JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A group of private citizens has sued the state, asking a federal court to compel the Missouri Department of Mental Health to reduce criminal defendants’ wait times for mental health exams that determine their competency to stand trial. The lawsuit, filed Monday in the Western District of Missouri, names the department
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has started a statewide investigation into numerous kratom manufacturers and distributors operating in Missouri. In a news release, Hanaway said the investigation follows reports that kratom consumers may be exposed to unapproved and unsafe opioid-like drugs that have been marketed with deceptive methods. “We are deeply
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The group backing a referendum to get the new congressional map on the ballot filed its second lawsuit against the Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, according to court documents. People Not Politicians is arguing Hoskins wrote misleading and biased ballot language for the group’s referendum. This is the ballot title Hoskins approved,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman described as the treasurer of the Cole Camp R-1 Parent-Teacher Organization has been accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the group. Andrea Butler, of Cole Camp, was charged Friday in Benton County with stealing more than $750. A criminal summons was issued on Friday and an initial court appearance
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A representative for Columbia in Missouri’s state house plans on prefiling legislation about dog-breeding facilities. Democratic State Rep. David Tyson Smith wrote on his social media on Thursday that he plans on prefiling a bill that would require regular inspections at dog-breeding facilities. The announcement comes after Melissa Sanders, 26, of Columbia,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman from Montgomery City has been charged with a plethora of felonies after she was accused of abusing three children. Shelley Denese Haislip, born 1968, was charged Wednesday in Montgomery County with four counts of abusing a child younger than 14 years old, three counts of first-degree kidnapping and three counts
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Inside a Jefferson City conference room, fewer than a dozen people have been creating hundreds of pages of rules that could help shape Missouri’s future. The Missouri Gaming Commission refers to it as the “war room,” and it’s where the groundwork is being laid for the state’s journey into legalized sports betting.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Public Service Commission has set an intervention deadline of Dec. 12 for a certificate of need and necessity that was requested by Ameren to build a 28-mile transmission line in Montgomery and Callaway counties. The release says Ameren believes the transmission line “is necessary to connect the Grain Belt Express LLC’s
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Supreme Court convened Wednesday to hear arguments on two appeals related to voter laws. Both suits were filed by the NAACP and League of Women Voters in 2022 following the passage of House Bill No. 1878, which changed state rules related to elections, including sections dealing with voter registration,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man from California, Missouri, was charged in two separate cases on Wednesday. Addison Dunafon was charged with first-degree child molestation in one case and tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution in another. A no-bond warrant was issued in the child molestation case. He was also charged earlier this year
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri State High school Activities Association in a Wednesday press release says it does not discriminate. The release comes after Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick said in Tuesday press release that it would investigate MSHSAA after claims of racial and sex discrimination. A person described as
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Attorney General’s Office and Auditor’s Office are investigating the state’s governing body for high school sports after claims of sex and racial discrimination were made. A Tuesday press release from both offices alleges that a whistleblower was not eligible for an at-large position on MSHSAA’s board because they are white
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Stover man who was already accused of several counts of statutory rape has been charged with more child sex crimes. Colby Hader, 28, was charged on Monday in Morgan County with three counts of statutory sodomy, two counts of first-degree statutory rape, one count of promoting a sexual performance by a
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A deal to end the federal government shutdown included a provision that limits how much THC can be legally contained in hemp-derived products. Under the new rule, hemp products could contain no more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container. Experts note that hemp generally has much lower levels of THC
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds are now getting their full benefits after the end of the federal shutdown, a spokesperson for a state agency said Monday. Full payments have been processed, and households will receive their benefits per their normal distribution schedule, which is based on last name
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Conservation is holding a mandatory sampling this weekend for Chronic Wasting Disease as the November firearms portion of deer season opens. The department will use the findings from this weekend during the annual targeted deer removal between January and mid-March. The procedure has the MDC working with local
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The owner of a dog-breeding and boarding business in Boone County has been charged with several counts of animal abuse after several dead dogs and remains were found. Melissa Sanders, 26, of Columbia, has been charged with three counts of felony animal abuse and 15 counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. She is
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Vienna man was charged with several felonies in Maries County after he allegedly assaulted a woman on Nov. 7. Brian Wagner was charged with second-degree domestic, unlawful use of a weapon, second-degree kidnapping and armed criminal action. A court date has not been scheduled. The probable cause statement says Wagner began
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Social Services has started working to get Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients their benefits after the president signed legislation ending the federal government shutdown. The department said in a news release Thursday that it was working to deliver SNAP benefits to Missourians “as quickly as possible.” “With
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Cole County judge was supposed to hear arguments Thursday on a redistricting lawsuit filed by a group that wants to get the governor’s “Missouri First” map on the 2026 ballot, but an intervenor stepped in and was granted a judge change. Put Missouri First is a political group backing the
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