News

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office has launched an investigation into whether Attorney General Josh Hawley used public funds for campaign purposes. The American Democracy Legal Fund, which requested the investigation last month, provided a letter from Ashcroft’s office dated Thursday confirming the investigation. “Pursuant to section 115.642, RSMo, this office will commence an

The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team forecasts temperatures in much of mid-Missouri to remain near freezing on Friday, and that wind chills will make the environment feel even colder. In such conditions, safety officials say it’s important to be aware of and watch out for the potential of cold weather-related illnesses such as frostbite and

FRIDAY: With partial sunshine, we’ll still only make it to 32 degrees Friday afternoon with a northeast breeze at 4-7 mph. TONIGHT: Under partly cloudy skies temperatures will drop to a chilly 22 degrees by morning. Winds out of the northeast from 6-8 mph will drop wind chills into the mid teens through early Saturday.

Officials with the Cole County and Jefferson City public works departments say they’ve used significantly more salt so far this season than in recent years. Mid-Missouri saw several winter weather events in November, which has made a dent in the resources of the city and county’s public works departments. According to Britt Smith, the director

More than 30 pets were handed over to the Central Missouri Humane Society on Monday after they were found in small cages, covered in urine and feces, the humane society said in a press release. Boone County Animal Control turned over the 17 cats and 14 dogs. The dog breeds included poodles, Pomeranians, King Charles

Medical marijuana is now the law in Missouri. The provisions of the voter-approved Amendment 2 took effect on Thursday, making Missouri the 32nd state in the U.S. to allow use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The drug won’t be available to patients right away. The Department of Health and Senior Services is still working on

University of Missouri Health Care has a new program aimed at helping opioid overdose patients long after they leave the emergency room. The program is a result of a partnership between MU Health Care’s emergency physicians, the Missouri Hospital Association and area addiction centers. Doctors and health officials are still working out the final details,

Missouri Department of Transportation crews plan to check on the condition of Interstate 70 until at least 6:30 p.m. Thursday. “Monitoring to make sure nothing gets slick as the temperatures drop,” MoDOT Maintenance Specialist Bobby Slater said. “If we think we need to call a night shift in after that we will, but we don’t

Two people wanted in connection with a homicide investigation are now in custody, according to the Gasconade County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities announced the arrests on Facebook. According to the release, Brooke Buddemeyer and Aaron Lewis were found in Florida and taken into custody after a vehicle pursuit. The Gasconade Sheriff’s office was searching for Buddemeyer

TONIGHT: Clouds will break up and skies begin to clear tonight as temperatures drop back into the upper teens to low 20s. This colder night is thanks to winds out of the north up to 10 mph. For the morning commute wind chill values will be close to 10 degrees. FRIDAY: With partial sunshine, we’ll

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley and State Treasurer Eric Schmitt met Thursday to discuss Schmitt’s takeover of the office after Hawley becomes a U.S. senator in January. Schmitt was appointed attorney general by Gov. Mike Parson after Hawley defeated incumbent U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in the November general election. Hawley also took questions from reporters.

THURSDAY: Snow is steadily falling this afternoon, as a cold front continues to track through Mid-Missouri. Light accumulation is still expected into the afternoon hours, with a pocket of 1-2″ possible along the I-70 corridor. Due to the timing of the system, little to no impacts are expected through the first part of the day.

Cole County leaders are raising concerns about two drone purchases by the county’s outgoing prosecuting attorney, saying he spent the money in a way that isn’t permitted by law. Mark Richardson bought a drone about a year ago for just less than $4,500 and gave it to the Jefferson City Police Department. Officers have used

At least one person was taken into custody after a crash on I-70 Thursday morning. It happened around 2:30 a.m. near Route Z. ABC 17 News crews on scene saw at least one SUV was involved and sustained serious damage. An ambulance was also spotted on scene, but it’s unconfirmed if anyone was hurt in

THURSDAY: Temperatures early in the day will be hovering above freezing as we see bands of snow increase from the north and west. Some places south of I-70 could initially see light rain, which will transition to snow through mid to late morning. Minor snow accumulation is possible with anywhere from a dusting to an

While MU celebrated a raise for head football coach Barry Odom, the school still lags behind its Southeastern Conference competitors on coach pay. An ABC 17 News analysis of federal data shows that Mizzou ranks second-to-last in the SEC in average head coach pay for both men’s and women’s sports. Numbers from the Equity in

A federal judge made official the long-discussed settlement in death of Carl DeBrodie. Judge Douglas Harpool signed the settlement on Wednesday, sealing the specific terms between DeBrodie’s mother, Carolyn Summers, and the agencies responsible for taking care of him. The settlement agreement said the defendants involved “purchased a structured settlement annuity” for Summers. The agreement

Columbia Public Works said an eight-person plow crew is scheduled to report at 5 a.m. Thursday for snow operations. According to a press release, “crews will focus on treating designated snow routes before the morning commute.” Public works said less than one inch of snow is expected to start falling around 6 a.m. An official

State Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch plans to pre-file a bill that would make it legal to use campaign money for legal defense funds. “The Missouri laws under Missouri Ethics Commission, your campaign committee moneys can only be spent on certain things,” Reisch said. “It’s a gray area, its not real crystal clear black and white,

Employees of a Columbia-based lab company are unsure who will lose their jobs when the company is purchased by Quest Diagnostics early next year, one worker said Wednesday. The Boyce and Bynum employee didn’t want to be identified because of anticipated layoffs, but said the company didn’t tell workers right away that jobs may be