News

A suspect landed behind bars following a traffic stop in west Columbia Wednesday night. Sam Baldwin was a passenger in the car pulled over in a parking lot of the Petro Mart convenience store on Paris Road. ABC 17 News was at the scene as Baldwin was arrested for allegedly having marijuana and a handgun.

A Cole County jury took three and a half hours deliberating in the Brandon Chase murder trial, finding him guilty on all three counts. The jury found Chase guilty of murder, armed criminal action and robbery. He could face up to life in prison. The charges stem from the April 2012 shooting death of Keith

Republican House Speaker Tim Jones announced Thursday the creation of two interim committees to focus on transforming Missouri’s Medicaid system. Jones was clear that the house is looking to “reform not expand” the Medicaid system and the house “will not pass any expansion.” “Putting a billion-dollar Band-Aid on a broken system is something that is

A bankrupt Audrain County brick maker has a potential buyer. According to court documents filed Thursday, Shamrock Proppants of Kirkwood has bid a little more than $1 million for the assets of Mid America Brick & Structural Clay Products, LLC. The bid was scheduled to go before a federal judge in St. Louis one week

Police and downtown bar management met Tuesday to talk about concerns they have about patrol downtown and changes both would like to see. Police said they are now fully staffed as of June 9, which was five days before the shooting in Columbia last Friday night, when three people were shot. Police said a full

AP) – The San Francisco 49ers have signed defensive end Justin Smith to a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the team through the 2015 season. General manager Trent Baalke said in a statement Wednesday that “this contract allows Justin to finish his career as a 49er!” The 33-year-old Smith was sidelined the

Joe Wilson was trying to transfer his boat from one trailer to another in the Missouri River when mechanical error caused him to become stranded in the water. The boat was carried downstream and he called for help from his cellphone. The Fire Department was dispatched at about 6:30 p.m. Fire Department Boat One found

A Columbia program that gets kids off the streets and onto the basketball court has been shut down. For the last 30 years, the Moonlight Hoops program has been providing Columbia kids the opportunity to get out of the house and play basketball. But Wednesday those games are cancelled. Parks and Recreation officials say the

The Cole County commission approved a plan for the improvement of the Lafayete St. and East Dunklin Street intersection. This intersection is already busy and will be increasingly so because of additional ramps set to be built that will connect the Lafayete street to State Highway 50. The intersection is heavily used by Lincoln University

A missing elderly couple from Kansas was found Wednesday in Michigan. Police Chief Kevin Pekarek said Vernon and Goldie Hunt left Garnett on Monday at 6 a.m. and were headed for Dwight, Ill., according to affiliate WDAF. The trip is approximately eight hours and would take the couple on I-70 through Columbia and to St.

A Columbia man is facing charges for sex crimes with a child. Columbia police say the alleged incidents happened back in February. Investigators say Paxton exposed his penis to an 8-year-old girl in his care. Paxton also allegedly subjected the victim to sexual contact which happened on Fourth Avenue. Paxton was arrested by Boone County

Wednesday morning Columbia fire crews were called out to a report of a structure fire at 2705 Squire Circle. When firefighters arrived flames were showing. Crews knocked the fire out quickly. The fire was contained to a basement room, where investigators say the fire started. But it’s still not clear what started the fire. At

The Randolph County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to ABC 17 News they have Willard Hunt in custody Tuesday night. Hunt is accused of dousing his wife and house with gasoline, then setting both on fire Monday afternoon. Around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, a resident on Highway B west of Higbee saw a man walking along railroad tracks.

Roughly a year ago, two children drowned at the Lake of the Ozarks after being shocked. Shortly after, a woman fell to the same fate. Despite the tragedies, no city, fire district or county has made any changes to dock regulations in response. That could change. On Tuesday, the Osage Beach Fire Protection District met

The family of Brandon Coleman wants to know why the man who pulled the trigger on the 25-year-old on Ann Street last month is not behind bars. The man who shot him claims it was in self defense. It was estimated that over 100 people attended a public meeting Tuesday night set up by the

Local bar owners and management met with law enforcement Tuesday to express their concerns about crime downtown after a weekend shooting. According to sources at the meeting, police told business owners the department is currently understaffed. Police also said a task force that is supposed to target the downtown area has been on hiatus for

The 911 Operations Center in Columbia says their phone lines are being clogged with calls that are classified as non-emergencies. The center told ABC 17 News that in 2012, 65 percent of the calls that were taken were not actual emergencies. Those calls tie up operators from dealing with real emergencies. One such incident happened

A single-car crash in Higbee Tuesday morning killed one teenager and injured two others. Law enforcement say a car crash on County Road 2560 killed Kayla Cooke, 19, of Higbee. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers say the driver, Dakota Redifer, 19, of Higbee failed to handle a curve and ran off the

A free bus service in Columbia will start charging its riders. OATS offers transportation for the elderly, disable and those who live rural areas. Currently, the service suggests donations for rides, but starting July 1st, riders will have to pay. OATS already receives government funding and the new policy switch is designed to stretch those

A Mid-Missouri meat processing facility was shut down Tuesday after inspectors found unsanitary conditions. Mexico Meat and Produce, a custom exempt processing center in Mexico, Mo., must halt all operations until it receives a satisfactory inspection. The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Inspection Program did not specify results of the failed inspection. Officials