Stories by Alex Naughton

Children can connect with nature at Missouri River Relief events Missouri River Relief is offering children a chance to connect with the river through art, music and visits from animals this month with Mornings at the River. The first week of activities has passed,... June 9, 2023

Four big infrastructure projects on drawing board The next five years will bring significant infrastructure developments in Jefferson City and Cole County.Eric Landwehr, the director of Cole County Public Works, and David Bange, the city engineer for... June 8, 2023

Post-accident drug testing takes spotlight at Cole County Commission meeting <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pGfLlepsCAs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... June 7, 2023

Vehicle crashes into Capital Arts; JC Parks working to fix damage A vehicle crashed into the Capital Arts building Friday evening.Nobody was hurt, according to Lt. David Williams with the Jefferson City Police Department, but the front of the building wasn't so ... June 6, 2023

Cole County awarded $14.9M in federal funds to county, city projects Cole County Commissioners had to compromise on a number of programs they funded with American Rescue Plan Act funding.But they shared some priorities.Of the $15 million in American Rescue Plan Act (AR... June 4, 2023

Patrol reports 10 fatalities over holiday weekend Ten people died in traffic crashes in Missouri during the Memorial Day weekend, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.No boating deaths or drownings were reported during the holiday period. T... May 31, 2023

Cole County Commission approves contracts, jailer policy changes <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E7KU_ZhIVR8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... May 31, 2023

Deputy juvenile officer wants to help children, change perceptions Julie Barker wants the community to see at-risk kids the same way she does -- as significant, worthy and wise beyond their years.She said these children are survivors, and they're capable of doing... May 30, 2023

JC woman injured in parking lot crash A Jefferson City woman was injured Thursday in an accident in the 3200 block of West Truman Boulevard. Around 1 p.m. Thursday, Michelle R. Pleus, 52, pulled into a private driveway to park, according ... May 27, 2023

JCPD reports $9,000 of Fentanyl pills seized during traffic stop The Jefferson City Police Department (JCPD) seized hundreds of fentanyl pills, thousands of dollars in cash and a stolen weapon during a traffic stop Thursday evening. Around 6:30 p.m., detectives and... May 27, 2023

Stayin’ Alive When Cole County EMS staff are out with an ambulance, they are usually responding to an emergency.On Thursday, county EMTs and paramedics were on a mission to educate.Thursday was National Stop The Bl... May 25, 2023

Red Cross says number of appointments dropping, donors needed Recent blood and platelet donation appointments have dropped, the American Red Cross says, but the need for donors remains.In a Monday news release, the American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas str... May 25, 2023

Cole County hosting cornhole fundraiser for United Way in June For the second year in a row, Cole County is raising money for the United Way of Central Missouri with a cornhole tournament.At 6 p.m. June 16, the Cole County Cornhole Tournament will kick off at Jef... May 25, 2023

Cole County selects contractor for new EMS headquarters <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WUE5dk_-uOw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... May 24, 2023

Public works mechanic takes lead on Cole County’s new maintenance program Tyler Clark has worked as a mechanic and shop supervisor at Cole County Public Works for 10 years.Now, with the county beginning its in-house vehicle maintenance program, Clark's responsibilities ... May 21, 2023

Juvenile officer lays out critical issues facing Prenger Center For 30 years, the Prenger Family Center has housed Cole County youths, whether they're awaiting court, being held in the secure detention area or receiving help for abuse or neglect. For many building... May 20, 2023

Jefferson City police honored at second annual awards banquet The second annual Jefferson City Police Foundation Awards Banquet and Police Officers' Ball was held Wednesday night, with the main speaker noting the real heroes in society were those being honor... May 18, 2023

Missouri American Water highlights improvement plans Missouri American Water plans on investing more than $425 million into improving its infrastructure this year.That money will fund water pipe replacements, a new filter and chemical feed building at t... May 18, 2023

Cole County sheriff’s deputies, jailers to get pay increase <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wx4k_IxOZ3U" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... May 18, 2023

Update: Missing person case UPDATE: The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued an update at 12:39 p.m. stating Jo Ann Stephens has been found and is safe.At 1:21 p.m., Jefferson City police said they no longer consider Stephe... May 17, 2023

Vehicle involved in two three-vehicle crashes A three-vehicle crash left one Mexico woman injured Monday afternoon in Callaway County.Kassie N. Phelps, of Holts Summit, was driving east on U.S. 54 south of Route TT when she hit the median cables,... May 17, 2023

Driver injured in Miller County wreck An Osage Beach man sustained injuries in a single-vehicle crash Monday morning in Miller County.John M. Saffell, 59, was driving his 2014 Harley Davidson Breakout north on Route U at Route EE when he ... May 17, 2023

Heisinger Bluffs’ moms celebrated with brunch "We want to give thanks today, not just for the mothers in our lives, but for those who took that mothering role in many people's lives."Chaplain Jim Mueller's remarks and following ... May 16, 2023

Jefferson City police join nation in honoring fallen officers Jefferson City police officers will be wearing mourning bands this week in honor of officers who have died in the line of duty.The bands are part of the Jefferson City Police Department's (JCPD) p... May 16, 2023

Faith reunites two Jefferson City men after 55 years On Christmas Day in 1968, a group of Catholic community members gathered at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph for the building's first mass. The parish had just moved from its space at what is now the St.... May 13, 2023

Iconic figure on Capital City skyline is coming down For 143 years, the cylindrical white water tower on West Main Street has stood resolutely among the Capitol building, church steeples and clock towers that make up the Jefferson City skyline. Next yea... May 12, 2023

Cole County rolls out in-house vehicle maintenance program <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w2eLNAqS4Vc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... May 11, 2023

Family, friends hold candlelight vigil for fallen law enforcement officers The names of 11 fallen law enforcement officers were added to the memorial wall at the Missouri State Capitol this year.To honor them, and all the other names on the wall from years and decades past, ... May 6, 2023

Multimodal facility to break ground in mid May <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Em1dSJ-EYio" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... May 4, 2023

Passenger injured after driver falls asleep, crashes car A 23-year-old passenger was injured early Wednesday morning in an Osage County crash.Allex Fisher, 21, was driving his 2003 Ford Focus around 2 a.m. north on Highway 63 at Rock House Lane when he fell... May 4, 2023

Work on West Brazito Road to last most of May Starting Monday, sections of West Brazito Road will be closed during the day for culvert replacements.According to a Cole County Public Works news release, some stormwater culverts along the road have... May 2, 2023

Jefferson City, Cole County leaders discuss child care crisis "Being a mom is like juggling. Except the balls are screaming and covered in food."When work is thrown into the equation, the circus act of parenting gets even harder.Lauren Golden, the foun... April 30, 2023

Leaders discuss workforce housing at State of the City & County The Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center was bustling with activity Friday afternoon as local business, community, government and non-profit leaders gathered in the ballroom for the State of the ... April 29, 2023

Huge celebration proposed for 250th anniversary of America’s independence What do you call a 250-year anniversary?A semiquincentennial? A sestercentennial?None of these options roll off the tongue easily, but they all mean the same thing: In 2026, the United States will cel... April 27, 2023

Cole County EMS to return nearly $300,000 to state <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PcjgozUpYVo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... April 27, 2023

Missouri River Regional Library shares renovation plans with community As the automatic, sliding front doors of the Missouri River Regional Library (MRRL) in Jefferson City opened up Monday morning, the smell of glazed doughnuts wafted through the air.Claudia Young, the ... April 25, 2023

Eldon driver injured in crash An Eldon man was injured early Sunday morning in a single-vehicle crash in Miller County.Around 1:30 a.m., Alec J. Diver, 21, was driving east on US 54 just west of Missouri 52 when his vehicle went o... April 25, 2023

Getting back to our roots; Department of Natural Resources’ Earth Day celebration returns More than 1,700 fifth-grade students, with parents and teachers in tow, scurried across the Missouri State Capitol's south lawn Friday. Groups of students tossed flying discs to each other, raced each... April 22, 2023

DNR employees’ passion for nature drives celebration Friday's Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Earth Day celebration was a first for Tisha Holden and Matt Connor. The two can normally be found working as the division information officers f... April 22, 2023

Cole County Commission briefed on Lincoln University emergency response training project <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WSd9W63v8oQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... April 20, 2023

Cole County to upgrade jail transport vehicles with grant Out of 43 grant recipients, only five Missouri sheriff's departments are receiving less money than Cole County from a state-funded jail maintenance and improvement grant.There were 37 counties tha... April 18, 2023

Keeping the hands of time turning What started as a hobby for Sean Barnes eventually turned into a full-fledged, family-run business.Barnes used to work a desk job, handling the inventory of raw materials for a company that worked wit... April 17, 2023

Missouri celebrates participation in first responder network A crowd of first responders and local and state leaders gathered at the Jefferson City Fire Department Training Center on Wednesday to celebrate.EMS workers, firefighters and law enforcement officers ... April 13, 2023

Health Department seeks to fill nurse vacancies with increased salaries In an attempt to fill a persistent vacancy at the Cole County Health Department, Director Kristi Campbell asked the Cole County Commission to approve a new salary grid.The commissioners approved the r... April 13, 2023

Republicans, Democrats work together to recount April 4 votes Democrats, Republicans and neutral observers chatted amiably with each other Monday morning as they prepared to certify the accuracy of the April 4 election.Gathered in the Cole County Commission conf... April 11, 2023

Community continues to ‘reap benefits of late YMCA director’s work Easter is typically a time for celebrating rebirth and new beginnings. For the friends and family of George Hartsfield, however, this Easter Sunday was a day of mourning. Hartsfield, the former mayor ... April 11, 2023

Police: Decades-old missing person case still open It has been 28 years to the day since Douglas Brucks was last seen. The Jefferson City Police Department released a bulletin Tuesday asking for the community's help in locating Brucks. "The Jefferson ... April 10, 2023

Citizen alleges Cole County Clerk’s office violated election laws On election night, a "count watcher" from Cole County's election accuracy certification team reached into a bowl of numbers and pulled one out.The number was 24, representing the Marion/... April 9, 2023

911 dispatchers to be honored with week of recognition In an emergency, before the police arrive or an ambulance comes or a firefighter crew is activated, a call is made. Communications operators, or dispatchers, are the people who take those calls and se... April 8, 2023

Police, fire and EMS leaders: Collaboration has improved safety Four Cole County public safety leaders came together Thursday to discuss their collaborative efforts to keep the community safe. Jefferson City Police Chief Eric Wilde, Jefferson City Fire Chief Matt ... April 8, 2023