Deadly pedestrian crash prompts new safety measures in Taos
About two months after a deadly pedestrian crash in Cole County, solutions are in the works to make crosswalks safer.
Continue ReadingCole
Cole County man charged with second-degree rape
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Cole County man was charged over the weekend with second-degree rape. Charles Jacobs Jr., 41, of Henley, is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled. The probable cause statement says the alleged victim accused Jacobs of raping her Friday morning at her
Continue Reading
21-year-old Kansas City man dies in Cole County crash, 79-year-old woman seriously injured
COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) A 21-year-old Kansas City man died from injuries he suffered in a crash on Wednesday on Highway 54 at Monticello Road in Cole County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The report says the man drove a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta southbound and was attempting to cross
Continue Reading
Jefferson City Council approves revised police hiring incentive, 911 facility study
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Jefferson City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved modifying a hiring incentive for police officers. The council at its regular meeting upped the lateral transfer incentive from $10,000 to $15,000. Prior to this, the $10,00 lateral transfer was paired with a $5,000 hiring incentive for non-licensed academy recruits, according to meeting documents.
Continue Reading
Cole County towing contract signed despite confusion and concerns
Tension boiled over at Tuesday morning’s Cole County Commission meeting, leaving the signing of a towing contract tabled.
The county was set to sign with Broadway Wrecker Service after awarding it a bid last week to be the towing and storage company for the sheriff’s office.
Continue Reading
Friends of former Cole County farmland owner consider next steps after land was auctioned off
COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) The friends of Lawrence Renn Junior, who owned 178 acres of land and wanted to turn it into a county park, are considering the next steps after the land was sold in an auction. Hawthorn Bank is the trustee of the Renn Trust, which included the farmland, and what Renn’s friends
Continue Reading
Jefferson City man charged after high-speed chase across two counties
COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Cole County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges Friday against a Jefferson City man arrested following a high-speed chase that spanned two counties. Donraye Roper, 20, faces one count of aggravated fleeing a stop or detention. No court hearing has been scheduled as of Friday night. According to the probable cause statement,
Continue Reading
Cole County judge rules in favor of the state in special session lawsuit
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Cole County judge ruled this week that Gov. Mike Kehoe acted within his legal authority when he called a special session for redistricting. The decision, issued by Judge Christopher Limbaugh, confirms the legality of the session and the resulting House Bill 1, which redraws Missouri’s congressional district. The NAACP challenged
Continue Reading
Mental exam ordered for Jefferson City man accused of stabbing wife to death
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Cole County judge on Wednesday ordered a mental examination for a Jefferson City man accused of killing his wife last month. Malang Akbari, 46, is charged in Cole County with first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child and armed criminal action. He is being held at the Cole County Jail
Continue Reading
Trail crossing sign posted near site of fatal July crash on Katy Trail
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A “trail crossing ahead” sign has been posted near the site of a fatal crash that occurred over the summer. A 9-year-old boy was killed on July 25, 2025, after he was hit by a pickup truck in the 12000 block of Cole County Road 391, previous reporting shows. The boy
Continue Reading
Wisconsin sex offender arrested in Holts Summit charged with being fugitive from out of state
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A sex offender from Wisconsin who was arrested Tuesday in Holts Summit has been charged in Callaway County. Donavan Ducane, 26, was charged on Wednesday with being a fugitive from out of state. He is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was scheduled for 8:30
Continue Reading Law enforcement detains man in Holts Summit with Wisconsin warrant
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A police helicopter was enlisted for the search for an out-of-state fugitive in Holts Summit on Tuesday. The Holts Summit Police Department asked the public to avoid the 900 block of Halifax Road while officers search for someone with an out-of-state warrant, according to a Tuesday afternoon press release from the department.
Continue Reading
Cole County Courthouse hosts another bench trial over congressional map
Editor’s Note: AI has been used in background research for this article COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The battle for Missouri’s true congressional district map continued Tuesday as the state and the ACLU returned to the Cole County Courthouse for a bench trial on whether a new mid-decade congressional map is already in effect. The ACLU, representing
Continue Reading
Woman accused of murder faces another felony charge in Cole County
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman who is charged with murder and other crimes in Cole County is facing yet another felony charge. Rejeane Redmon, 29, of Jefferson City, has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with evidence. She was committed in 2024 and it was extended on Oct. 24, court filings
Continue Reading
Tanner Bridge Road to close later this month
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Tanner Bridge Road bridge over the Moreau River will close later this month, according to a Monday press release from Cole County Public Works. The closure will begin Monday, Feb. 23 between Friendship Road and Route B, the release says. Don Schnieders Excavating Company, Inc. was awarded the $2.1 Million contract
Continue Reading
Late Cole County farmer’s land sold at auction Saturday after three-year legal battle
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.
Continue Reading
Pedestrian hit on Cole County road
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
Continue Reading
Hawthorn Bank asks judge to dismiss lawsuit over farmland auction
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 Group sues to block land auction of Cole County farmland that was originally intended to become a county park
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
Continue Reading
Montgomery County man charged with statutory rape, sodomy, child molestation in Cole County
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
Continue Reading