A late Cole County farmer’s 178-acre Elston land is set to be auctioned Saturday morning, despite his reported wishes for it to become a public park.
Lawrence Renn Jr., who passed away in 2021, left behind a trust intended to turn his farmland into a county park.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A vehicle hit a pedestrian on a Cole County road Friday morning, closing it for an hour. Sgt. Kyle Green with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said troopers were investigating the pedestrian crash on Route Y near Helias Road just after 9 a.m. Green said the pedestrian was hurt, but he
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Hawthorn Bank has asked a Cole County judge to toss out a lawsuit filed by a group last week that sought to block the land auction of a piece of land. Gary Scheperle, Mark Knapp, Tony Porter, Steve Brandt, Gary Bemboom, Tony Brenneke and Charles Steck sued the bank on Friday, claiming
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A group of people sued Hawthorn Bank and Cole County on Friday in order to block the land auction of a piece of land that was intended to become a county park by its former owner. Gary Scheperle, Mark Knapp, Tony Porter, Steve Brandt, Gary Bemboom, Tony Brenneke and Charles Steck are
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man from Montgomery County was charged with nine child sex crimes after authorities claim he sexually abused two children for several years. Joshua Stone, 40, of Montgomery City, was charged on Wednesday in Cole County with two counts of first-degree statutory rape, two counts of statutory sodomy, two counts of first-degree
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The mother of a minor who died in April 2024 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jefferson City, its police department and 10 of its officers. Shannon Gilchrist filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in Cole County. The officers are listed as “John Doe” in the lawsuit because the names are not
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – The Cole County Commission will not step in to stop the auction of a piece of land its former owner wanted to become a county park. Commissioner Sam Bushman told ABC 17 News in a statement on Wednesday morning that it would not sue Hawthorn Bank in order to stop it
Continue Reading By Wednesday afternoon, the Cole County Commission will decide if it will ask Hawthorn Bank to pause an upcoming land auction, just 11 days away.
Lawrence Renn Jr. left his 178-acre Elston farmland to become a county park. He created a trust, leasing the land to the county after his death in 2021.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City man who was already charged with several child sex crimes earlier this month is facing more charges in Cole County. Michael Minor, 48, was charged on Jan. 16 with two counts of first-degree child molestation and two counts of statutory sodomy of a child younger than 12 years old.
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A winter storm warning in Mid-Missouri remains in effect through 6 p.m. Sunday. The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team is showing intense cold begins on Friday, while snow can accumulate throughout the area. Roughly 8 inches of snow could fall in Columbia on Saturday, with more snow expected in the southern
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Cole County R-1 School District will not hold class on Wednesday and Thursday because of widespread illness. The district made the announcement in a Tuesday evening social media post. The school district did not say what illness caused the closure and said it would monitor the situation before making a decision
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) SSM Health and UnitedHealthcare reached a deal to keep the insurance giant’s customers in-network for “multiple years.” SSM Health didn’t say how long the agreement will be in effect in a news release Tuesday, instead labeling it simply a “multi-year” deal. SSM Health operates St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City. UnitedHealthcare
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City man accused of stabbing his wife to death this week at their home pleaded not guilty Friday, claiming a mental disease or defect. Malang J. Akbari, 46, was charged Tuesday with murdering his wife, Manhaz Akbari, by stabbing her to death in their home on East McCarty Street. Court documents
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Candidates in a race to represent part of Mid-Missouri in the state Senate have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to compete in the August primary. Four Republicans have formed committees to raise money for their campaigns in the Sixth Senate District, which covers Cole, Callaway, Miller, Morgan and Moniteau counties. The
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City murder suspect will remain in the Cole County Jail without bond after his first court hearing on Friday. Malcolm M. Mayes, 29, of Jefferson City, appeared via video from the Cole County Jail. The judge noted that Mayes’ application for a public defender was approved, but he had
Continue Reading COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) A late Cole County farmer owners’ land is set to be auctioned on Feb. 7, even though he intended it to become a county park. After a large group of family, friends and neighbors of Lawrence Renn Jr. showed up to continue their fight to stop the sale of the Elston
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The Cole County Commission decided on Tuesday dogs at Brooks, County and Thoenen parks must be kept on leashes.
After a resident complaint about a loose dog in a county park in fall 2025, commissioners voted unanimously to pass an animal leash and waste ordinance for all three county parks.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An inmate at Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson City is accused of having a 7.5-inch, prison-made shiv in a baby powder bottle last year. Brandon Bassett, 25, was charged with having a weapon at a prison and armed criminal action. A court date has not been scheduled. Court documents allege prison staff
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An inmate who was previously held at a Jefferson City prison has been accused of raping another inmate in October 2023. Michael Sheets, 41, was charged on Friday with first-degree sodomy in Cole County. He has since been moved to a Springfield facility. A court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday,
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Cole County commissioners approved a 2026 budget burdened by lower-than-expected tax revenue on Thursday. The county ended 2025 with $56.4 million in reserves and is expected to bring in $64.4 million in 2026. However, commissioners anticipate spending $92.9 million throughout the year, which includes $32.8 million in capital projects. Cole County
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