Category: kmiz-local-news

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia rolled out five taxi and rideshare locations this weekend in an effort to help keep traffic moving. But some rideshare drivers said it’s been difficult to navigate this new system.

“It’s been a challenge,” is how most rideshare drivers are describing this weekend.

“Which when you’re dealing with kids that have been drinking all day or adults that have been drinking all day, it’s a great challenge just to get them out the front door to the curb much less a whole block and a half to two block away from their destinations,” Lili Waller said.

The production started 5 p.m. Friday and will go through until 5 a.m. Sunday, according to a press release from the city. Anyone ordering a rideshare downtown during these hours will be directed to the nearest designated pickup spot. Drivers will also be required to meet passengers at those locations.

Here’s where you can find them:

Broadway, north side — between Waugh Street and 280 feet east of Waugh

Cherry Street, south side — between Hitt Street and Tenth Street

Locust Street, north side — between Ninth and Tenth

Ninth Street, west side — first four spaces south of Elm

Tenth Street, west side — between Broadway and the alley just north of Broadway

Parking meters in these areas will be bagged, and signs will mark each stand, blocking about six to seven spots. One woman told ABC 17 the block-off is inconvenient for her, as she can’t even park in front of her apartment building on Locus Street.

Rideshare apps have been updated, so drivers and riders will be directed to the nearest stand automatically, the city said. The spots are apply to pickup only. The purpose of these zones is for pick-ups only, but an ABC 17 reporter has seen some passengers being picked up not at exact pinpoint locations.

City officials said the change should help traffic flow through downtown and keep pedestrians safer during the weekend rush.

“I do appreciate them blocking off locations close to our destinations, the main place of habit so that they can get in and out. I have seen it help a little bit,” Waller said.

However, they’re also running into problems with law enforcement.

“While we’re trying to load people in the car coming up and laying on their horn behind us, what we’re trying to get people in the car. I get you call are trying to do a good job. You’re exceeding it that good job. But at the same time, give us a little break too,” Waller said.

Drivers said it is difficult to move prominently with intoxicated passengers.

“We’re not trying to impede traffic, we’re not trying to hold up the line. We’re trying to get drunk people, intoxicated, inebriated. I don’t mean no disrespect to anybody that’s been drinking all day, celebrating and partying, but get them home safe,” Waller added. “It takes a lot to get them into a car and make sure they’re in the correct car to get them to their destination in a safe manner.”

The rideshares will contiune until 5 a.m. Sunday. The city said this is not a permanent downtown policy.

This comes after the downtown shooting that claimed the life of Aiyanna Williams. Since then, city leaders and officials have stepped up police presence in the area.

Last week, MU President Mun Choi led a public walk through downtown to address safety concerns. Following that, city leaders said they plan to conduct their own private walkthrough without media present to assess the area and discuss next steps without drawing major attention.

Click here to follow the original article.

Nia Hinson

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two firefighters were treated for minor burns after a fire broke out at a home in Moberly on Sunday.

According to a social media post from the Moberly Fire Department, firefighters were called to a home in the 300 block of Austin Street just before 2 p.m. Smoke and flames were showing from all sides of the home, the post says.

Roughly seven firefighters responded to the fire and brought it under control.

No one was home during the time of the fire, according to the post. The investigation is ongoing.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

The federal government shutdown is entering its third week.

Last week saw developments such as the mass firings of federal workers (particularly those in Health and Human Services) and the closure of the Smithsonian and the National Zoo. Looming on the horizon — a missed paycheck for American military members.

Democrats have stood firm on a demand that subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance plans be extended, blaming the shutdown on Republicans’ unwillingness to compromise. Republicans, meanwhile, say Democrats could vote to support the House-approved funding plan at any time.

Who do you think is more responsible? Let us know by voting in the poll.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

EDITOR’S NOTE: The date of Kent Heitholt’s killing has been corrected.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge ruled last week that a Columbia native, whose murder conviction was overturned, is owed an extra $1.3 million in his lawsuit against two insurance companies.

Ryan Ferguson was convicted of the 2001 killing of Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt in the newspaper parking lot. His conviction was later tossed out, and Ferguson sued prosecutors and police for the 10 years he spent in jail. The insurance companies under Travelers Insurance were responsible for paying Ferguson related to those claims.

Judge Cotton Walker awarded Ferguson nearly $44 million in June. Last week, he determined that an additional $1.3 million should be added to the overall number, for a total judgment of $45.1 million.

The figure would have been reduced by about $8 million had Walker sided with the insurance companies.

Walker allowed Travelers to post a $50 million bond to suspend the judgement for 30 days so the company can appeal. Ferguson attorney Kathleen Zellner told ABC 17 News in a text message on Monday that she welcomed the company’s challenge to the case.

“We welcome the appeal because it will create favorable case law for individuals who have been denied coverage because of the bad faith of their insurance companies,” Zellner said.

Click here to follow the original article.

Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools is working to strengthen safety by expanding the use of weapons detection systems across campuses and major district events.

Weapon detection use is being considered at more extracurricular activities and athletic events, according to CPS documents. This year, all high school dances will include weapons screening.

CPS first rolled out weapons detection systems at the start of the 2024-2025 school year at three of its high schools: Battle, Hickman and Rock Bridge. More systems were implemented at Douglass High School and the Columbia Area Career Center for the 2025-2026 school year, according to previous reporting.

The systems have already been used successfully at football games across Columbia high schools, increasing security without slowing down entry, Columbia Board of Education documents state.

CPS says fans and students adjusted well, with lines moving more efficiently this season than when the systems were first used.

At events like graduations at Mizzou Arena and the Boone County Fair, CPS says weapon detection systems have also been successful.

In schools, the systems’ rollout at the beginning of the 2024 year was smooth, with students quickly adapting to using them, CPS says.

Adjustments to staffing and entry flow to school buildings also helped minimize delays. CPS employs 25 Building Safety and Security Assistants, with one position open. Security assistants not only manage the detection systems, but also monitor hallways, bathrooms, parking lots and other common areas.

The systems have proven effective and successfully identified weapons when people attempted to circumvent them, CPS says. The systems serve as a visible deterrent, continuing to help prevent weapons from entering school grounds.

CPS reports systems have led to the discovery of contraband items such as vape devices, lighters, pepper spray and small knives — even when the alert was triggered for a different reason.

CPS is discussing installing weapons detection systems at other campuses.

Helen Porter, CPS’ chief schools officer, is set to provide a weapons detection update to the Columbia Board of Education at its meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Check back for updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Eldon man was seriously injured in a crash on Sunday night after he hit a deer on Route E in Cole County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says the 49-year-old man was heading westbound on Route E on his 2003 Harley Davidson Softtail when he hit a deer and was ejected from the bike. He was not wearing a helmet, the report says.

He was flown to University Hospital in Columbia, according to the report. The bike had minor damage.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KM(Z)

No injuries were reported after a small plane crashed over the weekend at a golf course near Richland Municipal Airport in Pulaski County.

A social media post from the Tri-County Fire Protection District says first responders were called at 5:38 p.m. Saturday after a “small, ultralight type aircraft went down on the golf course near the airport.”

First responders confirmed no injuries occurred within 10 minutes of the crash being reported. A firetruck was able to leave the scene at 6:24 p.m. Saturday, the post says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No injuries were reported, but one person was displaced from their home after a kitchen caught fire on Sunday afternoon at an apartment in the 800 block of 7th Street in Boonville, according to a Monday social media post from the Boonville Fire Protection District.

The post says firefighters were called at 1:18 p.m. Sunday and saw smoke coming from a second-floor apartment.

The fire was quickly extinguished, but “extensive fire damage in the kitchen and heavy smoke damage throughout the apartment” led to a resident being displaced, the post says.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, the post says.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

PARIS, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two women were jailed in Randolph County on suspicion of hindering prosecution in a homicide investigation that ended with a man shot dead by law enforcement officers.

Lois Armour, 78, and Patty Armour, 51, both of Paris, Missouri, were arrested Sunday night and booked into the Randolph County Jail without bond, according to online jail records. Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Justin Dunn confirmed the women’s arrests were related to the death of Charles Armour, 57.

Armour was killed in a shootout with deputies and state troopers Sunday afternoon at a home in Paris, Randolph County Sheriff Andy Boggs said in a statement. Armour had been identified as a person of interest in a homicide investigation out of Ralls County.

Boggs said in a statement that deputies and troopers went into the home Sunday after they were invited in to search. That’s when shots were fired.

A Randolph County deputy was hit by gunfire and flown to a hospital. Boggs wrote that the deputy is expected to make a full recovery after several surgeries.

Charges against Louis and Patty Armour were not available Monday in online court records. Courts were closed for the Columbus Day holiday.

Click here to follow the original article.

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As the federal government shutdown nears the two-week mark, Columbia College is stepping in to support military students by launching a tuition assistance program.

The college announced the creation of the “You Stand For Us, We Stand By You” program in a news release on Monday. The release states that the program is for active service members, reservists and National Guard members.

Military members could miss a paycheck on Wednesday if Congress doesn’t agree on some type of funding for salaries.

Columbia College’s Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Sandra Hamar, reports that around 33% of the school’s student population is affiliated with the military. Between 400-500 undergraduate students and up to 500 graduate students have lost assistance because of the shutdown.

“There’s some [students] that are two classes away from graduating and want to walk across that stage in December, but if they don’t have their tuition assistance, they’re not able to do that,” Hamar said.

She adds that over 100 undergraduate students dropped courses due to the shutdown.

“Service members have stood in harm’s way for us countless times. When they need us, we must answer the call,” Columbia College President David Russell said in the statement. Russell is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel.

The program will provide full tuition for affected military students through the fall semester, which ends Dec. 13. Students will get relief upon verification. New military students who enroll in Columbia College during the shutdown will also be assisted. Students who have dropped courses due to funding concerns will also be supported and can re-enroll.

Columbia College plans to cover $500,000 of students’ tuition. The school does not have a clear reserve for the funds but expects to pull from donors, alumni volunteers and scholarship funding.

Columbia College has historically been a military-friendly institution. According to the release, of the college’s alumni, around 34,000 are veterans, active-duty service members or military family members.

“We’ve served military for 50 years,” Hamar said. “If we could act right now, which we can, and we didn’t, I don’t think we would deserve to call ourselves military-friendly college.”

Students can contact the Ousley Family Veterans Service Center for assistance.

University of Missouri spokesperson Christopher Ave said that the University is currently providing support to veterans, military members and family members who attend Mizzou. The school’s Cashier’s Office has ensured that no late fees will be collected on delayed payments. The school will also provide letters to landlords or other groups to help students explain delayed payments.

Click here to follow the original article.