Boone Archives

Boone County Commission passes $4.6 million contract for gravel road pavement

June 30, 2026 8:18 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Boone County Commission on Tuesday passed a multi-million-dollar contract for gravel road pavement throughout the county. The commission unanimously approved a $4.62 million purchase order with Capital Paving and Construction LLC. The total and locations, according to meeting documents, includes: LocationDollar AmountBoothe Lane (North) upgrade)$516,099.90Boothe Lane (South)/Brennen Drive/Finnegan Court upgrade$842,121.05Coats Lane

Judge keeps parts of Columbia Public Schools lawsuit over charter school

June 30, 2026 9:37 AM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A Cole County judge will let some of Columbia Public Schools’ lawsuit over a new charter school in Boone County proceed. Judge Emily Fretwell decided on Monday to let CPS pursue claims against the state, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and the State Board of Education over a 2024 law that permitted

Boy, woman seriously injured in rollover crash in Audrain County

June 26, 2026 7:03 PM Erika McGuire

AUDRAIN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) EDITOR’S NOTE: The crash location has been corrected. A Columbia boy and Shelbina woman were thrown from a vehicle in a rollover crash in Audrain County on Friday evening, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The single-vehicle crash happened on Highway 22 just east of Highway 63 at

How Daniel Boone laid the foundation for Missouri and the American Frontier

June 26, 2026 11:14 AM Olivia Hayes

DEFIANCE, Mo. (KMIZ) His name is on significant landmarks around the Show-Me State and in Boone County, like the Daniel Boone Regional Library or the Daniel Boone Little League Fields. But who was Daniel Boone? While he wasn’t from Missouri, he made the state his home for much of his life, helping to form it

Grand jury indicts suspect in Columbia trash bin murder case

June 26, 2026 5:36 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County grand jury on Friday indicted a Columbia man accused of killing his romantic partner and disposing of her body in a trash bin that was found in a creek. Andrew Acton is accused of strangling or smothering the 47-year-old woman sometime between Oct. 1, 2025, and May 10, 2026.

More child enticement charges filed in Boone County

June 26, 2026 5:19 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County man was charged Friday with two counts of child enticement — the latest in a string of defendants charged with similar crimes this week. John Binu, 25, tried to meet with two 16-year-old girls on Thursday for sex after meeting them online, according to a probable cause statement. The

Several more men charged with child enticement in Boone County

June 25, 2026 3:21 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Three more men were charged with child enticement on Thursday in Boone County. Ethan Deimeke, 27, of Auxvasse; David Burres, 32; and Brice Morris, 34, of Columbia; were all charged on Thursday. They are all being held at the Boone County Jail without bond and have initial court appearances set for 1

Columbia man charged with child sex crime

June 24, 2026 8:17 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 56-year-old Columbia man was charged with a child sex crime on Wednesday in Boone County. Daniel Follett, 56, was charged with child enticement. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled. The brief probable cause statement says Follett arrived at a

Columbia and Boone County holds a joint work session on homelessness and housing study

June 24, 2026 5:47 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) City of Columbia and Boone County officials met for a joint work session Wednesday morning regarding homelessness and a housing study. Boone County and Columbia officials met at Boone Electric Cooperative at 9 a.m. Wednesday. According to the meeting agenda, officials discussed the Homeless Strategic Plan, Housing Continuum Update, Cross-Jurisdictional Collaboration and

Bond denied again for man accused of smothering woman, putting body in trash bin

June 23, 2026 7:29 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man who is accused of murder and other charges was denied bond again during a hearing on Tuesday. Andrew Acton, 53, is charged with abandoning a corpse, tampering with evidence and second-degree murder. He is being held at the Boone County Jail. Court documents from previous reporting indicate Acton is

Columbia man arrested after allegedly attempting to pay minor for sex

June 23, 2026 3:47 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 30-year-old Columbia man was arrested on Monday and charged on Tuesday after he allegedly attempted to pay a minor for sex. Rifat Apurba was charged in Boone County with child enticement. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday. The

Second class action lawsuit filed against Columbia Orthopaedic Group over stolen information from ransomware attack

June 23, 2026 3:02 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A second class action lawsuit was filed against Columbia Orthopaedic Group on Monday in Boone County. The new lawsuit also alleges that Columbia Orthopaedic Group did not do enough to protect patients’ personal information after a ransomware attack occurred last month. A class-action lawsuit was filed last week in Boone County by

Ashland says former officer cannot work in city’s police department as part of settlement

June 22, 2026 5:14 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Ashland announced in a Monday afternoon press release that a lawsuit filed by former police officer Thomas Whitener has been settled. Whitener’s attorney, Andy Hirth of TGH Litigation, announced on June 4 that a $1 million settlement was reached. Hirth told ABC 17 News at the time that it

Rocheport man sentenced to 15 years in prison for 2024 manslaughter case

June 22, 2026 3:52 PM Mitchell Kaminski, Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Rocheport man who was found guilty of manslaughter last month was sentenced to 15 years in the Department of Corrections on Monday following emotional testimony from family members of the woman killed in the crash. Matthew Shilling was found guilty on May 14 of second-degree involuntary manslaughter, two counts of armed

Moberly woman seriously injured in hit-and-run crash in Boone County

June 22, 2026 10:56 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Moberly woman suffered serious injuries in a hit-and-run crash in Boone County Sunday evening. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a 32-year-old Moberly woman was driving a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt heading Northbound on U.S. 63 south of MO-763. The crash report states that an unknown vehicle hit the back of

Centralia minister honors memory of Hunter Hull, shares family’s message after fatal crash

June 18, 2026 7:34 PM Sutton Parker

CENTRALIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Following a fatal crash Wednesday night in Centralia, a local minister is sharing his memories of 17-year-old Hunter Hull, alongside a message from the boy’s family. The Rev. Justin Danielson is the minister at Parkview Christian Church, where the Hull family are members. Danielson said his family had just finished a family

Gale Blomenkamp retires from Boone County Fire Protection District

June 18, 2026 6:24 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) After 35 years, Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp has retired. A retirement letter that was sent to ABC 17 News by Blomenkamp says his last day with BCFPD was Wednesday. He began his 35-year career as a volunteer firefighter in Brush, Colorado, before serving in Castle Rock, Colorado.

State seeks discipline against former Ashland police chief

June 18, 2026 5:23 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Public Safety has filed a petition to discipline a former Ashland police chief, alleging criminal activity by using a law enforcement database for purposes that weren’t job-related. Former Chief Gabe Edwards resigned after a settlement was reached in 2023. Edwards had sued the City of Ashland after he

Suspects in deadly shooting, originally charged with murder, get probation

June 18, 2026 12:27 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two men received probation in a deadly shooting case Thursday after pleading guilty to reduced charges. Tavion Johnson, 21, and Daevion McCray, 22, were originally charged with felony murder in the 2024 shooting death of Orrion Moody, 28. They each pleaded guilty in April to two counts of second-degree assault and a

Centralia High School student killed in Boone County crash

June 18, 2026 1:23 AM ABC 17 News Team, Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 17-year-old Centralia High School student and basketball player is dead after a crash in Boone County on Wednesday at 9:45 p.m. A Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report said the 17-year-old failed to stop at a stop sign on Highway 124 at Gano Chance Road. The Centralia Panthers basketball team posted