Category: kmiz-local-news

Madison Stuerman

MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ)

Five people were hurt in Mexico, Missouri, after a car drove through a building on Sunday afternoon.

The Mexico Public Safety Department said in a release that officers responded to the 4500 block of E Liberty Street just before 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Officers learned an 88-year-old man was driving a 2015 GMC SUV on private property when he lost control and crashed into the front wall of a building.

Police said around 35 people were inside the building when the crash happened.

The Audrain Ambulance District was able to identify and stabilize any patients. Five people were hurt, but only one person, a 37-year-old man, was taken to the hospital.

Police said the 37-year-old was taken to University Hospital, where he was treated and released.

The building has “significant damage” according to the release. City officials and the property owner will be working to make sure the building is safe.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia will host a series of office hours with city staff and council members to discuss the potential impacts of federal and state executive orders, with one happening Monday afternoon.

Members of the community are invited to attend these meetings to learn more about the impacts and provide their thoughts. The office hours will be on the following dates and are open to residents from any ward:

Monday, June 9, 1-3 p.m. with Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and City staff at the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services department, 1005 W. Worley St.

Wednesday, June 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m. with Council Member Jacque Sample and City staff at the Columbia Fire Department’s Fire Training Academy, 700 Big Bear Blvd.

Thursday, June 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m. with Council Member Don Waterman and City staff in Room C of the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), 1701 W. Ash St.

Sunday, June 15, 2-4 p.m. with Council Member Valerie Carroll and City staff at the Friends Room of the Daniel Boone Regional Library, 100 W. Broadway

The first session took place over the weekend with council member Nick Foster and city staff inside Columbia City Hall.

The city states that these meetings are in response to its May 5 meeting, where several individuals raised concerns about the city’s proposed changes to its strategic plan resulting from executive orders. Specifically, Executive Order 14151, which targets the language of diversity, equity and inclusion ordered by President Donald Trump. If the city does not comply with the executive orders, it risks losing federal funding.

The City of Columbia is also hosting the second of seven block parties on Monday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Douglas Park featuring food, music and games. The city says that this is a way to informally connect with community members and learn more about city services.

June 9, Douglass Park

June 17, Albert-Oakland Park (Shelter 2)

June 23, Fairview Park

June 30, Cosmo-Bethel Park (Leech Shelter)

July 10, Indian Hills Park

July 15, Rock Quarry Park

All block parties hosted by the city will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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Nia Hinson

PHELPS COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Salem, Missouri woman was injured when the vehicle she was driving flipped over Sunday afternoon.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the 22-year-old woman was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt on Highway 8 around 3 p.m. The crash occurred when the vehicle went off the right side of the road– overcorrected– and flipped over.

The vehicle then came to a rest upright, the crash report says. The woman was flown to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis with serious injuries.

She was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash occurred, according to the crash report.

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Nia Hinson

CAMDEN COUNY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Genoa City, Wisconsin man was injured when a jetski he was riding on became airborne Saturday.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, the 33-year-old man was riding the jetski at the 18 mile marker of the main channel around 5 p.m. when the jetski hit a wave and became airborne. The man was then ejected from the vehicle.

He was taken to Lake Regional Hospital with serious injuries.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

EDITOR’S NOTE: The building that was being photographed by Columbia Police Department was corrected.

A man was injured in a shooting that started on East Walnut Street in downtown Columbia early Sunday morning, according to CPD Lieutenant Derek Moore.

CPD were dispatched to the area at around 1:48 a.m. for shots fired. The man’s injuries were not life-threatening, and he was not taken to the hospital. Police have not identified any suspects but there is no threat to the public, Moore said.

An ABC 17 News reporter arrived at the scene in the 700 block of East Walnut Street around 2:15 a.m. and saw police with a gurney standing in front of the Boone County Courthouse.

ABC 17 News saw more than eight Columbia Police Department vehicles, two ambulances and a MU Health Care vehicle in that area. A Crime Scene Investigations vehicle was also seen.

About two blocks away on East Walnut Street between North Eighth Street and North Ninth Street, ABC 17 News saw at least 26 evidence markers.

“It was it was a fairly large scene,” Moore said. “So [police] parked in front of the courthouse to make sure they preserved the evidence while they were coming up.”

At least three vehicles with bullet holes were seen on North Ninth Street.

A vehicle with bullet holes on North Ninth Street in downtown Columbia around 2:40 a.m. on June 8, 2025.

One vehicle had a flat tire.

A vehicle with bullet holes and a flat tire on North Ninth Street in downtown Columbia around 2:50 a.m. on June 8, 2025.

Police were also seen taking photos at the building on 811 and 813 E Walnut St.

“We located a bit of property damage as well, in addition to the injuries and quite a bit of evidence,” Moore said.

A man who lived on Walnut told ABC 17 News that he had to let police into his apartment building after they reported a bullet going through a third-floor window. He added that nighttime gatherings of over 300 people were common for Ninth and Walnut, with many events involving alcohol and going into 3 a.m.

Crime scene tape was taken down in the area just before 3:30 a.m.

Moore adds that police are going through footage from cameras in the area in the investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.

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Nia Hinson

CENTRALIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Centralia Police Department is warning residents to be aware after a bear was sighted within the city.

Lauren TeBrink, tells ABC 17 News she has not seen anything like it in the two and a half years her family has lived in Centralia.

“I noticed in our front yard that there were a ton of cars passing by and I thought, that’s weird this is centralia,” TeBrink said. “Then, I saw on Facebook something about a bear sighting and then I noticed that it was our backyard that there was a bear sighting.”

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri is home to roughly 1,000 black bears. Most of them residing in the southern part of the show-me state.

In Grandview, Missouri officials say a bear was recently spotted in May within city limits.

According to a social media post from the Centralia Police Department, animal control and conservation officials have been made aware and are monitoring the situation. The department also asked residents not to approach, feed, or attempt to pet the bear under any circumstances.

TeBrink said she believes that community will be extra important moving forward.

“It’s a matter of paying attention that we know that everyone around us is paying attention and watching out for each other because this situation is theoretically not going to happen tomorrow,” TeBrink said. “But at least knowing, hey, everyone’s got each other’s back is ultimately going to help at the end of the day.”

Anyone who notices the bear should call 311 immediately.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia firefighters were on the scene of a house fire in southwest Columbia Saturday night.

According to a new release, the Columbia Fire Department responded to the 4900 block of Fallbrook Drive around 8:30 p.m. after the Boone County Joint Communications Center took multiple 911 calls reporting a home was on fire.

The first crew arrived at the two-story residential structure to find heavy smoke and flames showing, the release states.

ABC 17 News saw several Columbia Fire Department trucks in the area around 9 p.m. A firefighter on scene told ABC 17 News they found the garage fully engulfed in flames when they arrived.

“Crew members quickly began deploying pre-connected hoselines from their apparatus and made an aggressive interior fire attack,” the release says.

Extra CFD personnel was requested after about 15 minutes due to heavy fire extending into the upper level. As more crews arrived, the home was searched and firefighters found no one inside, according to the release.

16 units and 33 firefighters responded to the fire. The release says three were released at the scene after being evaluated for heat exhaustion.

The fire was under control by 9:20 p.m. and firefighters stayed for several hours to put out possible hotspots.

The Columbia Fire Marshal Battalion is investigating the cause of the house fire.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

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Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Phase two of Highway 54 improvements are underway, as part of The Missouri Department of Transportation’s Bridge Bundle for Jefferson City.

The traffic shift was moved to Wednesday after storms rolled through the area on Tuesday. The Bridge Bundle aims to address driving surface issues on bridges in Jefferson City, including deck repairs and overlays.

“This this one project here has eight bridges associated with it. Two being at Stadium, two being at Linden Avenue that are overpasses on the road, one being the Madison overpass. Those are all under construction currently,” Chris Brownell Resident Engineer of the Jefferson City project office for MoDOT’s Central District said.

Four ramps will be closed for road work on the stretch of highway near Linden Drive and Stadium Boulevard. Those include:

The eastbound off-ramp to Madison Street;

The westbound off-ramp to Stadium Boulevard;

The Madison Street on-ramp westbound;

The Christy Drive on-ramp eastbound.

Crews will narrow down that portion of the highway to one lane in both directions.

Brownell tells ABC 17 News the new layout may look a bit different to drivers.

“We can put the head to head traffic in the westbound side at Linden, that just got that bridge just completed. So, we want to switch traffic over there,” Brownell said. “They’re on the outside lanes. That’s going to switch to go to the interior lane so they can have the other half of the bridge to work on.”

MoDOT says the road work will help extend the life of many Jefferson City overpasses. However, the resulting ramp closures and roadways being narrowed could impact both regular drivers and public safety agencies from taking their normal routes.

Cole County EMS Chief Eric Hoy told ABC 17 News one of the ramp closures is a crucial route for EMS crews. However, Hoy said they have worked hard with MoDOT to find a plan that minimizes any impact to their services.

“They’re going to close the Madison Street exit, which is a main artery to Capital Region Medical Center,” Hoy said. “We’ve had conversations with them and the one exit right up the road, which is only about a block away, will remain open throughout the process. So, we don’t believe there will be any delay in service.”

Hoy added that even though the closures can be inconvenient, the work needs done and it keeps everyone safer in the long run.

“We’d rather, you know, have planned construction where we can do this in an organized manner, than have some catastrophic failure of a bridge or something like that, which we’ve seen across the country,” Hoy said.

The Bridge Bundle is expected to be complete by October 2025.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 16-year-old from Versailles died after his parked vehicle was hit on Highway 54 in Miller County on Friday, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

According to an MSHP crash report, the boy was parked in a 1995 Mercury Cougar on Highway 54 eastbound, east of Lakeland Road, a little after 10 p.m. He was parked between the ride side shoulder and driving lane with the left front and rear tires in the right lane of travel, the report says.

A 2019 Ford Flex – driven by a 41-year-old man from Eldon – was heading eastbound on the highway when it hit the rear of the Mercury Cougar.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene, the report states. The man was not hurt.

Neither were wearing a seatbelt and both vehicles were totaled.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

While heavy storms are expected to move into Columbia Saturday, the Columbia Art League said its 66th annual Art in the Park event will continue rain or shine.

“Even if it’s raining pretty hard, we’re still open,” Columbia Art League Executive Director Kelsey Hammond said. “This supportive community is so great to come to, that’s why [artists] come and put up all their stuff in the rain because they know that people will come out and support them.”

Art in the Park is a free, family-friendly event featuring around 110 art vendors from across the country, live music and food. The artists cover various media including drawing, fibers, wood and glass. There are also multiple interactive art installations and a ‘Kid’s Art Spot’ tent with child-friendly activities like a tie-dye booth.

In the event of severe weather, event officials will have people move to the Boone Hospital parking garage for shelter. Hammond said the festival will continue once the bad weather passes.

According to the event’s emergency plans, volunteers as well as police and fire personnel will be patrolling the area to assist in case of emergency events such as medical emergencies, lost children or theft.

Art in the Park is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

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