News

***UPDATE 11:30 A.M.***The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control has concluded their investigation into the death of a Miller County inmate.Sergeant Erik Eidson told ABC 17 News that investigators consider 22-year-old James Jensen’s death a suicide.***ORIGINAL STORY***An investigation is underway after the death of an inmate at the Miller County Jail.The

LAKE OZARK, Mo. (AP) – A 67-year-old central Missouri psychologist has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for fraud.Rhett E. McCarty of Lake Ozark was sentenced Wednesday to three years without parole for defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of $1 million.McCarty, who also has to pay $1 million in restitution, pleaded guilty to health

***UPDATE 5 P.M.***Jefferson City fire officials believe the fire that damaged Oscar’s Diner overnight was accidental and started in the kitchen. The owner of the restaurant thinks it was an electrical problem, but fire crews are waiting to find out exactly where it started before coming to the same conclusion.Firefighters say the fire caused about

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – State records show that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon received a $10,000 donation from a firm with a state contract on the same day that he publicly decried big political contributions.Records reviewed by The Associated Press show that Nixon’s campaign committee received the check from World Wide Technology on Monday – the

A new study released this week names Missouri as the murder capital of America for African Americans.The study from the Violence Policy Center, national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury, used FBI data from 2010, which is the most recent year available.In Missouri, the murder rate among black residents was 33.86 per

The University of Missouri Board of Curators voted to increase tuition on all four of its campuses next year.Tuition for the UM System will increase by 1.7 percent — the rate of inflation — for all in-state undergraduate students. UM System President Tim Wolfe say the university has raised tuition 2.3 percent annually for the

Jefferson City announced it has received three proposals for a new conference center.Thursday was the deadline for developers and hoteliers to submit their proposals to the city. City Administrator Nathan Nickolaus and the city council will likely discuss options for reviewing the plans at the council’s next meeting on February 4th.The city plans to spend

***UPDATE 10:00 P.M.*** The Chamois power plant that brings millions of dollars to the economy and employs many people will likely shut down. Plant officials explained the issues they face to approximately 150 people at a community meeting Thursday night at the Chamois high school. In order to come into compliance with new rules from

ABC 17 News is finding out Timothy Hoag, the man accused of murdering University of Missouri professor Jeong Im in 2005, had troubling legal problems in his past.Cops say Hoag killed Im eight years ago by stabbing him, stuffing him in the trunk of his car and setting it on fire. Hoag then committed suicide

A reinforcing shot of arctic air moved into Mid-Missouri today with falling temperatures and increasing northwesterly winds. Temperatures will continue to fall overnight to the single digits in the early morning hours of Friday. Northwesterly winds willgradually diminish overnight to 5-10 mph by morning. Wind chill readings will fall as low as 6 below zero

A Columbia family will appear on national television after losing their son and brother to the war in Afghanistan.Sherry Wyatt told ABC 17 News Thursday that the family will talk to Anderson Cooper on his nationally-syndicated show, Anderson Live. Army Specialist Sterling Wyatt was killed by an improvised explosive device in July 2012.At his funeral

Undercover drug detectives with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department say it is getting harder to crack down on meth labs because the labs are more mobile than ever before.Despite the challenge, detectives are still getting their hands on the traveling meth labs. In fact, Missouri leads the country in meth busts.For the past five years,

For many parents, around 40 hours a week, the care and safety of their child lies with the school they attend. Numbers ABC 17 News pulled from the state show violent acts are up in Columbia Public Schools and weapon offenses are up in Jefferson City Schools.Right now, schools across the nation are reviewing security

The district uses ALICE training, standing for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Escape. Students at Lange Middle School even put together a video to teach other students what to do if a shooter is in the building.”The ALICE training was very eye-opening in a very different way of thinking about things,” said Lempke. “Kids throwing things

We’ll have the coldest morning yet this season Friday as temperatures start off in the single digits with wind chills as low as 8 below zero. Temperatures will only touch near 30 in the afternoon as clouds increase. Winds will be light during the afternoon, shifting to the southwest. Friday night won’t be as cold

***UPDATE FRIDAY 7:37 P.M.***Fire crews say old experiments may have caused the fire at Lafferre Hall. The fire started in a trash can inside a locked classroom. Firefighters also responded to Lafferre Hall in 2011 for a chemical spill scare, and another fire in 2009***ORIGINAL STORY***Columbia fire crews responded to reports of a structure fire

American Airlines and US Airways announced a merger Thursday morning, a deal valued at $11 billion according to both companies. The merger will create the world’s biggest airline, and reduce the number of major U.S. carriers to four: American, Delta, United and Southwest. The combined carrier will be called American Airlines but will be run

ABC 17/KMIZ will air college basketball Wednesday night beginning at 7 p.m. The University of Missouri Tigers will play the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Because of basketball, the normal Wednesday night comedies will not air. ABC 17/KMIZ will air the shows on Saturday, February 16th starting at 12 p.m.: The Middle at 12 p.m. The Neighbors

A federal bankruptcy judge has delayed the civil trial of the former CEO of a failed artificial sweetener facility and his wife. Bruce and Nanette Cole are charged with improperly diverting cash from Mamtek US Inc. that was intended for the proposed plant in Moberly. Local media reports the Coles are accused of receiving $1.4

Columbia Public Schools leaders will spend the next month figuring out if it is possible – and feasible – to stagger new start times under a recommendation from Superintendent Dr. Chris Belcher that has high school classes starting at 9 a.m. The current recommendation has middle school starting at 7:30 a.m. for the 2013-2014 school