Month: March 2016

Despite frequent efforts to clean up spilled trash from the intersection of Larch Court and Tupelo Place in Columbia, the area is once again littered with garbage. Sergeant Michael Hestir with the CPD Community Outreach Unit told ABC17 that the area is littered with bottles, baby diapers, and other assorted trash. ABC17 News confirmed that

An identity thief has targeted a Facebook user in Columbia. Columbia police said the unknown person made a duplicate account with the victims information. Authorities investigated the incident last Friday. “Facebook actually makes it pretty easy to create a fake profile for somebody. I could take your picture off of Facebook and create a profile

The Columbia Public School Board met Thursday morning to review the first year of Student Transportation of America as the district’s bus company. The board approved STA in 2014 after the company put in a bid for $53-million over a five years. It was the first time in more than 30 years former CPS bus

A virtual reality simulation gave some Columbia students a different look at what can happen when someone drives distracted. The simulator allows students to get a first-hand look at how dangerous taking their eyes off the road can be. The simulation is part of the “It Can Wait” campaign sponsored by AT&T. The company cites

Storms overnight Thursday caused power outages across Boone County impacting up to 200 customers at one point. ABC 17 news checked with Boone Electric Cooperative Thursday morning. The provider said four outages were reported overnight after storms rolled through Boone County around 11:00 Wednesday night. The outages happened in Ashland, near West Gleason Road, near

A man and woman have been arrested more than week after a fight at a Columbia gas station, during which someone pulled out a gun. The fight happened on March 15 at the Petro Mart on St. Charles Road. According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, the fight involved two groups of people whose children

In a new filing in his federal lawsuit against Columbia police, Ryan Ferguson claims the department misunderstands the point of his case. Ferguson sued six members of the police department, among others, over his incarceration for the murder of Kent Heitholt. The murder happened in 2001, when Heitholt, the sports editor for the Columbia Daily

Days after professor Melissa Click was fired in February, the American Association of University Professors sent a letter to interim chancellor Hank Foley asking the UM Board of Curators to rescind Click’s firing. AAUP’s investigating committee consists of three AAUP members from other institutions. They visited Columbia earlier this week to meet with administrators, board

A women who lead the Boone County Sheriff’s Department on a chase three weeks ago driving the opposite direction on Highway 63 is due in court on April 4th, 2016. Taneka Lee Lewis is charged for two DWI’s, a week apart from each other, driving with a revoked license, endangering a child, and resisting arrest.

The Cole County Sheriff’s Department said it is facing a turnover rate like it has never seen. Right now, the department is short four positions with another one opening up next month, according to Capt. John Wheeler. The department lost 17 employees in 2015. And so far this year, it has already lost 7 more.

The Jefferson City Planning and Zoning Commission will soon move plans forward to rezone parts of downtown. If passed, the proposed changes would affect areas of East Capitol Avenue and East High Street. These would put into place new residential and commercial usage standards as well as building code standards. “What we envision this would

The Red Cross needs help filling a critical blood shortage. The agency says there is “significant need” for type O. It is extremely useful in emergency situations, because anyone can get it, no matter who the patient is, but it is only found in about seven-percent of the population. Officials say they have to collect

Mid-Missouri troopers are reporting a spike in the number of people trying to drive around school buses while their stop signs are down. On Wednesday the agency confirmed reports have jumped recently in the Mexico, Mo., area. The district has recorded at least 90 complaints of bus sign violations just since August 21. A copy

Columbia, MO- Senator Claire McCaskill stopped by a Boone County Elementary School today. While she was there she discussed the recent attacks on Belgium. “I just hope we stay calm and realize that if we are united with our allies and we work together the many, thousands of patriotic, American Muslims, we’re going to be

ABC 17 News confirmed Ashley Stone,32, is in custody and has been formally charged after getting shot at and taking deputies on a chase that ended in a car crash in Callaway County. The charges out of Callaway County include resisting arrest and assault. The Callaway County sheriff’s department confirmed Stone was wanted on a

Callaway County deputies have arrested a man for failing to register as a sex offender, as well as a woman who allegedly lied to investigators about where the man was. In late February, the sheriff’s office started investigating Timothy Durbin of Holts Summit for failing to register as a sex offender. Durbin, 35, was supposed

University of Missouri System Interim President MichaelMiddletonannounced the hiring of Dr. Kevin McDonald as the UM System’s first ever Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer (CDO) Wednesday. The appointment of this position, effectiveJune 1, meets one of the eight initiativesannouncedby the UM Board of Curators in November. “Dr. McDonald’s extensive background and expertise in diversity

Daryl Dudley is suspending his campaign for Columbia City Council. This comes as the fourth ward candidate has been met with controversy following a formal complaint filed by opponent Ian Thomas. In a news release, Dudley cites “recent distractions” that “are overshadowing very real issues facing the City of Columbia and making it impossible for

ABC 17 News is seeing reports that a suspect in the Brussels terror attacks has been arrested. Reuters News is reporting the information, citing a Belgian newspaper. Reuters said early Tuesday that the arrest comes asBelgian police were hunting a suspect named as Najim Laachraoui. The news outlet saidLaachraoui wasalready sought as his DNA had

Columbia’s former Emergency Management Director was back in the city Tuesday night to be honored. Zim Schwartze received an award from Missouri 911 Operators recognizing her work as a 911 official. ” Tonight was incredible,” said Schwartze . “I had no idea this was going to go on.” This comes nearly two years after Schwartze