Month: June 2023

Springfield Police are releasing the full report of a crash that involved a vehicle and a Panera Bread in the city.

Investigators say an SUV was traveling on National April 27 when the driver attempted to turn onto Elm.

Before making the turn, the driver reported having trouble with the steering wheel and accelerator in the car. When he made the turn, the steering wheel didn’t turn completely, causing him to crash directly into the Panera that was on the corner of National and Elm.

The driver told police he couldn’t slow down the car either. The Mercedes SUV went completely into the restaurant, destroying the front of the building.

Two people inside the restaurant suffered minor injuries, but made complete recoveries. The driver of the SUV was not injured.

Springfield Police are investigating a shooting that killed one in a parking lot on West Sunshine.

Authorities were called to the area at around 4:00 a.m. on June 4, when 24-year-old Adrian Gutierrez was shot.

The Sun Valley, California native was transported to an area hospital for serious injuries.

The investigation turned into a homicide on Thursday, when Gutierrez succumbed to his injuries.

That same day, two juvenile suspects were arrested in connection with the shooting and each was charged with second-degree murder.

The identities of the suspects have not been released as investigators continue gathering information.

Police acknowledge that there were multiple witnesses to the shooting, and ask that if you have any details of the shooting, contact them at (417) 864-1810.

Longtime Missouri lawmaker and former House Speaker Ron Richard has died at the age of 75.

The native of Parsons, Kansas earned a Bachelor of Arts from Missouri Southern State University in 1969 and a Master of Arts from Missouri State University in 1971.

He joined the House of Representatives in 2002 and served as Missouri House Speaker from 2009 to 2011.

Richard, a Republican, later became the first speaker in more than 100 years to be elected to the Missouri Senate.

When he served as Senate President Prom Tempore from 2015-2018, Richard became the first lawmaker in Missouri history to serve as the top leader in both the House and Senate.

Most recently, Richard was named to the MSSU Board of Governors and was Co-Chair of the Missouri Bicentennial Commission.

A local youth baseball team is honoring the memory of their teammate, who died in a motorcycle crash last weekend just outside of Cassville.

The Cassville youth baseball team is wearing number “23” patches on their jerseys this Summer in honor of Keaton Fare, a 14 year olf on the team who was killed in the crash.

Coach Chad Howerton says his team is playing for more than themselves this year.

A teenager has died in a crash in Newton County,

Highway Patrol Troopers say 18 year old Steven Keith from Seneca was a passenger in a car that crossed the center line of Old 60 Drive.

The driver overcorrected, then went off the right side of the road. The car flipped and hit a tree.

Keith was pronounced dead at the scene. The 17 year old driver has minor injuries. Troopers say no one in the car was wearing a seat belt.

For veterans, and families of veterans of the Vietnam War, visit the replica memorial that will be in Springfield this weekend.

Organizers say the Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica, which is slightly smaller than the original located in Washington D.C., will be at the Wesley United Methodist Church on West Republic will be available to visit until 2 p.m. Sunday.

Named the “Wall that Heals”, it’s purpose is to allow veterans and families to heal, while also educating younger people on the history of the conflict and those that sacrificed their lives.

The wall will be free to visit, but donations are encouraged to allow for more communities throughout the U.S. to view the work.

A man from Springfield is in the hospital after being shot during a dispute Wednesday night.

Police were called to the intersection of Glenstone and Grand at around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday for a report of shots fired.

Witnesses at the scene say the man was told to leave due to a disturbance when shots rang out.

Investigators say the man was shot in the back while trying to flee to his vehicle. The vehicle also had several bullet holes in it.

The man, who has not been identified, drove himself to an area hospital, where he is being treated.

He is in stable condition. No one is in custody as officers continue to gather information about the incident.

The Missouri Water Patrol is investigating the death of a toddler at Table Rock Lake Monday.

Investigators say the two year old girl was not wearing a life jacket when she went into the water near Blue Eye.

The girl nearly drowned and was air lifted to a hospital in Kansas City, where she died from her injuries.