Month: June 2023

The name of Springfield’s new Arena League football team was announced at a press conference Wednesday.

Team owner Mark Burgess announced the team will be called the Ozark Lunkers.

The name was picked in a contest by a Nixa woman.

A contest will be held later to name the fish mascot.

Burgess says the Ozark Lunkers are bringing “the 3 Fs”: Fun, Family and Football.

Vice President of Operations Monica Henderson say they will begin a search for a general manager next week.

The team will play at the Wilson Logistics Arena, which is under construction at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, beginning in June of 2024.

CEO of the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds Eric Owens says construction of the stadium is right on track.

A man is dead following a fatal officer involved shooting in Dade County.

The Dade County Sheriff’s Office says deputies from Barton and Cedar County assisted Dade County deputies with a stolen vehicle investigation at a barn on West Dade 72 Road.

Deputies found the stolen vehicle in the barn along with an armed suspect.

The suspect exchanged gunfire with law enforcement and was wounded.

Law enforcement performed C-P-R on the suspect, but he died.

An investigation is being conducted.

The Missouri Department of Corrections says a Lebanon man has died in prison.

The Potosi Correctional Center at Mineral Point says 33-year-old Shane Norman died Tuesday morning.

Norman was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the 2021 murder and dismemberment of his employer.

CORRECTION: Rogers is a Springfield native.

ORIGINAL: Prosecutors in Taney County are filing charges against a man who killed a woman and injured another man in a crash on Highway 65 near Saddlebrooke.

Investigators say Richard Rogers was travelling on Highway 65 Monday when he attempted to turn onto State Highway 176.

While turning, he hit an SUV driven by 55-year-old Sandra Puckett that was at the stop sign of the intersection.

Both cars rolled down an embankment before coming to a stop.

The Walnut Shade native was killed in the crash, while a man riding in the vehicle was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.

Rogers suffered minor injuries, and during the investigation police discovered a controlled substance in his vehicle, and that he was under the influence.

Rogers is facing charges of DWI resulting in death, DWI resulting in physical injury and possession of a controlled substance.

The former Police Chief of Highlandville has fled filed a Federal Lawsuit against the city.

Warren Hagar accuses the city of violating his first amendment rights and retaliating against him after he spoke to the media.

The city fired Hagar in February. The lawsuit also accused Mayor Clint Ellingsworth of misusing a 200 thousand dollars in COVID-19 relief funding.

Investigators are trying to determine how a jet-fueled racing truck caught fire during testing in Springfield.

The Strafford Fire Department was called to the scene at around 6:00 p.m. Tuesday night after the “Aftershock” jet fire truck became engulfed in flames.

Witnesses say the truck was undergoing testing for an upcoming race when the fire started.

The owner of the truck, Flash Fire Jet Truck, says the driver of the vehicle suffered minor burns and was taken to a local urgent care for evaluation and treatment.

It is the second incident involving a Flash Fire Jet Truck vehicle. In 2022, Chris Darnell was driving the companies other vehicle “Shockwave” when it caught fire at a show in Detroit. Darnell was killed.

The truck was a total loss.

Springfield Police are investigating a crash at a busy intersection on Tuesday afternoon.

It happened around 2:30 pm at Campbell and Sunshine.

Investigators say an S-U-V was northbound on Campbell when it crossed the median into southbound traffic and struck two other S-U-Vs.

Police tested the driver for impairment.

A driver and a passenger in one of the other S-U-Vs were injured in the crash.

From a news release:

A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a scheme to transport tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines as part of a multi-million-dollar business.

Eric Kaltenbach, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to four years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Kaltenbach to pay $2,625 in restitution to four identified victims whose catalytic converter he stole (most of the victims could not be identified due to the nature of the crime).

On April 25, 2022, Kaltenbach pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.

Overall, the conspiracy resulted in the theft of tens of thousands of catalytic converters, totaling an aggregate value of at least $1 million. Kaltenbach stole at least 80 catalytic converters from numerous victims throughout the entire southwest region of Missouri, from January 2020 and throughout 2021. He sold the stolen catalytic converters for a total of at least $20,000 to co-defendants Evan Marshall, 25, and Camren Joseph Davis, 26, both of Rogersville, Mo., and Cody Ryder, 31, of Springfield.

In July 2021, Kaltenbach stole a catalytic converter from a victim’s car in Rogersville and was captured on surveillance footage, which was published on social media.  When Kaltenbach went to sell the stolen catalytic converter, Marshall would not purchase it because he had seen the surveillance footage and was upset with Kaltenbach for stealing a catalytic converter in the town in which he lived. Marshall instructed Kaltenbach to not steal catalytic converters in Rogersville; after this incident, Kaltenbach did not steal catalytic converters from vehicles in Rogersville but continued to steal catalytic converters from victims’ vehicles in Springfield. At times, Kaltenbach sold five or six stolen catalytic converters per transaction.

Marshall, Ryder, and Davis were each sentenced on Dec. 20, 2022, after pleading guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.

Marshall was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.  The court also imposed a $750,000 money judgment against Marshall to be forfeited to the government, ordered Marshall to pay $19,133 in restitution to victims of the conspiracy who law enforcement were able to identify, and forfeiture to the government of the following items that were seized by law enforcement: 33 rifles, 20 scopes, six shotguns, 26 handguns, a Glock sub conversion kit, eight ammunition magazines, a 2011 Ram 3500 one-ton pickup, a 2004 Dodge Ram, a flatbed trailer, two 42-foot gooseneck flatbed trailers, a 16-foot livestock trailer, a 2021 Load N Go utility trailer, a 2007 car hauler trailer, a Volkswagen dune buggy, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, a 2012 Keystone 5th wheel camper, a Caterpillar skid steer, a 2019 Honda Talon SXS 1000 side by side, a 2016 Polaris RZR side by side, a Polaris Ranger 4×4,  and 191 catalytic converters.

Ryder was sentenced to two years and five months in federal prison without parole. Davis was sentenced to five years of probation. The court imposed money judgments against Ryder and Davis to forfeit to the government $125,000 each.

Co-defendant Enx Khoshaba, 30, of Springfield, was sentenced on June 1, 2023, to four years in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $15,986 in restitution. Co-defendant Danielle Ice, 35, of Springfield, was sentenced on to 18 months in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $1,355 in restitution.

Co-defendant Leslie Ice, 38, of Springfield has pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2023.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Kempf. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Greene County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney.

From a News Release:

Today, Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe ordered the U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown at half-staff at government buildings in Newton and Jasper counties on Wednesday, June 14, in honor of Ron Richard, the only person in Missouri history to have served as both Speaker of the Missouri House and President Pro Tempore of the Missouri Senate.

“Few elected officials have been a more effective advocate for Missourians than Ron Richard. Our state was blessed to have his steady, consistent leadership, and I was blessed to call him a friend,” Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe said. “Ron taught me more about responsible leadership and public service than any other person in the Capitol. He was a source of wisdom, advice, and counsel that cannot be replaced. Claudia and I are keeping Patty and Ron’s family in our prayers as we mourn the loss of a great man and Missourian.”

“Ron was a proud Missourian and even prouder husband and father who devoted his life to serving this state and our people,” Governor Parson said. “He met people where they were and always took the time to hear from Missourians, no matter his schedule. He was fair, honest, and honorable, and we will deeply miss his presence, not only in politics, but in our lives. Teresa and I continue to pray for Patty and the kids as they begin to navigate life without their loving husband, father, and grandfather.”

Mr. Richard passed away on June 9, 2023, at the age of 75. He served in both the Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate and was the only person to have ever served as both Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. 

Mr. Richard retired from the Missouri General Assembly in 2018, but his service to Missourians continued. He has served on the Missouri Southern State University Board of Governors, Joplin Public Schools R-8 Foundation, Academy of Missouri Squires, and as Co-Chair of the Missouri Bicentennial Commission, among many others.

Mr. Richard also earned several awards and recognitions throughout his public service career, including Joplin Outstanding Citizen, the University of Missouri Geyer Award for Public Service to Education, and Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry Spirit of Enterprise Award, among others. 

Before being elected to the General Assembly, Mr. Richard was the President and Chief Executive Officer of C&N Bowling in Joplin. Mr. Richard is survived by his wife, Patricia; their two children, Kara and Chad; and five grandchildren. 

Lieutenant Governor Kehoe and Mr. Richard worked together in the General Assembly and remained close friends. Given their friendship, Governor Parson granted Lieutenant Governor Kehoe the authority to lower the flags in honor of Mr. Richard.

The flags will be held at half-staff on the day Mr. Richard is laid to rest.