COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia has issued just its second emergency declaration in the last 15 years. The City of Columbia declared a disaster on Monday after the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down Sunday in northeast Columbia. Then-city manager John Glascock signed a disaster declaration on March 20, 2020, at the start
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who pleaded guilty last month to a pair of child sex crimes has been sentenced. Jesus Hernandez, 38, pleaded guilty in Boone County on March 25 to second-degree statutory rape and second-degree statutory sodomy. He is being held at the Boone County Jail on an immigration detainer. He was sentenced on
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Another woman has been charged in connection with an alleged gun theft ring in Columbia. Shannon Babich, of Columbia, was charged with stealing a gun and misdemeanor unlawful possession drug paraphernalia. A warrant was ordered and a $20,000 bond was set. She is not listed on the Boone County Jail roster. Babich
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia city leaders passed two items that would improve the Columbia Regional Airport parking lot, and the I-70/U.S. 63 Connector and St. Charles Road bridges. The $1.5 million project involves demolishing the existing gravel parking lot surface and building a new paved parking lot across Airport Road from the terminal. An additional
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Inflation and slow sales tax growth are catching up with Columbia’s city budget. City leaders project that without more revenue, the city will have to draw down $31.1 million from its cash reserves over the next six years. Columbia’s city manager has warned that expenses could outpace revenue as soon as Oct. 1 — the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia City Manager De’Carlon Seewood has signed an emergency declaration for the impacts of severe weather that hit the city on Sunday, according to a Monday press release from the city. “In addition, operation of the bioreactor landfill shall be temporarily suspended along with operation of the Bioenergy Plant until such time
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An EF-1 hit Columbia on Easter Sunday, the National Weather Service determined. Weather service crews were in Columbia assessing damage Monday. The Boone County Office of Emergency Management said in a news release Monday afternoon that an EF-1 tornado was responsible for the damage, including at the city’s landfill and recycling center.
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Local Catholics began a nine-day mourning period Monday after the death of Pope Francis. Francis died Easter Monday at the age of 88, the Vatican announced. His death comes one day after blessing Catholics who gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. In his last speech, the pope called for
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia may consider raising its sales tax as it prepares to draw down $31.1 million from its cash reserves over the next six years. The projected spending comes as sales tax revenue falls short of expectations and employee wages and benefits continue to rise. The City of Columbia purchased
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man who ran a scheme to defraud insurance companies through staged accidents and fraudulently applied for COVID-19 relief funds was sentenced Monday in federal court, according to a press release from the Department of Justice. Lawrence Courtney Lawhorn, 37, was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison without parole and
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) On Monday, Mayor Barbara Buffaloe will preside over her first Columbia City Council meeting of her second term. Buffaloe won April 8’s municipal election with more than 14,000 votes in an expensive race for mayor over Blair Murphy and Tanya Heath. Buffaloe won handily, taking precincts around the city. ABC 17 News
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who was an employee at the Cooper County Jail has been indicted in Boone County for allegedly having sex with an inmate last year. John Dillehay, 48, was indicted on Friday on two charges, including sexual conduct in the course of public duty and misdemeanor making a false report. He
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Police say witnesses of crimes coming forward to authorities with information could help them unravel unsolved cases. But they also understand, there could be a risk. “I think there’s a variety of reasons [why a person would not come forward to police],” CPD Lt. Matt Gremore said. “I don’t think anybody
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) National Weather Service teams were in Mid-Missouri on Monday to assess the damage from Easter Sunday storms. The two rounds of storms touched off tornado warnings throughout the region and left damage behind from the Lake of the Ozarks to Audrain County. It wasn’t clear Monday afternoon whether any tornadoes had yet
Continue Reading Two waves of severe storms hit Mid-Missouri on Easter Sunday, with damage spread out across the area. Tornado warnings were issued in most Mid-Missouri counties during one or both of the two waves, including the Lake of the Ozarks area, Columbia, Jefferson City and Fulton. Heavy damage was reported in Columbia and in Callaway County,
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia has indefinitely suspended commercial and residential recycling pickup after the city’s recycling plant was damaged during a strong storm Sunday afternoon. Columbia Utilities spokesman Jason West said this also applies to the public drop-off centers, saying they will be unavailable to the public. Recycling workers have been asked not to report
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Some Boone County residents woke up to power outages Sunday morning.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Boone County Office of Emergency Management is reminding residents about extreme weather safety as Mid-Missouri is forecasted to be hit with high winds, heavy rain, and risks for hail and tornadoes on Easter weekend. In a Facebook post Friday, the BCOEM reminds drivers to avoid driving through moving and high water.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The University of Missouri and the City of Columbia are stepping up efforts to keep students and community members safe following a violent weekend where five people were shot. Both MU and the Columbia Police Department said they’re working together to increase patrols in, and around downtown in response to growing safety
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The University of Missouri on Friday broke ground on the Michael L. Parson Meat Science Education and Training Laboratory. The facility – named after former Republican Gov. Mike Parson – is projected to open in 2026. According to the university, the lab will further enhance the capabilities of the nationally regarded college of
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