Month: July 2015

Columbia’s Fire in The Sky celebration kicks off Saturday night downtown. The night begins at 6:30 with children’s activities and live entertainment at Flat Branch Park. There will also be an entertainment stage at Peace Park from 6:30 through 9:00 p.m. The fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:15 from the 6th and Cherry parking

The Columbia Police Department is looking for suspects in a sexual assault case. Authorities responded to Worley Street near Garth Avenue around 11:30 Thursday night, after a 31 year old woman reported she was attacked while walking home. The woman says she was approached by two black men. The men hit the woman and dragged

As dock inspectors at the Lake of the Ozarks continue to take a large number of requests in 2015, deaths continue due to electric shock. “We learn about it down here because it happens every so often,” Ed Nicholson, fire marshal for the Osage Beach Fire Protection District, said. “So we’re kind of aware of

When state trooper Brandon Harris is on the job, he said he is always alert. “I’m always looking behind me, I’m always looking at the road that’s going the opposite direction,” he said. “I see people. They don’t think I’m looking, but I’m always looking.” This holiday weekend, he will be keeping a closer eye

Columbia Public Works is working to repair two stormwater pipes that failed during Wednesday night’s heavy rain. One of the pipes caused an eight-foot deep sinkhole on Towne Road just north of Clark Lane. And the other flooded the entire intersection of Fairview and Summit Roads, causing a car to get stuck in high water.

The weather will be fairly quiet for the holiday weekend with only slight storm chances in the afternoon and evenings from Friday through Sunday. Isolated storms are possible mainly south of I-70 Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon- evening. There is a slightly better chance of storms late in the day Sunday but those would be

Severe storms pushed through mid-Missouri Wednesday night. Flash flood warnings are in effect through Friday morning for Benton, Boone, Camden, Cole, Howard, Maries, Miller, Morgan, Pettis, Phelps and Pulaski Counties. Storm reports: *ABC 17’s Lindsey Berning went to the location where emergency crews were dispatched to the intersection of Garth Ave. and Sexton Road around

The capital improvement sales tax renewal is on next month’s ballot for Columbia voters. Money from this would go toward road improvements and public safety projects. 6th Ward Columbia councilwoman Betsy Peters sat down with ABC 17 News Thursday to talk about what projects the city has planned. Peters said the 10 year renewal would

A Mid-Missouri woman faces charges after turning herself in for embezzlement. Morgan County deputies said Melissa Owsley stole more than $140,000 from the County Health Center. Deputies have been investigating the theft since May. They said they found several discrepancies in the health center’s financial records dating back to 2013. Further investigation apparently led them

Boone County fire officials are warning people of the safety hazards that come with fireworks. A few tips they want to remind consumers of is to never allow children to play with fireworks. They also remind you not to ever re-light a firework. If you are setting them off yourself, make sure to put them

The southern portion of Mid-Missouri was also hit hard by severe thunderstorms that brought wind damage and flooding Wednesday night. Several road repair projects were underway Thursday in Cole and Moniteau counties. Extremely heavy rain fell in California where flood waters from Weineke Branch shut down a bridge and destroyed a section of road. Bulldozers

Governor Nixon Thursday announced a no-wake order due to flooding at the Lake of the Ozarks. After the Lake Area picked up several inches of rain over a short period of time, the Lake of the Ozarks has risen above full pool, and flood gates have been open since Wednesday. Officials said by Saturday, water

The Missouri State Highway Patrol helicopter team helped rescue three people who were stranded in rising flood waters Wednesday morning. The three people were camping at the Forbes Campground in Benton County when they were trapped by water. Troopers determined roads around the campground were either washed out or flooded and not accessible by boat

The National Weather Service in Springfield has confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down in Benton County Wednesday night. The ABC 17 Stormtrack weather team continuously covered the tornado warning that encompassed Benton County from around 9:45 p.m. through 10:30 p.m. A survey team found a 3.25 mile long damage path that started about 3 miles

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed a woman died while preparing to make a court appearance in Boone County Wednesday morning. The woman, 43-year-old Deanna Harris, was an inmate at the Boone County Jail and became unresponsive at the courthouse. Harris apparently complained of breathing problems in the courtroom, and was taken to a

Investigators believe an electrical fire was the cause of a house fire in Jefferson City. It happened Wednesday night around 5 on stadium boulevard. The home owner was coming home and saw smoke billowing from the roof and garage. Most of the damage was contained in the kitchen, but the home has smoke damage. Crews

Two people were injured Wednesday night in a single car crash in Columbia. It happened around 9 p.m. on Richland Road near Trade Winds Parkway. ABC 17 News confirmed two people were sent to the hospital after their car drove off of the road and crashed into a tree. We’re told deputies are letting cars

A Columbia Walmart is back open after severe storms forced it to close Wednesday night. The skylights of the Grindstone Walmart location were damaged, allowing rain inside and flooding the store. Around 3:30 a.m., Thursday store employees said the store had reopened. An employee told ABC 17 News a lot of merchandise was damaged, including

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has waded into the debate on a rule that expands the federal government’s jurisdiction over waterways in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency released its final rule Monday defining what bodies of water can be considered “waters of the United States.” Koster has teamed with more than a dozen

Columbia Police are investigating a shots fired incident in central Columbia Wednesday night. Multiple officers were responding to Fourth and Grand Ave. just before 5:30 p.m. ABC 17 News talked to witnesses who saw a van speed away from the area. Emergency dispatchers said four shots were fired from a Copper 4-door Grand Am. Columbia