Month: October 2022

A man is in custody following a car chase and hours long standoff in Springfield.

Authorities were called to a home near Bennett and Kansas Thursday afternoon for a well-being check.

Witnesses reported a domestic disturbance after the suspect allegedly made some remarks about domestic abuse.

Reports say when police arrived, the suspect evaded law enforcement and took off in a car at about 50 miles per hour. Officers used spike strips to stop the vehicle.

A short pursuit led the scene to West Bypass and Chestnut, near The Way of God International Ministries, where the suspect forced police into a standoff that lasted three hours.

SPD was finally able to safely make an arrest at around 4:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is stopping booster shots for children ages 5-11 after recent news from the FDA.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved emergency authorization of an updated mRNA vaccine for the age group on Tuesday, causing SGCHD to halt the usage of the current booster vaccine.

In a news release Wednesday, the department says they are awaiting for the new booster to be fully approved before allowing doses to be used.

The Centers for Disease Control, as well as Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices must also approve the updated booster before it can be distributed.

A possible approval date of the vaccine has not been released.

The third annual Priebe Strong Run is coming up on October 22nd in Republic.

There will be a 5k, a 10k, and a half marathon. The money being raised by the run goes to wounded officers and their families.

Part of the money raised in this year’s run will go Park Ranger Robert Bridges, who was shot six times in November of last year when he responded to assist Springfield Police Officers.

A woman from Springfield is set to spend over five years in prison following her sentencing on Tuesday.

34-year-old Lisa Gee pleaded guilty last November to two separate charges, one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud after admitting to falsifying three separate PPP loan requests.

U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool sentenced Gee to five years and one day in prison for the guilty plea.

She will not be eligible for parole, and was also ordered to forfeit over $58 thousand to the government.

Reports say Gee had lied on the application forms, answering “no” when asked if she had been convicted of a felony in the last year or five years.

Prosecutors produced evidence of multiple convictions against Gee for stealing mail, credit card fraud and passing a forged check as recently as 2017.

The Christian County Coroner has released the cause of two for two people involved in an officer-related shooting last month.

According to reports, 37-year-old Timothy Shafer and 23-year-old Donna Bailey died September 25 because of gunshot wounds.

Authorities say they attempted two separate traffic stops of the vehicle the two were in, but Shafer sped away both times.

Deputies in Christian County say when they managed to stop the vehicle, Shafer appeared with a firearm outside of the driver’s side window.

Officers with the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, Ozark Police Department and Nixa Police Department then opened fire on the car.

Both Shafer and Bailey were pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation into the shooting is now underway with the SCIT, or Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is offering free flu shots for uninsured and underinsured adults over 19.

They will be given Thursday at the Midtown library on Central from 1 PM to 3 PM, and at the Library Station on Kansas from 5 PM- 7 PM.

With major political races set to be decided on November 8, eligible voters who are interesting in casting their ballot need to register soon.

The deadline for voter registration in Missouri is tomorrow, October 12 at any county clerk’s office in the state.

Officials say voters who wish to register must have identification, such as a birth certificate or passport.

Voters can also register by mail, but the application must be postmarked by Wednesday.

The Greene County Clerk’s Office is located at 940 North Boonville Avenue in Springfield, near Drury University.