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Ozark News

College of the Ozarks President Jerry Davis To Become Chancellor Effective in June

The Board of Trustees at College of the Ozarks has accepted a request from President Jerry Davis to transition to the role of chancellor effective June 1, 2022.

Board Chairman General Terrence Dake recognized Davis’ leadership and acknowledged his contributions to the college in a note that was sent to the campus family, alumni and donors.

Davis because President at C of O in 1988 after having served as president at Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky for 11 years.

His tenure of 44 years in the college presidency is among the longest in the United States.

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Ozark News

Two Men Arrested After Hunters Find Man’s Body Near Seligman

Two men are in custody in Tulsa, Oklahoma in connection with the death of a man in Barry County.

A group of hunters discovered the body of Richard Phillips north of Seligman on Saturday.

Investigators say Phillips died while in Springdale, Arkansas.

Police later identified Reginald Baker, 30, Seligman and Daniel Blanks, 41, Fort Smith, Arkansas as suspects.

A judge issued an arrest warrant for Baker and Blanks for battery, kidnapping, and burglary and the men were arrested over the weekend in Tulsa.

The cause of death will be determined at the Arkansas State Crime Lab.

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Missouri News

Governor Postpones Trip

Governor Mike Parson postponed his international trip to Israel and Greece just days before he and the first lady were scheduled to leave.

Parson announced Monday that efforts are underway to reschedule the trip after new travel restrictions were implemented because of the new COVID-19 omicron variant.

The Parsons were scheduled to leave this Thursday and return to Missouri on Dec. 11.

Parson now plans to spend his week attending various holiday events in Kansas City and Jefferson City.

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Ozark News

City Council Wants Police to Work All Traffic Accidents Again

Springfield city leaders are pushing to restore a police policy that was changed seven years ago.

Springfield Police adopted a policy that said officers should only respond to vehicle accidents involving injuries in August of 2014.

City Council member Craig Hosmer says it is time for police officers to respond to all accidents again, especially traffic accidents.

There have been 27 fatality accidents in this year alone.

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Ozark News

Argument Leads to Stabbing in north Springfield

Investigators say an argument led to a stabbing Sunday night in north Springfield.

Officers responded to the 2000 block of east Kearney around 7:00 p.m. and found the victim with a critical stab wound.

The victim is reported to be in stable condition at a local hospital.

Police say a suspect is in custody.

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Ozark News

Police Investigate Shooting at Springfield Apartment Complex

Police in Springfield area investigating a shooting that happened Sunday night at the Briarwood Village Apartments in the 2000 block of east Bennett Street.

Authorities say two people were taken to the hospital.

The victims are in stable condition.

Officers have one suspect in custody.

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Missouri News

Court Halts Biden Administration Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers Following Missouri A-G’s Lawsuit

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is touting a ruling by the U-S District Court, Eastern District of Missouri that issues a preliminary injuction against enforcement of a federal vaccine mandate on healthcare workers.

Here’s the full press release from the Missouri A-G’s office:

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Today, following a lawsuit from Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, the United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, issued a preliminary injunction, halting the Biden Administration from enforcing its vaccine mandate on healthcare workers in the states that joined Missouri’s coalition.
 
“Earlier today, the United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, issued a preliminary injunction halting the Biden Administration from enforcing its vaccine mandate on healthcare workers. This is a huge victory for healthcare workers in Missouri and across the country, including rural hospitals who were facing near certain collapse due to this mandate,” said Attorney General Schmitt. “While today’s ruling is a victory, there’s more work to be done, and I will keep fighting to push back on this unprecedented federal overreach.”
 
On November 10, 2021, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt led a coalition of 10 states in filing a lawsuit to halt the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ vaccine mandate on healthcare workers, the first states to file suit.
 
Earlier today, the Court issued a preliminary injunction enjoining the Biden Administration from enforcing the vaccine mandate on healthcare workers in any of the plaintiff states, arguing that CMS did not have the authority to issue the mandate.
 
The full ruling can be found here: https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/cms-injunction.pdf?sfvrsn=ed822d9d_2
 
The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has also filed suit to halt OSHA’s vaccine mandate on private employers and the vaccine mandate on federal contractors, both of which are awaiting court rulings.

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Ozark News

Downed Power Line Leads to Overnight Outage For Nearly 1,400 Springfield City Utilities Customers

Springfield City Utilities says a downed power line caused an outage early Monday morning that at one time had close to 1,400 customers without electricity.

The outages extended from Scenic Avenue to Grant and from Chestnut Expressway south to Bennett.

Only a couple of hundred homes still had no electricity by sunrise.

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Missouri News

Mid Missouri Judge Rules Covid-19 Mandates Imposed by Cities and Counties are Against the Law

A Cole County judge has ruled COVID-19 mandates imposed by municipalities in Missouri are against the law.

Judge Dan Green says orders such as quarantines, business closures and masking mandates violate the Missouri Constitution’s separation of powers clause and all existing health orders issued by local health authorities are “null and void.”

The lawsuit was filed in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when St. Louis City, St. Louis County and other jurisdictions were issuing health mandates aimed at stemming the spread of the virus.

Democratic St. Louis County Executive Sam Page told the County Council the mask mandate should remain, citing a rise in COVID-19 cases coming at a time when people start to gather for the holidays.

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Ozark News

Preliminary Hearing Set For One of Two Men Charged in Brutal Murder of Cassidy Rainwater

One of two men charged with murdering and dismembering Cassidy Rainwater in Dallas County this summer will be in court February 2nd for a preliminary hearing.

Timothy Norton said very little Tuesday when he appeared in a video hookup from the Greene County Jail, answering just “yes” or “no” to questions.

His attorney says Norton waives his right to the reading of the newest charges against him.

He is scheduled to appear in person in Dallas County for the February hearing.

Investigators say Norton admitted James Phelps, who’s also charged with murder in the case, asked him to help kill Rainwater while she was staying at Phelps’ home.

He admitted in court documents to holding down the victim’s legs while Phelps strangled her.