Cole Archives

Guardian of disabled student makes claims of discrimination, assault in lawsuit against Russellville School District

June 2, 2026 4:46 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The legal guardian of a child with cerebral palsy filed a discrimination lawsuit on Monday against the Russellville School District and a number of its employees. Daryl Matheis sued the Cole County R-1 School District, along with teachers and paraprofessionals, after claiming disability discrimination, sex discrimination, retaliation, battery, assault and false imprisonment.

Cole County sheriff wants sales tax on ballot next spring

June 2, 2026 11:28 AM Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Cole County sheriff made a pitch to county commissioners Tuesday for a sales tax to expand the jail. Sheriff John Wheeler pitched to commissioners a half-cent sales tax that would expire after bonds used to expand the jail are paid off. Wheeler asked for the issue to be on the

Cole County judge rules for state in income tax ballot issue challenge

June 1, 2026 4:41 PM Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Cole County judge ruled Monday in favor of the state, rejecting claims that a ballot issue to eliminate Missouri’s income tax violated the state constitution. Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh ruled against the plaintiff, Jill Owens, on all four counts and declared the judgment final after Gov. Mike Kehoe decided last

Crash in Cole County claims Jefferson City man’s life

June 1, 2026 8:36 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City man is dead after a crash in Cole County Sunday evening. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, a 46-year-old man was driving a 2015 Jeep Wrangler on Route CC south of South Fox Moor Court just after 4:30 p.m. in Cole County. The man traveled off

New judge assigned to 1991 murder case out of Russellville

May 29, 2026 4:52 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A new judge was assigned on Friday to a Cole County murder from 1991. William “Chris” Niemet, of Fulton, is charged with first-degree murder in a 1991 death of his classmate in Russellville. Niemet, of Fulton, is accused of killing his classmate, Greg Jones, in April 1991 in Russellville. Jones was 14. Niemet

Judge to hear lawsuit over Missouri income tax ballot question

May 29, 2026 8:26 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Cole County judge is set to hear arguments Friday morning in a lawsuit against Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and multiple lawmakers over language used for the ballot question of eliminating state income tax. Jill Owens from Kansas City, who is spearheading the lawsuit, claims that the ballot question

11-month-long improvement project at Highways 54 and 63 to start next week

May 27, 2026 6:42 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A road-improvement project just north of Jefferson City is expected to begin next week and will last nearly a year. Beginning Monday, June 1, Missouri Department of Transportation crews will start widening Westbound Highway 54 from Highway 64 to the Missouri River Bridge, according to a Wednesday press release from MoDOT. A

August ballot packed with issues

May 27, 2026 4:14 PM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Voters in Jefferson City and Columbia will be asked to approve new sales taxes this summer, while voters statewide will decide on whether to phase out the income tax. Ballot issues were due to election authorities on Tuesday, creating the first picture of which questions will appear on the Aug. 4 primary

Woman accused of selling 1,000 ounces of someone else’s breast milk

May 27, 2026 2:57 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An Eldon woman was charged on Tuesday in Cole County after she allegedly sold 1,000 ounces – or roughly 62.5 pounds – of someone else’s breast milk that she led a customer to believe it was her own. Emily Buckley is charged with committing deceptive business practices. Court filings show she posted

Cole County Public Works to buy five speed radar signs

May 26, 2026 6:07 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Cole County Public Works is spending $20,900 to buy five speed radar signs that will be used around the county. Public Works Director Eric Landwehr told ABC 17 News in a statement that Henwick Lane will be the first road to see the signs placed. “We have had numerous citizen complaints regarding

Cole County homicide suspect takes Alford plea

May 26, 2026 1:47 PM Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Callaway County man has made an Alford plea to reduced charges in a 2017 Cole County homicide. Zacchaeus D. Silva pleaded guilty earlier this month to accessory to second-degree assault in the beating death of Jerry Robertson on April 20, 2017, court records show. Silva had been indicted with second-degree

Home health aide accused of stealing $2,200 from 78-year-old woman

May 22, 2026 4:18 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A home health aide was charged on Friday in Cole County after authorities claimed she stole $2,200 from an elderly woman in October 2025. Elondra Johnson-Lopez, of Holts Summit, was charged with stealing more than $750 and financially exploiting an elderly person. She was not listed on the Cole County Jail roster

Woman who poisoned spouse gets probation in Cole County

May 20, 2026 11:47 AM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman initially charged with attempted murder for sneaking a poisonous plant extract into her husband’s smoothies has been given probation. Judge Daniel Green last week sentenced Sarah E. Scheffer, who now lives in Sullivan, Missouri, to five years of supervised probation with a suspended sentence after she pleaded guilty to third-degree

Public safety takes center stage in new Missouri laws

May 16, 2026 8:29 PM Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) This year’s legislative session brought a major focus on public safety, as state leaders pushed a series of new laws aimed at protecting Missourians. In April, Governor Mike Kehoe signed two bills targeting child safety, along with legislation designed to strengthen law enforcement and public safety efforts. One of those measures,

1991 murder case now being tried by Missouri AG’s office

May 13, 2026 10:41 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Fulton man who is accused of killing his Russellville classmate in 1991 will have his case tried by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. William “Chris” Niemet’s first-degree murder case was refiled Wednesday in Cole County with Miranda Loesch, of the AG’s office, and Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson listed as the

Crash takes out power to part of Cole County

May 13, 2026 12:43 PM Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A crash took out electricity close to hundreds of Ameren Missouri customers Wednesday just after noon. Ameren’s outage map reported 472 customers without service centered in the Apache Flats area of western Jefferson City just before 2 p.m. Restoration work could last hours, the map says. Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt.

Two arrested after multi-county chase

May 12, 2026 4:02 PM Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Law enforcement arrested a man and woman late Monday after a chase went through three counties, according to a news release from the Cole County Sheriff’s Office. The chase started when Cole County deputies tried to stop a Dodge Charger near Greenbrier Road and Monticello Road. The driver didn’t stop, and led

Respect Missouri Voters turns in more than 360,000 signatures to Missouri Secretary of State

May 3, 2026 9:55 PM Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The political action committee Respect Missouri Voters submitted 362,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State on Sunday for an initiative petition that would require Secretary Denny Hoskins to write clear and unbiased ballot language. The group advocates that this amendment will make it harder for politicians to undo what Missouri

Woman seriously injured in Cole County crash

May 2, 2026 10:41 AM Marie Moyer

A Waynesville woman was taken to MU Hospital on Saturday evening after being seriously injured in a Cole County crash.

Jefferson City man accused of early morning attempted gas station robbery

May 1, 2026 12:55 PM Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City man was charged Thursday after he allegedly tried to rob an Eagle Stop gas station in Eugene. Bakari Moody, 28, was charged with first-degree attempted robbery, armed criminal action and fourth-degree assault, which is a misdemeanor. Moody allegedly went into the Eagle Stop in Eugene at about 3