Springfield’s Convoy of Hope is sending much-needed aid to tornado ravaged central Oklahoma.
Convoy of Hope spokesperson Ethan Forhetz says they have trucks on their way to Oklahoma to help with disaster relief.
They will not only be providing necessities, such as food, water, and hygiene items, but tarps to cover damaged roofs.
Forhetz says he hopes this aid brings relief to a suffering community.
State Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced a judgment against a closed Lebanon car dealership.
The judge ordered Var-iety Autos, LLC, to pay $27,000 to eight drivers to cover losses from never receiving certificates of titles or promised warranty work.
The dealership was owned by Marcus Hill, incarcerated in the Laclede County Jail on 13 felony counts of unlawful business practices brought by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
This judgment is in connection with the charges above.
Severe storms along a cold front have produced hail and high winds as they moved across southwest Missouri Thursday afternoon.
As of 3:30 p.m., areas generally south of I-44 and east of Highway 65 are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8:00 p.m. Thursday.
The storms began to form west of the Springfield metro area late Thursday morning, then turned severe as they tracked into the city of Springfield.
We had numerous reports of anywhere from pea to dime to penny and up to quarter size hail in the Springfield area as the storms hit just after 1:00 p.m.
The weather service received a report from trained weather spotters of golf ball to tennis ball size hail in Protem, down in Taney County.
A 62 mile per hour wind gust was measured at the Springfield-Branson National Airport early Thursday afternoon.
The storms will continue to push through the eastern Ozarks and south central Missouri, where they are expected to continue to produce large hail and damaging winds through the early evening.
Flames have damaged a historic building on the square in Cross Timbers in Hickory County.
Firefighters responded to the fire around 8:30 AM on Wednesday. The fire rekindled later in the afternoon. Nobody was injured.
Investigators are trying to find the cause of the fire. The building is located across from the Cross Timber’s City Hall.
Springfield City Council has aproved new rules regulating marijuana.
Smoking pot in public is prohibited and punishable by a 100 dollar fine or community service. Smoking marijuana in a vehicle parked in a public place and where the odor from smoking can get into a public place is also prohibited.
It’s also illegal for drivers of motor vehicles to consume marijuana and for passengers in a vehicle to smoke marijuana.
We have the potential for a few strong to severe thunderstorms across the Ozarks Thursday afternoon into the evening hours.
The National Weather Service says the highest chances for severe storms will be across south-central Missouri.
Large hail, damaging wind gusts and cloud to ground lightning will be the biggest threats.
These storms will fire up in the early afternoon hours, generally along the I-44 corridor, and increase in coverage and intensity as they push eastward.
We’ll keep you up to date with any watches and warnings on 93-3 A-M 560 KWTO
From a Springfield Police Department News Release:
Springfield, Mo. – The Springfield Homicide Unit identified 21-year-old Justin L. Bartels, from St. Louis, as a suspect in the April 17 homicide of Lavelle C. Rose III. On April 18, 2023, Bartels was arrested and booked into the Greene County Jail.
On April 19, 2023, the case was presented to the Greene County Prosecutors Office. Bartels has been charged with 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and 1st Degree Assault. Bond is set at $250,000.
The Greene County Prosecutor’s Office cautions that the charges contained in the felony complaint are merely allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
A second suspect has been identified and officers are working to locate that person.
Warm weather has brought a rash of vandalism around the Ozarks.
Recently, vandals have hit the Clever City Park, the McBride Elementary Playground, the new playground at Nixa’s McCaulley Park, and the Hotel of Terror.
So far, law enforcement does not have any suspects, nor do they think the incidents are related, other than the perpetrators use spray paint to paint obscene words and pictures on the property.
The live television show, “Who’s Line is it Anyway” is coming to Springfield.
The show is on a national tour and will stop at the Gillioz Theatre on September 21st.
The show is an improvisational comedy by four performers who create scenes, characters, and songs on the spot.
Tickets will go on sale Friday, April 21st.
Two people are dead after a two-vehicle crash on I-44, west of Marshfield.
The Highway Patrol says an S-U-V, driven by 56-year-old Christopher Maples of Strafford, was traveling in the westbound lane of the Interstate, when he lost control and traveled into the median, became airborne, rolling over the median cables and into the eastbound lane, striking an S-U-V driven by 47-year-old Melanie McDaris of Hartville.
Both Maples and McDaris were pronounced dead at the scene.