Missouri Archives

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Will you vote in Missouri’s presidential caucuses?

January 16, 2024 2:18 AM ABC 17 News Team

Iowa kicked off the presidential nominating season Monday with its first-in-the-nation caucuses.

How to participate in Missouri’s presidential caucuses

January 15, 2024 11:44 AM Hannah Falcon

Instead of heading to the polls this winter, Missouri voters will head to caucuses to decide who their party should support for president.

Identifying frostbite and hypothermia during dangerously low temperatures

January 14, 2024 5:54 PM Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) With extreme windchills across Missouri and much of the country, there is potential risk of hypothermia. Friday through Wednesday are ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Days for extremely cold temperatures. Per ABC 17 Stormtrack Chief Meteorologist Jessica Hafner, the temperatures Mid-Missouri is experiencing are rare this time of year. On average, the

WINTER WEATHER: Fire official details home safety tips for space heaters, frozen pipes amid bitter cold

January 11, 2024 4:50 PM ABC 17 News Team

Check back for updates about the winter storm.

Data breach revealed for company of school safety app Mid-Missouri schools signed up to use

January 12, 2024 9:23 PM Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A popular school safety application used by thousands of schools across the country — including some in Mid-Missouri — had thousands of documents accessed that contained sensitive information. Cybersecurity researcher Jerimiah Fowler said he discovered a breach in Raptor Technologies on Dec. 20 and notified the company of the flaw. Raptor Technologies’

Lake Ozark man accused of flashing women on MU’s campus in 2021

January 12, 2024 3:38 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Lake Ozark man was charged with a pair of felonies this week after court documents say he exposed himself to two women at the University of Missouri’s campus in 2021. Jacob Paul Bush, 26, was charged on Tuesday with two counts of first-degree harassment. Charges were amended from misdemeanor charges filed

Missouri Electric Cooperatives prepares for second round of storms Friday

January 11, 2024 7:54 PM Nia Hinson

MACON, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Electric Cooperative is preparing for a second round of storms beginning Friday that are expected to bring powerful winds and snow. According to CEO of the Missouri Electric Cooperatives, Caleb Jones, storms that hit previously in the week on Tuesday left more than 20,000 people across four cooperatives without power

Ameren raises renewable energy charge

January 11, 2024 10:06 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Public Service Commission approved Ameren Missouri’s application to adjust the Renewable Energy Standard Rate Adjustment Mechanism charge that appears on the monthly bills, according to a Thursday press release. The charge appears as a separate item on the monthly electric bills of Ameren Missouri customers. For a residential customer using

Dispatch notes show timeline of swatting call to Missouri Secretary of State’s house

January 11, 2024 6:48 PM Lucas Geisler

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) First responders got a fake call from a blocked number claiming someone had shot a woman at Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s house on Sunday night. The incident — now being investigated by law enforcement in Jefferson City as a swatting crime — started at 8:55 p.m., according to documents

More Missourians enrolled in Marketplace as thousands lose Medicaid coverage

January 11, 2024 12:03 PM Morgan Buresh

Hundreds of thousands of Missourians have already lost health care coverage since Medicaid annual renewals picked back up in June after pausing during the pandemic.

Arson case for Casa Maria’s owner moved to Butler County

January 10, 2024 8:03 PM Ryan Shiner

DUNKLIN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) An owner of a Mexican restaurant in Columbia who has been accused of arson in Dunklin County had her case moved to Butler County on Wednesday. Crystal Umfress, 42, was charged with second-degree arson. Umfress is an owner of Casa Maria’s Restaurant in Columbia. Her lawyer had requested a change of venue

Investigators determine suspicious package sent to attorney general contained meth

January 10, 2024 1:12 PM Hannah Falcon

The suspicious package sent to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office in April contained methamphetamine, according to records ABC 17 News obtained from the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

City of Belle claims no sign of missing funds or misuse of guns amid mayor’s charges

January 10, 2024 4:18 PM Ryan Shiner

The City of Belle released a statement Wednesday saying that no money is missing from its bank accounts and that none of its guns are missing or have been misused.

WHAT’S GOING AROUND: Doctors seeing respiratory illnesses, flu and COVID-19

January 10, 2024 11:14 AM Erika McGuire

Here is a roundup of the illnesses doctors say are spreading around Mid-Missouri.

Humane Society removes 97 dogs from unlicensed breeder in Phelps County

January 9, 2024 7:10 PM Ryan Shiner

PHELPS COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Humane Society of Missouri picked up nearly 100 dogs from an unlicensed breeder. According to a Facebook post from the Humane Society of Missouri, it rescued 97 dogs at a Phelps County property. The post states that it had also removed a combined 83 dogs from the same breeder in

Troopers respond to at least 25 stranded drivers in Mid-Missouri during Tuesday snow storm

January 9, 2024 4:54 PM Hannah Falcon

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) During snow storms, it’s important to remember that the busier roads are going to be cleared first. Back roads and residential streets will take longer to get cleared. Chad Slate, with I-70 Towing, said there’s always more crashes and slide offs during the first big snow storm of the winter. “Any time

Columbia senator drafting bill to increase swatting punishment after call to secretary of state’s house

January 8, 2024 7:33 AM Hannah Falcon, Erika McGuire

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Sen. Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) is working on legislation that would increase the penalty for swatting, following a swatting call to the secretary of state’s house on Sunday night. Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft was a target of a swatting attempt at his home Sunday night, Ashcroft posted on his social

Trial dates set for case over Missouri law banning gender-affirming care for minors

January 5, 2024 10:44 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A bench trial has been scheduled for a case surrounding a Missouri law that bans gender-affirming care for minors and some adults. The 10-day trial schedule was decided on Thursday and is set to begin Sept. 23, according to Casenet. The ACLU had announced the lawsuit on July 25 after Gov. Mike

Callaway County still paying suspended sheriff after DWI plea

January 5, 2024 4:27 PM Lucas Geisler

Suspended Callaway County sheriff Clay Chism continues to collect pay from the county weeks after admitting to driving while intoxicated.

Courage2Report tips for school safety concerns rise in 2023

January 4, 2024 11:55 AM Morgan Buresh

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s anonymous school safety tip hotline received hundreds more reports in 2023 than in 2022.