Month: February 2022

A State Representative for the state of Missouri has unveiled a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana.

Representative Ron Hicks, a Republican lawmaker representing Missouri’s 102nd District, introduced the legislation Tuesday, and included many aspects of other marijuana related legislation that had been introduced in the past.

The bill states that Missouri residents 21 and older could purchase and possession cannabis, and could even cultivate marijuana plants for their own personal use.

For those with marijuana related offenses, the bill opens up a chance for those individuals to petition to have the charges expunged and, in some cases, be released from prison.

The proposed law also opens up the door for a state tax to be placed on marijuana, which will aid in other state funded projects, such as salaries for teachers and first responders, and assistance for the Missouri Veterans Commission.

The National Weather Service says a few strong to severe thunderstorms may affect southwest Missouri Wednesday night and south central Missouri early Thursday morning.

Hail to the size of quarters, wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, and lightning will be the biggest threats, along with heavy rain.

A Flood Watch is in effect for much of the Ozarks from Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon, with a widespread one to two inches of rain possible.

Flooding of low water crossings will be possible.

A Winter Storm Warning has been posted for parts of central and west central Missouri from midnight Wednesday night through 6 p.m. Thursday.

Areas along and north of a line from Harrisonville to Clinton to Sedalia can expect heavy mixed winter precipitation, with total snow accumulations of four to six inches and ice accumulations up to one tenth of an inch.

We’re expecting just a glaze of ice in the Springfield area Thursday, with snow accumulations of just a few tenths of an inch.

Two to three inches of snow are possible in the northern Ozarks.

If you’re traveling across southwest Missouri or anywhere in the state over the next two days, check road conditions first with the MoDOT Traveler Information Map.

A school bus from the Koshkonong School District flipped over in a ditch after running off Highway 99 north of Thomasville and hitting several trees.

17 students and four others were on board.

One student sufferd moderate injuries and the other passengers all have minor injuries.

Most of the injured were taken by private vehicles to Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains.

Emergency crews transported one student to Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

The bus driver was not injured.

Springfield Public Schools plans to return bus service to families who lost service this past fall.

Nearly 1,500 Springfield students lost a ride to school due to a shortage of bus drivers in November.

The school district said at Tuesday’s school board meeting they want to restore bus services by March 21st.

The district says a final decision on these bus services will be made no later than March 8th.

Smoke from a prescribed burn by the Arkansas Forestry Commission made its way into the Ozarks Tuesday.

The two burns were east of Jasper in Newton County and northeast of Mountain Home in Baxter County.

Strong wind gust pushed the smoke into our area.

As the National Weather Service tracks a large thunderstorm on course for Southwest Missouri, NWS has issued a flash flood watch for most of the area.

Several inches of rain are expected as of this moment, with flooding a possibility in some more localized areas.

The flash flood watch will begin Wednesday evening and continue through Thursday afternoon.

The counties included in the flash flood watch are:

• Barry
• Camden
• Christian
• Dade
• Dallas
• Dent
• Douglas
• Greene
• Hickory
• Howell
• Jasper
• Laclede
• Lawrence
• Maries
• McDonald
• Miller
• Newton
• Oregon
• Ozark
• Phelps
• Polk
• Pulaski
• Shannon
• Stone
• Taney
• Texas
• Webster
• Wright

Our next storm system is expected to bring showers and even some thunderstorms Wednesday night into early Thursday.

A widespread one to two inches of rain will be possible across most of southwest Missouri and flooding of low water crossings will be possible.

Then, rain will transition to a wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow during the day Thursday.

The highest freezing rain potential will be in west central and central Missouri.

Finally, snow is possible Thursday morning and afternoon.

Any accumulations are expected to be light in the Springfield area and south of I-44, with heavier amounts possible in the northern Ozarks.

A significant fire danger is expected in parts of the Ozarks Tuesday as a result of warm and dry conditions, combined with gusty winds.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. Tuesday for areas north and west of Springfield.

Outside burning is strongly discouraged in those areas.

Folks should avoid activities that cause open flames or sparks, and properly discard cigarettes.

Also, avoid parking on dry grass.

In addition a Wind Advisory is in effect for Vernon, St. Clair, Barton, Cedar, Jasper and Dade Counties until 3 p.m. Tuesday.

The National Weather Service says south winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 45 are expected.

Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects.

Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

One person is in the hospital after being hit in the leg by a stray bullet that hit a person sleeping inside of a home during a drive-by shooting.

Springfield Police Lieutenant Mark Foos says the victim’s injury is non life threatening.

Foos says witnesses told police they saw three suspects leaving the scene at Frisco and Division.

Police found shell casings at the scene and later found an abandoned vehicle connected to the shooting at Calhoun and Washington.

No suspects have been arrested.