Category: kmiz-local-news

Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boonville library is set to close for about a month on Monday as it relocates to a new building.

After 65 years, the Cooper County branch of Boonslick Regional Library, located at 618 Main St. in Boonville, is moving. A news release says its new home is on the Historic Kemper Campus in Boonville.

A three-story red brick building built in 1906 will house the library and provide more than double the space of the current building. It recently underwent a $1,146,000 renovation, according to the release. The upgrades were made possible by private donations.

The library is closing to allow time for books and furniture to be moved and organized. It will reopen in about a month. In the meantime, online programs and services will remain available.

No fines will be given during the relocation, and items previously checked out will not be due back until the branch reopens.

The release says the MU Raptor Rehabilitation Program scheduled for 3 p.m. on July 15 and the storytelling event at 2 p.m. on July 31 will both be held in the State Fair Community College conference room—the building next to the library’s new home on Third Street.

The Boonslick Regional Library branches in Cole Camp, Sedalia and Warsaw will remain open.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A house in east Columbia is likely a total loss after a Sunday morning fire, according to Columbia Fire Department spokesperson Skyler Clark.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw at least three CFD fire engines and one Boone County Fire Protection District fire engine around 5:30 a.m. on Tara Lane near the Hominy Creek Trail. Clark said no injuries were reported.

Columbia residents Elijah Tucker, Peyton Mautin and Daxton Hansen were in the area and called 911 after seeing smoke coming from the home.

“We see a giant cloud of black smoke, I immediately get on my phone like, ‘Call 911, call 911,'” Tucker said.

“Me and Peyton took it upon ourselves to run down here and check out the flames closer, and we ended up running up to the hill and checking if anybody was in the house,” Hansen said.

Courtesy: Daxton Hanson

The group said the home looked fully engulfed, and they stayed nearby to warn neighbors.

“I was concerned about the embers from the fire catching on to the trees and maybe taking down the power lines, and that as well as the embers carrying far distances and hitting maybe a trailer in that trailer park back there,” Hansen said.

According to Clark, getting to the scene of the fire also proved difficult. Fire hydrants were scarce in the area, and a bridge to the home was too narrow for initial fire crews.

CFD had to call the Boone County Fire Protection District for mutual aid. Once more units arrived, smaller brush fire trucks were used to get to the home.

“There was a bridge that won’t allow us to move large apparatus up here, so by the time we were able to make access, it immediately became a defensive attack,” Clark said.

“Not too long after the firemen got here, and then we proceeded to show them how to get up there so they can do their job,” Mautin said.

Because the home is expected to be a total loss, Clark said crews switched their focus to preventing the fire from spreading.

The Columbia Fire Marshall is working to inspect the building.

Check back for updates.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One person was saved by the Boone County Fire Protection District after being trapped in their car late Friday night.

According to a news release from the fire protection district, it was challenging technical rescue in the 9200 block of North Brown Station road.

The report said the car went off the side of the roadway and struck a tree trapping the driver. Firefighters reportedly had to remove portions of the car to safely access the occupant who was later taken to the hospital.

Columbia Fire Department also assisted in the rescue efforts.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Watch a streaming-only edition of ABC 17 News at 6.

The newscast aired at 6 p.m., July 4.

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Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Severe storms Saturday afternoon have lead to the closure of Osage City to the public, according to Cole County Emergency Services.

CCES Chief Eric Hoy said the city will close down roads leading into the city for only people who live there because of debris in the road and damages to structures.

Following the afternoon storms, emergency services went around checking on people in the area. Hoy said there were no reported injuries.

Several area public safety agencies responded to a water rescue in the Osage River around 3:20 p.m., according to a press release. A boat was damaged during the storm, and the seven people on board abandoned the vessel and swam to a sandbar.

According to the release, all seven people declined medical treatment once safely rescued.

“We’ve had no reports of any injuries or folks that require assistance, but due to the damage, we’re taking our time to do a primary survey to make sure that there is nobody in need,” Hoy said.

Annie Willis, who lives just outside of Osage City, said the storm seemed to come out of nowhere.

“I couldn’t see anything at all for a few minutes. I looked out, and it was just white. And then I came out, and my barn was collapsed, and things torn up, but not my house. It seemed to spare my house,” Willis said.

Osage City is in Eastern Cole County and Cole County Emergency Services said its responding to the area along with other public safety partners.

Jefferson City Police also posted to social media that traffic was delayed in the area of Route J and Algoa Road due to debris.

The city of Versailles was also hit with storms. An ABC 17 News reporter saw multiple downed trees in the cemetery.

Carport in the driveway of a home on South Oak Street in Versailles.

Versailles Emergency Management coordinator Ashley Bland confirmed a carport hit the roof of a house on South Oak Street. The carport was blown from about a block away, and it also appeared to be tangled in wires attached to a utility pole.

Debbie Delph, a Versailles resident who was outside attending a booth at a flea market when the storm hit, said the storm was violent.

“We thought it was a tornado, we really did, because it was that strong. Between the storm coming through and the wind, it was more like a tornado,” she said.

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ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Watch a special streaming-only version of ABC 17 News.

The program originally streamed at 8 a.m. on July 4.

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Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Salute to America concert scheduled for Saturday night in downtown Jefferson City was canceled after storms damaged the event stage, according to organizers.

Salute to America spokeswoman Taylor Wolz said severe weather caused damage to the stage, making it unsafe to continue with the concert.

Despite the cancellation, the rest of the evening’s festivities continued as planned.

Dangerous heat prompted Jefferson City officials to move the city’s Fourth of July opening ceremony indoors Saturday, as much of Mid-Missouri remained under an extreme heat warning.

The opening ceremony had originally been planned for the north side of the Missouri State Capitol, but organizers decided to relocate the event indoors to protect attendees from the heat.

According to a Salute to America Facebook post earlier this week, the 10 a.m. ceremony will honor Missouri veterans and include a performance by the 135th Army Band.

The National Weather Service warned that multiple communities across Mid-Missouri could see heat index values as high as 105 degrees. Forecasters said the combination of high temperatures and humidity significantly increased the risk of heat-related illnesses, especially for people spending extended periods outdoors.

The National Weather Service encouraged residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces when possible and avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

“We were gonna do outside because of the river and all the beauty,” Vice Chair of America 250 Missouri Commission Pat Thomas said. “But as we looked at the heat, we just wanted to make sure that we were more than safe and keeping people comfortable.”

To help people beat the heat, the city made cooling stations, water refill locations and shaded areas available throughout downtown.

Jefferson City Mayor Ron Fitzwater said public safety was the city’s top priority while people gathered downtown for the Independence Day celebration.

“There’s a lot of shade downtown,” Fitzwater said. “It’ll be a bit spotty because we anticipate large crowds. But stay hydrated, try to find a place to sit.”

Other events will be taking place throughout the day, both downtown and on the Capitol lawn:

Coca-Cola Food Court – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the corner of Jefferson and E High Street

Ameren Marketplace – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on East High Street

Avenues of History – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Madison Street and the Southeast Lawn

Missouri Farm Bureau’s Kid Zone – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Broadway Street

Stars, Stripes and Surprises Scavenger Hunt – Noon to 5 p.m. Check-in on E High Street

Remembering Missouri’s Fallen – Noon to 5 p.m. in the Selinger Center

Socket Classic Cars Cruise – Noon to 5 p.m. North side of the Capitol

135th Army Band performance – 2 p.m. in St. Peter’s Church

Beer Garden – 5 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on E High Street

Red, White and Boom Fireworks – 9:45 p.m. North side of the Capitol

Yard games and historical reenactors will also be around the festival area. Cooling stations are located on Broadway Street and E High Street. Water refill stations are also on W Capitol Ave.

Restrooms will be located on Broadway Street, E High Street and Madison Street.

The Main stage is located on the Capitol steps and will feature concert performances and festival announcements.

Courtesy: Salute to America

A parade and military flyover are set for 6 p.m. The parade will move through E Miller Street, Jefferson Street, E High Street, Monroe Street and E McCarty Street.

According to a press release from the Jefferson City Police Department, roads near the Capitol grounds and around the festival will be blocked off from 5 a.m. on July 4 to 2 a.m. on July 5. JCPD reminds drivers to be mindful of pedestrians in the area and plan for extra travel time.

Fitzwater said all roads will be back open Saturday night after the fireworks show.

The extreme heat warning is in effect until 8 p.m..

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 29-year-old woman from Pacifica, California, was killed in a crash Friday morning on Interstate 44 in Phelps County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the woman failed to stop her 2010 Honda Odyssey at a stop sign on the outer road and went into the westbound lane of I-44.

That led to a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia – driven by a 37-year-old man from El Paso, Texas – to hit the Honda, the report says.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by the Phelps County coroner, the report says.

Both drivers wore seatbelts. The El Paso man had no reported injuries. The woman’s body was brought to the mortuary by the coroner, the report says.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An 18-year-old man from House Springs, Missouri, was seriously injured in a jet ski accident on Friday afternoon at the Lake of the Ozarks, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol boat crash report.

The incident occurred at the 28-mile marker of the Lake of the Ozarks in Camden County, according to the report.

The report says the man road a 2012 Yamaha Waverunner northbound “in the wake of a cruiser, rider jumped the wake and impacted his head on the personal water craft and got ejected.”

The man was brought to Lake Regional Hospital by ambulance with serious injuries, the report says.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in accidents.

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Euphenie Andre

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several Mid-Missouri communities will be without their traditional Fourth of July fireworks displays this year after their fireworks vendor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The City of Osage Beach, the Mexico Noon Lions Club and Lake Valley Golf Club in Camdenton were all affected. The Lions Club and Lake Valley Golf Club had to cancel its displays, while Osage Beach moved its whole July 4 celebration to July 11.

All three parties had contracts with fireworks supplier AM Pyrotechnics. Arkansas communities were also affected.

The Mexico Noon Lions Club announced its cancellation on Thursday, saying it had worked with AM Pyrotechnics for many years before learning the company would be unable to fulfill its contract. The Lions Club treasurer told ABC 17 News on Thursday that she did not know if or when the club would be refunded.

AM Pyrotechnics said in a statement that it is operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after a November accident at one of its facilities severely disrupted its operations.

CEO and owner Aaron Mayfield wrote in a Friday statement that the accident affected manufacturing, inventory, staffing and its ability to complete every scheduled fireworks display. Mayfield claimed in his statement that the company worked to save as many Fourth of July shows as possible, but ultimately canceled some events when it determined they could not be completed safely.

In a statement, the company apologized for the late notice, saying organizers were notified as soon as final decisions were made. It added that payment, refund and other financial matters related to canceled shows are now being handled through the bankruptcy process.

“The reason for the timing is that we continued working in good faith to save as many displays as possible until it became clear that certain shows could not be completed safely and professionally,” Mayfield wrote. “Once those final determinations were made, affected clients were notified and my Chapter 11 counsel was copied so payment, refund, claim, and bankruptcy-related issues could be handled through the proper legal process.”

Visitors in Osage Beach on Friday shared their dismay with ABC 17 News.

“It’s really a bummer because I was really looking forward to that, and who doesn’t love fireworks in America?” visitor Messiah Williams said. “I love that loud boom.”

Though Osage Beach is having a later celebration, some visitors on Fridau said celebrating after the holiday won’t feel the same.

“You schedule it for next week, it’s not going to hit the same,” visitor Derick Maldonado said. “People aren’t going to have days off. It’s not going to be appreciated as much as it would be for July 4.”

AM Pyrotechnics claims it has completed other fireworks displays this season and continues to operate regional shows.

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