Category: kmiz-local-news

Sam Roe

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Retired Lt. Col. Anthony Aguilar, a 25-year army veteran and humanitarian aid worker, spoke on Monday night about his experience in Gaza.

The event was sponsored by Missourians for Justice in Palestine and was hosted at United Methodist Church in Columbia.

Aguilar spent time earlier this year delivering aid as part of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and has spent the past few months as a self-described “whistleblower.” He has been speaking out against what he sees as a lack of aid and its poor administration.

“It was very apparent to me in the very beginning that the distribution of aid was not being done in line with humanitarian principles,” Aguilar said to the crowd. “The amount of aid that was bringing, that was being brought in was far, far below what was sufficient to feed the population.”

Aguilar claimed in some cases, there were only 20 people responsible for distributing aid to groups that numbered in the tens of thousands. He described the scene as being similar to “The Hunger Games” as they would drop off the food while the people fought over it.

“And the more that I, as each day went on of me being there, it became clearly apparent to me that it was an intentional design to further starve the population,” Aguilar said.

“To displace the population for militarized objectives [and] to essentially weaponize food to a starving population.”

The discussion also focused on the current ceasefire deal in Gaza, which Aguilar sees as ineffective, saying leaders need to step up, as there are still people dying in the conflict.

Click here to follow the original article.

Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council approved a resolution at Monday’s meeting allowing the Missouri Association of Counties to preserve another portion of the historic Buescher Memorial Home.

The front part of the former funeral was known to be in good condition to renovate and preserve, but MAC Executive Director Steve Hobbs said he thought the additional building on the back side — which was added to the original building — would need to be torn down and rebuilt.

“When the architect first said, ‘I think we can save that back building.’ I said, ‘No, no, no, no, we’re not going to,'” Hobbs said.

Saving the back building will actually give MAC more space to work with for its headquarters, office space and training center.

“This is historically better for the community because that building has been there for 50 years,” Hobbs said.

Renovations and work on the former funeral home begin in January, Hobbs said. The $5 million project is expected to take 18-24 months to complete and open sometime in 2028.

Click here to follow the original article.

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Thousands of federal workers are feeling the financial strain as the government shutdown stretches past a month, leaving many furloughed or working without pay in what is expected to become the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

The shutdown began Oct. 1 as lawmakers in Washington D.C. are in a stalemate over a federal budget bill. The record for the longest shutdown is expected to be tied on Tuesday evening after 35 days have passed, matching the mark set during President Donald Trump’s first term in 2019.

That stalemate, has caused Daniel Scharpenburg, first Vice President of the NTEU Chapter 66 for the Internal Revenue Service in Kansas City, to be furloughed and face financial uncertainty.

Scharpenburg said there are approximately 6,000 employees that work at the IRS building in Kansas City, with many being furloughed. He works in the collections department where he has processed payment plan requests for 16 years. He was put into furlough status on Oct. 6, five days after the shutdown began.

“I really felt disrespected, like the work we do doesn’t matter, Scharpenburg said. “It was really stressful to not get paid on that day, when we count on these checks to come every two weeks, it was still a shocked to look at the bank account and have that not be there,”

“I did exhaust all the savings that I had. I’ve been building up savings for a little while,” Scharpenburg said. “My bills are going to start coming due, so I had to get something.”

Without a source of income for the past month, Scharpenburg has relied on food banks such as KC Eats, which was established last month, and the organization Harvesters, which provides personal hygiene products.

With his savings nearly gone, Scharpenburg has been forced to look for ways to stay financially stable.

“I have gone to every one of my bills and asked them to defer payments. Some of them have and other ones have not,” He said. “Thankfully, I don’t have to pay rent right now. That is deferred until the end of the shutdown, but some of those other ones are not going to do that for me,”

His credit card and phone bill are two bills he says have been deferred, but his car payment was not because he cannot get a hold of the company, making it his biggest stressor.

For a temporary source of income, Scharpenburg has been hired to work in a warehouse for a company he did not want to name. He says unemployment wasn’t an option, due to not wanting to pay it back to the state and having a debt. His coworkers have also found other ways to make ends meet.

“I know one person that’s going and selling plasma twice a week.” I kind of worry about health implications of doing that all the time, but we got to do whatever we got to do,” Scharpenburg said.

When asked about the possibility of losing his job permanently if the shutdown continues, Scharpenburg said he’s not sure what he would do.

“I’m trying not to think about htat because I don’t know what I’m doing to do. I have a 16-year career, that’s a pretty good sizes career, right?” Scharpenburg said. “I’m middle-aged, I don’t know that I’m equipped to learn how to do anything else, I don’t want to start over.”

Scharpenburg says the responsibility lies with Congress, and he hopes lawmakers will act soon so federal employees can return to work.

“I feel like Congress has a duty to avoid this kind of thing happening. I think they have a duty to get us reopened,” he said. “I feel like we’re disrespected, devalued, and scapegoated right now by various angles, and it’s inappropriate and unacceptable.”

If you are a federal worker in Mid-Missouri, there are several resources available for help.

The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri provides groceries and other essential items to individuals and families in need.

The Central Missouri Community Action Agency, a nonprofit that supports low-income families, told ABC 17 News in a Monday email it is offering support to anyone in need.

City of Columbia Utilities does not have specific program for government workers, but the city says it continues to work with residents who may have difficulties paying their utility bills, including setting up payment plans for qualified customers.

Click here to follow the original article.

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Columbia City Council on Monday night unanimously approved a $58,000 consultant agreement with Avenu Insights and Analytics to help track and enforce the city’s new short-term rental regulations.

Between February and July, the city passed a series of ordinances establishing land use, business license, and tax rules for short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs or VRBOs. As those regulations took effect, city staff said a specialized vendor would be needed to help monitor compliance.

According to a council memo, Avenu’s software will track listings across 80 different rental platforms, identifying properties used as short-term rentals and flagging those operating without a license. The system will also collect data on occupancy rates and estimated revenue to help ensure the city collects the required 5% accommodation tax.

Development Services Manager Patrick Zenner said the city currently reviews listings on only a handful of major platforms when an application is submitted, which means some rentals can go undetected.

“Without having the vendor’s services, the City’s ability to identify operators and bring them into licensure compliance is significantly curtailed which results in less ability to collect the accommodations taxes that are regulatorily required to be paid by each operator,” Zenner said in an email.

During Monday’s meeting, Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll described the process of tracking those rentals as “labor-intensive and onerous” on city staff. A large selling point of the contract was the cost, with Community Development Director Clinton Smith adding that the contract costs about half the amount of hiring a full-time employee to do the same work.

The proposed five-year contract includes a $5,000 setup fee and an annual maintenance cost starting at $26,250, with small increases each year. The agreement could be extended for up to 10 years at a total cost of about $312,000. The contract allows the city to terminate the agreement at any time without cause.

City staff estimates there are about 475 active short-term rentals in Columbia, but only 125 applications have been submitted, resulting in a compliance rate of less than 25%. If all were licensed and taxed, the city projects annual revenue of roughly $818,000—well above the contract’s cost.

Zenner said the vendor will also operate a 24-hour complaint hotline and assist with enforcement efforts, acting as “an extension of the city’s staff” in monitoring short-term rental activity. Zenner added a major factor in picking Avenu was they were one of only a few vendors that offered live U.S.-based customer service.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Room at the Inn location in Audrain County will only be open next month on an “as-needed basis,” according to a Friday social media post from the Audrain County Shelter Resource Coalition.

The shelter in Mexico typically opens fully in December, but a lack of funds has resulted in the location only opening that month when a cold weather advisory has been issued and volunteers are available, the post says.

Regular shelter hours will occur from 5 p.m.-7 a.m. in January and February, according to the post.

“When funding is uncertain, we have to make difficult choices,” ACSRC Executive Director Ra’Vae Moore said in the release. “Room at the Inn has always been a lifeline for individuals who are experiencing homelessness during the coldest months of the year, and while we are not able to open every night in December, we are committed to responding when temperatures reach dangerous levels. Our goal is to continue to work hard to raise enough funds to fully open in January and February, just as we have in past years.”

The release says the shelter may open when:

Hard freeze conditions with temperatures between 24-27 degrees Fahrenheit for two or more hours; or

A wind chill warning of at least 20 degrees occurs; or

A winter weather advisory occurs that predicts snow, sleet and ice on the roads; and

There’s enough trained volunteers to run the shelter.

Click here to follow the original article.

Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation on Monday cut the ribbon on its first seven miles of completed pavement on Interstate 70 in the Improve I-70 project.

The project seeks to make I-70 a three-lane highway across the entire state. This first portion focuses on the road from Columbia to Kingdom City.

Barriers will be removed from the completed stretch at Route J (mile marker 137) to Route M (mile marker 144) by the end of the week, Brandy Broeckling with construction company Millstone Weber said.

“We have a more efficient, safer piece of piece of infrastructure,” MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger said at Monday’s ribbon cutting. “We are standing on brand new pavement, a little over a year from when we broke ground up at the Drury Inn. And that is just incredible progress.”

State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff (D-Columbia) called the moment historic.

“I mean, we’ve been planning for I-70 for years,” Steinhoff said. “This is going to make a huge difference. It’s going to help us get to places on time, but it’s also going to help everyone be safe.”

The portion of interstate between Columbia and Kingdom City is expected to be completed in late 2027, MoDOT said.

“The main focus of the project was to add the third lane in each direction on I-70. All three lanes will be new concrete pavement, along with the new 12-foot concrete shoulder,” Broeckling said. “The Route 54 interchange will be completely reconstructed. There’s also numerous changes at the U.S. 63 interchange, which you can see we have all been working on for the past year. And in between there are several other bridges and box culverts that will be getting replaced as well.”

The overall Improve I-70 program is expected to be complete in late 2030.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state safety coordinator of the Missouri Department of Transportation denies that he wielded a gun during a road-rage incident in Jefferson City.

Harry Adrian IV, of Tuscumbia, was charged Wednesday in Cole County with felony unlawful use of a weapon. A criminal summons was issued for him the same day, and an entry of appearance and not guilty plea were entered on Friday.

Adrian’s lawyer, Ben Faber, said the claims were made up.

“My client denies these charges,” Faber told ABC 17 News. “They were filed after a disgruntled driver made a false police report. Unfortunately, because this person made an allegation against Mr. Adrian, he has been charged with a felony offense and now must defend himself not only in court, but in the court of public opinion. We are confident that Mr. Adrian will be cleared of these charges and look forward to putting this nonsense to rest.”

The probable cause statement says Adrian was accused by two people of pulling out a gun and pointing it at them during a road rage incident around 3 p.m. Sept. 22.

A deputy wrote that he stopped Adrian’s vehicle while he was following the alleged victim’s vehicle in the 3000 block of Highway 54 East in Cole County.

Adrian allegedly told deputies that he was involved in a road rage incident, but claimed he held a cellphone instead of a gun, the statement says. Deputies found a handgun in Adrian’s Ford F-250, the statement says.

Online records show Adrian has worked for MoDOT for 12 years.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Winter trout season has officially kicked off at city ponds around Mid-Missouri.

The City of Columbia announced in a Monday press release that today was the official start to its winter trout season at Cosmo-Bethel Park.

All trout that are caught must be released and unharmed through Jan. 31, 2026. Only artificial baits can be used during this season. Anglers can start keeping trout on Feb. 1. A fishing permit with a trout stamp is required.

Jefferson City Parks and Recreation announced in a social media post that roughly 2,500 rainbow trout were stocked on Monday at McKay Lake. The same restrictions for anglers apply at McKay Lake, as well at Veterans Lak in Fulton, Kiwanis Lake in Mexico and Lake Minesa in Marshall.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri officials said Monday that they’re waiting to receive federal guidance amid reports that the Trump administration has a plan to partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The administration has committed $4.65 billion to the program but said using the emergency funds could take “a few weeks up to several months,” a USDA official said in a federal court filing, according to ABC News. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration last week to use emergency funds to pay for SNAP by this Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Missouri’s Department of Social Services said the state is tracking the developments and awaiting more information from the federal government.

“DSS will review all federal guidance as soon as it is available and share updates with stakeholders and participants promptly,” a department spokesperson wrote in response to emailed questions.

The department maintains a website to provide updates on SNAP benefits.

Benefits ended Saturday because of the continuing government shutdown, which is nearing the record for the longest in the country’s history.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A November ballot in an odd-numbered year is usually pretty thin.

But this year, if you live in Hallsville, you have the chance to decide on three big questions:

The first is whether the Hallsville School District should continue its four-day week for another 10 years. The district has used the abbreviated week for a few years to save costs and help attract and retain teachers.

The district also wants to borrow $6.5 million to improve buildings and infrastructure, including a multi-use sports field. Voters approved the same bond issue 832-282 back in April, but State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick refused to certify the result, citing issues with how the notice of election was posted.

And City of Hallsville residents will decide whether to levy a use tax that’s the same rate as the city’s sales tax. Use taxes are charged on items bought elsewhere, such as online. The total sales tax in Hallsville is 8.6%.

Jefferson City lodging tax

Jefferson City leaders want to see voters approve an extension of a 7% tax on hotel and motel rooms and short-term rentals. Voters first approved the tax in 2011, lasting until 2035.

Tuesday’s ballot asks Jefferson City voters to extend the 7% tax through 2060. The city uses 4% of the tax to help fund its plan to build a hotel and conference center, and a lawsuit has been filed over the tax ahead of the election.

Other ballot issues

Voters in the Macks Creek School District will vote on a $1.5 million bond issue to pay for repairs and renovations, including the kitchen, cafeteria and gymnasium. The money will also be used for asbestos abatement. The bond issue would not increase the district debt levy.

Fayette voters will decide whether to change from an elected city marshal to an appointed police chief.

Morgan County R-1 wants to raise its operating tax levy by 63 cents per $100 of assessed value to help with repairs and renovations. The increase would sunset after 20 years.

State Fair Community College is asking voters in Petties, Morgan, Cooper and Benton counties to increase its operating tax levy by 10 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Maries County voters will decide whether to implement a 1-cent sales tax to pay for emergency dispatching. The tax would replace a 15% tax on landline phones.

The City of Marceline in Chariton County hopes voters will approve a $30 million bond issue to improve the combined water and sewer system. The bonds would be retired through user fees.

Click here to follow the original article.