Month: July 2023

A man from Lebanon, and an Ozarks legend, is retiring as an astronaut for NASA.

Mike Hopkins worked as an astronaut for 14 years, which included over 330 days spent in outer space.

Hopkins was born and raised near Richland, Missouri, but graduated from School of the Osage. After high school, he received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois and his Master’s from Stanford University.

He retired from NASA on May 1. His last mission was as commander of SpaceX Crew-1 in 2020.

Hopkins was selected as an astronaut for NASA in 2009.

Long-time residents of Springfield are celebrating a recent budget announcement that will restore a classic piece of Springfield infrastructure.

Governor Parson included on the 2024 fiscal year list of budget approvals, an 8 million dollar appropriation to restore the Jefferson Avenue footbridge.

The footbridge has been in Springfield for over 100 years, and has been out of commission for the last several years.

A shooting late Saturday night has left one man in critical condition.

According to the Springfield Police Department, officers were called to respond to reports of an assault around 10:45 Saturday evening. When they arrived on scene near the 200 block of West Madison, the found one man with life threatening gun shot wounds.

Officers administered first aid and the man was transported to a Springfield hospital where he remains in critical care.

Springfield Police have not reported any suspects but believe there is no ongoing threat to the public.