Local News Archives

Tyson Smith plans to prefile legislation on dog-breeding facilities; woman appears in court for Columbia animal abuse care

November 20, 2025 4:36 PM Ryan Shiner, Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A representative for Columbia in Missouri’s state house plans on prefiling legislation about dog-breeding facilities. Democratic State Rep. David Tyson Smith wrote on his social media on Thursday that he plans on prefiling a bill that would require regular inspections at dog-breeding facilities. The announcement comes after Melissa Sanders, 26, of Columbia,

Jefferson City man faces child porn charges

November 20, 2025 3:53 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City man was arrested and charged after authorities claimed he possessed and sent child pornography. Nathaniel Devalle, 19, was charged in Cole County with first-degree promoting child pornography and two counts of child porn possession. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A court date has

Montgomery City woman accused of hitting youth with tennis racket, horsewhip

November 20, 2025 3:12 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman from Montgomery City has been charged with a plethora of felonies after she was accused of abusing three children. Shelley Denese Haislip, born 1968, was charged Wednesday in Montgomery County with four counts of abusing a child younger than 14 years old, three counts of first-degree kidnapping and three counts

Columbia police make arrest in Phillips 66 robbery; claims teen involved in other recent armed robberies

November 20, 2025 7:12 AM Gabrielle Teiner, Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy who allegedly robbed a Phillips 66 on Paris Road on Thursday morning, the Columbia Police Department wrote in a press release. Police say the teenager was arrested after a search warrant was served in the 2600 block of Quail Drive. Police claim the teenager is tied

Boone County dog breeder to be in court for bond hearing on abuse charges

November 20, 2025 5:19 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County dog breeder is set to be in the Boone County Courthouse Thursday afternoon for a bond hearing. Melissa Sanders, 26, has been charged with three counts of felony animal abuse and 15 counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. Sanders will be in front of Judge Kayla Jackson-Williams at 1 p.m.

Columbia’s Office of Violence Prevention looks to offer bus liaison contract to nonprofit

November 19, 2025 7:16 PM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia’s leader of the Office of Violence Prevention D’Markus Thomas-Brown is hoping to offer a contract aimed at deescalating situations on public transit in the city to a nonprofit organization. According to Thomas-Brown, his office plans to award the $99,840 contract to Powerhouse Community Development. The office was considering two liaisons for

2 from Columbia seriously injured in Boone County crash

November 19, 2025 10:12 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, MO. (KMIZ) Two people were seriously injured and another had moderate injuries in a Wednesday early evening crash on Highway 40 in Boone County, just east of Ivy Lane, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The report says a 2003 Honda CR-V – driven by a 40-year-old Columbia man

Columbia Fire Department holds turkey safety demonstration ahead of Thanksgiving

November 19, 2025 8:56 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Fire Department held a demonstration on turkey safety Wednesday at its training academy on Big Bear Boulevard. Thanksgiving is next week and firefighters showed the dangers of improperly frying a turkey. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, five people die each year and dozens more are injured in accidents

Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission opposes Columbia City Council’s proposed median ordinance

November 19, 2025 8:40 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Bike and Pedestrian Commission voted to write a letter of opposition to the Columbia City Council on a proposed ordinance that would regulate the use of medians, road crossings and islands. On Wednesday, the Columbia Bike and Pedestrian Commission reviewed the ordinance that had drawn large crowds at a City

Intervention deadline set in Ameren’s request to build transmission line in Montgomery, Callaway counties

November 19, 2025 8:29 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Public Service Commission has set an intervention deadline of Dec. 12 for a certificate of need and necessity that was requested by Ameren to build a 28-mile transmission line in Montgomery and Callaway counties. The release says Ameren believes the transmission line “is necessary to connect the Grain Belt Express LLC’s

Missouri Supreme Court hears arguments on voter law changes

November 19, 2025 3:55 PM Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Supreme Court convened Wednesday to hear arguments on two appeals related to voter laws. Both suits were filed by the NAACP and League of Women Voters in 2022 following the passage of House Bill No. 1878, which changed state rules related to elections, including sections dealing with voter registration,

2 charged in connection with Centralia burglary where over $9,000 worth of items were taken

November 19, 2025 7:04 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two people have been charged in connection with a burglary that occurred last month in Centralia that resulted in roughly $9,000 worth of items being stolen. Chase Wyatt, 39, of Centralia, was charged with stealing more than $750. He was also charged in another case on Thursday with passing a bad check.

Missouri ranks 37th in preterm birth rate in 2025 report

November 19, 2025 11:52 AM Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri ranks 37 out of 52, which includes the 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, for preterm birth rate, according to the 2025 March of Dimes report. Missouri had an 11% preterm rate in 2024, which is the same as in 2023. St. Louis had the highest preterm birth rate at

Woman accused of embezzling from Boonville nonprofit now charged in Boone County

November 19, 2025 2:23 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman accused of embezzling nearly $50,000 from a Boonville nonprofit has now been charged with a similar crime in Boone County. Jennifer Waibel, 52, of Boonville, was charged last week in Cooper County with stealing more than $25,000. Her bond in that case was reduced and she is no longer listed on the Cooper

Moniteau County man charged with first-degree child molestation

November 19, 2025 6:08 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man from California, Missouri, was charged in two separate cases on Wednesday. Addison Dunafon was charged with first-degree child molestation in one case and tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution in another. A no-bond warrant was issued in the child molestation case. He was also charged earlier this year

Top floors of 2 downtown Columbia parking garages to close for winter

November 19, 2025 5:31 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The top floors of two downtown Columbia parking garages will close for the winter next week. Beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, the top floors of the Fifth and Walnut Parking Garage and the Short Street Parking Garage will be closed to all traffic and parking, according to a Wednesday press release from

State looks to revoke POST license of former Centralia cop charged with domestic assault

November 19, 2025 4:57 PM Ryan Shiner

EDIT: This article has been corrected. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The state is looking to revoked the POST license of a former Centralia police officer who is charged with several felonies. Curtis Higby, of Mexico, Missouri, was charged earlier this year in Audrain County with two counts of first-degree domestic assault, a count of armed criminal

Woman dies in Pulaski County crash on Interstate 44

November 19, 2025 4:25 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman was killed in a crash Tuesday night in at the 150-mile marker of eastbound Interstate 44 in Pulaski County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The report says a 2012 Dodge Ram – driven by the 48-year-old Lebanon, Missouri, woman – was stopped in the

Influx of dogs from breeder abuse case puts CMHS at capacity

November 19, 2025 4:00 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Central Missouri Humane Society is out of space to take in new dogs after it saw an influx of canines from a Columbia animal abuse case. Last week, dog breeder Melissa Sanders, 26, was charged with three counts of felony animal abuse and 15 counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. Sanders runs

MSHSAA responds to AG’s accusations, says it does not discriminate

November 19, 2025 3:24 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri State High school Activities Association in a Wednesday press release says it does not discriminate. The release comes after Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick said in Tuesday press release that it would investigate MSHSAA after claims of racial and sex discrimination. A person described as