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Missouri was the eighth most violent state in the country in 2017 according to FBI numbers released this week. However, numbers also show a decrease in violent crime in Columbia so far this year. According to the FBI, more than 7,000 cases of violent crime were reported in Missouri in 2017. Missouri’s violent crime rate

WEDNESDAY: It’s a gorgeous and cool afternoon across Mid-Missouri. Temperatures are slowly climbing into the middle 60s under a layer of very high clouds. The cool conditions stay with us through the day, as a cool northwesterly breeze up to 12 mph pulls in cooler and drier air into the region. TONIGHT: Partly cloudy skies

One person died, and three people were hurt after a crash that closed Highway 50 in Moniteau County on Tuesday afternoon. Steven Smart, 60, of Tebbets, Missouri, was pronounced dead at the scene. Three vehicles were involved in the crash, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Scott White said. According to the crash report, one vehicle

For the second consecutive year, Jefferson City Public Schools failed to follow its own policy for monthly fire drills. For the 2016-17 school year, not a single school followed the requirement. Some schools did not record a single drill for an entire year, raising questions of whether or not the fire drills even happened. “There

One person died after a crash in Camden County Tuesday night. According to the crash report, it happened around 9:20 p.m. on Route T, just north of Davis Road. It happened as the Toyota pickup was traveling north and crossed the center line of the road. The driver, Cecil Gideon, ran off the left side

A man initially charged with second degree murder pleaded guilty to lesser charges on Monday in connection with a Columbia homicide. According to assistant prosecuting attorney Jennifer Rodewald, Dariel Reid pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Keith Chambers. Prosecutors initially

WEDNESDAY: The day will start out cool with temperatures in the 50s and clearing skies. Surface high pressure will build in, giving us a cool northerly breeze up to 12 mph which will keep our temperatures in the mid to upper 60s in the afternoon. High clouds will increase through the afternoon. TONIGHT: As clear

Boone County delegates and candidates gathered in the Douglass High School gymnasium Tuesday night to hear more about the resources and programs available in the mid-Missouri community to help young people and families. The forum centered on four main topics that included mental health, after school activities, adult role models and E-cigarettes. Experts in each

The city of Columbia is testing new lighting downtown aimed at improving public safety. As ABC 17 News previously reported, testing started last week after the new light poles were installed the week prior. According to city spokesman Steve Sapp, the high-intensity LED lights are installed along the north side of Broadway between Tenth and

A falling wall on an East High Street building collapsed further Monday, with a Jefferson City official saying further collapse is likely unless the building’s owner takes action. The western wall of 200 E. High St. partially collapsed in June and the owner decided in July to demolish the structure. However, 200 E. High shares

A Hannibal, Missouri man was arrested Monday on accusations that he attempted to photograph people in dressing and changing rooms at two Columbia businesses. Nicholas D. St. Clair, 21, is accused of trying to photograph people in businesses in the 2700 and 2600 blocks of East Broadway, city of Columbia spokesman Steve Sapp said. St.

TONIGHT: A cold front will move in from the northwest and scattered showers and storms will move through during the evening hours heading to the southeast, moving out of the area by 4 AM. Skies will clear quickly by morning as temperatures drop into the low 50s with winds shifting to the northwest up to

Callaway County officials are looking to improve oversight after the revelation this week that a former collector stole nearly $300,000 from taxpayers. Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway recommended the Callaway County Collector’s Office improve its checks and balances and segregate duties after the theft by former collector Pamela Oestreich. “The former collector had too much

Cuts to Columbia’s bus service will take place next week. Starting Oct. 1, bus service will end an hour earlier, at 7 p.m. Para-transit service will also end an hour earlier, now at 6:25 p.m. The city’s “flex route” system, where someone could call the city ahead of time to request a bus ride, will

Tests on samples from Stephens Lake were positive for a toxin associated with algae, a state official said Tuesday. Lynn Milberg, the Water Quality Monitoring Section chief with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said samples taken from the lake were positive for one toxin associated with algae but at very low levels. Milberg said

A Holts Summit woman convicted of killing her husband has died in prison. The Missouri Department of Corrections said Sandra Plunkett died in prison, but did not say when she died or how she died. An online obituary posted by Sassmann’s Chapel said Plunkett died Friday at the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Chillicothe, Missouri. She

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers say a California, Missouri, man was killed Sunday in a crash in southwest Missouri. Billy Penn, 26, died when his 2005 Dodge Neon crossed the center line and hit a GMC Sierra head-on at about 7:25 a.m., according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The Sierra driver, Carrie

Republicans in Moniteau County have found a candidate to replace former prosecutor Shayne Healea on the November ballot. The county Republican central committee nominated Mary Kay Lutz, a private practice attorney working in California, Missouri, for the November general election, County Clerk Roberta Elliott said. The Democratic central committee did not submit a name for

Residents that live near the 700 block of West Texas Avenue are still wondering what caused the deaths of two individuals that were found in a home there over four months ago. “As a member of this neighborhood and this community, we need answers,” said nearby resident Michael Wolfe. “We need to know why things

UPDATE: Residents said Monday afternoon that they hear gunfire in the area almost daily. “There’s shots fired every day, and if not every day, every other day,” said one resident. “The police don’t do anything about it.” Columbia police refuted that claim, with spokesperson Steve Sapp writing in an email that they “can’t imagine a