Rolla recovers after confirmed EF-2 tornado strikes
Governor Mike Kehoe announced Tuesday that Missouri is requesting assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Friday’s deadly storms.
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WATCH: ABC 17 Stormtrack Severe Weather Special
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Watch the Stormtrack Severe Weather Special.
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Two people seriously injured after UTV crash near Audrain County line
AUDRAIN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) Editor’s Note: The location and vehicle type in the headline has been corrected. Two people are seriously injured after an UTV crash in the 20000 block of Rangeline Road near the Audrain/Boone County line according to a Missouri State Highway Patrolman on scene. An ABC 17 News reporter on scene saw
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QUESTION OF THE DAY: Was Mizzou properly seeded in the NCAA Tournament?
The Mizzou men are going dancing. The Tigers will play their first-round game this week in Wichita, Kansas. The selection committee gave Mizzou a No. 6 seed and they will face No. 11 Drake. The Tigers looked at one point like they would get a higher seed. But they scuffled at the end of the
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Mizzou men’s basketball turnaround season contributes to economic boost for SEC programs
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The success of Mizzou men’s basketball this season isn’t just something Tiger fans will take pride in. “In this day of transfer portals and kids coming in and out and you know, you’re having to pick up transfers to complete a team as people graduate or leave… to pull all those pieces
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Severe Weather Special: In-home safe rooms provide another option for tornado shelter
In-home safe rooms and storm shelters are becoming a popular option across the Plains and Midwest as spring storms are becoming more frequent. Roger Mertensmeyer started a personal storm shelter company in Boone County called Protect in Place back in 2018. His experience with the Columbia Fire Department opened his eyes to the need for
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Kehoe asks FEMA to join preliminary damage assessment
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The state of Missouri has requested that FEMA participate in joint preliminary damage assessments after storms devastated a number of counties on Friday night, according to a Monday press release from the governor’s office. The request is the start of the process of getting federal assistance, the release says. “As I observed
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179 Bypass Trail construction expected to be completed by summer
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Construction on the 179 Bypass Trail in Jefferson City has entered its final phase, the city wrote in a Monday social media post. The last phase will connect Cavalier Drive to West Edgewood Drive, which is expected to make trails safer for pedestrians and cyclists, the post says. A crosswalk at
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Another red flag warning issued as Mid-Missouri fire season continues
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Mid-Missouri residents are asked not to burn anything into Tuesday after the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning due to dry and windy conditions. This comes just days after large wildfires in Mid-Missouri that forced people from their homes in Boone and Camden counties. The state is also entering extreme
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Columbia City Council approves $96K contract for pedestrian safety study amid concerns of panhandlers standing in medians
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council on Monday night approved an agreement with a third-party professional engineering service to conduct a street and intersection pedestrian safety study. The $96,550 agreement with George L. Crawford & Associates, Inc. will look into potential changes to ordinances and procedures for the city to align toward Vision Zero,
Continue Reading Columbia Fire Department assistant chief describes wreckage in Rolla
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Members of the Columbia Fire Department and other agencies went to Rolla after the area was devastated by storms on Friday night. CFD Assistant Fire Chief Lester Shewmake was among those who responded after the tornado hit. He said seeing the destruction left behind gave a “different feeling.” “I’ve been down there quite
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GoFundMe gives scam-spotting guidelines following deadly tornadoes
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Several tornadoes touched down in Missouri on Friday, destroying homes, businesses and schools, prompting victims to create GoFundMe accounts asking for donations to cover disaster relief. Severe weather events also prompt scammers to lurk and take advantage of a desperate situation. There are several guidelines to use when trying to determine whether
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Columbia man accused of pulling out gun during 2 road rage incidents
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was charged with felonies in two cases after he allegedly pulled out a gun during a pair of road rage incidents. Richard McDonald, 62, was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action in a case stemming from an alleged Feb. 1 incident. He was charged
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New Bloomfield man charged with child molestation in Callaway County
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A New Bloomfield man was charged with first-degree child molestation on Monday. Benjamin Speaks, 19, is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. The probable cause statement says the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office was given a report on Feb. 28
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Man charged with rape in Cole County; father of victim accused of moving suspect into his home from Florida
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two men have been charged with child sex crimes in Cole County. Travis Kalchbrenner, 31, was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, two counts of statutory rape, one count of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of fourth-degree child molestation. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. An
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NWS confirms EF-2 tornado in Phelps County alongside multiple tornadoes in St. Louis area, more surveys expected Monday
The National Weather Service in Springfield on Sunday confirmed an EF-2 tornado hit Phelps County and Rolla on Friday night. The tornado was on the ground for 8 minutes and traveled about 8.7 miles. The maximum winds were rated at 120 mph as the storm traveled from about 4 miles southeast of Doolittle to about
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Two men charged after Mexico shooting
MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ) Two Mexico men have been charged with four felonies apiece in connection with a Saturday shooting. Monterio M. Truss, 25, and Branden J. Truss, 28, were each charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and two counts each of unlawful use of a weapon, according to online court records. The Mexico Public
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Rolla Public Schools cancels classes for the week after EF-2 tornado hits
PHELPS COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) Rolla Public Schools announced Sunday that schools will be closed all week. According to a social media post from the district, due to the extensive damage to buildings caused by Friday night’s storm, school will not be in session this week. The days are not expected to impact the calendar or
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Cross-country storm leaves at least 42 dead and vast destruction from tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
CNN, KATV, KFVS, WFSA, KYTV, KAIT, WBRC By Hanna Park, Robert Shackelford, Rafael Romo and Mary Gilbert, CNN (CNN) — A powerful storm system that tore across the United States in recent days was winding down Monday, but in its wake are devastated communities hit with violent tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms spun off by
Continue Reading QUESTION OF THE DAY: Did last week’s storms leave damage in your area?
Severe storms that hit Mid-Missouri on Friday evening continued to roll through the state that night, leaving damage everywhere they went. At least a dozen Missourians were killed in Friday night storms alone, while dozens died in the nationwide severe weather outbreak. At least three tornadoes hit the St. Louis area. Rolla was one of
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