COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has given school districts their new A-F grades, and education officials are alerting families ahead of their publication. Wheaton R-III Superintendent Alyssa Kennedy told ABC 17 News on Friday that the state has shared a first look at 2024-25 data with districts and schools,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A $1.5 million pump replacement project at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area is still underway, and the Missouri Department of Conservation has no set completion date yet, Deputy Director Aaron Jeffries said Thursday. MDC has paused waterfowl hunting at the area because current water levels are not sufficient to manage the wetlands for
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Interim Commissioner of Education Stacey Preis resigned effective immediately on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the State Board of Education selected a firm to assist with its search for a permanent commissioner. Preis did not provide a specific reason for her departure. In a statement, she said she submitted her resignation
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia has been awarded $16.2 million in federal funding to modernize the Columbia Terminal Railroad, including a project to test self-driving trains. U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Raymore) announced the Federal Railroad Administration grant Thursday. The grant, awarded through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, will support upgrades
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MORGAN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) Voters in the Gravois Fire Protection District will decide on Nov. 3 whether to approve a one-percent sales tax known as Proposition Fire. Fire Chief Dustin Hancock said the district needs more revenue as calls increase, costs rise and positions remain unfilled. The district serves parts of Morgan and Camden counties.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Amendment 8 would place rules for county sheriffs in the state Constitution, including how sheriffs are elected, what duties they perform, how they staff their offices and how they can be removed. Missouri voters will decide whether to approve the amendment on Nov. 3. Most counties already elect sheriffs to four-year
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Editor’s note: Some quotes previously attributed to a library spokesperson have been correctly attributed to its executive director. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Public Library sent state Sen. Rick Brattin an 86-page packet of records about its Rainbow Story Time event on Sept. 16, in response to a request under Missouri’s Sunshine Law. Nearly a
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Aiyanna Williams’ family is focusing on her legacy after Misael Covarrubias pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder along with seven other charges in the 2025 downtown Columbia shooting that killed her. A family representative told ABC 17 News the family does not wish to comment on the plea and is focusing on
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MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Mexico estimates it will cost about $12.83 million to turn the former Audrain Community Hospital’s cancer wing into a new City Hall and public safety facility. The city’s fiscal 2027 budget estimates construction will begin in July 2027 and finish in July 2028. The estimate includes design work and
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) EDITOR’S NOTE: The spelling of the victim’s name has been corrected. The mother of a man suspected of killing his father testified Thursday that her son admitted to the shooting immediately afterward. Tracy Perkins testified Thursday that her son told her, “I just shot your husband,” after she heard gunshots inside their
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia is asking fundraising professionals to outline what a private campaign to renovate the historic McKinney Building could involve and cost. The city has not decided whether to hire a consultant or move forward with a campaign. The city issued a request for expressions of interest on Monday. Responses
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools leadership said Tuesday that “appropriate consequences will be administered” to students who were caught with guns at two district high schools this month. However, more details about the students and their motivations are unlikely to be made public, the district says, citing student privacy laws. CPS is investigating after
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CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) Zach Williams, 23, was killed in a hit-and-run crash near Camdenton over Labor Day weekend on Sunday, Sept. 6. His cousin, Kelsey Trower, is asking anyone with information to contact investigators. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says a vehicle struck a pedestrian on westbound U.S. Highway 54 near Cedar Heights Drive,
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COLUMBIA, Mo.(KMIZ) Missouri diesel prices stayed at near-record high levels Friday, raising costs for trucking companies and independent drivers as the holiday shipping season approaches. AAA listed Missouri’s average diesel price at $6.31 a gallon Friday, up from $3.41 a year ago. The national average was $6.50, up from $3.69 a year ago. Both averages
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County’s 911 center switched its phone service provider from Brightspeed to AT&T on Wednesday, a week after a Brightspeed outage disrupted 911 service across Mid-Missouri. Christie Davis with Boone County Joint Communications confirmed the switch Thursday. Boone County Joint Communications’ 911 service went offline Sept. 16 for several hours because of
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council directed city staff Monday night to examine whether the city can legally delay demolition permits involving properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The council unanimously approved a motion requesting a staff memo or short report on the legality of creating an administrative delay. Staff members
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Long hours, heavy equipment and pressure to finish work before the weather changes are among the risks farmers face during harvest. A recent analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data found that 175 farmers, ranchers and agricultural managers died in workplace incidents nationwide in 2024, a fatal injury rate of 19.4
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Fire Department received an additional $60,000 for fuel purchases as rising prices and increased consumption put pressure on its budget through the end of the fiscal year. The Columbia City Council on Aug. 17 approved the one-time appropriation from the city’s General Fund balance. City documents state the money is
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Fire Department is receiving an additional $60,000 for fuel purchases as diesel prices reach record levels in Missouri and nationwide. The Columbia City Council approved the money as part of the city’s fourth-quarter adjustments to its fiscal 2026 budget. The one-time funding will come from the city’s general fund balance.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Diesel prices reached record highs again in Missouri and Columbia on Monday, putting more burden on farmers already facing high operating costs and tight profit margins. AAA reported Missouri’s average diesel price at $5.91 per gallon Monday, up more than 36 cents from $5.549 one week ago. The statewide average has increased
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