Category: kmiz-local-news

Matthew Sanders

The Missouri House on Thursday passed a bill that, if approved by the Senate, would allow state officials to increase speed limits on some rural highways.

The legislation would allow the Missouri Department of Transportation to increase the speed limit from 70 mph to 75 mph on some stretches of divided highways in rural Missouri. Critics say the change would make Missouri highways less safe for drivers, first responders and transportation workers.

The Senate had already approved the bill, but the House added to it, meaning it will have to pass the upper chamber before the session ends to hit the governor’s desk.

Would you like to see a higher speed limit on rural divided highways? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Jessica Hafner

The National Weather Service in Kansas City has confirmed two more tornadoes touched down on Monday morning in Randolph County.

A survey team was out earlier this week and found a 36 mile long path of damage after an EF-2 tornado touched down in Saline County and traveled through the southern tip of Chariton and into Howard County before lifting.

In nearby Chariton and Randolph counties, two more tornadoes were found to have caused damage on Monday morning, shortly after the longer track twister.

An EF-1 tornado touched down in eastern Chariton County near Rascal Flats Road 5 miles south of Salisbury at 7:11 a.m., damaging trees, outbuildings, and power poles. Two of those outbuildings were found to be collapsed.

Tornado damage in Chariton Co. via NWS Kansas City

Tornado damage in Chariton Co. courtesy of NWS Kansas City

As the tornado crossed Route 129, it caused damage to two homes, outbuildings, and trees. Substantial tree damage was found north of Yates between Moberly and Renick. A roof was lifted from a home on County Road 248 with trees downed in the area. Several areas of straight line winds were observed along the tornado path, as well.

The tornado packed winds of up to 105 mph along its 24.5 mile path, and lifted 4 miles northeast of Renick at 7:36 a.m.

Another tornado touched down 3 miles northeast of Higbee at 7:29 a.m. and traveled about 8.6 miles to 5 miles northeast of Clark in Randolph County before lifting at 7:37 a.m.

The tornado was rated EF-0 with winds of up to 80 mph. Meteorologists found tree damage and some roof damage to an outbuilding near Renick, and severe tree damage near Highway 63.

A total of four tornadoes were confirmed from Monday morning’s round of severe storms in Mid-Missouri.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council on Monday will introduce a bill aiming to delay any application for data centers within the city.

City documents say the city is looking to delay “the acceptance or processing” of data center applications for a full year.

Documents note the council passed an ordinance at its previous meeting that created a new zoning definition.

“During the discussion of the proposed text amendments, staff reported that in addition to the current proposed amendments to define and make data center a conditional use, staff was also continuing work on evaluating the need for appropriate use-specific standards for data center uses,” city documents say.

The building and inclusion of data centers have been highly contested around the country, including Mid-Missouri.

Amazon has sought to build a data center in Montgomery County and saw intense pushback from its residents at several public meetings, which culminated in a lawsuit to attempt to block it from happening. Critics of data centers typically point to excess water usage and increased use of electricity.

The planning and zoning commission had recommended a definition of a data center to the council earlier this year.

Data center delay memoDownload

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Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri has received criticism of job postings for which it wants to hire foreign professionals.

The university has eight job postings on the website of its International Student and Scholar Services program. The postings included Labor Condition Applications “in support of an H-1B status petition” as required by Department of Labor regulations.

According to the Department of Labor’s website, employers use the H-1B program hire nonimmigrant foreign professionals “as workers in specialty occupations,” among other reasons.

On Thursday, state Sen. Rick Brattin (R-Cass County) posted on X calling the job postings “outrageous.”

“Public universities getting American tax dollars should hire qualified Americans, not shop around for H1B visa workers,” Brattin wrote in his post.

This is OUTRAGEOUS! Public universities getting American tax dollars should hire qualified Americans, not shop around for H1B visa workers.Mizzou posting a comms job for foreign applicants is just wrong. Fire the H1B Advisor (if hired) and hire Missouri talent. America First… https://t.co/Go6vdQtIm0

— Rick Brattin (@RickBrattin) April 30, 2026

Jesus Osete, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General with the Department of Justice, also reacted to the posting on social media, saying, “We want to hear from you.” Osete previously worked in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office as deputy attorney general and deputy solicitor general.

We want to hear from you. https://t.co/Ie07uxaRUO https://t.co/tTwfsFsyI6

— Jesus A. Osete (@JesusOseteDOJ) April 30, 2026

MU spokesperson Christopher Ave told ABC 17 News the university is reviewing the matter.

“The university attempts to hire U.S. citizens and permanent residents through competitive recruiting processes. On occasion, the university hires highly qualified individuals that require an H-1B visa,” Ave said. “The university follows the federal rules and regulations in petitioning for these visas, including making the required postings. On the rare occasions that we request these visas, they are for highly specialized positions for which a doctorate or master’s degree is required. For these positions, we exhaust our efforts to hire a qualified U.S. individual. After we file the petition, the federal government will determine if the application is accepted.”

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Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man accused in the January 2026 stabbing death of his wife in Jefferson City was deemed “incompetent to proceed,” according to a court filing Thursday.

Malang Akbari faces charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action and endangering the welfare of a child after he allegedly stabbed his wife to death.

In February, Judge Joseph Shetler ordered a mental evaluation for Akbari. The suspect claimed in January said he had a mental defect when he pleaded not guilty.

A case review has been scheduled for May 12.

According to court documents, Akbari told police he suspected his wife had been cheating on him. An AMBER alert was issued for their two children after the stabbing, but was canceled after the children were found safe.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Someone jumped from the parking garage in downtown Columbia at Fifth and Walnut streets, according to a Columbia Police Department spokesman.

Police are investigating an apparent suicide after one person was found dead, according to CPD spokesman Colin Imhoff.

ABC 17 News typically does not report on suicides; but it will here due to the public nature of the death and repeated pattern, with several people having jumped to their deaths at the garage in past years.

Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll said she is saddened to hear that someone has once again taken their own life at this parking garage. Carroll added that she plans to reach out to the city manager to determine how additional safety precautions can be implemented at the facility.

The top level of the garage had been closed for two years beginning in 2021 as the city worked to put barriers on that level after calls to do so from community members, according to previous reporting.

The $911,000 project was finished in March 2023, which included a 10.5-feet-tall fencing added around the top floor and panels being installed on the fifth through eighth floors.

The city has closed the top floor of the garage for large events like the University of Missouri’s homecoming the past two years.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who is stationed at a military base in Alaska was charged on Wednesday with three child sex crimes in Osage County.

Hayden Wade, of Fort Richardson, Alaska, is charged with statutory sodomy of a person younger than 14 years old, first-degree child molestation and statutory sodomy of a person younger than 12 years old.

Wade is described in court documents as a family member of the victim and is accused of sexually abusing them for years, with some occurring in Missouri as far back as 2020. The statement says a number of assaults also occurred in Illinois.

The victim and a parent went to report the sexual assaults on Aug. 18, 2025, according to court documents. An interview was conducted at the Children’s Advocacy Center on Sept. 4, 2025.

The parent allegedly had an audio recording where Wade admitted to sexually abusing the victim in Illinois, but he allegedly denied the assaults in Missouri, court documents allege.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was charged in Morgan County with several child sex crimes.

Joshua White, 19, of Gravois Mills, was charged on Wednesday with two counts of statutory sodomy of a person younger than 14 years old and two counts of third-degree child molestation. He is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $100,000 bond. A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday.

The probable cause statement says law enforcement learned on Tuesday about a possible inappropriate “relationship” occurring with White and a minor. White was staying with the youth’s family and the mother allegedly told law enforcement she didn’t “feel they were substantiated,” court documents say.

White and the youth both denied the allegations. Law enforcement viewed the victim’s phone, which allegedly had a “sexual” conversation between the two, the statement says. The youth ran off, but was found by law enforcement. She eventually told officers about the “relationship,” court documents say.

White denied the allegations again before admitting to them to deputies, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

Verified Petition for Damages and Injunctive ReliefDownload

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Missouri marijuana dispensary chain with multiple Mid-Missouri stores denied Thursday the claims made of anti-competitive business practices made in a lawsuit filed by two cannabis wholesalers.

CPC of Missouri-Smithville, LLC and GF Saint Mary LLC filed the lawsuit against Good Day Farm and its associated stores. The company’s branded stores in Columbia and Boonville, along with a Jefferson City company, are included in the lawsuit.

Good Day Farm, which the lawsuit describes as a “vertically integrated cannabis company” headquartered in Arkansas, through a spokesperson, called the lawsuit’s claims of “extract[ing] illegal profits by restraining competition” meritless.

“Our company operates in full compliance with all applicable Missouri state laws and regulations, and we will vigorously defend that record,” the spokesperson said.

The lawsuit calls the company and its business partners the “GDF Cartel,” made up of independent dispensaries managed by Good Day Farm, and affiliated wholesalers.

“All competitors in the GDF Cartel operate according to the commercial decisions of their ringleader, Good Day Farm,” CPC of Missouri-Smithville and GF Saint Mary claim in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims the “cartel” consists of 61 dispensaries under at least five brand names: CODES, Good Day Farm, Greenlight, Fresh Karma and 3Fifteen Primo. Store owners pay Good Day Farm to operate and manage their dispensaries, the lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs are asking for damages and to force Good Day Farm to stop its alleged anti-competitive actions.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Ward 4 City Councilman Nick Foster announced on Thursday that he will resign from his position this summer.

Foster – who was reelected to his position during the spring 2025 election – announced on his social media that his last day will by June 12. He was first elected to the council in 2022.

“Our family has big news. We are moving to Atlanta, Georgia for my wife to become dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Georgia State University,” the post says. “If you know of someone who might be interested in running for the Fourth Ward seat, please know that I am happy to talk to anyone about that.”

Foster’s term was set to end in April 2028.

A resolution will come before the Columbia City Council on Monday for a special election to replace Foster that would coincide with the August 2026 primary. However, the date is ultimately up to the council, city attorney Nancy Thompson wrote in response to emailed questions from ABC 17 News.

If the council adopts a resolution for an August special election, nominating packets could be ready for prospective candidates to pick up next week, according to documents prepared for the council.

“It will be sad not to have his voice and heart on council,” Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe told ABC 17 News in a text message. “I wish him and his family all the best on their move to Atlanta.”

Foster’s wife, Candace Kuby, will start her new job on Aug. 1, according to a Georgia State University news release. Currently, she is the associate provost for faculty affairs at the University of Missouri.

Check back for updates.

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