Month: April 2022

We’ve had reports of anywhere from pea and dime size hail to half dollar size hail from storms that have moved across areas north of I-44 Thursday afternoon.

The National Weather Service issued Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for parts of Barton, Cedar, Dade, Lawrence and Vernon Counties.

We’ve had reports of penny size hail in Golden City, dime size hail in Lockwood, half dollar size hail south of Lockwood, and half dollar size hail between Milo and Sheldon.

The Weather Service says the threat for severe storms is limited enough that a Severe Thunderstorm Watch isn’t anticipated, with the greatest threat being large hail through the afternoon hours.

We’ll have the latest watches and warnings on 93-3 AM 560 KWTO.

The home to Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears basketball, concerts, graduations and other events will now be known as Great Southern Bank Arena.

The Missouri State Foundation announced the name change in a news conference Thursday morning at the PRIME Overtime Club inside the arena that opened in November, 2008.

The announcement ends a three year process of Missouri State seeking a new partner for naming rights to the arena.

Springfield business icon John Q. Hammons pledged millions to help build the arena, and that included naming rights.

in 2016, three years after Hammons’ death, his company filed for bankruptcy protection in federal court.

$22 million of the amount promised by Hammons was transferred to JD Holdings in 2018 as part of a bankruptcy settlement.

MSU filed a claim against the company for the rest of the money owed in exchange for arena naming rights.

The university actually began removing JQH Arena signage in June of 2019, anticipating a name change within the year, but the search for a new partnership was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greene County deputies have arrested a man wanted for a shooting in Kansas.

Deputies arrested 38 year old Shawn Houston after he refused to stop for law enforcement on suspicion for drunk driving on Chestnut Expressway.

He was finally stopped near the Willard Intermediate School.

He was wanted for shooting a person near Baxter Springs, Kansas.

Investigators say they have arrested a man they believe killed a person and set fire to a home in Mountain View.

Police have arrested 19-year-old Jacob Hearne and charged him with first-degree murder, first-degree arson and two counts of armed criminal action.

Details of the investigation are limited at this time, but authorities say they believe Hearne killed his grandmother, 62-year-old Phyllis Schweinel and set the house ablaze. They say evidence and clues left at the crime scene led them to Hearne as the primary suspect.

Missouri State Highway Patrol has said that Hearne admitted to the killing, stating he believed his grandmother wanted to end her life and wanted him to help her.

Hearne has been placed in jail and a judge denied bond in the case.

Police say if you have any information, contact the Mountain View Police Department at (417) 934-2525.

On a day that some celebrate the green plant, one potential customer inadvertently drove through a newly opened business.

The accident happened Wednesday, when reports say a Tesla pulling into the parking lot of the building accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake while trying to park. The car hopped the curb and ran over a handicap sign before hitting the front doors of Hippo’s Marijuana Dispensary. The car also crashed into a nearby vehicle, causing damage to the right side and front bumper of the parked car.

No one was injured in the accident.

Surveillance footage of the incident corroborates the events witnesses described.

Hippo’s Marijuana Dispensary opened just last week, and is located near Glenstone and Battlefield. Employee’s say the business will remain open to customers while repairs are taking place.

The estimated repair costs could be up to $10,000.

All-Missouri Valley performer Jasmine Franklin has announced where she will spend her final season of college basketball.

The 6 foot-1 Franklin will head to Knoxville to play for Tennessee and head coach Kelly Harper.

A position both are familiar with.

Harper was the head coach at Missouri State from 2013-2019, twice leading program to the NCAA Tournament, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in her final season.

The 2018-19 season was Franklin’s freshman year with the program. She averaged 9 points and nearly 8 rebounds per game that season.

Franklin was on pace for Player of the Year consideration in the Valley this past season, averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds per game before a knee injury derailed her season.

Tennessee is coming off of a Sweet Sixteen appearance during the 2021-22 season and will look to improve upon that with Franklin now in the fold.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms have continued Wednesday afternoon, primarily in the eastern Ozarks.

The National Weather Service says most of this activity will remain below severe limits.

Forecasters say a couple of strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across far southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas Wednesday evening.

Any storms that do fire up, primarily along and west of Interstate 49, will be capable of producing hail up to the size of golf balls and winds up to 60 miles per hour.

The tornado potential is low.

We’ll have the latest on any watches or warnings issued by the National Weather Service on 93-3 AM 560 KWTO.

Fire damaged a business in Forsyth Tuesday evening.

The business was on State Highway 160 and rented moving trucks and storage units.

Four local fire departments battled the blaze.

Highway 160 had to be closed while the firefighters worked to contain the flames.

Firefighters say nobody was hurt. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A controlled burn cause an abandoned four story building to burn on Highway 165 near State Park Marina at Table Rock Lake.

The Highway had to be closed so firefighters could pump water from the lake, because there were no hydrants in the area.

Firefighters could not go into the building because of the condition of the building.

Nobody was injured and Highway 165 was reopened by 5 pm.