News

A historic downtown church is being demolished Friday after a massive fire tore through it Wednesday night. The First United Methodist Church stood at 4th and Osage in downtown Sedalia since 1888. A fire burned it to the ground, leaving only the exterior walls. City and fire officials determined the remaining building to be too

The True/False Film Festival goers will be greeted by spring-like temperatures, dry conditions, and sunny skies on Saturday. High pressure will build into the region tomorrow as an upper level ridge moves eastward over Mid-Missouri. On Saturday, temperatures will rise to above levels, with highs topping off in the upper 50s in Columbia under mostly

The subject of a True/False Film Festival documentary sued the people who made it before it screens in mid-Missouri this weekend. David D’Amato, who is listed as New York resident, filed suit against the directors of “Tickled,” airing at the documentary film festival held in Columbia. It also includes Maljack Productions, the film’s producer, along

A former mid-Missouri deputy already facing state sex crime charges is now accused in a federal indictment of sexually abusing four women and enticing a minor into prostitution. The U.S. Attorney in St. Louis on Friday announced the indictment against 52-year-old Marty Rainey of Sullivan. The office claims, “between June 2010 and March 2012 ,

A fire has destroyed a historic church in downtown Sedalia. ABC 17 News talked to a police officer who saw the fire at the First United Methodist Church around 9:45 Wednesday night. The church is on the corner of Fourth Street and Osage Avenue, about a block west of the Pettis County courthouse. When firefighters

This weekend, the city of Columbia will transform into a mecca for documentary filmgoers from all over the world who come to town for the True/False Film Festival. “There’s people from all around Columbia, all walks of life,” said festival co-founder David Wilson. “They’ll all come together and take part in watching these movies this

Saturday looks to be great with a mostly sunny sky and north/northwest wind at 5-10 mph. Skies will be mainly clear Saturday night through early Sunday morning bringing temperatures to the mid 30s east of US 63 and upper 30s west. Western Missouri could see light rain by 6AM. Showers look to move near HWY

Columbia police called out a K9 unit to help search for a driver following a crash early Friday. Police tried to stop the driver for a traffic violation shortly after 2:30 a.m., and say the driver got out and ran away. The suspect left the truck in drive, which caused it to go onto a

A state representative says a bill filed to reverse the merge of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Water Patrol is the motivation behind a new plan. Officials announced the planto change certain policies within the Water Patrol Division Thursday. State Representative Diane Franklin, R-Camdenton, filed House Bill 1960 in January to reverse the 2011

At least two people wrote to the UM System Board of Curators in support of former president Tim Wolfe, an ABC 17 News open records request uncovered. The emails, written by Fred Parry of Columbia and John & Linda Hoffman of Bucyrus, Kansas, criticize the Board’s decision not to pay Wolfe a severance after his

The American Association of University Professors is threatening to set up a meeting with their executive director on Monday to discuss the possibility of forming a committee. It would be in charge of investigating MU’s former assistant communication professor, Melissa Click. During a February 26 letter, the organization cited concerns that Click was fired without

It will feel like spring this weekend as temperatures climb and rain chances increase. The warming trend begins Friday as winds shift to the south, bringing daytime high temperatures up into the mid 50s. The normal high for this time of year is 50. The warming will slow down Saturday as a weak cold front

Missouri lawmakers have passed a bill requiring public employees’ to give permission every year for union dues to be withheld from their paychecks. The House voted 109-49 Thursday to send the legislation to Gov. Jay Nixon. The Senate passed the bill 23-7 earlier this week. The Democratic governor vetoed a similar bill in 2013. Lawmakers

Columbia police are looking for a counterfeiter after a customer used a fake $100 bill at the QuickTrip on Clark Lane. A woman in her twenties walked into the QuickTrip on Saturday with a $100 bill. She spent $3.98, and the clerk give her change of $98.02. Later, when the bill was deposited into the

Hy-Vee is announcing an eight-state recall for a certain kind of cheese after tests in Iowa came back positive for listeria. So far, no one has reported getting sick after eating Maytag Blue Raw Milk products. It was sold here in Missouri from November 20, 2015, until March 2, 2016. The grocery chain is pulling

Cole County officials are testing out new voting machines just two weeks from the Missouri primaries. On Thursday the clerk’s office checked the results for 28 new optical readers using fake ballots. It made it sure to enlist volunteers who were both Republicans and Democrats. Missouri’s primary will happen for both parties in two weeks

ABC 17 News learned two mid-Missouri banks are in the process of merging. On Thursday First Financial Credit Union in Jefferson City confirmed it will combine with River Region. It means their location on Edgewood Drive near Highway 179 will change names. The bank first opened in 1950, and it has grown to more than

NEW FRANKLIN, Mo- The New Franklin School District is asking for a 3 million dollar bond to give students more places to play and making sure they are safe. The town centers around the school and kindergartners all the way through 12th grade use one gym. When it is raining or cold outside, the younger

The city of Columbia has hired a new city prosecutor. The city announced Thursday morning it hired John “Jack” McManus for the position. McManus is a Columbia resident and has nearly 30 years of legal experience. Most recently, McManus served as chief counsel of the Agriculture and Environment Division of the Missouri Attorney General’s office,

The Jefferson City Fire Department is in the process of hiring more firefighters. The agency is short about three positions but only has enough city funding to pay for one. Right now, one hundred people are vying for one opening at the Jefferson City Fire Department. The group of applicants took a written exam last