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The Missouri Attorney General’s Office will no longer take gifts from lobbyists as part of a new ethics policy. The policy comes just one day after Republican Josh Hawley took over the office, according to a three-page summary of the policy ABC 17 News obtained Wednesday. Hawley told ABC 17 News and Missourinet after his

The Missouri Public Service Commission held a public hearing Wednesday in Jefferson City for a proposed rate increase for Ameren Missouri electric customers. It was the third of 13 public hearings across the state. If the proposal passes, residential customers would pay about $99 more a year, or about $8 more a month. “In my

With freezing rain and sleet in the forecast for mid-Missouri Friday, police and fire departments are already discussing how they’re going to be better prepared for the storm. “We’re making progressive steps,” said Deputy Chief John Gordon at the department’s quarterly meeting with the media Wednesday. “We’re going do things a little bit different than

A federal grand jury in Jefferson City has indicted an Indiana man on Wednesday for illegally having a gun and ammunition. Kristopher Shawn Martin, 34, of Brazil, Indiana was charged in a two-count indictment returned by the jury. Martin is accused of being in possession of a loaded Browning .380-caliber handgun on Oct. 7, 2016

Several central Missouri banks are seeing an increase in fraudulent checks being presented for cashing or depositing to open a new account. According to Central Bank of Boone County Senior Vice President Mary Wilkerson, most of these fraudulent checks are a result of mail theft. In the release, Wilkerson advised that criminals are stealing both

A dog was rescued from an icy pond at a Columbia park Wednesday. The rescue happened around 4:00 p.m. off Garth Avenue. A viewer sent us the above picture and said the man who went in after the dog was able to safely get it out of the water. Firefighters with the Columbia Fire Department

According to a new survey, a vast majority of law enforcement officers believe their job has become more difficult in light of high-profile officer-involved shootings and rising racial tensions across the country. The Pew Research Center surveyed nearly 8,000 officers from departments that employee more than 100 officers. It is one of the largest surveys

With law enforcement fatalities on the rise, legislators in Missouri are taking steps to protect police in our state. Rep. Marsha Haefner is sponsoring HB 57, which “adds to the list of hate crimes certain offenses committed against law enforcement officers and first responders when the offenses are committed because the person is a law

The University of Missouri began working to notify students and parents Wednesday evening about possibly delaying their travels back to campus over the weekend with the expected winter weather. MU spokesperson Christian Basi said they’re advising students to wait until Monday to travel. Basi said the university is sending emails with travel information from the

Power outages are a possibility because of the icy weather mid-Missouri is expected to have Thursday night through Saturday. Connie Kaprowicz, spokesperson for Columbia Power and Light, said they are getting prepared by trimming trees around power lines and getting their trucks fueled and stocked up on equipment like chainsaws and cross arms. Kaprowicz said

UPDATE 5:41 p.m.: 37 year-old Joseph Ritter is listed in critical condition in a Columbia hospital. ORIGINAL STORY: The Missouri State Highway Patrol has identified the man shot by a police officer in Moberly Tuesday afternoon. 37 year-old Joseph Ritter is now listed in stable condition in a Columbia hospital. The report shows that Moberly

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch from late Thursday night through Saturday for much of Missouri. Significant ice could down trees and power lines, leading to power outages. The weather service continues to refine its forecast for the timing of the storm and possible accumulation totals. In response, Gov. Greitens’ office

TONIGHT: A chance of rain returns this evening, mainly after 4PM bringing light rain overnight into Thursday morning. An arctic front will be approaching overnight, with a few strong wind gusts possible by 3AM-4AM. As temperatures drop, some ice is possible near I-70, HWY 22, and HWY 24 by daybreak on Thursday morning, mainly over

Jefferson City Public Schools says it has removed a sixth grader from school after the student brought a loaded gun to school. It happened at Lewis & Clark Middle School. A spokesperson for Jefferson City Public Schools says staff at the school got information and immediately confiscated the gun. She says JCPS is working closely

Brandon Lee Deavers, 22, of Columbia, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City. Deavers received and distributed child pornography over the Internet from July 1 to Oct. 19 of 2016. Deavers is also charged with accessing with the intent to view child pornography during the same time.

UPDATE 8:11 am: ABC17 looked into public records this morning to see if there was a criminal history of Christopher Edwards, the driver going the wrong way. ABC17 found a number of driving related charges. Throughout the years Edwards has been arrested for operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manor, operating a

On Tuesday, Judge Ronald D. White sentenced Derek Bridges, 22, of Rolla, to 10 years in prison for kidnapping. The 10 years were ordered consecutive to 11 years he was serving for domestic assault and drug possession for a total sentence of 21 years. On March 22, 2016, Bridges approached the female victim at McDonalds,

On Tuesday, Mexico Public Safety was called to Industrial Drive regarding a vehicle that had been damaged by a BB gun the previous night. At 1:12 p.m., officers were called to SSM Health/St. Mary’s Hospital in Audrain because of a woman seeking medical treatment for being shot by a BB gun during the previous evening.

Van Vanatta is the new football coach at Rock Bridge High School while Trevor Rubly will be the next head coach at Hickman High School, Columbia Public Schools announced on Wednesday. Vanatta comes from Hazelwood Central, where he was the head coach since 2010. He replaces interim head coach Joe Collier. Prior to his time

A controversial labor reform bill will be heard at noon Wednesday by the Missouri Senate General Laws Committee. Senate Bill 21 is one of several pieces of legislation referred to by sponsors as “right to work” measures. The measure would prohibit employers from requiring job candidates to join or support a labor organization as a