Plenty of Montgomery County residents are worried about Amazon and other companies building large data centers on tracts of undeveloped land. Critics say data centers strain local electrical and water systems, and they packed the Montgomery County Commission room Thursday to tell elected officials and economic development leaders about it. But Steve Etcher with the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Dozens of Montgomery County residents packed the County Commission Room Thursday to voice their concerns against a possible Amazon data center entering the region. A major concern for residents is the data center’s environmental impacts, including noise pollution, chemical runoff and over-pumped wells. According to the International Energy Agency, large-scale data centers
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Amazon is planning to build a data center north of Interstate 70 in Montgomery County. The retail and cloud computing giant has secured land and now needs a building permit from the county for its data center between New Florence and High Hill, said Steve Etcher with the Greater Montgomery County Economic
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has started a statewide investigation into numerous kratom manufacturers and distributors operating in Missouri. In a news release, Hanaway said the investigation follows reports that kratom consumers may be exposed to unapproved and unsafe opioid-like drugs that have been marketed with deceptive methods. “We are deeply
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) EDITOR’S NOTE: AI was used to help research the background for this story. SSM Health is negotiating with UnitedHealthcare, with a deadline of Dec. 31, when the current contract runs out. If an agreement is not reached by the end of the year, patients with UnitedHealthcare coverage would lose in-network access
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia is considering a special taxing district for Business Loop 70 that would divert taxes from future development to the companies undertaking those projects. Columbia City Council members met Monday morning to discuss implementing tax incremental financing as a way to revitalize the Business Loop. City Manager De’Carlon Seawood
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Schnucks is helping out Missourians who lost their November SNAP benefits with a food drive at all stores across the state starting Thursday and running through Nov. 11, according to a press release. The chain is asking people to donate shelf-stable, nonperishable items like canned goods, noodles and pasta sauce. A manager
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia police officers could be on hand to help with traffic outside the new Trader Joe’s all weekend. Mid-Missouri residents welcomed Trader Joe’s Thursday morning, as the grocery store officially opened its doors at 9 a.m. The opening of the store attracted many shoppers. Some expressed traffic concerns about the opening in
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department will dedicate extra resources for the Trader Joe’s grand opening in Columbia on Thursday. A CPD spokesperson said extra officers will be assigned to the area, and some off-duty officers will work traffic control. Trader Joe’s will be located at 201 N. Stadium Blvd. at the Shoppes at
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Department of Justice will begin handling claims of a Columbia businessman misusing a pandemic-era relief plan — an allegation he denies. Federal attorneys unsealed the case on Oct. 7 against Greg DeLine and three of his companies — GKD Management, Midwest Mortgage Association and Amega Sales. The DOJ is considering whether
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will increase its reimbursement rates paid to University of Missouri Health Care by 3.5% each year under a deal reached this summer. The deal, which was agreed to in August but took effect retroactively on April 1, was the result of months of negotiations between the insurance
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County was middle-of-the-pack among the state’s biggest counties in wage gains over the first quarter of the year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week. Wages reported to the bureau increased by close to 3% in Boone County in the first quarter, which covers the period of January to March.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Workers from the union chapter LiUNA 955 are demanding better pay from MU Health Care, ahead of wage negotiations planned for later this month. About three dozen workers gathered outside of University Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, with the hopes of making MU Health Care hear their concerns. According to union representative Andrew
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Workers at the Shangri-La Dispensary in south Columbia are no longer unionized. Union workers collectively negotiate with their employer for better wages, benefits and working conditions. Workers fought to unionize at the south Columbia dispensary in early 2023. Workers told ABC 17 News at the time claimed the company retaliated against workers
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Ameren Missouri applied last week with Missouri’s utility regulators to build a 2.5-megawatt solar power facility in Callaway County. The utility is asking for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity to build and operate the facility, known as the Reform Solar Project. Ameren said it June that it would restrict access to
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The story has been updated to correct information about the Puri Group’s purchase of the property. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Nearly a decade after its closure, the Truman Hotel is coming down. Puri Group Enterprises, the building’s owner, said Tuesday that criticism from the community over the deteriorating building was the motivation behind
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Increases in rent and medical costs drove Midwest inflation in July compared to the year before, but prices for food and energy fell for the month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Year-over-year inflation in the Midwest, including Missouri, was up 2.6% in July, the bureau stated in a news release
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The state revoked a Columbia liquor store’s license to sell alcohol this week after the owners failed to answer multiple allegations. The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control revoked Spring Creek Liquor and Convenience Store’s license on Thursday after the owners did not appeal, a state spokesperson told ABC 17 News.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Homeowners living near the site of a planned subdivision in east Columbia are raising concerns about traffic and other issues. Troy Miller Properties LLC is asking the City of Columbia to approve a development plan for 77 new housing units on 24.13 acres off East Broadway near the Brooks subdivision. The Columbia
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The cause of a fire that severely damaged a well-known bar in downtown Columbia earlier this month is still under investigation, according to a report from the Columbia Fire Department. McNally’s Irish Pub on Sixth Street caught fire on July 1. The fire started in the main room of the bar, according
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