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Some districts statewide have a difficult time attracting teachers to the district, especially minority teachers or ones who specialize in a certain area, like math. Paul Katnik is the assistant commissioner for the office Educator Equality. It’s part of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). He said rural and very urban locations struggle

House of Representatives Speaker Todd Richardson chose four people for a state-sponsored review group of the UM System. Former system president Gary Forsee, Maryville University professor Pamela Washington, former University of Missouri vice chancellor Robert Duncan and prominent Mizzou donor Jeanne Sinquefield round out the eight-person UM System Review Commission. Senator Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, sponsored

UPDATE 4: The plane has been towed from the runway. According to the city, the nose gear partially collapsed upon landing. No injuries were reported. UPDATE 3: American Airlines flight 3509 from Dallas to Columbia Regional was diverted Wednesday night to Springfield-Branson National Airport. That flight is scheduled to leave Springfield at 10 p.m. It’s

Gov. Jay Nixon signed Senate Bill 1002 Wednesday, a measure that will increase oversight, transparency and accountability of local taxing districts. The law will give State Auditor Nicole Galloway more authority to conduct audits of community improvement districts (CID), such as the Business LOOP CID in Columbia or the Walmart area CID in Jefferson City.

Firefighters and workers from Ameren UE were on the scene of a gas leak in Columbia Wednesday morning. Dispatchers got word about a gas odor on Rose Drive shortly before 10 a.m. Columbia Water and Light said crews hit a gas main while trying to fix a routine water service leak. Ameren worked to fix

The University of Missouri has more than 40 countries available for students in their study abroad program. Belgium, Turkey, and France are included in that list and all three had terrorist attacks in the last seven months. ABC 17 News spoke with the University of Missouri about their study abroad program and if any policies

Columbia will be testing their water for lead in the next few weeks. Every three years the city tests their water for contamination. The last test they held, only one household tested positive for lead. Utility Services Specialist for the city’s Water and Light department, Connie Kacprowicz says they have tried to be proactive in

A woman believed to be connected to a chase involving a stolen vehicle is in a hospital under law enforcement guard. At around 10:20 , troopers started chasing a vehicle which was reported stolen out of the Kansas City area. The chase started near the 132 mile marker in Boone County; troopers eventually stopped the

Sheriff’s deputies in Callaway County have arrested a fugitive from Cole County. At around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, deputies stopped a suspicious vehicle on Highway 54 near New Bloomfield. They identified the driver as Andrew Barrett, 39, from Jefferson City, who was wanted on a Cole County warrant for traffic offenses. Deputies also found items

Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander announced Wednesday his office has certified a joint resolution to put a voter ID amendment on the November ballot. During its latest session, the General Assembly passed the resolution, officially titled Constitutional Amendment 6 (HJR 53). It will appear on the ballot as follows: “Shall the Constitution of Missouri

With Fourth of July less than a week away, it’s a good time to talk about fireworks safety. According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were eight deaths and an estimated 11,400 injuries related to fireworks in 2013. This is an increase from 8,700 in 2012. Starting June 30 through July 5

At least 36 people were killed and another 147 wounded in the terror attack in at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport in Turkey on Tuesday night. Although Istanbul is about 5,800 miles away from Mid-Missouri, we’re reminded regularly that these deadly attacks can happen anywhere. Terrorism expert and the former coordinator for Homeland Security for Missouri

Lab tests are underway for water quality in all of Columbia Public Schools’ facilities this summer. The district hired PDC Laboratories from Peoria, Illinois to collect 2,000 samples from CPS buildings to test for the presence of bacteria and metals, at a cost of $41,500. School spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said the district has never done

Many people will spend time with family and friends on the water this upcoming holiday weekend. Over the summer, the state tests 18 designated swim beaches for E. coli and other harmful bacteria. All of those beaches are currently open. But many other bodies of water go untested. Cole County Environmental Supervisor Brandon Rekus said

A woman drove off from a bail bondsman in Columbia following an encounter which brought Columbia police officers to the scene. At around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, witnesses saw a man with a gun confronting a woman on Nebraska Avenue, just east of Providence Road. When officers arrived, they briefly placed the woman in handcuffs while

A convicted felon is charged in mid-Missouri after deputies say he shot a gun at a woman’s head. David Dornell Manning was charged Monday in Boone County court for the attack. According to court documents, the shooting happened at the woman’s home on April 18. Deputies said Manning waved a gun in the air after

This Independence Day weekend, Americans will take more trips than ever. In fact, AAA reports more than 36 million people will be driving to their Fourth of July destinations. That’s about a 1.2 increase–largely due to the lowest gas prices in more than a decade. Over the 2015 Fourth of July holiday, 14 people were

A Boone County business owner accused of multiple drug charges pleads guilty to one charge in federal court. Rafiqul Kahn, the former owner of Mari’s gas station, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by trafficking in misbranded drugs. Federal authorities said Kahn misleadingly referred to his

The debate over a temporary 1 percent lodging-tax increase continues as the August 2 vote draws closer. Just last week, the Columbia Hospitality Association, or CHA, decried the city’s addition of the words “economic development” to an existing city ordinance regarding the lodging tax. The association said the move was a way of enabling the

A man pleaded guilty Monday to charges stemming from a fight in downtown Columbia that left an officer injured. It happened back in July of 2015 in front of a bar on Broadway in downtown Columbia. Prosecutors tell us Andrew Mackey pleaded guilty to five charges Monday. Those charges included felonyassault on a law enforcement