News

ABC 17s Sherree Burruss talks with Father Tolton football player Christian Elliot who was one of 17 players on the first rooster in program history.

A man charged with four counts of statutory sodomy in Columbia last year will have a court hearing Monday afternoon at 1:30. Columbia police said 30-year-old Dwayne Robison met a 13-year-old boy at the Wabash Bus Station downtown. Investigators said Robison and the boy were both riding on the bus before he allegedly sexually assaulted

Michael Tufts, the New Bloomfield police officer involved in a deadly drunk driving crash in December 2012, died Saturday night in Columbia. Tufts was 25. Patricia Tufts, Michael’s mother, told ABC 17 News her son passed away while in a coma around 11 p.m. at Southampton Nursing Home. Tufts suffered the coma when a drunk

An upcoming court proceeding will examine the death of a handcuffed Iowa man who went overboard as a Missouri State Highway Patrol boat was transporting him from the Lake of the Ozarks on suspicion of boating while intoxicated. The Kansas City Star reports that the coroner’s inquest in 20-year-old Brandon Ellingson’s death is scheduled to

ABC 17s Sherree Burruss highlights plays for the Nixa v. Helias football season opener.

The manhunt for two remaining suspects in a Moberly bank robbery has been called off. Police said Saturday they’re still looking for the two men on the loose. Moberly Police Chief Tarr said he urges anyone that may have information about the bank robbery or the suspects to call police. ABC 17 News confirmed with

Columbia City Council wrapped up a special work session Saturday evening. The meeting started around 8 a.m. and lasted past 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The council wanted to further discuss several key issues, including the proposed electric rate increases from last Monday’s City Council meeting. ABC 17 went to the meeting where council members did

Two racers are in the hospital after a boating accident at the lake of the Ozarks Lake Shootout Saturday morning. Sunrise Beach Fire Chief Dennis Reilly told ABC 17 News the boat flipped over several times during a run before landing upright. Emergency units were on the scene within seconds of the accident. Reilly said

ABC 17s Sports Director Austin Kim highlights part one of the first week of SportsZone Football Friday.

ABC 17s Sports Director Austin Kim highlights part one of the first week of SportsZone Football Friday.

School districts in Cole County could be facing a loss of thousands of dollars stemming back to a lawsuit Ameren Missouri against several counties in the state. The company said it’s infrastructure is assessed at a value that is too high. Dozens of counties in Missouri are locked in this legal battle with Ameren. The

Friday, Spartan Light Metals in Mexico announced a $17 million investment that will bring 88 positions to the Audrain County city. It is also adding on 68,000 square feet. Spartan is a family-owned automotive supplier. They die-cast aluminum and magnesium and do machining and assembly as well as design and analysis. They make parts for

The Blair Oaks School Board unanimously approved Heartland Seating’s bid to replace the high school gymnasium’s bleachers. The bid was about $97,000. The bid comes after severe storms last month caused damage to the school. Most of the bleachers were torn out from the gym to replace the floor. Some of the remaining bleachers are

A total solar eclipse is a rare occurrence. It’s been decades since one was seen in Mid-Missouri, but that’s about to change. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is in direct alignment with the sun, and blocks the sun, allowing only the corona layer to be seen. The significant event will occur on August

Two people from Westphalia were arrested Thursday morning for having dangerous drugs with children in their home. The Osage County Sheriff’s Department and the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group searched a home at 2996 Highway 63 South and found meth, suspected marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Two children who were at home during the search were

Earlier this week, a Jefferson City man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexually assaulting a teen in July 2012. Before his conviction, Brett Courtney spent more than 2 years in the Cole County Jail awaiting his trial. During that time, he had to be housed and fed, racking up a hefty bill.

Missouri Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer spoke about several issues to a crowd of about 50 people at the Rotary Club in Moberly on Thursday. He discussed the healthcare exchange, interest rates and even spoke about the Ferguson situation with ABC 17 after the meeting. Luetkemeyer said it’s a local issue and it should be handled that

Children can get second degree burns from the plastic materials on a playground that has been exposed to direct sunlight for several hours, not just the metal materials, according to Battalion Chief John Metz of the Columbia Fire Department. Thursday, the temperature of a plastic slide at Stephens Lake park was 135 degrees. There were

The annual Lake of the Ozarks shootout series starts this weekend, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars to Lake Area charities. Now in its 26th year, the shootout has been going on for the last few days, and boats from all around the world join in. Greg Surdyke owns some very powerful water toys,

The temperature inside a parked car is much hotter than it is outside. In fact, it can be like an oven. Thursday, we bought some refrigerated raw cookie dough, put it on a baking sheet and put it on a car dashboard. After a few hours, the cookies were completely baked. When we went outside