SportsZone Football Friday highlights and scores: Week 1
ABC 17 News Team
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri high school football kicked off Week 1 of the 2025 season on Friday.
Scores from Mid-Missouri teams are posted below.
Government offices closed for Labor Day
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
City, County and State offices will be closed in observance of Labor Day.
Several city services will be impacted by the holiday in Columbia.
Residential curbside trash and recycling will not be picked up on Monday. It will be delayed by one day for the rest of the week.
Go COMO will not operate; this includes the MU Tiger Line shuttle.
The Activity & Recreation Center will be open on reduced hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center will be open from noon to 5 p.m.
Jefferson City will also have its offices closed. Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday.
County courthouses will be closed for the holiday.
Both City Council meetings for Columbia and Jefferson City are moved to Tuesday night after Labor Day.
Columbia warns residents about fraudulent email scam
Euphenie Andre
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The City of Columbia is alerting residents to a new email scam targeting people with short-term rentals or those applying for short-term rental permits.
Scammers have been impersonating Clinton Smith, the city’s incoming Community Development Director.
Smith, who officially begins his new role on September 29, has more than 17 years of experience in community development, most recently serving as the Director of Planning and Protective Services for Jefferson City since 2023.
The fraudulent emails are being sent from “planning.co-mo@usa.com”, which is not an official city address. Columbia officials emphasize that all legitimate city emails will always end in @CoMo.gov.
In the scam, recipients are asked to send payments to the fake email address.
Columbia resident Abby Shaffer said she takes a cautious approach when messages seem suspicious.
“I tend not to freak out. I check to make sure it’s a true source, and then I usually delete and report the message,” Shaffer said.
She added that poor wording and unusual phrasing are often red flags.
“Usually, I can tell if there’s wonky wording or if something doesn’t make sense. And I also never click on a link if it’s in a text,” she said.
City officials urge anyone who receives a suspicious email to avoid sending payment and to contact the city directly if there are questions about an invoice.
Residents can call the city at 573-874-CITY (2489) for verification.
Columbia teen charged with murder to be moved to adult facility
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Boone County judge has granted a motion to move a teenager charged with murder from the Juvenile Center to the Boone County Jail.
In a hearing on Friday, the juvenile officer argued for Kavon Williams, 16, to be moved to the facility after several incidents.
In December, the judge denied the same request but said that if Williams’ behavior could change, his decision if brought back up by the state.
The juvenile office cited eight incidents between May 7 and July 14, including having contraband, having inappropriate conversations and arguments with other juveniles and a fight in one of the classrooms resulting in a teacher getting hurt.
“Mr. Williams is currently being housed with younger juveniles, and his continued threatening, disruptive and aggressive behaviors have placed the safety of staff and juvenile residents in the facility at risk,” counsel for the juvenile office said in the motion.
Williams was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery in September after he allegedly killed a man from Macon County in February 2024.
Two arrested after drugs found in Jefferson City apartment
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Two people were taken into custody on Thursday after a drug search warrant at a Jefferson City home.
Aaron Mosley, 33, and Christopher Knox, 38, were taken into custody and charged with second-degree drug trafficking.
Court documents state the search warrant was done at an apartment on Elm Street.
Police reported finding a bag containing three smaller bags, each with methamphetamine.
Documents state the total weight for the three bags was around 88 grams. Police said the bag had mail addressed to Mosley and Knox.
A scale with drug residue was also found in the bedroom, according to officers.
Police said Mosley was in the bedroom during the search warrant. He allegedly had four white pills, later identified as Oxycodone.
Knox’s wallet was allegedly found in another bedroom of the apartment.
When Knox was arrested, police said a loaded handgun was found on his person.
Documents state Mosley is currently on probation for past drug charges.
Online records show Knox in the Cole County Jail. Mosley was not listed in custody at the facility.
Man accused of trying to hit victim with pickup truck
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia man is accused of trying to hit a woman with his truck.
Jesse Jones, 37, was charged with first-degree domestic assault, first-degree property damage, armed criminal action and a misdemeanor charge of violating a protection order.
Court documents state officers were dispatched to the Super 8 hotel in Columbia on Aug. 14 at 10:18 p.m.
Police said the victim said Jones had asked them to mess around in the truck, but got mad when told no. Jones then allegedly threatened to hit the victim with his pickup truck.
Documents state video footage shows Jones reversing out of a parking spot and pointing the truck at the victim. Jones allegedly backed the victim up against another truck. Police reported seeing damage to the front of the second truck on the passenger side that appeared to stop Jones from hitting the victim.
Police said the victim said Jones had threatened to kill them in the past.
Jones has a criminal history, according to documents. He also violated a protection order against the victim.
He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been set.
Flags to fly at half-staff in honor of Missouri lawmaker
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Gov. Mike Kehoe has ordered United States and Missouri flags to fly at half-staff in honor of a State Representative who died on Sunday.
Flags will be lowered at government buildings in Missouri on Saturday from sunrise to sunset.
State Rep. Kenneth “Ken” Waller, 63, died on Sunday after suffering from a medical emergency.
Waller represented District 114, which includes part of Jefferson County. He served as the Chairman of the Pensions Committee and was the Vice-Chairman of the Elections Committee.
“Representative Waller was a man of faith, family, and integrity, and his public service reflected those values,” Kehoe said in a statement.
Paris High School student taken into custody for bringing knife to school
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Paris High School student was taken into custody after attempting to assault another student on Friday.
Paris R-II School District Superintendent said in a letter to families that a student brought a pocket knife to school.
“While only minimal physical injury occurred during the altercation, the knife did make contact with the victim,” the letter states.
The student with the knife was taken into custody by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The district and the sheriff’s office were investigating the incident.
The victim was reported to be safe and with family.
Kehoe calls special session on redistricting after White House lobbying
Alison Patton
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Gov. Mike Kehoe said Friday that he will call a special session on redistricting and initiative petition reform.
“Today, I am calling on the General Assembly to take action on congressional redistricting and initiative petition reform to ensure our districts and Constitution truly put Missouri values first,” Kehoe said in a news release. “This is about clarity for voters and ownership of our future, and I hope the legislature will work together to pass our Missouri First Map and critically needed IP reform.”
Democrats had anticipated Friday’s action and had a response ready.
“Trump puppet Mike Kehoe’s calling of a special session to steal a congressional seat for Republicans and gut Missourians’ constitutional right to enact laws through the initiative process marks the worst threat to the integrity of our state government since pro-slavery lawmakers voted for Missouri to join the Confederacy in 1861,” House Minority Leader Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City), said in a news release. “Missourians will not tolerate acts of electoral sabotage from their leaders nor silently allow Republicans to seize more power.”
The special session would start next week, one week before the annual veto session, which set for Sept. 10.
Kehoe’s news release on Friday called the map his office will present the “Missouri First” map. The map would still split Boone County, like the current map. But the new one would also split Jackson County — home to Kansas City.
Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) said in an interview with ABC 17 News Friday afternoon the move to redistrict is outrageous.
“Well this whole thing is illegal, its disgusting and its shameful that this is happening,” Smith said.
Splitting Jackson County would fundamentally alter the Fifth Congressional District, one of two represented by Democrats in Missouri. Emanuel Cleaver, who holds that seat now, said in a statement that “truth is under assault.”
“President Trump’s unprecedented directive to redraw our maps in the middle of the decade and without an updated census is not an act of democracy – it is an unconstitutional attack against it,” Cleaver said. “This attempt to gerrymander Missouri will not simply change district lines, it will silence voices. It will deny representation. It will tell the people of Missouri that their lawmakers no longer wish to earn their vote, that elections are predetermined by the power brokers in Washington, and that politicians – not the people – will decide the outcome.”
Missouri is caught in a national push to get more Republican seats in the House of Representatives to boost their narrow majority. Missouri Republicans want to split up the Kansas City congressional district, a mostly blue district, which would give the GOP another seat.
“Democrats represent about 40% of voters in Missouri,” Smith said. “That’s millions of people and to say, we should have three seats mathematical and to say we’re only going to have one seat is not right it doesn’t make sense and to have two black congressional leaders and take away one of them is not right,”
President Donald Trump praised Kehoe on Truth Social for calling for a special session.
“GREAT Governor Mike Kehoe, of the Wonderful State of Missouri, which I love and won SIX times, including with 1.8 Million Votes in 2024 (by far the most Votes in History!), just called a very Special Session to begin passage of a new, much fairer, and much improved, Congressional Map, that will give the incredible people of Missouri the tremendous opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections — A HUGE VICTORY for our America First Agenda, not just in the “Show-Me State,” but across our Nation.” The president said.
A screen capture of the map Gov. Mike Kehoe’s administration wants legislators to vote on.
Smith said republicans are being too silent, when they should be speaking up and fighting back against Trump.
“Where are the John McCane’s out there, John McCane would have stood up to his own party and said no but everyone is so afraid of Donald Trump they are allowing him to continue with this illegal action this is outrageous and it needs to be stopped,” Smith added.
The special session will also take up initiative petition reform, which would set stricter standards for statewide ballot issues — a Republican priority that has failed to make it through the last couple of regular legislative sessions.
Kehoe was at the announcement of a new partnership between Acculevel and three Missouri communities throughout the state on Friday morning in Jefferson City.
Acculevel repairs basements and foundations. The company has locations in Kennett, Sarcoxie and Smithville, Missouri.
The company is investing about $2.9 million at each location and adding about 41 jobs to each location, according to Michelle Hataway, Missouri Department for Economic Development director.
The governor also said he hasn’t received a direct request for the Missouri National Guard to aid police in Washington, D.C.
“We are working with Homeland Security on some processing issues with the National Guard,” Kehoe said, but didn’t elaborate.
Highway traffic expected ahead of Labor Day weekend; patrols increased for safety
Olivia Hayes
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
As the Labor Day weekend approaches, drivers will still have to adapt to work zones along the highways.
One work zone that has become a hotspot for several traffic crashes in recent months is the U.S. Highway 54 bridge rehabilitation project. The road in certain areas, both westbound and eastbound, is surrounded by road construction and narrowed down to one lane with speed reductions.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 17 people died and 498 were injured in 1,047 traffic crashes over the 2024 Labor Day holiday in Missouri. The MSHP holiday counting period begins at 6 p.m. Friday through 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 1st. The Highway Patrol reports all available troopers will patrol roadways & waterways.
Sheriff John Wheeler, of the Cole Co. Sheriff’s Office, also said that his department will be heightening its patrol over the course of the holiday weekend. He explained that the extra deputies will allow the sheriff’s office to keep safety on the roads top of mind.
“Just making sure people are behaving themselves, especially around the construction zones,” Wheeler said. “We’re going to be looking for those that speed, we’re going to be looking for improper lane usage. We’re just going to be looking for everything, so people just need to slow down.”
The Missouri Department of Transportation reports that, except for emergencies, work will stop at noon on Friday and resume on Tuesday morning. Even though the work is paused, the work zone along Highway 54 will remain in place.
Steve Cearlock, with the Cole County Fire Protection District, said on a normal day more than 30,000 cars can drive across the stretch of highway. He said the most common accidents the fire district responds to are fender benders and that many of the crashes are caused due to distracted driving.
“Put your phones down and buckle up because putting your phones down is very important. You don’t need to be looking at your phone in this kind of condition,” Cearlock said.
Drivers should keep in mind the westbound bridge rehabilitation over the Moreau River Drainage, south of Jefferson City. That is scheduled for completion in October 2025.
Bridge rehabilitation also continues over Missouri Boulevard, and is scheduled for completion in early September 2025. Certain ramps associated with the project will also remain closed through September 2025:
Westbound U.S. Route 54 off-ramp to Missouri Boulevard.
Eastbound U.S. Route 50 off-ramp to westbound U.S. Route 54.
Missouri Boulevard on-ramp to eastbound U.S. Route 54.
Bridge replacements and associated access restrictions over Neighorn Branch, south of Jefferson City, are scheduled for completion in November 2025.