WATCH LIVE: Charlie Kirk memorial service
Matthew Sanders
A memorial service was held Sunday for Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona.
Watch it live in the player.
Man injured in west Columbia stabbing Sunday
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia police were called to the 400 block of Brewer Drive Sunday morning after a man was stabbed.
Officers initially arrived at the scene around 9 a.m. for a disturbance. One officer confirmed with ABC 17 News on scene that a man was stabbed and received medical attention from MU EMS. The officer also said the public is safe and the stabbing suspect was arrested.
An ABC 17 News reporter saw four CPD cruisers and one MU ambulance at the scene. One man was seen with his leg bandaged, being treated by first responders.
The scene cleared around 9:45 a.m.
Check back for updates.
CDC votes to restrict combo MMRV vaccine options
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Parents may need to consider booking multiple doctors’ appointments to get children their recommended immunizations after CDC advisers voted to restrict the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine for younger children on Thursday.
Currently, parents have the option to give children around 12 months old the MMRV vaccine. The push against the shot comes after some studies found that the shot can, on very rare occasions, cause seizures in infants. To avoid complications, many parents already schedule two appointments to cover the immunizations.
The MMRV shot will still be accessible for second doses in kids between 4 and 6. There is no evidence that the vaccine has a connection to seizures in this age group.
The CDC vaccine advisers also voted Friday to make the COVID-19 vaccine available based on personal choice. Critics of the decision to restrict the MMRV vaccine argue that it takes away parents’ ability to choose.
They add that having multiple doctor visits adds the risk of parents being unable to complete multiple-part immunizations or doses slipping through the cracks that would have been covered with the MMRV shot.
The World Health Organization recommends vaccination rates to be at least 95% for the best herd immunity, but the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has reported that school immunizations have been falling statewide.
From 2024-2025, DHSS reported school immunizations for whooping cough, measles and chickenpox did not clear 91%. Vaccination rates for Hepatitis B were at 92.7% and Polio was at 90%.
The CDC advisory committee also discussed setting a delay on the Hepatitis B shot, but indefinitely delayed the vote.
Two displaced after fire breaks out at Jefferson City home Saturday morning
Nia Hinson
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Two people were displaced, and a police officer was hospitalized after a fire broke out at a Jefferson City home Saturday morning.
According to a press release from the Jefferson City Fire Department, crews were called to a home in the 800 block of Clark Avenue around 7 Saturday morning. Firefighters found smoke coming from the second floor of the home and the Jefferson City Police Department located a resident in the home.
The person was helped out of the home.
Crews quickly extinguished the fire and contained it to the room of origin, the release says. A bedroom in the home was significantly damaged and the home experienced smoke and water damage throughout it.
A resident of the home was treated on scene and released for smoke inhalation. A police officer from the Jefferson City Police Department was also taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation.
The fire was ruled an accident.
Fans react to ejections during Mizzou football games as Mizzou faces South Carolina Saturday
Alison Patton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks went head-to-head Saturday at 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers reclaimed the Mayor’s cup with a 29-20 win over the Gamecocks.
When the two played each other in 2023, 41 fans were ejected from the game, marking one of the highest totals that year, according to previous reporting.
This year, 31 fans have been ejected from a game, according to records obtained by ABC 17 News. The University of Kansas rivalry game on Sept. 6 saw the most ejections so far with 24, according to previous reporting. The top reason for ejections were alcohol related, including a minor in possession, intoxication and sneaking alcohol into the stadium.
Mizzou fan Christina Johnson said she’s all for ejections, if it’s for the right reason.
“If they’re being disruptive and terrible and mean to people, get them out,” Johnson said.
Johnson and her two kids, who graduated from the University of Missouri in 2022 tailgated before the game.
Saturday’s game marked Mizzou’s fourth home game this season, with the homecoming game set for Sept. 27 against the University of Massachusetts at 6:30 p.m.
Fans driving into Columbia for the game could see traffic on I-70 and increased highway patrol presence, according to previous reporting.
The Johnsons said they left their Kansas City home at 4 a.m. to get to their tail gating spot at 7 a.m., so they didn’t see any traffic.
A Missouri Department of Transportation press release urged drivers to leave early for the game and to expect delays while leaving the game. MoDOT is working to add an extra lane to I-70, but that means narrow lanes and reduced speeds force traffic to slow down through work zones scattered across the highway.
Madison Johnson, Christina’s daughter, said her boyfriend had to take about a 15 minute detour while on I-70 because of an accident near Odessa.
Drivers coming into Columbia should leave earlier rather than later if they want to avoid traffic jams, according to the MoDOT release.
No one injured in southeast Columbia house fire Saturday, traffic impacts expected
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
No one was injured in a house fire Saturday morning in southeast Columbia, according to a Columbia Fire Department press release.
CFD was called to Stone Hill Drive around 6:15 a.m. on Saturday, the report states. Smoke was reported to be coming from the area, and the person who called 911 thought it may have been an outside fire.
Crews arrived within four minutes and found flames coming from a one-story house surrounded by heavy brush.
Firefighters used a ladder to enter the home through the windows, but found no victims inside. The blaze was under control in around 30 minutes.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. CFD spokesperson Katherine Rodriguez reminded drivers on Old 63 S to avoid the area as fire crews continue work at the scene Saturday afternoon.
Amber Alert canceled after missing 12-year-old girls recovered in Indiana
Haley Swaino
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
An Amber Alert has been canceled for two 12-year-old girls in northwest Missouri.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Emily Harrington and Emma Sue Hale were last seen around 8:40 p.m. Friday at a football game at Rock Port Missouri High School in Atchison County. MSHP said around noon that both girls were safely recovered in Indiada.
The alert was issued around 2:20 a.m. on Saturday.
The girls were believed to have been with a white man named Alec or Alex, the alert states. The suspect may be from California.
Harrington has brown hair and was last seen wearing a brown t-shirt, light colored leggings, and cowboy boots, according to the alert. She has a birthmark on the front of her neck and often wears her hair in a bun.
Hale has very long, dark-blue hair, the alert says. She was last seen wearing a red Chiefs hooded sweatshirt and black leggings.
No details about where they were seen heading or a vehicle identification were provided in the alert.
Southern Boone School District considers adopting four-day school week
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect when the district began discussions about the change, as well as what each day of the week will consist of under the proposed plan.
Southern Boone School District may soon join the more than 25% of Missouri school districts that have adopted a four-day school week.
According to the district, discussions about the change began in May and a survey was sent to parents and staff in June. A committee was formed and their first meeting was held in August.
Under the proposed plan, the school week would run from Tuesday to Friday from 7:50 a.m. to 3:25 p.m., around 30 to 40 minutes longer than the current school day. Wednesdays will no longer have a 2 p.m. early release. One Monday a month during the school year will also be used for staff professional development.
Monday would be reserved as an off-day for holidays and for students to have a day for things like doctor or dentist appointments.
The school adds that the change may help with staff recruitment and retention, improve attendance, increase instructional time, and provide more personal time for parents and students.
The district recognized issues with childcare and food insecurity in discussions and is exploring partnerships in the community.
A+, FLEX, and the Nichols Career Center programs will not be affected, the district said. Mondays will also be used as make-up days if the school runs out of snow and AMI days.
The district plans to have an informational presentation on the schedule change on October 9 at 6 p.m. in the Southern Boone Middle School Cafeteria. Questions can be submitted ahead of the meeting.
A final proposal of the plan will be presented to the Board of Education in December for a vote. If approved, the four-day week would go into effect for the 2026-27 school year.
Small fire starts at southwest Columbia home after lithium-ion battery from wheelchair ‘explodes’
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Firefighters were at a home in southwest Columbia on Friday night in the 4100 block of Grant Lane after a lithium-ion battery from an electric wheelchair exploded.
Joey Simmons, of the Columbia Fire Department, told ABC 17 News at the scene that one person was inspected for smoke inhalation. Simmons said a small fire was started near the entryway of the home and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish it.
CFD spokeswoman Katherine Rodriguez told ABC 17 News in an email the fire started after a lithium-ion battery from an electric wheelchair that exploded within the home. The wheelchair had significant damage, but the fire did not spread to the rest of the home.
There were two Columbia firetrucks, as well as two additional Columbia Fire Department vehicles at the scene.
MoDOT warns football traffic could worsen I-70 delays as MSHP cracks down on aggressive driving
Mitchell Kaminski
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Department of Transportation are working together to curb aggressive driving as crash hot spots emerge in work zones along the Improve I-70 Project.
“This last week has been very challenging for our team across the state,” MDOT Improve I-70 Program Director Eric Kopinski told ABC 17 News. We’re up to eight semis that have flipped over, rolled over across the state in our work zones.”
Crash data shows many of these collisions stem from high speeds in work zones, where conditions are tighter and the margin for error is smaller. The project is still on track to be completed in December 2030. But with nearly 500 people working on the project, Kopinski says there have been several close calls.
“This week alone, we’ve had a number of near-misses. And when I say near-misses, we’re talking feet away from workers being seriously struck, injured or killed,” Kopinski said. “Specifically, we’ve had two of these locations, one in Wentzville and one in Columbia, for our crews out there working. All five of these workers at near-miss locations are Mid-Missouri residents, so they’re near and dear to Mid-Missouri. They’re traveling to Saint Charles or to Columbia to do their job, and all they’re asking to do is go home safely at the end of the day.”
With football season underway, MoDOT is planning to put out weekly releases ahead of Mizzou home games for the rest of the season, when traffic on I-70 is expected to increase.
This week, MODOT will not close additional lanes in each direction of I-70 to limit disruptions during peak travel times, beyond the work zone configurations already in place.
However, even with the extra lane, the department is urging fans headed to the game to leave early as crashes that occur in work zones are more difficult to clear and can lead to long delays. Last week a car overturned on I-70 near Kingdom City following Mizzou’s 52-10 victory over Louisiana, resulting in part of the highway being shut down.
“We know for Mizzou games, for Chiefs games, and for other large events, there are increased travel traffic. The demand on I-70 increases. So our big message to travelers is please still leave early. If you’re going to go to game day on Saturday night, please allow for additional travel time. While there are no planned closures, that that will happen to the system, we do know the likelihood that an unexpected event could occur. So we will be closely monitoring that,” Kopinski said.
MoDOT says it communicates daily with the MSHP and local law enforcement, which Kopinski called the “backbone of the project” to keep workers safe and traffic flowing.
Statewide, the MSHP has also launched efforts to reduce aggressive driving by forming a Strategic Traffic Operations and Rapid Mobilization team. The STORM team, which consists of 23 members, launched operations on Sept. 1.
Officials said the team was chosen for its specialized skills, including K-9 handlers for drug interdiction and tracking, motorcycle units for unique traffic enforcement and officers with experience in spotting impaired drivers and other hazards.
“They’re also going to be assisted by the patrol’s aircraft division as they can be a great benefit,” Lt. Eric Brown of MSPH’s Public Education and Information Division said. “One in locating the speeding vehicles, and they can also see those hazardous moving violations from the air, to multiple lane changes, following to close, cutting cars off. They can identify those vehicles, call them out to the officers on the ground.”
The STORM team deployed Sept. 16 in Jackson County for its first large-scale operation involving 10 of its 23 members.
“They were there targeting hazardous moving violations, and no crashes occurred in that area during that time frame,” Brown said. “As they moved that project into the evening hours, they were quite successful in making some very good criminal arrests, felonies, misdemeanors as well.”
The operation resulted in 72 traffic stops, 89 warnings, five speeding tickets, 14 “hazardous moving citations,” 27 “non-moving citations,” 18 misdemeanor arrests, 12 felony arrest and one gun taken.
MSHP says the team will be deployed statewide to areas experiencing high crash rates or hazardous driving.
“As far as how they’re going to be used in each individual area of the state, that’s still something they’re working to determine,” Brown said. “The members of that are obviously deployed to certain areas to address certain problems. Where that’s really beneficial is when they are sent into an area, whether it be in Jackson County or Boone County or wherever it may be, that those officers are there, in addition to the troopers that are assigned to work there every day and every night. So it’s an increase in manpower for that area to address these traffic issues and these criminal activities.”