Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cole County Commission on Tuesday voted in support of Jefferson City’s bid to receive a federal grant for a road and bridge project.

Slides from a Tuesday presentation show that Jefferson City is hoping to secure up to $25 million in federal funding from a Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grant for its Reconnecting Jefferson City project.

The city hopes to replace the viaduct at High Street and add a new connector bridge from River Market to Deborah Cooper Park.

The viaduct construction is expected to cost around $16.9 million, while the connector bridge is expected to cost about $7.5 million.  The city expects to learn if it will receive the grant this summer.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Owensville firefighters on Tuesday morning rescued three dogs from an icy pond, according to a social media post from the Owensville Fire Protection District.

First responders were called at 9:16 a.m. to the 3700 block of Homeyer Road and found three dogs struggling in the water.

Firefighters saved all three dogs and EMS personnel and deputies tended to their needs, the post says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was charged with murder in a northeast Columbia shooting that occurred earlier this year was indicted by a grand jury on Friday.

James Caldwell Jr., 24, was charged with first-degree-murder, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of first-degree assault. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An arraignment for the charges is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23.

Caldwell was originally charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and two counts of first-degree assault,

Previous reporting shows three people were shot or stabbed Jan. 4  at The Greens apartment complex in the 4800 block of Clark Lane. Brianna Hawkins, 21, of Fulton, died at a nearby hospital after being shot, reporting shows.

One victim was shot in the mouth and Hawkins was found by police with multiple gunshot wounds, court documents in previous reporting say. Police saw Caldwell standing over a third victim in an apartment, previous reporting shows. One victim had a gunshot injury and stab wounds.

Caldwell was identified by two of the victims, court documents say. One of the victims wrote Caldwell’s name on a piece of paper, the statement says.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia will decide which route it will take for a new high voltage electrical line across south Columbia.

Columbia Water and Light has proposed two pathways: One that runs along West Nifong Boulevard, Vawter School Road and Scott Boulevard. The second runs from Grindstone Parkway to the Hinkson Creek substation and down Chapel Hill Road. Both paths would connect the Grindstone Parkway substation to the Perche Creek substation.

“We first noticed a need for it way back in 2007. Then it was approved in 2013 by the city council and a bond was voted on by the residents and approved,” Water and Light spokesman Jason West said.

West said a dozen routes were initially considered and narrowed down to the two options up for discussion.

The Chapel Hill option would cost around $56 million, while the Vawter School-Nifong route would cost nearly $35 million. However, only about $30 million remains in bond funding.

West explained the city could pull funds from other bonds to cover the cost of the Vawter School Road route, but anything more would have to come from a new bond issue being passed.

The city paused a similar suggested path along Vawter School Road in 2016. West said rate increases to fund the bond were also paused at the time the project was halted.

“The council paused the line after one neighborhood packed a council session,” said Sarah Read, who is a retired energy attorney.

West said the Chapel Hill path costs more due to the path falling on a number of property lines. Some residents in the area told ABC 17 News they don’t want the new power lines, but they understand the need on the south side side of town.

The Columbia Water and Light Advisory Board will decide tomorrow morning which route it will present at the next City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 16.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who was accused in a February 2025 shooting in the central part of the city pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two felonies.

Michael Proctor Jr., 22, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. He was originally charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. He will be sentenced at 9 a.m. Monday, April 13.

Court documents in previous reporting say Proctor insulted someone through a text message, prompting that person to go to Proctor’s residence.

Proctor shot the alleged victim while the man was still in his vehicle, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who is charged with felony murder in the shooting death of Michael Burke is facing another felony charge.

Kobe Aust, 18, of Columbia, is charged with first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of felony murder in Burke’s death. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond and a hearing was held on Tuesday.

He is now being charged with first-degree harassment after court documents claim he sent text messages to a victim on Dec. 14 that indicated he would “shoot up” the victim’s home and kill them. Police wrote in the probable cause statement that they viewed a video of Aust on his Facebook page that allegedly included him holding and showing a gun.

A preliminary hearing in his new case is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, March 26.

Aust is accused in the Jan. 18 shooting along with Joseph Crane, Alexis Baumann, both 18, and a juvenile. The juvenile has not been publicly identified by authorities, but is accused of being the shooter in court documents.

Crane and Baumann are charged with first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of felony murder. Crane is being held without bond, while Baumann saw her bond reduced to $50,000 last week. Baumann was not listed on the Boone County Jail’s online roster on Tuesday afternoon.

Court documents allege Burke had used Facebook Marketplace to arrange to arrange a cellphone sale.

Court documents in previous reporting say Baumann allegedly told officers the juvenile suspect shot Burke, took his iPhone, then sold it at an ecoATM at the Walmart on Conley Road.

Crane has a preliminary hearing set for 9 a.m. Thursday, March 5, while Baumann has a preliminary hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 10.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man charged with murder in a 2025 Morgan County shooting had his case moved to Moniteau County on Monday.

Robert Anselmo, 56, of Eldon, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Johnetta Yeager. He is being held at the Morgan County Jail without bond. A judge granted the defense’s motion for a change of venue on Monday. A new court date has not been announced.

Police found a small SUV in the parking lot with the driver’s door open and Yeager, positioned as if she was getting out of the vehicle when she was shot, according to the probable cause statement in previous reporting.

Versailles police later said in a news release they found an unconscious woman with a head wound when they responded to a shooting in the 100 block of South Burke Street.

Court documents in previous reporting say a witness claimed Yeager had been sitting in her vehicle with the door open when a gunshot rang out.

Investigators found surveillance footage that linked Anselmo’s vehicle to the scene, the statement says. Yeager had previously sought a protection order against Anselmo and was in a civil suit against him, according to previous reporting.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman who is charged with murder and other crimes in Cole County is facing yet another felony charge.

Rejeane Redmon, 29, of Jefferson City, has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with evidence. She was committed in 2024 and it was extended on Oct. 24, court filings show. A case management conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 19.

She is accused of stabbing 80-year-old Melvin Callahan to death in 2023. Redmon allegedly gave conflicting statements to deputies and a bloody knife was found outside the home, previous reporting indicates.

Redmon was charged on Tuesday with damaging jail property.  She is accused of punching windows of a dayroom and hitting the windows with tablets, according to court documents.

She has been charged in multiple cases since her incarceration in 2023.  She is accused of assaulting a Cole County deputy on Aug. 16, 2025, and was charged with second-degree assault. She was also charged with fourth-degree assault in 2025 in another case.

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Josie Anglin

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Fulton Police Department is looking for one or more people after several vehicle break-ins overnight.

The Fulton Police Department said it received several reports of vehicle break-ins on Tuesday morning. Two of those reports included guns being stolen.

The thefts were reported on Court Street, Nichols Street, West Avenue, Center Street, Westminster Avenue and Crestwood Drive.

Fulton Police Chief Bill Ladwig said many of these thefts are from unlocked vehicles. He said residents should remember to lock their vehicles and take any valuables out of them.

The Fulton Police Department is asking residents to send in surveillance video of the thefts if they have it.

 

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two Mile Prairie Elementary School will become a lottery school beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the Columbia Board of Education decided during Monday night’s meeting.

Meeting documents show the lottery system will only apply to “entry-level grades” including one kindergarten classroom and a number of seats in first grade. Students within the school’s attendance boundary do not need to participate in the lottery.

The application window opens on March 12, according to meeting documents.

Lottery schools in the district include Jefferson Middle School, Benton Elementary, Locust Street Elementary and Ridgeway Elementary.

“The decision to use a lottery only for the two youngest grades aims to manage capacity and introduce choice at the entry-level of Two Mile,” meeting documents say.

The decision will cost the district $20,000 for transportation and $65,000 to hire an additional teacher, the meeting agenda shows.  

Two Mile PrairieDownload

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