COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Fire Department is asking for 12 new firefighter positions as part of its budget next year. The request from CFD to the city manager’s office calls for 12 new Firefighter I/II positions at a total cost of $1.1 million. Chief Brian Schaeffer told ABC 17 News he feels the department
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BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) Firefighters returned to a house fire early Friday morning after battling the flames throughout the night. Firefighters initially responded to a house fire on Thursday night in northern Boone County, just south of Highway 124, between Harrisburg and Hallsville. The Boone County Fire Protection District was called at 9:30 p.m. to
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The story has been corrected to remove a reference to fighting teens being armed. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 16-year-old is in custody on suspicion of taking part in a fight that led to a deadly shooting Tuesday just outside Columbia. The teen suspect and the victim were part of groups that had met
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) More than a month after a tornado destroyed Columbia’s recycling facility, nearby cities are grappling with an influx of recyclables. Columbia’s recycling program has been suspended since the April storm that leveled the city’s facility, forcing the closure of curbside collection and all eight drop-off centers. Curbside pickup is still active, but
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Several Mid-Missouri law-enforcement agencies are taking part in active-shooter training at the Community R-6 school district until the end of the week, the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Wednesday social media post. The post said the training occurred Wednesday and would last until Friday. “Passersby and residents will notice
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The 98th annual Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony was held at 9 a.m. Monday at the Boone County Courthouse Plaza, honoring veterans who have died in the line of duty. The General Omar N. Bradley Mid-Missouri chapter of the Military Officers Association of America sponsored the 40-minute ceremony. There were several veteran organizations
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia’s city manager introduced a new way for the public to give its feedback about city services during the annual State of the City address Friday. De’Carlon Seewood introduced the new “engagement opportunities survey” during his speech. Seewood said the city wants to hear from residents about ways to engage with city
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man has been charged with a felony after he allegedly brought back a seagull from the Gulf of Mexico and amputated its wing with a pair of scissors. Aaron Lacey was charged on Thursday with felony animal abuse, misdemeanor animal abuse and violating an ordinance by the county commission. A
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Mid-Missouri is taking steps toward curbing violence through collaborative efforts between local, state and federal agencies. The Violent Crime Abatement Team — which began on Jan. 1 — looks to discuss recent violent crimes and arrests in the area during monthly meetings at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Discussions include sharing information about
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Counties across Mid-Missouri are continuing to take steps to ensure their warning systems work reliably during severe weather. In Boone County, officials are rolling out a new system that aims to make siren use more precise and reduce what they call “siren fatigue” — the overuse of sirens in areas not directly
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City woman was charged on Wednesday after she was accused of raping a youth. Estelle Kerns, 35, was charged with first-degree statutory rape of someone younger than 14 years old. She is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A hearing was set for Wednesday. The probable cause
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Ashland will close its recycling drop-off lot this week because of “ongoing misuse,” a Monday social media post from the city says. It will be closed this week as the city sorts and gets rid of excess materials, the post says. The lot will reopen Tuesday, May 27 with
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Eighty members of Missouri Task Force 1 are heading to St. Louis to help with storm damage recovery. Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp confirmed through text message that Task Force 1 will soon head out to St. Louis, which saw significant damage from storms. St. Louis officials had
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Nearly 400 Boone Electric Cooperative customers are without power. The Boone Electric outage map reported three outages impacting 387 members, mostly in areas south of Columbia, including near Three Creeks Conservation Area and two off of Route K on South Smith Hatchery Road and South High Point Lane, respectively. The largest of
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A hearing was held Thursday morning for a Columbia man who was sentenced for a triple murder more than 20 years ago. Deandra Buchanan, 51, was found guilty by a jury in 2002 on three counts of first-degree murder. He was initially sentenced to death but was resentenced to life in prison without
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Boone County Juvenile Justice Center currently houses 19 youth, although the facility holds 45 beds. Justice Center Superintendent Tara Eppy said she thinks there’s discussions every few years about whether detention is intended to be correctional, restorative or rehabilitative. She said she thinks it’s a mix of them all. “I think
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County Road and Bridge on Monday will repair portions of Brown School Road between Creasy Springs Road and Clearview Road, according to a Wednesday press release from the Boone County Commission. Brown School Road will be closed beginning at 9 a.m. and will be back at normal traffic by 3 p.m.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boonville man has been charged with second-degree felony murder in a 2021 overdose death that occurred in Columbia. Cameron Comstock, 25, is accused of selling fentanyl to a woman on Nov. 6, 2021. A warrant was ordered on Tuesday and no bond was set. A court date has not been scheduled.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – Candidates for Columbia mayor spent more than $300,000 in April’s election, according to final finance report numbers filed last week. Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, Blair Murphy and Tanya Heath combined to spend $324,556.78 in the race to become the head of the Columbia City Council on April 7. Murphy led the way
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman accused of stealing almost $6,000 from the Centralia Band Booster Club pleaded guilty on Monday. Jeanie Whitlatch pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of stealing after she stole from the club in 2024. Court records show prosecutors amended her charge from a felony count of stealing to a misdemeanor. Whitlatch
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