Month: August 2022

Numerous severe thunderstorms have pushed through southwest Missouri Monday afternoon and evening, downing trees and power lines, and dumping torrential rainfall on the area.

The National Weather Service issued more than two dozen severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings as the bad weather pushed through the Ozarks.

We’ve had reports of limbs down from hardwood trees and torrential rainfall in the 3000 block of east Catalpa in Springfield, trees down in Douglas County near Highway 14 and Highway C east of Ava and on County Road 347 east of Gentryville

We’ve also had reports of a powerline and trees down in the roadway on Farm Road 116 between farm Road 43 and 53 in the Bois D’Arc area.

Limbs are down on McConnell Street in Nixa, and half dollar size hail was reported at Branson Landing.

Four inch tree limbs have been blocking Main Street on the north side of Nixa.

In addition, we’re getting word of trees down on houses and cars in the Stoney Creek subdivision in Republic, plus trees down and into buildings in downtown Branson.

Trees and power poles are down on 116 between Farm Road 45 and Farm Road 53 east of Halltown.

A spotter near Nixa Junior High School reported just after 7:20 Monday night that four to five trees with six to eight inch limbs are down near the school, with power out in the area.

Flash Flood Warnings have been issued for Greene County (including the city of Springfield) and southwestern Webster County until 11:30 p.m., southern Christian, northeastern Barry and northern Stone Counties until 1:00 a.m. Tuesday, and northern Christian and southern Lawrence County until 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Several sections of roadway have been flooded north and west of Nixa, including Tracker Road.

A Flash Flood Warning has also been issued for southern Stone and western Taney Counties until 1:15 a.m. Tuesday

Between one and two inches of rain have fallen in many of these areas, with additional amounts of one to two inches possible.

Residents of a local neighborhood are reeling after packages appeared in their front yards with Jewish hate speech writings in East Springfield.

Reports say residents found the packages Sunday morning and accused those of Jewish faith as being responsible for the abortion movement, gun control and other controversial topics.

The FBI was contacted regarding the packages, as well as local law enforcement.

Authorities says no report of the packages was filed, so no investigation into the hate speech is being conducted at this time.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating a severe car crash that left one dead in Laclede County.

Investigators say the driver of a pickup was travelling along Eison Road near State Highway 32 in Lebanon when he veered off the road and hit an embankment.

The crash caused the vehicle to flip and land in a pond.

The driver of the vehicle was taken to the hospital with moderate injuries, while the teenage passenger was pronounced dead at the scene.

The identity of the driver and passenger have not been released.

In a release Monday, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department is holding the “Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Event”.

The clinic will be held August 18 from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. at the Westside Public Health Center located on South Scenic Avenue.

Vaccinations are by appointment-only for the new Novavax Vaccine, a new COVID-19 vaccine that has been lauded for the “traditional” method in which it was created.

Those who attend the clinic and receive their first dose of Novavax will be awarded a $50 gift card.

A shortage of drivers has forced Springfield Public Schools to cut bus service to three magnet programs.

The programs are the Wolf School, the AG Academy, and the Academy of Exploration.

About 180 students will be affected by the move. John Mulford, Deputy Superintendent of Operations, says the district hoped to restore bus service by the end of the first quarter. Mulford says the district needs 128 drivers but has only 112.

Affordable Housing will be on the agenda at tonight’s Springfield City Council Meeting.

Council will discuss and may vote on a 300-thousand dollar reduced interest rate loan for development at 810 West Catalpa. The project is called Nordic Landing, and would have 41 apartments and community space.

The units would be intended for youth aging out of foster care and for people making 60% of the area’s median income. Five apartments would rent at market rate.

Springfield Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing man.

Diquan Hall was reported missing from the Arc of the Ozarks on July 7th.

Police say Hall is known to frequent the Veterans Coming Home Center and often walks downtown.

Hall is without his psychiatric medicine. He is 6’2″, 280 pounds, with dark hair and eyes.

Authorities are looking for an individual after they say the suspect fired multiple shots in west Springfield.

Reports say the incident occurred near the intersection of Scenic Avenue and Lombardi early Friday morning at around 4:30.

The shooter opened fire at a local business, shooting multiple cars before speeding away.

Witnesses say they saw a motorcycle leaving the scene shortly after the shots were fired.

The Springfield Police Department reports that no one was injured during the incident.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating a single vehicle crash that killed three in Cedar County.

Troopers say the crash occurred along Highway B near Jerico Springs Thursday afternoon, when a vehicle driven by 19-year-old Clay Palmer went airborne before it crashed and flipped.

Reports say during the crash, Palmer, Logan Meerkatz and Ryan Chick were thrown from the vehicle. The 18-year-old Meerkatz, 19-year-old Chick and Palmer were all pronounced dead at the scene.

None of the teenagers were wearing seatbelts.

The Highway Patrol says two other teenage passengers were taken to the hospital with injuries, with one passenger suffering serious injuries.

Over two years after the COVID-19 rate halted to the work force, employment has skyrocketed nationwide, including in Springfield.

In April of 2020, unemployment in Springfield was at 10% during the height of the nations workforce crisis.

Today, that number is at 2%, a change of nearly 80%.

In a case study conducted by Wallethub, the city is tied with Miami and Manchester, New Hampshire for the lowest unemployment rate of the some 160 cities that were studied.

Kansas City and St. Louis were also included in the top ten of the list.