Month: January 2014

New numbers show the Columbia-Boone County 911 Center took more calls last year than ever before. In 2013 Joint Communications handled more than 424,000 phone calls in 2013. That’s a 23% increase from 2012. The increase of calls to 911 was not a surprise to Joint Communications employees. They tell ABC 17 News every year

A crash closed both lanes of eastbound I-70 Thursday afternoon near the Lake of the Woods exit. Witnesses said it appeared a semi was heading west around 2:20 p.m. when it blew a tire and crossed over the median into oncoming vehicles. The truck was lying across the interstate, bringing eastbound traffic to a standstill

A Missouri man accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old schoolmate when he was 17 has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor child endangerment charge as part of a deal with prosecutors. Matt Barnett entered the plea Thursday during a court hearing in his hometown of Maryville. He was sentenced to two years of probation and a

A Glasgow family is picking up the pieces after a fire destroyed their home. Firefighters were called to a home in the 900 block of 15th street Wednesday night. When they arrived the home was fully engulfed. The family that lived there was able to get out of the home without injuries. Investigators say it

Local scores… Hickman 59 Battle 26 (girls basketball) **Emily Miller reaches 1,000 career points** Fulton 51 Marshall 35 (girls basketball) Fulton 62 Marshall 64 (boys basketball)

Charlie Mann scored 18 points, including the go-ahead basket with 35.8 seconds to go in overtime, and Georgia overcame its free-throw shooting struggles to beat No. 21 Missouri 70-64 in a Southeastern Conference opener on Wednesday night. Nemanja Djurisic had 16 points and hit the tying 3-pointer with 1:39 to go, and Kenny Gaines and

Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Chris Belcher announced on Wednesday he is retiring, effective June 30. Belcher had already indicated he was eligible for retirement in an email sent to district faculty and staff on Dec. 10. Belcher was first hired as superintendent in 2009. The decision comes in the middle of the district’s extensive 10-year

Authorities are urging people to be careful around lakes or streams during these winter months. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says ice needs to be tested and should be 4 inches thick before you walk on it. Capt. Tim Hull of the Highway Patrol says weeks like this, with the weather constantly changing, puts people

ABC 17 is going to air the MU Tigers basketball game against the Georgia Bulldogs at 7 p.m. on Wednesday , January 8 . The regular ABC Wednesday primetime programming will air this Sunday instead . The Middle starts at 1 p.m., Super Fun Night at 1:30 p.m., Modern Family at 2 p.m., and Super

Police said on Wednesday two men are in custody for a recent murder, but one suspect remains on the loose, and he could be armed and dangerous. Derrick Copelin, 17, was arrested in New Orleans for the murder of Dontay Tolston. But Jimiah Lambert, 20, of Columbia is still on the loose. Authorities believe he

Full staffed snow crews have been out on the roads since the snow started falling Saturday. Their biggest challenge is the cold temperatures causing the salt to not work and keeping the snow off the grounds. “The salt will not work when its that cold. Salt will only melt ice and snow down to a

Leaders in Cole County approved the final budget for 2014. Commissioners voted on the plan Wednesday morning. The $60 million budget does not include pay raises for any of the county’s 350 employees, but officials are paying to cover their upcoming increases in health insurance premiums.

The extreme winter weather is being blamed for several injuries around Mid-Missouri. On Monday, one person checked into University Hospital in Columbia with frostbite. Two others were admitted to the University Hospital ER after falling related to weather. St. Mary’s Hospital has seen a rise in respiratory infections. Health officials are warning people to bundle

The trial started on Wednesday for a Jefferson City business owner accused of burning down his own store. Kurt Steidley was arrested for arson after Everhart’s Outdoors went up in flames on New Year’s Day in 2011. The sporting goods facility had already closed at 2436 Missouri Boulevard about a week before the blaze. Court

Law enforcement are seeing small shifts in drug trends across mid-Missouri. In the weekend before New Years Day, Jefferson City police have confirmed at least one non-fatal heroin overdose. Pulaski County Sheriff Ron Long will hold a second heroin roundtable next Monday in an effort to combat the spread of that drug, much like Jefferson

Junior running back Henry Josey will declare for the NFL draft, Missouri announced today in a statement. He is the second Mizzou junior to forgo his final year of eligibility, joining Kony Ealy as Tiger underclassmen to bolt for the NFL. “This is really a bittersweet decision to make,” Josey said in a statement. “I’m

The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame will recognize three Missouri athletes for their outstanding fall seasons. Molly Kreklow and Lisa Henning will receive Special Achievement Awards from the Hall of Fame, while Missouri defensive end Michael Sam will earn the same award for his unanimous All-American achievement. Henning and Kreklow led the Tigers to a

Boone County firefighters responded to a water rescue on Tuesday involving several animals west of Columbia. Six cows fell through the ice around 3:30 p.m. after wandering across a pond on Wehmeyer Road, about three miles southwest of the Midway exit on I-70. Some were in the icy pond for over an hour. Crews pulled

No injuries were reported but Amtrak service to Jefferson City was interrupted after a passenger train struck a tractor-trailer west of St. Louis. KMOX radio reports the collision happened in Kirkwood a few minutes after the westbound train left downtown St. Louis around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Kirkwood is the first stop on Amtrak’s afternoon Missouri

A Maryville Mo., teenager, who has been at the center of a rape case making national headlines, was in a Kansas City hospital Monday night after attempting to take her own life. Melinda Coleman, who is the mother of Daisy Coleman, told affiliateWDAF-TVthat her daughter tried to take her own life Sunday evening. According to