ABC 17 News Investigates Archives - Page 6 of 14

Inspectors found one non-critical violation at Gentry Middle School.

Thirteen more inspections at Columbia Public Schools result in one violation

January 6, 2021 11:48 AM Molly Stawinoga

Health officials inspected 13 Columbia schools since ABC 17’s last report. Only one was found with a non-critical violation.

COVID-19 continues to impact trauma training for CPD officers

January 5, 2021 7:56 PM Sydney Olsen

A 19-year-old man is recovering in a local hospital after being shot in Columbia on Monday. Columbia police responded to the scene, and officers provided medical aid before EMS crews arrived.

DEFENDERS: Scams circulating as second stimulus check are issued

January 4, 2021 3:24 PM Deborah Kendrick

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A second round of stimulus checks are getting sent to most Americans, and scammers are trying to monetize. The Better Business Bureau is getting reports of con artists who tell people they need to either pay for their stimulus checks or provide personal information to receive it. In some of the online

No plans to require coronavirus vaccine in area schools

December 23, 2020 11:41 AM Molly Stawinoga

Educators are included in Phase 1B of Missouri’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan, which is the next in line. As of right now, there are no plans to require teachers or staff to get vaccinated.

Boone County businesses paid fines for COVID-19 violations

December 23, 2020 5:58 AM Ben Fein

ABC 17 News obtained court documents detailing businesses in Boone County that violated COVID-19 guidelines.

MU Doctor answers questions on coronavirus vaccine myths

December 21, 2020 7:09 PM Deborah Kendrick

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Misinformation about coronavirus vaccines continues to circulate, even before vaccine approvals started. ABC 17 News spoke with Dr. Christelle Ilboudo, infection disease expert at MU Health Care about some of the myths you shouldn’t fall for. Question: One reason why people say they are not comfortable with getting the vaccine was rushed.

DEFENDERS: Look out for scammers selling fake vaccines

December 21, 2020 3:51 PM Deborah Kendrick

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As coronavirus vaccines are distributed across the country, scammers are taking advantage of consumers eager for a vaccine. Cybersecurity agencies are warning consumers about a new scam that could involve individuals posing as health officials or doctors and offering to sell a coronavirus vaccine or to help consumers keep track of when

DEFENDERS: Experts explain benefits of air purification machines to slow the spread of COVID-19

December 14, 2020 5:27 PM Deborah Kendrick

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) With the colder weather months here, more people will be spending time inside. Some might be looking at what options they have to slow the spread of COVID-19 in homes. One of those options might be an air purification system or machine. According to the EPA when used properly, air cleaners and

Distribution of COVID-19 vaccine could help keep local hospital staffed

December 10, 2020 6:20 PM Connor Hirsch

According to the Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, the first to get the vaccine will be patient facing health care workers and long-term care facilities.

DEFENDERS: Puppy scams see sharp rise in 2020

December 7, 2020 3:35 PM Deborah Kendrick

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) More and more people are buying puppies at an all-time high. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased the demand for pets as people look for support during a time of loneliness. With this rising demand, pet scams have also increased significantly. In November of 2020, the Better Business Bureau reports 337 complaints

Columbia police complete search for remains of missing mom in debris from Lamine River

November 30, 2020 9:00 PM Sydney Olsen

The Columbia Police Department has finished its search for the remains of missing Columbia mother Mengqi Ji.

DEFENDERS: Spotting fake websites while shopping online this holiday

November 30, 2020 5:39 PM Deborah Kendrick

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) More people are expected to do their holiday shopping online because of the coronavirus pandemic, which means there’s an increased risk of falling for online scams. A common way scammers target people is they’ll use fake websites. According to comparitech, a tech consumer website, about 30 million new websites were registered so

COVID-19 closures put pause on CPS health inspections

November 25, 2020 11:11 AM Molly Stawinoga

Only one Columbia Public Schools elementary school was found violating the food code in a recent round of inspections.

ABC 17 News investigates how to spot fake online reviews.

How to spot fake reviews when online shopping

November 24, 2020 4:08 PM Zach Boetto

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Studies show people will be doing more online shopping this year than in years past, and a fake review could trick you into buying a product that is not what it seems. We’re talking about those gold stars next to a product or seller on Amazon, Google, or even Facebook Marketplace. Online

DEFENDERS: Utility scams increase during the holiday season

November 23, 2020 3:54 PM Deborah Kendrick

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Holiday’s can be a stressful time and scammers are taking advantage of it. During this time of year, Ameren is reminding customers to be on the look out for utility scams. Ameren told ABC 17 News during the holidays and extreme weather, utility scams tend to be on the rise. Here are

Thanksgiving warning: Health experts say holiday travel unsafe for much of Mid-Missouri

November 18, 2020 11:19 AM Molly Stawinoga

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise, mid-Missouri health officials are pleading with residents to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday safely.

DEFENDERS: Scammers creating fake holiday events online

November 16, 2020 4:48 PM Deborah Kendrick

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, scammers are looking for ways to trick you this holiday season. With the pandemic, many in-person events will likely be moving online and scammers are catching on to this trend. According to the Better Business Bureau scammers are creating phony copycat events that charge for

More than 840 COVID-19 violations reported this fall at University of Missouri

November 11, 2020 8:38 PM Deborah Kendrick

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) University of Missouri officials say 841 reports have been forwarded to the student accountability office for COVID-19 violations since the fall semester. Of those, 756 happened on campus in residence halls and 85 happened off-campus. The on-campus claims ranged anywhere from students not wearing masks to students sneaking other people into halls

No food code violations at four Jefferson City schools

November 11, 2020 12:09 PM Molly Stawinoga

Four elementary schools had zero violations during October inspections.

Officials say Mizzou football games COVID-19 safe, but concession stand violations increase

November 2, 2020 11:37 AM Molly Stawinoga

Food code violations increased from 52 during the first three home games of 2019 to 68 so far in 2020.