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A Bleak Outlook for Public Defenders

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:05:39 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Bar Association heard Friday about a report that states Missouri's public defender system is on the "brink of collapse."

Cole County Holds H1N1 Flu Clinic

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:24:02 CST

RUSSELLVILLE - The Cole County Health Department will hold a public H1N1 flu clinic from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Russellville High School.

Forum Held In Attempt To Ban Tasers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:24:33 CST

COLUMBIA - People for a Taser-free Columbia is sponsoring a forum to spread its message to try to ban the use of Tasers in Columbia.

THE MOST - November 20, 2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:55:01 CST

Thanks for visiting The Most on KOMU.com. Here, we take a look at The Most viewed, Tweeted and Facebooked stories on KOMU.com.

Central Humane Society Executive Director Resigns

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:54:38 CST

COLUMBIA - Executive Director of the Central Humane Society Patty Forister resigned from her position.

Water Main Break Floods Hitt Street

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:30 CST

COLUMBIA - A portion of Hitt Street was shut down between Elm and University due to a water pipe bursting under the street Friday morning.

Community Center Celebrates Project Completion

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:24:44 CST

COLUMBIA - The J.W. 'Blind' Community Center will showcase its new face-lift Friday after completing an eight-month renovation project.

Missouri's Largest Lost And Found

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:28:11 CST

COLUMBIA - One in every 10 Missourians has unclaimed money and property the state is waiting to give back, but most people don't even know it.

MoDOT to Pave More Highways

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:19:22 CST

COLUMBIA - After saving millions of dollars because of low bids on construction projects, the state Transportation Department announced it will spend more than $144 million to resurface less-traveled Missouri highways.

Columbia Buses to Feature Ads

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:44:18 CST

COLUMBIA - In the face of a budget crunch, the City of Columbia will soon allow advertisements on the sides of city buses.

Unemployed Waiting for Benefits

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:17:18 CST

COLUMBIA - Rhonda Victor is one of thousands of Missourians without any type of unemployment benefits because of hang-ups in the state's Labor Department, but they'll all soon be able to apply.

Church Denies Leaders Heard of Mohler Abuse

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:40:42 CST

COLUMBIA - The church where three Mohler men accused of sexual abuse were once lay ministers denies it ever heard reports of the alleged abuse.

Grady Dortch Found Guilty

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:43:48 CST

CALLAWAY COUNTY - A Callaway County judge found Grady Dortch guilty of first degree murder and armed criminal action Thursday afternoon.

Banks See Surge in Deposits

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:04:37 CST

COLUMBIA - Mid-Missourians aren't too confident in the stock market, and they're storing more of their money in area banks.

School Board Talks Construction Plans

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:07:01 CST

COLUMBIA - The Columbia Board of Education met Thursday to discuss the costs of construction plans for the new elementary and high schools.

MU Discovers New Cancer Treatment

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:02:31 CST

COLUMBIA - MU's Department of Radiology has discovered a unique treatment for prostate cancer.

A Cheaper and 'Greener' Thanksgiving

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:22:28 CST

COLUMBIA - Mid-Missourians have begun preparing for their Thanksgiving feasts, and there are plenty of ways to save money and make this year's holiday "green."

Credit Cards Stolen From Cars

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:15:44 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - Police are looking into numerous reports of credit card thefts from cars in the past few weeks.

New Voter ID Cards Mailed Thursday

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:21:26 CST

COLE COUNTY - Registered voters in Cole County will receive new voter ID cards in the mail.

Olten Suspect Charged With Murder

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:13:42 CST

COLE COUNTY - Alyssa Bustamante has been charged with first degree murder in the death of Elizabeth Olten.

Board To Discuss Construction

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:06:02 CST

COLUMBIA - Columbia's school board will hold a special session Thursday at 7:30 a.m to discuss whether to use a general contractor, or what's called construction management, to oversee the construction of the new high school and elementary school.

Narcotics Arrests In Jefferson City

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:48:24 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - The Jefferson City Police Department, working with the MUSTANG task force in a continuing program combating the possession and distribution of controlled substances, has served grand jury indictments on a number of Jefferson City and Chicago, Ill. residents.

Sluggish Recovery For Mid-Missouri

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:03:28 CST

COLUMBIA - A new national report from Moody's Economy said one-in-four metro areas is recovering from the recession, but mid-Missouri is behind.

Grade Inflation Claim Brushed Off

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:06:34 CST

MEXICO - A Mexico School Board member is raising concerns about a district philosophy he said is inflating student grades, but district administrators said his claims are baseless.

Charity Events Take Place at MU

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:22 CST

COLUMBIA - Two different holiday-related charity events will take place at MU Thursday.

Lambert Goes Under the Knife

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:43:27 CST

COLUMBIA - Missouri junior linebacker Luke Lambert underwent surgery to repair a torn right labrum.

Nixon Talks Tuition Freeze at MU

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:08:25 CST

COLUMBIA - Nixon spoke in front of students and staff at the Reynolds Alumni Center Wednesday about the decision to freeze tuition costs for a second straight year.

MU Greeks Adopt New Social Policies

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:38:04 CST

COLUMBIA - MU's greek life governments voted this week to approve a new policy for off-campus social events.

Farmers Market Season Extended

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:47:39 CST

COLUMBIA - Originally scheduled to end on Saturday, Nov. 21, the Columbia Farmers Market will continue into December.

Olten Suspect In Court

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:50:16 CST

COLE COUNTY - The suspect accused of killing 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten faces a certification hearing Wednesday morning.

Prepare for Winter Weather

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:40:31 CST

COLUMBIA - Even though snow has held off so far this fall, it is never too early to be prepared.

More H1N1 Vaccines Become Available

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:54:16 CST

COLUMBIA - The Boone County Health Department has expanded its offer of the H1N1 vaccine and a shipment is expected to arrive in Columbia Wednesday morning.

Stretching Out Stadium

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:57:19 CST

COLUMBIA - Mayor Darwin Hindman cut the ribbon on the Providence Road Extension Tuesday afternoon, and his successor may get the chance to cut another.

Accident Leads To Drug Arrest

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:15:52 CST

BOONE COUNTY - A Columbia man is in jail facing multiple drug charges.

Columbia Extends Providence Road

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:28:24 CST

COLUMBIA - Residents living north of I-70 no longer have to rely on Garth and Rangeline roads to get downtown.

Renns Lake Recovers from Flood

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:29:37 CST

COLUMBIA - The more it rains the more local residents and business owners around must rely on each other.

Fancy Fast Food

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:48:43 CST

COLUMBIA - Business for one sector of the economy still booms.

Show-Me Unflattering Results

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:00:19 CST

COLUMBIA - New numbers show Missourians are losing the battle of the bulge.

Musical Raises Awareness for Autism

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:15:17 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - Tuesday, St. Mary's Health Center Auxiliary brought "Autism the Musical" to town.

Funeral Home Inspections Unchanged

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:58:43 CST

COLUMBIA - Despite a string of abuses, funeral home and embalmer regulations remain unchanged.

Extension Project Comes to an End

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:55:26 CST

COLUMBIA - Some call it the gateway to north Columbia, the $4.7 million North Providence Extension Project came to and end today.

CPD Alters Filing Policy

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:47:14 CST

COLUMBIA - The Columbia Police Department is handling minor car accidents differently after a change went into effect Sunday.

Annual "Everyone Eats" Thanksgiving Program Needs Help

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:36:56 CST

COLUMBIA - For eleven years, one local program has helped provide a warm meal for the holidays.

Tuition Holds Steady

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:27:44 CST

COLUMBIA - Students at Missouri's public universities won't see their tuition increase next year.

Twists in Mohler Investigation

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:30:34 CST

LAFAYETTE COUNTY - In addition to leading an investigation into the bizarre Mohler sexual abuse case, authorities are now looking into murder accusations.

Schools Receive Vaccinations

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:59:20 CST

COLUMBIA - More H1N1 vaccines are on the way for Columbia students.

Former Lawmakers Sentenced

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:00:20 CST

ST. LOUIS - A judge sentenced three former state lawmakers on charges of wrongdoing during a congressional campaign.

Teen Will Stand Trial As Adult

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:47:30 CST

COLUMBIA - A 17-year old has been certified to stand trial as an adult on arson and theft charges.

Non-Profit Organization Gets New Facility

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:04:02 CST

COLUMBIA - Phoenix Programs has been working for a new building for ten years.

Providence Road Construction Complete

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:05:14 CST

COLUMBIA - The completion now allows for improved connections between north Columbia and downtown.

Expanding Columbia

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:05:52 CST

COLUMBIA - The Columbia City Council is deciding whether the city limits should expand to the Northeast.

School Employees Get Insurance Option

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:13:51 CST

COLUMBIA - Columbia Public School employees now have a choice when it comes to health-insurance plans.

Missouri Employment on the Rise

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:53:00 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - With more than nine percent of Missourians unemployed, the Missouri Department of Economic Development said unemployment could be decreasing.

Payday Loans Reform

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:51:17 CST

COLUMBIA - Columbia's City Council voted 5-to-2 a couple of weeks ago to put a six-month moratorium on new Payday loan businesses in Columbia.

Missouri Public Defenders Struggle to Provide Justice for All

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:50:49 CST

Missouri's public defender system is so poorly funded that a recent report rated it the worst in the nation. Regardless -- several experts agree -- the public defenders fight on in the face of crushing workloads and abysmal pay.

Jefferson City Ranks in Top 20

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:53:50 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - CNN Money recently ranked Jefferson City number 20 among the best small metro areas to start a small business.

Deer Season Opener Leaves One Dead

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:52:37 CST

AUXVASSE - Bernie Breer, 67, died when his friend accidentally shot him after deer hunting off Route B in Callaway County.

LAGERS Will Not Be Audited by the State

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:30:06 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - One of the state's largest retirement systems for public employees will not be fully audited by the state.

New Police Training Center

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:06:25 CST

COLUMBIA - The Columbia Police Department no longer has to rent space in order to train.

MU Women's and Gender Studies Department Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:07:52 CST

COLUMBIA - Professor Mary Hawkesworth, chair of one of the major women's and gender studies department in the country at Rutgers University will be a keynote speaker this evening at the University of Missouri's campus.

Luetkemeyer Used Lobbyist as Ghostwriter

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:02:22 CST

COLUMBIA - More than a dozen Congressmen, Democrats and Republicans, used statements drafted by lobbyists in the Congressional Record.

Funeral Home Director Pleads Guilty

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:07:10 CST

COLUMBIA - Harold Warren Senior, the owner of the Warren Funeral Chapel, pleaded guilty to three felony charges of mishandling bodies at his funeral home.

Boutique Chocolate in Mid-Missouri

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:42:13 CST

COLUMBIA - Alan McClure is a graduate of Mizzou, but he skipped acareer in religious studies to pursue his real passion: chocolatemaking.

Fulton City Council Member Arrested For DWI

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:05:03 CST

FULTON - City councilman Steven Moore is in the Callaway County jail for DWI charges.

Investigation Points to Propane

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:06:56 CST

WILLIAMSBURG - Police suspect a gas stove caused a house explosion that killed two in Callaway County Saturday afternoon.

Scrutinizing Statements

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:32:05 CST

COLUMBIA - A New York Times report says lobbyists ghost-wrote dozens of statements for politicians on the House health care vote.

Operation Christmas Child

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:34:44 CST

COLUMBIA - Operation Christmas Child has kicked off, and the Samaritan's Purse organization hopes to receive 6,300 gift-filled shoe boxes this week in Columbia alone.

Behind The Wheel and Over The Limit

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:40:32 CST

OSAGE COUNTY - The Missouri Highway Patrol arrested an Osage County deputy last week for drunk driving while on-duty.

Two Weekend Home Robberies In Columbia

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:41:29 CST

COLUMBIA- A 28-year old Columbia man was robbed at gunpoint around 3:00 early Sunday morning

Early Morning Armed Robbery

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:45:28 CST

BOONE COUNTY - Officers responded to West Bethany Drive for a report of an armed robbery around 3 a.m. Sunday morning.

Hunter Accidently Shot

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:47:52 CST

CALLAWAY COUNTY - Bernie Breer, 67, of St. Louis died at University Hospital Saturday night from a gunshot wound while hunting.

Overnight Home Invasion Robbery

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:46:20 CST

BOONE COUNTY - Two men disguised in bandanas and dark clothing broke into a home on Hogan Drive and robbed the residents at gunpoint.

Charity Gala Sparkles

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:36:02 CST

COLUMBIA - A group of glamorous givers gathered for the fourth-annual Diamond Night at the Tiger Hotel Saturday night.

Spinning Works Of Art

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:36:13 CST

COLUMBIA - It's been around for 20 years and they're still creating beautiful works of fabric.

WWU Students Build Mock Refugee Camp

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:37:01 CST

FULTON - University students and a Nobel Prize winner came together Saturday to build a mock refugee camp.

Gun Season Starts With A Bang

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:47:54 CST

RANDOLPH COUNTY - Mid-November in Missouri means putting away the bows and bringing out the guns.

Thanksgiving Comes Early For Some

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:45:27 CST

COLUMBIA - The "Everybody Eats Turkey Dinner" got a boost Saturday with a fundraiser to collect money and canned goods.

Missouri Rolls Over Kansas St. 38-12

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:52:11 CST

The Missouri football team came out of the gates quickly as Blaine Gabbert led the Tigers on a 75-yard drive that resulted in a 23-yard chip shot field goal by Grant Ressel.

Another Charged In Sex Abuse Case

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:30:06 CST

LAFAYETTE COUNTY - On Friday, authorities arrested and charged a sixth member of the Mohler family with rape, bringing the total number of men arrested to seven.

Toy Trains Benefit Children's Charity

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:53:54 CST

COLUMBIA - Columbia's Knights of Columbus hosted thousands of model trains Saturday, all in the name of charity.

H1N1 Availability Expands

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:38:59 CST

COLUMBIA - The Boone County Health Department started offering the H1N1 vaccine to another group.

Year-Round School A Possibility

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:47:40 CST

COLUMBIA - The Columbia Public School District is considering switching the six Title One elementary schools to year-round calendars.

False Alarm Didn't Cost Taxpayers

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:26:46 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - An investigation into how much money law enforcement agencies spent on Tuesday's hostage-situation-turned-false-alarm reveals the incident didn't waste much taxpayer money.

Audrain Co. Uses New Technology

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:34:29 CST

MEXICO - Audrain County officials are using a social media Web site to notify residents of local emergencies and alerts.

Lincoln To Offer New Graduate Program

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:14:15 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - Lincoln University curators voted Friday to offer students a new graduate degree program.

Jefferson City Reforms Pet Laws

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:20:50 CST

JEFFERSON CITY - The Jefferson City city council drafted an ordinance that would define what it means to provoke an animal in the case of vicious animal attacks.

Boutique Chocolate In Mid-Missouri

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:49:21 CST

COLUMBIA - Alan McClure is a graduate of Mizzou, but he skipped a career in religious studies to pursue his real passion: chocolate making.

Organizations Receive Grant Money

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:42:24 CST

COLUMBIA - Twenty five Missouri organizations got some extra funding this week from the state to help at-risk youth.

Researchers Look To Improve Wine

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:46:54 CST

ROCHEPORT - MU grape and wine researchers have undertaken a project to help Missouri wine makers improve their wines and their businesses.

MU Students Design Alpaca Fashion

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:39:15 CST

COLUMBIA - Five students from MU's Textile and Apparel Management School submitted their fashion story boards to the Alpaca Fashion Student Design Competition.

The Golden Age of the Comic Strip

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:21:47 CST

COLUMBIA - The State Historical Society of Missouri held an exhibition preview in honor of the late Mitchell and Robert White.

MU Hosts Post 45 Conference

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:43:19 CST

COLUMBIA - Scholars from across the country gathered at the University of Missouri for the fourth annual Post 45 conference Friday.

DWI Saturation This Weekend

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:21:33 CST

BOONE COUNTY - The Boone County Sheriff's Department will be conducting a DWI saturation some night this weekend but they will not say which night that will be.

Retirement Home Plans Spark Controversy

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:54:51 CST

COLUMBIA - Future Focus Community, a development company from St. Charles, recently bought a controversial plot of land in Columbia.

THE MOST - November 13, 2009

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:11:13 CST

Thanks for visiting The Most on KOMU.com. Here, we take a look at The Most viewed, Tweeted and Facebooked stories on KOMU.com.

Hallsville Schools Close Early

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:08:00 CST

HALLSVILLE - A strong smell from a roofing project lead to the closure of Hallsville High School and Middle School.

Sixth Man Arrested in Sex Crime Case

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:22:16 CST

LAFAYETTE COUNTY - Authorities arrested a sixth man Thursday night in connection with the ongoing sex crimes investigation in western Missouri.