COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) With the federal government shutdown over and SNAP benefits restored, local nonprofits say the demand for emergency assistance remains, and CoMoHelps will continue taking requests for at least another week. The collaborative relief fund — relaunched in October as SNAP benefits were halted — has now allocated nearly $60,000 to 11 agencies, according
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Department of Justice confirmed on Tuesday that the name of a law enforcement operation that led to several arrests in Columbia last week was named after a song by The Killers. Operation Brightside — which resulted in 33 arrests and 19 indictments for mostly illegal gun possession – was named after
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Holts Summit man pleaded guilty on Friday to three felonies in a January 2024 hammer attack at a Columbia bar. Kurtis Hoener pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree assault and one count of armed criminal action. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the charges. Court documents in
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Maxwell Warren, a student at the University of Missouri, was recently accused of strangling someone at a residence hall after being blocked on Snapchat. The 18-year-old Kansas man was charged on November 3 with first-degree burglary, second-degree domestic assault, first-degree domestic assault and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: AI was used to help research the initial version of this story. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Missouri National Guard soldier and former University of Missouri police officer has filed a lawsuit against the university’s board of curators, claiming wrongful termination while he was deployed overseas. Jakob Hans Wetter alleges in a lawsuit filed
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies announced at a news conference Monday they arrested 33 individuals in a “warrant sweep” in Columbia. The Department of Justice says all but one of these arrests were for felony charges. 33 arrests 19 federal indictments 21 felony state warrants 6 residential search warrants In
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who killed two women while driving on Interstate 70 in Columbia in 2024 was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison. Walter Montejo pleaded guilty to lesser charges in connection with the deadly crash in September. As part of the plea, Montejo was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman who is accused of embezzling money from nonprofits in Boonville and Columbia is back in jail. Jennifer Waibel, 52, of Boonville, is being held at the Cooper County Jail for a Boone County warrant, according to online jail records. She was booked into the jail at 1:48 p.m. Monday and
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two people were accused of stealing weed, oil and thousands of dollars from a Columbia home this past weekend, hours after police had conducted a death investigation. David Stroup Jr., 51, and Uneeda Stroup, 48, both of Alaben, Missouri, were charged with second-degree burglary, stealing more than $750 and stealing drugs. They
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) University of Missouri System President Mun Choi says he is supporting the City of Columbia’s proposed median ordinance, but hopes to see other safety measures in place. “I really do enjoy working with the mayor and she has been very supportive of the police department. But, we all recognize that there’s more
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A case where police allegedly found 17 pounds of methamphetamine in a diaper bag in a Cyber Truck has moved to federal court. Asia Schafer, 24, were charged in federal court last week with conspiracy to distribute and three counts of possession with the intent to distribute; while Kenneth Williams, 41, was
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Monday after she pleaded guilty last month to two felonies. Whitney Nevels-McKee, 37, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in October to six felonies, including armed criminal action and carjacking. She is being held at the Boone County Jail. She was accused of shooting
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 33-year-old Columbia woman was charged with two felonies after she was accused of repeatedly using a phone charger to hurt a youth. Breashia Grant was charged on Monday in Boone County with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree domestic assault. She is being held at the Boone County
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has started a statewide investigation into numerous kratom manufacturers and distributors operating in Missouri. In a news release, Hanaway said the investigation follows reports that kratom consumers may be exposed to unapproved and unsafe opioid-like drugs that have been marketed with deceptive methods. “We are deeply
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A second organization has announced its plan to establish a privately run and publicly funded school in Boone County. Frontier Schools has applied to open a school starting in the fall of 2026 or 2027, according to a news release from the Missouri Charter Public School Association. Charter schools are public schools
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COLUMBIA, MO. (KMIZ) With Thanksgiving just around the corner, medical experts are reminding families to keep safety at the heart of their celebrations. Overeating and holiday stress can pose health risks, especially for people with underlying conditions, according to experts, so planning your meals carefully is key. Macaroni, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes are staples
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Around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, about 200 cars wrapped around the Parkade Center in Columbia, nearly two and half hours before the Powerhouse Community Development Corporation was supposed to start giving out free turkeys and food boxes.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The NCAA Cross Country Championships drew one of the largest crowds Gans Creek has ever seen — and that turnout is expected to bring in more than a million dollars into the local economy. Mizzou Cross Country Assistant Head Coach Paige Duca confirmed to ABC 17 News on Saturday that 6,085 tickets
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More than 100 volunteers were waking up early Saturday morning to help with Columbia’s first-ever NCAA Division I National Championship.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Organizers are expecting a large crowd for Saturday’s NCAA Cross Country Championship, and that could mean heavy traffic around the Gans Creek Concourse. Fans planning to attend must purchase parking passes online in advance—no passes will be sold on-site. Tickets for the event are still available and can be purchased online the
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