Columbia Archives

Former state trooper, accuser take stand in sex crime trial in Boone County

January 23, 2025 3:41 PM Haley Swaino

The alleged victim in the State v. Jeffery Durbin case took the witness stand Thursday morning in the second day of what is expected to be a two-to-three day jury trial at the Boone County Courthouse.

Former MSHP trooper Jeffery Durbin is accused of sexually assaulting a woman during a law enforcement training session in the Hampton Inn & Suites Columbia two years ago. He is charged with sexual abuse and kidnapping, a felony and a misdemeanor charge.

Columbia man sentenced to 15 years for federal fentanyl trafficking charge

January 23, 2025 4:30 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was sentenced in federal court in Springfield on Thursday for a federal drug trafficking charge. The Department of Justice said in a press release that Michael Hunt, 43, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was found guilty in July of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

$8 million settlement reached in MU Health Care data breach class-action lawsuit

January 23, 2025 4:00 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit involving a data breach of MU Health Care in 2020. MU Health Care in September 2020 stated that private information about patients occurred during May 2-4 of that year. Court documents say roughly 190,000 patients were impacted. An unopposed motion for final approval

Columbia Board of Education to discuss effectiveness of AMI days Thursday

January 23, 2025 5:24 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education will be holding a meeting Thursday morning to discuss the effectiveness of Alternate Methods of Instruction. The board will be going over the feedback collected from students, staff and families after multiple AMI days due to extreme winter weather. The feedback was gathered through surveys and community

Long debated Columbia sewer extension project returns for public discussion

January 22, 2025 3:38 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA. Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia Sewer Utility is hosting an interested parties meeting on Wednesday to discuss the proposed Henderson Branch Sewer Extension to the Midway area. After years of debate and multiple failed attempts, the City of Columbia is once again attempting to expand its sewer system. On Wednesday, Columbia Sewer Utility

Versailles man among hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants pardoned this week, believes he shouldn’t have been charged

January 22, 2025 7:30 PM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Versailles man was one of the many people pardoned by President Donald Trump this week for their alleged roles in the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021. Matt Loganbill said the decision to make the 17-hour drive to Washington D.C. that day wasn’t one that was planned far out. A day

Jury trial begins for former state trooper charged with sexual abuse and kidnapping

January 22, 2025 9:18 AM Haley Swaino

A jury trial begins Wednesday for a former state trooper charged with sexual assault in the first degree and kidnapping in the third degree.

The State v. Jeffery Durbin trial is expected to last two to three days at the Boone County Courthouse.

Missouri AG’s office launches investigation into Fear Fest after 25 complaints

January 22, 2025 5:23 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Attorney General’s office has launched an investigation into a Boone County haunted house that did not open its doors this past fall. The Attorney General’s office received 25 complaints from consumers about Fear Fest, according to AG spokesperson Madeline Sieren. Columbia’s Fear Fest Haunted House made an official announcement on Oct. 31

Fulton police looking for stolen Jeep with sticker in teen murder investigation

January 22, 2025 5:13 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Fulton Police Department is looking for a maroon/burgundy 2022 Jeep Compass Sport in connection to a teenager’s shooting death. Police wrote in a Wednesday afternoon press release that suspect vehicle information was developed after investigating more than 50 leads in the death of 17-year-old Mason Sheets. Police previously said on

Conley Road in Columbia to close this week for storm pipe replacement

January 22, 2025 3:00 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Conley Road in Columbia between east Business Loop 70 and Trimble Road will close each night Wednesday through Saturday, the city public works department wrote in a Wednesday press release. The Missouri Department of Transportation will close both lanes from 7 p.m.-6 a.m. each night, the release says. Driver should plan alternative

Biden commutes sentence for Columbia man convicted for being involved in Mid-Missouri cocaine ring

January 21, 2025 7:04 PM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man who pleaded guilty to selling crack in Mid-Missouri for several years will get out of jail a decade sooner than he was sentenced. Malcolm Redmon was arrested in August 2014 by local and federal law enforcement on Sanford Avenue in central Columbia. In 2016, he was sentenced to 24 years

Former Columbia superintendent was finalist at Kansas school district; school picks other candidate

January 21, 2025 4:12 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Former Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Brian Yearwood was a finalist to lead another school district. Garden City Public Schools in Garden City, Kansas, shared on its Facebook page on Sunday that Yearwood is one-of-two candidates up for the superintendent job. A short description on its page does not directly mention Columbia Public

Pet shelters and rescues try to grapple with overcrowding

January 21, 2025 7:23 PM Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Roughly 13,000 animals entered shelters and rescues each day in 2023 across the nation and the need for more pet foster families is at a high, according national rescue group Best Friends. Melody Whitworth, director of Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue, said besides a new litter and mom they took in over the

Former Rainbow House site to become adult behavioral health center

January 21, 2025 4:25 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The former site of a Columbia children’s center has been sold to Burrell Behavioral Health, with plans to turn it into a behavioral health facility. Burrell Behavior Health announced in a Tuesday press release that it had purchased the property on 1611 Towne Drive which was the former home of Rainbow House.

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20 in Washington

Columbia Office of Sustainability says US withdrawing from Paris Agreement will not alter its plans

January 21, 2025 6:50 PM Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) President Donald Trump signed more than 200 executive actions on his first day in office Monday. One of them directed the United States to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The 2015 agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, and was signed by 194 states and the European Union in

Columbia man accused of assaulting woman at hotel, charged with four felonies

January 21, 2025 2:59 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was charged with four felonies on Tuesday after he allegedly assaulted a woman and threatened to kill her at a hotel on Monday. Maurice Lee, 34, was charged with first-degree domestic assault, second-degree kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. He is being held at the

Kansas City man pleads guilty to armed robberies in Columbia, Boonville

January 21, 2025 2:14 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court in Kansas City on Tuesday for his role in a series of armed robberies in Mid-Missouri, the Department of Justice wrote in a press release. Kentrail Collins, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, five counts of robbery, one count of brandishing

Box of puppies dropped off at Central Missouri Humane Society in the cold

January 21, 2025 11:46 AM Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A box of puppies was dropped off at the Central Missouri Humane Society on Monday evening, according to a Facebook post from the group. The post features a photo of four puppies in a Scott toilet paper box. The caption states that someone had pulled behind a Humane Society employee’s car, dropped

Frigid cold leads to area schools to call off Tuesday classes; Columbia Public Schools to have late start

January 20, 2025 4:10 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Dangerously cold temperatures have led to a number of area schools to either call off classes on Tuesday or have a late start. Overnight wind chills in parts of Mid-Missouri are expected to hit minus-20 degrees, according to the ABC 17 News Stormtrack Weather Team, who issued a Weather Alert Day for

Juvenile shots fired incident highlights ongoing issue of stolen guns in Missouri

January 20, 2025 7:38 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia police confirmed that a stolen gun was found after a shots fired incident over the weekend that led to six juveniles being detained. Two of the youth were released, while one was detained on suspicion of four counts of first-degree assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and distribution