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A Mid-Missouri man is due back in court after he is accused of recklessly infecting another person with HIV. Friday, Warren Williams, Jr. appeared in Audrain County Court for a preliminary hearing in Mexico. Judge Linda Hamlett ruled there was enough evidence for a probable cause after hearing testimonies from two witnesses. One witness was

Local activist groups in Columbia have about two weeks to gather thousands of signatures as they try to overturn the city’s new smoking laws. On Monday, the city council passed three smoking ordinances. Those against the smoking laws are crying foul, saying it’s bad for local businesses and they want it repealed. ‘We’re gathering signatures

Cancer can be difficult for anyone and any family, especially during the holidays. To help support an Eldon student suffering from a rare form of brain cancer, the entire student body held a pep rally and even had t-shirts name with the little boy’s name on it. Children cheered, “we support Christian, how about you?”

Police in Jefferson City are expecting a large crowd this weekend. A march is planned around 4:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon. A group will start at the courthouse and march toward the Capitol. Organizers are asking people to bring flashlights. ABC 17 talked to one of the leaders Friday who said she was talking to a

Jefferson City Public Schools has named a new superintendent after several months of searching. The Board of Education announced Larry Linthacum will take the position following a vote by the board on Thursday. Linthacum will take over for Dr. Brian Mitchell, who in October announced his retirement at the end of the school year. The

Police don’t suspect foul play after a Columbia teen died from a suspected heroin overdose. Officers were called to a home earlier this week in the 7000 block of Madison Creek Drive near Providence off Route K. ABC 17 has confirmed 19-year-old Yaseen Adam died at a local hospital. Adam graduated last year from Rock

Police confirmed Friday a 16-year-old is the second man arrested for a recent string of armed robberies in Columbia. The teenager was taken into custody around 11:15 p.m. Thursday, accused of playing a role in four of the five hold-ups with Jafari Boss, 31, who is already charged for the crime spree. Both of the

A Columbia Public Schools employee has been charged with stalking. ABC 17 first reported 33-year-old Matthew Felts was arrested last week. Court documents said a woman came to police saying Felts called her five or six times a day and sent threatening text messages and messages on Facebook. She said this went on for a

Overcast skies will start the weekend with some patchy morning drizzle Saturday as temperatures start in the low-mid 30s. Skies will remain mostly cloudy but a light southerly breeze at 5 mph will help warm our temperatures to near 40 in the afternoon. Overnight lows Saturday will drop into the mid 30s under cloudy skies.

Car specialists said your tires are the most important aspect of car safety during winter. They said the tread on tires is extremely important because that is what cuts through ice. William Ludavicy at Big O Tires said the tread on tires is the most important part of the tire. “Anything under probably five thirty

The city of Sedalia finds a home owner in violation of electrical, sewage and heating problems in a home that is being rented out to a family with three small children. “When you walk into my front door, it smells like a raw sewage treatment plant full of raw sewage before it is treated”, says

Officials are urging drivers to slow down and use caution in roads re-freeze overnight. Thursday, emergency crews responded to dozens of car wrecks in Columbia and Boone County, a few of them with injuries. The Missouri Department of Transportation said it plans to have about eight plows out Thursday night with a sand and salt

When it comes to emergencies, first responders like to be prepared. “With a situation like this specific to ebola and with the consequence of making a response, it takes a lot of resources from an EMS perspective, from police and from a fire perspective”, says Mike Shirts, Director of Cole County Emergency Medical Services. Cole

Emergency responders have been called to about 50 wrecks in Columbia and Boone Co. just since midnight Thursday. Northbound Providence was closed at the Business Loop for a crash around 8 a.m. Both lanes of Highway VV completely closed for another wreck around 7:45 a.m. MoDot has been working since 7 p.m. Wednesday treating roads.

Sony canceled the premiere of The Interview on Wednesday. In the movie, Seth Rogan and James Franco plot the assassination of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un. This comes hours after several movie theaters said they would not be playing the movie. So, Sony decided they would cancel it altogether. Before the news came in,

Protesters upset with police over their handling of demonstrations related to the Michael Brown shooting managed to shut down St. Louis City Hall. About 75 demonstrators who marched from St. Louis police headquarters on Wednesday were locked out of City Hall. The closing also affected office workers and citizens attempting to do city business. Several

A weak storm system will spread snow across Mid-Missouri Wednesday night through Thursday morning. It will start as light rain at the Lake of the Ozarks in the early evening Wednesday and transition to snow as it moves north to near I-70 by 11 PM. Light snow will continue to fall into the early morning

A Mid-Missouri school is closing because so many students have the flu. Wednesday, officials with Newburg R-II Schools announced all classes will be cancelled Thursday and Friday at the elementary and high school. About 14 percent of elementary students were absent Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Superintendent Dr. John Westerman. And it has traveled to

A new Missouri education commissioner has been chosen to replace a leader who faced frequent criticism while dealing with struggling districts. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced Wednesday that the State Board of Education has promoted an assistant commissioner, Margaret Vandeven, to education commissioner. Vandeven replaces Chris Nicastro, who announced in September

An execution date of Jan. 28 has been set for a man who fatally stabbed a St. Louis County woman during a 1998 burglary. The Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday set the execution date for 45-year-old Marcellus Williams. It would be Missouri’s first execution in 2015, after a state record 10 inmates were put to