COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) From large mortar fireworks to sparklers, the Boone County Fire Protection District is reminding people to stay aware of potential dangers when using fireworks this Fourth of July weekend. The Consumer Product Safety Commission found there were 11 reported fireworks-related deaths and 14,700 injuries in 2024. This marked an increase of about
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Sample ballots were sent out this week, letting Boone County voters know about the option to expand the senior property tax relief during the August special election. In 2024, Boone County voters approved a measure to freeze property taxes for homeowners aged 62 and older. However, county commissioners made two exceptions to
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – The Boone County Prosecutor’s Office named a new top assistant, but will keep the person who just left the spot close by. Prosecutor Roger Johnson said Wednesday that he named Melissa Buchanan to serve as the first assistant in the office. Buchanan will replace veteran prosecutor Sue Boresi, who left the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Fireworks sent nearly 15,000 people to the emergency room and killed 11 in 2024, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Fire officials with the National Fire Protection Association say the best and safest way to view fireworks is at a professional show. However, for people who want to take a more
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Tuesday press release from the Central Missouri Humane Society says an anonymous donor will match up to $2.5 million in donations this month. The money will be put toward its new campus it intends to build on a 17.5-acre property on East Brown School Road, according to the release. It also
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The parents of a Boone County Jail inmate who died in 2022 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against several defendants, including Boone County and Sheriff Dwayne Carey. The lawsuit claims that Douglas Johnson, 26, died on July 2, 2022, while in the jail’s custody after suffering from opioid withdrawals. David and
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) No charges will be filed against the four Columbia police officers involved in a fatal shooting of a man who was accused of murder. Four Columbia police officers — Zachary Beringer, Ryan Brunstrom, Dylan Caldieraro and Malique Dameron — fired their weapons at Timothy Turner, 37, of Columbia, on Feb. 1, according
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Camdenton man was charged on Tuesday after he allegedly stole a truck and trailer on Monday and led law enforcement on a chase to Callaway County. Eric Burns, 39, was charged with first-degree tampering with a vehicle and aggravated fleeing. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former Fulton Police Department detective was charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor in Boone County after he allegedly pointed a gun at roof workers. Christopher Eston, 39, of Columbia, was charged on Tuesday with unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault. He is being held
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Ashland residents can expect to see a sizable increase to their sewer bill. After Gov. Mike Kehoe on Monday used a veto to strike down $11 million from the state budget for sewer system improvements in Ashland, a city spokesperson says a 23% jump in sewer bills will occur. The city broke
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Gov. Mike Kehoe approved the state’s $50.8 billion budget on Monday. The approval of the budget included 208 vetoes, totaling $2,233,729,313; according to a list of vetoes provided by the governor’s office. A press release says that nearly $300 million in general revenue was cut, and 32 expenditure restrictions totaling $211 million
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Callaway County deputies on Monday used spike strips to stop a truck and trailer that was reported stolen, the sheriff’s office wrote in a Monday evening social media post. The sheriff’s office wrote that it was notified by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office that deputies were chasing a stolen truck and trailer
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As negotiations remain at a standstill, officials from MU Health Care and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will testify before a Missouri Senate Committee Monday afternoon. Since April 1, over 90,000 patients previously covered by Anthem have been in limbo, with many struggling to pay for care out-of-network. Troubles started after a
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Monroe County woman was taken to University Hospital with serious injuries after a crash that closed a lane of a Boone County highway Friday. The 39-year-old woman was riding in an SUV when a compact car tried to make a U-turn on Highway 763 near Prathersville Road. The SUV hit the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Editors Note: This article has been edited to correct a meeting time. The University of Missouri Board of Curators is set to meet Thursday to approve its budget for the 2026 fiscal year. The proposed budget includes $5.3 billion in funding across all four campuses: The University of Missouri Columbia, The University
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More and more people are saying they’ve experienced mental health issues, reports show. Those who study mental illness have noted a marked increase since the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the groups that have seen the jump is youth. The latest Boone County Community Services annual report shows a marked increase in youth needing mental health help
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COLUMBIA, Mo. Boone County’s Community Services Department reported a nearly tenfold return on investment through its Children’s Services Fund, according to its 2024 annual report. The annual report, which began in 2014, evaluates services funded by the 2012 voter-approved sales tax, which supports programs for Boone County youth ages 19 and younger. Between 2019-23, the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A bond issue that was approved by voters this past spring, but was not certified by the state auditor’s office, is expected to appear on the ballot again this November. The Hallsville School District’s $6.5 million bond to complete the second part of a three-phase plan for construction to address the growing
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Natural Resources said it needs more information and clarity from the City of Columbia on its plan to mitigate and track human waste and trash from homeless camps getting into water. DNR’s Water Protection Program Director John Hoke told the city in a May 30 letter that the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Hallsville woman has been charged with two felonies after she allegedly stole the income of someone with a disability. Natalia Phillips, 44, was charged with financially exploiting a disabled person and stealing more than $750. She is being held at the Boone County Jail on a $50,000 bond. Court date has
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