• Two Columbia men are in custody after an early Saturday morning shooting downtown. Police arrested Demarquen Allen, 28, and Iseah Jackson, 23, after officers heard gunfire around 2:30 a.m. near Eighth and Walnut Streets. One person was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Both suspects face multiple assault and armed criminal action charges.
• Someone sprayed pepper spray at a customer inside the Spirit Halloween store on Nifong Blvd. in Columbia Saturday afternoon. One person went to the hospital following the incident. Police say the pepper spray was part of a prank or reckless behavior, and store staff evacuated the building to clear the air.
• The investigation into Wednesday afternoon's head-on crash on St. Charles Rd. near Demaret Dr. has been referred to the Boone County Prosecutor's Office. Sheriff's Capt. Brian Leer said Melvin A. Warrick, 49, of Columbia was eastbound at high speed when he crossed the center line and hit the other vehicle head-on, and that he did not have a driver's license. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Buchanan says her office will review the evidence to decide on charges. Both drivers, Warrick and a woman, were hospitalized.
• A man who broke into two homes on Torrey Pines Drive in southwest Columbia last year has been sentenced to prison. 63-year-old Seweryn Rapacinski of Poland pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of second-degree burglary, two counts of stealing $750 or more and one count of stealing $25,000 or more. He received seven years on each burglary and lesser stealing count and five years on the top stealing count, and was ordered to pay $113,875 in restitution. Investigators say more than $100,000 in jewelry and $5,000 in cash were taken from one home in July 2025, and a $12,000 silver dining set from another that September.
• Columbia Public Schools now expects to split its $420 million facilities plan into two bond issues, with the first on the April ballot. Chief Financial Officer Heather McArthur said the first bond would not exceed $260 million and the second would be capped at $160 million. The district says it can stay under its debt limit without a tax rate increase. Public feedback sessions are set for Nov. 5 on Zoom and Nov. 17 in person.
• A person was robbed near 10th and Walnut in downtown Columbia shortly after noon Thursday. Police say a gun may have been fired. There we no known injuries and no one was in custody. Police ask anyone with information to call them or CrimeStoppers.
• A judge has dismissed the felony assault charge against 21-year-old Tinoz'shia M. Harris, accused of elbowing a Columbia police officer during a July 26 fight outside Reign Bar at Ninth and Walnut streets. Court records show the charge was dismissed without prejudice for insufficient probable cause, meaning it could be refiled. Misdemeanor charges of interfering with an arrest and disturbing the peace remain, with a review hearing set for Dec. 2.
• Ameren Missouri wants to build a new electric substation southwest of Columbia on land the company already owns. The project, named "Katy" after the nearby Katy Trail, would split an existing transmission line into two sections so a problem on one side can be isolated, according to Ameren. Project Manager Jeana Woodard said the substation is meant to strengthen reliability in central Missouri and accommodate future growth. The Missouri Public Service Commission is expected to respond to Ameren's request by the end of February, and construction would start early next year if approved.
• MoDOT says Missouri is on track for a fourth straight year of fewer roadway deaths, something the state has not seen since 2011. So far in 2026, 716 people have died on Missouri roads, and more than half were not wearing seat belts, according to the department. MoDOT warned that November and December are the biggest threat to the streak; 144 people died on Missouri roads in those two months last year.
• Columbia officials dedicated about $37 million in upgrades to the McBaine Water Treatment Plant on Monday. Utilities Director Erin Keys says the work replaced aging equipment, and more electrical upgrades are still needed; she says future rate increases are likely and the city may ask voters for another bond in a few years. The COMO Safe Water Coalition criticized the celebration, saying delays raised costs and the project did not do enough to address PFAS and other contaminants.
• MoDOT will close U.S. 54 over I-70 in Kingdom City from Friday evening until 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, to demolish two bridges built in the early 1960s. Interstate 70 will narrow to one lane in each direction, with traffic routed over the Exit 148 ramps. The work is part of the $405 million Improve I-70 project between Columbia and Kingdom City.
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