Month: May 2022

A teacher and coach at a Catholic school in Springfield has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Michael Hines is a soccer coach at Springfield Catholic High School and teaches physical education at Immaculate Conception Catholic School.

Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocesan officials say Hines was placed on leave according to the Diocese’s safe environment policy, and an incident was reported to the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, and a confidential tips report was filed online.

7:43 a.m. UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southwestern Webster, northwestern Douglas, Christian, and northeastern Stone County. A severe thunderstorm located near Highlandville is moving northeast at 45 miles per hour and may produce 60 mile per hour wind gusts and quarter size hail as it moves through Ozark, Sparta, Fordland, Chadwick, Rogersville, Highlandville, Spokane, Bruner, and Keltner.

Original Story: Thunderstorms that tracked across northeast Oklahoma and eastern Kansas have moved across parts of the Ozarks Thursday morning.

The National Weather Service says while nickel size hail is possible in several of these storms, quarter size hail and 60 mile per hour winds are possible in parts of northwestern Christian, northwestern Stone, Barry and Lawrence County, where a Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued until 8:00 a.m. Thursday.

We’ll keep you up to date with the latest warnings on 93-3 and A-M 560 KWTO.

Most of the police officers in Pierce City could be leaving the force soon.

Officers say they plan to resign over concerns they have with the policies of the news mayor.

Officer Chris Hutson says there will be a mass exodus from the force. Hutson says he is resigning in part because the mayor tried to fire the Police Chief and replace him with someone Hutson says is unqualified.

Mayor Edward Golubski says he is happy to work with the officers to ease their concerns.

Three people have been rushed to a local hospital after flames broke out at a home on Tampa just East of Kansas and Chestnut Expressway.

Several units responded to the scene early this morning. A fire department battalion chief says seven people were in the home when the fire broke out. A Fire Marshall is investigating.

Crews are making emergency repairs to the sewer at a major Springfield intersection.

City crews closed the northbound lane of Campbell Avenue between Cherokee and Sunshine Streets on Monday.

The City of Springfield has not said when the work will be finished.

After more than two years, Missouri State University has announced they will be ending all COVID-19 requirements and policies for its student body.

In a statement, President Clif Smart said all COVID-19 policies at Missouri State will end following the conclusion of finals week on May 20.

Students on campus will no longer be required to wear masks at the clinics at Missouri State. The change will also allow students to return to campus in the fall without having to take a COVID test.

The changes will also affect the university website, as Missouri State’s COVID-19 dashboard and daily case counts will be removed from its website. 

David Hall, Director of University Safety at MSU, says there will still be plans in place in the event of a rise in COVID-19 cases in the future.

A man from Mountain View has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges in the death of his estranged wife.

30-year-old Dylan Hanger pleaded guilty on Monday, May 10th, to a charge of second-degree murder after Hanger admitted to killing his wife, Brittany Gorman.

Investigators say Hanger met his wife at the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, near the Buck Hollow Access Area.

Court records say the couple got into an argument, and Hanger lashed out and stabbed Gorman several times, killing her in the process.

Due to the crime occurring at a National Park, the case was heard in federal court.

With Hanger’s guilty plea, his sentence could be life in prison without parole in a federal penitentiary.

More than a dozen members of the Springfield and Nixa business communities gathered for Zimmer Radio’s latest CEO Roundtable luncheon Tuesday at our KWTO studios in Springfield.

Leaders in real estate, law, education, broadcasting, banking, chamber, the auto industry and business entrepreneurs spent over an hour talking about challenges in educating our workforce, worker shortages, inflation, and the biggest obstacles to economic development.

Our discussion will continue beyond the CEO Roundtable as many of our CEO’s will be called upon to do interviews for our shows on KWTO, including Wake Up Springfield, the Elijah Haahr Show, and Watching the Ozarks with Bonnie Bell.

Thanks to the following CEO’s and business leaders for their participation in Thursday’s roundtable meeting:

Dr. Lyle Foster—Big Mama’s Coffee and Missouri State University

Chris Russell—-CEO/Executive Director of Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce

J. Howard Fisk—Owner of Fisk Limousines

Dr. Hal Higdon—Chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College

Dr. Grenita Lathan—-Superintendent of Springfield Public Schools

Gordon Kinne—-President/Owner of Med-Pay, Incorporated

Mark Gordon—President/CEO of Missouri Broadcasters Association

Jason Massengale—The Massengale Group at Keller Williams

Jason Flores—Central Trust, CFA, Central Trust Company

Rich Callahan—Owner, 14 Mill Market

Jeff McConville—Operating Partner/Vice President of Corwin Automotive of Springfield

Jim James—JB James Law Firm

Springfield Police are investigating the death of a child who fell from a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck on private property off West Division near West Bypass.

Investigators say the victim, five-year-old Gabe Lowery from Springfield, was riding on the trailer Saturday night and was run over after falling.

Lowery was rushed to a local hospital where he died.