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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich is questioning millions of dollars of welfare payments made to low-income residents.Schweich released an annual audit Tuesday examining Missouri’s use of $12.7 billion of federal funds during the 2012 budget. He raised concerns about $68 million of expenses, mainly through programs run by the Department of

Mid-Missouri law enforcement agencies have released the results of a special alcohol enforcement.Between March 14th-17th, the Columbia Police Department took part in a statewide impaired driving crackdown. During that time period, six intoxicated drivers were arrested.On the 16th, a sobriety checkpoint was set up in the 4300 block of Clark Lane. During the checkpoint, 368

A missing Missouri woman police thought was in danger, was arrested early Tuesday morning and is accused of making the entire story up.Law enforcement from across the state were looking for Rachel Koechner and her four year old daughter for almost a week. She had told family members she needed help and was with her

The city of Columbia is pouring millions of dollars into a road to make it safer.Scott Boulevard in southwest Columbia will be expanded this fall.City leaders say the change is necessary at a meeting Tuesday afternoon at City Hall. Public Works Director John Glascock said this may prevent people from speeding and passing other cars

***UPDATE 6:31 P.M.***ABC 17 News talked with the Director of Missouri’s Department of Corrections (D.O.C.), George Lombardi. He worked with Clements for many years and says this is tough right now and the entire department is shocked at the news.D.O.C workers tell us Clements was a leader, hard worker, and very creative at his job.

In 2012, Spring Break break-ins were up 33 percent for both homes and student housing complexes.”Spring break can be a time where we see a spike in burglaries and property theft,” said Boone County Sheriff’s Department Detective Tom O’Sullivan.The key to keeping burglars out of your home is to make it appear someone is there.

The Columbia Police Department wants to make an expensive purchase to increase safety; however some people question whether it’s necessary. CPD said it needs to buy a new Armored Personnel Carrier to be used in highly dangerous situations. Officers said the truck they currently use is too rundown. It is 30-years-old and has caused the

Tests have come back, confirming a wild Gray, or Timber, wolf was found near Boonville last October.A bow hunter killed the animal near the Franklin Island Conservation Area last year. On Wednesday, the state’s Conservation Department confirmed it was a wolf and not a coyote.Experts believe the wolf is from the Great Lakes region, possibly

A Holts Summit man was killed a single car crash in Callaway County Wednesday afternoon.Missouri State Highway Patrol says 23-year-old Brandon Higgins was driving on County Road 4037 just north of Highway 94 when he went around a curve too fast.Troopers say he lost control of his vehicle and left the roadway, causing the car

After a recent crime spree in Osage County, a suspect is now behind bars and police are crediting Facebook for help in solving the crime.Paul Herman, 25, is accused of stealing iPads and laptops and has been accused of similar crimes before, but has never been caught. Osage County Sheriff Michael Dixon says Herman was

An ex-con from Columbia will now spend the next five years in prison after police caught him with a gun.James Cheek, 31, was sentenced Wednesday on federal weapons charges. Police say he fell asleep outside a convenience store in a vehicle that was also partially parked in somebody’s yard in March 2012. Officers also found

A storm system passing to our south will bring some snow to western and southwestern Missouri Thursday through Friday morning. A band of snow will move in to far western Missouri Thursday morning, sliding east and southeast through the afternoon. There will be a sharp drop off in precipitation to the north and east of

Former neighbors and churchgoers reacted to news that Colorado Department of Corrections chief Tom Clements had been shot and killed Tuesday in his new home, more than 700 miles away.Clements, his wife Lisa and their two daughters spent years living in Columbia’s Highlands subdivision. At the time, Clements was working for Missouri’s Department of Corrections.

A major road construction in southwest Columbia will impact where city and county firefighters will respond to. The roadwork on Scott Blvd. is slated to start sometime in the fall, according to Columbia City Works Director John Glascock, but it will impact Boone County Fire Station 14.Station 14 sits between the corner of Scott Blvd.

Residents living on one central Columbia street want changes because they say their street is not safe. The residents are on Garth Avenue, south of Broadway. Over the past few months, there have been several close calls including one hit-and-run accident ABC 17 News told you about back in November where an 86-year-old woman hit

Columbia police made two arrests after the suspects tried to run from a crash scene.Police got the call at 10:35 p.m. Thursday about a one car rollover crash at I-70 and Business Loop 70 East. When officers got there they learned about another crash in which someone was struck by a vehicle while trying to

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday that 149 control towers at airports across the country will close beginning April 7, as part of the agency’s sequestration plan. The list of towers to close include those at Columbia Regional Airport, and Branson Airport in Missouri. However, the tower at Jefferson City Airport will remain open. The

The government is warning doctors about a new mysterious virus called the corona virus. It is in the same family as the common cold but is also related to the SARS epidemic that swept the nation 10 years ago.It is similar to the common cold but can be fatal, and the symptoms are similar to

The director of the Missouri Department of Transportation is resigning effective immediately.Kevin Keith announced his resignation Thursday, taking a medical leave of absence with plans to retire on July 1. An interim director, MoDOT Chief Engineer Dave Nichols, has been named to take his place.Nichols will remain the interim MoDOT director for at least one

Possible cuts by the US Postal Service may mean a longer wait for people to get their mail and a loss of jobs in Mid-Missouri. A plan by the government could close the mail processing and distribution center at the Columbia Regional Airport and force people’s mail to go through either St. Louis or Kansas