Category: kmiz-local-news

Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Jefferson City Police Department will add a second community resource officer to enhance support for the city’s homeless population and bolster mental health outreach efforts.

Jefferson City’s current community resource officer focuses on mental health outreach and connecting unhoused individuals with available resources. They also work to balance the needs of the unhoused with the concerns of residents and businesses.

During Thursday’s Public Safety Committee meeting, Police Chief Eric Wilde announced that the department had named a second community resource officer to address the increasing number of mental-health-related calls.

“We noticed over time that increased calls for people with mental-health issues had been increasing for years,” Wilde said. “So we had a unique opportunity to appoint someone as a community resource officer who was tasked with going out, interacting with those individuals, and getting them directed to resources before they had the opportunity to commit a crime or become the victim of a crime.”

During the meeting, Wilde said that the current volume of mental-health calls is right there with traffic accidents.

“We were getting a lot of positive results in the first year. Our community resource officer service, over 480 people in our community, and we were finding that about 70% of those that we lined up resources for, we weren’t seeing them again,” Wilde said. “So we thought that we have enough need in this community to add a second officer too, to that effort.”

The addition reflects Jefferson City’s ongoing efforts to provide more resources for its homeless population. Last June, the Jefferson City Council approved a resolution creating a task force to focus on homelessness. The task force includes representatives from law enforcement, community recreation, legal professionals, and local organizations such as Room at the Inn and Habitat for Humanity.

“The homeless population that we have is concentrated in downtown, which is Ward 2. And that’s just because I think that’s where most of the resources are. And that’s where in the winter there is the shelters,” Ward 2 Councilman Mike Lester said. “A big component of being homeless is a lot of the individuals have mental-health issues and Officer (Marika) Hit has been a great resource for them (and) for the city to help the individuals hook up with resources that might help them and to certainly (in as many) cases as possible, keep them out of being in jail, which doesn’t help anybody.”

Officer Marika Hit, named Jefferson City’s first community resource officer, has held the position for a little more than a year. Hitt also serves on the task force.

During one of the taskforce’s meetings on Oct. 10, Hitt said from Oct. 1, 2023-Oct. 1 2024, there were 481 cases of unhoused individuals being assisted with mental health resources.

Brian Vogeler, director of the Center of Hope Shelter, praised the role of the community resource officer program in assisting those in need.

“I’m seeing individuals who have been unhoused and dealing with issues since I started are now housed and now doing good and, you know, and maintaining and things like that. So I think it’s really good for Jeff City,” Vogeler said.

“The police kind of help us handle some situations. And where, previously, it might have been a situation where they might have, you know, thrown an individual in jail. So now they can send the officer down and talk to them a lot of times, get them help, but they’re needy. And so I think it’s a very valuable resource,” Vogeler said.

Wilde said the current demands in Jefferson City were stretching Hit thin, prompting the decision to add a second community resource officer. Vogeler noted that since the introduction of the community resource officer, there has been a significant positive change in the community, and he believes a second officer will further benefit the city.

“Jeff City has some individuals who may have mental-health concerns. And I think before, they wanted to try to find the best outcome for them. But they really weren’t sure what that was. And then the police force added the resource officer and it just really it really did make a huge difference because those individuals who were needing that extra help,” Vogeler said. “Because sometimes you don’t always know where the resources are or how to get a hold of those resources.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several Mid-Missouri law-enforcement agencies are taking part in active-shooter training at the Community R-6 school district until the end of the week, the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Wednesday social media post.  

The post said the training occurred Wednesday and would last until Friday.

“Passersby and residents will notice a large law enforcement presence at those schools on those days,” the post says. “There is no need for alarm or panic, and we thank the school district for the partnership we share in efforts to provide a safe environment for learning in our communities.”

Area law enforcement participating in the training includes the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Audrain County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Mexico Public Safety Department and Hallsville Police Department, the post says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man who is currently incarcerated has been charged with several child sex crimes dating back to 2012.

Joe Stevens, 39, was charged on Wednesday in Cole County with two counts of first-degree statutory rape, one count of forcible rape, three counts of forcible sodomy, three counts of first-degree child molestation, one count of sexual misconduct involving a child, one count of child abuse and one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

He is being held at South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Missouri, and is serving a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree assault on July 18, 2024, in Camden County. A court date has not been set.

The probable cause statement says that one of the child victims – now 16 – spoke with a forensic interviewer last month about sexual assaults committed by Stevens when the victim was 3 or 4 years old. The victim allegedly disclosed the assaults to a therapist, recently.

Court documents describe multiple assaults by Stevens on the victim and the victim claimed to witness Stevens rape their sibling, who was also a child at the time.

The assaults occurred nearly every day and the victim claimed Stevens told them not to tell anyone and claimed no one would believe them because the victim was a child, the statement says. A sibling described seeing an assault to law enforcement, the statement says.

Stevens allegedly denied the allegations and claimed “’they’ are trying to make the victim believe it was him that did it,” the statement says.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than a month after a tornado destroyed Columbia’s recycling facility, nearby cities are grappling with an influx of recyclables.

Columbia’s recycling program has been suspended since the April storm that leveled the city’s facility, forcing the closure of curbside collection and all eight drop-off centers. Curbside pickup is still active, but all curbside recycling is being brought to the landfill. City officials say the rebuilding process could take more than a year.

“Obviously, the first week or so there were some frustrations and lots of questions of how things are supposed to be handled now and that sort of thing,” Columbia Public Utilities spokesman Jason West told ABC 17 News. “ I think over the last few weeks,  people have come to understand, especially since we started at least accepting and restarted the curbside pickup for recycling, even though everything still going to the landfill,  people are being understanding and patient while we’re going through all the different assessments and looking at possibilities and future options.” 

Ashland temporarily shut down its drop-off center earlier this month. A social media post from the city says that the site was closed due to “ongoing misuse,” residents began dumping “excess materials” there. The site reopened this week, but will only accept drop-offs on weekdays moving forward.

Jefferson City has also reported an increase in recycling from Columbia residents.  West says Jefferson City officials asked the City of Columbia to remind residents to follow the rules at Jefferson City’s recycling facility.

“They do have a glass bin that can accept glass, but recyclables shouldn’t go in black bags,” West said. “When they see a blue Columbia bag, they know there’s probably going to be contaminants in there, which messes up their process.”

West urged residents using other cities’ facilities to follow posted instructions and ensure they’re recycling properly. Both Ashland and Jefferson City have signs explaining what materials are accepted and how they should be sorted.

Columbia has hired a consultant to evaluate the city’s recycling system and plans to discuss potential solutions during Monday’s pre-council meeting.

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Matthew Sanders

Elon Musk is done with governing.

The tech billionaire said Wednesday that he is stepping down immediately from his role with DOGE, which has made waves with its job cuts and other moves to reduce government spending (critics point out that government spending hasn’t actually gone down).

May 30 had long been eyed as an end date for Musk’s job as DOGE head, given his designation as a special government employee. And the administration says the work that he and his team started will continue.

Are you happy to see Musk leave? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A crash in the westbound lane of Interstate 70 led to a lane of traffic becoming blocked on Wednesday night.

A viewer at 10:14 p.m. said they saw the crash occur minutes before in the westbound lane and said multiple cars were involved. Boone County Joint Communications sent a notification at 10:17 p.m. stating that a collision occurred at the 127.6-mile marker of westbound Interstate 70. One lane of traffic was blocked.

Traffic backed up past the Highway 63 connector.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw a vehicle getting towed at 10:53 p.m. Traffic began moving again at 11 p.m.

Check back for updates.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Fire Department will continue doing training exercises on Thursday at the parking garage on Fifth and Walnut in downtown Columbia.

During the training, the stairwell on the west side of the garage will be closed to the public, however, all other areas of the garage will be available for parking.

Thursday is the second day of training for the department. According to a press release, training sessions will take place at 8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. These trainings are designed to prepare emergency crews for navigating multi-story structures and responding quickly in real-life situations.

According to the release, the training scenarios will be realistic and may include uniformed personnel, emergency vehicles, hoses and other equipment throughout the day.

The Columbia Fire Department training sessions are not open to the public.

The final day of these training exercises for the department will be June 5.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Clerk’s Office has confirmed that Vera Elwood will appear on the ballot in the Aug. 5 election for the open Ward 2 seat.

City Clerk Sheela Amin wrote in an email that her petition – which was submitted last week – was deemed sufficient. She is running against Ken Rice, who announced his candidacy earlier this month and his petition was also deemed sufficient.

The city called for a special election on Aug. 5 after Ward 2 Councilwoman Lisa Meyer announced that she would step down on May 16. Election packets can be picked up at the city clerk’s office and candidates have until June 3 to file, according to previous reporting.

A release from the city says that residents who wish to run for the seat must file a petition, which must include obtaining 50 signatures from registered voters in the Second Ward.

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Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia police are still searching for a man seen with 59-year-old George Showalter before he was killed at the Red Roof Inn in 1994.

George Showalter, date unknown

On April 17, 1994, Columbia Police responded to a call at the Red Roof Inn Motel near Interstate 70 and found Showalter facedown and naked on a bed in room 147. At the time, police said an autopsy by the Boone County Medical Examiner’s Office found Showalter was strangled to death.

Showalter’s wallet was missing from the room. Columbia Police Department Lt. Matt Gremore told ABC 17 News there were no defensive wounds on Showalter. Despite the missing wallet, police remain unsure of the motive.

“It’s hard to know the motive, if that’s a coincidence that the wallet is missing, I would say it’s probably not a coincidence, but I would be speculating on my part to know that,” Gremore said.

Gremore said “a bunch” of evidence was collected at the crime scene, but would not go into specifics about the items collected. But he did reveal information about new evidence being tested.

“We’ve had several cold cases that we’ve looked at to send new evidence off to private labs,” Gremore said. “This case is one of those cases that we’re looking into to see if we can get something to come from it.”

Thirty-one years after the crime, police are not only continuing to search for new leads from evidence testing, but they’re also continuing to search for the man last seen with Showalter.

“Based on talking with witnesses the day before on the 16th, police were able to get a rough sketch of the individual they believe that was with Showalter prior to his death,” Gremore said.

A sketch of the man seen with George Showalter on April 16, 1994. (Credit: Columbia Police Department)

Police gave this description of the man seen with Showalter before his death:

20 to 40 years old

Average build

Light brown, possibly graying hair

Brown-and-white checkered shirt

Possible vest

Police say the man was seen with Showalter at the Olde Un Theatre Adult Store on East Walnut Street around 4 to 6 p.m. Then, at around 9 p.m., the two were seen down the road at Boone Tavern next to the Boone County Courthouse in the outside deck area.

Police say they don’t have any suspects, but investigators would like to speak with the man last seen with Showalter. Police ask anyone who might know something to contact them.

“It’s hard to come forward with information, it’s not easy,” Gremore said. “I completely understand that. The problem exists that if you have killers that are in your community, the reason why they keep getting away with it is because nobody’s come forward.”

A ‘light-filled human being’

Friends and family of Showalter tell ABC 17 News that he was in town that weekend for a library conference.

“He enjoyed going to Columbia,” Kris Richards said. “He graduated from Mizzou, so he finally felt like he was going back to the stomping grounds.”

Richards is the manager of The Independent-Journal newspaper in Potosi, Missouri. He grew up in the family newspaper business and says he is the third generation to run The Independent-Journal. He says Showalter served as a mentor to him.

“I was actually in a laundry basket at the end of his desk whenever he was the editor at the newspaper,” Richards said.

Showalter was born in 1934 in Potosi — a small town with a few thousand people about an hour and 15 minutes south of St. Louis. In Potosi, he served as the president of the local historical society, worked as an administrator for the Potosi R-III School District and at The Independent-Journal.

“One of the things that I thought was amazing about him, he probably typed, you could say about 100 words a minute,” Richards said. “He could sit there and always had a cigar in his mouth because he smoked a cigar continuously. But he could sit there and talk to you, answer a question, carry on a conversation, and type up a story or headline for a picture and never miss a beat.”

Richards said Showalter had a passion for history and “connecting the dots.”

“I remember just how intelligent he was and how focused he was on doing his work,” Richards said. “His big thing was providing information. That’s what he did with the newspaper, and that’s what he did with the school to learn.”

Showalter’s cousin, Wendy Correa, recalls connecting with Showalter over their shared interest in family history.

George Showalter and his sister Marge Showalter on an unknown date (Credit: Wendy Correa)

“I connected with him at all of our family reunions because of our mutual love of history and genealogy and books and education and photography,” Correa said. “Especially on his research of our extensive family tree decades before the internet was invented.”

Correa said Showalter was one of the most engaging humans she has ever met.

“I think he was the most interesting person in our whole family,” Correa said. “He was named Volunteer of the Year in Potosi.”

Correa says when she graduated high school, Showalter and his sister Marge sent her an antique silver spoon on a silver necklace that was “incredibly thoughtful.”

Silver spoon graduation gift to Wendy Correa from her cousins Marge and George Showalter (Credit: Wendy Correa)

“He was a tremendous light-filled human being, and we need more George Showalters in the world,” Correa said.

Decades after his death, Showalter’s family is still grieving the loss. Correa recalled the shock and horror she felt when she found out he had been killed.

“Disbelief that something like that could happen to such a good human being,” Correa said. “It’s just haunted me for years that there was never any closure for the family.”

Showalter’s cousin is still holding out hope the case will be solved.

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Erika McGuire

NAACP lawsuitDownload

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri NAACP has sued Attorney General Andrew Bailey for failing to include the disparity index, a key racial profiling measure, in the state’s 2023 annual vehicle stops report.

The disparity index measures whether officers are stopping minority drivers at a higher rate than white drivers. It is published in the AG’s Vehicle Stops Report, required by law to be released each year.

In the 2023 Vehicle Stops Report, Bailey’s office stated: “Previous VSR reports have calculated a ‘Disparity Index’ for traffic stops by race and ethnicity for the state overall and for each agency. However, after close study, the research team has recommended removing the disparity index from the VSR as it is of limited analytical value.”

The report argues that the VSR already includes detailed data on traffic stops and population rates by subgroup, so the disparity index doesn’t offer any additional insight. It also states that the index isn’t reliable for comparing different agencies because of variations in local demographics and driving behaviors, and that it’s often misinterpreted.

On Nov. 13, 2024, the NAACP requested documentation under the Sunshine Law from Bailey on his decision to remove the disparity index. However, after weeks of back and forth, the lawsuit says that on Feb. 26, Bailey’s office said the documents would be ready in a week. They were never delivered.

Don Love, who has analyzed vehicle stop data for years says it is important to compare drivers of certain races but it needs to be done with a better metric.

“It would be better to have a comparison of rates, but the problem  is the law requires that but it doesn’t prevent another metric from being used which would be a comparison of rates,” Love said.

However, Love added the numbers don’t tell the full story, but they can flag a potential issue.

“You still have to look more closely what the officer knew and why he or she did it for instance there was something more important than the speed violation perhaps they knew something specially about that driver.” Love said. “It doesn’t prove anything, it doesn’t say officers are bias or whatever else because there could be lots of reasons for the disproportion to exist,”

Replacing the disparity index by using rates instead would be a better option Love said.

“You have to put something else in there that tell people at least at much as the disparity index does but does a better job at doing it because its easier to understand and theres less draw backs to that metric,” Love added

The NAACP also claims Bailey and the University of Missouri violated the Sunshine Law by not providing documents on why the disparity index data was left out of the report or if the index was calculated at all.

The lawsuit says a summary of statewide vehicle stops was provided to a team of researchers at the University of Missouri, and the NAACP reached out to the university for their findings and the reason it did not include the index.

After six months, the lawsuit claims the university provided 44,300 pages of documents. However, the lawsuit states the university said, “Please be advised that many of the records identified in response to your search criteria have been withheld.”

University of Missouri spokesperson Christopher Ave said in a statement Thursday that “we deny liability for the violation alleged in this case and plan to present our defenses in court.”

In the filing, the NAACP is asking the court to order Bailey to include the disparity index in future Vehicle Stops Reports and to release records requested last year related to the decision to remove the index

The vehicle stops report for 2024 was released on Thursday, showing higher stop rates for Black drivers than white drivers.

The 2023 vehicle stop report showed black drivers in Missouri were pulled over at a higher rate based on their percentage of the population in 2023, according to the report.

In 2023, Missouri law enforcement agencies that filed reports recorded 1,367,150 vehicle stops, resulting in 61,990 searches and 57,713 arrests. The overall number of stops represents a 7% increase from 2022, while the number of arrests increased by 17%. 

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