News

A Randolph County man will spend the next 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of a toddler. Joseph Laswell, 23, of Clark had a pre-trial conference Thursday afternoon and during the conference, he accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and abuse of a child. He was sentenced

The City of Jefferson Public Works and Planning Committee agreed to forward Capital Mall’s expansion plans to the city council for a vote. The mall is working with the city to create a community improvement district on mall property. The plans include 11 tracts that would house new businesses on the grounds. Mall officials say

Thousands of people will converge on the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend for the annual shootout boat race. Already, records crowds are expected at the lake after a street parade in Laurie Wednesday night brought thousands of people to the small town. Around 80 speed boats were displayed during that event. Officials aren’t sure

Two people are in jail after the Columbia Police Department’s SWAT team served a drug search warrant Thursday morning. Just after 9 a.m., police searched an apartment in the 2300 block of Hendrix Drive. Police arrested 36-year-old Antwane L. Grant and 34-year-old Lamanda D. Grant after finding marijuana, ecstasy, drug paraphernalia, a large amount of

Columbia police are investigating a sexual assault that occurred near the University of Missouri campus. Around 4:20 a.m. Tuesday, city police were called to University Hospital for a possible assault. An 18-year-old woman told officers she felt she had been drugged while drinking and may have been assaulted. The woman was not able to give

Columbia police are investigating after a woman woke up to a strange man in her apartment. It happened Thursday morning around 3 a.m. Police were called out to a report of a burglary in the 1200 block of E. Walnut Street. Investigators say the victim was asleep in her apartment when a man rolled over

Road crews are preparing to close down a major road in Columbia. Worley Street just east of Stadium Boulevard will be closed Wednesday and Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for stormwater drainage installation. The work is part of the ongoing Stadium Boulevard improvements. Crews tell us the work is slow, but progress

A dangerous highway intersection is plaguing a small Mid-Missouri town with constant accidents. Wednesday night, Missouri Department of Transportation officials offered a solution. MoDOT says their proposal will reduce the number of accidents on Highway 63 near Clark, which is about 30 minutes north of Columbia. More than 40 accidents — two deadly — have

Law enforcement are responding to a shooting at Douglass Park in Columbia. Around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, dispatchers began receiving reports of several shots fired in the park. According to scanner traffic, numerous people were running from the park. Columbia police confirmed to ABC 17 News that 7 to 10 shots were fired. A crew at

A suspect was arrested on Tuesday for statutory sodomy involving a 7 year-old girl. Steven Bowen lives at 4250 Wyatt Lane and is accused of having sexual intercourse with the victim May 1. Police got a call first reporting the alleged child abuse July 19 in the 2900 block of Leeway Drive.

One person was hurt after a serious car crash in Columbia Wednesday afternoon. Emergency crews think the driver lost control in the 2500 block of Rock Quarry Road just before 1 p.m. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital in an ambulance. The northbound lane of Rock Quarry Road was also closed for about

The courtroom was heated Wednesday as the man accused of pulling the trigger in the downtown shooting on Tenth Street and Broadway appeared before a judge. The hearing was supposed to be a bond reduction hearing, but Eric Cravens’ lawyer, Jennifer Bukowsky, brought evidence that she says will prove his innocence. The evidence included dozens

Authorities in Springfield are investigating after two explosions outside of a Missouri State University sorority house Wednesday. KSPR-TV reports two chemicals bomb detonated in the back of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority house and caused minor damage to the structure. One employee was injured and suffered minor burns while she attempted to clean up the

The father of a missing 12-year-old southwest Missouri girl says searchers found her body on Wednesday afternoon. According to affiliate KSPR, James Horton, the father of Adriaunna Horton, told local media about the discovery of Adriaunna’s body about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. He did not provide additional details. KSPR reports Sgt. Jason Pace, a spokesman for

The University of Missouri released the 2014 football schedule. The Tigers will play seven home games next year. Those games include hosting the University of Arkansas on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It will mark the first visit to Columbia by Arkansas since the 1906 season. The Tigers will play home games against South Dakota State

Troopers say a Dixon man is dead after a crash in Pulaski County. The crash happened Tuesday night on Highway 17, just north of Waynesville. Investigators say Steven Nalls, 32, from Dixon was on his motorcycle when he started skidding in a curve. Nalls flipped and was thrown from the bike and hit a guardrail.

The first meeting of the newly-appointed Columbia Anti-Violence Task Force will be held next week, according to fifth ward councilwoman and co-chair Laura Nauser. Nauser, speaking at a Boone County Pachyderm Club meeting Tuesday night, said the task force of 13 would be focused on four fundamentals: enforcement, intervention, prevention and re-entry. “Back in 2007,

The 2013-2014 school year started out with a lot of changes for Columbia Public Schools. “Just about everything is new this year,” said Michelle Baumstark with Columbia Public Schools. “We have new bus routes, we have new start times, we have new schools, we have new grade configuration.” The most problematic part of the day

With students headed back to school, security is on a lot of minds. It was only nine months ago that the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary claimed 26 lives, including 20 children. The tragedy rocked the nation and put school security plans across the country under review. Last year, ABC 17’s Kristie Reeter took viewers

At least 34,000 extra people are packing the streets and sidewalks of Columbia now that three local colleges are back in school. All the extra foot and motor traffic means more than just added time getting to and from class. It also means increased safety risks to students. Students on University of Missouri’s campus mostly