Category: kmiz-local-news

Matthew Sanders

President Donald Trump has long talked about his predecessor’s reported mental decline, posing questions about who was making decisions in the White House during Joe Biden’s term in office.

On Wednesday, Trump turned those questions into an investigation. Trump signed a memo directing an investigation into the actions of the Biden White House and the former president’s use of an autopen.

Biden’s advisers have denied any coordinated effort to conceal from the public his deteriorating condition during the final years of his presidency. Biden has insisted he made all of his own decisions.

Do you think an investigation is warranted? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Someone called in a fake threat on Wednesday, prompting law enforcement to respond to a neighborhood east of Highway 63, according to a Boone County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

Deputies responded to a call in the 57000 block of East Trikalla Drive after a caller alleged that several people were shot at a residence, according to an email from Capt. Brian Leer of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

Leer said the fake call was likely made from someone not living in the state.

“Our deputies responded and made contact with the residents. It was determined this was a ‘swatting’ type call and it is believed the caller actually made the call from out of state.  We will continue to investigate,” Leer wrote.

“Swatting” occurs when someone makes a prank call or message to draw a surprise emergency response to an address. A similar call was made to the residence of former Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft last year.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The National Weather Service confirmed a pair of tornadoes hit eastern Kansas City through Independence on Tuesday.

The first tornado’s EF rating is unknown, but the second has been rated as an EF-1. The first tornado lasted two minutes and traveled a quarter-mile, while the EF-1 lasted nine minutes, went 3.75 miles with peak winds at 100 miles per hour with a width of 50 yards, according to a social media post from the NWS.

More than 2,600 Independence Power and Light customers experienced an outage, most of which have been restored, according to a social media post from the City of Independence. Crews faced broken poles, downed lines and lots of fallen trees, the post reads.

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Ryan Shiner

(Editor’s note, 6/5: The story has been updated to reflect the latest votes in the Senate and the current status of the bills.)

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Senate on Wednesday gave initial approval to a measure that would give $50 million in funding for the University of Missouri Research Reactor.

Senate Bill 1 received Senate perfection Wednesday night. Funding for MURR was one of the capital projects that was laid out for this summer’s special session after funding failed to make it past the finish line during the end of May’s regular session. Senators must still give it a full vote on the floor for final approval. If passed, the House of Representatives will take them up for debate.

Kehoe called for the special session on May 27.

In addition, about $125 million was passed for recent storm relief, with $100 million going toward the St. Louis area that was hit hard during severe storms in May, and $25 milling going toward affordable housing relief around the state. Senate Bill 4 that would speed up the process of dispersing funds for emergency aid in the state was passed as well.

Kehoe announced an amended call for the session earlier on Wednesday to add items, including disaster relief and tax policy.

A bill to incentivize Kansas City sports teams to stay in the state also received Senate perfection early Thursday morning in SB 3. Republican senators pushed to get a property tax freeze program for 97 counties in Missouri. Voters in those counties will decide in April 2026 whether or not to institute property tax rate freezes similar to what seniors receive in the state.

SB 3 also offers a $5,000 tax credit in 2025 to people whose homes were damaged in storms.

If the House of Representatives approves these bills, the session will reconvene on June 16.

This is a developing story.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Talks continued Wednesday night within the Columbia Board of Education about how it plans to spend money for the upcoming school year and the impact it will have on the district’s five-year plan.

The budget is made up of roughly $307 million. About 77% of that operating budget is comprised of staff salaries and benefits, marking a $10 million increase.

The Board had approved a new salary schedule in April, which included pay raises to base salaries for employees in order to help recruit and retain teachers.

The district’s funds includes total fund balances for the district, as well as its operating funds, comprised of general and teacher funds. According to meeting documents, CPS experienced a nearly $7 million decrease in its fund balance.

That was caused by excess expenditures in the Capital Projects fund, according to documents. The opening of schools, such as John Warner and Eagle Bluffs Elementary have also had a significant impact on funds, documents say.

Chief Financial Officer Heather Mcarthur told ABC 17 News the district is spending down its capital project money on those various projects. Mcarthur said to be able to continue being able to do that, as well as make other large fixes, they now have to ask voters.

“Any kind of new bond issues has to be authorized by the voters so before we can plan on that, we’d have to go to the voters,” Mcarthur said. “So, any additional money for capital improvements beyond what our local property tax supports, which is in the 3 to $4 million range that goes into that fund, would have to be going to the voters for authorization for new general obligation bonds.”

Discussions were also had Wednesday regarding debates around property taxes in Missouri. Some lawmakers have proposed a flat income tax and cutting the overall rate. Mcarthur said she worries what this could mean for CPS, which largely relies on it.

“Our district is very highly locally funded, so for the 2025- 2026 budget, about 64% of our total revenue comes from local sources and over 50% directly from local property taxes. If you think about that $300 million, 150 million dollars of it comes directly from property taxes,” Mcarthur said.

The board will vote to approve the budget during its regular meeting on Monday.

Budget Presentation _443853lm454stwk3pawy2rlnp4grxdDownload

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe has amended the call for this summer’s special session to include additional items, a Wednesday press release from the governor’s office says.  

The call replaces the previous one made on May 27, which included legislation to incentivize Kansas City sports teams to stay in the state and fund capital projects, such as the nuclear reactor at the University of Missouri.

The session will now include talks involving disaster relief, tax policy and additional budget appropriations, the release says.

“After productive conversations with members of the Missouri General Assembly this week, we are amending our special session call to allow for additional legislation in the areas of disaster relief, tax policy, and budget investments,” Kehoe said in the release. “We appreciate legislators working together to use this as an opportunity to show up for our communities by acting swiftly to help those in crisis, while also making smart decisions that secure opportunity for the future.”

The release says the call asks the legislature to create a tax credit up to $5,000 per homestead “against an individual’s income tax liability for the insurance deductible incurred as a direct result of a disaster for which a presidential disaster declaration has been requested by the Governor.”

Other goals, according to the release, include enhancing the Missouri Housing trust, appropriating money to the Disaster Relief fund and giving property tax relief to uninhabitable residences damaged and listed in disaster declarations.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The State Board of Education is considering a proposal that includes a Columbia school for disabled children among several statewide closures.

The board first heard the proposal to close 12 Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled in May and heard an update to the plan on Tuesday. On the list is Delmar Cobble School in Columbia, which was temporarily closed in February because of staffing shortages. Students from the school now attend schools in Marshall and Jefferson City.

The school in Marshall, Prairie View State School, is among the 12 slated for closure next summer under the plan, along with Dogwood Hills State School in Eldon.

Delmar Cobble and other schools that are temporarily closed would close for good this fall, under the plan.

June board meeting documentsDownload

A DESE spokesperson said in a written statement that dates are not set in stone, depending on when the board of education takes final action on the plan. It’s also undetermined what would happen to the real estate after the permanent closure, the statement says.

The plan could save the state nearly $13 million in deferred maintenance costs and another $1 million annually, according to board documents.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The sidewalk and eastbound traffic in the 200 block of West Main Street in Sedalia have been closed off by the city because of “structural concerns” at a vacant building, the city wrote in a Wednesday social media post.

The city wrote that access to the building at 207 West Main Street has been closed off as a precautionary measure. The city later stated in an updated post that the building is in a “state of collapse” and will either need immediate repairs or be demolished.

“The building has been deteriorating over the past several months, but suffered new damage from the recent storms,” the city wrote in its initial post

An engineer evaluated the building on Wednesday and noted nearby buildings are at risk if a collapse occurs, the updated post reads.

“In coordination with safety precautions, Liberty Utilities made the decision last night to cap the gas lines at the street level rather than excavating Main Street. While gas service to the building had been shut off for at least five years, capping the lines at the street is a critical safety step,” the post says. “If a structure collapses, it can damage underground utility lines, potentially causing leaks or ruptures. By sealing the gas line at its main distribution point, Liberty Utilities has eliminated the possibility of residual or pressurized gas entering the area. This action also removes a significant fire or explosion risk to surrounding buildings, first responders, and the public.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two law enforcement agencies have confirmed that a dead body has been found in Montgomery County.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Wednesday social media post that New Florence police on Tuesday were sent to at 7:58 p.m. Booneslick Road for a 911 hang-up call. Two people told law enforcement that a dead body was inside a vacant building in the 400 block of the street.

The sheriff’s office wrote that it helped police and a dead person was found “in the bay area of the vacant building.” The identity, age and gender of the dead person were not described in the post.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F’s Division of Drug and Crime Control was also called and are leading the investigation, the release says. An MSHP spokesperson also confirmed to ABC 17 News on Wednesday that a body was found.

Check back for updates.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 21-year-old man was charged Tuesday with six felonies and jailed without bond after his arrest during a Jefferson City police response that included long guns and an armored vehicle.

Danaun C. Washington of Jefferson City remained in the Cole County Jail on no bond Tuesday after his arrest at a large police scene the previous afternoon. Multiple Jefferson City Police Department cruisers and an armored car converged on Olive Street. Officers with body armor and long guns were at the scene.

A woman had called 911, reporting that a man had hit her in the face and tried to pistol-whip her, but she blocked the blow, according to a probable cause statement. The man then ran to his house at 215 Olive St., the statement says.

Police used a loudspeaker to talk to Washington and coax him out of the house, but he would not leave the building, the statement says. Officers found him in the attic after they obtained a search warrant and entered the house.

Washington denied hitting the victim or having a gun, according to the statement. Police allegedly found a pistol magazine near the attic access.

No hearings have been set.

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