COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Plenty of folks want to be on a school board in Cole County. Each board of education race in that county has drawn a number of candidates that at least doubles the number of seats available. Every ballot across Mid-Missouri will feature local races, including municipal governments and school boards. More on
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) This April election will be a busy one for schools, ambulance and fire districts and 911 centers. Ballots in Mid-Missouri are packed with issues that ask voters to raise or extend taxes to keep public safety operations funded. Such taxes are on the ballot in counties that include Callaway, Cooper, Howard, Maries,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission is set to meet Thursday night to discuss a potential housing project near the University of Missouri campus and another on the south side of town. The first development up for discussion will be “The Retreat at Columbia,” located 350 feet north of Gray Oak Drive.
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Awareness of alpha-gal syndrome is growing. The disease can affect people bitten by lone star ticks, and those bites are growing in frequency, as shown by the increase in emergency room visits related to tick bites. Alpha-gal syndrome leads to an allergy to mammal products, food and otherwise. Its presence in Missouri is known, but
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia residents had an opportunity to weigh in on a proposed irrigation ordinance Wednesday night that city officials say is necessary to manage growing water demands. A public hearing was held at 6 p.m. at City Hall, where City of Columbia Utilities officials presented details of the ordinance to 13 residents in
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A number of roads in Macon and Chariton counties are closed because of flooding after storms went through the area on Wednesday evening. The potential threat of storms and heat led to the ABC 17 News Stormtrack Weather Team to issue a Weather Alert Day for Wednesday, and the most-northern counties in
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Moberly man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to fraudulently obtaining $284,840 through COVID-19 pandemic-era financial assistance, according to a press release from the Department of Justice. Steven Hendren, 33, pleaded guilty in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud. He will be sentenced on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Hendren was indicted in
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Human trafficking is believed to impact at least 27.6 million people globally, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Large sporting events like the upcoming FIFA World Cup create a prime environment for traffickers, with big crowds helping them fly under the radar. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said Wednesday that her
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick on Wednesday urged Gov. Mike Kehoe to balance the state’s budget, saying current spending is jeopardizing Missouri’s fiscal health. Fitzpatrick stated in a news release that the fiscal 2027 budget increased spending from the state’s general revenue fund. The state is expected to spend more than $1.7
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 31-year-old man from Lebanon, Missouri, drowned at the Lake of the Ozarks on Wednesday afternoon, according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The report says the man entered the Niangua River, “just off big Niangua Arm” became trapped in a low-head dam and drowned. The man was pronounced
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As the World Cup kicks off on Thursday, soccer fans in Columbia will have an extra hour to celebrate in select bars. Last year, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed House Bill 1041, allowing bars to remain operational for up to 23 hours a day during the World Cup. However, the Columbia City Council
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Another business that sells kratom has agreed to suspend sales in the state, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced in a Wednesday afternoon press release. The release says Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading, LLC, also known as RRR, agreed to immediately stop selling 7-OH and “other kratom alkaloids.” 7-OH is a synthetic form
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) From the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to sleep, Columbia woman Rebecca McCorkle, 47, has to be on alert for an allergic reaction. “It can bring on a lot of depression and anxiety because our world is so centered around food and socialization,” McCorkle said. “It’s a serious
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Jefferson City filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the operator of the Quality Inn over records regarding its lodging tax. Court documents show the city is suing DEAA Hospitality and Paresh Patel, of Peoria, Illinois, for not submitting records for the city’s lodging tax at the June 1 City Council meeting. The
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 32-year-old Jefferson City man has been accused of sexually abusing a child from 2019-23. Dakota Benton was charged with statutory sodomy of a child younger than 14 years old and first-degree child molestation. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Tuscumbia man died in a house fire early Wednesday in the 2000 block of Highway 52, the Miller County Coroner’s Office announced in a Wednesday social media post. The post says Thomas W. Snodgrass was found dead in the home after crews put out the fire. He was 69 years old.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Charges have been dropped against a Mexico, Missouri, man accused of shooting and killing his brother more than two years ago. Charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon against Stephen Welch were dropped last week, said Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney Jacob Shellabarger. Boone County Prosecuting Attorney
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As temperatures are starting to heat up across Missouri, there are ways people can stay cool and potentially save money, as some Mid-Missourians will see an increase in their utility bills. In Columbia, the Electric Utility implemented a 2% increase for customers in October. Liberty Utilities customers in multiple Mid-Missouri counties are
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Bad news for Social Security — the trustees tasked with overseeing the fund say it’s going to run out earlier than expected. Social Security’s trust fund will run dry in 2032 without changes, and taxes will only cover 78% of the obligation to retirees. Solutions exist to fix the problem with Social Security, but they
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman who was sentenced last month in a Cooper County embezzlement case was sentenced to probation in her Boone County case on Friday. Both cases make a combined total of over $63,000 of stolen funds. Jennifer Waibel, 53, of Boonville, pleaded guilty on Friday in her Boone County case to stealing
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