Columbia Archives

Columbia assistant coach accused of distributing child pornography

July 23, 2021 10:07 AM Molly Stawinoga

Online records show Benjamin Melvin, 25, was being held Friday in the Boone County Jail without bond.

Columbia man arrested for November shooting

July 23, 2021 10:01 AM Molly Stawinoga

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia police arrested a man in connection with a shots fired incident in November 2020. Prosecutors filed charges against Aaron Jones, 20, on July 14, more than seven months after police say they identified Jones as the suspect in the case. According to court documents obtained by ABC 17 News, police responded

Columbia police: online reporting system temporarily down

July 22, 2021 9:21 PM Karl Wehmhoener

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department is reporting technical difficulties with its online reporting system. System administrators are working to fix the problem quickly. If you need to report a crime, please contact Joint Communications at 573-442-6131 for non-emergency reporting, or call 9-1-1.

Columbia police Silver alert canceled; woman found

July 22, 2021 9:06 PM Karl Wehmhoener

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Silver Alert was canceled after a woman was located. The woman was reported missing Thursday evening. The woman was last seen at 1 p.m. by her son.

Interstate 70 ramps to be impacted during Stadium Boulevard project next week

July 22, 2021 6:21 PM Karl Wehmhoener

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Traffic entering and exiting Stadium Blvd. onto Interstate 70 will be impacted next week due to lane closures. The I-70 eastbound exit ramp and the westbound entrance ramp will both be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Also, two of the three northbound lanes of Stadium Boulevard will be closed on Monday, with

Columbia city manager questioned over handling of employee speech at city council

July 22, 2021 6:19 PM Lucas Geisler

Attorney Andy Hirth sent a letter Wednesday to city manager John Glascock pushing back on Glascock’s decision to put city budget officer Kyle Rieman on paid leave. Glascock did not specify why he was put on leave in a July 9 memo to Rieman, but Hirth’s letter said Glascock told Rieman it was “insubordination.”

CMNEA recommends CPS mask up to start the school year

July 21, 2021 11:37 AM Leila Mitchell

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The CMNEA COVID Advisory Committee sent a letter recommending all CPS students, faculty and staff wear masks to start off the school year, regardless of vaccination status. The teachers union recommends until all elementary-aged students are eligible for the vaccines, have received their doses and surpassed the two-week waiting period to become

Columbia man faces two more invasion of privacy charges

July 21, 2021 11:55 AM Lucas Geisler

Boone County prosecutors charged Ronald Dameron on July 12 and July 16 with attempted invasion of privacy. Police in both cases said women accused Dameron of following them around stores in Columbia and possibly trying to take pictures up their skirts.

Downtown Columbia hotel owners share concerns over AC Marriott plan

July 20, 2021 10:47 PM Zach Boetto

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Downtown Columbia hotel owners shared concerns Tuesday over a prospective hotel. The owners of the Broadway Hotel and the Tiger Hotel want more solutions to the parking situation surrounding a new prospective AC Marriott planning to be built at Hitt and Cherry Streets. “With lots of local businesses, buying spaces in there,

Cake celebrating Wally Funk and Blue Origin

‘Stephens family’ celebrates alumna Wally Funk’s launch to space

July 20, 2021 10:28 AM Molly Stawinoga

When Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket lifted off Tuesday morning, a Stephens College alumna became the oldest person to ever travel to outer space.

Boone County fair gains safety approval for carnival rides and food vendors as it returns to Columbia

July 20, 2021 7:04 PM Chanel Porter

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The State Fire Marshal and the Columbia/Boone County Health Department gave the Boone County Fair the green light to open the carnival rides and food vendors this week at the Boone County Fairgrounds. Gus Guadamuz, Supervisor of Missouri’s Amusement Ride Safety Unit, said all rides have to go through two levels of

TUESDAY UPDATES: Gov. Parson to discuss COVID-19, statewide vaccine incentive program and new DHSS Director during Wednesday press conference

July 20, 2021 8:56 AM ABC 17 News Team

Check back here for updates on COVID-19 in Missouri.

Time runs short for eligible students to get coronavirus vaccine before school year starts

July 20, 2021 12:22 PM Hannah Falcon

Tuesday is the last day for Columbia Public Schools and Moberly Public Schools students to receive the first dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine if they want to be fully vaccinated by the first day of school on Aug. 24.

Emails show sudden decision on removal of Moser’s recycling centers

July 20, 2021 2:20 PM Lucas Geisler

Recycling drop-off sites have been plagued by illegal dumping issues.

University of Missouri Campus 09-02-2020

Local universities, colleges not requiring coronavirus vaccination for the fall semester

July 20, 2021 11:58 AM Leila Mitchell

The University of Missouri is asking students to begin their vaccination plan if they have not done so already. Students that have received their vaccine elsewhere will be able to receive their second shot in Columbia if necessary no matter what type of vaccination.

Columbia City Council approves new Greyhound bus stop downtown

July 20, 2021 4:36 AM Meghan Drakas

The approval allows Greyhound to use one parking space at the Wabash station to pick up and drop off passengers twice a day.

A year after the virus stopped the Boone County Fair, it’s back with a way to stop the virus

July 20, 2021 5:28 AM Zola Crowder

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Boone County Fair is back after being canceled due to the pandemic last year, and this time it’s making a return to Columbia. Along with the return, local health officials are offering coronavirus vaccine clinics at the fair all week long in hopes of adding to the 173,418 total doses already

Columbia City Council pushes back vote on Tenth and Cherry Streets parking garage hotel spaces.

Columbia City Council pushes back ‘Cherry Street Hotel’ parking vote

July 19, 2021 10:21 PM Zach Boetto

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council pushed back the parking vote for the prospective hotel near the intersection of Cherry Street and Tenth Street. The council is torn between allowing the parking spaces because it’s approved hotel parking like this before, and not allowing the hotel parking because locals need the space in the

MU researchers make recommendations to combat traffic stop disparities in Columbia

July 19, 2021 2:54 PM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Researchers at the University of Missouri released a final report on traffic stop disparities in the Columbia Police Department, confirming initial data that showed black drivers are more likely to get pulled over. The study was conducted by researchers from MU’s Department of Sociology, Truman School of Public Affairs, School of Social

The director of the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services on Thursday extended the current COVID-19 order, which had been set to expire Tuesday.

Columbia ‘vaccine ambassadors’ will try to combat COVID-19 surge by going door-to-door

July 19, 2021 11:39 AM Leila Mitchell

The new ambassador program starting this week is made up of volunteers interested in educating and promoting the vaccination effort. With the delta variant spreading rapidly, officials say vigilance is critical.