Missouri Archives

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Will lawmakers fix the school calendar issues around snow days?

February 26, 2025 3:58 AM ABC 17 News Team

Missouri’s rules for public school instruction time and how inclement weather affects that time have caused some issues for school districts.

Nearly 250 citations issued across Missouri for hands free law since Jan. 1

February 25, 2025 7:12 PM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Records obtained by ABC 17 News show nearly 250 people have been issued citations by the Missouri State Highway Patrol since citations began for Missouri’s hands-free law which went into effect just under two months ago. The law, known as the Siddens Bening Hands Free law makes it illegal for drivers to

Missouri lawmakers push to clarify school calendar, snow day rules

February 25, 2025 6:13 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) While cold weather may have moved out of Mid-Missouri, the lingering effects of last week’s snowfall will affect Columbia Public Schools. On Feb. 17, CPS used its last-of-six allotted alternative methods of instruction days. The next day, CPS was forced to use a “traditional snow day” which will force the district to

60-year-old man injured in Pulaski County motorcycle crash

February 25, 2025 6:34 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 60-year-old Wanyesville man was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash on Tuesday in Pulaski County, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. According to the report, the crash occurred at the intersection of Route AA and Route AB. The report says the man was riding a 2020 Honda motorcycle

Man charged with murder in Montgomery City child’s death faces more felony charges

February 25, 2025 5:05 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who was charged with murder in the death of a toddler in Montgomery City last year is facing more charges. Bryan Danter, of Montgomery City, was charged on Monday with three counts of illegal gun possession and one count of misdemeanor possessing a defaced gun. Brittany Maheny, who was at

Jefferson City inmate charged with murder in California

February 25, 2025 2:28 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An inmate at Jefferson City Correctional Center has been charged with being a fugitive from out of state after being charged with murder in Kern County in the state of California. Miles Clancy, 40, of Marshfield, Missouri, was charged with being an out-of-state fugitive on Tuesday. He is serving a five-year sentence

Planned Parenthood Columbia clinic set to offer abortions first week of March

February 25, 2025 2:12 PM Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Planned Parenthood’s Columbia clinic is offering abortion appointments, according to a Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokesperson. Abortion appointments are first available on Monday, a Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokesperson said in an email Tuesday afternoon. Appointments are also available at the midtown Kansas City clinic. Both the Columbia and midtown KC clinics

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should Missouri eliminate its sales tax on groceries?

February 25, 2025 3:59 AM ABC 17 News Team

A perennial proposal to eliminate Missouri’s sales tax on groceries is back. This time, it comes amid unrelenting inflation that is stretching household budgets.

Missouri sports betting delayed until August after secretary of state rejects emergency rule

February 24, 2025 5:01 PM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missourians will not be able to start betting on sports as soon as was originally planned. A spokesperson for the Missouri Gaming Commission told ABC 17 News that the commission was made aware on Thursday that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins had rejected the commission’s emergency licensing rules. The decision now pushes

Prosecutor ‘aware’ of state representative’s 988 hotline test

February 24, 2025 8:42 PM Lucas Geisler

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A state representative on Monday night touted “critical failures” in the state’s 988 mental health crisis hotline system after “a firsthand test” exposed them. The test, though, also has the attention of law enforcement in Jefferson City, with some dispatchers informing Byrnes of how much her “test” had tied up law

Alford says town hall was ‘hijacked’ after facing barrage of boos

February 24, 2025 5:55 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) U.S. Rep. Make Alford (R-MO) was faced with jeers and boos during a town hall event in Belton, according to video captured by KMBC and shared by MeidasTouch. Alford – who represents Missouri’s 4th District, which includes Columbia, as well as Howard, Cooper and Pettis counties and areas near Kansas City –

Moniteau County government begins regularly scheduled audit from state

February 24, 2025 2:31 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Auditor’s Office announced in a Monday press release that it is beginning its scheduled audit of Moniteau County. The Auditor’s Office last audit of Moniteau County was in 2017, where the county was given a rating of “good.” The release says that its last audit found the county did not

Montgomery City woman at residence where child died from alleged overdose charged with illegal gun possession

February 21, 2025 7:57 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman at a residence where a toddler died last year from an alleged overdose has been charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor. Brittany Maheny, of Montgomery City, was charged on Friday with three counts of illegal gun possession and one count of misdemeanor possessing a defaced gun. A warrant was

Missouri Task Force 1 arrives home from Kentucky

February 21, 2025 6:05 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Task Force 1 members came back to its headquarters in Columbia on Friday after being deployed in Kentucky for several days. Eighty members were sent to Kentucky on Sunday to focus on water rescues after the region experienced historic flooding. At least 12 people in the state have died from the

Man claims Boone County town’s elected officials got him fired over meeting comments

February 21, 2025 3:49 PM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County man claims that elected officials in Harrisburg got him fired over comments and appearances he made at various public meetings. Michael Williams filed a lawsuit against the village of Harrisburg, its governing board of trustees and his former employer, Commercial Trust of Fayette in January. The case was moved

Missouri lawmaker advocates for new medical alert system amid legislative challenges

February 20, 2025 4:10 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Despite facing no opposition during a Missouri Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety hearing on a new bill to create a public alert system — for missing individuals endangered by medical conditions — the bill’s sponsor is not confident it will be considered on the Senate floor. The bill, sponsored by state

Columbia doctor pleads guilty in federal court to Medicare fraud

February 20, 2025 3:54 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia physician pleaded guilty in federal court in Jefferson City on Thursday for Medicare fraud. Dr. Jerry Joseph Bruggeman, 53, pleaded guilty to making false statements relating to a heath care matter, according to a press release from the Department of Justice. He was previously indicted on 13 counts. The release

Tractor-trailers struggle on I-44 as MSHP responds to nearly 400 crashes during snowstorm

February 19, 2025 6:25 PM Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to nearly 1,200 calls for service during Tuesday’s statewide snowstorm, with tractor-trailer crashes becoming a major issue in the southern portion of the Show-Me State. From 9 a.m. Tuesday-3 p.m. Wednesday, MHSP says it received 1,186 calls for service and reported 521 stranded motorists. During that

Public hearing to be held in Jefferson City for potential Ameren gas rate increase

February 19, 2025 3:13 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Public hearings will be held in April to receive customer comments for a potential natural gas rate increase by Ameren, according to a Wednesday press release from the Missouri Public Service Commission. The release says that Ameren requested to change natural gas rates to reflect upgrades to its system. The proposed rate

Elderly man who pleaded guilty in shooting of Ralph Yarl dies before sentencing

February 19, 2025 2:54 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The octogenarian who pleaded guilty last week in the shooting of a Black teenager in 2023 died before he could be sentenced. Andrew Lester, 86, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty on Friday to second-degree assault in the shooting of Ralph Yarl. Lester had shot Yarl after the teenager knocked on the door