Elon Musk is done with governing. The tech billionaire said Wednesday that he is stepping down immediately from his role with DOGE, which has made waves with its job cuts and other moves to reduce government spending (critics point out that government spending hasn’t actually gone down). May 30 had long been eyed as an
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A crash in the westbound lane of Interstate 70 led to a lane of traffic becoming blocked on Wednesday night. A viewer at 10:14 p.m. said they saw the crash occur minutes before in the westbound lane and said multiple cars were involved. Boone County Joint Communications sent a notification at 10:17
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The story has been corrected to remove a reference to fighting teens being armed. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 16-year-old is in custody on suspicion of taking part in a fight that led to a deadly shooting Tuesday just outside Columbia. The teen suspect and the victim were part of groups that had met
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) More than a month after a tornado destroyed Columbia’s recycling facility, nearby cities are grappling with an influx of recyclables. Columbia’s recycling program has been suspended since the April storm that leveled the city’s facility, forcing the closure of curbside collection and all eight drop-off centers. Curbside pickup is still active, but
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang issued an order vacating her previous rulings that allowed abortions to continue in Missouri. The action withdraws Zhang’s own prior orders and is procedural with the Missouri Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday that stopped the enforcement of state abortion regulations. The high court ordered Zhang to end
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Several Mid-Missouri law-enforcement agencies are taking part in active-shooter training at the Community R-6 school district until the end of the week, the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Wednesday social media post. The post said the training occurred Wednesday and would last until Friday. “Passersby and residents will notice
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City man who is currently incarcerated has been charged with several child sex crimes dating back to 2012. Joe Stevens, 39, was charged on Wednesday in Cole County with two counts of first-degree statutory rape, one count of forcible rape, three counts of forcible sodomy, three counts of first-degree child
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Three people were arrested and charged with misdemeanors after refusing to leave an establishment after a bar fight in Morgan County on Sunday. Nicole Patricia Kusgen, 50, of Jefferson City, was charged with first-degree trespassing, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. She posted a $10,000 bond and was release from the Morgan
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two people charged with first-degree murder in Benton County in a Columbia man’s death appeared in court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. Michael Birnbaum, 28, and Kayley Birnbaum, 35, both of Springfield, Missouri, are charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. They are being held at the Benton County Jail
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday ended a ruling that stopped the enforcement of state abortion regulations, telling a Jackson County judge to try again. The ruling says that Judge Jerri Zhang applied the wrong legal standard when she approved a preliminary injunction in December 2024 to block the enforcement of state
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Gov. Mike Kehoe is calling lawmakers back to Jefferson City. The primary purpose — a public financing package to help keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. Kehoe laid out his plans Tuesday for a special session that will take place next month. The main piece of the session will be legislation to
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A spokesman for the Boone County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Tuesday night that one person was shot and killed in a neighborhood north of Clark Lane. Brian Leer, of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, said an 18-year-old man was shot and killed on North Frideriki Drive. Fire Department dispatch logs showed there
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Gov. Mike Kehoe unveiled plans for a special session to take up legislation to incentivize sports teams to stay in Missouri and fund capital projects like a University of Missouri nuclear reactor during a Capitol news conference Tuesday. Kehoe will bring lawmakers together next month to discuss financial incentives for stadium
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BENTON CO, Mo. (KMIZ) Two people were arrested in Springfield, Missouri, on Sunday and charged with murder in connection with the 2021 death of a Columbia man. Cody Garrett, 28, was reported missing on June 21, 2021. Benton County deputies found Garrett’s vehicle and remains off the trails near a bike park outside Warsaw, Missouri.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Experts urge outdoor enthusiasts to gear up with gloves, hats and bug spray as warmer weather marks the start of tick season in Mid-Missouri. According to the CDC’s Lyme disease tracker, about 27 cases of Lyme disease per 100,000 people were reported in 2023, a record high. This surge marks a clear
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The trial over the second-degree arson charge of a Columbia restaurant owner is scheduled for February. Crystal Umfress is charged with felonies in two cases in southeast Missouri. In one case, she’s charged with second-degree arson. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026. The trial is set to start Feb.
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(Editor’s note, 5/27: The story and headline have been updated to reflect a Cole County judge’s changes to the amount of money awarded in the case.) COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Western District Court of Appeals upheld a Cole County jury’s decision to punish agriculture giant Monsanto for diseases developed by those using its product. The
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Police say advancements in DNA technology are helping in cold case investigations. Police are investigating 16 cold case homicides dating back to 1985. Three of these cases are over 30 years old. This includes the case of 59-year-old George Showalter, who was found dead inside a Red Roof Inn motel room
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported fewer deaths, crashes, injuries and arrests on Missouri roads over Memorial Day weekend this year compared to 2024. MSHP wrote in a Tuesday release that from 6 p.m. Friday-11:59 p.m. Monday, there were three fatalities, 182 crashes, 83 people injured and 78 arrests for driving while
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An Auxvasse man was charged this week with two counts of second-degree statutory rape. Taylor Logan Brown, 25, is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Callaway County Courthouse. The probable cause statement says that the youth was
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