COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) In less than a month, more than a million children across Missouri will be shoving notebooks into their backpacks, sharpening their pencils and walking down the halls of their schools for the new school year. While having all the right supplies on the first day is important, making sure you have all
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) For the first time in more than 15 years, the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services will not be offering flu shots in local schools during the fall semester. The free flu vaccines were previously offered by the Health Department each fall for students in preschool through 12th grade. The change
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Calls to Missouri’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline have risen significantly each year since the hotline launched three years ago, according to data from the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The free, three-digit hotline launched on July 16, 2022, connecting users to crisis call centers across Missouri. It provides support for individuals
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BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) The first night of the Boone County Fair kicked off Tuesday evening with the use of a weapons detection systems loaned by Columbia Public Schools. CPS loaned the fair a total of four systems and two-to-four will be used depending on the day and volume of fair goers. It’s an upgrade
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A space for Mid-Missouri women to get specialty treatment for breast cancer is now available to them with a unique store inside. Boone Health Breast Care’s new clinic, which is set to fully open early next year, will provide services including breast cancer screenings, diagnostic imaging, breast-conserving surgeries, mastectomies with or without
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Negotiations are still ongoing between MU Health Care and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, but a state senator is alleging they could be close to a deal. A spokesman with MU Health Care told ABC 17 News in an email that the hospital system talked with Anthem throughout the day on Friday,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Veterans Commission’s veterans suicide prevention report that was published this week shows 171 veterans in the state died by suicide in 2022. The report shows that 42.6 of every 100,000 Missouri veterans died by suicide, higher than the national average of 34.7 of every 100,000. Guns made up roughly three-quarters
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) From large mortar fireworks to sparklers, the Boone County Fire Protection District is reminding people to stay aware of potential dangers when using fireworks this Fourth of July weekend. The Consumer Product Safety Commission found there were 11 reported fireworks-related deaths and 14,700 injuries in 2024. This marked an increase of about
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Monday’s Missouri Senate committee hearing brought University of Missouri Health Care and Anthem to the table, but not to a solution, as both groups walked away without a clear plan to cover the health care of thousands of Mid-Missourians. In testimony, both MU Health Care and Anthem claimed to have made
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As negotiations remain at a standstill, officials from MU Health Care and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will testify before a Missouri Senate Committee Monday afternoon. Since April 1, over 90,000 patients previously covered by Anthem have been in limbo, with many struggling to pay for care out-of-network. Troubles started after a
Continue Reading The Missouri Senate’s Insurance and Banking Committee is set to hear testimony from University of Missouri Health Care and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield on Monday, in an effort to break the stalemate in insurance negotiations.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Renovations planned for the Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center are aimed to improve accessibility and enhance the experience for families, according to city officials. City officials on Friday afternoon held a public input meeting at the pool and will be accepting input online through July 24. Proposed renovations at the Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic
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More and more people are saying they’ve experienced mental health issues, reports show. Those who study mental illness have noted a marked increase since the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the groups that have seen the jump is youth. The latest Boone County Community Services annual report shows a marked increase in youth needing mental health help
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COLUMBIA, Mo. Boone County’s Community Services Department reported a nearly tenfold return on investment through its Children’s Services Fund, according to its 2024 annual report. The annual report, which began in 2014, evaluates services funded by the 2012 voter-approved sales tax, which supports programs for Boone County youth ages 19 and younger. Between 2019-23, the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Hot temperatures have arrived in Mid-Missouri, turning playground equipment into potential burn hazards for children. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year more than 200,000 children go to the emergency room with injuries from playground equipment. Jefferson City Parks and Recreation says a young girl was injured at the Community
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Editor’s note: Additional financial information about Anthem was added on June 25, 2025, as was information from an updated statement provided by MU Health Care. A paragraph describing the timeframe in which operating gains occurred for MU Health Care has been corrected. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)Â Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield says negotiations with MU Health
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Natural Resources said it needs more information and clarity from the City of Columbia on its plan to mitigate and track human waste and trash from homeless camps getting into water. DNR’s Water Protection Program Director John Hoke told the city in a May 30 letter that the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The National Drowning Prevention Alliance reminded people of proper water safety in in lakes and rivers in a Facebook post Saturday. The group said it can take as little as one minute for an adult to drown. According to Stop Drowning Now and the U.S. Fire Administration, drownings are preventable. Around 10
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As Independence Day approaches, Missourians are lighting up the sky — and the nation’s spending charts. Fireworks sales at seasonal retailers began on Friday, marking the start of one of the busiest and most-explosive stretches of the year. According to U.S. trade data from Lending Tree, Missouri imported $85.7 million worth of
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week released a study showing a sharp rise in unintentional fall deaths among older adults. The report found that from 2003 to 2023, death rates from falls increased by more than 79% for adults aged 65 to 74. For those ages 75 to 84,
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