COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Sophia Danh attends Hickman High School in Columbia as a freshman, and goes to class alongside her usual classmates. But she said there’s a feeling of uncertainty that lingers in her mind from time to time. Danh said her parents are immigrants, and though most of her family are citizens but it
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Cole County R-1 School District will not hold class on Wednesday and Thursday because of widespread illness. The district made the announcement in a Tuesday evening social media post. The school district did not say what illness caused the closure and said it would monitor the situation before making a decision
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A fifth-grade student in the Moberly School District died after an accidental shooting over the weekend, the district said in a statement Tuesday, “Our hearts are with the student’s family, friends, classmates, and all those affected by this tragic loss,” Superintendent Cristina Wright wrote in the statement. “The district is providing counseling
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The Missouri Department of Education has until June to create a plan to implement a new system for grading schools in the state, following Gov. Mike Kehoe’s announcement of an executive order signed during his State of the State address.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Fulton Public Schools announced in a Thursday press release that Morgan Beamer will be the high school’s next principal. Beamer is currently in her third year as the principal of Fulton Middle School and will begin her new role July 1 and has previously served as an assistant principal in the district.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Parks and Recreation Commission will discuss a recently approved family reunification agreement at its Thursday night meeting. The City of Columbia approved the agreement with Columbia Public Schools at its Jan. 5 City Council meeting. The agreement – which runs through June 30 – stats that students can go to
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Fulton mom has been charged with a felony and a misdemeanor after she allegedly put methamphetamine in her child’s backpack on Monday. Alexus Peppers-Wright, 28, was charged on Tuesday in Callaway County with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and misdemeanor illegally possessing drug paraphernalia. She is being held at
Continue Reading JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe outlined his legislative priorities for the upcoming fiscal year during Tuesday’s State of the State address, calling for significant budget cuts as Missouri confronts a looming fiscal imbalance. Kehoe’s proposed budget includes about $600 million in cuts to the core operating budget, reducing total spending from $55.1
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education unanimously passed its new policy on artificial intelligence. The policy focuses on “generative AI,” which creates text, images, videos and other media. The new policy set forth by the Missouri School Boards’ Association says that the district must have an AI coordinator, who will monitor advancements, risks
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former cheerleading coach at Mexico High School was sentenced to five years of probation on Monday in Audrain County court. Janae Nunnelly, 26, of Mexico, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Oct. 14 to having sexual contact with a student. She faces four years in the Department of Corrections, if she violates her
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The fallout from the ICE shooting that killed a woman in Minnesota continued Friday, as vigils were held across the country. The FBI has taken over the investigation, and state investigators in Minnesota have been blocked from accessing key evidence connected to the case. A candlelight vigil for Renée Good and all
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) University of Missouri closed its bid portal on Friday for companies looking to shoot their shot at enhancing game day experiences. The university has laid out three zones with eight properties on university land as potential commercial development sites. There will be three development zones: Development Zone No. 1: North Campus/Central Business
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Carlos Graham is the newest member of the Jefferson City Board of Education. Graham was unanimously picked by the board to take the open seat left by former board President Erika Leonard. The board made its decision by a public vote during its Thursday night meeting. Graham was sworn in immediately
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) On the first day of the 2026, the Southern Boone High School and Middle School Director of Bands spent the day representing Mid-Missouri at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Band director T.J. Higgins said he was selected in a nomination process to march in a group of 350 band directors from
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Tuesday was the deadline to file in non-charter city elections around the state for the spring. Election Day is Tuesday, April 7. The last day to register to vote is March 11. The certification date for candidates is Jan. 27. Jefferson City Council Two seats on the Jefferson City Council will be
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor after he allegedly admitted to stealing from Mizzou football tailgate sites “for years.” Reginald Dent, 64, was charged on Tuesday in Boone County with two counts of stealing more than $750 and a count of misdemeanor stealing. He posted a $9,500
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Editor’s note, 12/30/2025: The story has corrected information on the Jefferson City School District’s candidate filing deadlines. COLUMBIA, Mo. Candidates for most local elections in April 2026 must file by 5 p.m. Tuesday, including races for the Columbia Board of Education and city council seats in Jefferson City. In Columbia, filing is closing for the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia College announced in a Monday press release that its Board of Trustees have named Toby Arquette as its next president. Arquette will become the school’s 19th president on March 1, succeeding David Russell, who announced his retirement earlier this year. The release says Arquette is currently at St. Ambrose University in
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The national unemployment rate is at its highest point in nearly four years at 4.6% recorded last month, and hiring trends are slowing as thousands of college graduates prepare to enter the workforce. The U.S. unemployment rate has ticked up since hitting a 54-year low of 3.4% in April 2023, reflecting a
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Editor’s note: A paragraph previously referencing another education organization has been corrected to reflect that the proposal was passed by the Columbia Board of Education. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Missouri state lawmaker is pursuing legislation aimed at limiting superintendent payouts and protecting taxpayers, building on a proposal originally put forward by Columbia Public Schools. State
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