Boone Archives

Boone County Sheriff’s Office warns residents after AI swatting call

July 19, 2026 10:39 AM Alison Patton, Sutton Parker

A scam that makes people believe their loved ones are in danger using artificial intelligence has hit Boone County, and the sheriff’s office is warning people after a resident reported a call.

According to a Facebook post, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office said the victim received a call Friday that showed their daughter’s contact name and number. The caller allegedly had the daughter’s voice and told the victim she had been kidnapped at gunpoint before another voice demanded money, essentially asking for a ransom.

Columbia man arrested for suspected DWI after multi-vehicle crash on I-70

July 17, 2026 6:04 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after causing a crash Friday evening in Boone County. Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F shared on its social media just before 6 p.m. that troopers were investigating a multi-vehicle crash in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70. Troop F –

Boone County up to 22 cases of cyclosporiasis; Taylor Farms pulls lettuce from central Mexico

July 17, 2026 3:48 PM Ryan Shiner

Editor’s note: The number of cases has been updated in real time as the health department receives updated numbers. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County saw its diagnosed cases of cyclosporiasis increase to 22 on Friday, according to the county’s health department. Cases in the county increased from nine to 13 between Wednesday and Thursday. The

Columbia man seriously hurt in Boone County crash

July 17, 2026 7:49 AM Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 30-year-old Columbia man was seriously hurt in a crash just before 3 p.m. Thursday in Boone County. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the man was riding a Yamaha YZF-RI motorcycle on Route M when he lost control of the bike. The motorcycle overturned, throwing the man from

Cyclosporiasis cases nearly double in Missouri; Boone County up to 13 cases

July 16, 2026 11:48 AM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) In about a week, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has reported that cases of cyclosporiasis in Missouri has nearly doubled from 43 to 80. “There are more cases across the country than we usually see in an entire year,” DHSS said in a Facebook Post Thursday. The Columbia/Boone County

Missouri Task Force 1 to deploy to Texas for flood response

July 16, 2026 11:11 AM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Task Force 1 has been activated by FEMA to deploy to San Antonio, Texas, to assist with a flood response, a Thursday press release from the Boone County Fire Protection District says. The release says 45 members of TF-1 and more than 100,000 pounds of equipment will be sent. TF-1 was

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Has the cyclosporiasis outbreak changed your spending habits at grocery stores?

July 16, 2026 3:58 AM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in Boone County and it has led to hospitalizations at area hospitals. Health officials in Boone County are still trying to determine if local cases are tied to the national outbreak that has been affecting Michigan and Ohio. Has the cyclosporiasis outbreak changed your spending

Fire destroys cabinet shop in Audrain County

July 15, 2026 7:06 PM Ryan Shiner

AUDRAIN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) Firefighters from three departments responded to a barn fire Wednesday afternoon in rural Audrain County. The fire happened in the 4900 block of Route Y near Clark shortly after 5 p.m. The building, which housed a custom cabinet store in the community, was destroyed. Jason Henry, chief of the Little Dixie

9 cases of cyclosporiasis reported in Boone County this week; Boone Health reports 5 hospitalizations

July 15, 2026 1:51 PM Ryan Shiner, Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Nine cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in Boone County this week, according to Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, with health officials investigating whether the cases are connected to a larger national outbreak. The PHHS initially reported eight confirmed cases earlier in the day, but an additional case was confirmed

Southeast Missouri flooding reinforces representative’s plan to refile camp safety bill

July 15, 2026 7:25 PM Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Representative Cameron Parker’s efforts to get a law passed on camp safety regulations didn’t come to fruition in 2026. But she said she’ll try again , spurred on in part by recent floods and a camp evacuation in southeast Missouri. During the 2026 legislative session, Parker filed House Bill 3142, which establishes

Columbia Police get $1 million payday in new state budget

July 13, 2026 7:17 PM Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department is getting $1 million in the newly signed state budget to use specifically on downtown public safety. When exactly the money hits the city’s account depends on Gov. Mike Kehoe releasing the funds, according to State Sen. Stephen Webber. Webber said a conversation with Columbia Police Chief Jill

Missouri cases of diarrhea-causing illness are connected to travel, DHSS official says

July 13, 2026 12:54 PM Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missourians have been mostly spared from the diarrhea-causing illness contracted by eating contaminated produce or water. Currently, the Department of Health and Senior Services has reported 43 cases since this time last year, and data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control show Missouri with zero reported cases of cyclosporiasis since July

Missouri Task Force 1 returns to Boone County after aiding in southern Missouri flood response

July 13, 2026 11:14 AM Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Task Force 1 on Monday completed its four-day deployment in Reynolds and Iron counties to respond to and help with the historic flooding in southern Missouri. The task force was originally placed as a type 3 resource, meaning only half the team was deployed, but after seeing the severity of the

City of Columbia suggests $7 million less from initial 2027 budget proposals

July 12, 2026 8:04 PM Sutton Parker

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to show the “cuts” are suggestions based on proposals submitted by each department at the start of the process. COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia is proposing cuts in its fiscal year 2027 budget due to a $7.37 million general fund deficit. City documents report the city

Missouri Task Force One to return to Boone County following flood response in Southeast Missouri

July 12, 2026 9:17 PM Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Task Force One team members are expected to make their return in Boone County on Monday. In a news release on Sunday, MOTF-1 said it’s nearing completion of its flood response mission in southeast Missouri after supporting statewide response efforts in Reynolds and Iron counties. Since arriving on Friday, the task

Boone County firefighters rescue a horse in distress on Friday, July 19, 2026.

Boone County firefighters assist with distressed horse

July 10, 2026 7:06 PM Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Boone County Fire Protection District helped get a horse that was down and unable to rise stabilized and loaded for transport to medical care. Firefighters responded to a property on Bowling Lane east of Rangeline Road and New Haven Road, where they found the horse on the ground. Working with a

Boone County announces 2042 end date for proposed sales tax for jail

July 9, 2026 5:39 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Boone County Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a “sunset” date for its proposed public safety sales tax that will appear on the November ballot. If approved, Proposition L – which is a proposed 3/8-cent sales tax that will be used to build a new jail – will expire Dec. 31, 2042.

Man accused of trying to set fire to occupied camper in Hartsburg

July 8, 2026 9:48 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man was charged with two felonies after he allegedly tried to set fire to an occupied camper on Monday night in Hartsburg. Michael Briggs, 55, of Hartsburg, was charged in Boone County on Tuesday with knowingly burning or exploding and resisting arrest. He is being held at the Boone County Jail

Wednesday marks two years since death of Matthew Tobben

July 8, 2026 9:24 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Wednesday marked two years since the death of Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Matthew Tobben. BCFPD honored Tobben on Wednesday by lowering its flags at half-staff. “We honor his memory and remain committed to carrying forward the values he exemplified throughout his career,” BCFPD Fire Chief Doug Westhoff said in

Downtown Columbia business owners voice support for urban camping ordinance, dissenter questions effectiveness in other cities

July 8, 2026 8:08 PM Olivia Hayes

Editor’s note: This article has been adjusted to reflect the correct city council meeting date. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two local downtown business owners are putting their support behind a proposal for an urban camping ordinance for downtown Columbia. Executive Director of Columbia’s Downtown Community Improvement District Nickie Davis said the CID plans to submit a