Month: May 2021

John Deere Reman is expected to add around 130 new positions in Springfield this year, and is hosting a hiring event this Saturday, May 8th.

The event is from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Reman location in the 4500 block of East Mustard Way in Springfield.

Prospective employees can view a virtual factory tour, learn about available jobs and the compensation and benefits package, as well as complete an electronic application and pre-employment testing onsite. COVID-19 protocols will be in place.

The company says Reman supervisors and Human Resources reps will be on hand to discuss available positions, such as electronics technicians, assemblers, disassemblers, warehouse workers, maintenance workers and parts cleaners.

Previous experience is not required for most positions, but Deere Reman is especially interested in applicants who have prior electronics, powertrain, drivetrain, hydraulics, mechanic or maintenance experience in a manufacturing setting.

Starting hourly pay ranges from $14.34 to $17.70 with new hires receiving an hourly wage increase after six months.

Anyone unable to make the career fair can apply anytime at Deere.com/Careers and search under “Reman.”

Mercy is now offering walk-in vaccinations in Springfield thanks to a large supply of the Pfizer vaccine.

The vaccine clinic location at 4520 S. National Ave. in Springfield will take walk-ins Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You can also save your spot at that location – and others throughout the Ozarks – by going online to www.mercy.net/MOVaccine. If locations outside Springfield temporarily run low on vaccine, they will come off the website until they receive more supply. Just keep checking if you don’t see a site near you.

Please bring valid identification to your appointment. Vaccines are approved for those ages 16 and up, but patients younger than 18 must have a parent or guardian present at their appointment. You’ll schedule a time for your second dose of the vaccine when you get your first.

“I think it’s important for people to understand that even if they don’t think they’re at high risk, this is something we can all do to protect our entire community,” Dr. Will Sistrunk, head of infectious disease for Mercy, said in a statement. “The side effects are generally minimal, and they mean the vaccine is working to boost your immune system.”

Missouri’s online vaccine navigator does not include Mercy appointments, so walking in to the Springfield clinic or going online to www.mercy.net/MOVaccine.

The Springfield Cardinals’ opening day is May 4, and the team is releasing to the public the team’s “Play It Safe” protocols so fans can be aware of what they will face when they come to Hammons Field.

The protocols the team will be using have been mandated by Major League Baseball. The team also said that Greene County or Springfield protocols override MLB if MLB lifts a restriction the city or county does not lift.

Here is information the team wants fans to know:

– Digital Tickets: Cardinals tickets will be digital this year. After purchase, fans can access their tickets using their personal My Cardinals Tickets account. For directions on how to access your My Cardinals Tickets account and on how to use your digital tickets, please visit www.springfieldcardinals.com/digital.

– “No Bag” Policy: Hammons Field will be instituting a “No Bag” policy for 2021 games. Please plan accordingly; the Cardinals will not allow any exceptions outside of the following: Diaper bag accompanying an infant, approved medical bag, blankets, small personal clutch no greater than 5”x9”, one factory sealed water bottle per person. Fans will be asked to open bags before entering the stadium.

– Cashless Stadium: Hammons Field will be a cash-free ballpark in 2021 in order to greatly reduce shared touchpoints and help keep our fans and staff safe. Fans can use credit cards and debit cards and Springfield Cardinals Gift Cards anywhere in the stadium.

– Masking: Face coverings are required at Hammons Field at all times. Limited exceptions include: Children under the age of 2, while actively eating or drinking in your seat. All fans visiting Hammons Field must bring their own CDC-approved face covering, per Major League Baseball guidelines. Face coverings must be worn over the nose and mouth, and must be worn prior to arrival at the entry gates. Face coverings that will NOT be allowed include: face shields alone, any covering that does not fit securely on the face and over the nose, gaiters/bandanas/masks that are vented or have exhaust ports, any plastic transparent face or mouth guard/covering, any face covering that has explicit or inappropriate imagery or language. The Springfield Cardinals reserve the right to refuse entry to any fan not wearing a proper face covering.

– Parking: The Springfield Cardinals do not own or operate the parking lots surrounding the stadium. The Cardinals encourage fans to find the parking location that best fits their needs. Due to the hurtful and intentionally increased rates at the lot located south of the stadium on E Trafficway and at the parking garage to the west of the stadium (both owned and operated by Atrium Hospitality and JD Holdings and managed by Springfield Parking Company). If you are disabled and have purchased tickets but are unable to park due to the exorbitant pricing please contact and leave a message with the Cardinals Ticket Information line at 417-832-3097 so we can help work towards a resolution for you.

– Seating Pods: We are currently only able to seat fans in Pods of 1-4 people. Limited exceptions of 5-6 may be available in small amounts. Please maintain a safe distance of at least six feet from fans sitting outside of your seating pod. While at the ballpark, please pay attention to all posted signage regarding capacity, directional flow, and viewing guidelines. The Cardinals will comply fully with Major League Baseball’s rules for fan spacing and all other city and county social distancing protocols.

Springfield residents who are interested or impacted by the Grant Avenue Parkway project are invited to a public meeting Wednesday, May 5, about the proposed Overlay District.

The meeting will take place at the Forward SGF Planning Studio, 351 North Boonville Avenue, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.. Residents who can’t be there in person can also participate via zoom.

The meeting is aimed primarily at those who own property or live within 500 feet of the impacted property areas. If you are in that area, you should have received a postcard notification from the city.

The city will do a presentation on the area, and then city staff with host a question and answer session with City Planning and Development Department staff and Forward SGF planning consultants from Houseal Lavigne. 

Residents need to email the city to get a Zoom link for the meeting.FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestMessengerEmailPrintShare

Severe thunderstorms will continue pushing northeast from Oklahoma and Arkansas late Monday night into early Tuesday, with severe thunderstorms possible along the Missouri and Arkansas border.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Ozark and Taney Counties until 4 a.m.

The watch covers areas generally along and south of a Branson to West Plains to Alton line.

Hail up to golf ball size, damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour, and a tornado or two are possible, as well as frequent lightning and heavy rainfall.

The Springfield City Council voted unanimously Monday night to remove a requirement for outdoor masking in most situations.

The Council approved a one-reading emergency bill that followed CDC recommendations regarding fully vaccinated people and activities that were safe for them to participate in. The agency said that due to the decreased risk of outdoor transmission, it was safe for vaccinated people to be maskless at public events, and even for unvaccinated people to not use masks when at outdoor events with members of one’s household or are around fully vaccinated people.

The Springfield Greene County Health Department sent a memo to Mayor Ken McClure on April 28 stating that the move “presents limited risk for increased disease transmission.”

“Throughout our community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department (SGCHD) has adapted our approaches to stay current with recommendations and guidance made by public health experts as well as our local experience,” the memo states. “With each change, the goal to reduce the burden of disease on the community while placing the least number of limitations, has persisted. Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its recommendations for masking when outdoors.”

Statistics show that only 3.6% of Greene County cases could possibly be connected to outdoor exposure.

“Our department is encouraged by being able to make this recommendation, but it also underscores the importance of vaccination. Vaccination is the long-term solution to fully recovering from COVID-19, both for individuals and the community. It is the replacement to community mitigation strategies because it reduces the likelihood of acquiring the virus, reduces the severity of COVID-19 for those that do become infected, and reduces the spread and overall impact of the virus throughout the community. We all have to continue to do our part to finish strong,” the memo states.

A former employee with CoxHealth Systems is facing criminal charges after being accused of sexual assault.

The hospital says Calieb Craft has been fired from his nursing assistant job at Cox South Hospital.

Craft is charged with three counts of second degree sodomy, one count of second degree sexual abuse, and abuse of an elderly, disabled or vulnerable person.

He is in the Greene County jail being held on $50,000 cash bond.

A sixth grade teacher at Inman Intermediate School has been named the Nixa Public Schools’ 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Ellen Fogle previously taught fifth grade in the district from 2016-2019.

She’s also a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks and is on the Inman Intermediate School Leadership Team.

In her essay for the award, Fogle was asked how she ensures education transcends the classroom. “It is imperative that I teach my students skills that will not only make them better kids, but better humans,” Fogle wrote. “I love to encourage my kids to ask great questions. I try to tie my curriculum to real-world experiences and events as much as possible. When choosing literature to read to my kids, I try to find texts that spark conversations about real world issues.”

Showers and thunderstorms will spread across southwest Missouri later Monday, with strong to severe storms expected during the evening hours of 6 p.m. to midnight.

The National Weather Service says all modes of severe weather are possible, with hail up to golf ball size, winds in excess of 70 miles per hour, and isolated tornadoes.

The best potential for severe weather is along and south of Highway 60, and the best chance for tornado development will be along the Missouri and Arkansas border Monday evening.

We’ll keep you up to date with the latest watches and warnings on 93-3 A-M 560 KWTO.