Columbia Archives

Court rejects Joseph Elledge murder conviction appeal

August 1, 2023 10:39 AM Matthew Sanders

A Columbia man convicted of killing his wife and dumping her body in a wooded area lost his appeal Tuesday.

‘Bulky items’ seen on curbs in Columbia gives reminder for large trash pickup process

July 31, 2023 7:48 PM Grace Pankey

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A number of students in the East Campus area of Columbia saw their leases end before a new school year starts. Curbsides were filled Monday with couches and other furniture. The City of Columbia considers the accumulation of trash or garbage a public nuisance. However, the city no longer picks up bulky

Columbia man sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegal gun possession after murder acquittal

July 31, 2023 1:44 PM Gabrielle Teiner

A Columbia man was sentenced to the maximum of 10 years in state prison Monday at the Boone County Courthouse for illegal gun possession after being acquitted of murder.

Building hit, no injuries reported after shots fired reported Friday night in Downtown Columbia

July 31, 2023 6:07 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) No injuries were reported in a shots-fired incident Friday night in Downtown Columbia, according to the Columbia Police Department. Police told ABC 17 News in an email that a vehicle and a building were struck by gunfire in the 900 block of East Broadway Street. Police responded to the shots-fired call at

Boone Health cutting 60-plus jobs; most are unfilled

July 31, 2023 5:13 PM Matthew Sanders

Publicly-run Boone Health said Monday that it is cutting more than 60 of its 2,320 positions but most of them are unfilled.

Man pleads guilty to 2020 Downtown Columbia murder, sentenced to 22 years in prison

July 31, 2023 3:42 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Marlin Johnson pleaded guilty on Friday to the 2020 killing of Joseph Hecht. Johnson, 27, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 22 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. He was credited with 1,094 days served. He is currently in the Boone County Jail. According to previous

Matt Stephens begins serving as interim police chief for the Columbia Police Department

July 31, 2023 4:21 AM Joushua Blount

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Matt Stephens is now serving as the interim police chief for the Columbia Police Department. This comes after Chief Geoff Jones announced his retirement from the department in June after serving for more than 24 years. The City of Columbia expressed its excitement for Stephens. City manager De’Carlon Seewood said he is thankful Stephens has

Monday is the last day for schools to apply for teacher salary grant

July 31, 2023 6:12 AM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Monday is the last day for educators in Missouri to apply for a grant that would increase teacher pay at least $13,000 for the 2023-2024 school year. State law requires that teachers are paid a minimum of $25,000. However, last year legislators approved the salary grant program to help pay teachers at

Power outages across Missouri after strong wind, storms sweep through

July 29, 2023 3:46 PM abc17news-Newsroom

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Thousands lost power Saturday afternoon after strong storms downed power lines. In Columbia, over 3,000 were reported to be without power. Five to six crews were working on restoring lost power at last check. Water supply was also affected for some in Columbia. No more outages were reported by Sunday afternoon. According

Columbia volunteers discuss how to prevent youth violence

July 29, 2023 9:10 PM Isabella Roberts

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Saturday afternoon Team COMO held its Heart of the Community Summit to discuss how to steer youth community away from violence. City leaders and Columbia residents gathered at todays summit and discussed ways to help children in the community succeed. The main focus of Saturday’s summit: Columbia’s youth. “The youth and that was really the heart

Storms damage across Mid-Missouri

July 29, 2023 4:24 PM Chance Gotsch

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A strong line of severe storms moved through Mid-Missouri early this afternoon causing widespread issues across the region. Winds up to 60 MPH have been observed with many of these storms causing downed trees which has led to power outages and damages to some homes. According to the City of Columbia, they

Show-Me State Games on weather delay after Saturday storms

July 29, 2023 5:46 AM Joushua Blount

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Show-Me State Games are on a weather delay after strong storms in Mid-Missouri Saturday afternoon. Some soccer games were pushed back to starting at 5:45 p.m. 6 p.m. and at 7 p.m. Softball resumed at 5 p.m. Shooting bunker was rescheduled to Sunday, and baseball is canceled for the day. The show me

Jury trial set for suspect involved in 2022 shooting

July 29, 2023 7:24 AM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The man charged in connection with a shooting in downtown Columbia during the University of Missouri’s homecoming weekend last fall will head to trial in September. According to online court records, a judge scheduled Donye Jackson’s jury trial to start on September 7 at 9 am at the Boone County Courthouse. Jackson

Teen charged in connection with 2020 Cosmo Park murder

July 28, 2023 5:18 PM Mitchell Kaminski

Detravion Coats has been charged with second-degree murder after he is accused of setting up a drug lead to the shooting death of Jermaine Spain.

Children more susceptible to heat-related illnesses

July 28, 2023 6:58 PM Grace Pankey

Heat illness can affect a child more seriously than an adult.

Endangered person advisory issued for missing teenager

July 28, 2023 2:58 PM Madison Stuerman

In a release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Jose Morales, 15, is believed to have been taken by his biological father.

No one hurt after grass fire in Mexico, Columbia Thursday

July 28, 2023 9:01 AM Madison Stuerman

No one was hurt after two separate fire scenes broke out Thursday morning in Mid-Missouri.

Heat affecting sunflowers at MU’s South Farm

July 27, 2023 9:24 PM Katie Greathouse

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The heat is taking a toll on the sunflower field at MU’s South Farm in Columbia. The hotter temperatures are causing the sunflowers to start to droop, according to Donna Marie Thomas, with MU’S Central Missouri Research, Extension and Education Center. This means the flowers will need to be cut. “By Saturday

How to keep your pets safe with the high heat index

July 27, 2023 7:06 PM Grace Pankey

Columbia, Mo. (KMIZ) Hundreds of pets die each year from heat exhaustion because they are left in hot vehicles, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. When temperatures outside reach 70 degrees, the interior of a car can reach over 100 degrees in minutes. The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team issued a Weather Alert Day

MU Health Care announces tuberculosis exposure involving employee

July 27, 2023 4:51 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ) MU Health Care announced in a Thursday afternoon press release that a “health care team member” tested positive for tuberculosis. MU Health is working with state and county health officials to address risks to patients and staff and has activated an infection control plan, the release states. The health care team member