VIENNA, Mo. (KMIZ) A fire that heavily damaged a Vienna residential care facility in August has been ruled accidental, according to a revised fire investigation report that cites security video showing the Vienna police chief discarding a lit cigarette shortly before the blaze began. According to state fire marshal records obtained by ABC 17 News, the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri was awarded $216,276,818 through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, according to a Monday press release from the Missouri Primary Care Association. The award includes a $100 million base allocation, supplemented by additional discretionary funding, the release says. The money will support the state’s Transformation of Rural Community Health Care initiative,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Ten people died in traffic crashes on Missouri roads over the Christmas holiday counting period, the Missouri State Highway Patrol announced in a Monday press release. The release says the “counting period” lasted from 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24-11:59 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28. There were 94 injuries reported in 258 crashes and
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The state auditor said in a report Monday that Missouri’s budget surplus could be depleted within a couple of years if changes aren’t made quickly. Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick reported in an analysis of the state’s general revenue fund that a $6 billion deficit in fiscal 2023 will be gone
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An embattled restaurant whose owner has been accused of arson has officially moved out of its south Columbia location. Workers were seen emptying Casa Maria’s at 1305 Grindstone Parkway on Monday. The restaurant had announced on its Facebook page that Sunday would be its last day, but indicated it could reopen
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has agreed to resume publishing the “disparity index” with its annual vehicle stops report after reaching a settlement with the state NAACP. The NAACP sued the attorney general’s office in May, alleging the office broke the law by not publishing the index in the yearly reports.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department is set to graduate its third recruit class from its in-house training academy launched Nov. 2024. The 14 Police Officers in Training will graduate January 16th, 2026 and add their names to the list of the other 21 students from the academy’s first two classes from March and
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department is cautioning residents to be aware of the risk around home robbers and package thieves this holiday season. Lt. Clint Sinclair, with CPD, tells ABC 17 News the holidays create the perfect opportunity for them to commit their crimes. He said people should not leave things, like boxes
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) In the four years since the death of Boone County Assistant Fire Chief Bryant Gladney, the Boone Co. Fire Protection District tells ABC 17 News its made changes to its training and response procedures. Gladney was killed when a tractor-trailer slammed into his service SUV on Dec. 22, 2021 as Gladney was working at
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A St. Charles man was charged with felony stalking and harassment last week after allegedly threatening Gov. Mike Kehoe and his family on the social media platform Facebook. Daniel N. Mertz was charged Friday in Cole County with first-degree stalking and first-degree harassment. He was arrested the same day in Daytona
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The ACLU of Missouri sued the Missouri Attorney General and Secretary of State on Tuesday, claiming they have evaded the state constitution’s rules on the referendum process. The group, representing two Kansas City voters, is asking the Cole County courts to suspend House Bill 1, a bill passed during a special session
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) State lawmakers are voicing disappointment and criticism Monday following the announcement of the Kansas City Chiefs’ move to Kansas in 2031. “They [The Chiefs] think a dome stadium and and landing a Super Bowl would be really big for the organization and I believe that that’s the piece that they were
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia state representative on Monday prefiled a bill for the upcoming legislative session that aims to expand rules on dog-breeding facilities. Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) prefiled the “Animal Care Facilities Act,” which would expand violations pertaining to commercial and noncommercial breeders. Provisions include requiring adequate food, water and housing for
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Kansas Coordinating Council on Monday unanimously approved bonds and a bond district for a new stadium to support the Kansas City Chiefs. The council approved the measure during a session on Monday. State officials later appeared with Chiefs ownership at a Topeka, Kansas, news conference to announce the team’s move. Talk
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MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ) A Mexico man gave away more than 170 bikes on Saturday to kids in the community with the hope of spreading holiday cheer. “I wanted to give 20 bikes away for Christmas, and it just blew up,” said Richard Mahoney. “I’m at 175 right now.” Over just six weeks Richard Mahoney collected
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) At least three lawsuits ask Missouri judges to quickly decide on redistricting cases ahead of the candidate filing date of Feb. 24. This follows some confusion as to which congressional map is currently in effect. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said the new congressional map took effect on Dec. 11. However, a
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The national unemployment rate is at its highest point in nearly four years at 4.6% recorded last month, and hiring trends are slowing as thousands of college graduates prepare to enter the workforce. The U.S. unemployment rate has ticked up since hitting a 54-year low of 3.4% in April 2023, reflecting a
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LAKE OZARK, Mo. (KMIZ) A 36-year-old man from O’Fallon, MO is dead after drowning in the Lake of the Ozarks, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The MSHP drowning report, said the man was last seen on a dock at the 40.1 mile marker of the Osage at the lake. He is believed to
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Missouri state lawmaker is pursuing legislation aimed at limiting superintendent payouts and protecting taxpayers, building on a proposal originally put forward by Columbia Public Schools. State Rep. John Martin (R-Boone County) was in attendance for a November Columbia Board of Education meeting when he first heard that it was a legislative
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A convicted sex offender on Monday pleaded guilty to keeping artificially generated child pornography on his cellphone. Charles Hooton, 64, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to four counts of child porn possession and one count of failing to register as a sex offender. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. The probable
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