Month: July 2021

Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan has answered questions surrounding the district’s diversity and equity training for teachers and principals.

At a Springfield School Board meeting in May, nearly 40 people stood before board members to either praise the district for offering diversity training or accuse district leaders of using critical race theory, which has roots in Marxism and Communism.

Here are Dr. Lathan’s answers from an interview with KWTO’s Bonnie Bell.

Bonnie’s full interview with Dr. Lathan covering this topic and several others will air this Sunday night, July 18th, at 8:00 p.m. on 93-3 F-M and A-M 560 KWTO.

In this clip, Dr. Lathan discusses materials handed out to staff that got a number of people up in arms about the district’s diversity training.

Here, Lathan says conducting diversity and equity training with staff is not something the school district just started doing.

In this clip, Lathan explains what diversity and equity training is all about:

If you’re wondering whether the public will be allowed to view the training materials, Lathan covers that here:

The Springfield School District has said from the beginning this is not curriculum designed for students, and that is has nothing to do with critical race theory. But opponents say the themes of critical race theory are included in the lessons, even if they aren’t labelled CRT.

The National Weather Service says flooding is a concern across much of southwest Missouri into early Friday afternoon.

A Flash Flood Watch is in effect until 1 p.m. for most of the Ozarks. Thunderstorms with very heavy rain will train across the same locations through midday.

One to four inches of rain with localized higher amounts will be possible.

Flash flooding will be possible, especially in low lying areas near creeks, rivers and streams.

Some roads in the northern Ozarks have been flooded out and closed.

Get the latest road closings throughout the state here with the MoDOT Traveler Information Map.

Highway AA has been shut down southwest of Wheatland, and Highway D is closed southwest of Preston with water over the roadway.

The National Weather Service says a few of the storms on Friday may produce winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour, but the severe weather threat is minimal.

Most of the thunderstorms should move east of the area by mid afternoon.

Some stronger storms will be possible late Thursday afternoon and evening, mainly along and north of the Interstate 44 corridor.

The National Weather Service says the main severe weather risk will be damaging straight line winds up to 60 miles per hour.

The Storm Prediction Center has an area from Joplin from Walnut Grove to Lebanon under a “marginal risk” for severe weather.

Heavy rain and flash flooding will be possible late Thursday through Friday morning to the west of Springfield along Interstate 49, where a Flash Flood Watch is in effect.

One to three inches of rain will be possible in those areas, with some training of storms across the same locations.

A black bear has been photographed walking the streets of downtown Lebanon.

Photos on social media show the bear strolling on the sidewalks at the corner of Commercial and Madison and Elm Street.

A few weeks ago, the same bear was photographed in a residential area, outside the Lebanon city limits, on East Highway 32.

Missouri Department of Conservation officials say he best thing to do, if you see the bear is make noise to scare it away.

Springfield Police have identified the victim of the shooting at the Walmart Neighborhood Market at Glenstone and Bennett.

He is 33 year old Tanner Stichka of Springfield.

Police booked a suspect, 45 year old Robert Weiser of Bentonville, Arkansas, for suspicion of second-degree murder.

Formal charges have not yet been filed.

Chris Six, KOLR

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -The Springfield Police Department is investigating a fatal shooting at a Walmart Neighborhood Market on S. Glenstone and E. Bennett.

According to SPD Lt. Steve Schwind, the shooting happened around 12:30 p.m. when a man approached another man in a white van in front of the store. There was an altercation that led to the driver shooting the man and killing him. Police are unsure at this time what led to the altercation.

As KOLR-10 reports, Schwind says the man who shot the other man is working with investigators to provide a statement on what happened.

For the first time since May of 2020, you can now visit one of three Springfield-Greene County libraries on Sundays.

The Springfield-Greene County Library District says the new and expanded hours begin this Sunday, July 18th when the Library Center, Library Station and Schweitzer Brentwood Branch will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Music and Movement Mondays, Storytime in the Park, Summer Chat & Chew, Exploring Genealogy, Virtual Brown Bag Travelogue: North, to Alaska! are among the scheduled events for the week of July 18th.

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The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating a crash near Rolla that killed a teenage girl and seriously injured a police officer and counselor.

Troopers say a 16-year-old girl crossed the center line of Highway 63, sideswiped an oncoming car, then hit a jeep head on.

The driver and a passenger in the jeep were taken to area hospitals with serious injuries.

One of them, Abigail Bowen, is a Compass Health counselor, and the other, Leann Robertson, is a Rolla police officer known for her work with the crisis intervention team.

The teenager’s name has not been released by the Highway Patrol.