Columbia Archives

Now-closed schools for disabled children never returned to staffing levels to reopen, commissioner says

August 18, 2025 7:34 PM Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Delmar Cobble School in Columbia is now permanently closed after struggling to reach staffing levels, part of a broader statewide consolidation of schools for students with severe disabilities. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Board las week decided close six buildings that were already “temporarily consolidated due to staff vacancies,” immediately,

Columbia City Council approves change to water rate at Monday night meeting

August 18, 2025 5:06 PM Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council on Monday evening voted 5-0 to change its water rates. According to council documents, the water ordinance would increase revenue by $3.6 million, or 12%, and would take effect with the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1. The council will decide on changing electric rates at

Vehicle backfiring leads to police response on MU campus

August 18, 2025 9:44 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A vehicle backfiring led to police to respond to an area of the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus on Monday evening. An MU Alert was sent out to students at 8:35 p.m. indicating that officers were responding to a shots-fired call in the 900 block of South Providence Road. The Columbia Police

Columbia murder suspects denied bond reduction; trial date pushed to November

August 18, 2025 12:27 PM Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Codefendants Samarion Robins, 20, and Oscar Ashford Jr., 21, were denied a bond reduction by a Boone County judge on Monday. Their Sept. 8 trial date was also pushed to Nov.18. The trial was pushed back after Judge Jeff Harris revealed that prosecutors handed more than 900 pages of discovery to the

Columbia City Council to review budget, property taxes at Monday night meeting

August 18, 2025 5:16 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) With less than a month before the 2026 fiscal budget is expected to be approved, the City Council will hold the second of three public hearings at City Hall as staff brace for a tighter budget after expected tax revenue fell 3% short last year. The 2026 budget projects roughly $560 million

Columbia small businesses give back at community back-to-school events Sunday

August 17, 2025 7:36 PM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) K-12 students were leaving the Armory Sports and Recreation Center and Cosmo Park with backpacks, sharp pencils, and even sharper hairstyles Sunday after two local Columbia businesses hosted two back-to-school events. This year marked the 5th annual Renz Blendz Barbershop event at the rec center and the first-ever Broadway Hair Company event

MSHP says recent summer deer vehicle crashes are not ‘out of the ordinary’

August 16, 2025 8:18 PM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ) Despite deer season starting up in next month in Missouri, deer have been making their presence known during the month of August. First responders have reported at least four serious vehicle crashes involving deer since the start of the month. The crashes include a Pettis County Man driving a truck and three

Columbia Public Schools to enhance cellphone ban for upcoming school year

August 15, 2025 7:27 PM Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools is implementing a “cellphone free” policy for the 2025–26 school year, aligning with a statewide mandate. In July, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 68 banning the use of cell phones during instructional time, lunch breaks, study halls and between passing periods, for all K-12 students. To implement the

Two men charged in 2017 homicide appear in court

August 15, 2025 10:03 AM Matthew Sanders, Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two Columbia men charged in the 2017 murder of Augustus Roberts appeared in front of a Boone County judge Friday. Roberts is the son of a former Northeast Missouri judge. David C. Adams, 44, of Columbia, was arrested Thursday and charged Friday with first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, second-degree murder and illegal gun

Recycling operations in Columbia may resume by October

August 15, 2025 3:34 PM Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia’s recycling center is completely demolished, and city workers are testing equipment for a reopening. However, assistant utilities director Tom Ratterman said Friday that workers are restoring power to the equipment. He said that it should be complete in two to three weeks. “We tested it with a generator,

Resurfacing scheduled for nearly 20 Columbia streets

August 15, 2025 2:57 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Beginning next week, several Columbia streets in residential areas will undergo pavement maintenance by contractors and city crews, according to a Friday press release from the city. The release says city crews will resurface four streets from Monday through Thursday: Alfred Street Country Club Drive Hickory Hill Drive West Broadway from Garth

Sidewalk, parking lane of downtown Columbia street to close next week

August 15, 2025 2:31 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A sidewalk and parking lane on a portion of Cherry Street in downtown Columbia will close next week, according to a Friday press release from the city. The release says contractors for Columbia College will make repairs to Federal Hall at 608 Cherry St. The south sidewalk and both parking lanes of

Prosecutors drop case against one Columbia teen murder suspect, could refile later

August 15, 2025 10:44 AM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Prosecutors have dropped a murder case against one of the four teen suspects in another teen’s Columbia killing. Boone County prosecutor Roger Johnson told ABC 17 News that the state dropped the case against 19-year-old Tavan Williams-Patrick. Johnson said prosecutors plan to refile charges later. Johnson declined to comment on why the

Columbia police arrest two more people in connection with 2017 murder case

August 14, 2025 9:34 PM Katie Greathouse, Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia police officers arrested two more people in connection with a 2017 murder investigation on Thursday. According to a news release, officers arrested David Adams, 44, and Julius Cureton, 37, both of Columbia. Police said they arrested both on suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, armed criminal action, unlawful use

CPD reveals new details in 2016 unsolved death of Edmond ‘Ricky’ Randolph Jr.

August 14, 2025 11:23 AM Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) While authorities and family members continue to search for answers, Columbia police are revealing new details about the homicide case of Edmond ‘Ricky’ Randolph Jr. “Not knowing what happened to him is still troubling,” Randolph’s mother Nicole Craig said. “It’s still a struggle.” Ricky Randolph Jr. with his daughter. (Credit: Nicole Craig) Around

Columbia Police Department considers co-responder program for crisis calls

August 14, 2025 6:19 PM Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department is working to launch a 911 co-responder program that will pair mental health professionals with officers on calls involving people in behavioral crisis. Days after police safely detained a man who was in a standoff with law enforcement at Stephens Lake Park, who aimed to be killed by

Eastbound lanes of I-70 between Columbia and Kingdom City to start reopening Friday night

August 14, 2025 11:03 AM Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Eastbound I-70 drivers will get to explore one of the first developments in the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Improve I-70 Project, with MoDOT set to reopen newly paved lanes and a new third lane. The renovations were focused on eastbound I-70 between Callaway County Routes J and M and exit 137 near

Man sentenced 25 years in August 2024 downtown Columbia shooting

August 14, 2025 2:58 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who was accused of shooting at three people in a vehicle last year in downtown Columbia has been sentenced on Thursday to 25 years in prison. Charlie Sneed III, 42, of Aurora, Colorado, was found guilty by a jury on June 4 of unlawful use of a weapon involving shooting at

Woman accused of hitting victim, car with baseball bat

August 14, 2025 2:02 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia woman was charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor after she was accused of assaulting another person with a baseball bat. Essence Jones, 25, was charged with second-degree domestic assault, second-degree robbery, armed criminal action and second-degree property damage, a misdemeanor. She is being held at the Boone County Jail

Columbia man accused of raping child in July

August 14, 2025 1:08 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was charged on Wednesday after authorities say he raped a child in July. Jason White, 47, was charged with first-degree rape and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child involving drugs. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.