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***UPDATE 11:37 A.M.***Prosecutors confirmed Robbins appeared in court and waived his formal arraignment, pleading not guilty. His preliminary hearing was also set for March 1.***ORIGINAL STORY***A Jefferson City lawyer accused of trying to sneak drugs into the Cole County jail will be in court Tuesday.Back in October Thomas Robbins was caught allegedly trying to sneak

A new president was named Tuesday for Moberly Area Community College.Dr. Jeffrey Lashley was approved with a unanimous from the board of trustees. He will start July 1, taking over for longtime president Dr. Evelyn Jorgenson, who retired earlier this year after 15 years.Dr. Lashley was vice-president of instruction and a dean of academic affairs

After a frigid start to the morning, highs on Tuesday will climb into the low 40s across Mid-Missouri, which is seasonal for this time in December. The average high temperature at Columbia is 42 for December 11th. Sunshine will be abundant all day, except for a few high, thin afternoon clouds.Warmer and above average temperatures

*** UPDATE 9:56 P.M. *** A Mid-Missouri man is in jail for his part in a violent kidnapping and rape. Michael Wright pleaded guilty to aggressively stalking a woman and helping a group hold her against her will.Along with Wright, Tracy Stodgell and Sean Williams allegedly kept a woman hostage in a deep freeze after

Police are searching for a gunman who they say got into a woman’s car in the parking lot at the UM – ENT & Allergy Center on Keene Street. The victim alleged that the suspect demanded her to drive. When she panicked and started screaming, police say the man got out of her car and

*** UPDATED 3:58 P.M. ***Spencer Gordon made his first court appearance today via a video arraignment from the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. He remains in jail with a $200,000 bond.Court documents reveal officers had suspicion Gordon was under the influence of alcohol when they first spoke with him after Thursday night’s crash. Documents say officers

More than a hundred doctors and nurses from around the state were in Columbia to get answers about the Affordable Care Act. Health officials went over things like new programs, and how the healthcare law will have an effect on the local level.Currently there are about 875,000 Missourians that don’t have health insurance. Health experts

All it took was a brand new gym. For the first time in 21 contests on the hardwood, the Hickman (7-1) boys basketball team beat their cross-town rival, Rock Bridge (2-2). In the first varsity game ever played in the Kewpies new 1,300-seat facility, Hickman scored a 55-48 win over the Bruins. Sophomore guard Jimmy

Sedalia police officers are looking for the driver in a hit-and-run at the AutoZone store on West Broadway. According to the police report, a 60-year-old woman was in the parking lot helping her daughter with car problems. Another driver started honking because the daughter’s car was in the way. When the driver tried to go

Tuesday in Mid-Missouri marked the 302nd consecutive day of no measurable snow at the Columbia Regional Airport. That makes it the sixth longest streak of snowless days in Columbia since records began in 1889.With no snow in the forecast through the weekend, our current streak will climb into the top five.

A Columbia man is sentenced after admitting to his role in a string of robberies.Donald Clark is accused of holiday up a Break Time and Dollar General Store. He’s also accused of robbing a Landmark Bank and a Boone County National Bank, back in February.Clark pled guilty this week and was sentenced to 15 years

Police responded to an armed robbery in Columbia at around 8:30 Wednesday night.Officers were dispatched to the downtown Brookside apartments for reports of a robbery. Scanner traffic indicated the suspect descriptions may be similar to previous home invasions in Boone County. Police were looking for three black men wearing masks.ABC 17 crews saw officers taking

Southerly winds will increase Thursday afternoon with sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph, gusting to 25 mph at times. Humidity levels will be low, dropping to 25% by early afternoon. A combination of the gusty winds, low humidity and drought conditions will lead to a higher wildfire danger from 11 am to 5 pm

The company that owns the Portland mall that has two people killed on Tuesday also owns several malls in Mid-Missouri. Now ABC 17 News is questioning if local malls would be able to respond if a shooting happened here.Mall management says there are security guards on duty at all times. But shoppers may not be

***UPDATE 10:21 P.M.***Fire officials are also closely monitoring Thursday’s weather conditions, the possible dry conditions and gusty winds could lead to a burn ban.Currently vegetation in Missouri is ideal for fires, despite the cold temperatures. Wednesday a large blaze sparked up Highway 63 between Grindstone Parkway and Discovery Parkway.One lane on the southbound side was

A longtime Ford owner is selling his Fulton dealership.Today, Don Keeney sold Keen Ford to Chad and Christina Van Ness from Iowa. The deal was signed at 12:12 p.m. on December 12. The name will change from Keen Ford to Fulton Ford.Keeney owned the dealership for more than 20 years and worked at the dealership

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri utility regulators have approved a $260 million rate increase for electric customers of Ameren Missouri.The rate increase approved Wednesday could mean an extra $10 a month on an average residential bill when it takes effect in January.It’s intended to cover such things as the utility’s rising fuel costs, infrastructure

A Columbia man is facing federal charges for a home invasion that led to a triple-homicide in Independence.Clayton Deardorff, 30, is one of 11 people listed on a federal indictment. Prosecutors say a group agreed to rob a home of money and a large amount of methamphetamine. Three people inside the home were killed. Some

Columbia police are warning students and others leaving town for vacations to protect themselves against burglaries.Police released a report showing burglaries over the past few years have gone up.”In 2009, we had 70 burglaries over winter break. In 2010, we had 73 burglaries and last year we had 74,” Columbia police officer Latisha Stroer said,

There are new developments in Columbia’s efforts to get an enhanced enterprise zone established.A group once pushing for the EEZ is changing its position. The Regional Economic Development Incorporated’s board of directors voted Wednesday to ask the city to rescind the EEZ Ordinance. In a press release, leaders said its time to shift focus. Board