Local News Archives

Two Columbia men charged with murder in fentanyl overdose

April 11, 2024 11:39 AM Matthew Sanders

Two Columbia men were charged with felony murder Thursday in a 2023 fentanyl overdose.

Iowa man accused of impersonating law enforcement at Saline County truck stop

April 11, 2024 11:21 AM Matthew Sanders, Ryan Shiner

A Clinton, Iowa, man was charged Wednesday after he was accused of impersonating a police officer and having an explosive at a truck stop.

Local business owners glad demolition of Plush Lounge building is underway

April 10, 2024 10:34 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, MO (KMIZ) Demolition started Wednesday on the old Plush Lounge building in Columbia. John Simon, of the city’s Building and Site Development, told ABC 17 that he is “confident that only the burned structure will need to be removed.” The surrounding buildings near the intersection of Business Loop 70 and Range Line Street include

Versailles PD: Stolen truck used to steal money from ATM at shopping center parking lot

April 10, 2024 7:07 PM Ryan Shiner

VERSAILLES, Mo. (KMIZ) A stolen Dodge pickup truck was used to steal money from an ATM machine from the West Vue Shopping Center, according to a press release from the Versailles Police Department. The release states the Dodge was stolen from a business on South Highway 5 and the suspects attached chains from the truck

Mid-Missouri school districts still battling low attendance rates four years after pandemic

April 10, 2024 11:17 AM Hannah Falcon, Morgan Buresh

The number of chronically absent students in Missouri has increased in the past five years, and some of Mid-Missouri’s largest school districts are experiencing the trend.

Southern Boone Board of Education appoints Heather Brown as new member

April 10, 2024 5:24 PM Ryan Shiner

ASHLAND, Mo. (KMIZ) Heather Brown has been picked to join the Southern Boone Board of Education, a Wednesday press release from a school district spokesman says. The Board was looking to fill a vacancy after Board member Crystal Branch passed away, according to previous reporting. Branch died on Feb. 24. The school district announced it

$5 million in ARPA money given to Missouri law enforcement, fire departments, EMS

April 10, 2024 5:03 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Public Safety approved 70 grants that totaled $5 million to first-responder agencies, a Wednesday press release from Gov. Mike Parson’s office stated. According to the release, law enforcement, fire service and EMS providers in “class three” counties applied for funds, which came from American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Columbia Public Schools to host meeting for attendance area options

April 10, 2024 4:44 PM Matthew Sanders

Columbia Public Schools will convene a special session of the board of education next week to consider new elementary school attendance areas.

Missing 3-year-old boy found, Amber Alert canceled

April 10, 2024 2:16 PM Ryan Shiner

PERRYVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) An Amber Alert that issued on Wednesday afternoon for a missing 3-year-old boy out of Perryville, Missouri, has been canceled after the boy and suspect were found. The alert – which was sent at 1:48 p.m. – stated Aziah Laurent was abducted around noon on March 19. He has brown hair and

Man accused in Sedalia shooting arrested

April 10, 2024 3:46 PM Ryan Shiner

SEDALIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who was accused of a Tuesday morning shooting has been arrested, according to a social media post from the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office. Bear Hagston was charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. He was arrested on Tuesday evening and is being held at

Boone County residents invited to discuss housing survey at meeting Wednesday evening

April 10, 2024 4:07 AM Gabrielle Teiner

HALLSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County residents will have another chance to weigh in their thoughts regarding housing in the county Wednesday night by contributing to the Boone County Housing Study. The meeting will take place at the Hallsville Community Center at 324 E. Hwy OO from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Residents are asked to

Boone County residents weigh in on housing challenges at meeting

April 9, 2024 4:27 PM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County residents on Tuesday were able to attend a of housing meeting studies meeting, the first in a series of meetings that will take place this week throughout the county. Tuesday’s meeting took place at The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri in Columbia. Owner of Amarach Planning Services, the

Dorsey executed on Tuesday night following SCOTUS denial

April 9, 2024 12:40 PM Lucas Geisler, Hannah Falcon

BONNE TERRE, Mo. (KMIZ) Convicted murderer Brian Dorsey was executed on Tuesday evening, Missouri Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann stated in a news conference. Officials were given the OK to administer the lethal injection to Dorsey at 6:01 p.m. He was dead by 6:11 p.m. The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Dorsey’s

Woman injured in Pulaski County crash

April 9, 2024 7:53 PM Ryan Shiner

PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) A 62-year-old Richland, Missouri, woman was seriously injured Tuesday in a Pulaski County crash at the intersection of Route AB and Star Lane, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The crash occurred as Eldona Marlowe “suffered a medical condition” as she was was heading eastbound on Route AB

Katy Trail to close next week at Rocheport Bridge; I-70 traffic will not be affected

April 9, 2024 7:42 PM Ryan Shiner

ROCHEPORT, Mo. (KMIZ) The Katy Trail near the Rocheport Bridge will be closed next week, according to a Tuesday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Traffic on Interstate 70 will not be affected. Contractors will be setting structural steel girders over the Katy Trail, as part of the construction of the eastbound bridge,

Columbia Public Schools will roll out weapons detection systems at high schools in the fall

April 9, 2024 11:43 AM Morgan Buresh

Columbia Public Schools approved a bid with Communications Technologies Inc. for weapons detection systems at its board of education meeting Monday night.

Springfield police: Missing girl in Amber Alert found

April 9, 2024 5:24 PM Matthew Sanders

A statewide alert has been put out for a 2-year-old girl abducted from Springfield, Missouri.

Court docs: Man charged after threatening Islamic Center students with knife, pipe

April 9, 2024 5:02 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was charged after he was accused of threatening students at the Islamic Center of Central Missouri with a knife and a pipe on Monday. Heath Garrett Waller, 38, was charged with second-degree making a terroristic threat, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree endangering the welfare of

Columbia woman charged in revenge porn case

April 9, 2024 3:46 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman was charged on Monday with nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images after she was accused of blackmailing a man in June. A warrant was ordered on Tuesday for Monet Ann-Jaiden Graves and her bond was set at $4,500. She was not in custody on Tuesday, according to Boone County Jail

Suspect claims self-defense in central Columbia killing

April 9, 2024 3:30 PM Matthew Sanders

A man accused of murder in the deadly stabbing of another man in a central Columbia park told police he was defending himself, court documents say.