News

The back-to-school tax-free holiday starts Friday. Certain back-to-school purchases such as clothing, school supplies, computers, and other items as defined by the statute, are exempt from sales tax for the weekend of August 3. There are eight counties participating in this holiday. Those include: Macon, Randolph, Monroe, Pettis, Miller, Maries, Gasconade, and Montgomery. The rest

A 15-hour standoff is over Friday with one man dead. The Howard County Sheriff’s Department was called out to a home on Country Road 342 just outside of Franklin at about 11:30 Thursday last night for a domestic dispute. Officials said it quickly became a standoff just after they arrived at the house. Through public

Amtrak is experiencing a growth in riders, but will it be enough to keep it afloat when federal funding is taken away in October? Amtrak reports ticket revenue is up 112 percent over the past few years. Since 2007, the train ridership is up 74 percent. The company still relies heavily on government funding. Amtrak

A man was arrested in connection to a recent murder in late June at the Broadway Marketplace on Conley Road. Domionte Cheatum was taken into custody in the 700 block of north Providence Thursday afternoon. Boone County deputies pulled over his car because it did not have current registration. Investigators think a drug deal turned

Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey says violent gun crime numbers are up this year in Columbia. That comment comes after a press conference last Friday where City Manager Mike Matthes said crime is down, despite nine shootings within city limits since June 15. ABC 17 News pulled crime statistics in Columbia for the last five

Gary Pinkel officially opened his 12th season at Mizzou Thursday with the Tigers first fall practice of 2013. Mizzou was one of four SEC schools (Georgia, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State) to open camp Aug. 1. In fact, those were the first four schools in the league to open practice. Before the practice began, the coach released

City crews in Columbia are starting work on a sidewalk that will cost almost $400,000. But officials argue the project is necessary and won’t affect the city budget. The construction is at Seventh Street and Broadway. Complying with ADA regulations is one of the main reasons for the renovation of this sidewalk in particular. City

A southern Illinois businessman has paid off part of a court-ordered legal settlement with nearly four tons of quarters packed into dozens of bags. Roger Herrin, of Harrisburg, was ordered by an appellate court to repay $500,000 in insurance money related to a 2001 car accident in which his teenage son died. The reimbursement followed

The planned closure of RR Donnelley is just the latest addition to the laundry list of businesses going elsewhere or closing in Mid-Missouri. In the past 18 months, there have been more than ten companies to go out of business. The majority of those came from just three cities: Boonville, Moberly and Mexico. It amounts

RR Donnelleyis closing its operations in Jefferson City. The publishing company, located at 321 Wilson Drive, is scheduled to close on or about October 1, after informing employees of the shutdown during a meeting Thursday morning. The Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce president confirmed around 500 people will lose their jobs as a result.

The fifth annual Project Homeless Connect was held Thursday to help place people who are experiencing homelessness with agencies that may help them. Thirty agencies and about 75 volunteers gathered to provide services to those who need it. Services included free food, free eye exams, free HIV testing, and aid in finding public housing. Almost

A Moberly man has been charged for sexually assaulting a juvenile. Police say they arrested 24-year-old Robert L. Hook on Wednesday after receiving a report of a sexual assault. Authorities believe Hook molested a child under the age of 14. Hook was arrested on charges of first-degree child molestation, first-degree sodomy, first-degree statutory rape and

A Thursday afternoon fire destroyed a home in Sunrise Beach and damaged a neighboring structure. Firefighters were called to a home on Crane Cove Point and upon arriving, found a house fully engulfed in flames. Both Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District and Mid-County Fire Protection District responded to the fire. Crews were able to put

A popular television show about antiques and collectibles is filming in Boonville Thursday. Our newspaper partner, The Boonville Daily News, reports the crew from The History Channel’s American Pickers is filming in the city. Just last month, Boonville’s City Council discussed bringing the show to the area. A scout had visited the city July 5.

Officials with Jefferson City Public Schools are warning of a potential scam affecting area businesses. JCPS spokesman David Luther said Texas-based Elite Design Advertising is asking local businesses to underwrite posters that feature the Jefferson City High School. Luther said the company is not affiliated with the school district and the schools will receive no

A Boonville man was seriously injured in a Wednesday night car crash in Pettis County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says 23-year-old Nicholas A. Roberson was traveling northbound on Route EE around 7 p.m. when his car traveled off the right side of the road. Troopers say Roberson’s car hit a mailbox and a culvert

Columbia police have arrested three men for an armed home invasion and robbery Wednesday morning. While on patrol, an officer was flagged down around 10 a.m. by a man in the 5100 block of Clark Lane in east Columbia. The man told the officer he was the victim of a home invasion at The Greens

The local chapter of the American Red Cross collected a record-breaking amount of blood in Jefferson City. Red Cross officials say they collected 312 pints of blood, surpassing their goal of 250. One pint of blood could potentially save up to three lives. The One Community Club Blood Drive, organized by the Red Cross and

Under controversial new ratings, a Lake of the Ozarks-area hospital ranked in the bottom three in the state. A Columbia hospital rounded out the top 20. Lake Regional Health System got a score of just 25 out of 100. The data showed 8 surgery-site infections in 115 surgeries between January and December 2011. That put

A mother and her newborn infant are recovering after both were injured during a stabbing Wednesday morning. According to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, the 30-year-old woman and a male friend began to fight at the Road Ranger Truck Stop in St. Robert. During the argument, the man stabbed the woman in the stomach. The