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Columbia Public Schools, Jefferson City School District among several districts canceling Wednesday classes for snow

4:40 PM

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools will not be in session Wednesday with a snowstorm expected to dump several inches of snow on Mid-Missouri. CPS sent out alerts to parents at about 4:30 p.m. saying classes would be canceled and students would be expected to study “alternative methods of instruction.” CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark wrote

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CPS nears limit on AMI days as Mid-Missouri districts work around snowy winter

6:39 PM

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)  Columbia Public Schools was among several Mid-Missouri districts to announce a shift to remote learning or class cancellations due to forecasted snowfall for Wednesday. After Wednesday, CPS will have just one remaining Alternative Method of Instruction day before it would need to extend the school year. Missouri law requires public school districts

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Anthem Medicare Advantage plans no longer in-network at MU Health Care starting April 1

10:27 AM ,

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield customers using Medicare Advantage plans will no longer pay in-network rates at University of Missouri Health Care clinics and hospitals starting April 1. The insurance giant, which has about 2 million members in Missouri, failed to reach a deal to cover those plans in-network after negotiations, MU

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Columbia Police Officers Association announces more endorsements for city elections

2:42 PM

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Officer Association on Tuesday announced more endorsements for the April 8 municipal elections. The CPOA in November announced that it would endorse Blair Murphy for mayor. The mayoral race consists of Murphy, incumbent Barbara Buffaloe, Tanya Heath and certified write-in candidate Lucio Bitoy. The April election includes races for

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Man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in electrocution death gets probation

2:22 PM

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man who pleaded guilty in December to manslaughter was sentenced to probation. Justin Scott Trader pleaded guilty on Dec. 9 to second-degree involuntary manslaughter and first-degree tampering with a vehicle. He was originally charged with second-degree murder, vehicle tampering and first-degree property damage. He was sentenced to five years of probation, according

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QUESTION OF THE DAY: Are you concerned that NIH grant cuts could hurt the University of Missouri?

4:17 AM

The Trump administration sent shockwaves through the medical research establishment last week with an announcement that the National Institutes for Health would cut grant funding for research. Much of that research goes to universities, including the University of Missouri System. MU alone took in $70 million in NIH funding in fiscal 2024, according to official

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CPD encounters 181 incidents requiring force in 2024, guns fired at someone six times

10:08 PM

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department responded to 114,533 incidents in 2024, a Monday evening press release says. Of those incidents, 78,276 were responses to citizens calls for service, while police initiated 36,257 incidents themselves. 4,320 people were also arrested in 2024, according to the release. CPD officers came across 181 incidents requiring the

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CPS employee salaries considered ‘highly competitive’ within relative labor market, study shows

4:32 PM

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools employee salaries are considered “above market and highly competitive,” a Gallagher benchmarking study found. The study was done to ensure competitiveness within the external market, according to a presentation from the district. Gallagher worked with CPS to identify a group of comparator organizations based uponorganization size, budget size, location

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