Emergency crews responded to a fire near U-S Highway 65 in Ozark.
Authorities say a paint and stain company caught on fire.
The building was near the Tracker Boats plant. Drivers on Highway 65 reported the heavy smoke to authorities.
All of the employees were evacuated safely.
The fire is under investigation.
The building was a total loss.
As the latest winter storm in the Ozarks leaves the area, several school districts are closing their doors for the final day of the school week.
The list of school closures for Friday includes:
Alton
Ash Grove (AMI Day)
Bolivar
Bradleyville
Bunker
Cassville
Couch (AMI Day)
Crocker
Dora
Exeter
Fair Play
Green Forest R-2
Hollister (AMI Day)
Houston
Kirbyville
Laclede County (Joel E. Barber) (AMI Day)
Laclede County R-1
Licking
Monett
Newburg
North Wood R-4
Phelps County R-3 (AMI Day)
Pierce City
Plainview (AMI Day)
Raymondville R-7
Reeds Spring
Salem
Seymour
Shell Knob
Southwest Barry County R-5 (AMI Day)
Success
Taneyville
This list will continue to be updated as more school closures are announced.
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley is reacting to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Here is Hawley’s statement:
“Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine and invasion of its territory must be met with strong American resolve. President Biden must act now to hit Vladimir Putin where it hurts, beginning with Russia’s energy sector.
The Biden Administration should sanction Russian energy production to a halt, and help arm the Ukrainians to defend themselves.
At the same time, the White House should reopen American energy production in full.
This is the time to show Russia and the world that America will not reward aggression and it will not be dependent on its enemies.”
The Springfield-Branson National Airport is open, but that doesn’t mean your flight is happening.
Airport officials say several flights scheduled for Thursday have been canceled.
If you’re flying from/to SGF, expect cancelations and delays.
The airport asks you check the status of your flight often, and the best way to do so is to contact your airline.
Airport leaders recommend you download the airline’s app to your smart phone, and you can even get text alerts on your flight status.
The Flight Arrival and Departure page for the airport may provide accurate information about flight status, but the data on these pages comes from airline computer systems, which isn’t always up to date.
Freezing rain and sleet began falling in the Springfield area around 8:00 a.m. Thursday and the wintry mix is expected to continue on and off until Thursday evening.
A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect through 9:00 p.m. Thursday for all areas along and south of I-44, with a Winter Weather Advisory continuing for the northern Ozarks through 9 o’clock.
We’ve had reports of thunder and lightning with moderate sleet in Neosho around 7:45 a.m., moderate sleet in Republic just after 8:00 a.m., and even two and a half inches of snow on top of a freezing rain/sleet mix in the Irwin area of Barton County northwest of Springfield.
Heavy sleet also fell Thursday morning in the Marshfield and Niangua areas, with heavy sleet in the Cross Timbers area in Hickory County.
Freezing rain was reported in south Springfield at 9:15 a.m. and a combination of freezing rain and sleet at the National Weather Service office in northwest Springfield.
The National Weather Service says we’ll continue to see some heavier sleet and/or freezing rain showers, with thunder in some of the stronger cells.
The predominant precipitation type will be sleet and snow further north, with sleet and freezing rain to the south.
Pea size hail has even been reported Thursday morning in McDonald County in extreme southwest Missouri.
The MoDOT Traveler Information Map shows partially ice covered roads on major Higwhays in the Springfield Area (I-44, Highway 65, James River Freeway), with covered roads in much of the rest of the Ozarks.
The Missouri Republican Party on Wednesday said it would not accept a filing fee from a state representative who is facing federal fraud charges.
Rep. Patricia Derges, a first-term Republican and assistant physician from Nixa, was indicted last year.
Federal authorities alleged she filed claims for treatments that were not performed.
State Republican Party Treasurer Pat Thomas said the party won’t accept her candidate filing fee as long as she has felony charges pending against her.
Springfield Police are asking for your help in finding a missing teenager.
Police say 13 year old Christian Jones was last seen leaving the Kum and Go on Kansas Expressway around 2 PM Wednesday.
He left with an unknown woman in a black Dodge Durango with temporary tags.
Jones is five foot five, 125 pounds, with short, brown hair, and brown eyes.
He was wearing black hoodie, sweatpants and earrings.
If you have any information, you are asked to call 9-1-1 or Springfield Police.
Springfield Police have shifted their investigation from assault to homicide in an incident that occurred January 30th.
The assault took place around 1:30 a.m. that morning in the parking lot of the Rumors Cabaret on Glenstone Avenue. When authorities approached the nightclub, they found a man on the ground with life-threatening injuries.
Jeffrey Brent, 37, was identified as the victim. On February 20 the Springfield man died from his injuries.
Police reported they do have a suspect in the case, but that no arrest has been made at this time.
As the investigation continues, authorities ask that anyone with information about the case to contact the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1810.
30-year-old Vincent Dominy has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of producing and distributing child pornography.
Authorities arrested Dominy in August of 2020 after an investigation by a Cyber Crimes Task Force discovered evidence linking Dominy to explicit images of a young child. The evidence included an email account under his name had both sent and received explicit images of child porn.
Investigators uncovered that some of the photos had been taken by Dominy himself, and that he had then distributed those images via email and through chat rooms that engaged in talks of child pornography.
Following his arrest, Dominy confessed to authorities that he had taken some of the photos and distributed them himself.
Dominy also received a sentence of 15 years supervised release after he serves his time in prison.
With a mix of snow and ice hitting Southwest Missouri on Wednesday, several schools in the area will be cancelling classes for Thursday.
The list of school closures for February 24th includes:
Bolivar
Bradleyville
Fair Play
Houston
Kirbyville
Manes
Seymour
Success
Taneyville
This list will continue to be updated as more closures are announced.