News

Burglary alarms in homes and businesses can help police catch the bad guy when they work properly, but Columbia police said the alarms create more problems than solutions because 98 percent of them are false. “Anytime a police alarm is dispatched, there’s two officers that are automatically dispatched,” said Lt. Barbara Buck with the Columbia

Traffic is expected to be heavy and hotels packed for Dr. Kevin Rome’s inauguration Friday at Lincoln University, a part of homecoming week. Rome said he plans on using his more than 20 years of experience to positively impact Lincoln University. He said it was the type of students and the rich history that drew

A popular painkiller may be killing more than pain. A new study by ProPublica found that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, is the most deadly over-the-counter painkiller. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that it only takes ingesting two more than the recommended dose of Tylenol Extra Strength for a few days in

An audit of Cooper County released Thursday showed serious issues with the county treasurer’s office. In the report, Missouri auditor Tom Schweich discovered the county’s treasurer did not understand the computerized accounting system. Therefore, Stanley Serck paid a software provided $2,163 to enter the backlog of receipts, perform the backlog of bank reconciliations, and provide

A state audit released on Missouri’s lieutenant governor said he may be doing things that he’s not legally allowed to do. The audit looked into everything Peter Kinder’s office has done over the past three years. Kinder received a “good” rating, which is the second highest rating a state audit can get. It also raises

Police are investigating a shooting near a gas station in central Columbia early Thursday. It happened near the Petro Mart at College Avenue and Paris Road at around 1:45 a.m. Officers tell ABC 17 News three people in a car started shooting at another car. The suspect car, described as a dark-colored, new model sedan,

Jefferson City police responded to an incident Thursday afternoon that turned out to be a false active shooter report. Around 3 p.m., officers received a call about a possible active shooter at Berlin-Wheeler, a receivables management business, on West McCarty Street. Police say the caller reported he had received a text indicating a shooting was

Day three of the government shutdown is causing concern for Head Start preschools across the state. Darin Preis, the executive director for Central Missouri Community Action, said the schools in mid-Missouri will stay open for another month. However, the problem they are facing is their food supply. “The C.A.C.F.P is a federal food nutrition program,”

Jefferson City Jays girl’s softball team won 17- 5 over the Southern Boone County eagles and celebrate head coach Lisa Dey’s 400th win earlier this week. Columbia Collage women’s volleyball faced off against Stephens college in volleyball tonight. Set 1: Stephens College 8, Columbia College – 25Set 2: Stephens College 11, Columbia College – 25Set

Despite the government shutdown, two planned Central Missouri Honor Flights will go on as scheduled. The first flight, scheduled for Oct. 15, will continue with 70 Mid-Missouri veterans traveling to Washington, D.C. A second flight, scheduled for Nov. 5, will take approximately 70 veterans to the nation’s capital. During the one-day trips, veterans are able

Tours at the former Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City have been canceled through the end of the year. Officials with the penitentiary say due to the presence of mold in the buildings, tours will be discontinued through 2013. The Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau says the musty smell was getting unusually bad and

A generic drug that millions of people use to help them breathe is increasing significantly in price. Patients used to get albuterol tablets from pharmacies for a couple of dollars for a monthly prescription. Now it is costing them more than $900, and that is with insurance. Albuterol is also the generic form, so there

Columbia police arrested a man they say is responsible for eight robberies and thefts in recent weeks. Tuesday night, officers arrested 29-year-old Jermell Lamar Burnett for numerous robberies and thefts that happened in central part of the city from July through September. Police say he is responsible for the following crimes (in chronological order): On

Following a month of steadily dropping gas prices, gas is now $2.99/gallon in Columbia and $3.07/gallon in Jefferson City. For the first time since January, gas had dropped below $3 in Columbia. Experts say supply and demand, refinery production, and local taxes all play a part in gas pricing. They say the main reason for

Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield and several other schools went on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after officials received a threat. A message posted to the college’s website stated that due to a “potential threat,” the entire Springfield campus is on lockdown. The message advised everyone to seek refuge in a locked office or classroom. Emergency

Frank Haith talks about the first practice of the 2013-2014 basketball season, new players and goals looking ahead. Watch the full video above.

The 2014 budget for Columbia went into effect Tuesday. Public safety will see some some changes this year. The fire department has just over $800,000 more than in last year’s budget. “The biggest increase we saw in this year’s budget was five grant-funded firefighter positions that became part of the budget,” said Battalion Chief Brad

The Columbia Police Officer’s Association says the police department and city spent more than $500,000 of taxpayer money to wrongfully prosecute an officer accused of assault. The CPOA says its initial Internal Affairs report cleared Rob Sanders of any wrongdoing after a 2011 incident in a police department holding cell. Rob Sanders was charged with

A former Columbia police officer who faced up to a year behind bars for shoving an inmate into a holding cell wall was found not guilty Tuesday. Rob Sanders had been charged with third-degree assault for the 2011 holding cell incident involving Kenneth Baker. Then in 2012, Chief Ken Burton fired Sanders for using excessive

AT&T is planning to work on their cell service after numerous complaints from Mid-Missouri residents. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, who represents Missouri’s 3rd congressional district, met with the president of AT&T Missouri on Tuesday. Several Maries County residents told ABC 17 News they are having problems connecting to the network despite the cellular phone company saying