Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Shelter Insurance Concert in the Gardens series will return on Sunday after a several-year hiatus.

The Columbia Community Band will perform at 5-7 p.m. Sunday, May 18 at Shelter Gardens – 1817 West Broadway — in Columbia, a press release from Shelter Insurance says. The series ran for 43 years until it was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The release says attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and the concert is free to the public. A post on Shelter Insurance’s social media says smoking and drinking alcohol is not permitted.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Rhonda Allen-Lewis will be the next principal of Belair Elementary School in Jefferson City, according to a Thursday press release from the Jefferson City School District.

Allen-Lewis is currently an assistant principal at Lewis and Clark Middle School and will replace current Todd Shalz, who was recently named as the district’s new assistant superintendent of elementary education, the release says.

Pending school board approval, she will start her new role in July, the release says.

“I am passionate about building relationships with students, staff, and families, and about creating a positive and collaborative school environment,” Allen-Lewis said in the release. “I am eager to bring my dedication, leadership skills, and student-centered mindset to the role of principal, and I am so looking forward to getting to know and work alongside the Belair family.”

The release says she is a Jefferson City High School graduate and earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master of education degree in guidance and counseling from Lincoln University. She also earned a master’s degree in school administration at Grand Canyon University.

She started her educational career 23 years ago with JCSD, first as a third grade teacher at East Elementary before teaching second- and fourth grades at Thorpe Gordon Elementary, the release says. She was named the JC Schools Outstanding Educator in 2009 and the Teacher of the Year in 2017, according to the release.

She became the behavior interventionist at Thorpe Gordon in 2018 and eventually took on the assistant principal role in 2021, the release says.

The release says in 2022, Allen-Lewis was honored as a woman of achievement by Zonta of Jefferson City. She is also a member of the Lincoln University Alumni Council.

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Erika McGuire

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Dozens of abortion and Proposition-A advocates gathered at the Capitol on Thursday to protest the recent passage of two bills during the legislative session.

On Wednesday, the senate ended its session after republicans forced a vote to approve a ballot measure to send abortion rights back to the voters. It also passed a bill to repeal voter-approved sick leave.

More than 100 advocates were at the Capitol and rallied in support of both. Voters passed both measures in the November election. The newly proposed amendment on abortion rights would go back to voters on the ballot next year, or sooner if Gov. Mike Kehoe calls a special election.

“I have two children, one is non-binary and does not want children and should have that right. Even though they take precautions, things happen. My other child wants kids when she’s ready  and they should have the same rights I had. I terminated at 17 and have zero regrets,” said Denise Morgan-Irish, who is a volunteer with Abortion Action Missouri.

Theresa Miller also attended the rally in support of abortion rights. She said her support comes after her daughter faced a tough decision during her pregnancy.

“If her life was threatened in her pregnancy, they were going to choose her and not the baby. She had a 2-year-old at the time. That’s a choice and decision for another, not for a legislature or anybody else,” Miller said.

Tanya Hannahford, another volunteer with Abortion Action Missouri, said protecting abortion access is personal for her family.

“My daughter has Type-1 diabetes and a host of other health issues that could complicate her pregnancy, and I will choose my beautiful daughter over a clump of fetal tissue every time,” Hannahford said.

Proposition-A went into effect on May 1 this year and was repealed 14 days later.

Advocates at the rally said repeating the measure strips away basic protections for working families living pay check to pay check and lawmakers are ignoring the will of the people.

Rep. Marty Joe Murray (D- St. Louis) spoke at Thursday’s rally. He said voters showed up and proved what they wanted.

“You all changed the law. They disrespected us yesterday, no doubt. But, we’re going to let them know Prop A can turn into Amendment 1 real quick, you hear me? So you wanna change the statutes, well we’ll change the Constitution and we’ll do it every single time,” Murray said.

Fran Morion with Missouri Workers Center has worked in the fast food industry for more than 20 years. She said paid sick leave impacts her ability to take care of herself.

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Madison Stuerman

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Residents in Jefferson City will have to wait one extra day to visit the public outdoor pools this year.

JC Parks said on Wednesday that the outdoor aquatic facilities will open on Sunday, May 25, instead of the original date of May 24.

The adjustment is to allow last-minute adjustments at the centers after recent repairs, along with training for its staff.

“This decision allows us to provide essential, in-water training and final certifications for our seasonalaquatic staff,” Ashley Wiskirchen said in a news release.

The updated timeline allows crews to finish repairs and repainting at the main pool basin.

A company was contracted to restore cracks and chips in the concrete, sandblast, pressure wash and repaint the basin.

The JC Parks staff also spent time repainting the catch pool and splash pad areas in-house.

The release states JC Parks leaders are evaluating a transition to open on Memorial Day in 2026.

Jefferson City has two public outdoor pools, the Memorial Park Family Aquatic Center and Ellis-Porter Riverside Pool.

JC Parks staff told ABC 17 News they are fully staffed for the summer.

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Matthew Sanders

Missouri’s Republican legislative leaders took extraordinary steps to repeal sick leave requirements approved by voters in November.

The chamber’s GOP majority invoked a “previous question” motion to shut down debate and force a vote on the bill that would make changes to Proposition A, which more than 57% of voters approved in November.

The bill approved Wednesday would repeal the paid sick leave requirements and tamp down minimum wage increases. Businesses back the bill, saying the sick leave provisions of Proposition A created a regulatory nightmare.

The governor must sign the sick leave repeal.

Republicans also used the previous question to shut down debate on a ballot question to appeal Amendment 3. The amendment, which enshrines abortion rights in the state constitution, passed with a smaller share of the vote — 51.6%.

Do you agree with the move to repeal sick leave requirements? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Juvenile Justice Center currently houses 19 youth, although the facility holds 45 beds.

Justice Center Superintendent Tara Eppy said she thinks there’s discussions every few years about whether detention is intended to be correctional, restorative or rehabilitative.

She said she thinks it’s a mix of them all.

“I think first and foremost it’s for safety and security. Detention is supposed to be used for safety and security of the community,” Eppy said. “Once a kid gets here though, it’s really about trying to find out what gaps are going on and trying to bridge those gaps so that there’s not that higher level of recidivism.”

Eppy said Boone County has many resources throughout the county that work toward prevention and rehabilitation. The center works with providers that come into the facility and evaluate the youths before they are released into the community.

One of those providers is Destiny of H.O.P.E, a nonprofit organization in Columbia that works closely with youth.

Lonnie Lockhart Bey said he and Julian Jackman — who he also works at the nonprofit — are considered to be continuum navigators that work with youth connected with the justice program. He said the organization works to give children resources they need to break the cycle of making poor decisions.

That work can include anything from talking to children or visiting their homes.

He said he thinks much of the youth violence and crime is due to poverty and children not knowing how to process the pain or trauma they’ve experienced. That’s something they work closely with children to fix and eliminate.

Lockhart Bey said he has a special connection toward wanting to help these children because he was once them.

“I was the child without resources. I was the child that people had given up on,” Lockhart Bey said. “Ultimately, I fed into the narrative. I became what they told me I was and I know that with young children if you’re not careful, you create the monster you don’t want to see.”

Destiny of H.O.P.E offers an active learners day program for children who have been expelled from Columbia Public Schools. The program allows them to still learn and finishes classes even after expulsion.

Cornell Harris has been enrolled in the program since January. He says the program has helped turned his life around.

Harris said he ran into problems at school after skipping class and failing to complete school work. Months later, he said he’s now completed two of his classes and has A’s and B’s in the two. Harris said he thinks it’s a program students in similar situations should consider.

“It’s really going to help. I really feel like we could really make the world a better place,” Harris said.

Destiny of H.O.P.E is also offering several summer programs and other opportunities for youth. More information can be found on its website.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boil water advisories were issued throughout the day on Wednesday for several areas within Columbia Water and Light’s coverage area.

The City of Columbia’s outage map showed 131 customers under boil advisories around 9 p.m.

Utilities spokesman Matt Nestor wrote in an email that two of the advisories were planned outages and one “was a service repair that ended up not being able to be fixed without shutting down the water main.”

Two advisories were issued for areas near East Leslie Lane – one at George Court and another at North Providence Road — in northern Columbia at 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. Spokesman Jason West indicated in an email that those outages were planned.

An area of Smiley Lane – including Derby Ridge Elementary — was put under an advisory at 3 pm. because of a water main break, according to Nestor.

Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark wrote in an email that families have been informed and the city has provided the school with bottled water for staff and students to use during the advisory.

An advisory was also issued at 2:30 a.m. for a portion of College Avenue between Windsor Street and Paris Road. An area of west Columbia – Stallworth Court and Reedsport Ridge – had an advisory issued at 9 a.m.

A neighborhood on East Dawn Drive – north of Interstate 70 – had an advisory issued at 5:30 p.m., but the map states it is expected to expire at midnight. Nestor wrote that occurred after a “contractor hit.”

An outage on Westwind Drive – just north of Stadium Boulevard – was put under an advisory on Monday.

By Thursday afternoon, the total number of customers impacted was reduced to 51 and just three advisories were left on the outage map — East Leslie Lane, Derby Ridge Elementary and Dawn Drive.

A screenshot of the City of Columbia’s outage map around 9 .m. Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three men were charged on Tuesday after they allegedly stole a fire hydrant and other parts in Jonesburg.

Kristopher Sumner, of Jonesburg, and Albert Meidel, of Moscow Mills, were charged with felony stealing and are being held on $5,000 bonds. Jonathan Nash, of Perry, was charged with felony stealing and driving while revoked and is being held on a $1,500 bond. Court dates have not been set for the men.

The probable cause statement says Montgomery County deputies were called to the back of the Jonesburg Fire Department at 8 p.m. Monday. Court documents say the men stole a 6-inch fire hydrant, a 5-foot burry with 6-inch ductile pipe, a 6-inch hydrant stem and shoe, a scrap manhole frame, a useable manhole frame and “miscellaneous steel.” The items totaled more than $1,000.

“Defendants used a come-along to pull the long pipe to a fire hydrant and into the back of the white Ford truck. The manhole items are also heavy and require multiple people to lift,” court documents say.

A witness saw all three men “loading things” into a white Ford truck, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Dixon Elementary School in Pulaski County will not be in session again on Thursday as the school district is still dealing with storm damage.

The Dixon R-1 School District announced on its social media that class would not be in session again for elementary students. The middle and high schools will be in session.

A statement shared with families says that the elementary school sustained “significant damage” from storms on Monday evening.

“The high winds caused heavy damage to the roof and walls in the 4th and 5th Grade hallway, and several classrooms in that wing sustained significant damage to their ceilings. Given the extent of the damage, our insurance provider is completing a thorough review of the facility to ensure the building is safe before we return to in-person learning on this campus,” the letter says.

Another letter on Wednesday says the building tested negative for all environmental contaminants.

“This result means we are beginning clean-up and mobilization of impacted classrooms with all haste. We know the closure of this building is an inconvenience to our school community, but our staff is working diligently to prepare the building for a return to in-person learning,” the letter states.

The middle and high schools were not damaged.

Storm damage statementDownload

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia police officers on Wednesday arrested two juveniles allegedly connected with an armed robbery at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

A press release from the Columbia Police Department says someone was robbed at gunpoint near the intersection of Jack Estes Way and North William Street. The intersection is south of Lions-Stephens Park.

Police wrote in an earlier press release that a youth was arrested on Wednesday, and announced in a second press release that a second juvenile was taken into custody around 8:50 p.m.

Police wrote the youths were arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.

The names and ages of the juveniles were not provided.

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