Top Stories Archives

Amendment 6 would enshrine initiative petition, referendum process in the Missouri Constitution

September 27, 2026 5:25 AM Alison Patton

Missouri voters will see Amendment 6 on the ballot this November, after the group Respect Missouri Voters fought legal battles to place it there. If approved, it reserves citizens’ right to initiative petitions and referendums in the Missouri Constitution.

Respect Missouri Voters collected signatures for Amendment 6, which started as an initiative petition, but Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected it in early August. He claimed the ballot title, which he approved, violated the single-subject rule. However, the Missouri Supreme Court decided it was sufficient.

No. 24 Mississippi State hands No. 19 Mizzou first loss of season in heartbreaker

September 26, 2026 10:28 PM Nathalie Jones

STARKVILLE, Miss. (KMIZ) No. 24 Mississippi State handed No. 19 Mizzou its first loss of the season, on Saturday night, 31-24 at a sold out Davis Wade Stadium. The Tigers fell short of their first Top-25 win since 2024, despite having an opportunity in the final 50 seconds of the game to lead a game-tying

Cole County developing guidelines for employee use of artificial intelligence

September 26, 2026 10:53 AM Euphenie Andre

“It’s our responsibility as county employees and elected officials that we use that properly and that we don’t put up anything, but then an OpenAI model that could be used for private information,” Ridenhour said.

MidMo PrideFest releases emergency protocols for event safety

September 26, 2026 6:54 PM Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia’s MidMo PrideFest weekend began on Saturday and will continue through Sunday night until 10 p.m., and staff said they are anticipating 8,000 people to attend. The emergency plans for the event were made by festival president Janet Davis, and went through a line of approval from the City of Columbia to

Silver Advisory Alert canceled for Jefferson County man with dementia

September 26, 2026 3:01 PM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Silver Advisory Alert was cancelled Saturday afternoon for 81-year-old Timothy John Friedel, who reportedly went missing early Saturday morning. At around 4:30 p.m., the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced Friedel was found safe by law enforcement. Friedel was last seen between midnight and 6 a.m. at the

U.S. Supreme Court ruling mandates use of 2022 congressional election map

September 25, 2026 5:37 PM Steven Lambson, Alison Patton, Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay on injections granted by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on Friday, ensuring the 2022 congressional map will be used for the November 2026 election. The order from the Justice Brett Kavanaugh will remain in effect “pending any further order of

Woman dies in Audrain County UTV crash

September 26, 2026 3:46 AM Haley Swaino

A 60-year-old woman was killed in a UTV crash in Audrain County on Friday night.

Flock camera apparently removed at Columbia’s Cosmo Park

September 25, 2026 7:26 PM Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Flock camera that had surveilled an area of Parkside Drive in Cosmo Park has apparently been removed. The pole where the camera was located appeared to be sheared off near ground level when seen Friday. It wasn’t clear when the pole came down. Flock cameras are automatic license plate readers that

SportsZone Football Friday highlights and scores: Week 5

September 25, 2026 6:43 PM ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Week 5 of the Missouri high school football season kicked off on Friday night. You can find scores from all of your Mid-Missouri teams below, as well as highlights in the video player above.

Missouri truckers feel diesel price surge as holiday shipping season approaches

September 25, 2026 4:46 PM Ellyse Edwards

COLUMBIA, Mo.(KMIZ) Missouri diesel prices stayed at near-record high levels Friday, raising costs for trucking companies and independent drivers as the holiday shipping season approaches. AAA listed Missouri’s average diesel price at $6.31 a gallon Friday, up from $3.41 a year ago. The national average was $6.50, up from $3.69 a year ago. Both averages

Providence Road bridge set to open in November

September 25, 2026 3:16 PM Demetra Alarcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Construction on the Providence Road bridge is expected to be completed by November, weather permitting, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. Spencer Robinson, Project Director of the Improve I-70: Rocheport to Columbia project, said that a few pieces of the bridge are slightly ahead of schedule. He clarified that the on-

Woman sentenced to prison for tampering in fatal drug overdose

September 25, 2026 4:20 PM Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County judge sentenced a woman to four years in prison for tampering with evidence in a deadly drug overdose, according to a news release from the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office. Adrian Sumler pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of tampering with physical evidence. Her four-year sentence is the maximum

Parents of girl who died at Lake of the Ozarks file federal lawsuit

September 25, 2026 4:08 PM Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The parents of a toddler who was found dead in the Lake of the Ozarks in March 2025 filed a lawsuit in federal court on Friday. The lawsuit names as defendants various directors or employees of the Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri Children’s Division, Camden County Juvenile Office and Camden County

MU Health Care to offer COVID-19 vaccines based on AAFP guidance

September 25, 2026 1:35 PM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) MU Health Care is set to follow COVID-19 vaccine recommendations from the American Academy of Family Physicians ahead of the cold and flu season. The recommendation is universal for anyone 6 months and older looking to get a COVID-19 vaccine. This is different from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation

Two teens charged after alleged Columbia carjacking

September 25, 2026 10:51 AM Matthew Sanders, Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Police arrested two 19-year-old men early Friday after calls of people breaking into cars on the Columbia College campus and a carjacking. Prosecutors filed charges against Emmanuel Ernest and Ja’Marion Dalton, 19, Friday morning with vehicle hijacking, armed criminal action and stealing a vehicle. Court documents state that officers were called

Overnight roadwork on I-70 near U.S. 63 could cause travel delays

September 25, 2026 5:56 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Scheduled roadwork on Interstate 70 near the Highway 63 connector in Columbia will bring multiple travel impacts starting Friday night into Saturday morning. Starting at 7 p.m. Friday, drivers will not have access to westbound I-70 from the south end of the I-70/Highway 63 connector or access to eastbound I-70 from the

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Will Mizzou football win its SEC opener at Mississippi State?

September 25, 2026 3:49 AM Matthew Sanders

No. 19 Missouri is traveling to Starkville to take on No. 24 Mississippi State on Saturday. And despite being ranked higher than the Bulldogs, the Tigers are underdogs in their SEC opener, according to oddsmakers. That said, some experts are putting their money on Mizzou to beat the 6.5-point spread, if not win outright. Do

Flu cases few across Missouri so far as flu season approaches

September 24, 2026 6:30 PM Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Flu cases in Missouri remain relatively low, but medical experts said that could change as the season gets underway. Flu season officially begins Oct. 1, and health experts are encouraging people to take steps now to protect themselves. According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ latest weekly flu report,

Beyond the Game: Southern Boone pitcher Rylee Ellsworth

September 24, 2026 3:37 PM Nathalie Jones

ASHLAND, Mo. (KMIZ) Southern Boone pitcher Rylee Ellsworth went “Beyond the Game” with ABC 17 Sports Director Nathalie Jones, as a part of a two-part feature on the Eagles’ standout pitching tandem. The other half of that tandem – sophomore pitcher Brenna Young – will join Jones for the next edition of “Beyond the Game”

MU students highlight drug use among student body following Ole Miss death investigation

September 24, 2026 11:52 AM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) University of Missouri students report drug use is “prevalent” among the student body as conversations surrounding college drug use grow following a death investigation at the University of Mississippi. Two students at Ole Miss were found dead in their off-campus homes Monday. They were identified as 20-year-old Robert Strang from Atlanta and