ABC 17 News Investigates Archives

More than $170 million worth of insurance claims made from Jefferson City tornado damage

November 22, 2019 7:42 AM Lucas Geisler

Jefferson City residents made more than $170 million worth of insurance claims following the May 22 tornado.

Health department offers advice on keeping food safe for Thanksgiving

November 20, 2019 1:23 PM Zara Barker

Thanksgiving dinner means turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles and tons of food, usually sitting out for hours.

DEFENDERS: Hackers targeting Disney Plus accounts

November 20, 2019 5:01 PM Deborah Kendrick

Hackers are already taking advantage of Disney’s popular new streaming service.

DEFENDERS: How to check your password security amid Disney Plus hacks

November 20, 2019 5:03 PM Deborah Kendrick

Hackers are already taking advantage of Disney’s popular new streaming service. When hackers reportedly gained access, they changed usernames and passwords. Due to that hack, users had trouble logging into the accounts. ABC 17 Defenders Investigator Deborah Kendrick shows you how to check and see if your password has been involved in a security breach.

Police report: Friends searched for Kirksville man before his body was found in parking lot

November 19, 2019 6:59 PM Barry Mangold

Following the discovery of his body, Columbia police spoke with several friends of Ryan Berry of Kirksville, according to a police report obtained by ABC 17 News. A City of Columbia trash collector called the police department around 6:30 on the morning Monday, July 29, after finding Berry’s body in the parking lot on Lake

DEFENDERS: Questionable honor society organizations targeting college student inboxes

November 14, 2019 6:10 PM Deborah Kendrick

Is it really an honor or are organizations just looking for ways to get your hard-earned money?

College students’ personal information up for grabs under federal law

November 14, 2019 10:10 PM Sydney Olsen

The University of Missouri receives — and fulfills — hundreds of requests each year for student directory information.

Food inspections yield some violations at Faurot Field

November 13, 2019 10:15 PM Zara Barker

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

Inside Simonsen Ninth Grade Center during the May tornado

November 7, 2019 5:50 PM Deborah Kendrick

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

Downtown Columbia restaurant cited with seven violations

November 6, 2019 6:10 PM Zara Barker

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

Defenders: SIM card swappers on the rise, experts say

November 5, 2019 10:32 PM Barry Mangold

“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

Seven Jefferson City school kitchens inspected in September

October 30, 2019 10:21 AM Joe McLean

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

MU spends more than half-million on academic fraud and NCAA appeal

October 29, 2019 8:17 PM Alec Pettus

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

WASTEBUSTERS: State’s legal expenses top $6 million in May

October 24, 2019 3:46 PM Joe McLean

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

WASTEBUSTERS: Questionable contract cost state $45,000 in interest, fees

October 24, 2019 12:25 PM Joe McLean

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

WASTEBUSTERS: Missouri could lose $3.6M to federal government, LU says

October 24, 2019 12:17 PM Joe McLean

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

State pays out $1.3 million in interest for late tax refunds

October 29, 2019 9:27 AM Barry Mangold

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.

Capital One hack: How to keep your finances safe

October 29, 2019 3:00 AM Deborah Kendrick

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

DEFENDERS: How to stop Facebook from listening to your phone conversations

October 29, 2019 2:37 AM Deborah Kendrick

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

DEFENDERS: FDA warning consumers not to drink ‘miracle solution’

October 29, 2019 2:34 AM Deborah Kendrick

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