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Local Politics

Columbia mayor recommends delaying vote that could ban gaming machines

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia’s mayor is recommending the City Council table a vote that could ban gaming machines. Previous reporting shows the city was looking at banning unregulated machines known as “gray machines” or “no-chance machines.” The machines have been described as being “skill-based,” which has brought up questions of legality.  The Columbia ban would

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New Bloomfield city clerk resigns

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The city clerk of a Callaway County town has resigned. John Joyce put in for his resignation on Feb. 6 and his last day as city clerk was Friday. First Ward Alderwoman Katie Lawrence was named the acting city clerk. The city declined to provide Joyce’s resignation letter. City attorney Nathan Nickolaus

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Boone County prosecutor seeks judgeship, Jefferson City legislator seeks clerkship on filing’s first day

EDITOR’S NOTE: Melissa Buchanan’s current job has been corrected. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County’s top prosecutor wasted no time putting in his name for an associate circuit judge seat on Tuesday, while the term-limited state House member serving Jefferson City filed for Cole County clerk. Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson signed his paperwork less than

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State Sen. Fitzwater to take job at Missouri Technology Corporation; won’t seek reelection

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The state senator who serves Callaway and Montgomery counties said Monday that he will not seek reelection, instead taking a job with a public-private economic development partnership. Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit), announced on his Facebook page Monday — the day before filing for the August primary begins — that he

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Jefferson City Council approves revised police hiring incentive, 911 facility study

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Jefferson City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved modifying a hiring incentive for police officers. The council at its regular meeting upped the lateral transfer incentive from $10,000 to $15,000. Prior to this, the $10,00 lateral transfer was paired with a $5,000 hiring incentive for non-licensed academy recruits, according to meeting documents.

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Local election authorities say a verification tool used in Missouri flagged citizens for removal from voter rolls

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is asking local election authorities to verify voters’ citizenship status after a federal program flagged people for potential illegal status. However, many county clerks have spotted citizens on the list. Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon said Hoskins sent her a list of 74 voters in November whose

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CPS, charter schools ask to pause hearing after charter applications expected to be resubmitted in March

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Both parties in a lawsuit over charter school applications in Boone County asked a judge on Friday to vacate a hearing next week after Saint Louis University rescinded its application for Frontier Schools. Columbia Public Schools filed a lawsuit last month, claiming the establishment of charter schools in Boone County is unconstitutional.

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Kehoe recognizes officers involved in shooting of Ralls County murder suspect

JEFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Gov. Mike Kehoe during his State of the State address on Tuesday recognized the law enforcement officers who exchanged gunfire and killed a Ralls County homicide suspect last year. Kehoe recognized Randolph County Sheriff’s Deputy Lt. Nathan West, Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dustin Harrison and Sgt. Derrick Powell while promoting

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