Category: kmiz-local-news

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Officials at Fort Leonard Wood on Monday released the name of a soldier who died last week on a rifle training range.

Private Andrey Okunev, 18, was a National Guard soldier from California, the fort posted on its Facebook page. Fort Leonard Wood police and Army investigators are continuing their probe of Okunev’s death, which took place Friday morning, the post says.

Officials have not said how Okunev died.

The fort is making chaplains, grief counselors and medical professionals available for soldiers who need them.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri’s new attorney general was sworn in behind closed doors Monday as her predecessor leaves for a new job in Washington, D.C.

Catherine Hanaway was sworn in Monday morning during a private ceremony at the Missouri Supreme Court, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office says in a news release. Gov. Mike Kehoe appointed Hanaway to fill the rest of Andrew Bailey’s term. Bailey is taking a job as co-deputy director of the FBI.

Hanaway was a Republican House Speaker from 2003-05, the only woman to hold the post. During her time in the Missouri House, Hanaway was one of the main sponsors of a 2003 concealed carry bill. The bill was initially vetoed by then-Governor Bob Holden and later overruled by the General Assembly.

She has also been a federal prosecutor.

Hanaway was also lead counsel for the Grain Belt project while she worked at law firm Husch Blackwell. Many Missouri conservatives oppose the project, which would build a wind energy line across the state.

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Gabrielle Teiner

EDITOR’S NOTE: The number of fire victims has been corrected.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department has confirmed the death of a man in a house fire in north Columbia early Monday morning.

A second adult was hospitalized in serious condition.

Capt. Wayne Cummins, of the Columbia Fire Department, said firefighters were called to 4706 Derby Ridge Dr. at 1:42 a.m. for reports of a house fire. Crews arrived on scene eight minutes later and found heavy flames coming from the front of the home.

Cummins said firefighters battled the blaze from the back of the home and went through two windows, where they found the victims inside. One victim died at the scene. Another was taken to University Hospital in critical condition, according to Lt. Anthony Bowne with the Columbia Police Department.

According to a press release from the CFD. CPR was performed on both victims as well as a CYANOKIT to help with possible smoke inhalation.

The first victim was pronounced dead on the scene. Two cats were also found dead at the scene.

The fire was out just after 2 a.m. No firefighters were injured. Two cats were killed in the fire.

An ABC 17 News crew on scene saw eight firetrucks, three ambulances, a fire marshal, and multiple CPD officers.

CFD’s release reports around 14 units and 28 personnel on scene. The fire was put out within 30 minutes.

Several neighbors told an ABC 17 News reporter that scenes that large were uncommon for the area. Neighbors also reported seeing fire shooting out of the roof of the home. One woman who lived next door added that she was woken up to a knock on her door after someone driving through the area saw the fire and woke her up to warn her.

Crews cleared the area just after 7 a.m.

Columbia fire marshals are still investigating the cause of the fire.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County judge ordered the county clerk to remove a bond question for the Boone County Fire Protection District from the Nov. 4 ballot.

BCFD had filed a petition on Monday asking the clerk to remove the question after it “decided it was no longer necessary to hold a special election,” court documents say. Judge Joshua Devine ruled in favor of BCFD on Monday.

BCFD previously filed a ballot question on Aug. 26 to issue $6 million in bonds to buy property, renovate fire stations and acquire new vehicles and other equipment, according to the ballot language.  

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 14-year-old boy had non-life-threatening injuries after he was shot Saturday afternoon in the 10000 block of I-70 Drive Northeast, according to a Monday afternoon email from Boone County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Brian Leer.

Leer wrote deputies were called to a report of shots being fired around 3 p.m. that day. The youth was able to give law enforcement a description of the vehicle used and claimed one or more people shot at him, Leer wrote.

Deputies found “several” youths supposedly involved and determined they were meeting to sell drugs when shots were fired, Leer wrote.

One youth was arrested on suspicion of unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action; while another was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action, Leer wrote.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Missouri lottery player who won half of the $1.787 billion jackpot over the weekend bought their ticket at a QuikTrip in the St. Louis area, according to a Monday press release.

The Powerball ticket was bought at the QuikTrip at 12110 Lusher Road in St. Louis, the release says. A second winning ticket was purchased by someone in Texas.

“It was a record setting night for the Missouri Lottery, with the $893.5 million prize ranking as the highest jackpot prize won in Missouri to date,” Missouri Lottery Executive Director Lester Elder said in the release. “It exceeds the previous record of $293.7 million from a Powerball drawing held in November 2012.”

The winner has 180 days to claim their prize and can choose to receive it among one-of-two options, the release says. They can take one lump-sum of $410.3 million or the full $893.5 million in 30 annuity payments, the release says. Both options are before taxes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A now-former Miller County deputy has been charged with five counts of first-degree child molestation.

Kyle Carroll was arrested on Saturday in Cooper County and was brought to the Eldon Police Department, according to a probable cause statement filed on Monday. Court documents say he is being held at the Osage County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says troopers were called to a residence on Friday evening for a report of a sexual assault on a minor. Law enforcement was allegedly told Carroll molested the victim in April or May, court documents say.

Carroll allegedly admitted to having sexual encounters with the youth on several occasions, the statement says.

Previous reporting indicates Carroll was suspended once the allegations were made.

“These allegations are deeply troubling. We take them with the utmost seriousness. No one is above the law, and our responsibility is first and foremost to protect the safety and well-being of the community, especially its most vulnerable members,” a Saturday night press release from Miller County Sheriff Louie Gregoire says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boonville man has been charged with two felonies after he was allegedly found with child pornography.

Lance Larkin, 35, was charged with first-degree promoting child pornography and child porn possession. He is being held at the Cooper County Jail without bond. An arraignment is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The probable cause statement says the Missouri State Highway Patrol was conducting an online investigation on Aug. 2 and found an IP address associated with a file of child porn that was shared. The IP address was associated with Larkin’s home address, which was investigated on Friday.

Thousands of files of child porn were found on his computer, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman whose blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit to drive was charged after she allegedly hit multiple cyclists Sunday morning at Binder Park in Jefferson City, court documents say.

Tatum Townsend, 25, of Fulton, was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, second-degree assault, misdemeanor fourth-degree assault, two counts of first-degree property damage, one count of leaving the scene of an accident and armed criminal action.

She is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. An arraignment was held on Monday, where she pleaded not guilty. A counsel status hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday.

She allegedly hit two cyclists on Sunday before a race at the park and broke two bicycles after hitting them with her SUV, the probable cause statement says. One of the victims was brought to an area hospital with a swollen and possibly broken ankle, the statement says. That victim claimed Townsend straightened out her vehicle and accelerated directly at a number of cyclists, court documents say.

Townsend is accused of causing roughly $14,400 in damage, according to court documents. She was arrested in the 4400 block of Rainbow Drive.

Townsend had pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2024, to misdemeanor DWI and was sentenced to two years of probation.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

House Republicans signaled Monday that they’re willing to set a higher bar for measures to make the statewide ballot in Missouri and to redraw the state’s congressional map.

The House voted 96-55 on a bill to reform the state’s initiative petition process, by which citizens can get questions onto the ballot. Hours later, the House approved the new congressional map, 89-63. A final vote could take place on Tuesday.

The vote on initiative petition reform followed more than an hour of debate during which Democrats argued the new bar for passage — approval from a majority of voters statewide and in each of the state’s eight congressional districts — is unreasonably high.

The bill includes an amendment sponsored by Rep. Ed Lewis (R-Moberly) that bars foreign spending on initiative petition elections.

The bill would put a question on the November ballot to reform the initiative petition process.

Lawmakers moved on after the vote to debate a new congressional map.

Debate over redistricting

The battle over redistricting also erupted in the Missouri House on Thursday as lawmakers debated for hours over a new congressional map that would likely give Republicans a 7-1 advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The proposed “Missouri First” map, backed by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, would split Kansas City’s Fifth District, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, into three districts. Republicans say the new lines better reflect the state’s values, while Democrats argue the plan would dilute minority voting power.

“There is nothing that has happened that would justify doing this other than the desire for pure undistilled power,” Cleaver said. “The city is now going to have three different members of Congress representing it, and that just dilutes the voters, particularly on the West side, where we have primarily a Hispanic community, and on the east side, the Black community.”

Republicans defended the map during the heated debate on the House Floor. Questions arose over who drew the map. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Drik Deaton (R-McDonald), said the map came directly from the governor’s office.

“Constituents have said it loud and clear that they fear for their children’s future because of insane policies of the left, and that is the real reason we’re here,” said Rep. Justin Sparks, a Republican from St. Louis County.

Rep. John Martin (R-Boone County), said he supports the former president’s political agenda and believes the new map will be beneficial for the state.

“I support Donald Trump. I support his America First agenda. I believe what he’s trying to do is improving every aspect of American lives,” Martin said. “I think it’s very important practically to give as many Missourians the opportunity to put a Missouri first and America first type of agenda in place, because I think these are the type of principles that actually will improve our state.”

However, Democrats argued that the new map is designed solely to protect President Donald Trump.

“If he loses the House, that’s where inspections and where they investigate crimes. Unconstitutional crimes. And this bill, or redistricting, is designed to protect himself,” Rep. Adrian Plank (D-Boone County) said.

Other Democrats feared taking political power away from Black communities in Kansas City.

“A thousand years from now, people are going to look back at this moment,” Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Boone County) said. “Now is the time our republic is at stake, our democracy is at stake and I call my colleagues to do the right thing. This is wrong and it’s immoral.”

The measure is expected to pass the Republican-led chamber. A final House vote, along with a separate measure to reform the state’s initiative petition process, is expected Tuesday before both bills head to the Senate.

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