Cole Archives

Republican Senate District 6 candidates push for fiscal responsibility, low taxes

July 27, 2026 11:33 AM Haley Swaino

Missouri’s 6th Senatorial District has been represented by Republican Mike Bernskoetter since 2019. As his time serving Camden, Cole, Miller and Moniteau counties comes to an end due to term limits, voters have six Republican hopefuls vying to fill the seat.

Seeking the nomination in a crowded GOP primary are candidates Amber Buckles, Derrick Spicer, Todd “Ike” Skelton, Lisa Thomas, Rudy Veit and Jake Vogel.

Organizers prioritize security and safety ahead of Cole County Fair opening

July 26, 2026 9:17 PM Sutton Parker

JEFFERSON CITY Mo. KMIZ The Cole County Fair organizers say they are not taking any chances when it comes to safety this year ahead of the gates opening to the public Monday. The fair will begin tomorrow at 5 p.m. and will run through August 1st. Hundreds of people are expected to attend this year.

Jefferson City woman seriously injured in jetski crash on the Osage River

July 25, 2026 11:20 PM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 43-year-old Jefferson woman was seriously injured in a jetski crash on the Osage River Saturday evening. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the woman was a passenger in a 2021 Kawasaki STX 160 being driven by a 23-year-old Jefferson City man. At around 6:15 p.m., the man was driving west from

Appeals court reverses Cole County murder case dismissal

July 24, 2026 4:37 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Missouri appeals court has reversed a decision made by a Cole County judge in a decades-old murder case. Judge Emily Fretwell had dismissed charges against William “Chris” Niemet earlier this month. Niemet, of Fulton, is charged with first-degree murder in a 1991 death of his classmate in Russellville. Fretwell had dismissed

Boone County now at 53 cyclosporiasis cases

July 22, 2026 4:52 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Eight new cases of cyclosporiasis were reported in Boone County on Wednesday, according to a spokesman from the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services. Total cases in Boone County now sits at 53, a jump from 45 on Tuesday. Cole County’s health department reported seven total cases on Wednesday. The Missouri

Charges against Jefferson City man accused in deadly crash dropped after lab results come back clean

July 21, 2026 2:58 PM Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Cole County Prosecutor’s Office has dropped charges against a man who was accused of driving under the influence in a fatal crash after his blood sample came back clean. Jervontaye I. Warmack was charged in November with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and driving while intoxicated. Police said he hit a

GOP candidates for House District 60 say Amendment 5 high on voters’ minds

July 21, 2026 2:51 PM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Republican candidates hoping to represent Jefferson City in the Missouri House say they’re hearing a lot on the campaign trail about one issue — a ballot measure that would phase out state income tax, if approved by voters. Missouri’s 60th District covers Jefferson City south of the Missouri River. The seat

First-degree murder charge filed against Jefferson City inmate serving 1,000-year sentence

July 21, 2026 3:54 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City inmate was charged with first-degree murder and other charges after authorities claim he killed another inmate on June 4. Brandon Cole Smith, 43, of Licking, was charged on Tuesday in Cole County with first-degree murder, violence to an inmate and armed criminal action after a grand jury indictment was

Inspection report of JC senior care facility reveals improper medication disposal and storage, former employee speaks out

July 16, 2026 5:46 PM Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An April inspection report obtained by ABC 17 News from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services shows improper medication disposal and storage at Heisinger Bluffs Senior Living in Jefferson City. A Jefferson City man filed a wrongful death lawsuit last week against the facility with claims of medical negligence, not

Cyclosporiasis cases nearly double in Missouri; Boone County up to 13 cases

July 16, 2026 11:48 AM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) In about a week, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has reported that cases of cyclosporiasis in Missouri has nearly doubled from 43 to 80. “There are more cases across the country than we usually see in an entire year,” DHSS said in a Facebook Post Thursday. The Columbia/Boone County

Former DESE employee files lawsuit after allegedly being fired over Charlie Kirk meme

July 16, 2026 1:40 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A lawyer who worked for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has filed a lawsuit against its commissioner. Lindsey Phoenix, of Columbia, filed a lawsuit against Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger on Monday, claiming retaliatory termination and that her First Amendment rights were violated. The petition alleges that after the shooting

Holts Summit man charged with statutory rape, sexual abuse

July 16, 2026 12:58 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Holts Summit man was charged with two felonies after he was accused of sexually abusing a child on July 13 in Cole County. Fernando Yordi, 23, was charged with first-degree statutory rape of a person younger than 14 years old and first-degree sexual abuse of a victim younger than 14 years

Men’s reentry program fills recovery gap in mid-Missouri

July 15, 2026 4:07 PM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) More than a month after opening its doors, one of Jefferson City’s only accredited sober living homes for men is already full, with six more people waiting for a bed. Landmark Recovery’s Men’s Sober Living Home opened on June 1 helps men with reentry into the workforce. Residents include men who may

Cole County raising the salary for election judges

July 14, 2026 8:01 PM Melissa Houston

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo (KMIZ) Cole County election judges will see a pay increase starting with the August election, marking the county’s first wage increase for these workers since 2019. Previously, Cole County election judges made $120 per day along with $15 for training. But under a newly appointed plan, judges will now receive $210 per

Man who took Alford plea in 2017 homicide case gets sentenced to probation

July 14, 2026 5:14 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Callaway County man who took an Alford plea in May in a 2017 Cole County homicide case was sentenced to probation on Monday. Zacchaeus Silva, of Williamsburg, pleaded guilty in May to accessory to second-degree assault in the beating death of Jerry Robertson on April 20, 2017. He had been indicted

Cole County deputies arrest man wanted for murder in Franklin County

July 13, 2026 3:47 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Cole County deputies arrested a man on Monday who is wanted for murder in Franklin County, a press release from the Cole County Sheriff’s Office says. Jacob T. Davis, 30, was arrested at 11:30 a.m. Monday in the 700 block of Cliff Street on suspicion of second-degree murder and first-degree drug trafficking.

Cole County lawsuit questions whether pit bull should be euthanized after biting deputy

July 9, 2026 7:42 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ) A Cole County family is asking a judge to stop the county from euthanizing its pit bull, arguing the dog does not meet Missouri’s definition of a dangerous dog and that previous biting incidents occurred only when law enforcement officers entered the family’s property without advance notice. Keith Nilges filed the lawsuit

Power returns in Cole County; Osage County sees hundreds without power

July 9, 2026 7:28 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Nearly 1,300 Ameren customers were without power in Cole County on Thursday. The outage began at 7:14 p.m., after a strong cell entered the area. There were 1,264 customers without power at 7:54 p.m. Power was mostly restored before 9:50 p.m. Ameren’s map then showed Osage County having 537 customers without power

Jefferson City man accused of having child porn, stealing fishing rods

July 9, 2026 8:52 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City man was charged with possessing child sex abuse materials on Thursday in Cole County. Kaeden Turner, 24, is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond in this case. He has a bond review in a second case he was charged in this week for 10:30 a.m. Friday.

Lohman man pleads guilty to federal child porn charges

July 8, 2026 3:15 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Lohman man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to federal child sex abuse material charges, according to a press release from the Department of Justice. Anthony Dale Pitts-Fugate, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child sex abuse materials in separate cases. Charges were filed in 2023. The release says an undercover