Month: April 2016

The Missouri Senate committee on education approved the “Walter Cronkite New Voices Act“Wednesday. If passed the bill would allow student journalists more comprehensive editorial control over publications. Currently, under theHazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier decision, student journalists bear the responsibility of justifying any questionable or controversial news content for publication. “(The Walter Cronkite New Voices

COLUMBIA, Mo- Ten detention officers are needed at the Boone County Jail. The jail has continuously had a problem with keeping a full staff. It was so in need of officers at one point that they had to move some inmates to another facility. Luckily the pod was reopened just last month but the search

Missouri lawmakers heard hours of testimony Tuesday night about Senate Joint Resolution 39. Supporters of the religious freedom say the bill would protect businesses who refuse service to customers based on religious reasons. If this bill were to become law, it could have an effect on Mid-Missouri businesses. Other states have already seen a lose

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now saying that the Zika virus could be serious and that they are worried about the impact. Zike “seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought,” said Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While it’s

Police in Holts Summit are looking for a driver who led officers on a chase before running away on foot. The chase happened early Wednesday after police tried to stop a vehicle on East Center Street for a traffic violation. The driver sped off, leading a chase through town and out into a rural part

Multiple residents were displaced Tuesday after an apartment fire in central Columbia. At least eight units responded to the structure fire near Columbia College at the corner of Wilkes and Eighth Street. Firefighters said the fire broke out just after 2:30 Tuesday morning. Fire crews said multiple callers reported seeing flames showing from a 6-plex

UPDATE: A public hearing at the state capitol over a controversial so-called religious freedom bill wrapped up early Wednesday morning – at 12:25 a.m. The sponsors of Senate Joint Resolution 39, or SJR 39, said the bill would protect companies that refuse service to same-sex couples over religious beliefs. Supporters and opponents of the bill

The MU Operations department announced earlier on Tuesday that it would be eliminating more than 50 jobs from their fiscal budget for 2017. The University told ABC 17 that due to the lower amount in enrollment, budget cuts needed to be made and they felt that by eliminating certain jobs, that would help keep that

NAACP Day was held at the Missouri state capitol Tuesday – an event where activists and state officials rally in support of the civil rights group and its agenda. Hundreds gathered in Jefferson City to oppose the voter ID bill that is before the Missouri legislature. Several executive branch members appeared at the rally. State

Ameren Missouri made a historic donation to the Millbottom Center in Jefferson City Tuesday. For nearly 80 years, the center was an Ameren plant. Tuesday, the power company donated several architectural drawings and photos of the former plant. Chip Webb, Director of Central Missouri Division, Ameren Missouri said, “It’s all about preserving the heritage of

A new study of the University of Missouri System’s impact on Missouri shows some impressive numbers. The study is titled “Economic Impact on Missouri of the UM System.” It was funded by The Missouri 100, an advocacy group supporting “the most pressing priorities of the UM System, its four campuses, MU Healthcare and Extension.” The

A Jefferson City man was charged Tuesday after allegedly crashing into a Jefferson City police officer’s patrol car while drunk. Sulaimaan Habeel is charged with driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a crash and resisting arrest. ABC 17 News obtained court documents that claim Habeel struck the patrol vehicle parked in the 1000 block

A drop-off recycling center in Columbia will be unavailable starting Wednesday April 13 until the week of April 18. Repairs are being made to the Moser’s parking lot on Keene street. The recycling containers will be temporarily removed during this time. The city hopes to have the recycling containers back the week of April 18

The MU Operations department announced Tuesday it would eliminate 53.5 positions due to expected budget cuts in fiscal year 2017. In a memo to MU faculty and staff, Vice Chancellor for Operations Gary Ward said the budget cuts will likely amount to $5.47 million. Ward said those cuts, however, should not affect Mizzou’s academic mission.

Demolition work has started at the site where Quinton’s Bar and Deli and Britches clothing store once opened for business in downtown Columbia. A city spokesperson told ABC 17 News developer Fields Holdings picked up its demolition permit Monday. The developer wants to build a new ten-story residential and retail building on the lot. Demolition

OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, confirmed to ABC 17 on Thursday that it will be taking over the investigation. A worker at a workshop in Fulton was killed Thursday after getting stuck between a truck and fork lift. According to the Fulton Police Department the accident happened Thursday morning around 10:30 a.m at Kingdom

A man has pleaded guilty to charges filed after a home invasion in Columbia last October. Isaiah Anderson, 19, broke into a home on Parkside Drive, where police say he hit one of the residents on the head with a gun. However, the people in the home were able to pin Anderson and hold him

A power outage left nearly three dozen homes in central Columbia in the dark Tuesday morning. The outage, reported by Columbia Water and Light, was in the area of Sexton Road and Garth Avenue. There’s no word yet on what caused the outage. A separate outage is affecting around 17 homes in the area of

The Columbia Public School board met on Monday night to discuss the upcoming school year. One of the topics that was brought up was Gentry middle school and the amount of students it holds. The school was built in 1994 and was set to hold a maximum of 650 students. In the 2015-2016 school year

Crews were on the scene of a crash near the connector at Interstate 70 and Highway 63 in Columbia. The crash reportedly happened just after 8:00 Tuesday morning. At least five units responded to the scene. ABC 17 News is hearing reports that one vehicle involved may have caught on fire in the crash. Police