Category: kmiz-local-news

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Fire Protection District responded to a single-story house fire Saturday night, around 10:13 p.m., according to a BCFPD Facebook post.

Residents of the home evacuated after hearing smoke alarms go off, and a dog was rescued, according to the post. No one was injured.

Crews arrived on scene about five minutes after the call came in, and found the home’s garage on fire, according to the post. Fire fighters were able to put out the fire before it could spread to other area of the home.

In the post, BCFPD reminded people to regularly check that their smoke alarms work.

“Working smoke alarms make a difference. Please test yours regularly,” the post reads.

According to the post, three engines, two tankers, one squad, 22 firefighters and a Boone Health ambulance responded to the scene.

Crews are still investigating the cause of the fire.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia is looking to crack down on unregulated gaming machines with a new ordinance set to be presented Monday.

“Gray machines” or “no-chance machines” are similar to randomized slot machines but feature skill elements or sometimes the ability to show the outcome of the next roll. This requires the player to make a decision or skill-based action to play, making the legality of the games murky.

The ordinance was initially requested by the city council in October 2025 to address concerns about gaming machines. According to city documents, more than a dozen businesses operate a gaming machine.

The ordinance would make it illegal to offer the use of an electronic gaming machine, with violations being punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or 30 days in jail.

Council MemoDownload

The ordinance will be on first reading at Monday’s city council meeting. The law requires that an ordinance be read three times for public notice before the Council votes on it, according to the city’s website.

The memo adds that if approved, CPD may need to adjust arrest and processing procedures, and enforcement of the rule may be delayed.

On Feb. 10, 2026, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway also focused on unregulated gaming enforcement by suing five businesses with gaming machines in Dunklin County.

The Columbia City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Ballwin, Missouri woman was injured in a crash that shut down part of Interstate 70 in Cooper County Saturday evening.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the 34-year-old was driving a 2022 Hyundai Elantra eastbound on I-70 around 4:30 p.m., west of the Missouri River Bridge. The car hydroplaned and hit a guardrail near mile marker 113.

A 28-year-old Kansas man was also headed eastbound, driving a Kenworth T680 semi-truck, and hit the crashed car. The semi then jackknifed, flipped on its side and hit the concrete median barrier, the report says.

A car hydroplaned on Interstate 70 in Cooper County near mile marker 113 on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.

A semi jackknifed after hitting a crashed car on Interstate 70 in Cooper County near mile marker 113 on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.

The Missouri woman had moderate injuries and was taken to University Hospital by ambulance. The man was not hurt. The report says the vehicles were totaled, and both drivers were wearing seatbelts.

MSHP Troop F said in an X post that it was investigating a multi-vehicle crash with injuries on I-70 around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Drivers were told the crash would likely keep the eastbound lanes closed for about two hours.

🚨Crash Blocking EB I-70 at 113 MM🚨

Troopers are investigating a multiple vehicle injury crash blocking eastbound I-70, west of the Missouri River Bridge (between Boonville and Columbia), in Cooper County.

The eastbound lanes will likely be closed for two hours. pic.twitter.com/52iqiwU1PJ

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) February 14, 2026

The scene cleared and both lanes reopened around 7 p.m., according to a later post.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A work crew on scene of the former Fear Fest Haunted House tells ABC 17 News that a fire at the former attraction site in the 6300 block of West Highway 40 is a controlled burn.

Boone County Fire Spokesman Gale Blomenkamp also confirmed to ABC 17 News that it was a controlled burn.

Eli Darrough said his company was asked by the property owner to come a remove what was left of the buildings. Darrough said Fear Fest owner and operator Bill Schnell is no longer associated with the property and that the cost of repairs outweighed what it would cost to tear the structures down.

He said his crew is on day two of the process.

Columbia’s Fear Fest Haunted House made an official announcement on Halloween 2024 stating that it would not be opening for the season for the first time in its more than 20 year history. The attraction racked up 15 safety violations during its annual inspection by the Boone County Fire Protection District. 

In Jan. 2025 the Missouri Attorney General’s office launched an investigation into the haunted attraction’s owner after multiple people said they still had yet to receive a refund for their 2024 Fear Fest Haunted House tickets. The Missouri Attorney General’s office had to dismiss its case in Oct. against Schnell after being unable to locate him.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Police say an early morning shooting on Saturday that left one person hurt was accidental.

Police Department responded to a shots-fired call at Classic Buildings on North Providence Road around 4 a.m. Saturday

CPD spokesperson Colin Imhoff told an ABC 17 News reporter that a person was found hurt and was taken to a local hospital. He later said that after a CPD investigation, it was ruled an accident.

ABC 17 News has requested the incident report.

Classic Building’s Sales Manager James Melies told an ABC 17 News reporter that a police officer called him around 4:50 a.m., asking for any related surveillance video from the property. Melies said he provided officers footage from the business, but did not share the video with ABC 17 News.

Classic Buildings is near the Welcome Inn hotel and an Eagle Stop gas station.

Melies said that this type of crime is not one he sees normally around Classic Buildings.

“I do know that there has been a lot of shootings lately [in] Columbia and Jeff City,” Melies said. “As far as this area, our location, this is the first that I’ve seen.”

This is the eighth shooting in Columbia for 2026.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Osage County Sheriff Mike Bonham tells ABC 17 News the victim of a shooting Friday night remains in critical condition.

Bonham also confirmed the name of the victim as 45-year-old Jarrod Compton. Deputies responded to County Road 703 around 4:30 p.m. Friday and found Compton outside a mobile home with a gunshot wound. He was flown to University Hospital in Columbia with life-threatening trauma.

Bonham said the shooting may have been related to a love triangle involving family members. One man is in custody and a gun has been recovered by law enforcement.

The case remains an active investigation.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department identified the suspect in custody after an armed robbery at a bank in downtown Columbia on Saturday morning.

Police arrested 71-year-old Basil Kyles, of Columbia, on charges of first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm and tampering with evidence in a felony prosecution, according to a CPD press release.

Police said Kyles allegedly displayed a gun and threatened the employees of a bank on North 5th Street, according to the release. CPD wouldn’t specify how much money Kyles stole.

An ABC 17 News reporter went to the area Saturday and the only bank in the area was First Mid Bank and Trust.

According to the release, officers responded to the initial scene around 11 a.m. and arrested Kyles hours later around 3:45 p.m. near the intersection of Garth Avenue and Sexton Road in downtown Columbia.

Officers tracked Kyles through flock cameras and using information from private downtown businesses, according to the release.

CPD said no one was hurt in the incident.

Kyles was not listed on the Boone County Jail roster as of 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The United States Exercise Tiger Foundation is set to break a personal record Saturday at the group’s 5th annual Valentine’s for Veterans event.

Hosted at Captain’s Quarters hair salon in Columbia, the event will provide free haircuts and blankets to veterans from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Blanket donations will be accepted until 11:45 a.m.

“In battle, our vets and guardsmen or guardswomen leave no one behind, nor do we,” Susan Haines, USTF Director and owner of the Captains Quarters, said in a press release. “I have two stylists coming in from other salons to donate their time to cut our vets or members of the Missouri Guard or active duty hair, we will stay until we cut them all.”

The UTSF Veterans Foundation alone has donated 393 blankets, and organizers expect to donate around 450 or more this year, the release says. In previous years, the group averaged around 125 blankets.

Veterans will also be able to receive medals, coffee, flowers, boots and military food like MRE’s.

Additional blankets will be given to the Room at the Inn in Columbia.

The salon will be accepting walk-ins, but reservations can be made through (573) 449-2629.

Captain’s Quarters is located at 25 N 10th St. in Columbia.

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Madison Stuerman

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge ruled this week that Gov. Mike Kehoe acted within his legal authority when he called a special session for redistricting.

The decision, issued by Judge Christopher Limbaugh, confirms the legality of the session and the resulting House Bill 1, which redraws Missouri’s congressional district.

The NAACP challenged the constitutionality of the special session. The organization argued that the governor’s proclamation did not meet the legal requirements to justify an extraordinary legislative meeting.

State attorneys argued that the decision to call such a session is subjective and remains within the governor’s purview.

Limbaugh determined that because the basic requirements for the proclamation were satisfied, the special session was legal. He explained in his ruling that the state constitution provides the governor with the necessary leeway to manage legislative priorities during extraordinary circumstances.

“As long as the basic requirements for the proclamation are met, the governor has the constitutional discretion to decide whether an extraordinary occasion exists, to decide whether or not to proclaim an extraordinary session of the legislature and then to decide what action is deemed necessary to address it,” Limbaugh wrote.

In addition to the primary ruling, the judge stated that all other pending motions and claims for relief in the case were denied.

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