Boone Archives

Curtis Allen Lewis is charged with voluntary manslaughter, among other charges, after a shooting in Columbia.

Suspect in deadly Columbia shooting seeks to get out of jail over COVID-19 concerns

April 2, 2020 11:00 PM Katie Greathouse

The suspect in a deadly shooting outside of a Columbia nightclub wants out of jail amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Columbia Fire Department using new methods to preserve N95 masks

April 1, 2020 5:22 PM Connor Hirsch

“We want to do our part to conserve that supply, it lessens the strain on that supply of N95 masks that our health care providers really need.”

The MU textile and apparel department making masks for MU Health

April 1, 2020 8:57 PM Zach Boetto

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The MU Textile and Apparel Management Department is now using its equipment to help against the spread of COVID-19. Claudine Barner, an instructor in the Textile and Apparel Department at MU, is working along with other professors and graduate students to cut masks out of approved fabric for health care workers to

Temporary shelter for homeless community in Columbia faces uncertainty

April 1, 2020 6:01 PM Sydney Olsen

A temporary shelter for the population in Columbia facing homelessness is facing uncertainty.

Court order suspends all evictions in Boone County, Callaway County

April 1, 2020 5:07 PM Ben Fein

The order from 13th Circuit Presiding Judge Kevin Crane suspended all evictions in Boone County and Callaway County through April 17.

Appeals court rejects Columbia death row inmate’s case

April 1, 2020 3:32 PM Lucas Geisler

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man once again lost his claim to avoid the death penalty. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that Ernest Lee Johnson’s lawsuit should be dismissed following a U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding another Missouri inmate. Johnson has faced the death penalty for two decades after killing three people

Columbia Public Schools pauses classes for three days

April 1, 2020 8:52 AM Brittany Wiley

Columbia Public Schools put a three day pause on classes the district announced Wednesday morning.

Primary field set for Boone and Cole counties

March 31, 2020 6:00 PM Lucas Geisler

Boone and Cole counties will see a handful of contested races for county offices come August.

Study highlights how long COVID-19 can live on certain surfaces

March 31, 2020 8:00 PM Zach Boetto

A study shows COVID-19 can live on surfaces for up to two to three days. Dr. Jen Ashton, the chief health and medical editor and chief medical correspondent for ABC News spoke about the longevity of the virus in an interview with David Muir. “The New England Journal of Medicine in laboratory settings, found three

Local company reacts to suspension on building permits

March 31, 2020 6:41 PM Sydney Olsen

One local construction is reacting after the City of Columbia suspended new commercial and residential building permits until Special Order 2020-03 expires on April 24.

A health worker at Boone Hospital works in the drive-thru testing location.

Columbia hospitals coordinating on COVID-19 ‘surge plans’

March 31, 2020 4:12 PM Molly Stawinoga

Columbia hospitals are working together to prepare for a surge in patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

State officials say Hearnes Center scouted as emergency hospital

March 31, 2020 2:19 PM Matt Ragsdale

Gov. Mike Parson said Tuesday that an inter-agency group including several state departments and the Missouri National Guard have scouted the Hearnes Center as a possible emergency hospital to treat COVID-19 patients.

Columbia police take extra precautions during COVID-19

March 30, 2020 7:06 PM Sydney Olsen

Officers at the Columbia Police Department are working to protect themselves as the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to rise in Missouri and Boone County.

Charges dropped in Columbia bomb threat case

March 30, 2020 2:06 PM Matt Ragsdale

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) UPDATE: Charges were dropped by the Boone County prosecutor’s office. ORIGINAL: A man charged with making a terrorist threat in Boone County has been brought back to Mid-Missouri after he was arrested in Iowa in February. Boone County prosecutors charged Raymond Utter with second-degree terrorist threats after he allegedly threatened University Hospital

Bathroom fire at Stephens Lake Park under investigation

March 29, 2020 6:40 PM Sydney Olsen

The fire marshall with the Columbia Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fire in a bathroom at Stephens Lake Park.

Trucking industry getting assistance from all corners amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

March 28, 2020 7:55 PM Zach Boetto

Governor Parson and the Missouri Department of Transportation are offering special permits and extended hours to truckers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The volume of goods that are being transported, particularly to grocery stores right now is unfathomable, its 2-3 times the Christmas rush, Black Friday type volume,” said Tom Crawford, President and CEO of

Several outages hit Columbia, leaving nearly 200 without power.

Lights back on for more than 1,000 hit by outages in Columbia

March 27, 2020 11:32 PM Molly Stawinoga

Several power outages are shutting off lights in Columbia as storms sweep through mid-Missouri.

Columbia lab responsible for one-third of COVID-19 testing across Missouri

March 26, 2020 10:26 PM Zach Boetto

A private Columbia laboratory is now assisting numerous hospitals across Missouri and out-of-state with COVID-19 testing.

Mental health experts offer advice for coping with COVID-19 related stress

March 26, 2020 11:48 AM Connor Hirsch

Psychiatric experts with the University of Missouri Health Care system are warning about the mental health effects of coronavirus-related stress and isolation.

Corps to keep reservoir levels lower to brace for possible flooding

March 26, 2020 12:17 PM Matthew Sanders

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District says it will keep water levels lower in reservoirs because of the risk of spring flooding.