News

Police responded to an armed robbery in Columbia at around 8:30 Wednesday night.Officers were dispatched to the downtown Brookside apartments for reports of a robbery. Scanner traffic indicated the suspect descriptions may be similar to previous home invasions in Boone County. Police were looking for three black men wearing masks.ABC 17 crews saw officers taking

Southerly winds will increase Thursday afternoon with sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph, gusting to 25 mph at times. Humidity levels will be low, dropping to 25% by early afternoon. A combination of the gusty winds, low humidity and drought conditions will lead to a higher wildfire danger from 11 am to 5 pm

The company that owns the Portland mall that has two people killed on Tuesday also owns several malls in Mid-Missouri. Now ABC 17 News is questioning if local malls would be able to respond if a shooting happened here.Mall management says there are security guards on duty at all times. But shoppers may not be

***UPDATE 10:21 P.M.***Fire officials are also closely monitoring Thursday’s weather conditions, the possible dry conditions and gusty winds could lead to a burn ban.Currently vegetation in Missouri is ideal for fires, despite the cold temperatures. Wednesday a large blaze sparked up Highway 63 between Grindstone Parkway and Discovery Parkway.One lane on the southbound side was

A longtime Ford owner is selling his Fulton dealership.Today, Don Keeney sold Keen Ford to Chad and Christina Van Ness from Iowa. The deal was signed at 12:12 p.m. on December 12. The name will change from Keen Ford to Fulton Ford.Keeney owned the dealership for more than 20 years and worked at the dealership

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri utility regulators have approved a $260 million rate increase for electric customers of Ameren Missouri.The rate increase approved Wednesday could mean an extra $10 a month on an average residential bill when it takes effect in January.It’s intended to cover such things as the utility’s rising fuel costs, infrastructure

A Columbia man is facing federal charges for a home invasion that led to a triple-homicide in Independence.Clayton Deardorff, 30, is one of 11 people listed on a federal indictment. Prosecutors say a group agreed to rob a home of money and a large amount of methamphetamine. Three people inside the home were killed. Some

Columbia police are warning students and others leaving town for vacations to protect themselves against burglaries.Police released a report showing burglaries over the past few years have gone up.”In 2009, we had 70 burglaries over winter break. In 2010, we had 73 burglaries and last year we had 74,” Columbia police officer Latisha Stroer said,

There are new developments in Columbia’s efforts to get an enhanced enterprise zone established.A group once pushing for the EEZ is changing its position. The Regional Economic Development Incorporated’s board of directors voted Wednesday to ask the city to rescind the EEZ Ordinance. In a press release, leaders said its time to shift focus. Board

A major multimillion dollar road project wrapped up in Jefferson City Wednesday morning. It opened up a stretch of East McCarty that’s been closed for more than a year and caused headaches for residents and businesses.The hope now is the new roads and sidewalks will make the area safer and more business friendly.A complete makeover

***UPDATE 1:20 P.M.***Columbia police have released video stills of the suspects involved in the St. Charles Road Petro Mart robbery earlier this morning. No surveillance photos of the Stadium Boulevard Petro Mart robbery have been released yet.***UPDATE 9:45 A.M.***Police say there were two suspects in the St. Charles Road Petro Mart robbery. The first suspect

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for Benton County from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday. Due to strong southerly winds and very low humidity, there is an increased fire risk. While the warning is only for Benton County, the elevated fire danger exists for all of Mid-Missouri through the afternoon. Outdoor

Scattered showers and isolated storms are expected to move into Mid-Missouri late Friday night ahead of our next cold front. The showers will continue through the morning hours on Saturday before ending by midday. Forecasted rainfall totals will be near a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts north

Boone County leaders are working to solve the problems at Joint Communications and the 911 Dispatch Center. On Thursday, the Blue Ribbon Panel provided a recommendation as to what the improvements should include.The first recommendation is to put a general sales tax initiative on the April ballot to pay for the improvements. Also, that Boone

Three armed men broke into Columbia student housing Wednesday night. The suspects forced their way into an apartment in the downtown Brookside development off 10th Street. The men were wearing masks, and police claim the victims are being less than cooperative.ABC 17 News spoke with one of the victims, who said the robber held a

A man was buried up to his chest at a construction site in Columbia Thursday afternoon.It happened at the Brookside lots by Locust and Hitt near downtown. It is still not clear if the man was inside the trench as it was being filled, or if he fell in.Crews managed to pull him out using

A local Mid-Missouri event is getting a big change.Officials announced on Thursday the popular Roots N Blues N BBQ festival is moving next year. Its new home will now be Stephen’s Lake Park off Broadway and Old Highway 63.Organizers are promising to fix several problems, including shorter lines, better parking, and less taxpayer money.

As more people speak up about potential crimes against children, Missouri state’s child abuse and neglect hotline is receiving more calls. The state’s child advocate, Kelly Schultz, believes that’s a positive sign. Calls have steadily increased from 2008 to 2011, according to data collected by the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) and other state

MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) – An investigation into the drowning of an 18-year-old freshman on Northern Michigan University’s varsity women’s soccer team confirms that no one saw or heard her in distress in the water.The school released preliminary information Thursday from its investigation into the Nov. 30 death of Arianna Alioto at the school’s Physical Education

The suspects behind a violent home invasion and attempted robbery are on the run and it may not be their first. Police describe the suspects as three black men wearing masks. The same suspect description of a dozen other home invasions here in Columbia since August.Wednesday night’s happened downtown at the Brookside Apartments off of