COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Multiple organizations in Columbia said they are expecting an increase in demand this Thanksgiving. Powerhouse Community Development Corporation told ABC 17 News on Saturday, during a frozen turkey giveaway, that there’s been an increase in need because of the delay in SNAP benefits. Powerhouse teamed up with the Fifth Street Christian Church
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The family of a man who was shot and killed on Triple Crown Drive in north Columbia the night before Thanksgiving say they believe it happened after an argument. The Columbia Police Department identified Edward Brown Jr., 46 as the victim late Wednesday night. Police said they were called to the 3800
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia woman has been arrested after she was accused of sexually abusing a child in Callaway County over the course of several years. Samantha Flansburg, 21, was charged Wednesday in Callaway County with statutory sodomy of a child younger than 12 years old and second-degree child molestation. She is being held
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man has been arrested and charged after he allegedly used a mason jar to attack another man on Tuesday. Brent Smallwood, 35, was charged on Wednesday in Boone County with second-degree domestic assault. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been
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Antoni Garcia-Cordoba, 42, was arrested in Columbia, MO on Wednesday for his involvement in ATM “jackpotting” thefts in Pennsylvania.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Rotary Club of Columbia fried hundreds of turkeys as it hosted its annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Fry on Thursday at the Knights of Columbus. The Thanksgiving Day Turkey Fry is in its sixth year at the Rotary Club and is a tradition that supports local service projects. The Rotary Club is
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County judge on Wednesday ruled that the Central Missouri Humane Society will have custody of the dogs who were allegedly abused by a local breeder. A lawyer for Melissa Sanders, 26, argued the animals she is accused of abusing should be returned to her. Boone County/Columbia Animal Control argued
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man has been charged with a child sex crime after authorities say he messaged someone who posed as a minor and asked them to meet for sex. Torrey Guerra, 48, was charged with child enticement and misdemeanor illegal possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held at the Boone County
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A portion of Business Loop 70 that closed earlier this month for roundabout construction has reopened. The new roundabout is now in use and is expected to give Business Loop 70 direct access to Interstate 70 by 2027, a Wednesday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation says. Business Loop 70
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia police said Wednesday that a man charged over the summer with a 2018 rape was arrested in St. Louis. Antonio E. Bates, 58, of St. Louis, was arrested Tuesday on a warrant for first-degree rape, according to a Columbia Police Department news release. A CPD spokesman said Bates will be brought
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Hundreds of free rides will be offered starting Wednesday afternoon, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and as the Missouri State Highway Patrol begins the holiday counting period. According to the Highway Patrol, the night before Thanksgiving is sometimes called “Blackout Wednesday,” a term that has become popular for social gatherings and heavy
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Shopping for Thanksgiving this year likely put less of a strain on people’s wallets this year, according to a survey. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving survey shows a Thanksgiving dinner was down about 5% in 2025, compared to 2024. The report states an average dinner for 10 people costs roughly
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) With the federal government shutdown over and SNAP benefits restored, local nonprofits say the demand for emergency assistance remains, and CoMoHelps will continue taking requests for at least another week. The collaborative relief fund — relaunched in October as SNAP benefits were halted — has now allocated nearly $60,000 to 11 agencies, according
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Department of Justice confirmed on Tuesday that the name of a law enforcement operation that led to several arrests in Columbia last week was named after a song by The Killers. Operation Brightside — which resulted in 33 arrests and 19 indictments for mostly illegal gun possession – was named after
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Holts Summit man pleaded guilty on Friday to three felonies in a January 2024 hammer attack at a Columbia bar. Kurtis Hoener pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree assault and one count of armed criminal action. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the charges. Court documents in
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Maxwell Warren, a student at the University of Missouri, was recently accused of strangling someone at a residence hall after being blocked on Snapchat. The 18-year-old Kansas man was charged on November 3 with first-degree burglary, second-degree domestic assault, first-degree domestic assault and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: AI was used to help research the initial version of this story. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Missouri National Guard soldier and former University of Missouri police officer has filed a lawsuit against the university’s board of curators, claiming wrongful termination while he was deployed overseas. Jakob Hans Wetter alleges in a lawsuit filed
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies announced at a news conference Monday they arrested 33 individuals in a “warrant sweep” in Columbia. The Department of Justice says all but one of these arrests were for felony charges. 33 arrests 19 federal indictments 21 felony state warrants 6 residential search warrants In
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who killed two women while driving on Interstate 70 in Columbia in 2024 was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison. Walter Montejo pleaded guilty to lesser charges in connection with the deadly crash in September. As part of the plea, Montejo was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman who is accused of embezzling money from nonprofits in Boonville and Columbia is back in jail. Jennifer Waibel, 52, of Boonville, is being held at the Cooper County Jail for a Boone County warrant, according to online jail records. She was booked into the jail at 1:48 p.m. Monday and
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