COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia City leaders unanimously approved a new design to the Douglass Park basketball courts during Monday night’s council meeting. The city had been having discussions about changing the basketball courts since 2023. It was announced in 2023 that the courts would honor Willie Cox, a former assistant coach of the University of
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council on Monday night unanimously approved plans to for a culvert replacement project Old Plank Road. The design and construction will cost $620,000, with the city funding $337,000 of the amount, according to estimates in meeting documents. The memo indicates $282,763.10 will be provided by the Missouri Department of
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia is considering a 1% public safety sales tax to help close the multi-million dollar gap in its police and fire retirement fund and support improvements across both departments. Public safety makes up nearly half of the city’s general fund spending for fiscal 2026, with about $66 million budgeted
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Customer demand at the Columbia Regional Airport is expected to surge as American Airlines expands its flight schedule, United Airlines returns, and Allegiant Airlines adds new service.
The increasing number of passengers flying in and out of COU has sparked the need for additional parking.
To address the issue, the city is considering amending its fiscal year 2026 annual budget to expand the airport’s south parking lot.
Continue Reading Columbia, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia city leaders will discuss design plans for the Old Plank Road culvert project during Monday night’s city council meeting. According to the council agenda, city officials said the existing culvert– originally built in 1986– has significantly deteriorated over time. In December 2020, a structural inspection determined that approximately 90% of the
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The City of Columbia is looking to crack down on unregulated gaming machines with a new ordinance set to be presented Monday.
“Gray machines” or “no-chance machines” are similar to randomized slot machines but feature skill elements or sometimes the ability to show the outcome of the next roll. This requires the player to make a decision or skill-based action to play, making the legality of the games murky.
The ordinance was initially requested by the city council in October 2025 to address concerns about gaming machines. According to city documents, more than a dozen businesses operate a gaming machine.
The ordinance would make it illegal to offer the use of an electronic gaming machine, with violations being punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or 30 days jail time.
The ordinance will be on first reading at Monday’s city council meeting. The law requires that an ordinance be read three times for public notice before the Council votes on it, according to the city’s website.
The memo adds that if approved, CPD may need to adjust arrest and processing procedures, and enforcement of the rule may be delayed.
On Feb. 10, 2026, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway also focused on unregulated gaming enforcement by suing five businesses with gaming machines in Dunklin County.
The Columbia City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia city council members will hear a presentation on Monday proposing a one-percent sales use tax to help generate funds for fire and police services. A presentation scheduled for a pre-council meeting on Monday showed the tax would generate an estimated $38 million in additional revenue for the city. According to the
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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
Continue Reading 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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