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Industry experts are set to address and discuss a number of topics at Thursday’s Highway Safety and Traffic Blueprint conference in Columbia. The workshops are aimed at highlighting some of the keys to safe traffic practices. One workshop features a panel that will report on issues and perspectives associated with the designs of more innovative

The Roots N Blues N BBQ festival will continue its free shuttle service, taking people between the city’s downtown parking garages to the festival in Stephen’s Lake Park. Parking in the garages will be free throughout the weekend. “We encourage people that are driving to the Roots N Blues festival, since there’s hardly any parking

UPDATE 11:50 am: The fuel spill is cleared. ORIGINAL STORY: Emergency officials responded to a fuel spill on I-70 at mile marker 136 on Thursday morning. MODOT crews say a truck is on the shoulder leaking fuel, but no lanes of I-70 are closed as of 11:15 a.m. The MODOT Columbia maintenance staff and Highway

TODAY: Temperatures will climb to the mid 70s this afternoon under mostly sunny skies. It will be a pleasant fall day with low humidity and a northerly breeze up to 8 mph. TONIGHT: Skies will remain mostly clear as temperatures drop back near 50 degrees. The northerly breeze will calm through the overnight hours. EXTENDED:

Attorney General Josh Hawley on Thursday appointed Mr. Hal Goldsmith, of Bryan Cave, LLC as the outside council to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by the Koster administration. Hawley said Goldsmith spent more than 20 years as an assistant U.S. attorney specializing in the prosecution of government corruption. Hawley said Goldsmith has specific expertise in legal

The Missouri Department of Transportation warned drivers on Thursday of upcoming lane and ramp closures on Interstate 70. The work will be a continuation of a project to improve the interstate between the Missouri River Bridge at Rocheport and the Lake of the Woods exit in east Columbia. The eastbound entrance ramp from Business Loop

On Thursday morning, Columbia police responded to the 3100 block of Mexico Gravel Road in reference to a physical domestic call with a weapon just before 8:30 a.m. According to the dispatch notes, police were still on scene at 9:30 a.m. and have one person detained. ABC17 is working to gather more information about the

Columbia police arrested Robert Crowley, 36, at 10 Heather Lane just before 1 p.m. Wednesday. Court records said Crowley had two outstanding warrants including a misdemeanor for driving with a revoked license and a felony of leaving the scene of an accident. During the arrest, officers said Crowley had a backpack in which they found

An employee with the Department of Mental Health is suing the agency, claiming racial discrimination and retaliation. Jerome Morgan is suing for a total of $75,000 plus damages and attorney’s and court costs. In the lawsuit, Morgan claims he and other black employees were given less favorable and more dangerous jobs at the Fulton State

The University of Missouri unveiled its new visual arts studies school at a reception on Wednesday. The school is located within the College of Arts and Science and will merge several programs including art, art history, digital storytelling and film studies. The school’s director, Jo Stealey, said the idea to combine the programs came from

Around 100 people gathered inside the Quinn Chapel AME Church Wednesday night to talk about race relations in their community. The town hall was organized by community leaders in response to controversial photo involving three Jefferson City Public School students. The picture posted to social media earlier this month showed the teenage students around a

On Wednesday, the Boone County Fire Protection District posted on its Facebook page an update about its MO-TF1 members in Puerto Rico. According to the post, the MO-TF1 member is the Operations Section Chief for the FEMA incident support team. He stated that everything on the island is destroyed, including infrastructure. The MO-TF1 member said

The University of Missouri Police Department has released its annual crime report. According to the latest Fire Safety and Security Report, the number of reported rapes on campus has increased over the last three years. The number doubled from six to 12 for 2014 and 2015, respectively. In 2016, the number rose again to 19.

Playboy has confirmed its founder, Hugh Hefner, has died at the age of 91. Hefner started the men’s lifestyle magazine in 1953 with its first issue featuring Marilyn Monroe. He leaves behind four children and his wife, Crystal Harris. For more on Hefner’s life, click here.

Private attorneys will soon take on more clients, as the area’s public defender’s office struggles with a high caseload. Boone County Presiding Judge Kevin Crane said that judges will start appointing attorneys in private practice to cases in which the accused cannot afford an attorney. The decision was predicated by a letter from David Wallis

UPDATE: A captain with the Boone County Fire Protection District told ABC 17 News a neighbor saw the fire and called it into emergency crews. When crews arrived on scene, they saw flames showing through the roof. As of 6:30 p.m., crews were still working on the scene, searching for hot spots on the floors

Five requests for the city were drawn up by several organizations that gathered to discuss a variety of social issues last night at Second Missionary Baptist Church. Among those present were City Manager Mike Matthes, the entire Columbia Police Department’s command staff, and leaders of the local NAACP chapter. The five requests, which will be

The Columbia Public School’s Board of Education voted to create a renaming committee for Robert E. Lee Elementary on Sept. 11. After figuring out the what the next steps were for the board to take and what members of the community should be on the board, the administration posted a form for member submissions on

A crash briefly stalled traffic on I-70, just west of the connector in Columbia on Wednesday. The crash happened around 5:50 p.m. and closed one of the westbound lanes while emergency crews worked the scene. At least one ambulance was there to assist. The scene was clear in less than 40 minutes with all lanes

Kraft Heinz Food Company has appealed to the Missouri State Tax Commission for a lower valuation on its property in Boone County. The international food conglomerate was just approved for a seven-year, 75 percent tax abatement through Chapter 100 bonds in December. The company had hinted the plant might take its business and more than