College students’ personal information up for grabs under federal law
The University of Missouri receives — and fulfills — hundreds of requests each year for student directory information.
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Food inspections yield some violations at Faurot Field
Inspectors from MU’s Environmental Health and Safety department completed 221 inspections at 39 food facilities inside Faurot Field. “Our number one priority is the safety of our guests, so we’re going to do everything possible to make sure that they’re having a good experience while they’re at the game, and of course that includes having
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Inside Simonsen Ninth Grade Center during the May tornado
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Six months after a Jefferson City tornado scored a direct hit on Simonsen Ninth Grade Center, district leaders continue to look at the safety plans for their buildings. After suffering extensive damage, Simonsen is now a “surplus” property. Jefferson City School Board members will work through the process of what to
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Downtown Columbia restaurant cited with seven violations
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A downtown Columbia restaurant topped this week’s list of inspections with four critical violations and three non-critical violations. Taj Mahal’s inspection shows that when inspectors visited the restaurant on Oct. 30, they found food that was at the wrong temperature, uncovered food and clean dishes with food debris on them, just to
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Defenders: SIM card swappers on the rise, experts say
“All of a sudden… I couldn’t get access to any of my email accounts.” Gregg Bennett, an entrepreneur from Seattle, said he was a victim of SIM card swapping earlier this year. Without warning, he lost access to several email, financial and other accounts. “(The hackers) got into my amazon account, my Evernote account, my
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Seven Jefferson City school kitchens inspected in September
The Jefferson City Environmental Health Services Department inspected 36 food establishments in September and identified 16 “priority” violations. “Priority violations are items that, if in non-compliance, are more likely to contribute to food contamination, illness, or an environmental health hazard,” – The City of Jefferson’s website. City inspectors identified 46 “core” violations in September, which
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MU spends more than half-million on academic fraud and NCAA appeal
An academic fraud scandal and the ensuing NCAA appeal has cost the University of Missouri more than a half-million dollars. The university paid a total of $595,626.60 to outside counsel for their work on the investigation and appeal, according to records obtained by ABC 17 News. In January, the NCAA ruled to ban several of MU’s
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WASTEBUSTERS: State’s legal expenses top $6 million in May
Missouri’s legal expenses totaled $6,064,739 in May, according to the Attorney General report on the Legal Expense Fund. That amount represents the highest monthly total that the fund has expended in at least 18 months. “We represent the people, but we also represent all the different agencies in the state of Missouri,” said Missouri Attorney General
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WASTEBUSTERS: Questionable contract cost state $45,000 in interest, fees
A report from the Missouri State Auditor’s Office released Wednesday shows the state lost a total of $45,000 in fees and uncollected interest in what the office found was a questionable contract for fingerprinting technology. The audit also outlined an apparent conflict of interest in the method the former director of public safety used in
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WASTEBUSTERS: Missouri could lose $3.6M to federal government, LU says
Lincoln University in Jefferson City could soon be forced to send more than $3.6M to the federal government on Sept. 30. That money was part of the $7.1 million provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the college last year, as it is one of the state’s two land-grant institutions, the other being the University of
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State pays out $1.3 million in interest for late tax refunds
The Missouri Department of Revenue has paid taxpayers significantly more in interest from late tax refunds so far this year, according to a department spokesperson. The department has paid about more than $1,372,059.07 since January as part of the 2018 tax season, compared to $549,468.05, $533,780.73 and $370,306.20 during the same time span in the previous three years.
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Capital One hack: How to keep your finances safe
More than 100 million individuals who hold a Capitol One credit card or applied for one could have their personal information in the hands of scammers. Industry experts say there are immediate steps you can take to protect your personal information so hackers can’t get access. 1. Freeze your credit: Experts say this is an essential step
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DEFENDERS: How to stop Facebook from listening to your phone conversations
Facebook has confirmed that it has been listening to your audio Messenger chats. The social media giant says it has since stopped a program in which third-party contractors would listen to and transcribe your conversations. University of Missouri cyber expert Prasad Calyam said the practice is common in the tech industry. Companies claim it helps improve their
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DEFENDERS: FDA warning consumers not to drink ‘miracle solution’
The Food and Drug Administration is warning against a drink that’s being promoted online as a cure for everything from autism to HIV to cancer. The FDA says the drink called “Miracle Mineral Solution” (MMS) is not safe and people should stop buying the product, warning them not to consume it. Websites advertise the product as
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DEFENDERS: How to safely donate to mass shooting victims
As the cities of Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, mourn the attacks in their communities over the weekend, there are ways Missourians can help and donate. The Dayton Foundation has established an Oregon District Tragedy Fund for the victims’ families. The American Red Cross is accepting donations online. Public Good launched a fundraiser benefiting Dayton
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DEFENDERS: Five ways to protect your information online
Social media giant Facebook has been the subject of high-profile data investigations recently. At issue are concerns about the company not protecting personal data from getting into the wrong hands. Prasad Calyam, director of cyber-education and research at the University of Missouri, said your data can be collected quickly no matter where you are. “Technology is
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Phone scams continue to pose threat during tax season
As the April tax filing deadline approaches, criminals are out in full force looking for ways to take your money and personal information. According to the Internal Revenue Service one of the most common deceptions during tax season continues to be the telephone scam. Since October 2013, the IRS says scams have cost more than
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WASTEBUSTERS: No money spent yet from Columbia public inconvenience fee
City leaders have yet to touch money raised from a fee charged to developers for closing streets, sidewalks and parking spots downtown. The Columbia City Council passed an ordinance in Dec. 2016 charging developers by the linear foot of the public facilities it closed for construction. The ordinance states that that money can be used
Continue Reading WASTEBUSTERS: Lincoln University spent $35k on president’s inauguration, medallion
When Lincoln University severed its ties with the not-for-profit Lincoln University Foundation on Dec. 31, it brought a relationship of nearly 40 years to an end. The move also prompted ABC 17 News to look closely at the reasons for the separation and whether finances played a role the breakup. That examination turned up information
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Surveillance footage released in Jackson High vandalism investigation
NOTE: This story has been updated to identify some people in the video. Security camera footage outside the Battle High School locker room in Jackson, Missouri shows who went into the building and when. The state of the visitor’s locker room has been one of several issues both Columbia Public Schools and Jackson R-2 School
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