Month: April 2021

A social media rumor has been blaming Kickapoo High School students for something they didn’t do.

A high school in Minnesota had a student who used a sign with a racist statement on it to ask someone to their prom. Someone took the photo and began to spread it around social media claiming that the photo came from Springfield’s Kickapoo high school.

Dr. Bill Powers, principal at Kickapoo, released a statement about the photo dispelling the rumor:

Late Thursday afternoon a picture of a racist ‘promposal’ has been circulating on social media with a caption reading that it is Kickapoo students. It is NOT Kickapoo or Kickapoo students in the photo. It is actually from earlier this week in Minnesota. If you hear about this or are asked about it please help dispel this terrible rumor about our school and students.

The photo is of students from Big Lake, Minnesota. The school involved released a statement saying they’ve addressed the actions with the students involved but could not reveal what was done because of confidentiality laws.

Springfield police say one person is dead after a shooting in north Springfield.

Investigators say that officers were dispatched to a home in the 2200 block of North Kellett Avenue around lunchtime because of shots fired. They arrived to find the victim of the shooting dead in the front yard.

A suspect was on the scene and officers took them into custody. Investigators say a dispute between the two neighbors lead to the shooting. The alleged shooter is cooperating with police.

Police have not released the name of the alleged shooter or victim.

The City of Springfield announced Thursday afternoon that the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be returning in 2021.

With the caveat a major negative COVID development could change the plan, the city will hold the festival on August 13 and 14 in downtown Springfield.

Registration links are currently open on the Birthplace of Route 66 website for several events: the car show, the Charity Bike Show, and the Gypsy Tour Poker Run benefitting the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. There is also a 6.6K Run/Walk

The Mother Roadster Foundation will be conducting a raffle of a 1932 Ford Roadster called “The Fezster.” It’s named after the iconic red cap worn by Shriners, and proceeds from the raffle will benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The festival will also feature multiple free entertainment opportunities, starting with a parade on Friday evening running from Grant Avenue to National. Friday night music acts include Machine Gun Symphony and Sixwire featuring Derek St. Holmes. Saturday concerts will feature Nathan Bryce and the Loaded Dice, Sequel Dose, the Rosy Hips, the Dirty Saints, along with Sixwire featuring John Elefante and Steve Augeri.

The festival will also feature local artists on the “Park Central Stage.”

In addition to the festival’s events, a special “pre-festival social” will take place on August 10th on Park Central Square. The event will celebrate Missouri’s Bicentennial and will be sponsored by the History Museum on the Square, Downtown Springfield Association, and the city of Springfield. Entertainment will be from The Detectives, Shaun Munday, and Central High School’s acapella group the Brotones.

Edited press release

An Army National Guard officer pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually abusing four minors over several years while he was director of the youth ministry at Fort Leonard Wood U.S. Army Base.

David J. McKay, 42, of Waynesville, Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and four counts of sexually abusing a minor.

McKay, an Army National Guard Major Sergeant, was the youth ministry director for the Religious Services Office at Fort Leonard Wood. By pleading guilty today, McKay admitted that he sexually abused four victims, ranging in age from 11 to 17 years old, on dozens of occasions from 2010 to 2017.

According to today’s plea agreement, the sexual abuse occurred at Fort Leonard Wood and various other locations within Pulaski County, Mo. The victims also reported being abused during the youth group’s ski trips to Colorado and on camping trips at Fort Leonard Wood.

Under federal statutes, McKay is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

The National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes in the region in connection with Wednesday’s severe storms. Two were in Taney County, one in Douglas County, and one in Christian County.

The Christian County tornado touched down around 9:55 a.m. about half a mile southwest of Chadwick. The EF-0 tornado is estimated to have 76 m.p.h. winds, was about 50 yards wide, and had a path of about half a mile.

In Douglas County, a tornado was confirmed about 2/10 of a mile southeast of Gentryville. NWS investigators say the EF-0 tornado touched down was 11:13 a.m., reached about 85 m.p.h., was 100 yards wide, and was on the ground for almost two miles. A three car garage and several outbuildings were destroyed by the twister.

The first of two Taney County tornadoes touched down at 9:29 a.m. about 3 miles west of Walnut Shade. The EF-0 twister was estimated to have 70 m.p.h. winds, was 50 yards wide, and was on the ground almost half a mile. Investigators found minor residential damage and snapped trees.

The second was a few minutes later, 9:36 a.m., about 2/10 of a mile north of Walnut Shade. The EF-0 tornado was estimated at 76 m.p.h., 50 yards wide, and was on the ground for just over half a mile. The worst damage came from an uprooted tree that fell into a house.

Fan of the legendary Mel’s Hard Luck Diner will find themselves facing hard luck if they want to get something to eat on Sunday and Monday through mid-May.

Ownership of Mel’s, along with Reflections and T Charleston’s, announced on Tuesday they will be closing those businesses on Sundays and Mondays through May 17 because they are unable to find enough workers to fill all their open positions.

“In all my long career, I have never experienced such a severe employment crisis,” Mel Bilbo wrote in an open letter shared on social media “Our team members have been working long and strenuous hours since early March, serving record numbers of visitors to our diner and shops and I appreciate so much their efforts. But we need to recognize it is time for a little rest.”

Bilbo went on to say he’s hoping and praying things will “return to some normalcy” and he can return the businesses to full operation.

“In the meantime, please be patient with us too as the waiting times for seating, your food, or attention to your shopping needs may be longer than in the past,” Bilbo wrote.

Bilbo’s companies aren’t the only businesses in the area that say they are having trouble finding workers, or workers who will show up after their interviews. American Meat Company in Springfield recently closed its doors because of hired people who didn’t show up, or those who were offered jobs declining the positions, leading to the business not having enough employees to continue operations.

by Amelia Wigton, Ozark

It’s not a large town — less than 20 citizens — but it is a thriving one. Smartsville is a third-grade classroom at Ozark East Elementary. The mayor is teacher Jessica Lineberry.

“Smartsville is like a city. Students are the citizens. The desks are houses and around the desks are yards,” student Mya Dills said. “We have jobs to help keep Smartsville clean and get things done quicker so we can all get home at the right time at the end of the day.”

Lineberry said she designed Smartsville more than a decade ago as a classroom management tool. She wanted students to have an active role in the development of rules, procedures and consequences.

“Students become fully functional citizens of the town as they take on the responsibilities of a city government and a community that works, learns and plays together,” she said. “In weekly town hall meetings, we discuss issues in our city, learn about our monthly school wide habits, build each other up and notice what is right with a ‘compliment can,’ make goals for learning and behavior, and reflect on our progress toward those goals.”

Lineberry said the students, who she calls “Smarties,” make the laws and vote to implement them. They also have jobs, such as sanitation, bankers, librarians and technology specialists.

“Students get paid to do their jobs daily, but also get bonuses for working as a team to earn classroom compliments or as individuals for being responsible, respectful and safe citizens,” Lineberry said. “Students save their money in their bank and each month students can spend it at the Smartville store.”

The store is, of course, one of the students’ favorite places in Smartsville.

“Every month you get to go to the store and you get to use the money you earned to get stuff,” student Kolby Reid said. “I usually get these muffins with cream inside. And then two chocolates, one for my mom and one for my sisters to share.”

Not only is the store a good incentive for students, but Lineberry said it allows them to learn and practice economic skills, such as counting money and making decisions about saving versus spending and needs versus wants.

“My goal is to allow students to practice real-life citizenship in an atmosphere that challenges them to grow within a modified democracy. The Smartsville program empowers students to be responsible for their own behavior and learning,” she said. “It’s not about third grade, it’s not about today — I really want to make better humans that really are excited and want to be active members of a community.”