COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Flu cases are rising sharply across Missouri as the state heads into the heart of the winter illness season, with emergency room visits rising nearly 6% according to the latest report from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. From Dec. 14–20, Missouri recorded 146 new influenza-related hospital admissions. Emergency room
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Facing a 5 p.m. deadline, UnitedHealthcare and SSM Health reached a last-minute agreement Wednesday to extend their current insurance contract by 30 days. SSM Health had warned that failure to reach an agreement could disrupt care for more than 140,000 patients and lead to higher costs starting Jan, 1. The 30-day
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri is one of 11 states awarded money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to strengthen security around drones at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Kansas City. Missouri Department of Public Safety said in a release that Missouri was awarded $14.24 million in federal funding from FEMA. This follows President Donald
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The process of verifying more than 300,000 petition signatures aimed at forcing a statewide vote on Missouri’s newly redrawn congressional map is now underway. The redrawn congressional map — which is backed by President Donald Trump — are designed to shift political control in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District, currently represented by Democratic
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Kansas City Republican’s campaign announced Tuesday that he has his sights set on a new congressional district that would encompass large portions of Mid-Missouri. Brett Hueffmeier’s campaign says that he plans to enter the 2026 Republican primary for the redrawn Fifth Congressional District, which stretches from Kansas City east to Osage
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Two Springfield lawmakers are calling on Gov. Mike Kehoe to reverse a recent decision delaying a child care payment program that was promised in his 2025 State of the State Address.
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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
Continue Reading 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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