Cooper Archives

Authorities continue search for Mengqi Ji at the Lamine River

May 8, 2020 7:51 PM Zach Boetto

Crews returned to the De Bourgmont Access at the Lamine River near Highway 41 in search for a missing Columbia mother.

Authorities continue to build levee in search for Mengqi Ji

May 7, 2020 8:26 PM Zach Boetto

COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ) Crews gained ground Thursday on the Lamine River levee construction to aid in the search for Mengqi Ji. Authorities began building the levee in order to get heavy machinery onto the river in attempt to reach the south column of the Highway 41 bridge where they believe Mengqi Ji may be located.

Crews return to Lamine River in search of missing mom

May 6, 2020 9:37 PM Zach Boetto

COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ) Search teams returned to the Lamine River on Wednesday, in search of a missing Columbia mother. “Our goal is really to gain some closure for the family and to truly investigate to a point where we find evidence of her body and close the case,” Brittany Hilderbrand, a Columbia Police Department spokesperson

Building of Lamine River levee in missing mom search begins

May 5, 2020 6:49 AM Brittany Wiley

The De Bourgmont Access on the Lamine River in Cooper County closed Tuesday to allow Columbia police to continue searching for a missing Columbia mom, Mengqi Ji.

Columbia police to build levee on Lamine River to find missing Columbia woman

April 29, 2020 3:43 PM Sydney Olsen

The Columbia Police Department announced Wednesday it will work with local and state partners to build a levee at the Lamine River to help in the search for a missing woman.

Missouri River bridge back open after several crashes

April 12, 2020 9:48 PM Sydney Olsen

ROCHEPORT, Mo. (KMIZ) Traffic came to a standstill at the Missouri River bridge near Rocheport Sunday. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F, one car crashed on the bridge causing traffic to stop. Then a tractor trailer hit another tractor trailer. At least one person was injured during the crashes.

Boonville casino lays off 350 workers, cites COVID-19

April 8, 2020 2:54 PM Matthew Sanders

The Isle of Capri casino company notified the state that it will lay off 350 workers because of COVID-19.

Search back on for man who jumped into Missouri River

March 30, 2020 1:57 PM Matthew Sanders

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said it resumed its search Monday for a man who was seen jumping into the Missouri River.

Highway patrol searching for male in Missouri River

March 29, 2020 6:21 PM Sydney Olsen

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is searching for a male in his 30s in the Missouri River.

Cooper County Health Department says person with COVID-19 visited Isle of Capri

March 22, 2020 10:28 PM Matthew Sanders

Cooper County health authorities said Sunday that a patron of Isle of Capri casino in Boonville tested positive for COVID-19.

Bunceton R-IV dismisses early for gas leak

March 10, 2020 8:20 AM Matt Ragsdale

Cooper County R-IV in Bunceton released early Tuesday morning after a gas leak was reported inside the school.

MoDOT Central District sign and a filled pothole.

MoDOT: ‘Potholes are blooming’

March 7, 2020 5:12 PM Zach Boetto

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Transportation says crews will be focusing on repairing potholes through April. “There is a lot more than we’ve seen in previous years,” said Adam Pulley the Central District communications manager for MoDOT. According to a report from MoDOT, in 2019, the department patched roughly 730,000 potholes worth an

Crews to replace Cooper County bridge next week

February 27, 2020 7:25 PM Katie Greathouse

Crews with the Missouri Department of Transportation are scheduled to replace a bridge in Cooper County next week.

The Missouri River bridge often gets slick in winter weather.

Missouri River bridge dangerous in winter weather

February 26, 2020 8:46 PM Molly Stawinoga

Drivers on the I-70 Missouri River bridge in Rocheport should take extra caution during winter weather, fire officials said.

Highway patrol: Slow down and look ahead in slick conditions

February 26, 2020 5:31 PM Amber Tabeling

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers were sent to 59 crashes Wednesday — more than in any of the four previous winter weather events this year.

Howard County continues to recover from spring flooding

February 25, 2020 5:02 PM Sydney Olsen

Flooding in the Spring of 2019 caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and forced some people to evacuate their homes.

Criminal defense attorney speaks about alleged strangulation in Elledge case

February 20, 2020 7:46 PM Sydney Olsen

A second probable cause statement filed in the murder case of a missing Columbia woman alleges her husband may have strangled her.

Joseph Elledge pleads not guilty to three felony charges.

Former prosecuting attorney speaks about Elledge murder charge

February 19, 2020 9:59 PM Sydney Olsen

Prosecutors charged Joseph Elledge with first-degree murder Wednesday in connection to the disappearance of his wife Mengqi Ji Elledge.

Cooper County Clerk sues commission over tax contract

February 18, 2020 12:14 PM Connor Hirsch

The Cooper County Clerk has filed a lawsuit against the county commission and individual commissioners claiming a contract for tax services from 1991 is still enforceable.

MU Health Care plans to open Boonville clinic, Pinnacle also plans to reopen Boonville hospital

February 13, 2020 11:43 AM Matthew Sanders

The company that owns a Boonville hospital plans to reopen the facility as it goes through bankruptcy court.