News

ABC 17 News confirmed Friday from a leaked email that the Columbia Police Department is eliminating its Traffic Unit and moving those officers to the Community Outreach Unit. A source told ABC 17 News that over the past several weeks, various options have been discussed to fill the remaining 4 positions in the Community Outreach

The University of Missouri Board of Curators heard out several students before Thanksgiving break. More than a dozen student groups spoke to the UM System Friday afternoon. Students voiced a wide variety of issues, including school-sponsored child care, graduate student stipends, and the way schools handle protests and concerns. The board, with new interim president

Much colder air will be here by Saturday morning along with gusty northwesterly winds to 30 mph. The day will start with clouds and lingering light rain or snow east of HWY 63 through 8 AM with temperatures in the mid to upper 30s early. Snow is not expected to accumulate except for a brief

Columbia Public Schools officials administrators said the district is erring on the conservative side when it comes to regulating student iPads. The announcement comes after authorities seized school-issued iPads, in part, because of inappropriate sexual content. ABC 17 News investigated the issue in April for an ABC 17 News special report. Some students use the

ABC 17 News checked in with MU officials Friday on the eve of MU football coach Gary Pinkel’s last home game to see if any extra security precautions are being taken. No additional safety measures are being taken despite the potentially 60,000 people coming through the gates of Memorial Stadium Saturday. The same bag checks

House Speaker Todd Richardson and Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard on Friday announced a joint hearing that will examine programs the governor could use to help refugees. The House Budget Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold the hearing Monday, November 30. “Our governor has yet to fully articulate a plan or take

Two men are in the Boone County Jail Friday after authorities say they found them with more than a pound of marijuana. Boone County sheriff’s deputies stopped 28-year-old Clyde Jones and 34-year-old Cleo Willis around 10:30 Thursday nightnear the intersection of Rangeline Road and Vandiver Drive in Columbia. Deputies said the pulled the car overfor

One week after Mizzou’s head football coach announces he will leave at the end of the year, ABC 17 is going to air a 30-minute look back at Gary Pinkel’s 15 years at the University of Missouri. Pinkel, 63, fought back tears on Friday when he said he is retiring after the 2015 seasons, following

A St. Louis woman has filed a petition to try to keep Syrian refugees out of Missouri. Lisa Pannett filed the initiative petition to amend the 1st article of Missouri’s constitution yesterday. The petition proposes adding a 35th section saying, “the state of Missouri shall not accept refugees from Syria.” The petition comes as Missouri

Jefferson City Police Thursday are looking for a man charged with statutory sodomy and child molestation. Court documents said officers responded to a Cole County home after the 3-year-old victim’s grandmother told them the victim said she was touched inappropriately by 31-year-old Kevin Struempf. On Monday, the grandmother reported to police that she observed bruising

Missouri ranks 40th for average teacher salary in the United States despite a top 20 fiscal condition. According to the Missouri Department of Elementary Education, the U.S. average for teacher salary is $56,383 a year, while the Missouri average is $47,393. In the Columbia/Jefferson City area, that average salary is only about $37,072. Salary offered

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit against a Columbia gun shop owner accused of ripping off his customers. The petition against ZK Guns owner Zach Kean was filed Thursday afternoon. This comes four months after ABC 17’s Jillian Fertig confronted Kean after customers claimed they were being ripped off. Last month, Kean

Columbia’s Planning and Zoning Commission will vote Thursday night on a revised development proposal for East Elementary School. Thursday morning, the Columbia School Board unanimously approved the proposal, which calls for a second access road connecting Howell Mountain Drive and Rolling Hills Road south of Columbia Gorge Parkway. The budget for the development project is

Columbia police are investigating a burglary that happened late Wednesday evening. Police tell us they received a call where someone reported seeing a person crawling through a window at Spicewine Ironworks on the Business Loop. Officers say someone got inside the business, but they aren’t sure if anything was stolen. A suspect description is not

Friday afternoon, MU students will have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with university administrators. The Board of Curators announced Thursday that they want to hear directly from students about their experiences and concerns on campus. “That’s the only way our leadership is going to know what these issues are straight from the students. Not hearsay,

The trial date has been set for a former church youth director accused of child sex crimes. Jury selection starts January 12 for Dale Johnson. Johnson turned himself over to Boone County deputies back in March after leaving his role at Parkade Baptist Church in central Columbia. Officials said he molested a young girl at

The Boone County prosecuting attorney’s office is asking commissioners for more money. Dan Knight said it’s not unusual to need more money for trial costs. He said jury trials are expensive and this year his office has tried 22 of them. Knight was in front of the commission on Thursday asking for emergency funds to

Marshall Police and public safety officials at Missouri Valley College in Marshall are investigating a threat made on social media Wednesday. The Department of Public Safety and Student Affairs said it got notice of a threat posted to the social media site Yik Yak. 18-year-old Paris G. Lovett, a MVC student, is charged with making

ABC 17 News learned Thursday a previously reported fire in Moberly has been ruled an arson. Moberly Police and the Missouri State Fire Marshal investigated the building at 316 W Reed Street that was destroyed on November 6. Video surveillance captured the man outside the building, but he has not yet been identified. Moberly Police

Our next low pressure system has been developing over the Pacific Northwest and is forecast to track in our direction. Low pressure is expected to track to our north, keeping us on the warmer side of the system. On Friday rain chances increase from the west by mid-late afternoon. Temperatures will be in the mid-40s