Columbia man pleads guilty to deadly 2023 shooting
John Williamson III pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 27 years in prison for shooting and killing Azairah Brownlee in December 2023.
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Community input meetings for Douglass Park basketball court improvements set for next week
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Three meetings are scheduled for next week for the city to gather community feedback on the Douglass Park court renovations, a Tuesday press release from the city says. Meetings are scheduled for: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 27 at the Activity and Recreation Center 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 28 in conference rooms
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Columbia City Council approves $1 million plan to enhance pedestrian safety
The Columbia City Council is considering a $1 million cost-share agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission to improve pedestrian safety features, including bigger sidewalks and better signals at the Interstate 70-Highway 63 Interchange.
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Columbia City Council approves resolution shielding staff amid federal DEI scrutiny
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday that would affirm the city’s compliance with federal nondiscrimination laws tied to grant funding and pledging legal protection for city officials who file related documents. The resolution comes after threats from the federal government about the city’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and
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Demolition underway for Columbia’s recycling facility
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The demolition of Columbia’s recycling facility started on Sunday. A press release from the city says the facility should be fully demolished by the end of June. The building was destroyed by an EF-1 tornado on April 20. The damage resulted in the city temporarily suspending regular curbside recycling pickup, as well
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City official: Road rage led to deadly shooting at south Columbia McDonald’s
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Road rage led to a deadly shooting at the McDonald’s on Nifong Boulevard in south Columbia on Sunday afternoon, Office of Violence Prevention administrator D’Markus Thomas-Brown said Monday. “It was two individuals, not interpersonal, traffic signal parking lot discussion, an altercation, and then followed across the street at McDonald’s to the individual getting shot and killed, and
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Board of Curators approves 5% tuition increase at University of Missouri schools
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The University of Missouri Board of Curators on Monday approved a 5% tuition increase for next school year, according to a press release from the university. The release says undergraduate tuition at all four UM universities will rise 5%, which equates to a roughly $20-$25 increase per credit hour depending on the
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Woman accused of ransacking Columbia Phillips 66 charged with making terroristic threat
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman accused of pulling a knife on someone while ransacking a convenient store on Friday has been charged with multiple felonies. Diranda Matress Thompson, 33, of Columbia, was charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree making a terroristic threat, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. She is being held at
Continue Reading Columbia City Council to discuss protections when complying with executive orders
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council will discuss a resolution to protect city officials when engaging in duties related to federal grants and contracts in Monday night’s meeting, addressing key pieces regarding the city’s compliance with government-wide requirements. This resolution would protect the City Manager or designees from liability when it comes to performing
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Man dead, woman hurt after shooting in south Columbia
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 32-year-old man has died after he was shot near the McDonald’s on Nifong Blvd. in south Columbia Sunday afternoon. The Columbia Police Department announced that Derek Gonzalez, 32, of Columbia, died at a local hospital after he was shot on Sunday in the 500 block of East Nifong Blvd. Police said
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DEI, infrastructure, and public safety projects on Columbia City Council agenda
More than 30 items are on the agenda for Monday’s Columbia City Council meeting, ranging from million-dollar infrastructure projects to DEI initiatives.
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Crews extinguish large southern Columbia house fire Sunday morning
Columbia Fire Department crews were busy Sunday morning extinguishing a house fire in an under-construction home.
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MU graduates enter shifting job market
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Saturday marked the second day of commencement ceremonies on the University of Missouri’s campus, celebrating the accomplishments of students in multiple fields. Roughly 6,000 students are expected to graduate from the university this weekend. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate held steady at 4.2% in April. While
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Missouri Task Force 1 heading to St. Louis after heavy damage, fatalities reported after storms
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Eighty members of Missouri Task Force 1 are heading to St. Louis to help with storm damage recovery. Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp confirmed through text message that Task Force 1 will soon head out to St. Louis, which saw significant damage from storms. St. Louis officials had
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Nearly 400 without power in Boone County
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Nearly 400 Boone Electric Cooperative customers are without power. The Boone Electric outage map reported three outages impacting 387 members, mostly in areas south of Columbia, including near Three Creeks Conservation Area and two off of Route K on South Smith Hatchery Road and South High Point Lane, respectively. The largest of
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35-year-old dies in Business Loop 70 crash on Friday morning
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia police confirmed one person died after a crash on W. Business Loop 70 that shut down the road for more than an hour. The road reopened just before 8:40 a.m. A police officer at the scene told ABC 17 News that the accident involved two vehicles and one person died from
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University of Missouri spring commencement ceremonies to begin Friday
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The University of Missouri will begin the first day of commencement ceremonies on Friday, celebrating the class of 2025. There will be commencement ceremonies throughout the weekend for 5,954 graduates, leaving the chance for heavy traffic around downtown Columbia. Free parking will be available on campus for commencement guests from Friday, May
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Youth shot in northeast Columbia neighborhood
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A youth was shot around 6 p.m. Thursday, according to a social media post from the Columbia Police Department. CPD wrote that police responded to a shooting in the 2100 block of Meadowvale Court, a street off of Rice Road in northeast Columbia. Police wrote in a later press release that they
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Missouri nursing homes among worst in nation for quality of care
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri nursing homes rank among the worst in the country for the amount of care provided to residents, and ongoing staffing shortages may be adding to the problem and putting residents’ health and safety at risk. Federal guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services require skilled nursing facilities to provide
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Man sentenced to life in prison in triple murder asks for resentencing
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A hearing was held Thursday morning for a Columbia man who was sentenced for a triple murder more than 20 years ago. Deandra Buchanan, 51, was found guilty by a jury in 2002 on three counts of first-degree murder. He was initially sentenced to death but was resentenced to life in prison without
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