Month: May 2023

For the second day in a row, strong to severe thunderstorms are forecast for parts of the Ozarks Tuesday.

The National Weather Service says storms are expected to move through southwest Missouri starting sometime after 7 p.m., with the heaviest storms moving through the Springfield metro area around 1 a.m.

Forecasters say the highest risk for severe impacts will be west of Highway 65, where hail up to the size of golf balls and damaging winds will be possible with the strongest storms.

The tornado threat is very low.

Much of the area is under a Level 2 “slight risk” for severe weather, while the eastern Ozarks is under a Level 1 “marginal risk.”

We’ll keep you up to date on any watches and warnings issued by the National Weather Service on 93-3 A-M 560 KWTO.

Authorities in Dallas County are investigating a threat that was made against the county school district and the city of Buffalo that caused the schools to go into lockdown.

School officials say the threat was made Tuesday morning, causing the buildings to go into a soft lockdown.

Police conducted a search of the school district, and gave the all clear shortly after.

It is the second threat against the Dallas County School District in as many weeks.

The loved ones of a man from Springfield are alerting the public to the increase in fatal motorcycle crashes in the area.

The family and friends of 23-year-old Ben Turner wanted to inform people about the dangers facing both drivers and motorcyclists after he was killed on May 5th trying to avoid hitting a car.

So far this year, officials say there have been five motorcycle fatalities. There were six in all of 2022 in the Springfield Metro.

His friends ask that both motorcyclists and automobile drivers be more aware on roadways, for the safety of everyone.

Springfield’s first Whataburger location is open. The restaurant at West Bypass and Sunshine had a soft opening on Monday.

At the moment, the store is drive-thru only. The dining room will be open later this Summer.

This is the third Whataburger to open in the Ozarks over the last year, with previous openings in Republic and Ozark.

A second Springfield location on North Glenstone is expected to open soon.

Springfield City Council has voted to repeal the eminent domain purchase of the Hotel of Terror. The vote was unanimous.

The city will negotiate with the owner until they reach an agreement. The city wanted to aquire the Main Street Bridge and move forward with the renew Jordan Creek project.

City leaders say the bridge can’t be repaired until the building is removed.

Two people from Kansas have been arrested in Taney County for murder.

The Taney County Sheriff’s Office says 32-year-old Clint Nibarger and 47-year-old Kimberly Thomas, both of Parson, Kansas, are being held in the Taney County Jail on first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges out of Kansas, in connection with the death of 23-year-old Dakota Patton.

Patton had been missing since April.

His body was found Monday in a rural field in Neosho County, which is northeast of Parsons, Kansas.   

Fire investigators in Springfield are trying to determine the cause of a fire that damaged a home Monday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to the home on Kentwood, near the Olive Street intersection.

Crews say due to the high winds going through the area, getting the flames under control was much more difficult.

The fire was eventually put out before it could spread to nearby homes and businesses.

No one was inside the home at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported.

Half a dozen animals have died at a sale barn in Bolivar from the intense heat over the weekend.

Staff at the Robert Brothers Livestock Auction say they were not prepared for the high heat.

Rabits and chickens were among the animals who died. A spokeswoman for the auction company says there was not a thought given to pausing the sale because they wanted to get the animals back home with the original buyer or the new buyer.

She says it was unavoidable, not knowing how quickly the temperature was going to rise.

Springfield City Council is expected to make a decision on the eminent domain debate on the Hotel of Terror at tonight’s meeting.

The council will decide whether to repeal the eminent domain ordinance or hold a special election on the issue.

If council votes to hold a special election, that election would be on August 8th.

Springfield City Clerk Anita Cotter says the election would cost about 250 thousand dollars.

After non-severe thunderstorms moved through parts of central Missouri and the eastern Ozarks Monday morning, we’ll be keeping our eyes to the sky for additional thunderstorm development late in the afternoon and evening.

The National Weather Service says the strongest of the storms will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts and hail up to size of half dollars.

Locally heavy rainfall will also be possible.

Areas primarily along and east of Highway 65 are under a Level 2 “slight risk” for severe weather, with areas to the west of Springfield under a Level 1 “marginal risk.”

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