Cole Archives

Curtis Hanrahan, left, is defending William "Chris" Niemet, right, who is charged with the 1991 shooting death of Greg Jones

‘Absolutely not guilty’: Attorney for 1991 murder suspect doubts new evidence

March 2, 2020 3:47 PM Barry Mangold

William “Chris” Niemet appeared in court for the first time Monday since he was charged with a 1991 murder of a teenager last week.

Fulton man accused in 1991 teen killing

February 27, 2020 3:04 PM Joe McLean

A Cole County man arrested decades ago for the death of a teenager again faces charges in the case.

Court documents detail 1991 Cole County murder investigation

February 28, 2020 1:20 PM Joe McLean

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jones’ age at the time of his death has been corrected. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson filed a first-degree murder charge Thursday against William “Chris” Niemet in the 1991 shooting death of 14-year-old Greg Jones. First-Degree Murder Charge Cole County charges Chris Niemet with 1991 murder on Feb. 27,

Cole County Western Commissioner plans to run again in August Primary

February 28, 2020 6:32 PM Matt Ragsdale

Cole County Western Commissioner Kris Scheperle announced on his Facebook page that he plans to run to keep his seat on the county’s governing body.

Classmate remembers Greg Jones murder case

February 27, 2020 9:21 PM Lucas Geisler

A classmate of Greg Jones and William Chris Niemet remembered the 1991 murder case that played a part in his life when he was younger.

Cole County murder suspect tied to unsolved 2005 Fulton killing

February 27, 2020 5:00 PM Lucas Geisler

A man accused of killing a teenager in a 1991 Cole County case was also tied to 2005 Fulton killing that remains unsolved.

Cole County officials announce murder charges in 1991 case

February 26, 2020 3:55 PM Matthew Sanders

Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler plans to hold a news conference Thursday in regard to a 1991 Russellville killing.

Repairs to Capital View levees continue as spring flood season looms

February 26, 2020 5:16 PM Joe McLean

Repairs to the system of barriers that protects areas of north Jefferson City from the Missouri River have yet to be completed ahead of expected spring flooding.

Cole County health officials preparing for COVID-19

February 26, 2020 8:16 PM Zach Boetto

The Cole County Health Department is working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services in Missouri as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be ready for COVID-19. “We have shared many calls and receive a lot of our guidelines from them,” said Chezney Schulte, the Cole County Health Department

New Cole County Emergency Management head stresses importance of public outreach before major disasters

February 26, 2020 2:26 PM Connor Hirsch

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) About a year after a tornado and flooding devasted parts of Cole County and Jefferson City, a new emergency management coordinator is taking the reigns. Sierra Thomas started the job in January, working with Bill Farr, who is retiring as coordinator on Friday. The coordinator position is the main leadership role

Candidates file for August primary election

February 25, 2020 9:21 PM Matt Ragsdale

Candidates for statewide and local elections filed on Tuesday for the August Primary.

Cole County Public Works divisions monitoring roads

February 25, 2020 8:37 PM Zach Boetto

Road crews in Jefferson City and Cole County are monitoring driving conditions with snow moving into Mid-Missouri Tuesday night.

Arrest in 1991 murder is long-overdue, Russellville residents say

February 25, 2020 4:33 PM Joe McLean

More than a dozen Russellville residents told ABC 17 News Tuesday they felt frustrated that the case took so long to yield an arrest.

Jefferson City, Cole County emergency officials consider siren alert changes

February 24, 2020 5:26 PM Joe McLean

Officials are considering a new protocol to sound sirens throughout a severe weather event.

Two hurt in Highway 54 crash at Brazito

February 24, 2020 12:48 PM Matthew Sanders

A crash caused delays Monday afternoon on Highway 54 at Brazito, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Authorities apprehended three people after a multi-county police chase ended near Ashland.

Car submerged, three in custody after multi-county chase ends in Boone County

February 22, 2020 3:31 PM Barry Mangold

BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) Authorities apprehended three people after a multi-county, multi-agency chase ended near the Columbia Regional Airport. Sgt. Scott White with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Jefferson City police began pursuing a stolen SUV around 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Authorities received information on the car from a caller who reported a theft at

Suspect arrested in 1991 Cole County killing

February 21, 2020 2:08 PM Matthew Sanders

Cole County authorities have arrested a suspect in the 1991 killing of a teen boy.

Russellville man charged in November shooting in Cole County

February 21, 2020 4:13 PM Matthew Sanders

Cole County prosecutors charged a Russellville man Friday with three felonies in connection with a November shooting on Route T.

Lincoln University to charge flat-rate tuition starting in fall semester

February 21, 2020 3:55 PM Joe McLean

Undergraduate students at Lincoln University will no longer be charged tuition by credit hour but instead, by semester.

Appeals court sides with patrol in whistle blower’s lawsuit

February 20, 2020 5:33 PM Lucas Geisler

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMIZ) A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that behavior by a whistle blower in the Missouri State Highway Patrol was not protected by the First Amendment. The three judge panel on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling tossing a lawsuit from Randy Henry against the patrol. Henry