COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A Columbia citizen utility board recommended the city consider building a high-voltage electric transmission line through the southern part of the city. The Water and Light Advisory Board made the decision at its Wednesday meeting. The board wants the Columbia City Council to consider a route across Nifong Boulevard, Vawter School
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council discussed two potential options to build a new electrical transmission line at their council work session on Monday night. Both options would connect the Perche Creek and Grindstone substations. The plans to build transmission line infrastructure between these two stations has been in the works for more than
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City of Columbia and University of Missouri leadership have held multiple meetings to discuss public safety since a downtown shooting in the fall focused attention on violent crime. But some Columbia City Council members are asking why the meetings can’t be opened up to the public. Meetings so far have taken place with only part
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Some of Columbia’s political leaders are hopeful the public can be more involved in discussions surrounding public safety. The city had at least three meetings that included University of Missouri officials in 2025 in an effort to curb crime after the shooting death of Aiyanna Williams in September 2025. Another meeting is
Continue ReadingCOLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Realtors hosted the first candidate forum for the 2026 municipal elections in April. Candidates for the Columbia School Board and City Council introduced themselves and spoke on a variety of topics. Four candidates are running for three open seats on the school board. Those candidates include current school
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The chair of Columbia’s Citizens Police Review Board is asking City of Columbia leaders to undo restrictions put in place more than a year ago. Council members voted 4-2 in September 2024 to limit the complaints against police officers the CPRB can review, stripped its power to make recommendations on police department
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Starting July 1 this year, the City of Columbia is set to roll out its recently approved median ordinance. The City of Springfield, Missouri, has had a similar median rule in place since 2018. Both ordinances focus on medians in intersections with speed limits of 35 miles per hour or higher, average
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia’s city staff is seeking public feedback on a proposal to convert a 2.5-mile section of the COLT Railroad into a public-use trail. The project focuses on a stretch of track located along Paris Road, extending from Rogers Street to East Brown Station Road. City officials are gathering community input to decide whether to
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Homelessness Report (January 2026)Download COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A report from the city of Columbia shows that homelessness fell in 2025. The report states that 309 homeless individuals were counted during the annual survey in Boone County in 2025. That’s down from the 323 people recorded the year before. The count was conducted on one night
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council will consider changes to how the city responds to emergencies at Monday night’s meeting. The proposed changes would make the Columbia Fire Department chief the city’s emergency operations manager. It would also make the Columbia Fire Department the lead agency in responding to disasters. Every city department would
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The Columbia City Council could vote Monday on an ordinance that would prohibit people from standing or sitting in medians. The idea has support from those who want to see panhandlers gone from busy intersections along roads such as Broadway, Stadium Boulevard and Providence Road. However, critics say the ordinance targets panhandlers and protesters and
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The Columbia City Council is expected to vote on a median ordinance on Monday. If passed, people would be prohibited from standing on medians that are on major roadways.
The ordinance was tabled at a November meeting and pushed back to February to allow all council members a chance to vote, hear comments and review additional information from city staff, according to a city council document.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Growing up in St. Louis in the ’90s for Lonnie Lockhart Bey wasn’t easy. He was met with challenges and hardships that led him down a path he hadn’t planned. That adversity eventually led to him becoming affiliated with a gang. Lockhart Bey says the word “affiliated” is key. “One of the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia plow crews will report for duty at 10 p.m. Friday night in preparation of impending snow that is expected to hit the area. The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team is indicating that 6-9 inches could fall throughout Boone County this weekend. The area is in a winter storm warning through Sunday.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission struck up a conversation around data centers Thursday night. On the commission’s agenda was defining data centers, where they should be and under what conditions. Adding the definition to amend the zoning code could take three to five months. Defining the standards, such as where the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia is working with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform to find the reason for violent crime in the city. The Office of Violence Prevention Advisory Committee met Thursday morning to discuss what data is necessary for the institute to begin its analysis on gun violence. GVPA Data
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COLUMBIA, Mo. The City of Columbia Sewer Utility is proposing to replace a privately maintained sewer system near the intersection of South West Boulevard and West Stewart Road. If approved, the utility would construct a new public sanitary sewer to serve the affected property owners. According to Assistant Utilities Director Tom Ratermann, the project will
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Editor’s note: The votes on the issue for the Wards 1 and 3 councilwomen have been corrected. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council on Tuesday rejected the development of new triplexes known as Ashford Place, following intense pushback from residents. “No” votes consisted of Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, Ward 2 Councilwoman Vera Elwood, Ward 3
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Police numbers, sidewalk improvements, homelessness and improved housing opportunities are the top priorities of more than 800 Columbia households that responded to the city’s annual Community Survey Findings Report. 2025 Columbia MO Survey ReportDownload According to city documents, the survey was completed by 804 random households. Around 84% of survey respondents have
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Three shootings in Columbia have left one person dead and four people hurt in the first 19 days of 2026. The shooters in two of the shootings have not been identified and arrested, police say.
According to Columbia police dispatch logs, officers responded to eight calls for shots fired and 16 calls for shots heard from Jan. 1 to Jan. 19, 2026.
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