Lake of the Ozarks Archives

Wentzville man drowns at Lake of the Ozarks

July 3, 2025 9:29 AM Madison Stuerman

A Wentzville man drowned on Wednesday evening at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Eldon man arrested after Miller County standoff

June 30, 2025 7:26 PM Ryan Shiner, Matthew Sanders, Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 44-year-old Eldon man remained in jail Tuesday afternoon following his arrest after a standoff at a Miller County home. Lawrance J. Giddens, 44, was charged on Tuesday with four counts of illegal gun possession, one count of illegally possessing an illegal weapon and a count of resisting arrest. Giddens held deputies

St. Louis woman injured at Lake of the Ozarks Saturday

June 29, 2025 10:20 PM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, MO. (KMIZ) A St. Louis woman was seriously injured Saturday at the Lake of the Ozarks after being thrown from a tube. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, the incident happened near the 45 mile marker just before 6 p.m. A 2001 Lowe Pontoon was towing a tube that the 30-year-old woman

Man injured in Lake of the Ozarks boat explosion

June 27, 2025 8:54 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 35-year-old man suffered moderate injuries after a boat exploded and sank at the Lake of the Ozarks on Friday. A Missouri State Highway Patrol report indicates a 1986 Wellcraft Cabin Cruiser exploded after the driver – a 70-year-old St. Joseph man – started the motor. The 35-year-old man from St. Joseph

Camdenton man charged with DWI in crash that led to serious injuries

June 6, 2025 3:38 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Camdenton man was charged with four counts of driving while intoxicated in connection with a crash on May 16 that led to two people having serious injuries. Phillip Peterson, 54, was charged on Friday with two counts of DWI causing serious injuries and a pair of counts of DWI causing injuries.

Winds from severe storms damage buildings, down trees and power lines in Camden County

June 4, 2025 8:51 AM Madison Stuerman, Olivia Hayes

Severe storms hit northern Camden and southern Morgan Counties on Tuesday night, causing significant damage and leaving over 1,300 Ameren customers without power in the Lake of the Ozarks area.

2 seriously injured in Camden County boat crash

June 3, 2025 2:44 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man and a woman were seriously injured Monday evening in a boat crash at the Lake of the Ozarks, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The report says the crash occurred at the 31-mile marker of the main channel at the mouth of Big Niangua. The

3 arrested after refusing to leave site of Lake-area bar brawl

May 28, 2025 4:41 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Three people were arrested and charged with misdemeanors after refusing to leave an establishment after a bar fight in Morgan County on Sunday. Nicole Patricia Kusgen, 50, of Jefferson City, was charged with first-degree trespassing, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. She posted a $10,000 bond and was release from the Morgan

Trump approves major disaster declaration for March, April storms

May 23, 2025 7:45 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) President Donald Trump has approved two of Missouri’s major disaster declaration requests for severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that occurred March 14-15 and March 30-April 8, according to a Friday press release from the governor’s office. “This is important and very welcome news for the Missouri families and communities hit hard by

Construction of Versailles roundabout scheduled to begin Wednesday

May 6, 2025 3:12 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The construction of a roundabout in Versailles will begin Wednesday evening at the intersection of Highway 52 and Highway 5, according to a Monday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Work was originally expected to start on Monday. Work will take place 6 p.m.-6 a.m. Monday through Friday through mid-June,

Lake of the Ozarks resort to open in 2026

May 6, 2025 12:27 PM Madison Stuerman

The Oasis at Lakeport entertainment district in Osage Beach is now expected to open in Summer 2026, with the amusement park and parking garage scheduled for that summer, and the resort and water park expected to open in the first quarter of 2027.

One person, multiple pets die in Gravois Mills house fire

April 16, 2025 5:42 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) One person and multiple pets died in a house fire Wednesday in the 9000 block of Acorn in Gravois Mills, according to a press release from the Gravois Fire Protection District. The release says that firefighters were called to a residential fire at 5 a.m. and multiple occupants were trapped inside. One

Eldon woman found after endangered person advisory

April 2, 2025 3:34 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 51-year-old Eldon woman was found safe after a missing person advisory was issued for her. MSHP wrote that Christy Hayes has been missing since 4:30 p.m. March 25 at 111S Oak Street in Eldon. The release says that Hayes left the Eldon Police Department to go back to her residence in

La Belle man hurt after crashing fishing boat at Lake of the Ozarks

March 28, 2025 8:11 AM Gabrielle Teiner

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. (KMIZ) A 49-year-old La Belle man was seriously hurt and arrested after a boat crash at the Lake of the Ozarks Thursday morning, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The report states the man was recklessly driving a fishing boat near the 33 mile marker

FEMA to join preliminary damage assessment for last week’s storms

March 20, 2025 4:52 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office announced in a Thursday press release that FEMA will participate in preliminary damage assessment for storms that rolled through Missouri last week. Kehoe’s office asked FEMA to join the assessment on Monday. Joint PDA teams are made up of representatives from FEMA, SEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration

Fast-moving fire burns 15 acres near Bagnell Dam

March 19, 2025 1:45 PM Matthew Sanders, Mitchell Kaminski

LAKE OF OZARKS, Mo. (KMIZ) A fast-moving wildfire burned about 15 acres of land near Bagnell Dam on the Lake of the Ozarks on Wednesday. Lake Ozark Fire Protection District firefighters were called to Valley Road, near the dam, at 11:12 a.m., the district says in a news release. Firefighters used the terrain and natural

Sunrise Beach man sentenced to 120-day program for deadly 2023 boat crash

March 7, 2025 4:48 PM Dan Kite

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Sunrise Beach man was sentenced to serve a 120-day program in the Missouri Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to a 2023 boat crash that left one person dead and multiple people injured. Bobby Gene Childers will spend 120 days in the state prison system. He could be paroled if he

Camden County commissioner charged with two felonies over alleged license-plate camera theft

March 6, 2025 4:44 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Mid-Missouri presiding county commissioner was issued a summons Thursday for two felonies and a misdemeanor related to the alleged theft of a license plate camera on New Year’s Eve. Todd Isaac Skelton, better known as “Ike,” is charged with felony stealing and tampering with a service along with obstructing government operations,

Autopsy complete for missing Lake of the Ozarks toddler

March 4, 2025 8:47 PM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The investigation of two-year-old Iszabella Obryan’s death at the Lake of the Ozarks is still ongoing as the medical examiner completed an autopsy of Obryan’s body today. The results, any suspects, and Obryan’s photo are still yet to be released. Several agencies around the Lake of the Ozarks searched for Obryan on

Lake of the Ozarks fish kill attributed to natural conditions

March 4, 2025 2:31 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Natural Resources said Monday that the source of a fish kill at the Lake of the Ozarks was weather. The department wrote in a news release that it received several reports of dead fish in the lake. Investigators found that the fish — a species called gizzard shad