Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was shot by Jefferson City police officers in February was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday.

Joey Hampton, 40, of Jefferson City, is charged with two counts of first-degree assault and single counts of shooting at a vehicle, armed criminal action and illegal gun possession. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. An arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday.

Court documents in previous reporting say Jefferson City police officers were trying to contact Hampton “in relation to reports that had received that Hampton was involved in the sale and use of illegal drugs, was in possession of a stolen firearm, and had brandished a firearm and/or threatened person(s) with a firearm.”

Hampton allegedly fired shots at the officers, hit a patrol vehicle and officers returned fire. The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control is investigating.

The names of the officers involved in the shooting have not been released.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some Missouri voters approved a ballot measure on Tuesday that would freeze or cap property taxes — a measure lawmakers included in legislation to keep the Kansas City Chiefs in Missouri.

Missouri Association of Counties Executive Director Steve Hobbs said that 73 counties had the property tax reform measure on the ballot, and 61 counties passed it.

Some counties weren’t eligible to put this measure on the ballot, like Boone County. A handful of counties were able to freeze property taxes so that they don’t increase, while others capped property taxes, so that the rate can’t go up more than 5% every year.

For example, Pettis County voted to cap property taxes so that it grows at a slower rate.

Sedalia School District 200 Superintendent Todd Fraley said this could limit how much money his district receives over time.

“It doesn’t necessarily take away from what we’re currently receiving, but it can take away an unpredictable amount,” Fraley said.

This piece of legislation is facing legal challenges from over 40 counties, Hobbs said.

“Our Constitution also says that all taxpayers will be treated fairly and equitably, and as you can see, we have counties where we may be treated one way and right across the county line, it’s a different way,” Hobbs said.

An attorney for the people suing the state, Jim Layton, told ABC 17 News over email that a trial is expected in June.

Below is a list of mid-Missouri counties according to the Missouri Association of Counties that are exempt or for which property tax reform the county is eligible for and if voters passed the measure.

Exempt:

Boone

Cole

Camden

Maries

Miller

Monitaeu

Morgan

Howard

Pulaski

Phelps

Property tax freeze:

Gasconade, passed

Johnson, failed

Osage, passed

Property tax rate 5%:

Audrain, passed

Benton, passed

Cooper, not on ballot

Callaway, not on ballot

Chariton, passed

Monroe, passed

Montgomery, passed

Pettis, passed

Randolph, passed

Saline, passed

Check back for updates.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Blair Oaks bus driver accused of assaulting a student last week will not face charges, the Cole County prosecuting attorney said Wednesday.

“Just clear after reading reports and viewing the video that criminal charges are not appropriate in this case,” Prosecuting Attorney Locke Thompson said in a written statement.

Thompson said the video appears to show an incident that should be handled by disciplining the bus driver.

Blair Oaks School District said last week that a school resource officer was called by the district’s superintendent in reference to a bus driver assaulting a student. Cole County deputies responded.

The bus driver was not named, though the sheriff’s office said in the release that they were accused of fourth-degree assault.

A Cole County Sheriff’s Office incident report says that a deputy called the student’s stepfather, who referred the deputy to the juvenile’s mother. The deputy left the mother a message on April 1.

Probable cause statementDownload

A probable cause statement submitted to Thompson’s office says the student told a deputy that he had propped his legs up across the aisle. The driver told the student to move his feet, and then kicked his legs when he didn’t, the statement says.

Surveillance video corroborates the victim’s story.

Durham Transportation Services runs the district’s buses.

A spokesperson with the bus company told ABC 17 News in an email that the driver was put on leave before being fired.

Sheriff John Wheeler said the call was relatively routine, and his deputy submitted the case to the prosecutor for review. He said he was not surprised no charges were filed.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Terminology has been corrected in the headline and story.

MU Health Care’s operating margin for the current fiscal year remains well below budget.

The health care group posted a $56 million budget shortfall between the start of the University of Missouri’s fiscal year from July through February. The report will be presented to the Board of Curators’ Health Affairs Committee on Thursday.

According to numbers in documents created for the UM System’s Board of Curators, finances come in at $45.4 million behind budget in Columbia and $10.8 million behind in Jefferson City.

The Columbia operations saw a profit of $4.3 million, while Jefferson City operations saw a $3.4 million loss.

“MU Health Care, like many health systems nationwide, is feeling financial pressure largely due to higher labor and supply costs, along with the lingering effects of last year’s out‑of‑network period with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield,” MU Health Care Spokesperson Eric Maze said in a statement.

The biggest expenses were seen in “supplies” and “other expenses,” with overall budgets going over by $19.2 million and $33.9 million, respectively.

Maze adds that revenue has been improving and the group developed a financial revenue plan that “focuses on increasing access and patient throughput, reducing labor and supply expenses and strengthening quality and efficiency.”

MU Health Care did not respond to questions about details of the plan or whether workforce cuts are being considered.

Both unions LiUNA and the Missouri Nurses Association both report they have not heard of any layoff discussions involving MU Health Care or between their members.

However, union leaders are making their stance clear. LIUNA Local 955 representative Andrew Hutchinson said “We do not believe there is any fat to trim or corners to cut when it comes to service and maintenance workers at MU Health Care. Our essential workers are already stretched thin as it is.”

According to prior reporting, MU Health Care reported a $45 million operating gain for the first half of fiscal year 2025. Jefferson City operations at Capital Regional Medical Center also turned a profit with a $4.2 million operating gain.

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Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Michelle Rodemeyer, Gretchen Duckworth and Kris Scheperle won the three open spots of the Jefferson City Board of Education on Tuesday over Cierra Griffin, Trent Vallandingham, Ryan Towner and James Kindred Sr.

“I’m excited to get to work,” Rodemeyer said. I’m honored by the trust our community has placed in me and I’m committed to serving the entire district and our teachers and support staff.”

“I just want to thank everyone in Jefferson City and Holt Summit that trusted me with your vote,” Duckworth said. “I’m going to continue to work hard for you, our students, our families and our community.”

Hot topics for the board have included teacher retention, rising expenses and student behavior. Candidates also have varying focuses ranging from AI use in classes to mental health support and student attendance.

April’s election follows the departure of President Erika Leonard in January and outgoing members Brad Bates, Scott Hovis and Suzanne Luther.

ABC 17 News reached out to all the candidates on Tuesday morning. Vallandingham, Towner, and Duckworth reported voting the morning of election day. Griffin and Duckworth cast their ballots during early voting the week prior.

Griffin, Duckworth and Rodemeyer are also hosting watch parties. Griffin’s takes place at Indigo Buffalo, Duckworth’s is at Towne Grill and Rodemeyer is hosting at West Main Pizza.

For more information on the Jefferson City Board of Education race, visit ABC 17’s Voter Guide.

Scheperle was unable to be reached for comment.

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Matthew Sanders

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ELECTION RESULTS

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Voters in the Moberly School District approved an $11.5 million bond issue to improve facilities.

The issue was approved by a vote of 723-270 on Tuesday.

Randolph County voters also approved the extension of a countywide sales tax.

Boone County’s Southern Boone School District also approved a bond issue for construction and improvements.

“Our school district is incredibly grateful for the support of our community,” Superintendent Tim Roth said in a news release. “This vote reflects a shared commitment to maintaining safe, functional and well-maintained facilities for our students, staff and community. We appreciate everyone who took the time to learn about the proposal and participate in the election.”

Incumbents win Columbia Board of Education seats

Three incumbents easily won reelection to the Columbia Board of Education on Tuesday.

April Ferrao led the pack with 6,537 votes, followed by John Lyman with 6,218 and Paul Harper with 6,183.

Incumbent Don Waterman was defeated in the race for Ward 5 on the Columbia City Council by newcomer Christina Hartmann. Hartmann won 1,332 to 981.

Southern Boone School District voters approved a bond issue for construction and other costs 937-281. The three incumbents — Amy Marie Begemann, Chris Felmlee and Karen Kraus Bill, all won reelection to the school board.

Rodemeyer, Duckworth, Scheperle win JC Board of Education seats

A Callaway County woman has won a seat on the Jefferson City Board of Education, along with a former county commissioner and a state employee.

Michelle Rodemeyer of Holts Summit took the most votes in the seven-candidate race, getting 2,932. State employee Gretchen Duckworth came in second place with 2,284 and former commissioner Kris Scheperle received 2,217 votes. He nudged out Cierra Griffin, who had 2,198.

The Callaway County Ambulance District won approval for its use tax.

In the Fulton Board of Education race, Joe Davis, Connie Epperson and Emily Omohundro won seats.

Incumbents enjoy commanding lead in Columbia Board of Education race

The three incumbents running for reelection to the Columbia Board of Education had a commanding lead with nearly half of the county’s precincts counted.

April Ferrao had the most votes with 3,779. John Lyman was second with 3,598 and Paul Harper had 3,576.

The incumbents were also winning in the Southern Boone Board of Education race.

The race for Columbia’s Fifth Ward city council seat shows challenger Christina Hartman with 800 votes over Don Waterman’s 642.

Full Cole County election results posted

A Holts Summit woman will bring Callaway County representation to the Jefferson City Board of Education.

Michelle Rodemeyer enjoyed a 500-vote lead over the next candidate with all of the Cole County precincts counted and only Callaway County precincts remaining. Rodemeyer also took the most votes in Holts Summit, inside and just outside the city limits.

Countywide, voters approved a capital improvement sales tax 4,842-1,391.

Rodemeyer wins Jefferson City Board of Education seat

A Holts Summit candidate has won a seat on the Jefferson City Board of Education with two-thirds of precincts counted,

Michelle Rodemeyer, a first-time candidate from Holts Summit, had 1,970 out of 9,586 cast, with 18 of 24 precincts reporting. The next highest total was Cierra Griffin at 1,536.

The capital improvement sales tax was cruising to passage, 3,173-903, with 20 of 29 precincts counted.

Mackenzie Job held a commanding lead for reelection in Jefferson City’s Ward 5, while Randy Hoselton held on against George Bacon in a tight race in Ward 1 in Jefferson City.

Boone County reports absentee ballot count

Boone County voters cast 1,524 absentee ballots in the April election, for a total of about 1.26% of the county’s total 120,780 voters.

Among those voters, each of the three incumbent Columbia Board of Education members — April Ferrao, John Lyman and Paul Harper — earned more than 900 votes, compared to challenger Keary Husain’s 422.

In the Southern Boone School District, absentee voters were overwhelmingly in favor of a large bond issue, while incumbents also led for the school board’s three seats.

Callaway County, Cole County posts absentee ballot numbers

The Callaway County Clerk’s Office posted absentee vote numbers about 15 minutes after the polls closed Tuesday, followed by Cole County about 15 minutes later.

Nearly 400 absentee ballots were cast, with 438 absentee votes cast in the Fulton Board of Education race. Connie Epperson and Emily Omohundro enjoyed large absentee tallies in that race, along with Joe Davis. Three seats are up for election.

On the county-wide ambulance use tax ballot question, 192 absentee ballots were marked yes compared to 131 “no” votes.

Cole County absentee voters cast 555 ballots out of nearly 55,000 registered voters. Michelle Rodemeyer and Cierra Griffin each received more than 200 votes.

Cole County absentee voters were also in favor of the county capital improvement sales tax.

Check back in for updates throughout the night.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman who was charged with manslaughter in a fatal crash from November is facing a wrongful death lawsuit in Boone County.

Kyshonda Williams, 30, was arrested last week in Tennessee on a warrant for the Boone County charges. She is charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter, misdemeanor reckless driving and misdemeanor failure to yield in the death of Ethan Cash.

Cash, 25, was killed after Williams crashed a Dodge Charger into Cash’s motorcycle on Nov. 2 on South Range Line Street near Kennesaw Ridge Road, court documents say. The probable cause statement says Cash tried to avoid Williams as she turned left, but a collision occurred.

Williams was not listed on the Boone County Jail roster on Tuesday evening and an order extradite her from Shelby County, Tennessee was filed after her arrest by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in Boone County by Cash’s mother and the mother of Cash’s child. The lawsuit accuses Williams of negligence causing a wrongful death.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The three incumbents in the Columbia Board of Education race retained their seats on Tuesday.

April Ferrao (6,537 votes), John Lyman (6,218) and Paul Harper (6,183) kept their seats against challenger Dr. Keary Husain (2,759).

“Paul, April and I have talked every single day, I think, for the last three plus years, so we’ve got a really good relationship,” Lyman told ABC 17 News shortly after the results were finalized. “We still battle and bicker about things. You know, but it’s it’s been a fun ride with him the last three years and looking forward to the next three.”

Columbia Public Schools faces ongoing conversations about school safety, student attendance, and potential funding challenges. All four candidates have pointed to improving how the district tracks and responds to bullying as a key issue, alongside broader efforts to maintain safe learning environments.

Incumbents have largely campaigned on continuing recent progress within the district, citing improvements in attendance and academic performance. 

“I think we just want to keep the momentum we’ve been going the last three years. You know, as you know, I’ve been working on policies, and I want to continue that policy work. I want to make sure that all of our policies are solid and I hope to finish that work in the next year,” Harper said.

In 2023, turnout reached nearly 22%, with more than 26,000 votes cast in a seven-candidate race. That year, Ferrao led all candidates with 43% of the vote, while Lyman received 33%, the lowest among those elected.

“The one difference is I was still doing school board work, so I was putting in a lot of hours at the school board, so I wasn’t able to campaign quite as much this time as last time,” Harper said when asked if there was a difference in his approach to the campaign.

This year, Boone County projected turnout closer to 10%, similar to the 2021 election, when turnout was about 14% and winning candidates needed just over 24% of the vote.

Husain acknowledged the challenge of running against three incumbents.

“It’s an uphill challenge. But I also have been on record saying I’m not running against anyone. I never have been running against anyone this whole time. I’m running for school board because I feel like I belong. And I’ll say that regardless of the results tonight, I’m not going anywhere. I plan on remaining in community service, and if I don’t get elected, I’ll run again,” Husain told ABC 17 News.

Despite falling short, Hasin congratulated all three candidates in a concession letter, but added that he has April, 6, 2027 circled on his calendar, the date of the next municipal election.

“I learned so much during this campaign and met some incredible people along the way at the numerous forums and out in the community. At times it felt like drinking from a fire hose, but the knowledge and understanding I gained was invaluable,” Hussain wrote. “I joked throughout the campaign that I felt like Aaron Burr…I just want to be in the room where it happens, and I look forward to the opportunity to be there in the future.”

April Ferrao

First elected in 2023, Ferrao has emphasized policy development, school safety and community engagement during her time on the board. A former Hickman High School PTA president, she has long been involved in the district through her children, who attended Columbia Public Schools.

Her priorities include improving attendance following pandemic-related declines and continuing updates to the district’s bullying policy to strengthen reporting and support systems. Ferrao has also supported facility upgrades, including security improvements, and has emphasized the importance of community input through listening sessions and district planning efforts.

Paul Harper

Harper’s campaign focused on continuing recent progress, including improvements in teacher pay, working conditions, and academic performance.

He has identified funding as a key issue, pointing to declining federal support and uncertainty in state revenue. Harper said the district is working through long-term planning to address infrastructure needs and potential budget shortfalls. His priorities also include improving attendance, strengthening school safety, and expanding data collection on bullying incidents.

John Lyman

Also elected in 2023, Lyman is a longtime Columbia resident and senior loan officer who has spent about two decades at Veterans United Home Loans. He is a graduate of Columbia Public Schools and the University of Missouri.

Lyman has campaigned on maintaining what he describes as positive momentum in the district, including gains in teacher pay and student performance. He has highlighted financial challenges, particularly deferred maintenance costs, as a major issue. His priorities include responsible budgeting, improving attendance and continuing efforts to increase transparency and community engagement.

Keary Husain

Husain is the only non-incumbent in the race. A Columbia native and graduate of Columbia Public Schools, he is a trauma surgeon by training who spent about two decades working in St. Louis before returning to the area.

He has three children in the district and said his campaign is driven by a desire to give back to the community.

Husain has focused on investing in teachers, improving transparency and strengthening communication between the district and the public. He has also emphasized school safety, equity and the need for better data collection on issues such as bullying.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

President Donald Trump wrote on his social media website on Tuesday afternoon that a ceasefire is imminent with Iran.

Trump had stated earlier in the day on Truth Social that “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

Trump was met with immediate backlash on social media after his morning announcement.

Last week during his address to the nation, Trump had claimed the war with Iran was nearing its end, giving it a two or three-week period.

Trump’s latest post at 5:32 p.m. says a two-week ceasefire with Iran is in the works, pending if Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the strait has been cited as a reason for rising gas prices around the nation and world.

“his will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East. We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate,” Trump wrote online.

Check back for updates.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A charter school looking to operate in Boone County has refiled its application.

An item on the Missouri Board of Education’s April meeting agenda says Frontier Schools are looking for the state to approve its application for a STEM academy in Columbia. Saint Louis University had pulled its application in January after receiving guidance from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

DESE is recommending that the state’s Board of Education to Authorize Frontier STEM Academy-Elementary to operate for five years, beginning with the 2027-28 school year.

Columbia Public Schools had filed a lawsuit in December, claiming the establishment of charter schools is unconstitutional and had asked the state board to oppose Frontier. The lawsuit was paused after Saint Louis University rescinded its application. An entry of appearance was last filed on Mach 13.   

Previous reporting shows CPS argues the state’s Republican-led legislature purposely targeted Boone County for the expansion of charter schools through Senate Bill 727, which was signed by Gov. Mike Parson in May 2024.

While SB 727 does not specifically name Boone County, a rule in it mentions that charter schools may be operated only in counties “between 150,000 and 200,000 inhabitants.” Census data indicates Boone is the only county matching this description.

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