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Missouri Supreme Court disbars Columbia attorney

October 20, 2026 4:22 PM Ryan Shiner, Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Supreme Court disbarred Columbia attorney Matthew Alexander Perry on Tuesday. The Missouri Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel had wanted to disbar Perry for violating “multiple rules of professional conduct relating to competence, diligence, communication, meritorious claims, expediting litigation, following court orders, misrepresentation, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.”

Signage outside the Center for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta

CDC launches new respiratory virus tracker to predict local outbreaks

October 21, 2026 5:47 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a new respiratory virus tracking website to predict spread in communities nationwide. The site shows the estimated growth of COVID-19, Influenza and Respiratory syncytial virus in Missouri. The CDC launched the new website in early October, and it uses estimations to identify outbreak peaks

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Does Columbia need more protections for historic buildings?

October 21, 2026 4:27 AM Matthew Sanders

A move is on to put more protections for historic buildings into Columbia’s city code. The Columbia City Council voted to research a possible administrative delay for the demolition of properties on the National Register of Historic Places. But at a meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission on Tuesday, a city councilwoman said she’s also

Columbia explores historic preservation measures amid concerns over property sales

October 20, 2026 7:54 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Efforts to preserve historic properties in Columbia are gaining attention as new owners look to redevelop former Columbia College properties and city officials consider additional ways to protect historic buildings from demolition. During a Historic Preservation Commission event Tuesday, officials discussed an ongoing survey of the Benton-Stephens neighborhood that could help identify

Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office makes renewed effort in 13-year-old cold case

October 20, 2026 5:43 PM Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday released a facial reconstruction tied to a 13-year old discovery of human remains. The new image shows what is believed to be John Dixon Doe, whose skull was found in October 2013 along Highway 28 in Dixon, Missouri. In a social media post, Sheriff Stacy

Truman VA receives funds for improving infrastructure

October 20, 2026 8:51 PM Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital has received funding as part of a nationwide $4.8 billion effort to modernize or fix up Veterans Health Administration health care facilities. According to a news release from Truman VA, the funding will go toward projects that aim to correct structural deficiencies, modernize the elevators, repair

Maries County requests more than $13,000 refund from Flock Safety following termination agreement

October 20, 2026 5:47 PM Marie Moyer

VIENNA, Mo. (KMIZ) Maries County is waiting to be refunded more than $13,000 in Blue Shield Grant funds from Flock Safety after ending its automatic license plate reader project with the company Monday. “I was a big fan of it, absolutely, it’s a shame that it didn’t work out,” Maries County Sheriff Mark Morgan said.

Howard County man accused of firing shots at off-duty cop in Boone County road-rage incident

October 20, 2026 11:21 AM Ryan Shiner, Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Howard County man is behind bars after authorities claim he drunkenly fired shots at an off-duty Boonville police officer on Monday in Boone County while driving. Dillon Ray Ames, 30, of Armstrong, was charged on Tuesday in Boone County with two counts of first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action,

Demolition of Moberly grain towers nears completion

October 20, 2026 6:13 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Demolition on the grain towers in Moberly are nearly complete. Work to begin demolition started last month. Just the bases of the buildings remained on Tuesday. City spokesman Scott Garvey told ABC 17 News the “high-reach work” was completed on Monday. “Most of what will happen going forward is sorting of metals

Cole County begins drafting storm debris ordinance after cleanup costs, confusion

October 20, 2026 4:53 PM Stephi Smith

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Cole County Commission is considering an ordinance that would prohibit residents from leaving storm debris in the public right-of-way for the county to remove. Cole County Western District Commissioner Harry Otto said the proposal follows a July 4 storm that left fallen trees, branches and other debris throughout the county.

CMU ends suspension for 1 player in football assault case

October 20, 2026 4:48 PM Ryan Shiner

Editor’s note: A source from the school erroneously told ABC 17 News the suspension ended. The source has now clarified that five players were expelled and one remains suspended. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Central Methodist University has ended the suspension for one of the six football players it suspended last week after two athletes were charged

Highway 54 overpass in Kingdom City to close at end of October

October 20, 2026 4:03 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Highway 54 overpass in Kingdom City that goes over Interstate 70 will closed at the end of the month as crews demolish old bridges as part of the Improve I-70 Project, according to a Tuesday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation. MoDOT crews will demolish “the two no-longer-used bridges

Missouri interim education commissioner resigns

October 20, 2026 3:52 PM Ellyse Edwards

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Interim Commissioner of Education Stacey Preis resigned effective immediately on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the State Board of Education selected a firm to assist with its search for a permanent commissioner. Preis did not provide a specific reason for her departure. In a statement, she said she submitted her resignation

Columbia launches public comment page on Flock cameras

October 20, 2026 2:59 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia has launched a BeHeard page to collect public comments on the use of Flock cameras. The City Council on Monday unanimously approved to hold a public hearing on the cameras at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9 at city hall. The Flock camera system was first approved in October

Crash report says 2 vehicles hit pedestrian who died; Tesla dragged man’s body for a half mile

October 20, 2026 12:10 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A crash report says a 43-year-old man died in an October crash after he was hit by two vehicles and a Tesla dragged his body for about a half-mile. A crash occurred 6:40 a.m. Oct. 1 in the 2500 block of Paris Road. The report says the victim was Russell Matthew, of

Crash on Westbound I-70 in Callaway County causes traffic backups

October 20, 2026 7:37 AM Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A semi-truck crash on westbound Interstate 70 in Callaway County closed the left lane for more than four hours Tuesday. According to the MoDOT Traveler Map, the crash near the 137 mile-marker was reported at 6:40 a.m. Traffic is backed up past the Millersburg exit. ABC 17 News arrived at the scene

No-excuse absentee voting begins in Missouri

October 20, 2026 5:47 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri’s no-excuse absentee voting begins Tuesday and ends Nov. 2, allowing voters to cast their ballots in person before election day on Nov. 3. Voters can cast their ballots in person at the Boone County Government Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Voters do not need to sign

Trailblazers: How Norris Stevenson and Johnny Roland changed Mizzou football

October 19, 2026 5:42 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) In November 1958, University of Missouri head coach Dan Devine stood before a dejected group of players in the visitors’ locker room at Owen Field and made a promise. The Tigers had just been shut out 39-0 by the sixth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, snapping their four-game winning streak. Owen Field had

Dianetics Center opens in downtown Columbia

October 19, 2026 6:01 PM Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A new storefront in downtown Columbia officially opened Oct. 14 as part of an expansion of Dianetics and Scientology throughout Missouri and the Midwest. The Dianetics Center of Missouri is operating along Ninth Street near Alley A in the former site of the Speckled Frog Toys and Books. The storefront no longer has a sign and only

Columbia City Council approves new animal control facility

October 19, 2026 12:03 PM Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council unanimously approved purchasing a new animal control facility at its meeting Monday night. The former site of Columbia Animal Hospital, located at 1300 Boone Industrial Drive will house animal control operations. Operations will include animal shelter services, veterinary care and facility maintenance. The property at 1300 Boone Industrial