Month: August 2013

The Columbia City Council agreed unanimously not to put a proposed police staffing property tax hike on the November ballot. The tax lost its biggest supporter, Mayor Bob McDavid, last week. He originally proposed the 20-cent hike to hire 35 new officers in response to violent crime this summer. McDavid then backed down from it

Missouri Credit Union is informing all of its customers about a security breach after personal information was made public on its website. On Aug. 5, MCU discovered a file containing customer information was posted on its website. That file contained a list of customer names, addresses, Social Security numbers, account numbers, and MCU teller/call-in passwords.

Boone County Sheriff’s deputies are warning residents in the El Chapparal neighborhood to be on the lookout after more than a dozen car break-ins. Det. Tom O’Sullivan says deputies have responded to at least 16 larceny reports and one report of a stolen vehicle in the subdivision off of Route WW. In the case of

About 18,000 Columbia Public Schools students are back in school Tuesday for the first day of class. For weeks, ABC 17 News has been looking into changes to start times and bus routes because of the new Battle High School. District officials said everything seemed to go smooth and were surprised to see how relaxed

The Columbia Police Department is warning residents about two potential scams. Police say within the last week, officers have handled three reports of fraud. One scam involves transferring money internationally through Western Union while the other scam targets Craigslist users searching for a tutoring job. Officers are offering residents the following tips: Never give out

Missouri health officials confirmed a fifth case of Cyclospora in the state. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the most recent case was reported by a health provider in the Kansas City metro area. Previously, confirmed cases were reported in Jackson County, Taney County, Miller County and the Kansas City area. The

A Columbia murder suspect is now back in Missouri. Casey Lewis is charged with killing Brian Daniels in his south Columbia home back in April. He was in jail in Oklahoma until Monday, when he was brought back to Columbia. He was at the police department for most of the day then booked into the

A growing need for increased public safety is faced with the obstacle of not having enough money. While Columbia is debating how to cover the cost for 35 additional police officers, the Columbia Fire Department has expressed the need to begin planning for a 10th fire station due to continual city growth. “As the community

The popular ghost hunting show Ghost Adventures is scheduled to air its episode about the Missouri State Penitentiary on Sept. 6. Earlier this year, The Travel Channel filmed at the penitentiary and used Jefferson City residents for several reenactments, including the 1954 Riot and double execution of Bonnie Heady and Carl Hall. According to the

A man on the run for nearly two months was caught this weekend in Illinois, police said. Kimo Spivey, 23, is wanted in connection with a June shooting in Columbia at Lakewood Apartments on Old Highway 63. He allegedly shot at two victims, missing both of them. The woman he was with, Tabisha Franklin, allegedly

The University of Missouri’s campus was bustling Monday with students running off to their first classes of the year. Officials announced a total enrollment of 34,111 students this year with 26,715 undergraduates and 6,138 graduate students. Students were all over campus, but a new alert system was nowhere to be found. The electronic emergency beacon

Jefferson City, its Chamber of Commerce and Cole County have all teamed up in hopes of getting a new employer in Jefferson City. The Chamber of Commerce hopes to sell a plot of land in east Jefferson City to ROAR Real Estate and promises a discounted price. The city and county promise to run the

Columbia Public Schools began the 2013-2014 school year one day early with the launch of the district’s first “Jump Start” day. From morning through early afternoon, middle and high school students were able to get adjusted to their new start times and bus times. Students were also able to figure out how their schools were

About 18,000 Columbia students will be in their classrooms Tuesday morning for the first official day of school. With one of the hottest stretches of the year coming up, Columbia Public Schools officials won’t have to worry about the health of their students inside buildings. That’s because every school will now have some form of

An investigator with the Callaway County Sheriff’s Department is this year’s recipient of a statewide honor. Sgt. Shannon Jeffries received the 2013 Enoch B. Morelock Award, which recognizes individuals with outstanding moral character, service to law enforcement and to the community outside of law enforcement. The award is presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Sgt.

A car crash in Columbia caused electricity to go out for approximately 50 Boone Electric Cooperative customers. According to officials, the driver of a PT Cruiser sideswiped a mailbox in the 4400 block of Derby Ridge Drive. The car then traveled through a yard, hitting a power transformer, a street light and another vehicle. Witnesses

Two Columbia men pleaded guilty to felony charges of stealing and merchandising practices in connection with a contracting scam. Missouri Attorney Genral Chris Koster says Kendale Lamont Williams and Joshua B. Whitlock each pleaded guilty to two counts of felony stealing by deceit and one count of felony merchandising practices. Koster says the pair took

Nearly two dozen University of Missouri men’s basketball players and coaches will undergo leadership training with the Missouri National Guard this weekend. The National Guard says the team will have leadership and team-building training at Camp Crowder in Neosho on Sunday. “The Mizzou players and coaches will experience the military steps taken to prepare and

More than three weeks after a fire shut down the Ameren Missouri Callaway Energy Center, the facility has reopened. Ameren officials say the plant is back in service as of Monday. On July 26, a small fire on the main electrical power cables leaving the plant caused the company to close the facility. Ameren says

The University of Missouri officially kicked off its 2013-2014 school year Monday with the most diverse student body in the school’s history, according to officials. The university has 34,111 students enrolled, with a total minority enrollment of 5,116. That’s an increase of 3.6 percent from last year. “We are pleased to once again welcome another