoid sunburn.

Columbia resident and mom Brandi Elmahdawi suggested ways she got creative to keep her children hydrated.

“Fruit is great and popsicles, I also do popsicles to keep cool,” Elmahdawi said.

Young child Londyn Millergave gave other options to stay cool.

“Probably go to the waterpark and get in the water, and drink slushies,” Millergrave said.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Sturgeon man has been sentenced to probation after he was charged with six felonies in two cases.

Jadon Gooldy, 20, was charged with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action, along with one misdemeanor count of fourth-degree assault after he shot a gun and the shrapnel scratched a person in the leg.

Court records show Gooldy pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement on Monday. As part of the agreement, prosecutors amended the charges of first-degree assault to second-degree assault and dropped the two counts of armed criminal action.

Gooldy admitted to firing a shot near a person’s head. Shrapnel from the bullet ricocheted and hit another person in the leg, leaving a red mark, court documents state. Police said a crowd was gathered in the parking lot for an underground racing event.

He was sentenced to five years of supervised probation and required to give up his gun. He was also sentenced to 70 days in jail with credit for time served.

Gooldy also pleaded guilty in a second case where he was charged with unlawful use of a weapon – exhibiting, armed criminal action and a misdemeanor count of fourth-degree assault. He pulled out a gun during a road rage incident on April 11, according to the probable cause statement

The count of armed criminal action was dropped as part of the plea agreement, according to records. He was sentenced to five years of supervised probation. He was also ordered to serve 15 days at the Boone County jail with credit for time served.

Jail records show he was being held in the Boone County Jail as of Tuesday at 1 p.m. on a parole violation for a 2024 case where he kicked a police officer’s door causing damage. A hearing was set for Tuesday afternoon.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A complaint filed against University of Missouri head football coach Eli Drinkwitz has been thrown out due to a lack of commissioners on the Missouri Ethics Commission. 

The complaint filed by Anthony Willroth, of Hold CoMo Accountable, stemmed from an Oct. 22 appearance on the weekly radio show “Tiger Talk” in which Drinkwitz spotted Columbia mayoral candidate Blaire Murphy in the crowd and gave him an endorsement on air. Drinkwitz eventually donated $10,000 to the campaign.

Since Mizzou Sports Properties and Learfield Sports sponsor the show, Willroth cited a violation of Section 330.050 of the University of Missouri’s Collected Rules and Regulations.

Under Missouri statutes, all MEC investigations must be completed within 90 days. However, on June 18th,  the commission ruled that because there were not four commissioners able to consider the investigation within the statutory timeframe, the MEC could take no action on the complaint. 

Under Missouri statutes, all MEC investigations must be completed within 90 days. On Wednesday, June 18, the commission ruled it could not act on the complaint because fewer than four commissioners were available to consider the case within the required timeframe. Missouri law requires at least four commissioners for a necessary quorum. 

The complain against Drinkwitz wasn’t the only one from the April Boone County elections dismissed due to a lack of commissioners. On May 28, the MEC also ruled it could not act on a complaint against John Williams and the Citizens for a Better Columbia PAC filed by Hold Como Accountable for the same reason.

Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office told ABC 17 News that Kehoe entered office with an existing lack of quorum on the MEC, adding that the requirements for appointments are stringent, which can make finding qualified candidates who are interested in the position difficult. 

In response, Gov. Mike Kehoe asked the Missouri Republican and Democratic parties to work with their congressional district committees to submit eligible nominees to fill the current vacancies. According to Kehoe’s spokesperson, Gabby Picard, the office has received nominations from both parties and has already started the interview process to fill the positions.

The Missouri Democratic Party told ABC 17 News in an email that it submitted eight-to-10 names for the governor’s consideration, but added that they sent a similar list to former Gov. Mike Parson and were “perplexed when he suggested he was having trouble finding people willing to serve.” 

“Over $300 million in total was donated across every ballot campaign and candidate running for election in Missouri in 2024, mostly in amounts larger than $5,000. That’s a lot of money flowing, and Missouri deserves a strong ethics commission to provide oversight and enforce our campaign finance laws to ensure our elected officials are accountable to the public and not special interests,” MDP spokesperson Chelsea Rodriguez said. 

ABC 17 reached out to the Missouri GOP, but has yet to hear back. 

Under Missouri law,  the MEC is designed to operate independently, free from interference by the governor or any state agency.

The governor appoints all six commission members, but only from lists of nominees submitted by the state’s two major political parties. Members must be Missouri residents, registered voters for at least five years and must disclose their financial and political contributions before being appointed.

Each member serves a four-year term with no more than three members belonging to the same political party, and only one member can represent each congressional district. When a vacancy opens up, the same nomination process is followed. If party committees don’t submit names in time, the governor can make the appointment directly, still following the same qualifications.

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