There are foxes roaming around some Springfield neighborhoods, but their appearance is causing residents concern.
The foxes appear to have mange or another disease that causes thinning fur and scabby skin.
Francis Skalicky of the Missouri Department of Conservation says that people and pets should avoid contact with these foxes and do not leave food out for them.
Emergency crews have rescued a woman after she jumped off the River Road bridge above the James River near Lake Springfield.
The woman says she hurt her back when she hit the water and could not swim back to shore.
First responders took her to a local hospital.
The Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District responds to several different incidents of people jumping off bridges, or even out of boats.
A spokesman says rescuers advise you don’t try it because the water is so dense, if you jump from high points, a lot of trauma can happen.
There are no swimming signs posted at that spot, but many people choose to ignore them.
Boone County, the home of the University of Missouri-Columbia, has become the first county in the state to have 50% of its residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The city of Joplin is the only other jurisdiction in the state to have at least half of its eligible population fully vaccinated.
The Springfield-Greene County Health Department reports 47.3% of the 12 and up population has been fully vaccinated, with almost 53% partially vaccinated.
A standoff in Mount Vernon early Monday morning ended with the suspect taking his own life.
Mount Vernon Police say it started at an apartment on Olive Street around 2:30 a.m and ended around 5 a.m with 22 year old Tyler Stow turning a gun on himself.
Mount Vernon Police Chief David Hubert says Stow had a fight with his girlfriend before the standoff.
At least 15 officers from Mount Vernon Police, Monett Police and the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department was involved.
A 14 year-old girl was killed in a jet ski crash at Table Rock Lake near Little Indian Point.
The Highway Patrol says a 15 year-old boy on a jet ski struck the girl’s jet ski causing her to be thrown from the watercraft.
She was airlifted to a Springfield hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Springfield Police say a man is hospitalized with a severe hand injury after an assault in north Springfield Saturday afternoon.
Officers went to a home on North Atlantic around 4 P.M. where a man’s hand was cut with a sharp object during a dispute.
The suspect left with the sharp object.
The suspect is still on the loose, but police say this is an isolated incident.
It may be turned over to the Domestic Violence Unit.
Conditions will be favorable for flash flooding Friday night into Saturday for the northern Ozarks.
The National Weather Service says a Flash Flood Watch is in effect for Barton, Cedar, St. Clair and Hickory Counties, and areas along and north of Highway 54 until 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
Forecasters say one to three inches of rain, with locally higher amounts, will be possible.
Occasional lightning and brief, heavy downpours will accompany showers and storms moving through areas primarily north of Highway 54 Friday afternoon.
Local health officials say the average age of Greene County residents who have died from COVID-19 decreased to 62 years in August, the lowest since the pandemic began in 2020.
The Springfield-Greene County Health Department says the previous low was 66 years in July, highlighting the impact of the Delta variant on people of all ages.
Of the 52 people who died from the virus in Greene County in August, the youngest person was in their 20’s and the oldest was in their 80’s.
Here’s the edited press release from the health department:
“Increased case counts, hospitalizations and deaths of people of all ages are unfortunate results of so many choosing not to get vaccinated,” said Director of Health Katie Towns. “Until more individuals in our community seek vaccine, more people will experience severe illness from this virus, especially as we head into the fall and winter months.”
In August, 19,095 doses of vaccine were administered compared to 21,445 in July. At 47%, Greene County’s vaccination rate is significantly lower than the national vaccination rate of 61.2% for people 12 and up. However, there is momentum. On August 6, Greene County community passed the halfway mark, with 50% of residents 12 and older receiving at least one dose of a two-dose vaccine. By August 31, nearly 53% of residents were partially vaccinated while 47% were fully vaccinated.
On August 12, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain immunocompromised individuals who have already completed a 2-dose vaccine series. Although hospitalizations and fatalities among fully vaccinated individuals are rare, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that immunocompromised individuals may have a reduced response to the COVID-19 vaccination, leaving them more susceptible to illness. The FDA granted approval for the Pfizer vaccine on August 23. Vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson continue to be available under emergency use authorization.
A full list of vaccine opportunities can be found at vaccine417.com or by calling the COVID-19 call center at (417) 874-1211.
Data for August 1-31
Number of new COVID-19 cases:
Difference in seven-day average:
Difference in hospitalizations:
COVID-19 deaths:
*This number represents confirmed COVID-19 deaths that occurred in August. This number could change based on delayed reports.
Average age of death:
Number of vaccine doses administered among Greene County residents:
Current data
Number of hospitalizations:
Number of Greene County residents fully vaccinated:
Cases by vaccination status (among cases where the vaccination status is known):
Additional information, including daily updates, can be found on the Health Department’s COVID-19 dashboard at http://health.springfieldmo.gov/coronavirus
The Springfield-Green County Health Department is in agreement with the C-D-C and urging people who have not been vaccinated not to travel this Labor Day Weekend. The Health Department says that if you are unvaccinated and feel you must travel, you should get vaccinated before you leave. The Health Department says if you are vaccinated it will be okay to travel as long as you continue to wear a mask and wash your hands.
The former public works director for the village of Sunrise Beach pleaded guilty Thursday to illegal sewage dumping.
Brian Scheiter reach a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act by allowing raw sewage to bypass a treatment plant and run down a hillside in 2019.
Scheiter lost his job after someone reported it to Missouri D-N-R.
He could face a year in prison and $25,000 in fines.