Missouri

Holiday lights displays illuminate nightly across Columbia and mid-Missouri

Published

1 year ago

December 12, 2024

Holiday lights displays illuminate nightly across Columbia and mid-Missouri

Holiday lights have begun illuminating the nights in Columbia with displays all through the city.

Whether you’re looking for a walk-through experience, want to celebrate the season under a magic tree, or just planning a scenic drive, KOMU 8 has you covered with a list of holiday and Christmas lights near you.

Tap or click each location on the map for its address, and keep scrolling for more details on each location.

Walk- or drive-through lights displays

Veterans United

The mile-long holiday lights display returned Tuesday at Veterans United. The Bright Lights/Holiday Nights drive-through display runs through Dec. 22.

The tour is located at 550 Veterans United Drive and is open from 7-10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 6-10:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Vehicles can enter the display from the eastern-most Veterans United Drive campus entrance and continue through the display until the western-most Veterans United Drive exit. During event hours, the only way to access Veterans United Drive will be from State Farm Parkway, as traffic from South Providence Road will be restricted from turning east onto Veterans United Drive.

A map is available on the event’s Facebook page.

The event accommodates about 1,000 vehicles each night, and Veterans United recommends visiting later in the evening, as traffic flow was heaviest early in the evening last year.

Shelter Gardens

The Winter Wonderland Garden of Lights is located at 1820 W Ash St. The display is open every evening from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. until Dec. 14.

The display features thousands of lights shining on several different holiday scenes.

Visitors are able to walk through the light displays for free.

The Gingerbread House

Located at 5403 Dalcross Drive, Columbia, The Gingerbread House will be open from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. every night until Jan. 5.

The display covers the front and backyard and includes interactive elements.

Vehicles can drive by the house to view the lights as well as walking through the display.

Fulton Festival of Lights

Fulton Parks and Recreation lit the Festival of Lights on Dec. 5 and will remain lit until early January.

The festival is located at 808 State St. The display is free for the public and vehicles can drive through the light show.

Magic trees

The Crossing’s Magic Tree

More than eight miles of LED lights were lit on the 85-foot Sycamore tree at The Crossing on Nov. 29.

Located at 3615 Southland Drive, viewers can enjoy the sights and sounds of the magic tree from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night.

Live music will be provided by Mason Ridge Bluegrass Band and Indie Artist Johnny Knox on Dec. 13 during their special Friday night experiences.

Cherry Hill’s Magic Tree

Cherry Hill lit its new Magic Tree on Dec. 5. Located at 4200 Merchant St., the tree will be lit every night from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. until Jan. 6.

Since 2010, five trees have held the honor of being adorned with the Christmas lights. A nine year old Crabtree is enjoying its debut this year. It was planted with the intent of being the next long-term Magic Tree.

Boone Electric Cooperative’s Magic Tree

The Magic tree at Boone Electric Cooperative is located at 1413 Rangeline St.

More holiday and Christmas lights in Columbia and mid-Missouri

Logboat Brewing Co.

Logboat Brewing Co. held their annual Candy Cane Crib lighting ceremony on Nov. 29.

The lights are available to view at 504 Fay St.

Boone County Courthouse

Located at 705 E Walnut St., the Boone County Courthouse lit holiday lights that surround the old courthouse columns and surrounding trees and bushes.

Alley A

Between Ninth Street and Tenth Street just south of East Broadway, Alley A decorated the path with a holiday lights display.

Drone photography by Dominick Lee, KOMU 8 Chief Photographer and FAA-Certified Drone Pilot

Story and design by Jacob Richey and Matthew Jacobi, KOMU 8 Digital Producers

Video editing by Camden Buehler, KOMU 8 Digital Producer

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Missouri

Lawsuit aims to block Missouri income tax amendment from ballot

Published

5 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Press Room

Lawsuit aims to block Missouri income tax amendment from ballot

Jason Hancock
| Missouri Independent

A lawsuit filed Wednesday, May 13 seeks to knock a proposed constitutional amendment off Missouri’s 2026 ballot that would give lawmakers new power to expand sales taxes to eliminate the income tax, arguing legislators bundled too many subjects into one proposal and wrote misleading ballot language.

The lawsuit, filed in Cole County Circuit Court by attorney Chuck Hatfield on behalf of a Missouri resident, challenges a proposed ballot question that would ask voters to amend the Missouri Constitution to begin phasing out the state individual income tax.

The measure, approved by the legislature last month, is expected to appear on the November ballot unless Gov. Mike Kehoe moves it to another election. Kehoe has made eliminating the income tax one of his top priorities, arguing it would make Missouri more competitive with states that do not tax individual income.

But the lawsuit argues the proposal is constitutionally defective and should be blocked from any ballot. In the alternative, it asks the court to rewrite the summary statement voters would see.

The lawsuits central legal argument is that the proposal violates constitutional limits on ballot measures by including more than one subject and effectively amending multiple articles of the Missouri Constitution.

“This is precisely the logrolling harm the multi-article rule was designed to prevent,” the lawsuit argues, contending voters who support eliminating the income tax could be forced to also accept provisions they oppose, such as expanding the sales tax or changing how road funds and local taxes are handled.

The lawsuit also argues the proposal would improperly expand the constitutional role of the state auditor by requiring the office to calculate reduced tax rates triggered by the amendment. The petition contends that duty is not related to auditing the receipt or expenditure of public funds, which the Missouri Constitution says is the limit of the auditor’s authority.

Instead, the lawsuit argues, the amendment would give the auditor a new rate-setting or revenue-modeling role, including authority to calculate changes affecting tax rates set elsewhere in the constitution.

A spokesperson for Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who was among the named respondents in the lawsuit, did not respond to a request for comment.

If passed, the proposal would direct lawmakers to set a revenue baseline and triggers for phased-in reductions in the top tax rate. It also allows five years for the legislature to write a new sales tax law, which must be directly tied to cuts in the top income tax rate in a manner supporters hope will not increase or decrease revenue.

Currently Missouri has an income tax with a top rate of 4.7% for taxable incomes greater than about $9,200 a year. The sales tax is 3% for general revenue, but earmarked state taxes and local options stack on top of that, creating a rate that is 7% to 8% in most locations and can be as much as 12% in some special districts.

The sales tax applies to physical goods and excludes services. The Missouri Constitution prohibits lawmakers from applying the sales tax to real estate transfers and any goods or services not currently taxed, but those provisions would not apply to any sales tax plan passed as a result of the constitutional amendment.

Missouri gets about 65% of its state revenue from income tax, about 22% from sales tax and the rest from other sources including a corporate income tax. To replace the revenue from the income tax without expanding coverage of the sales tax would increase the tax rate by as much as 8.5%.

State law exempts residential utility costs, prescription drugs and groceries from all or a portion of the current sales tax. There are also dozens of other sales tax exemptions, mainly tied to business operations as an economic development tool.

The lawsuit also challenges the ballot summary approved by lawmakers.

The summary asks voters whether the Missouri Constitution should be amended to “phase-out the individual income tax based on revenue growth,” “reduce personal property and other local taxes when local revenues increase,” “modify the sales and use tax to eliminate income tax and reduce local taxes” and “protect local funding for public schools and other purposes.”

The lawsuit argues that language is unfair and insufficient because it does not tell voters that the amendment would allow lawmakers to tax services now protected from sales taxes, would temporarily exempt certain tax increases from constitutional limits on new annual revenue and would permanently bar lawmakers from reimposing an individual income tax once it is eliminated.

The lawsuit takes particular aim at the word “modify,” arguing it fails to convey the breadth of the sales-tax authority voters would be granting lawmakers.

“A voter reading ‘modify the sales and use tax’ would not be apprised that the resolution authorizes the state to begin taxing services such as haircuts, legal fees, home repairs, medical services, accounting, and any other service currently exempt from sales tax,” the lawsuit states.

It also argues the phrase “protect local funding for public schools and other purposes” is argumentative because the word “protect” encourages support for the measure rather than neutrally describing what it does.

“If the people are allowed to have a fair vote, they’ll vote this amendment down,” Hatfield said in an interview May 13. “But the ballot summary the legislature wants to show them is just not fair or accurate.”

The governor called on lawmakers in January to place an income-tax phaseout on the ballot, saying voter approval would allow lawmakers to act next session.

Supporters of the amendment have argued that eliminating the income tax would help Missouri attract residents, jobs and investment. During debate over the proposal, Republicans framed it as a long-term economic growth strategy and a way to let Missourians keep more of what they earn.

Opponents have argued the plan would shift the tax burden toward sales taxes, raising costs for people who spend a larger share of their income on taxable goods and services. They have also warned that the ballot language does not make clear that voters would be authorizing a broader sales tax in order to replace revenue from the income tax.

The lawsuit asks the court to permanently block Hoskins from placing the measure on any ballot. If the court declines to do that, it asks for a new summary statement that “fairly and accurately conveys the central purpose and probable effects” of the amendment.

This story was first published at missouriindependent.com.

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Missouri

Missouri lawmakers pass bill requiring age verification for porn sites

Published

17 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Missouri lawmakers pass bill requiring age verification for porn sites

Steph Quinn
| Missouri Independent

A bill requiring pornography websites to conduct age checks before granting access is headed to Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe.

Commercial websites and platforms must already verify that users are at least 18 if more than a third of their content is sexually explicit as part of a rule enforced by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway since December.

The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Sherri Gallick of Belton, would codify that rule in state law, requiring websites to use third-party age verification providers.

“One of the things that was really compelling to me is that a lot of people growing up in today’s age look at a phone or they look at a computer, and they think that is reality,” Gallick told The Independent. “It’s very demeaning to women and to children.”

Sites that don’t comply would be subject to civil penalties, including fines up to $10,000 per day in violation of the law and an additional $250,000 if at least one minor accessed sexually explicit content. Sites could be charged $10,000 per violation of a provision prohibiting age verification providers from retaining users’ identifiable information.

The House passed the bill 112-25 Wednesday, May 13, with 20 Democrats and 5 Republicans in opposition and 11 Democrats voting “present.” The Senate passed the bill 32-0 on Tuesday, May 12, sending it back to the House for approval of a minor amendment.

The bill got initial House approval last year but was dropped from the calendar before getting a formal vote due to a challenge in the U.S. Supreme Court to a similar Texas law.

“The fear was, ‘Okay, what if they don’t uphold that? Then we would have to make some changes,’” Gallick said.

The court sided with Texas in July 2025, ruling that the state’s requirement that users prove their age by showing government-issued identification did not violate adults’ right to access constitutionally-protected content.

During House debate in March, Democratic lawmakers questioned the potential effectiveness of the bill and raised the possibility of unintended consequences.

Democratic state Rep. Eric Woods of Kansas City said young people are likely to find ways around age verification requirements.

“Kids are smart,” Woods said. “There are VPNs. There are browser settings that allow you to skirt around some of this stuff.”

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, argued that age verification requirements could lead more prominent porn websites to block access in Missouri, driving traffic to less scrupulous sites with fewer content safeguards.

“The websites that are less inclined to follow the rules also tend to be the types of websites that are filled with child sexual assault material, that include nonconsensual sex acts,” Aune said.

The porn industry’s largest website, Pornhub, blocked access in Missouri after Hanaway announced her office’s rule, issuing a statement calling the new rule ineffective and raising data privacy concerns.

Gallick said that while she realizes some young people will still access sexually explicit material, putting age verification requirements in state law is an important step to protect children. She said pornography can be used by bad actors to “groom” children to engage in sexual activity.

“When there’s a leak in your house you turn the water off,” Gallick said. “When there’s pests that come into your house, an exterminator comes in and cuts off the source. This is the source. Children do not need to view pornography.”

This story was first published at missouriindependent.com.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for May 13, 2026

Published

1 day ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 13, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 13 drawing

22-31-52-56-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 13 drawing

Midday: 2-6-1

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 7-8-3

Evening Wild: 2

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 13 drawing

Midday: 5-8-3-5

Midday Wild: 0

Evening: 8-7-7-9

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 13 drawing

Early Bird: 11

Morning: 15

Matinee: 14

Prime Time: 12

Night Owl: 11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from May 13 drawing

04-08-18-19-27

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 13 drawing

08-13-39-63-66, Powerball: 02

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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