As severe thunderstorms moved through the Springfield metro area early Friday morning, nearly 2,000 customers of Springfield City Utilities were left in the dark for about an hour and a half.
City Utilities’ outage map showed the affected area was along Chestnut Expressway from just west of the Highway 65 interchange to near National Avenue.
Power was restored around 7:30 a.m. after going out just before 6:00.
There’s no word yet from C-U on the cause of the outage.
Joplin Police Officer Jake Reed is being laid to rest Friday.
Reed and Corporal Ben Cooper were shot on March 8th while attempting to arrest a man outside a shopping center in Joplin.
Cooper died a short time later at a local hospital, while Reed, who donated his organs, died several days later.
Officer Rick Hirshey, who used his patrol car to impede the now deceased suspect, Anthony Felix, as he fled the crime scene, was struck in the face by a bullet through his windshield.
Hirshey was released from Freeman Health Center on Wednesday.
Reed’s funeral takes place at 1:00 p.m. at the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center at Missouri Southern State University.
Following the funeral, a procession will proceed through the city of Joplin, and folks are encouraged to line the route to show their respect to Officer Reed.
There will be traffic delays through town following the service as the procession follows the exact same route from Tuesday’s funeral for Corporal Cooper.
The procession will go from MSSU to west on Newman Road, south on Florida Avenue, west on Broadway Street, south on Main Street, east on 20th Street, north on Duquesne Road, then ending at 7th Street and Duquesne Road.
As showers and thunderstorms track across southwest Missouri Friday, the National Weather Service says some storms may be strong to severe, primarily in the eastern Ozarks.
The primary hazards will be up to quarter size hail and damaging wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour.
Better chances for severe weather will be in southeast Missouri from Poplar Bluff to Cape Girardeau.
Parts of Ozark, Douglas, Wright and Howell Counties are in a “marginal risk” area for severe storms as outlined by the Storm Prediction Center.
Severe thunderstorms rolled through the Ozarks early on Friday morning between 4:30 and 7 a.m.
The weather service says penny size hail was reported in Ozark, with dime size hail in the Cape Fair area in Stone County, along with pea size hail near downtown Branson and in West Plains.
Five to six inch tree limbs were reported down near Boaz, also in Stone County.
Parts of Greene, Christian, Barry, Lawrence, Stone, Taney, Webster, Douglas, Wright, and Laclede Counties were under severe thunderstorm warnings early Friday morning.
A man and woman have died in a mobile home fire in Lebanon.
Half of the home on Brice Street was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
Firefighters attempted to rescue the couple, but were not able to reach them.
The names of the victims have not been released.
The Laclede County Sheriff’s Office, coroner’s office, and the state fire marshal’s office are investigating.
Officials have not said what caused the fire.
Just over a week after two Joplin police officers were shot and killed by a man after responding to a disturbance, another police department in Missouri is dealing with a similar tragedy.
Authorities say one officer is dead and another has been airlifted to a hospital in St. Louis after a man opened fire on police at a Motel 6 in Bonne Terre.
The officers returned fire and the man was shot and killed.
It happened Thursday morning at 12:24 a.m.
Police were called to reports of a disturbance at the motel. When they arrived, a man came out of a motel room and began firing at the two officers.
The officer who died has been identified as Lane Burns, who had been with the department for about five years and was in his early 30’s.
The second officer, identified as Corporal Garrett Worley, was shot in the leg.
Worley has been on the force about seven years.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol has taken over the investigation.
Missouri Senator Roy Blunt has released a statement on the passing of Officer Burns:
“This morning, Bonne Terre Police Officer Lane Burns tragically lost his life in the line of duty. Officer Burns’ fiance said he loved being a police officer and he loved the department. Officer Burns lived a life and purpose in protecting those around him. Abby and I send our deepest condolences to his family and the Bonne Terre Police Department. Our thoughts are with Corporal Garrett Worley, who was injured and remains hospitalized.”
Just over a week after two Joplin police officers were shot and killed by a man after responding to a disturbance, another police department in Missouri is dealing with a similar tragedy.
Authorities say one officer is dead and another has been airlifted to a hospital in St. Louis after a man opened fire on police at a Motel 6 in Bonne Terre.
The officers returned fire and the man was shot and killed.
It happened Thursday morning at 12:24 a.m.
Police were called to reports of a disturbance at the motel. When they arrived, a man came out of a motel room and began firing at the two officers.
The officer who died has been identified as Lane Burns, who had been with the department for about five years and was in his early 30’s.
The second officer, identified as Corporal Garrett Worley, was shot in the leg.
Worley has been on the force about seven years.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol has taken over the investigation.
Missouri Senator Roy Blunt has released a statement on the passing of Officer Burns:
“This morning, Bonne Terre Police Officer Lane Burns tragically lost his life in the line of duty. Officer Burns’ fiance said he loved being a police officer and he loved the department. Officer Burns lived a life and purpose in protecting those around him. Abby and I send our deepest condolences to his family and the Bonne Terre Police Department. Our thoughts are with Corporal Garrett Worley, who was injured and remains hospitalized.”
Doctors have allowed the surviving police officer, of the three, shot during a shootout last week, to leave the hospital. Officer Rick Hirshey suffered serious injuries when the suspect, Anthony Felix, shot him in the face through the windshield of his patrol car. Doctors say he may need more surgeries as part of his recovery.
Three teenagers are in serious condition after a crash in Webster County.
The Highway Patrol says a pickup ran off Iron Mountain Road, near Fordland, and struck several tree causing the three teenagers riding in the bed of the pickup to fall out.
They were taken to a Springfield hospital with serious injuries.
The teenager driving was not injured.
White River Valley Electric Cooperative met with multiple county commissioners to push a plan for broadband internet for customers.
White River Electric Cooperative’s plan would cost $232 million to cover the five counties they service.
This money will come from the American Rescue Plan Act fund.
The board has voted to move forward with funding opportunities that open the door for grants.
Following a recent incident involving an attempted armed robbery during an internet transaction, Springfield Police have set up a safe place to buy and sell goods from the internet.
Outside of Springfield Police headquarters, 321 E. Chestnut Expressway, there is a designated parking spot for meet-ups to exchange goods and money.
Police report that there is an alarming number of internet transaction meet-ups that turn out to be robberies. Police also report that if you are unable to meet at the new safe zone, you should meet in a crowded parking lot during daylight and business hours.