Community flu vaccination events begin in Boone County
Wednesday is the first of seven community vaccination events being held by the Columbia/Boone County Health Department.
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FRIDAY UPDATES: New cases push COVID-19 rate tracked by Columbia Public Schools higher
Check back for updates on the COVID-19 pandemic.
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WATCH: Centralia R-VI superintendent talks return to learn
Centralia R-VI School District’s superintendent joined ABC 17 News Friday morning to talk about the return to school this fall.
Continue Reading Centralia Public Schools continues discussions on resuming fall classes
School is set to resume at Centralia Public Schools on August 24, and leaders are working to decide what that will look like during COVID-19.
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Centralia eliminates two police department positions to balance budget
Centralia city leaders decided recently to eliminate two police department positions in an effort to balance the city’s budget.
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Spike in firearm background checks doesn’t surprise local gun shop owner
The number of firearm background checks in Missouri is higher than it has been in years, according to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS.
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Centralia church offering ‘drive-up’ worship
CENTRALIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The First Baptist Church in Centralia will hold its second ‘drive-up’ worship service on Sunday despite the ‘Stay Home Missouri’ order. The church’s pastor Chris Baker says the church is doing what it can to make it work. “You know, it’s it’s vital for us to be together as a church you
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Rural communities in Boone County impacted by COVID-19
Areas in Boone such as Centralia face unique problems in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. The city is abiding by the county’s stay at home order, and mayor Chris Cox says he’s seen restaurants take the biggest hit so far.
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High school seniors feel impacts of COVID-19
COVID-19 has forced all Missouri schools to close their doors, leaving students wondering when or if they will go back.
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Centralia church offering free lunches as COVID-19 outbreak stretches on
Centralia First Baptist Church is offering free to-go lunches Thursday and Friday to help students who rely on free and reduced-price lunch.
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MoDOT: ‘Potholes are blooming’
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Transportation says crews will be focusing on repairing potholes through April. “There is a lot more than we’ve seen in previous years,” said Adam Pulley the Central District communications manager for MoDOT. According to a report from MoDOT, in 2019, the department patched roughly 730,000 potholes worth an
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Part of Highway 22 closed after bridge deck collapse
One lane of Highway 22 was closed just east of Centralia on Tuesday after part of the bridge deck collapsed.
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End of year Boone County food inspections find few violations
In the final week of 2019, 20 restaurants, one caterer, one grocery store and a food processing facility were inspected by Boone County staff.
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Suspect arrested after high-speed Boone County chase
A high-speed chase that began in Columbia ended on a country road between Centralia and Sturgeon on Wednesday.
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Family, friends remember teenager killed in Columbia police chase
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The mother of a Hallsville teenager killed in a crash early Friday called him a “loving young man who made a stupid mistake.” Hayden Holt, 17, died when his vehicle crashed into a utility pole during a chance involving police. Holt’s mother, Kari Hallowell, described her son as loving. “I will say
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High winds cause damage in mid-Missouri
The Centralia Police Department reported snapped power lines and damage to certain areas on Wednesday morning after high winds moved through the area. According to the National Weather Service, Centralia saw some wind gusts of 45 mph. Very high winds have been observed overnight last night into early this morning. Highest gusts have been over
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Centralia union workers picket during contract negotiations
CENTRALIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Union workers at a Centralia factory picketed Thursday as negotiators with Hubbell Power Systems and the union worked on a new contract. A union representative said workers have had little time off. Jessie Montgomery, vice president with the Local 86821 International Union for Electric Workers – Communication Workers of America, said Hubbell
Continue ReadingBoone County setting up multiple prescription drug take back locations
Law enforcement agencies across Boone County are taking back prescription drugs Saturday coinciding with the national event sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency. The Boone County Sheriff’s Department, in partnership with the Youth Community Coalition and other law enforcement agencies, are hosting the drug take back event that started Friday. The Sheriff’s Department is asking
Continue ReadingState leaders focus on broadband expansion across Missouri
According to the Federal Communications Commission, more than 1.26 million Missourians do not have access to high-speed internet, that’s 20% of the population. University of Missouri extension along with state leaders discussed Missouri’s are planning to have everyone in the state online by 2028. The main concern is for people in rural parts of the
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City of Centralia social media policies specific to city pages
The City of Centralia has policies specific to city employees’ use of social media and their use of work computers. ABC 17 News crews looked at the city’s policies after Clint Baer, 41, of Centralia was fired from the police department. The city’s policy on social media lays out rules for posting on city social
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