Month: September 2023

Two city government public meetings will be held in a different location to make way for renovations at the Historic City Hall.

Both the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission will move their meetings to the Springfield Regional Police-Fire Training Center at 2620 E. Battlefield beginning in October.

The renovations at the Historic City Hall will take place over the next few years.

The renovations are funded through the Level Property Tax approved by voters in 2017.

Here is a a link to a City of Springfield news release with more details on the renovations.

One person is dead following a crash involving a motorcycle in central Springfield.

Investigators were called to the area of Grand and Glenstone Wednesday afternoon at around five p.m. after a report of a two vehicle crash.

Witnesses say a car was driving northbound on Glenstone and was attempting to turn onto Grand when it was hit on the passenger side by a motorcycle driving southbound.

The driver of the motorcycle, 25-year-old Ronny Sawyers, was transported to a local hospital following the crash.

He later died of his injuries.

This story courtesy of Bethany French of OzarksFirst.com-

Some of Springfield’s oldest neighborhoods will now have the chance to get money back for sprucing up their houses. 

It is part of an initiative turned non-profit called Restore SGF, which is challenging neighbors to invest in their homes. 

Restore SGF held a ribbon cutting Sept. 13 for their new office space on Sunshine Street.

The group is behind the Block Challenge Grant Program. Homeowners in select neighborhoods can apply to participate in the program which reimburses residents up to $2,500.

The goal of the Block Challenge Grant Program is to do more than improve the outside of the houses, but also foster community by having neighbors work in teams.

“If you have 10 to 19 people on a team, we will grant them $2,500,” said Restore SGF Interim Executive Director Dana Elwell. “If it’s 5 to 9 people on team, we can grant them $1,000.”  

This program is the product of multiple years of research. Becky Volz, president of the Woodland Heights Neighborhood Association says she’s been a part of this project from the beginning.   

“Just getting to know each other, you feel safer, you feel more connected, and then you get working together,” said Volz. “That’s what we saw in Des Moines and heard from some of the neighbors in the program up there, how they didn’t know they had such awesome neighbors until they got invited to do this program and work together.”  

The first neighborhoods eligible for the program are Woodland Heights, Grant Beach, Doling Park east of Robberson Avenue, Fassnight, and Meador Park east of National Avenue. 

“We want neighbors to be able to drive down the street, say that house got improved,” Elwell said. “That one further down, that house got improved so they can kind of see it’s contagious type thing. So, it’s really about anything outside that would be an improvement to the property.”  

“First of all, it’ll make me smile,” Volz said. “Second, I think when a community improves, everything else around it improves, you know, your attitude, your perception.” 

Homeowners can fill out an application for the Block Challenge Grant Program on Restore SGF’s website.  

This story courtesy of Sydney Moran and Ben Gilbert of OzarksFirst.com-

The Springfield Police Department responded to an unusual call on Tuesday night.

Two Springfield police officers responded to the report of a lemur in the road near Kimbrough and Woodland. After chasing the lemur for a short while, the officers were able to capture the lemur in a towel.

Springfield-Greene County Animal Control came and took the lemur away to keep it safe.

According to the Facebook post, a family was connected to animal control to be reunited with their lost lemur.

However, it is illegal to have a lemur as a pet in Springfield.

“City Ordinance 18-13 does specify that no one can keep a wild animal or exotic animal, and it lists out some examples of those. The lemur would be classified as a non-human primate. It’s also against state statute to have a non-human primate or other wild or exotic animals in the state of Missouri,” said Andee Elmore, Administrator of Public Health and Environment.

The lemur has been connected to a local wildlife rescue agency where they will continue to be well cared for and loved.

“The owner of the lemur opted to turn over the lemur to us, and so we did take possession of the lemur. The lemur will be placed in a zoo or a different type of wildlife sanctuary,” said Elmore.

Springfield Public Schools announced Wednesday that they have decided against building a new Pipkin Middle School on East Pythian.

In a news release, the Springfield Public Schools says they were no longer considering the 20.9-acre parcel of land at 3207 East Pythian, because its proximity to railroad tracks could limit access for emergency vehicles.

There were also concerns from stakeholders which led to the decision to continue looking for a location for the school.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department says they will be receiving the latest version of the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines before the end of the month.

The F-D-A recently approved updated versions for anyone over six months old.

The Health Department recently had to halt COVID-19 vaccinations for people 12 and older, because the vaccine they had would not be effective.

The Springfield Police Department is celebrating its role in returning a lost pet back to its family.. a pet lemur.

Officers were made aware of the lost animal at the intersection of Kimbrough and Woodland Tuesday night.

A short chase ensued before police were able to capture the lemur.

Springfield-Greene County Animal Control was contacted to check on the animal.

The lemur was eventually reunited with its family.

One person is currently in the hospital after being shot during an incident in northeast Springfield.

Investigators say the shooting happened Tuesday night at the intersection of National and Turner.

Witnesses at the scene reported as many as 15 shots were fired in the area, with at least one hitting a nearby home.

Police found multiple shell cases at the intersection.

Shortly after the shooting, a victim checked into the hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg. The injuries are described as “non-life threatening”.

Two juvenile suspects were arrested and are in police custody. Officers are still searching for a third suspect.