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KWTO News

Man from West Plains Sentenced in Connection with Death of an Infant

A man from West Plains will spend the next two years in prison for his role in the death of a six-month-old child.

Investigators say Levi Coffel admitted to putting the baby in the bathtub of a home on Burke Avenue in West Plains in August of 2023.

According to the police report, Coffel says he left the bathroom to get something from the child’s diaper bag and got distracted.

When he returned, the baby was unresponsive. The child’s cause of death was ruled as a drowning.

Authorities did say Coffel attempted to resuscitate the child while calling 911.

When law enforcement arrived, they smelled drugs inside the home with Coffel, the young infant, and three other children.

He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to two years in prison.

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Marshfield Girl Gets Visit From Taylor Swift

(Photo courtesy of KOLR/Nexstar)

A girl from Marshfield being treated for leukemia at a Kansas City hospital got a surprise visitor Thursday morning.

The staff at Children’s Mercy Hospital told 14-year-old Matney Crawford of Marshfield and other the young patients that “something big was happening” Thursday.

Pop star and Kansas City Chief fan Taylor Swift paid the young patients a visit.

Because of Crawford is in isolation in preparation for a bone marrow transplant, Swift was kept at a distance, but she gave Crawford an autographed concert hoodie and autographed book.

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Cabool Man Arrested For Fleeing From Authorities

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A man is jailed for fleeing from law enforcement on three different occasions this year.

Authorities say George Stark Junior of Cabool led the Highway Patrol troopers on pursuits on August 4th, August 26th, and October 20.

He was wanted on several warrants from the Cabool Police Department.

He was finally arrested and is currently in the Taney County Jail.

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Man from Southwest Missouri is Free After Seven Months in Syrian Prison

One man from the Ozarks could soon be returning home after he spent seven months in custody in Syria.

According to a report released earlier this week, southwest Missouri native Travis Timmerman was among thousands of people released from several prisons across Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad.

Timmerman says that he was on a Christian pilgrimage earlier this year in Budapest, Hungary and had travelled to Zahle, Lebanon when he illegally crossed the border into Syria and was detained.

He spent some seven months in Syrian custody, where he says that he was given food and water, and treated fairly well all things considered.

There were initial reports that Timmerman was Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria over a decade ago, but that rumor was debunked.

A timetable for Timmerman’s return to the United States, and ultimately back to the Ozarks, has not been released.

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KWTO News

Man from Southwest Missouri is Free After Seven Months in Syrian Prison

One man from the Ozarks could soon be returning home after he spent seven months in custody in Syria.

According to a report released earlier this week, southwest Missouri native Travis Timmerman was among thousands of people released from several prisons across Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad.

Timmerman says that he was on a Christian pilgrimage earlier this year in Budapest, Hungary and had travelled to Zahle, Lebanon when he illegally crossed the border into Syria and was detained.

He spent some seven months in Syrian custody, where he says that he was given food and water, and treated fairly well all things considered.

There were initial reports that Timmerman was Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria over a decade ago, but that rumor was debunked.

A timetable for Timmerman’s return to the United States, and ultimately back to the Ozarks, has not been released.

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Hero

State of Missouri Renews Funding for WIC Benefits in 2025 for Springfield, Greene County

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WIC benefits will be back in Springfield-Greene County next year, as the state of Missouri has approved the area’s funding for 2025.

The WIC program (women, infants, and children) supports the health of both pregnant people, as well as the health of newborn infants and children as they grow.

Earlier this week, the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services approved nearly $2 million in funding for the area in order to keep the program running.

The coordinator for WIC Tara Williams says the program is ” a safety net, and we see improved health outcomes for individuals who are on the WIC program. WIC, this last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, and there aren’t many programs that are along standing like that. And so I think that really just shows you that it works.”

Many folks can qualify for WIC benefits. If you are interested and believe you may qualify, you can find out here.

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KWTO News

State of Missouri Renews Funding for WIC Benefits in 2025 for Springfield, Greene County

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WIC benefits will be back in Springfield-Greene County next year, as the state of Missouri has approved the area’s funding for 2025.

The WIC program (women, infants, and children) supports the health of both pregnant people, as well as the health of newborn infants and children as they grow.

Earlier this week, the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services approved nearly $2 million in funding for the area in order to keep the program running.

The coordinator for WIC Tara Williams says the program is ” a safety net, and we see improved health outcomes for individuals who are on the WIC program. WIC, this last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, and there aren’t many programs that are along standing like that. And so I think that really just shows you that it works.”

Many folks can qualify for WIC benefits. If you are interested and believe you may qualify, you can find out here.

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KWTO News

Hit-&-Run Crash at Kearney and Broadway

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Springfield Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash on Wednesday evening.

Police say the crash happened at the intersection of West Kearney and North Broadway when an S-U-V was struck by a car that may have run the red light.

The driver of the S-U-V was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries.

The driver of the car fled on foot.

Police say alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

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KWTO News

Springfield City Council To Vote On Quigley

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Springfield City Council will vote on appointing Deputy City Manager Collin Quigley interim city manager at the next council meeting on December 16th.

Current City Manager Jason Gage has resigned, effective January 11th.

Quigley has been deputy city manager since 2018.

He was assistant city manager before that.

He has agreed to be interim city manager but will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

(Photo courtesy of the City of Springfield)

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Missouri State Representative Proposing Legislation Requiring Insurance Companies Cover IVF Treatments

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In an attempt to join neighboring states throughout the country, one Missouri politician is attempting to pass a bill that would require insurance companies in the state to cover IVF treatments for women and couples battling infertility.

In a release Wednesday, State Representative LaDonna Appelbaum says she wants Missouri to join the other 23 states in the U.S. that have similar laws in effect. That includes states like Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, and others.

The proposal states that infertility would be named as a disease, condition, or status due to the person’s inability to “achieve a successful pregnancy based on a patient’s medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, physical findings, diagnostic testing, or any combination thereof.”

Appelbaum says that while it may be tough to get the legislation passed, she has heard support from both the Missouri House and Senate from across the aisles, with both Republicans and Democrats backing the cause.

She said Wednesday, “There are so many people that know someone that has had to go through IVF treatment, whether it was successful or not, that want to have kids. It doesn’t make you a Republican, Democrat, or Independent if you want to have a baby. And so many of my friends from both sides of the aisle have gone through the treatment, and it was successful.”

Click here to see the proposed legislation.